Agrarische arbeid 2010; Themaverkenning naar arbeidsvoorziening, arbeidsomstandigheden, arbeidskosten en sociale zekerheid in de land- en tuinbouw

Kwalitatieve verkenning van de belangrijkste ontwikkelingen en knelpunten op het gebied van arbeid in de land- en tuinbouw voor de komende tien tot vijftien jaar. Het onderzoek is gericht op de onderling samenhangende thema's arbeidsvoorziening, arbeidsomstandigheden, arbeidskosten en sociale zekerheid. De ontwikkeling wordt verkend tegen de achtergrond van te verwachten veranderingen op economisch, sociaal en technologisch gebied. Bij de arbeidsvoorziening zal arbeid meer als "human capital" worden beschouwd en neemt de concurrentie met andere bedrijfstakken toe. Wat de arbeidsomstandigheden betreft, zal de psychische belasting van zowel ondernemers als het personeel eerder toe- dan afnemen. Van betekenis is eveneens de verdere invoering van combizorg. Ten aanzien van arbeidskosten is op termijn sprake van hogere kosten per uur en geleidelijke productiviteitsgroei. Op het gebied van de sociale zekerheid speelt de tendens tot privatisering en de versterking van financiële prikkels. Tenslotte wordt ingegaan op aandachtspunten voor het beleid die samenhangen met hogere kwaliteitseisen aan arbeidsinhoud en arbeidsomstandigheden, flexibilisering van de arbeid en privatisering van de sociale zekerheid

Connecting brain and behavior in clinical neuroscience: A network approach

In recent years, there has been an increase in applications of network science in many different fields. In clinical neuroscience and psychopathology, the developments and applications of network science have occurred mostly simultaneously, but without much collaboration between the two fields. The promise of integrating these network applications lies in a united framework to tackle one of the fundamental questions of our time: how to understand the link between brain and behavior. In the current overview, we bridge this gap by introducing conventions in both fields, highlighting similarities, and creating a common language that enables the exploitation of synergies. We provide research examples in autism research, as it accurately represents research lines in both network neuroscience and psychological networks. We integrate brain and behavior not only semantically, but also practically, by showcasing three methodological avenues that allow to combine networks of brain and behavioral data. As such, the current paper offers a stepping stone to further develop multi-modal networks and to integrate brain and behavior

Connectivity in MEG resting-state networks increases after resective surgery for low-grade glioma and correlates with improved cognitive performance☆

Purpose Low-grade glioma (LGG) patients often have cognitive deficits. Several disease- and treatment related factors affect cognitive processing. Cognitive outcome of resective surgery is unpredictable, both for improvement and deterioration, especially for complex domains such as attention and executive functioning. MEG analysis of resting-state networks (RSNs) is a good candidate for presurgical prediction of cognitive outcome. In this study, we explore the relation between alterations in connectivity of RSNs and changes in cognitive processing after resective surgery, as a stepping stone to ultimately predict postsurgical cognitive outcome. Methods: Ten patients with LGG were included, who had no adjuvant therapy. MEG recording and neuropsychological assessment were obtained before and after resective surgery. MEG data were recorded during a no-task eyes-closed condition, and projected to the anatomical space of the AAL atlas. Alterations in functional connectivity, as characterized by the phase lag index (PLI), within the default mode network (DMN), executive control network (ECN), and left- and right-sided frontoparietal networks (FPN) were compared to cognitive changes. Results: Lower alpha band DMN connectivity was increased after surgery, and this increase was related to improved verbal memory functioning. Similarly, right FPN connectivity was increased after resection in the upper alpha band, which correlated with improved attention, working memory and executive functioning. Discussion Increased alpha band RSN functional connectivity in MEG recordings correlates with improved cognitive outcome after resective surgery. The mechanisms resulting in functional connectivity alterations after resection remain to be elucidated. Importantly, our findings indicate that connectivity of MEG RSNs may be used for presurgical prediction of cognitive outcome in future studies