Publications by authors named "P A M J Scholtens"

Article Synopsis
  • The clinical study investigated the effects of LifeinU™ Bacillus subtilis CU1 (BSCU1) on immune responses in 88 participants across different age groups, aiming to understand how it might improve protection against infections.
  • Although BSCU1 did not significantly alter fecal sIgA levels, it positively impacted various markers of the innate immune system, especially in adults and the elderly, by increasing peripheral blood myeloid cells and CD69 expression on monocytes.
  • Additionally, the supplementation led to higher production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and improved the ability of monocytes to engulf bacteria, while also reducing levels of certain inflammatory cytokines in older adults, suggesting potential benefits for overall immune health.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Some stories of moral exemplars motivate us to emulate their admirable attitudes and behaviors, but why do some exemplars motivate us more than others? We systematically studied how motivation to emulate is influenced by the similarity between a reader and an exemplar in social or cultural background () and how personally costly or demanding the exemplar's actions are (). Study 1 found that university students reported more inspiration and related feelings after reading true stories about the good deeds of a recent fellow alum, compared to a famous moral exemplar from decades past. Study 2A developed a battery of short moral exemplar stories that more systematically varied Relatability and Attainability, along with a set of non-moral exemplar stories for comparison.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Constipation is a major issue for 10-20% of the global population. In a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial, we aimed to determine a dose-response effect of galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) on stool characteristics and fecal microbiota in 132 adults with self-reported constipation according to Rome IV criteria (including less than three bowel movements per week). Subjects (94% females, aged: 18-59 years) received either 11 g or 5.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: Peripheral neuropathy (PN) is common in patients with multiple myeloma (MM). We hypothesized that the relationship between hypovitaminosis D and PN described in diabetes mellitus patients may also be present in MM patients.

Methods: To study this potential association, we assessed the incidence of hypovitaminosis D (vitamin D < 75 nmol/L [= 30 ng/mL]) in smouldering and active MM patients in two Dutch hospitals.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The current double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial with two parallel groups aimed to assess the impact of whey protein supplementation on recovery of muscle function and muscle soreness following eccentric exercise. During a 9-day period, forty recreationally active males received twice daily supplementation with either whey protein (PRO; 60 g/day) or an iso-energetic amount of carbohydrate (CON). Muscle function and soreness were assessed before, and 0, 3, 24, 48, and 72 h after performing 100 drop jumps.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF