Random Time Points Research Articles

Earlier detection of SARS-CoV-2 infection by blood RNA signature microfluidics assay.

Earlier detection of SARS-CoV-2 infection by blood RNA signature microfluidics assay.

Soundscape Optimization in Nursing Homes Through Raising Awareness in Nursing Staff With MoSART.

IntroductionSoundscapes in nursing homes are often suboptimal for residents. This can cause them feeling anxious and unsafe, or develop behavioral and psychological problems. Residents with dementia cannot adapt nursing home environments to their needs due to cognitive and physical limitations. It is up to the staff of psycho-geriatric wards to improve the soundscape. We evaluated the effect of the sound awareness intervention Mobile Soundscape Appraisal and Recording Technology (MoSART+) on soundscapes in nursing homes.MethodsThe MoSART+ intervention was carried out in four nursing homes and took three months in each home. The MoSART+ intervention involved training ambassadors, assessing the soundscape with the MoSART application by the nursing staff to raise their sound awareness on random time points, discussing the measurements, and implementing micro-interventions. Soundscapes were assessed from 0 to 100 on four attributes: pleasantness, eventfulness, complexity, and range of affordances. Based on these scores, soundscapes were classified in four dimensions: calm, lively, boring, and chaotic. Nursing staff graded the environment on a scale of 0 to 10. T-test and Z-tests were used to analyze data.ResultsStaff recorded 1882 measurements with the MoSART app. “People,” “music, TV, and radio,” and “machines and appliances” were the most prevalent sound sources before and after the implementation of micro-interventions. Post-implementation of micro-interventions, soundscapes were pleasant (median 69.0; IQR 54.0–81.0), of low complexity (33.0; 18.0–47.0), uneventful (27.0; 14.0–46.5), and gave moderate affordances (50.0; 35.0–67.0). Changes in attributes were statistically significant (p < 0.01). The proportion of the dimension calm increased (z = 12.7, p < 0.01), the proportion of chaotic decreased (z = 15.0, p < 0.01), and the proportion of lively decreased not statically significant (z = 0.68, p = 0.79). The proportion of boring was unchanged. The proportion of grades ≥6 increased after implementation of the micro-interventions (z = 15.3, p < 0.01). The micro-interventions focused on removing or reducing disturbing sounds and were unique for each nursing home.DiscussionThe MoSART+ intervention resulted in a statistically significantly improvement of soundscapes, and more favorable evaluations of the nursing staff. The intervention empowered staff to adapt soundscapes. Nursing homes can improve soundscapes by raising sound awareness among staff.Trial RegistrationNetherlands National Trial Register (NL6831).

CONSTRUCTION OF GEODESIC NETWORKS ON THE BASIS OF THE THEORY OF MARKOV ACCIDENTAL PROCESSES AND THE THEORY OF RELIABILITY

As mentioned above, the theory of reliability was mainly developed for technical devices. However, nowadays it is widely used in construction, and is also beginning to be used in geodesy. By abstracting its position can be successfully transferred to systems that do not seem to be in a dynamic state. Take, for example, the polygon metric network in the city. It would seem that such a network is in a static state, but over time it undergoes changes, ie it is in subtle dynamics and its reliability is gradually declining.&#x0D; Reliability in the broadest sense of the word means the ability of a technical device (system, network) to uninterrupted (trouble-free) operation for a specified period of time under certain conditions. This period of time is usually due to the time of a task. Which is carried out by a device or system and is part of the overall operational task.&#x0D; Currently, the problem of reliability is becoming one of the key problems of technology and management. Ensuring the reliable operation of all elements of the system is of paramount importance.&#x0D; Improving reliability requires special study and quantitative analysis of the phenomena associated with accidental failures of devices or systems. At this time, the theory of reliability has become a special science that makes extensive use of probable methods of examination.&#x0D; In the theory of reliability there are two types of failures: sudden and gradual. Consider sudden failures. Sudden device failures are understood as an instantaneous failure, which means that it cannot be used, and these failures occur at some random point in time.&#x0D; The reliability of the system depends on the composition and number of elements included in it, on the type of integration into the system and on the characteristics of each individual element. An element is to be understood as any device that is not subject to further disconnection, the reliability of which is specified or determined experimentally. By assembling such elements in different ways into systems, we will solve the problem of determining the reliability of the system depending on the reliability of its elements.&#x0D; The reliability of elements and systems is determined by numerical characteristics. We give some definitions of these characteristics for the element and the system as a whole.&#x0D; The reliability of the element is the probability that the element in certain conditions will work flawlessly over time, its probability is denoted. With increasing time, reliability usually decreases; with probability.&#x0D; In the geodetic literature, the term "reliability" is often used, which means the accuracy of the obtained results of geodetic measurements. However, the reliability of a geodetic sign or network as a whole, from the point of view of reliability theory should be considered, for example, the ability of a sign or network to survive on the ground without changing location (without changing spatial coordinates) for a given period of time under certain conditions. In other words, the reliability of a geodetic sign or network as a whole is the probability that the sign or network in these conditions will fail to "work" until the end of a given time.

Changes in the Skin Proteome and Signs of Allostatic Overload Type 2, Chronic Stress, in Response to Repeated Overcrowding of Lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus L.)

Lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus L) is a North Atlantic species harvested for its roe and increasingly used as a cleanerfish in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) farming to remove salmon louse (Lepeophtheirus salmonis). In aquaculture, the health and welfare of fish depends on optimal levels of several biotic and abiotic factors. Crowding, a common abiotic stress factor in aquaculture practice, can affect the welfare and survival of fish. In this study, lumpfish was exposed to crowding stress daily at random timepoints for one month (stress group) or no crowding (control group). Blood and skin were sampled weekly for physiological parameter analysis and proteomics, respectively. Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) stimulation and dexamethasone (DEX) suppression test were conducted at the sampling timepoints. Gel-based proteomics coupled with liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was used to identify protein changes in skin tissues of lumpfish under crowding. The results indicated that the stress group showed signs of allostatic overload type 2 (chronic stress) due to oversensitivity to ACTH, and a reduced negative feedback system with increased baseline levels of cortisol. These chronic changes in the endocrine system promoted changes in secondary and tertiary stress responses as reduced osmoregulatory capacity and stunted growth, after 14 days of stress and onward. Calmodulin, guanine nucleotide binding protein subunit beta 2, glutathione-S-transferase Mu 3, fatty acid binding protein, heat shock cognate 70 kDa protein, keratin, histone H4 and 14-3-3 alpha/beta showed protein spot intensity changes compared with controls in lumpfish skin at one or several time points during the one month period of crowding stress. The differentially expressed proteins are related to several metabolic pathways and are involved in stress and immune responses. Overall, the study shows that lumpfish can suffer from chronic stress with possible dire consequences for the animal welfare.

Energy-aware job scheduling in a multi-objective production environment – An integrated DEA-OWA model

Manufacturing is a major source of energy consumption and, therefore, a significant contributor to emissions and greenhouse gases. This paper is concerned with evaluating different scheduling policies in a job shop system where energy-efficient scheduling is incorporated with multiple other scheduling criteria. In the production systems being investigated, the electrical energy is offered on a time-of-use (TOU) pricing regime. The objective of minimizing TOU energy costs conflicts sharply with most other traditional objectives in production scheduling. The aim is to identify best performing scheduling rules for different scenarios based on different shop congestion levels, and devise new rules to enable an improved integration of energy cost with other scheduling criteria.A ranking approach based on data envelopment analysis (DEA) and Ordered Weighting Average (OWA) concepts is presented. The proposed methodology exploits the preference voting system embedded under the cross-efficiency (CE) matrix to derive a collective importance scale for the aggregation process. The approach is applied to 28 dispatching rules (DRs) for scheduling jobs that arrive continuously at random points in time during the production horizon. Computational results highlight the effect of energy costs on the overall ranking of the DRs, and unveil the superiority of certain rules under multi-objective performance criteria.

Casual C peptide index: Predicting the subsequent need for insulin therapy in outpatients with type 2 diabetes under primary care.

BackgroundEvaluation of residual beta cell function is indispensable in patients with type 2 diabetes as it informs not only diagnoses but also appropriate treatment modalities. However, there is a lack of convenient biomarkers for residual beta cell function. Therefore, we evaluated endogenous insulin level as a biomarker in outpatients who were being treated with insulin therapy and in patients who were introduced to insulin therapy after 4 years.MethodsData of 174 outpatients with type 2 diabetes (50% male) whose glycemia was moderately controlled (glycated A1c 7.3% [5.2%–14.8%]) were reviewed. Twenty patients whose estimated glomerular filtration rate was lower than 30 ml/min/1.73 m2 were excluded from the evaluation of endogenous insulin level with both casual C‐peptide index (C‐CPI) and urinary C‐peptide/creatinine ratio (determined at any time, generally 1–2 h after breakfast). Patients were stratified based on the provision of insulin therapy.ResultsC‐CPI and UCPCR were significantly lower in the insulin‐treated patients than in the insulin‐untreated patients (0.9 vs. 2.2, p < 0.0001; 24.7 vs. 75.5, p = 0.0003, respectively). Moreover, C‐CPI were significantly lower in the insulin‐requiring patients for 4 years than in the insulin‐unrequiring patients (1.0 vs. 1.7, p = 0.0184). The multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that both indicators of insulin secretion influenced the requirement for insulin therapy, but C‐CPI could serve as the most convenient and useful biomarker for not only current insulin therapy requirements (p = 0.0002) but also the subsequent requirement for insulin therapy (p = 0.0008).ConclusionsC‐CPI could be determined easily, and it was found to be a more practical marker for outpatients; therefore, our findings would have critical implications for primary care.

A STOCHASTIC MODEL FOR ESTIMATION OF EXPECTED TIME TO RECRUITMENT WHEN THE THRESHOLD HAS GENERALIZED EXPONENTIATED GAMMA DISTRIBUTION

In any organization a number of factors are required to generate production activities and the manpower is the most vital factor. The manpower requirements may increase in course of time due to increase in production activities or due to depletion of manpower at random time points. Hence recruitment is to be made whenever the total demands for manpower crosses the so called threshold level. In this paper an estimate of the expected time to recruitment is derived under the assumption that the threshold level is a random variable which follows the Generalized Exponentiated Gamma distribution. The variances also found out. The results are substantiated with numerical examples

Construction of Windows for Pharmacokinetic Sampling

This paper describes a method for the construction of pharmacokinetic sampling windows so that they are around the $D$-optimum time points. Here we consider the situation where a pharmacokinetic (PK) study is accompanied by a dose-finding study in phase I clinical trial. The D-optimal criterion is often used to determine the optimal time for collecting blood samples so that they provide maximum information regarding the population PK parameters. However, collecting blood samples at the D-optimal time points is often difficult. Instead, the sampling time point chosen from a suitable time interval or window can ease the process. The proposed method is conceptually simple and considers the average value and standard deviation of D-optimal time points up to create sampling windows. Random time points can be chosen from these windows then to collect blood samples from the next cohort. The nonlinear random-effects model has been used to model the PK data. Also, we employ the continual reassessment method for dose allocation to the patients. Comparisons of the accuracy and precision for the PK parameter estimates obtained at the D-optimal and random time points are also presented. The results are convincing enough to suggest the proposed method as a useful tool for blood sample collection.

Picture of the Favourable Immune Profile Induced by Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination.

COVID-19 pandemic has hit people’s health, economy, and society worldwide. Great confidence in returning to normality has been placed in the vaccination campaign. The knowledge of individual immune profiles and the time required to achieve immunological protection is crucial to choose the best vaccination strategy. We compared anti-S1 antibody levels produced over time by BNT162b2 and AZD1222 vaccines and evaluated the induction of antigen-specific T-cells. A total of 2569 anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG determination on dried blood spot samples were carried out, firstly in a cohort of 1181 individuals at random time-points, and subsequently, in an independent cohort of 88 vaccinated subjects, up to the seventeenth week from the first dose administration. Spike-specific T-cells were analysed in seronegative subjects between the two doses. AZD1222 induced lower anti-S1 IgG levels as compared to BNT162b2. Moreover, 40% of AZD1222 vaccinated subjects and 3% of BNT162b2 individuals resulted in seronegative during all the time-points, between the two doses. All these subjects developed antigen-specific T cells, already after the first dose. These results suggest that this test represents an excellent tool for a wide sero-surveillance. Both vaccines induce a favourable immune profile guaranteeing efficacy against severe adverse effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection, already after the first dose administration.

Access flow volume (Qa) and survival in a haemodialysis population: an analysis of 5208 Qa measurements over a 9-year period.

The aim of this study was to determine associations between characteristics of arteriovenous access (AVA) flow volume (Qa; mL/min) and 4-year freedom from cardiovascular mortality (CVM) in haemodialysis (HD) patients. HD patients who received a primary AVA between January 2010 and December 2017 in one centre were analysed. Initial Qa was defined as the first Qa value obtained in a well-functioning AVA by a two-needle dilution technique. Actual Qa was defined as access flow at a random point in time. Changes in actual Qa were expressed per 3-month period. CVM was assessed according to the European Renal Association-European Dialysis and Transplant Association classification. The optimal cut-off point for initial Qa was identified by a receiver operating characteristics curve. A joint modelling statistical technique determined longitudinal associations between Qa characteristics and 4-year CVM. A total of 5208 Qa measurements (165 patients; 103 male, age 70 ± 12 years, autologous AVA n = 146, graft n = 19) were analysed. During follow-up (December 2010-January 2018, median 36 months), 79 patients (48%) died. An initial Qa <900 mL/min was associated with an increased 4-y CVM risk {hazard ratio [HR] 4.05 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.94-8.43], P < 0.001}. After 4 years, freedom from CVM was 34% lower in patients with a Qa <900 mL/min (53 ± 7%) versus a Qa ≥900 mL/min (87 ± 4%; P < 0.001). An association between increases in actual Qa per 3-month period and mortality was found [HR 4.48/100 mL/min (95% CI 1.44-13.97), P = 0.010], indicating that patients demonstrating increasing Qa were more likely to die. In contrast, actual Qa per se was not related to survival. Studying novel AVA Qa characteristics may contribute to understanding excess CVM in HD patients.

Stable and momentary psychosocial correlates of everyday smoking: An application of Temporal Self-Regulation Theory

Smoking is one of the leading causes of non-communicable disease mortality and morbidity. Smoking behaviour is determined by both stable, person-level (e.g., motivation, nicotine dependence) and variable, situation-level factors (e.g., urges, cues). However, most theoretical approaches to understanding health behaviours so far have not integrated these two spheres of influence. Temporal Self-Regulation Theory (TST) integrates these person-level and situation-level factors, but has not yet been comprehensively applied to predicting smoking behaviour. We use Ecological Momentary Assessment to examine the utility of TST in predicting daily smoking. 46 smokers reported individual and environmental cues right after smoking and at random time points during the day. Cognitions, self-control, past behaviour, and nicotine dependence were assessed at baseline. Multi-level logistic regressions show that smoking is largely guided by momentary cues, but individual motivation can buffer their influence. This suggests that TST is a useful integrative approach to understand modifiable determinants of smoking and thus intervention targets.

Amendment to: populations in environments with a soft carrying capacity are eventually extinct

This sharpens the result in the paper Jagers and Zuyev (J Math Biol 81:845–851, 2020): consider a population changing at discrete (but arbitrary and possibly random) time points, the conditional expected change, given the complete past population history being negative, whenever population size exceeds a carrying capacity. Further assume that there is an epsilon > 0 such that the conditional probability of a population decrease at the next step, given the past, always exceeds epsilon if the population is not extinct but smaller than the carrying capacity. Then the population must die out.

Time-Dependent Stress-Strength Reliability Model with Phase-Type Cycle Time Based on Finite Mixture Models

This paper deals with the estimation of the stress-strength reliability of time-dependent models. Suppose that a system is allowed to run continuously and is subjected to random stress at random time points. Then we can assume a decrease in the strength of the system during the completion of each run. Let the strength of the system decreases by a constant and the stress on the system increases by a constant over each run. Time taken for completion of a run is assumed to have continuous phase-type distribution, the initial strength of the system, as well as, initial stress on the system are assumed to have a finite mixture of either Weibull distributions or power transformed half logistic distributions. A detailed numerical illustration of the results is also carried out.

Emotional Well-Being Under Conditions of Lockdown: An Experience Sampling Study in Austria During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and attendant lockdown measures present serious threats to emotional well-being worldwide. Here, we examined the extent to which being outdoors (vs. indoors), the experience of loneliness, and screen-time are associated with emotional well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic using an experiencing sampling method. In April 2020, Austrian adults (N = 286, age M = 31.0 years) completed a 21-day experience sampling phase in which they reported their emotional well-being (i.e., happiness), whether they were indoors or outdoors, and loneliness at three random time-points each day, as well as their daily screen-time. Results indicated that being outdoors was associated with higher emotional well-being, whereas greater loneliness and greater daily screen-time were associated with poorer well-being. Additionally, the impact of loneliness on well-being was weaker when participants were outdoors than indoors. These results have health policy implications for the promotion of population well-being during pandemics.

Sleep and circadian rhythm disruption predict persecutory symptom severity in day-to-day life: A combined actigraphy and experience sampling study.

Sleep-related problems are prevalent in patients with psychotic disorders, yet their contribution to fluctuations in delusional experiences is less clear. This study combined actigraphy and experience-sampling methodology (ESM) to capture the relation between sleep and next-day persecutory symptoms in patients with psychosis and prevailing delusions. Individuals with current persecutory delusions (PD; n = 67) and healthy controls (HC; n = 39) were assessed over 6 consecutive days. Objective sleep and circadian rhythm measures were assessed using actigraphy. Every morning upon awakening, subjective sleep quality was measured using ESM. Momentary assessments of affect and persecutory symptoms were gathered at 10 random time points each day using ESM. Robust linear mixed modeling was performed to assess the predictive value of sleep measures on affect and daytime persecutory symptoms. PD showed significantly lower scores for subjective quality of sleep but significantly higher actigraphic-measured sleep duration and efficiency compared with HC. Circadian rhythm disruption was associated with more pronounced severity of persecutory symptoms in HC. Low actigraphy-derived sleep efficiency was predictive of next-day persecutory symptoms in the combined sample. Negative affect was partly associated with sleep measures and persecutory symptoms. Our results imply an immediate relationship between disrupted sleep and persecutory symptoms in day-to-day life. They also emphasize the relevance of circadian rhythm disruption for persecutory symptoms. Therapeutic interventions that aim to reduce persecutory symptoms could benefit from including modules aimed at improving sleep efficacy, stabilizing sleep-wake patterns, and reducing negative affect. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

When the Clock Strikes: Exploring the Mindset Effects of Temporal Cues in Gamified Online Learning Systems

Gamification has been widely employed in online learning systems to enhance users’ gratification and to retain them from dropping out. Compared with core learning modules, gamification modules provide more hedonic value, which increases user engagement in the short term but these modules may also cause distraction and impede learning performance. Thus, time management and self-control are crucial for users of online learning systems. Our study proposes that users tend to treat on-the-hour time points (i.e., the strike of the traditional clock) as temporal cues, which substantially influence their interactions with the core learning versus gamification modules, as well as both the instrumental and experiential outcomes of these interactions. Through a set of three multi-method studies that focus on the sharp clock-striking time points, we find that i) users are more (versus less) likely to begin using core learning modules (versus gamification modules) after clock-striking time points; ii) beginning the use of core learning modules at clock-striking time points has a positive relationship with learning persistence and learning performance; iii) beginning the use of gamification modules at clock-striking time points results in a lower level of perceived enjoyment than beginning at random time points. Further, the results of studies 2 and 3 indicate that clock-striking time points can activate users’ implemental mindset, which supports them in building a longer learning persistence and achieving better learning performance. Our findings add to the design of online learning systems by understanding the mindset effects of temporal cues in user-system interactions of gamified learning systems, based on which notification and reminder systems can be implemented to further facilitate the effectiveness of online learning.

The anti-snoring bed - a pilot study

PurposeAvoiding supine position can reduce snoring in most habitual snorers. However, devices that restrict the sleeping position cause discomfort or disrupt sleep resulting in low compliance. Therefore, mechanisms, which lift the trunk of the user without disturbing sleep, have been proposed. We present the first study, which investigates whether individual interventions provided by beds with lifting mechanisms are able to stop snoring (success rate) and whether they reduce the snoring index (number of total snores divided by total time in bed) using a repeated measures design. In addition, we investigated whether the intervention is interfering with the subjective sleep quality.MethodsTwenty-two subjects were observed for four nights (adaptation, baseline, and two intervention nights). During intervention nights, the bed lifted the trunk of the user in closed-loop manner. Subjects were divided in three groups (non-snorer, snorer one, and snorer two). Non-snorers were lifted by the bed at random time points during the night. In group snorer one, a stepwise increase of the bed inclination was compared with going directly to a randomly selected angle. In group snorer two, the influence of a small inclination angle (10 ∘) and a big inclination angle (20 ∘) was compared.ResultsSnoring was stopped successfully in 22% (small angle) and 67% (big angle) of the interventions. This did not lead to a significant reduction in the snoring index. The subjective sleep quality was not reduced by the intervention.ConclusionThe anti-snoring bed is able to stop individual episodes of habitual snoring without reducing the subjective sleep quality.Trial Registrationhttps://clinicaltrials.gov, no. NCT04053738, registered 12 August 2019 - Retrospectively registered, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04053738.

The impact of nature exposure on body image and happiness: an experience sampling study

ABSTRACT Exposure to nature is associated with improved psychological well-being and positive body image. Here, we examined whether everyday exposure to natural environments is associated with state body image outcomes (and, for comparative reasons, state happiness) using an experience sampling method. One-hundred-and-seven participants completed a 30-day experience sampling phase in which they reported their state body image (body weight, body shape, and physical appearance satisfaction), state happiness, and features of the surrounding environment (total = 6,025 responses) at three random time-points each day. Results indicated that being outdoors was associated with significantly higher state body image on all three indicators, but effect sizes were lower compared to effects on state happiness. Specific environment type was also important, with blue-spaces and wood- and grasslands, respectively, having stronger effects than other environments. These results provide evidence that everyday exposure to natural environments is associated with more positive state body image and greater happiness.

Detection of community-acquired respiratory viruses in allogeneic stem-cell transplant recipients and controls-A prospective cohort study.

BackgroundCommunity‐acquired respiratory viruses (CARV) cause upper and lower respiratory tract infections (URTI/LRTI) and may be life‐threatening for recipients of an allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo‐SCT).MethodsIn a prospective study encompassing 4 winter‐seasons, we collected throat gargles (TG) at random time points from allo‐SCT recipients (patients) and controls and followed them up for at least 3 weeks including repetitive sampling and documentation of symptoms. A Multiplex‐PCR system to identify 20 CARV and Mycoplasma pneumoniae was used to detect CARV.ResultsOne hundred ninety‐four patients with 426 TG and 273 controls with 549 TG were included. There were more patients with a positive test result (25% vs 11% in the controls), and the patients had a higher number of positive TG (70 = 16%) compared to controls (32 = 6%) (P < .001). Altogether, 115 viruses were detected. Multiple viruses in one TG (11/48, 34%) and prolonged shedding were only observed in patients (13/48, 27%). Patients had more RSV (18/83, 26%) and adenovirus (15/83, 21%) than controls (both viruses 2/32, 6%). Independent risk factors for the detection of CARV included age >40 years (OR 3.38, 95% CI 1.8‐6.4, P < .001) and presence of URTI‐symptoms (OR 3.22, 95% CI 1.9‐5.5, P < .001). No controls developed a LRTI or died whereas 4/48 (8%) patients developed a LRTI (coronavirus in 2, RSV in 1 and influenza A H1N1 in 1 patient). One patient died of CARV (influenza A H1N1).ConclusionAllo‐SCT‐recipients have more CARV‐infections, exhibit a different epidemiology, have more cases of co‐infection or prolonged shedding and have a higher rate of LRTI and mortality.

The Pet-Effect in Daily Life: An Experience Sampling Study on Emotional Wellbeing in Pet Owners

ABSTRACT The relationship between companion animal ownership and wellbeing has received an increasing amount of scientific attention over the last few decades. Although the general assumption is that individuals benefit from the presence of companion animals (termed the “pet-effect”), recent evidence suggests that the nature of this association is diverse and complex and that many of the studies performed so far are subject to methodological constraints. This study therefore aimed to investigate the pet-effect in the natural setting of pet-owners’ daily life. Using the Experience Sampling Method (a signal contingent ecological assessment technique), 55 dog or cat owners reported for five consecutive days, at ten random time-points each day, in the moment whether a pet was present and to what extent they interacted with it. In addition, at each measurement moment they reported on their current positive and negative affect, using 11 mood-related adjectives derived from the Positive And Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). Multilevel regression analyses showed that negative affect was relatively lower at moments when the companion animal was present (vs. absent) (B = –0.09, p = 0.02, 95%CI = –0.16; –0.02). In addition, the level of interaction with a companion animal was positively associated with positive affect (B = 0.04, p < 0.001, 95%CI = 0.01; 0.07). These results are in line with the pet-effect hypothesis in suggesting that the presence of and interaction with companion animals is associated with aspects of emotional wellbeing. More specifically, the presence of a companion animal may buffer against negative feelings, while interacting with a companion animal may generate positive feelings. This differential effect on positive versus negative affect also shows that the pet-effect is not an unequivocal effect. Different aspects of the human–animal relationship may influence different aspects of wellbeing.