What Would Miffy Do? Applying Informed Consent by Proxy to All Sentient Animals.

If we want to take sentient non-human animals and their interests seriously, we can try to ask for their consent before using them for human purposes. With mentally competent humans, we speak of informed consent: for them to participate in scientific studies, for example, it is required that they consent explicitly, in full understanding of the risks and benefits. This full understanding cannot be expected from non-human animals.

Establishing Correlates of Maternal-Fetal Cytomegalovirus Transmission-One Step Closer Through Predictive Modeling.

Background: Determinants of maternal-fetal cytomegalovirus (CMV) transmission and factors influencing the severity of congenital CMV (cCMV) infection are not well understood.

Methods: We conducted a descriptive, multicenter study in pregnant women ≥18 years old with primary CMV infection and their newborns to explore maternal immune responses to CMV and determine potential immunologic/virologic correlates of cCMV following primary infection during pregnancy. We developed alternative approaches looking into univariate/multivariate factors associated with cCMV, including a participant clustering/stratification approach and an interpretable predictive model-based approach using trained decision trees for risk prediction (post hoc analyses).

T cells, more than antibodies, may prevent symptoms developing from respiratory syncytial virus infections in older adults.

Introduction: The immune mechanisms supporting partial protection from reinfection and disease by the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) have not been fully characterized. In older adults, symptoms are typically mild but can be serious in patients with comorbidities when the infection extends to the lower respiratory tract.

Methods: This study formed part of the RESCEU older-adults prospective-cohort study in Northern Europe (2017-2019; NCT03621930) in which a thousand participants were followed over an RSV season.

Proficiency tests to evaluate the impact on assay outcomes of harmonized influenza-specific Intracellular Cytokine Staining (ICS) and IFN-ɣ Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSpot (ELISpot) protocols.

The magnitude and quality of cell-mediated immune responses elicited by natural infection or vaccination are commonly measured by Interferon-ɣ (IFN-ɣ) Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSpot (ELISpot) and Intracellular Cytokine Staining (ICS). To date, laboratories apply a variety of in-house procedures which leads to diverging results, complicates interlaboratory comparisons and hampers vaccine evaluations. During the FLUCOP project, efforts have been made to develop harmonized Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for influenza-specific IFN-ɣ ELISpot and ICS assays.

Why All Healthy Laboratory Animals Should Be Rehomed, No Matter How Small.

This paper explores the ethical imperative of rehoming all healthy animals of sentient species after experiments have finished or when they have become otherwise redundant. We take into account disparate perspectives in animal ethics and see how they point in the same direction. We illustrate our case with our own rehoming experience from the joint Animal Welfare Body of Utrecht University and the University Medical Centre Utrecht, the Netherlands.

Giant worm-shaped ESCRT scaffolds surround actin-independent integrin clusters.

Endosomal Sorting Complex Required for Transport (ESCRT) proteins can be transiently recruited to the plasma membrane for membrane repair and formation of extracellular vesicles. Here, we discovered micrometer-sized worm-shaped ESCRT structures that stably persist for multiple hours at the plasma membrane of macrophages, dendritic cells, and fibroblasts. These structures surround clusters of integrins and known cargoes of extracellular vesicles.

The Time Scale of Shallow Convective Self-Aggregation in Large-Eddy Simulations Is Sensitive to Numerics.

Numerical simulations of the tropical mesoscales often exhibit a self-reinforcing feedback between cumulus convection and shallow circulations, which leads to the self-aggregation of clouds into large clusters. We investigate whether this basic feedback can be adequately captured by large-eddy simulations (LESs). To do so, we simulate the non-precipitating, cumulus-topped boundary layer of the canonical "BOMEX" case over a range of numerical settings in two models.

Advancing understanding of land-atmosphere interactions by breaking discipline and scale barriers.

Vegetation and atmosphere processes are coupled through a myriad of interactions linking plant transpiration, carbon dioxide assimilation, turbulent transport of moisture, heat and atmospheric constituents, aerosol formation, moist convection, and precipitation. Advances in our understanding are hampered by discipline barriers and challenges in understanding the role of small spatiotemporal scales. In this perspective, we propose to study the atmosphere-ecosystem interaction as a continuum by integrating leaf to regional scales (multiscale) and integrating biochemical and physical processes (multiprocesses).

Collective intelligence in teams: Contextualizing collective intelligent behavior over time.

Collective intelligence (CI) in organizational teams has been predominantly understood and explained in terms of the quality of the outcomes that the team produces. This manuscript aims to extend the understanding of CI in teams, by disentangling the core of actual collective intelligent team behavior that unfolds over time during a collaboration period. We posit that outcomes do support the presence of CI, but that collective intelligence itself resides in the interaction processes within the team.

Prospective associations between working alliance, basic psychological need satisfaction, and coaching outcome indicators: a two-wave survey study among 181 Dutch coaching clients.

Background: The coach-coachee working alliance and coachee motivation seem important factors for achieving positive coaching results. Self-determination theory, specifically basic psychological need theory, has been proposed as a relevant framework for understanding these relationships. The current longitudinal survey study therefore investigates prospective associations between coachees' appraisal of the working alliance, basic psychological need satisfaction, and the coaching outcome indicators goal attainment, wellbeing, absence of psychopathology, and personal growth initiative.

Harmonization and qualification of intracellular cytokine staining to measure influenza-specific CD4 T cell immunity within the FLUCOP consortium.

Despite the knowledge that cell-mediated immunity (CMI) contributes to the reduction of severe influenza infection, transmission, and disease outcome, the correlates of protection for cell-mediated immunity remain still unclear. Therefore, measuring the magnitude and quality of influenza-specific T cell responses in a harmonized way is of utmost importance to improve characterisation of vaccine-induced immunity across different clinical trials. The present study, conducted as part of the FLUCOP project, describes the development of a consensus protocol for the intracellular cytokine staining (ICS) assay, in order to reduce inter-laboratory variability, and its qualification.

The emotional well-being of parents with children at genetic risk for type 1 diabetes before and during participation in the POInT-study.

Introduction: This study examined the emotional impact that parents experience when confronted with an increased genetic risk of type 1 diabetes (T1D) in their child. Population-based screening of neonates for genetic risk of chronic disease carries the risk of increased emotional burden for parents.

Methods: Information was collected using a well-being questionnaire for parents of infants identified as having an increased risk for T1D in a multinational research study.

The globalizability of temporal discounting.

Economic inequality is associated with preferences for smaller, immediate gains over larger, delayed ones. Such temporal discounting may feed into rising global inequality, yet it is unclear whether it is a function of choice preferences or norms, or rather the absence of sufficient resources for immediate needs. It is also not clear whether these reflect true differences in choice patterns between income groups.

Safety and immunogenicity of three doses of non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae-Moraxella catarrhalis (NTHi-Mcat) vaccine when administered according to two different schedules: a phase 2, randomised, observer-blind study.

Background: Non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) and Moraxella catarrhalis (Mcat) infections are frequently associated with exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Results were reported with a two-dose (0-2 months) schedule of an investigational AS01-adjuvanted NTHi-Mcat vaccine containing three surface proteins from NTHi and one from Mcat. We evaluated the safety and immunogenicity of three NTHi-Mcat vaccine doses administered in two different schedules to adults with a smoking history (≥ 10 pack-years), immunologically representing the COPD population.

Quality Evolution and Aroma Profile of Pointed Cabbage in Different Storage Regimes.

With its increasing popularity, the need for optimal storage conditions of pointed cabbages becomes more important to meet the year-round demand. Storage of the pointed varieties, however, is more difficult compared to the traditional, round varieties and is limited to a few weeks in normal air. Pointed cabbages are more susceptible to quality loss (shriveling, yellowing of leaves, weight loss, fungal, and bacterial infections) and tend to spoil much faster.

Staying connected in old age: associations between bonding social capital, loneliness and well-being and the value of digital media.

Objectives: We examined associations between age, bonding social capital (BSC), loneliness and psychological, social and emotional well-being in old age. As in theory digital media can support both preservation of and access to someone's social capital, we also explored associations between the use of WhatsApp, social network sites (SNS) and Internet applications and respectively BSC and loneliness.

Method: In this cross-sectional study a sample of 349 older adults ( = 70y-93y; =74.

Animal Business: an Ethical Exploration of Corporate Responsibility Towards Animals.

The aim of this paper is to take normative aspects of animal welfare in corporate practice from a blind spot into the spotlight, and thus connect the fields of business ethics and animal ethics. Using insights from business ethics and animal ethics, it argues that companies have a strong responsibility towards animals. Its rationale is that animals have a moral status, that moral actors have the moral obligation to take the interests of animals into account and thus, that as moral actors, companies should take the interests of animals into account, more specifically their current and future welfare.

Companion Animals as Buffer against the Impact of Stress on Affect: An Experience Sampling Study.

Companion animals have been identified as a unique source of social support and as contributors to mental wellbeing. This study uses the Experience Sampling Method to test whether this effect is due to stress-buffering. A total of 159 dog and cat owners responded to a series of randomly scheduled questionnaires on their smartphones.

Ethical review of COVID-19 research in the Netherlands; a mixed-method evaluation among medical research ethics committees and investigators.

Background: During the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic there was an urgent need for accelerated review of COVID-19 research by Medical Research Ethics Committees (MRECs). In the Netherlands this led to the implementation of so-called 'fast-track-review-procedures' (FTRPs) to enable a swift start of urgent and relevant research. The objective of this study is to evaluate FTRPs of MRECs in the Netherlands during the COVID-19 pandemic and to compare them with the regular review procedures (RRPs).

Antibody avidity, persistence, and response to antigen recall: comparison of vaccine adjuvants.

Differences in innate immune 'imprinting' between vaccine adjuvants may mediate dissimilar effects on the quantity/quality of persisting adaptive responses. We compared antibody avidity maturation, antibody/memory B cell/CD4 T cell response durability, and recall responses to non-adjuvanted fractional-dose antigen administered 1-year post-immunization (Day [D]360), between hepatitis B vaccines containing Adjuvant System (AS)01, AS01, AS03, AS04, or Alum (NCT00805389). Both the antibody and B cell levels ranked similarly (AS01/AS03 > AS04 > Alum) at peak response, at D360, and following their increases post-antigen recall (D390).

The general fault in our fault lines.

Pervading global narratives suggest that political polarization is increasing, yet the accuracy of such group meta-perceptions has been drawn into question. A recent US study suggests that these beliefs are inaccurate and drive polarized beliefs about out-groups. However, it also found that informing people of inaccuracies reduces those negative beliefs.

Optimism and Mental Health in Adolescence: a Prospective Validation Study of the Dutch Life-Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R-A) for Adolescents.

The study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the Dutch Life Orientation Test-Revised for Adolescents (LOT-R-A), a self-report questionnaire assessing dispositional optimism, and to evaluate the two-factor structure (optimism, pessimism). The LOT-R-A and the questionnaires measuring well-being (MHC-SF-A) and psychological problems (SDQ) were completed by 459 Dutch adolescents (178 boys and 281 girls) between the ages of 11 and 18 years at baseline and 281 adolescents at a four-week follow-up. The results confirmed the two-factor structure (optimism, pessimism) of the LOT-R-A.

The implementation of the nationwide out-of-hours phone number 1733 in Belgium: analysis of efficiency and safety.

Background: Belgium has a problem with inappropriate use of emergency services. The government installed the number 1733 for out-of-hours care. Through a dry run test, we learned that 30% of all calls were allocated to the protocol 'unclear problem'.

Mycosis fungoides of the vulva.

Mycosis fungoides (MF) is an indolent form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and the most common type of primary cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. The overall incidence of MF is approximately 4 per 1 million. Involvement of the vulva by MF is extremely rare, with only seven reported cases in the literature.