Separation and identification of subpicomole amounts of methotrexate polyglutamates in animal and human biopsy material

A rapid, quantitative procedure for separating methotrexate (MTX) polyglutamates utilizing molecular-sieve column chromatography has been developed. MTX polyglutamates were separated in 25 min and detected by a radioassay with a sensitivity of 0.1 pmol MTX, allowing analysis on 2 to 5 mg of tissue. This technique has been used to demonstrate and quantitate the levels of MTX polyglutamates in liver, kidney, and brain tissues of rats treated with weekly low doses of MTX, and in liver and red cells of patients with acute leukemia treated with weekly low doses of MTX.     

北京市夏秋季大气PM2.5浓度与气象要素的相关性

基于北京市城市生态系统研究站2008、2009年7月1日—10月31日大气PM_2.5浓度及气温、相对湿度、风速、水汽压、大气压和风向等6类气象要素资料,分析北京市夏秋季大气PM_2.5浓度与气象要素的相关性.结果表明: 在所分析的18周内,PM_2.5浓度在每周内的变化幅度较小.PM_2.5周平均浓度大致呈现出每6周为一个变化周期.其中,后6周最高、前6周次之、中间6周最低.PM_2.5周平均浓度与6种气象要素存在不同程度的相关关系,其中与水汽压的相关性最强,可通过水汽压预测北京市7月和8月的PM_2.5周平均浓度.研究结果可为分析和控制北京市大气PM_2.5污染源提供重要的科学依据.     

Weekly administration of rapamycin improves survival and biomarkers in obese male mice on high‐fat diet

Recent discoveries have revealed the key role of mTOR (target of rapamycin) in aging. Furthermore, rapamycin extends lifespan in mice, especially in female mice. Here, we treated obese male mice on high‐fat diet with rapamycin given intermittently: either weekly (once a week) or alternating bi‐weekly (three injections every other week). While only marginally reducing obesity, intermittent administration of rapamycin significantly extended lifespan. Significance was achieved for weekly treated group and for the three rapamycin‐received groups combined. In weekly treatment group, 100% mice were alive by the age of 2 years, whereas 60% of mice died in untreated group by this age. The effect of weekly treatment on survival was highly significant and cannot be fully explained by partial reduction in obesity. Alternating bi‐weekly treatments seem to be less effective than weekly treatment, although effects of additional factors (see 3 ) may not be excluded. After one year of treatment, all survived mice were sacrificed 8 days after the last administration of rapamycin to avoid its direct interference with parameters examined. Fasting levels of cardiac and hepatic p‐S6, a marker of mTORC1 activity, were lower in weekly treatment group compared with control mice. In contrast, levels of p‐Akt (S473), glucose, triglycerides and insulin were unchanged, whereas leptin and IGF‐1 tended to be lower. Thus, weekly treatment with rapamycin may slow down aging in obese male mice on high‐fat diet.     

北京市夏秋季大气PM2.5浓度与气象要素的相关性

基于北京市城市生态系统研究站2008、2009年7月1日—10月31日大气PM_2.5浓度及气温、相对湿度、风速、水汽压、大气压和风向等6类气象要素资料,分析北京市夏秋季大气PM_2.5浓度与气象要素的相关性.结果表明: 在所分析的18周内,PM_2.5浓度在每周内的变化幅度较小.PM_2.5周平均浓度大致呈现出每6周为一个变化周期.其中,后6周最高、前6周次之、中间6周最低.PM_2.5周平均浓度与6种气象要素存在不同程度的相关关系,其中与水汽压的相关性最强,可通过水汽压预测北京市7月和8月的PM_2.5周平均浓度.研究结果可为分析和控制北京市大气PM_2.5污染源提供重要的科学依据.     

The effect of feeding frequency on some population parameters of Rhodnius neivai

After changing feeding frequency to a weekly and biweekly basis, a statistical evaluation of the variation of some population and reproductive parameters was conducted. It was based on four cohorts experiments of Rhodnius neivai fed on hen or rabbit. We found a direct relationship between blood feeding frequency and the parameters adult average longevity, maximum longevity and life expectancy in the animals fed on hen. On the other hand, in the insect fed biweekly on rabbit, these three values were higher than the registered in the cohorts fed weekly. Reproductive output got bigger and age-specific fertility showed a small decrease when feeding frequency was weekly. Every population parameter, except generation time, was greater in the individuals fed weekly.     

Reduction in magnetic resonance imaging T2 burden of disease in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: analysis of 48-week data from the EVIDENCE (EVidence of Interferon Dose-response: European North American Comparative Efficacy) study

Background  

The EVIDENCE (EVidence of Interferon Dose-response: European North American Comparative Efficacy) study was an international, randomized, open-label, assessor-blinded, parallel-group study assessing the efficacy and tolerability of interferon (IFN) beta-1a, 44 mcg subcutaneously (sc) three times weekly (tiw), and IFN beta-1a, 30 mcg intramuscularly (im) once weekly (qw), in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). The aim of this analysis was to assess whether reductions in T2 burden of disease (BOD) were greater for patients receiving IFN beta-1a, 44 mcg sc tiw, than for those treated with IFN beta-1a, 30 mcg im qw, and to assess the impact of neutralizing antibodies (NAbs).     

Studies on lidocaine-induced kindling.

Lidocaine HCl, injected 5 times weekly, produces pharmacological kindling in rats. The aims of the present study were to: 1) approximate the threshold dose for the effect in mice and 2) determine if injections given less frequently than 5 times weekly produces kindling. Mice were injected (IP) either 5 times weekly for 4 weeks or 2 times weekly for 10 weeks, with doses ranging from 30 to 50 mg/kg. Kindling was defined as the appearance of convulsions on each of 5 consecutive injections. The estimated threshold dose for kindling was approximately 40 mg/kg, as suggested by the observation that 2 of 8 and 8 of 8 mice were kindled at 40 and 50 mg/kg respectively when injected 5 times each week. Whether mice were injected (50 mg/kg) 5 times weekly, or, only twice weekly, 80% of them were kindled by the fifteenth injection. Thus, it would appear that pharmacological kindling might be as much a function of number of injections as it is of frequency of injections.     

A model of seaweed growth in an outdoor culture in Israel

The agarophyte red seaweed Gracilaria conferta was used as a model plant to study the relationship between growth and environmental factors. This species was cultured in small outdoor tanks with continuous seawater supply during three years. Seaweeds were kept under constant density by weekly thinning and were also pulse-fed weekly with nitrogen and phosphate. Water temperature and underwater irradiance increase had opposite effects on the weekly growth rate in two seasons: negative in summer and positive in non-summer. Therefore, a dichotomic separation between summer (June–August) and non-summer (September–May) seasons was utilized in the proposed linear model. The linear model, of the analysis of covariance type, accounted for an explained percentage of total variation (R²) of 0.567, with significant coefficients of all variables included. A standardized model showed that season was the dominant variable, with its coefficient being twice that of temperature in summer, and zero in the non-summer season. Water temperature affected the growth rate twice as much as irradiance, and epiphytes showed a significant negative effect on growth only in the summer. This model aids in the prediction of growth on a seasonal basis under local conditions.     

Patterns of smallpox mortality in London,England, over three centuries

Smallpox is unique among infectious diseases in the degree to which it devastated human populations, its long history of control interventions, and the fact that it has been successfully eradicated. Mortality from smallpox in London, England was carefully documented, weekly, for nearly 300 years, providing a rare and valuable source for the study of ecology and evolution of infectious disease. We describe and analyze smallpox mortality in London from 1664 to 1930. We digitized the weekly records published in the London Bills of Mortality (LBoM) and the Registrar General’s Weekly Returns (RGWRs). We annotated the resulting time series with a sequence of historical events that might have influenced smallpox dynamics in London. We present a spectral analysis that reveals how periodicities in reported smallpox mortality changed over decades and centuries; many of these changes in epidemic patterns are correlated with changes in control interventions and public health policies. We also examine how the seasonality of reported smallpox mortality changed from the 17th to 20th centuries in London.

This study presents the complete historical weekly record of smallpox mortality in London over more than 250 years (1664-1930), describes it using spectral analyses, and discusses it in the context of events and interventions that might have influenced infectious disease dynamics.     

Periodic oscillations in the mortality of mice infected by a protozoan parasite (Plasmodium Berghei) (a five year study)

Abstract

The application of statistical periodic analysis confirms the existence of significant periodic fluctuations in the mortality of mice infected with a rodent malaria (Plasmodium berghei). The mice were obtained from a single commercial breeder and were kept under strict controlled environmental conditions. The duration of the study was five years. The infection was induced by weekly mouse‐to‐mouse passages of infected blood. The cumulative mortality at day 7 after the infection of each weekly passage was used for the study variable.

Analysis of the data shows that there are two periodic fluctuations in the mortality; a major one with a period of 48 weeks and a second, half of that — 24 weeks. The peaks of the 24‐week period appear to coincide with the peaks of the 48 week cycle. These periodic fluctuations are unlikely to be caused by random coincidence.     

Effect of stretch frequency and sex on the rate of gain and rate of loss in muscle flexibility during a hamstring-stretching program: a randomized single-blind longitudinal study

This study evaluated the effects of 4 different weekly stretching protocols on the rate of gain and decline in hamstring flexibility over an 8-week period, across sex. Using a randomized single-blind design, 53 healthy subjects aged 18-46 years were assigned to 1 of 4 stretching protocols or a control group. The stretching protocols consisted of either daily or 3 times per week stretching and performed once or twice each day. These protocols differed in terms of frequency and total weekly stretching time. All the subjects stretched their hamstring muscles for 4 weeks and were measured weekly for their hip range of motion (ROM). Stretching ceased the final 4 weeks as the weekly measurements continued. The results revealed no significant differences in the rate of gain or the rate of loss between the different stretching protocols (2-way analysis of variance, F = 2.60, p > 0.05). All the stretching groups gained in hip ROM from pre to week 4 (F = 269.24, p < 0.001). After cessation, the rate of loss was similar for all the 4 stretching groups (F = 102.86, p < 0.001); all the groups retained significant gains at the end of the study (p < 0.001). The control group did not change over time. Those who stretched at least 6 times per week gained more than those who stretched 3 times per week (24 and 16.8%, respectively, F = 5.20, p < 0.05). Subject sex did not influence ROM changes (p > 0.05). Stretching appears to be equally effective, whether performed daily or 3 times per week, provided individuals stretch at least 2 times each day. Moreover, although women are more flexible than men are, there was no sex difference in terms of stretching response.     

Evaluating the efficacy of insecticides to control Sceliodes cordalis (Doubleday) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) in eggplant

The efficacy of insecticides in controlling Sceliodes cordalis , eggfruit caterpillar, in eggplant was tested in four small plot trials because there has been a very limited range of insecticides available to manage this pest. Weekly applications of bifenthrin, flubendiamide, methoxyfenozide, chlorantraniliprole and spinosad and twice weekly applications of methomyl provided control as measured by a percentage of damaged fruit significantly lower than that in an untreated control. Twice weekly applications of methoxyfenozide, chlorantraniliprole or spinosad were not significantly more effective than weekly applications. Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki , emamectin benzoate, indoxacarb, methomyl and pyridalyl applied weekly were ineffective, with percentages of damaged fruit not significantly different from the untreated control. These trials have identified a number of insecticides that could be used to manage S. cordalis , including several that would be compatible with integrated pest management programs in eggplant.     

Evaluation of Mesocyclops annulatus (Copepoda: Cyclopoidea) as a control agent of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) in Argentina

We evaluated the potential of Mesocyclops annulatus as a control agent of Aedes aegypti in La Plata city (Argentina). Mosquito larval survivorship due to predation by these copepods was estimated at weekly intervals during the oviposition period of A. aegypti. Mean weekly A. aegypti larval survivorship in cylindrical plastic containers (12 cm height and 11 cm diameter) with copepods was significantly lower than in control containers. Furthermore, weekly larval survival was negatively correlated with M. annulatus adult density, and approximately 23 adult copepods/container would be a threshold density over which the weekly mosquito larval survivorship approached zero. The copepods were able to persist in all containers during approximately 100 days (in three of them until the end of the experiment: 155 days) without the resource represented by A. aegypti larvae. The predation and persistence observed suggest that M. annulatus is a potential control agent to be considered in biological control programs.     

Towards automation: Radiata pine shoot hedges in vitro

A novel system for in vitro shoot production has been developed whereby shoot hedges are maintained in one vessel. Monthly crops of shoots are produced for rooting. Radiata pine shoot hedges were maintained on Lepoivre (LP) nutrient agar medium for 18 months using a weekly liquid-nutrient replenishment system. In a separate experiment liquid-LP-nutrient replenishment of shoots twice weekly without transfers (D) resulted in better shoot growth and health than monthly transfers to fresh agar medium (B), monthly transfers to fresh agar medium plus aeration twice weekly (C), or no transfers and no liquid nutrient addition (A). Liquid nutrient replenishment twice weekly was better than 2 weekly or 4 weekly replenishment. The percentage of normal waxy (abundant tubular epicuticular wax) shoots harvested monthly increased significantly over the culture period from 41% at the first harvest to 93% at the eight harvest, and remained high at 97% from the ninth to twelfth harvest. The percentage of wet (no tubular epicuticular wax, small amounts of globular epicuticular wax) shoots harvested showed a corresponding decline—from 59%, to 7% at the eighth harvest. Shoots were harvested at a rate of 672/h (1.19 cents/shoot at a labour cost of NZ$8.00/h) and approximately 1100 shoots were produced per square metre of agar surface per month. Initial problems of contamination and crowding were overcome. These results will greatly facilitate progress towards automation of shoot production and reduction of costs of micropropagated trees. An automated system used in combination with other cost-saving techniques or robotics could potentially result in a substantial reduction in costs. This is the first report of a method of culturing shoots as hedges for a period of up to 18 months without manual subculturing.     

Effectiveness of a monthly schedule of follow-up for the treatment of uncomplicated severe acute malnutrition in Sokoto,Nigeria: A cluster randomized crossover trial

BackgroundCommunity-based management of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) involves weekly or biweekly outpatient clinic visits for clinical surveillance and distribution of therapeutic foods. Distance to outpatient clinics and high opportunity costs for caregivers can represent major barriers to access. Reducing the frequency of outpatient visits while providing training to caregivers to recognize clinical danger signs at home between outpatient visits may increase acceptability, coverage, and public health impact of SAM treatment. We investigated the effectiveness of monthly clinic visits compared to the standard weekly follow-up in the outpatient treatment of uncomplicated SAM in northwestern Nigeria.Methods and findingsWe conducted a cluster randomized crossover trial to test the noninferiority of nutritional recovery in children with uncomplicated SAM receiving monthly follow-up compared to the standard weekly schedule. From January 2018 to November 2019, 3,945 children aged 6 to 59 months were enrolled at 10 health centers (5 assigned to monthly follow-up and 5 assigned to weekly follow-up) in Sokoto, Nigeria. In total, 96% of children (n = 1,976 in the monthly follow-up group and 1,802 in the weekly follow-up group) were followed until program discharge, and 91% (n = 1,873 in the monthly follow-up group and 1,721 in the weekly follow-up group) were followed to 3 months postdischarge. The mean age at admission was 15.8 months (standard deviation [SD] 7.1), 2,097/3,945 (53.2%) were girls, and the mean midupper arm circumference (MUAC) at admission was 105.8 mm (SD 6.0). In a modified intention-to-treat analysis, the primary outcome of nutritional recovery, defined as having MUAC ≥125 mm on 2 consecutive visits, was analyzed using generalized linear models, with generalized estimating equations to account for clustering. Nutritional recovery was lower in the monthly follow-up group compared to the weekly group (1,036/1,976, 52.4% versus 1,059/1,802, 58.8%; risk difference: −6.8%), and noninferiority was not demonstrated (lower bound of the confidence interval [CI] was −11.5%, lower than the noninferiority margin of 10%). The proportion of children defaulting was lower in the monthly group than in the weekly group (109/1,976, 5.5% versus 151/1,802, 8.4%, p = 0.03). Three months postdischarge, children in the monthly group were less likely to relapse compared to those in the weekly group (58/976, 5.9% versus 78/1,005, 7.8%, p = 0.03), but cumulative mortality at 3 months postdischarge was higher in the monthly group (159/1,873, 8.5% versus 106/1,721, 6.2%, p < 0.001). Study results may depend on context-specific factors including baseline level of care and the clinical status of children presenting to health centers, and, thus, generalizability of these results may be limited.ConclusionsWhere feasible, a weekly schedule of clinic visits should be preferred to maintain effectiveness of SAM treatment. Where geographic coverage of programs is low or frequent travel to outpatient clinics is difficult or impossible, a monthly schedule of visits may provide an alternative model to deliver treatment to those in need. Modifications to the outpatient follow-up schedule, for example, weekly clinic visits until initial weight gain has been achieved followed by monthly visits, could increase the effectiveness of the model and add flexibility for program delivery.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov {"type":"clinical-trial","attrs":{"text":"NCT03140904","term_id":"NCT03140904"}}NCT03140904.

Matt D.T. Hitchings and colleagues investigate the effectiveness of a monthly schedule of follow-up for the management of uncomplicated severe acute malnutrition in children aged 6-59 months in Nigeria.     

Intra-annual tracheid production in balsam fir stems and the effect of meteorological variables

Tracheid production of balsam fir in the Québec boreal forest (Canada) was studied by repeated cell analysis to investigate the influence of meteorological variables during the growing seasons 1998 to 2000. Wood micro-cores were extracted on a weekly basis throughout the growing season and sections were prepared in order to count the total number of cells produced. From the weekly cell number obtained, the rate of tracheid production was calculated and correlated with meteorological variables. The average total number of cells produced per year was reasonably uniform, increasing only from 36.6 in 1998, to 41.1 in 2000. However, different cell production rates were noted during the growing season. Regression analysis revealed that the cell production rate was largely dependent on minimum air and soil temperature during most of the cell production period. Mean and maximum temperature had less influence on cell production. Moreover, the influence of temperature was higher during earlywood production mainly from the end of May to mid-July. Lagging the weather data by 1–5 days decreased the relationship between temperature and cell production, showing the high correspondence with the same interval where cell production was measured. These results suggest a fast response of the cambium to temperature variation during tree-ring formation.     

Weekly vs. tri-weekly cisplatin based chemoradiation in carcinoma cervix: a prospective randomized study of toxicity and compliance

BackgroundAddition of chemotherapy to radiation has improved 5-year survival by 6%. However, the optimal dose and schedule of concurrent cisplatin is not well defined, though widely accepted practice is the weekly schedule of 40 mg/m² for 5 weeks. Repeated admissions for weekly cisplatin drain the limited resources in high volume centres. We intended to study the compliance and toxicity of two cisplatin schedules in our patients diagnosed with carcinoma cervix.Materials and methodsBetween 2007–2011, 212 patients, histologically proven squamous cell carcinoma with stages IIB to IIIB were randomized into two arms. All patients were planned for external beam radiotherapy 45 Gy/25 frs over 5 weeks followed by Intracavitary or Interstitial brachytherapy to a total BED dose of 75–85 Gy. Single agent cisplatin given concomitantly, was scheduled weekly (40 mg/m²/cycle, 5 cycles) in an arm A and three weekly (100 mg/m²/cycle, 2 cycles) in an arm B. Toxicity and compliance were evaluated weekly according to the RTOG guidelines. Analysis of the compiled data was done using SSPS version 20.ResultsOf the evaluable 212, 109 patients received weekly cisplatin chemotherapy and 103 patients received three weekly cisplatin. The most common acute toxicity observed was grade I–II leucopoenia. The upper and lower gastrointestinal reactions were high in three weekly arms, which was statistically significant (57% and 42.7%, p < 0.05). Proctitis was observed in 10% of patients in both of the arms and only two patients had Gr1 Cystitis after 6 months of treatment.ConclusionsTri-weekly cisplatin based concurrent chemoradiation can be adopted in high volume centres with manageable haematological and gastrointestinal acute toxicities.     

A time series analysis of the relationship of ambient temperature and common bacterial enteric infections in two Canadian provinces

The incidence of enteric infections in the Canadian population varies seasonally, and may be expected to be change in response to global climate changes. To better understand any potential impact of warmer temperature on enteric infections in Canada, we investigated the relationship between ambient temperature and weekly reports of confirmed cases of three pathogens in Canada: Salmonella, pathogenic Escherichia coli and Campylobacter, between 1992 and 2000 in two Canadian provinces. We used generalized linear models (GLMs) and generalized additive models (GAMs) to estimate the effect of seasonal adjustments on the estimated models. We found a strong non-linear association between ambient temperature and the occurrence of all three enteric pathogens in Alberta, Canada, and of Campylobacter in Newfoundland-Labrador. Threshold models were used to quantify the relationship of disease and temperature with thresholds chosen from 0 to −10°C depending on the pathogen modeled. For Alberta, the log relative risk of Salmonella weekly case counts increased by 1.2%, Campylobacter weekly case counts increased by 2.2%, and E. coli weekly case counts increased by 6.0% for every degree increase in weekly mean temperature. For Newfoundland-Labrador the log relative risk increased by 4.5% for Campylobacter for every degree increase in weekly mean temperature.     

Physical connectivity in the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System inferred from 9 years of ocean color observations

Ocean color images acquired from the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) from 1998 to 2006 were used to examine the patterns of physical connectivity between land and reefs, and among reefs in the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System (MBRS) in the northwestern Caribbean Sea. Connectivity was inferred by tracking surface water features in weekly climatologies and a time series of weekly mean chlorophyll-a concentrations derived from satellite imagery. Frequency of spatial connections between 17 pre-defined, geomorphological domains that include the major reefs in the MBRS and river deltas in Honduras and Nicaragua were recorded and tabulated as percentage of connections. The 9-year time series of 466 weekly mean images portrays clearly the seasonal patterns of connectivity, including river plumes and transitions in the aftermath of perturbations such as hurricanes. River plumes extended offshore from the Honduras coast to the Bay Islands (Utila, Cayo Cochinos, Guanaja, and Roatán) in 70% of the weekly mean images. Belizean reefs, especially those in the southern section of the barrier reef and Glovers Atoll, were also affected by riverine discharges in every one of the 9 years. Glovers Atoll was exposed to river plumes originating in Honduras 104/466 times (22%) during this period. Plumes from eastern Honduras went as far as Banco Chinchorro and Cozumel in Mexico. Chinchorro appeared to be more frequently connected to Turneffe Atoll and Honduran rivers than with Glovers and Lighthouse Atolls, despite their geographic proximity. This new satellite data analysis provides long-term, quantitative assessments of the main pathways of connectivity in the region. The percentage of connections can be used to validate predictions made using other approaches such as numerical modeling, and provides valuable information to ecosystem-based management in coral reef provinces. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Profile and genetic parameters of dairy cattle locomotion score and lameness across lactation

This study investigated the profile of locomotion score and lameness before the first calving and throughout the first (n=237) and second (n=66) lactation of 303 Holstein cows raised on a commercial farm. Weekly heritability estimates of locomotion score and lameness, and their genetic and phenotypic correlations with milk yield, body condition score, BW and reproduction traits were derived. Daughter future locomotion score and lameness predictions from their sires’ breeding values for conformation traits were also calculated. First-lactation cows were monitored weekly from 6 weeks before calving to the end of lactation. Second-lactation cows were monitored weekly throughout lactation. Cows were locomotion scored on a scale from one (sound) to five (severely lame); a score greater than or equal to two defined presence of lameness. Cows’ weekly body condition score and BW was also recorded. These records were matched to corresponding milk yield records, where the latter were 7-day averages on the week of inspection. The total number of repeated records amounted to 12 221. Data were also matched to the farm’s reproduction database, from which five traits were derived. Statistical analyses were based on uni- and bivariate random regression models. The profile analysis showed that locomotion and lameness problems in first lactation were fewer before and immediately after calving, and increased as lactation progressed. The profile of the two traits remained relatively constant across the second lactation. Highest heritability estimates were observed in the weeks before first calving (0.66 for locomotion score and 0.54 for lameness). Statistically significant genetic correlations were found for first lactation weekly locomotion score and lameness with body condition score, ranging from −0.31 to −0.65 and from −0.44 to −0.76, respectively, suggesting that cows genetically pre-disposed for high body condition score have fewer locomotion and lameness issues. Negative (favourable) phenotypic correlations between first lactation weekly locomotion score/lameness and milk yield averaged −0.27 and −0.17, respectively, and were attributed to management factors. Also a phenotypic correlation between lameness and conception rate of −0.19 indicated that lame cows were associated with lower success at conceiving. First-lactation daughter locomotion score and/or lameness predictions from sires’ estimated breeding values for conformation traits revealed a significant linear effect of rear leg side view, rear leg rear view, overall conformation, body condition score and locomotion, and a quadratic effect of foot angle.