Association between days post-conception and lactation persistency in dairy cattle.

Determining the optimal insemination moment for individual cows is complex, particularly when considering the effects of pregnancy on milk production. The effect of pregnancy on the absolute milk yield has already been reported in several studies. Currently, there is limited quantitative knowledge about the association between days post-conception (DPC) and lactation persistency, based on a lactation curve model, and, specifically, how persistency changes during pregnancy and relates to the days in milk at conception (DIMc). Understanding this association might provide valuable insights to determine the optimal insemination moment. This study, therefore, aimed to investigate the association between DPC and lactation persistency, with an additional focus on the influence of DIMc. Available milk production data from 2005 to 2022 were available for 23,908 cows from 87 herds located throughout the Netherlands and Belgium. Persistency was measured by a lactation curve characteristic decay, representing the time taken to halve milk production after peak yield. Decay was calculated for 8 DPC (0, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, and 210 d after DIMc) and served as the dependent variable. Independent variables included DPC, DIMc (≤60, 61-90, 91-120, 121-150, 151-180, 181-210, >210), parity group, DPC × parity group, DPC × DIMc, and variables from 30 d before DIMc as covariates. The results showed an increase in decay, which is to say, a decrease in persistency, during pregnancy for both parity groups, albeit in different ways. Specifically, from DPC 150 to DPC 210, multiparous cows showed a greater decline in persistency compared with primiparous cows. Furthermore, a later DIMc (cows conceiving later) was associated with higher persistency. Except for the early DIMc groups (DIMc <90), DIMc does not affect the change in persistency by gestation. The findings from this study contribute to a better understanding of how DPC and DIMc during lactation influence lactation persistency, enabling more informed decision-making by farmers who wish to take persistency into account in their reproduction management.

Structure-function effects of different pectin chemistries and its impact on the gastrointestinal immune barrier system.

The gastrointestinal immune system is crucial for overall health, safeguarding the human body against harmful substances and pathogens. One key player in this defense is dietary fiber pectin, which supports the gut's immune barrier and fosters beneficial gut bacteria. Pectin's composition, including degree of methylation (DM), RG-I, and neutral sugar content, influences its health benefits. This review assesses how pectin composition impacts the gastrointestinal immune barrier and what advantages specific chemistries of pectin has for metabolic, cardiovascular, and immune health. We delve into recent findings regarding pectin's interactions with the immune system, including receptors like TLRs and galectin 3. Pectin is shown to fortify mucosal and epithelial layers, but the specific effects are structure dependent. Additionally, we explore potential strategies for enhancing the gut immune barrier function. Understanding how distinct pectin chemistries affect the gastrointestinal immune system is vital for developing preventive and therapeutic solutions for conditions related to microbiota imbalances and immune issues. Ultimately, this review offers insights into strategies to boost the gut immune barrier's effectiveness, fostering better overall health by using specific pectins in the diet.

Reproductive hormone use and its association with herd-level factors on Dutch dairy farms.

We studied the use of the 3 commonly used reproductive hormones, namely prostaglandins, GnRH, and progesterone, and associated herd-level factors on 760 Dutch dairy farms from 5 veterinary clinics. From 2017 to 2019 we collected data on the sales of reproductive hormones, converted this data into the number of reproductive hormone doses conducted, and expressed this as the annual number of reproductive hormone doses per 100 adult dairy cows. Additional herd-level information was available for 2019. Due to the excess of zeros in the data set (i.e., a substantial number of farms did not use any hormones), we used a zero-inflated negative binomial model to identify related herd-level factors for the use of reproductive hormones. In the entire study period of 2017 to 2019, 5.8% of the dairy farms did not use any reproductive hormones, with the proportion of nonusers varying between 0.0 and 10.3% per veterinary clinic. This proportion was around 13.5% on an annual basis. Prostaglandins were the most frequently used reproductive hormone in Dutch dairy cows (62.9%), followed by GnRH (33.1%) and progesterone (4.0%). Furthermore, participating in a veterinary herd health management program had a significant effect on reproductive hormone use. These farms used more reproductive hormones than farms that did not participate in a herd health management program and were less represented in the group of nonuser farms. Technologies, such as pedometers and automatic milking systems, also had an effect on reproductive hormone use. The presence of pedometers or activity monitors did not reduce the use of the reproductive hormones but was associated with a greater frequency of users. Farms with an automatic milking system used more reproductive hormones than farms with a conventional milking system. With this study, we have made a first step in achieving transparency in the Dutch dairy industry by providing an objective overview of reproductive hormone use on Dutch dairy farms and identifying associations with some herd-level factors.

Correction to: Safety and efficacy of Cerebrolysin in acute brain injury and neurorecovery: CAPTAIN I-a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, Asian-Pacific trial.

The above article was published online with incorrect abbreviations in Figures 2 and 3 last sentence of the legend. HDA should be corrected to HADS.

Safety and efficacy of Cerebrolysin in acute brain injury and neurorecovery: CAPTAIN I-a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, Asian-Pacific trial.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of Cerebrolysin as an add-on therapy to local standard treatment protocol in patients after moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury. METHODS: The patients received the study medication in addition to standard care (50 mL of Cerebrolysin or physiological saline solution daily for 10 days, followed by two additional treatment cycles with 10 mL daily for 10 days) in a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, multi-centre phase IIIb/IV trial. The primary endpoint was a multidimensional ensemble of 14 outcome scales pooled to be analyzed by means of the multivariate, correlation-sensitive Wei-Lachin procedure. RESULTS: In 46 enrolled TBI patients (Cerebrolysin 22, placebo 24), three single outcomes showed stand-alone statistically significant superiority of Cerebrolysin [Stroop Word/Dots Interference (p = 0.0415, Mann-Whitney(MW) = 0.6816, 95% CI 0.51-0.86); Color Trails Tests 1 and 2 (p = 0.0223/0.0170, MW = 0.72/0.73, 95% CI 0.53-0.90/0.54-0.91), both effect sizes lying above the benchmark for "large" superiority (MW > 0.71)]. While for the primary multivariate ensemble, statistical significance was just missed in the intention-to-treat population (pWei-Lachin < 0.1, MWcombined = 0.63, 95% CI 0.48-0.77, derived standardized mean difference (SMD) 0.45, 95% CI -0.07 to 1.04, derived OR 2.1, 95% CI 0.89-5.95), the per-protocol analysis showed a statistical significant superiority of Cerebrolysin (pWei-Lachin = 0.0240, MWcombined = 0.69, 95% CI 0.53 to 0.85, derived SMD 0.69, 95% CI 0.09 to 1.47, derived OR 3.2, 95% CI 1.16 to 12.8), with effect sizes of six single outcomes lying above the benchmark for "large" superiority. Safety aspects were comparable to placebo. CONCLUSION: Our trial suggests beneficial effects of Cerebrolysin on outcome after TBI. Results should be confirmed by a larger RCT with a comparable multidimensional approach.

In vitro maturation of class I oocytes of bovine during different tropical seasons.

The aims of this study were to determine the effects of seasonality on yields and quality of bovine abattoir-derived oocytes and their in vitro maturation (IVM) competence in Thailand, a tropical country. Ovaries were collected monthly from a slaughterhouse, from January to June 2017, separated into cool (January to February), summer (March to April), and rainy (May to June) seasons. Cumulus oocyte complexes (COCs) were obtained by follicular aspiration, and subsequently, oocyte yield and quality were examined. Selected class I and II COCs were cultured under IVM condition, and their maturation capacity was also evaluated. Results showed that average numbers of COCs and class I COCs per ovary were highest in summer. However, no significant seasonal difference in oocyte maturation rates was found. The higher numbers of COCs and class I COCs in summer might be caused by their follicular development during the cool season, and might be a reason why the pregnancy rate in summer is better than in the rainy season.

External validation of prediction models for time to death in potential donors after circulatory death.

Predicting time to death in controlled donation after circulatory death (cDCD) donors following withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment (WLST) is important but poses a major challenge. The aim of this study is to determine factors predicting time to circulatory death within 60 minutes after WSLT and validate previously developed prediction models. In a single-center retrospective study, we used the data of 92 potential cDCD donors. Multivariable regression analysis demonstrated that absent cough-, corneal reflex, lower morphine dosage, and midazolam use were significantly associated with death within 60 minutes (area under the curve [AUC] 0.89; 95% confidenence interval [CI] 0.87-0.91). External validation of the logistic regression models of de Groot et al (AUC 0.86; 95% CI 0.77-0.95), Wind et al (AUC 0.62; 95% CI 0.49-0.76), Davila et al (AUC 0.80; 95% CI 0.708-0.901) and the Cox regression model by Suntharalingam et al (Harrell's c-index 0.63), exhibited good discrimination and could fairly identify which patients died within 60 minutes. Previous prediction models did not incorporate the process of WLST. We believe that future studies should also include the process of WLST as an important predictor.

Unbiased random mutagenesis contributes to a better understanding of the virulent behaviour of Paenibacillus larvae.

AIMS: American foulbrood, caused by the Gram-positive bacteria Paenibacillus larvae, is one of the most severe bacterial diseases of the European honey bee. The bacterium has been known for long, but only the last decade the mechanisms used by the pathogen to cause disease in its host are starting to unravel. In this study, the knowledge of this virulent behaviour is expanded and several possible virulence factors are suggested. METHODS AND RESULTS: Identification of possible virulence factors has been done by random mutagenesis to ensure an unbiased approach. A library of mutants was tested for a significant difference in virulence using in vitro exposure assays. Affected loci were characterized and their potential to contribute in virulence of the pathogen was assessed. CONCLUSIONS: The identified mutated loci dacB, dnaK, metN, ywqD, lysC, serC and gbpA are known to encode for virulence factors in other bacteria and are suggested to play a similar role in P. larvae. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The study identified new possible virulence factors for P. larvae genotype ERIC I in an unbiased way. This contributes to the knowledge and understanding of the possible mechanisms used by this pathogen to colonize and kill its host.

Obesity in COPD: Comorbidities with Practical Consequences?

COPD and obesity often coexist and there is a complex interaction between them. Our aim was to evaluate the prevalence of obesity in a secondary care COPD population. Furthermore, the presence of comorbidities in obese (COPDOB) and non-obese COPD (COPDNO) individuals was studied. In 1654 COPD patients (aged ≥18 years) who visited a pulmonologist between January 2015 and December 2015, patient characteristics, pulmonary function tests and comorbidities were obtained from the medical records. Subjects were categorized according their BMI as underweight (<18.5 kg/m2), normal weight (18.5-24.9 kg/m2), overweight (25.0-29.9 kg/m2) or obese (BMI ≥30.0 kg/m2). The Charlson comorbidity index and COTE index were used to quantify comorbidities. The prevalence of obesity was 21.8% in our COPD population. Obesity was significantly less common in GOLD stage IV (10.1%) compared to GOLD I (20.5%), II (27.8%) and III (18.9%). COPDOB had different comorbidities compared with COPDNO. Hypertension, diabetes mellitus, atrial fibrillation and congestive heart failure were significantly more prevalent in COPDOB compared with COPDNO. Osteoporosis and lung cancer were significantly more common in COPDNO compared with COPDOB. Obesity is common in patients with COPD and is most prevalent in COPD GOLD I-II and least prevalent in COPD GOLD IV. Obese COPD patients have different comorbidities than non-obese COPD patients. Cardiovascular and metabolic comorbidities, especially hypertension and diabetes mellitus, are highly prevalent in obese COPD patients. Active screening for these conditions should be a priority for physicians treating obese COPD patients.

Impact of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria on root colonization potential and life cycle of Rhizophagus irregularis following co-entrapment into alginate beads.

AIMS: This study aimed at evaluating the impact of seven plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) on root colonization and life cycle of Rhizophagus irregularis MUCL 41833 when co-entrapped in alginate beads. METHODS AND RESULTS: Two in vitro experiments were conducted. The first consisted of the immobilization of R. irregularis and seven PGPR isolates into alginate beads to assess the effect of the bacteria on the pre-symbiotic growth of the fungus. In the second experiment, the best performing PGPR from experiment 1 was tested for its ability to promote the symbiotic development of the AMF in potato plantlets from three cultivars. Results showed that only one isolate identified as Pseudomonas plecoglossicida (R-67094) promoted germ tube elongation and hyphal branching of germinated spores during the pre-symbiotic phase of the fungus. This PGPR further promoted the symbiotic development of the AMF in potato plants. CONCLUSIONS: The co-entrapment of Ps. plecoglossicida R-67094 and R. irregularis MUCL 41833 in alginate beads improved root colonization by the AMF and its further life cycle under the experimental conditions. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Co-entrapment of suitable AMF-PGPR combinations within alginate beads may represent an innovative technology that can be fine-tuned for the development of efficient consortia-based bioformulations.

Obesity in COPD: Revealed and Unrevealed Issues.

The interactions between obesity and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are being increasingly explored. In part, this is due to the globally increasing prevalence rates of obesity. The prevalence of obesity in COPD patients is variable, and it seems that obesity is more common in COPD patients compared with subjects who do not have COPD. However, further studies are encouraged in this area due to observed inconsistencies in the current data. In this review, we focus on the knowledge of the effects of obesity on dyspnea, pulmonary function, exercise capacity and exacerbation risk. Reduction of dyspnea is one of the main therapy targets in COPD care. There is still no consensus as to whether obesity has a negative or even a positive effect on dyspnea in COPD patients. It is hypothesized that obese COPD patients might benefit from favourable respiratory mechanics (less lung hyperinflation). However, despite less hyperinflation, obesity seems to have a negative influence on exercise capacity measured with weight-bearing tests. This negative influence is not seen with weight-supported exercise such as cycling. With respect to severe exacerbations, obesity seems to be associated with better survival. In summary, it is concluded that due to differences in study methodology and cohort selection, there are still too many knowledge gaps to develop guidelines for clinical practice. Further exploration is needed to get conclusive answers.

Immunomodulating properties of protein hydrolysates for application in cow's milk allergy.

Cow's milk proteins cause allergic symptoms in 2-3% of all infants. In these individuals, the tolerogenic state of the intestinal immune system is broken, which can lead to sensitization against antigens and eventually to allergic responses. Although a true treatment for food allergy is not available, symptoms can be avoided by providing the infants with hydrolyzed proteins. Hydrolyzed proteins are proteins that are enzymatically degraded. They lack typical allergenic IgE-binding epitopes but are also thought to play a pertinent role in other mechanisms inducing hypoallergenic effects. This review discusses the mechanisms and evidence for immunomodulating properties of cow's milk hydrolysates. Hydrolysates are found to strengthen the epithelial barrier, modulate T-cell differentiation, and decrease inflammation. Some studies suggest a role for hydrolysates in manipulating pathogen recognition receptors signaling as underlying mechanism. Peptides from hydrolysates have been shown to bind to TLR2 and TLR4 and influence cytokine production in epithelial cells and macrophages. Current insight suggests that hydrolysates may actively participate in modulating the immune responses in subjects with cow's milk allergy and those at risk to develop cow's milk allergy. However, more research is required to design effective and reproducible means to develop targeting strategies to modulate the immune response.

Improving head and neck CTA with hybrid and model-based iterative reconstruction techniques.

AIM: To compare image quality of head and neck computed tomography angiography (CTA) reconstructed with filtered back projection (FBP), hybrid iterative reconstruction (HIR) and model-based iterative reconstruction (MIR) algorithms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The raw data of 34 studies were simultaneously reconstructed with FBP, HIR (iDose(4), Philips Healthcare, Best, the Netherlands), and with a prototype version of a MIR algorithm (IMR, Philips Healthcare). Objective (contrast-to-noise ratio [CNR], vascular contrast, automatic vessel analysis [AVA], stenosis grade) and subjective image quality (ranking at level of the circle of Willis, carotid bifurcation, and shoulder) of the five reconstructions were compared using repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post-hoc analysis. RESULTS: Vascular contrast was significantly higher in both the circle of Willis and carotid bifurcation with both levels of MIR compared to the other reconstruction methods (all p<0.0001). The CNR was highest for high MIR, followed by low MIR, high HIR, mid HIR and FBP (p<0.001 except low MIR versus high HIR; p>0.33). AVA showed most complete carotids in both MIR-levels, followed by high HIR (p>0.08), mid HIR (p<0.023) and FBP (p<0.010), vertebral arteries completeness was similar (p=0.40 and p=0.06). Stenosis grade showed no significant differences (p=0.16). High HIR showed the best subjective image quality at the circle of Willis and carotid bifurcation level, followed by mid HIR. At shoulder level, low MIR and high HIR were ranked best, followed by high MIR. CONCLUSION: Objectively, MIR significantly improved the overall image quality, reduced image noise, and improved automated vessel analysis, whereas FBP showed the lowest objective image quality. Subjectively, the highest level of HIR was considered superior at the level of the circle of Willis and the carotid bifurcation, and along with the lowest level of MIR for the origins of the neck arteries at shoulder level.

The vegetative state/unresponsive wakefulness syndrome: a systematic review of prevalence studies.

One of the worst outcomes of acquired brain injury is the vegetative state, recently renamed 'unresponsive wakefulness syndrome' (VS/UWS). A patient in VS/UWS shows reflexive behaviour such as spontaneous eye opening and breathing, but no signs of awareness of the self or the environment. We performed a systematic review of VS/UWS prevalence studies and assessed their reliability. Medline, Embase, the Cochrane Library, CINAHL and PsycINFO were searched in April 2013 for cross-sectional point or period prevalence studies explicitly stating the prevalence of VS/UWS due to acute causes within the general population. We additionally checked bibliographies and consulted experts in the field to obtain 'grey data' like government reports. Relevant publications underwent quality assessment and data-extraction. We retrieved 1032 papers out of which 14 met the inclusion criteria. Prevalence figures varied from 0.2 to 6.1 VS/UWS patients per 100 000 members of the population. However, the publications' methodological quality differed substantially, in particular with regards to inclusion criteria and diagnosis verification. The reliability of VS/UWS prevalence figures is poor. Methodological flaws in available prevalence studies, the fact that 5/14 of the studies predate the identification of the minimally conscious state (MCS) as a distinct entity in 2002, and insufficient verification of included cases may lead to both overestimation and underestimation of the actual number of patients in VS/UWS.

Structural biomarkers in the cerebrospinal fluid within 24 h after a traumatic spinal cord injury: a descriptive analysis of 16 subjects.

STUDY DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. OBJECTIVES: To characterize the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentrations of glial fibrillary acidic protein, neuron specific enolase (NSE), S-100ß, tau and neurofilament heavy chain (NFH) within 24 h of an acute traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI), and to correlate these concentrations with the baseline severity of neurologic impairment as graded by the American Spinal Injury Association impairment scale (AIS). METHODS: A lumbar puncture was performed to obtain CSF from 16 acute traumatic SCI patients within 24 h post injury. Neurological examinations were performed within 24 h of injury and again at 6 or 12 months post injury. The correlations between the CSF concentrations and initial AIS were calculated by using Pearson correlation coefficients. In addition, an independent Student's t-test was used to test for differences in CSF concentrations between patients of different AIS grades. RESULTS: The CSF NSE concentrations were significantly correlated with the baseline neurologic impairment being either 'motor complete' (AIS A, B) or 'motor incomplete' (AIS C, D) (r=0.520, P<0.05). The mean S-100ß concentration in motor complete patients was significantly higher compared with motor incomplete patients; 377.2 µg l(-1) (s.d.±523 µg l(-1)) vs 57.1 µg l(-1) (s.d.±56 µg l(-1)) (P<0.05), respectively. Lastly, the mean NFH concentration in motor complete patients was significantly higher compared with motor incomplete patient, 11 813 ng l(-1) (s.d.±16 195 ng l(-1)) vs 1446.8 ng l(-1) (s.d.±1533 ng l(-1)), (P<0.05), respectively. CONCLUSION: In this study we identified differences in the structural CSF biomarkers NSE, S-100ß and NFH between motor complete and motor incomplete SCI patients. Our data showed no clear differences in any of the protein concentrations between the different AIS grades.

Temporal analysis of attentional processes in spontaneous interactions between people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities and their support workers.

BACKGROUND: Few studies examined joint attention in interactions with people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD), although being an important component of high-quality interaction. The purpose of this study is to describe initiating joint attention behaviour from people with PIMD and their support workers as well as the sequential relationship between initiating joint attention behaviour and attention episodes in spontaneous interactions. METHOD: Video observations of 28 support worker-client dyads were coded using partial interval coding. RESULTS: Results show much variation across persons and dyads. Within the support worker-client dyad, there is not much joint attention but shared attention is frequently occurring. In general, people with PIMD are directing the attention of their interaction partner at low rates. The support workers are frequently directing the attention of the clients towards a topic of interest but not often through the tactile modality. The occurrence of an attention episode cannot be predicted on the basis of preceding initiating joint attention behaviour of the interaction partners. CONCLUSION: This study presents directions for future research and implications for practice. It may increase support workers' knowledge of their own contributions, strengths and weaknesses in directing and maintaining attention within interactions with people with PIMD.

Skin pentosidine in very early hip/knee osteoarthritis (CHECK) is not a strong independent predictor of radiographic progression over 5 years follow-up.

OBJECTIVES: Age-related changes in articular cartilage are likely to play a role in the etiology of osteoarthritis (OA). One of the major age-related changes in cartilage is the accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). The present study evaluates whether pentosidine can predict radiographic progression and/or burden over 5 years follow-up in a cohort of early knee and/or hip OA. DESIGN: The 5 years follow-up data of 300 patients from cohort hip & cohort knee (CHECK) were used. Radiographic progression and burden were assessed by X-rays of both knees and hips (Kellgren and Lawrence (K&L) and Altman scores). Baseline pentosidine levels (and urinary CTXII as a comparator) were measured by high-performance-liquid-chromatography (HPLC) and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Univariable and multivariable associations including baseline radiographic damage, age, gender, body mass index (BMI) and kidney function were performed. RESULTS: Both pentosidine and urinary C-terminal telopeptide of type II collagen (uCTXII) correlated with radiographic progression and burden. In general pentosidine did not have an added predictive value to uCTXII for progression nor burden of the disease. The best prediction was obtained for burden of radiographic damage (R(2) = 0.60-0.88), bus this was predominantly determined by baseline radiographic damage (without this parameter R(2) = 0.07-0.17). Interestingly, pentosidine significantly added to prediction of osteophyte formation, whereas uCTXII significantly added to prediction of JSN in multivariable analysis. CONCLUSION: Pentosidine adds to prediction of radiographic progression and burden of osteophyte formation and uCTXII to radiographic progression and burden of JSN, but overall skin pentosidine did not perform better that uCTXII in predicting radiographic progression or burden. Burden of damage over 5 years is mainly determined by radiographic joint damage at baseline.

Recent developments in basophil research: do basophils initiate and perpetuate type 2 T-helper cell responses?.

Basophils account for only 0.1-1% of all peripheral blood leukocytes. They were considered to be a redundant cell type for a long time. However, several findings show a non-redundant role for basophils in type 2 T-helper cell (Th2) immune responses in helminth infections, allergy and autoimmunity. Both immunoglobulin-E-dependent and -independent pathways have been described to contribute to basophil activation. In addition, several recent studies reported that basophils can function as antigen-presenting cells and are important in the initiation of Th2 immune responses. However, there are also conflicting studies that do not corroborate the importance of basophils in Th2 immune responses. This review discusses the role of basophils in Th2 immune responses in view of these recent findings.

Investigating the relationship between observed mood and emotions in people with severe and profound intellectual disabilities.

BACKGROUND: The measurement of subjective well-being in people with severe and profound intellectual disabilities (ID) is a difficult challenge. As they cannot self-report about their life satisfaction, because of severe communicative and cognitive limitations, behavioural observations of their emotions and moods are important in the measurement of their subjective well-being. It is, however, not known if observations of mood and emotion can be differentiated in people with severe and profound ID and if mood and emotions can give unique information about their affect. Therefore, the aim of this study is to examine the relationship between mood and emotions in people with severe and profound ID, using behavioural observations. As recommended in the literature, we investigated the frequency and intensity of the emotion separately. METHOD: In a period of 3 weeks 27 participants with severe and profound ID were presented with four staff-selected negative and four staff-selected positive stimuli. During the presentation participants were videotaped using the observational method of Petry & Maes where each behaviour is coded on a 5-point scale, ranging from indicating a very negative emotion to indicating a very positive emotion. As a measure of mood, the staff completed the MIPQ in the beginning of the 3 weeks. RESULTS: We found a positive relationship between mood and respectively the total emotion score and the frequency of the emotion when the stimuli were positive but not when the stimuli were negative. There was no relationship between mood and the intensity of the emotion. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that mood and emotions can be distinguished from each other using behavioural observations. Both can give specific information about the affective life of people with severe or profound ID. Moreover, if further research could replicate the results of this study, an implication is that the direct support workers should be aware of a decline in the frequency of their clients reactions to positive stimuli as this could indicate a decline in their mood.

See me, feel me. Using physiology to validate behavioural observations of emotions of people with severe or profound intellectual disability.

BACKGROUND: Behavioural observations are the most frequently used source of information about emotions of people with severe or profound intellectual disabilities but have not yet been validated against other measures of emotion. In this study we wanted to validate the behavioural observations of emotions using respiration (rib cage contribution, total breath duration, inspiratory time, expiratory time, tidal volume, mean inspiratory flow, minute ventilation) and heart rate variability. METHOD: Twenty-seven participants were presented with four negative and four positive stimuli. During the presentation the participants' respiration and heart rate variability was measured. Each behaviour of the participant was coded as emotive or not. RESULTS: We found the hypothesised higher percentage rib cage contribution, marginal lower mean inspiratory flow and lower heart rate variability when the expressed emotions became more positive. CONCLUSIONS: These results validate the use of behavioural observations to make inferences about emotions.