Monitoring daily physical activity of upper extremity in young and adolescent boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy:A pilot study

Introduction Accelerometry of the upper extremity (UE) potentially provides information on the extent of activities in daily life in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). The objective of this study is to evaluate the validity of home measurements of UE accelerometry. Methods This was a cross-sectional study in 16 patients with DMD (aged 7-17 years). Patients were monitored for 1 to 3 days with two accelerometers on the UE and one accelerometer on the wheelchair. Results The mean intensity of activity and the mean frequency of transfers of arm elevation from low to middle were approximately twofold higher in patients with a Brooke scale score of 1 or 2 than in patients with a Brooke scale score of 3 or 4. Correlations with the Performance of Upper Limb scale score were high for intensity and for the total frequency of arm elevations per hour. Discussion Intensity, percentage of time in middle orientation, and frequency of transfers of the upper arm correlated well with functional measurements

SARS-CoV-2 infection in dogs and cats is associated with contact to COVID-19 positive household members

Several domestic and wild animal species are susceptible to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Reported (sero)prevalence in dogs and cats vary largely depending on the target population, test characteristics, geographical location and time period. This research assessed the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2-positive cats and dogs (PCR- and/or antibody positive) in two different populations. Dogs and cats living in a household with at least one confirmed COVID-19-positive person (household (HH) study; 156 dogs and 152 cats) and dogs and cats visiting a veterinary clinic (VC) (VC study; 183 dogs and 140 cats) were sampled and tested for presence of virus (PCR) and antibodies. Potential risk factors were evaluated and follow-up of PCR-positive animals was performed to determine the duration of virus shedding and to detect potential transmission between pets in the same HH. In the HH study, 18.8% (27 dogs, 31 cats) tested SARS-CoV-2 positive (PCR- and/or antibody positive), whereas in the VC study, SARS-CoV-2 prevalence was much lower (4.6%; six dogs, nine cats). SARS-CoV-2 prevalence amongst dogs and cats was significantly higher in the multi-person HHs with two or more COVID-19-positive persons compared with multi-person HHs with only one COVID-19-positive person. In both study populations, no associations could be identified between SARS-CoV-2 status of the animal and health status, age or sex. During follow-up of PCR-positive animals, no transmission to other pets in the HH was observed despite long-lasting virus shedding in cats (up to 35 days). SARS-CoV-2 infection in dogs and cats appeared to be clearly associated with reported COVID-19-positive status of the HH. Our study supports previous findings and suggests a very low risk of pet-to-human transmission within HHs, no severe clinical signs in pets and a negligible pet-to-pet transmission between HHs

Physical training in boys with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy: the protocol of the No Use is Disuse study

Contains fulltext : 89740.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)BACKGROUND: "Use it or lose it" is a well known saying which is applicable to boys with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). Besides the direct effects of the muscular dystrophy, the increasing effort to perform activities, the fear of falling and the use of personal aids indirectly impair leg and arm functions as a result of disuse. Physical training could oppose this secondary physical deterioration. The No Use is Disuse (NUD) study is the first study in human subjects with DMD that will examine whether a low-intensity physical training is beneficial in terms of preservation of muscle endurance and functional abilities. The study consists of two training intervention studies: study 1 "Dynamic leg and arm training for ambulant and recently wheelchair-dependent boys with DMD and, study 2 "Functional training with arm support for boys with DMD who have been confined to a wheelchair for several years". This paper describes the hypotheses and methods of the NUD study. METHODS: Study 1 is an explorative randomized controlled trial with multiple baseline measurements. Thirty boys with a DNA-established diagnosis of DMD will be included. The intervention consists of a six-months physical training during which boys train their legs and arms with active and/or assisted cycling training equipment. The primary study outcomes are muscle endurance and functional abilities, assessed with a Six-Minute Bicycle Test and the Motor Function Measure. Study 2 has a within-group repeated measurements design and will include ten boys with DMD who have already been confined to a wheelchair for several years. The six-months physical training program consists of 1) a computer-assisted training and 2) a functional training with an arm support. The primary study outcome is functional abilities of the upper extremity, assessed with the Action Research Arm Test. DISCUSSION: The NUD study will fill part of the gap in the current knowledge about the possible effects of training in boys with DMD and will increase insight into what type of exercise should be recommended to boys with DMD. The study will finish at the end of 2010 and results are expected in 2011. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The Netherlands National Trial Register1631

Democratic effects of institutional reform in local government : the case of the Dutch Local Government Act 2002

This dissertation focuses on the effects of institutional reform in local government: more specifically the democratic effects of the Dutch Local Government Act 2002. This new legislation was introduced to address two problems. First, the new legislation tried to strengthen the role of the council in its relation to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen. This relation was problematic because the formal legislative and executive primacy of the council was becoming increasingly fictitious. As a consequence of several developments the primacy of the council was hollowed out and the dominance of the executive branch became ever stronger. In order to enhance democratic accountability, the reformers wanted to reduce this executive domination and to strengthen the underdeveloped control mechanism of the council.\ud Second, the reforms aimed at improving the relation between the council and the citizens. The reformers feared that several developments may have had negative effects on the legitimacy of local government. In order to address this issue the new act aimed at strengthening the representative function of the council and increasing councillors’ responsiveness to citizens. \ud \ud The main question that is answered in this study is whether the institutional reforms introduced through the new legislation were successful in achieving their envisioned democratic effects (with regard to democratic accountability and responsiveness). \ud Institutional reforms can encourage or restrict particular types of behaviour of actors. The study uses the Theory of Planned Behaviour to understand the factors that might produce behavioural change: personal attitudes, social norms, and a person’s ability to show the behaviour. Moreover it also focuses on the effects of socialisation and recruitment in bringing about attitudinal and behavioural change. \ud \ud On the basis of repeated surveys amongst councillors this research shows that the new legislation was at least to some extent successful in changing councillors' role orientations: they consider responsiveness activities, but especially accountability activities as more important than before. Furthermore, the perceived executive dominance decreases. No behavioural changes in terms of time distribution were found. Changes in the councillors' role orientations are mainly caused by the selection mechanism: councillors with a specific profile taking place in the council

Technologie is niet neutraal, dat zou Dijkgraaf moeten weten

In een interview met het NRC lijkt minister Dijkgraaf te stellen dat wetenschappelijke inzichten zelf neutraal zijn; iets wat hij zelfs expliciet stelt over technologie. Dat het nieuwe ‘politieke hoofd’ van het wetenschapsbeleid in Nederland zo over wetenschap en technologie denkt, baart onderzoekers van het Tilburg Institute for Law, Technology and Society (TILT) zorgen. Zij stellen dat de wetenschap zich rekenschap moet geven van haar politieke karakter en dat de politiek zich moet verantwoorden voor haar keuzes bij de financiering en het gebruik van wetenschappelijk onderzoek

Technologie is niet neutraal, dat zou Dijkgraaf moeten weten

In een interview met het NRC lijkt minister Dijkgraaf te stellen dat wetenschappelijke inzichten zelf neutraal zijn; iets wat hij zelfs expliciet stelt over technologie. Dat het nieuwe ‘politieke hoofd’ van het wetenschapsbeleid in Nederland zo over wetenschap en technologie denkt, baart onderzoekers van het Tilburg Institute for Law, Technology and Society (TILT) zorgen. Zij stellen dat de wetenschap zich rekenschap moet geven van haar politieke karakter en dat de politiek zich moet verantwoorden voor haar keuzes bij de financiering en het gebruik van wetenschappelijk onderzoek