Cultural Diversity in Meta-Cognitive Beliefs about Learning: Within-European Similarities and Differences?

Previous work on cross-cultural differences in the domain of education, has primarily studied Western (European) and Asian cultures or comparisons thereof. Current internationalization trends in higher education however call for a greater understanding of possible within-European cultural differences in the domain of learning. The current paper therefore addresses the question how culture influences the beliefs of Western and Eastern European students. The studies are based on the theory that the beliefs of students and faculty in the Western cultural context can be characterized as primarily ‘mind oriented’, whereas previous research has indicated that the beliefs of East-Asian academics has a stronger ‘virtue orientation’. In the mind orientation, the development of one’s cognitive thinking skills is at the heart of the concept of learning. In the virtue orientation, learning is primarily seen as a process of social and moral development of the person. Since the psychological literature has not yet reached a consensus on the degree and domains in which cultural differences emerge across the Eastern and Western European regions, a two-fold survey study was conducted in the Eastern European countries of Poland and Russia; and the Western European countries of the Netherlands and Germany. Students from both European regions were found to endorse mind oriented beliefs about learning more strongly than virtue oriented ones on the level of both attitudes and behavioral intentions, pointing to a striking cross-cultural similarity across the European region in the domain of beliefs about learning

The effect of social network sites on international students' acculturation, adaptation, and wellbeing

Introduction: A growing body of literature focuses on the impact of social media on well-being of international students. What remains understudied, is how these effects may be explained through acculturation and adaptation processes. This paper examines the mediating roles of acculturation dimensions (cultural maintenance and host country participation) and (psychological and sociocultural) adaptation, on the relationship between host and home Social Network Site (SNS) use and well-being, among two populations. Methods: Hypotheses were tested using surveys distributed among a diverse group of international students in the Netherlands (n = 147) and a sample of Chinese students in Germany (n = 102). Results and discussion: The results of both studies show that international students use SNS to initiate contact with the host society, which relates positively to adaptation. However, using SNS to stay in contact with the home culture appears to inhibit the adaptation process, which relates to lower well-being. Our work suggests that these processes are similar across different contexts.</p

The Amsterdam Studies of Acute Psychiatry - II (ASAP-II): a comparative study of psychiatric intensive care units in the Netherlands

Background The number of patients in whom mental illness progresses to stages in which acute, and often forced treatment is warranted, is on the increase across Europe. As a consequence, more patients are involuntarily admitted to Psychiatric Intensive Care Units (PICU). From several studies and reports it has become evident that important dissimilarities exist between PICU's. The current study seeks to describe organisational as well as clinical and patient related factors across ten PICU's in and outside the Amsterdam region, adjusted for or stratified by level of urbanization. Method/Design This paper describes the design of the Amsterdam Studies of Acute Psychiatry II (ASAP-II). This study is a prospective observational cohort study comparing PICU's in and outside the Amsterdam region on various patient characteristics, treatment aspects and recovery related variables. Dissimilarities were measured by means of collecting standardized forms which were filled out in the framework of care as usual, by means of questionnaires filled out by mental health care professionals and by means of extracting data from patient files for every consecutive patient admitted at participating PICU's during a specific time period. Urbanization levels for every PICU were calculated conform procedures as proposed by the Dutch Central Bureau for Statistics (CBS). Discussion The current study may provide a deeper understanding of the differences between psychiatric intensive care units that can be used to promote best practice and benchmarking procedures, and thus improve the standard of care

SDT and International Development

SDT has much to offer international development, especially as a counterpoint to the extrinsic incentive bias and hedonic stance that are prevalent in the field. Although the number of studies is still limited, existing studies in the context of international development and poverty generally support the basic propositions of SDT, especially in regard to the satisfaction of basic psychological needs and intervention outcomes. Theoretically, SDT-based interventions should also promote eudaimonia, although empirical investigation is warranted. Research in international development could, in turn, bring about new perspectives to SDT, for example, that basic psychological need satisfaction seems to moderate the undermining effect. As international development is a field that is new to not just SDT but psychology in general, there will be many challenges in conducting research, such as the lack of valid psychometric measures and ethical guidelines

I disagree, therefore I am: how to test and strengthen cultural versatility

In the last few decades, a perspective on how to resolve wicked social problems has become increasingly prominent: the cultural theory pioneered by anthropologist Dame Mary Douglas. So far, the empirical evidence garnered in support of this approach has mostly been of a qualitative nature. Cultural theory has fared less well in survey-based, statistical tests. However, several features make it hard to test the theory with questionnaires. We overcome this research dilemma by showing how cultural theory can be tested with observational and experimental tests developed in cross-cultural psychology. We argue that this is possible due to the remarkable overlap between concepts and theories in cross-cultural psychology and Douglas&#39; approach. We present five research designs that add up to a rigorous test of cultural theory. Finally, we sketch some contributions that cultural theory could make to the further development of cross-cultural psychology, as well as to efforts to resolve wicked problems, if it were thus confirmed.</p

New insights in the pathogenesis of immunoglobulin A vasculitis (Henoch-Schönlein purpura)

Immunoglobulin A vasculitis (IgAV), also referred to as Henoch-Schönlein purpura, is the most common form of childhood vasculitis. The pathogenesis of IgAV is still largely unknown. The disease is characterized by IgA1-immune deposits, complement factors and neutrophil infiltration, which is accompanied with vascular inflammation. Incidence of IgAV is twice as high during fall and winter, suggesting an environmental trigger associated to climate. Symptoms can resolve without intervention, but some patients develop glomerulonephritis with features similar to IgA nephropathy that include hematuria, proteinuria and IgA deposition in the glomerulus. Ultimately, this can lead to end-stage renal disease. In IgA nephropathy immune complexes containing galactose-deficient (Gd-)IgA1 are found and thought to play a role in pathogenesis. Although Gd-IgA1 complexes are also present in patients with IgAV with nephritis, their role in IgAV is disputed. Alternatively, it has been proposed that in IgAV IgA1 antibodies are generated against endothelial cells. We anticipate that such IgA complexes can activate neutrophils via the IgA Fc receptor FcαRI (CD89), thereby inducing neutrophil migration and activation, which ultimately causes tissue damage in IgAV. In this Review, we discuss the putative role of IgA, IgA receptors, neutrophils and other factors such as infections, genetics and the complement system in the pathogenesis of IgA vasculitis

Retroviral transfer of human CD20 as a suicide gene for adoptive T-cell therapy

The aim of adoptive T-cell therapy of cancer is to selectively confer immunity against tumor cells. Autoimmune side effects, however, remain a risk, emphasizing the relevance of a suicide mechanism allowing in vivo elimination of infused T cells. The findings of this study support the broad value of human CD20 as suicide gene in T-lymphocytes and safety switch in adoptive T-cell therapy

Fcα Receptor-1-Activated Monocytes Promote B Lymphocyte Migration and IgA Isotype Switching.

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) produce enhanced immunoglobulin A (IgA) against the microbiota compared to healthy individuals, which has been correlated with disease severity. Since IgA complexes can potently activate myeloid cells via the IgA receptor FcαRI (CD89), excessive IgA production may contribute to IBD pathology. However, the cellular mechanisms that contribute to dysregulated IgA production in IBD are poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that intestinal FcαRI-expressing myeloid cells (i.e., monocytes and neutrophils) are in close contact with B lymphocytes in the lamina propria of IBD patients. Furthermore, stimulation of FcαRI-on monocytes triggered production of cytokines and chemokines that regulate B-cell differentiation and migration, including interleukin-6 (IL6), interleukin-10 (IL10), tumour necrosis factor-α (TNFα), a proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL), and chemokine ligand-20 (CCL20). In vitro, these cytokines promoted IgA isotype switching in human B cells. Moreover, when naïve B lymphocytes were cultured in vitro in the presence of FcαRI-stimulated monocytes, enhanced IgA isotype switching was observed compared to B cells that were cultured with non-stimulated monocytes. Taken together, FcαRI-activated monocytes produced a cocktail of cytokines, as well as chemokines, that stimulated IgA switching in B cells, and close contact between B cells and myeloid cells was observed in the colons of IBD patients. As such, we hypothesize that, in IBD, IgA complexes activate myeloid cells, which in turn can result in excessive IgA production, likely contributing to disease pathology. Interrupting this loop may, therefore, represent a novel therapeutic strategy