The combined value of executive functions and self-regulated learning to predict differences in study success among higher education students.

Introduction: Self-regulated learning (SRL) has traditionally been associated with study success in higher education. In contrast, study success is still rarely associated with executive functions (EF), while it is known from neuropsychological practice that EF can influence overall functioning and performance. However some studies have shown relationships between EF and study success, but this has mainly been investigated in school children and adolescents. EF refer to higher-order cognitive processes to regulate cognition, behavior, and emotion in service of adaptive and goal-directed behaviors. SRL is a dynamic process in which learners activate and maintain cognitions, affects, and behaviors to achieve personal learning goals. This study explores the added value of including EF and SRL to predict study success (i.e., the obtained credits). Methods: In this study, we collected data from 315 first-year psychology students of a University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands who completed questionnaires related to both EF (BRIEF) and SRL (MSLQ) two months after the start of the academic year. Credit points were obtained at the end of that first academic year. We used Structural Equation Modeling to test whether EF and SRL together explain more variance in study success than either concept alone. Results: EF explains 19.8% of the variance, SRL 22.9%, and in line with our hypothesis, EF and SRL combined explain 39.8% of the variance in obtained credits. Discussion: These results indicate that focusing on EF and SRL could lead to a better understanding of how higher education students learn successfully. This might be the objective of further investigation.

Sickness absence and return to work rates in women with breast cancer.

PURPOSE: Most women are diagnosed with breast cancer when they are of working age. How long are breast cancer patients absent? How many of them return to work? METHODS: ArboNed Occupational Health Services documents sickness absence data of 1 million workers of whom 40% were women. Between 2001 and 2005, 2,259 women had 2,361 episodes of sickness absence due to breast cancer. These absence episodes were followed for 2 years using Kaplan-Meier analysis. RESULTS: The mean +/- standard error of mean duration of absence due to breast cancer was 349 +/- 5 days. Thirty-seven percent of absences lasted longer than one year and 12% of absences lasted longer than 2 years particularly in women aged 25-34 years. CONCLUSIONS: The mean duration of sickness absence due to breast cancer was nearly a year, but most women returned to work. The results of the study can be used as a reference for return to work of women following breast cancer.

The interaction between decomposition, net N and P mineralization and their mobilization to the surface water in fens.

Worldwide, fens and peat lakes that used to be peat-forming systems have become a significant source of C, N and P due to increased peat decomposition. To test the hypothesis that net nutrient mineralization rates may be uncoupled from decomposition rates, we investigated decomposition and net mineralization rates of nutrients in relation to sediment and pore water characteristics. We incubated 28 non-calcareous peat sediments and floating fen soils under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. We also tried to find a simple indicator to estimate the potential nutrient mobilization rates from peat sediments to the water layer by studying their relation with sediment and pore water characteristics in 44 Dutch non-calcareous peat lakes and ditches. Decomposition rates were primarily determined by the organic matter content, and were higher under aerobic conditions. However, highly decomposed peat sediments with low C:P and C:N ratios still showed high net nutrient mineralization rates. At Fe:PO(4) ratios below 1molmol(-1), PO(4) mobilization from the sediment to the water layer was considerable and linearly related to the pore water PO(4) concentration. At higher ratios, there was a strong linear correlation between the Fe:PO(4) ratio and PO(4) mobilization. Hence, measuring Fe and PO(4) in anaerobic sediment pore water provides a powerful tool for a quick assessment of internal PO(4) fluxes. Mobilization of mineral N was largely determined by diffusion. Total sediment Fe:S ratios gave an important indication of the amount of Fe that is available to immobilize PO(4). Pore water Fe concentrations decreased at ratios <1molmol(-1), whereas pore water PO(4) concentrations and PO(4) mobilization to the water layer increased. As PO(4) mobilization rates from the sediment to the water layer contribute to almost half of the total P load in Dutch peat lakes and fens, it is of pivotal importance to examine the magnitude of internal fluxes. Dredging of the nutrient-rich upper sediment layer will only be a useful restoration measure if both the influx of P-rich water and its internal mobilization from the newly exposed, potentially more reactive peat layer are sufficiently low.

Suppression of the inflammatory response in experimental arthritis is mediated via estrogen receptor alpha but not estrogen receptor beta.

INTRODUCTION: The immune modulatory role of estrogens in inflammation is complex. Both pro- and anti-inflammatory effects of estrogens have been described. Estrogens bind both estrogen receptor (ER)alpha and beta. The contribution of ERalpha and ERbeta to ER-mediated immune modulation was studied in delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) and in experimental arthritis METHODS: ER-mediated suppression of rat adjuvant arthritis (AA) was studied using ethinyl-estradiol (EE) and a selective ERbeta agonist (ERB-79). Arthritis was followed for 2 weeks. Next, effects of ER agonists (ethinyl-estradiol, an ERalpha selective agonist (ERA-63) and a selective ERbeta agonist (ERB-79) on the development of a tetanus toxoid (TT)-specific delayed type hypersensitivity response in wild type (WT) and in ERalpha- or ERbeta-deficient mice were investigated. Finally, EE and ERA-63 were tested for their immune modulating potential in established collagen induced arthritis in DBA/1J mice. Arthritis was followed for three weeks. Joint pathology was examined by histology and radiology. Local synovial cytokine production was analyzed using Luminex technology. Sera were assessed for COMP as a biomarker of cartilage destruction. RESULTS: EE was found to suppress clinical signs and symptoms in rat AA. The selective ERbeta agonist ERB-79 had no effect on arthritis symptoms in this model. In the TT-specific DTH model, EE and the selective ERalpha agonist ERA-63 suppressed the TT-specific swelling response in WT and ERbetaKO mice but not in ERalphaKO mice. As seen in the AA model, the selective ERbeta agonist ERB-79 did not suppress inflammation. Treatment with EE or ERA-63 suppressed clinical signs in collagen induced arthritis (CIA) in WT mice. This was associated with reduced inflammatory infiltrates and decreased levels of proinflammatory cytokines in CIA joints. CONCLUSIONS: ERalpha, but not ERbeta, is key in ER-mediated suppression of experimental arthritis. It remains to be investigated how these findings translate to human autoimmune disease.

Job demands, health perception and sickness absence.

BACKGROUND: Investigation of the relations between job demands, health and sickness absence is required to design a strategy for the prevention of absence and disability. AIM: To study the relationships between (physical and psychological) job demands, health perception and sickness absence. METHODS: Prospective study of 414 male employees working in two organizations with low company absence levels. Job demands and health were examined using the Basic Occupational Health Questionnaire. Sickness absence was followed for 1 year thereafter. The number of days and episodes of absence were counted. RESULTS: The questionnaires of 247 workers (60%) were suitable for statistical analysis. Physical job demands (r = 0.41; P <0.01) and, to a lesser extent, psychological job demands (r = 0.16; P = 0.01) were related to the number of health complaints. Short (1-7 days) duration absence was neither related to job demands nor to the number of health complaints. Longer (>7 days) duration absence was positively related to psychological job demands and to the number of health complaints. CONCLUSIONS: Job demands, particularly physical demands, correlated with perceived health. Poor health predicted long-term sickness absence. Early recognition of poor health should be the basis of a strategy that prevents long-term sickness absence.