Autonomous Need Research Articles

The role of innate immunity and inflammation in Parkinson´s disease.

For many years, it was postulated that the brain is the organ behind the barrier with an autonomous need for its maintenance. This view has been changed by the concept that the central nervous system is sensitive to the immune processes occurring in the periphery as well as to the infiltration of peripheral immune cells. However, how the immune system might contribute to the development of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's disease (PD), remains unclear. PD is a chronic neurodegenerative disorder that affects motor and cognitive functions. Although the precise cause of PD is unknown, studies in both mice and human suggest that alterations in the innate immunity may play a critical role in modulating PD progression. Here, we review recent advancements in our understanding of inflammation and the innate immune mechanisms in PD pathology.

Free to fly the rainbow flag: the relation between collective autonomy and psychological well-being amongst LGBTQ+ individuals

ABSTRACT In three experiments, we tested whether LGBTQ+ individuals experience greater psychological well-being when they feel other groups support (versus restrict) their community’s collective autonomy to express its social identity. LGBTQ+ individuals recruited from a Canadian city (Experiment 1a, N=114), and nationally from the United States (Experiment 1b, N=370), retrospectively recalled feeling more personal autonomous need satisfaction, and in turn, greater psychological well-being during a time in their community’s history when they felt their collective autonomy was supported (versus restricted). In Experiment 2 (N=396), US participants reported greater personal autonomous need satisfaction and psychological well-being after reflecting on how their community presently had versus lacked collective autonomy. Effects remained robust controlling for anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination, personal autonomy support, and openness about one’s gender/sexuality identity.

Autonomy in an EFL Teacher Training Context: Trainee Teacher Perceptions of Instructor Expectations

Developing a sense of autonomy in teacher trainees can be considered as a goal itself; and to this end, instructors' expectations that can help them become autonomous need to be identified through the perspectives of teacher trainees rather than accepting directly what is true for instructors. This paper aims to explore the trainee teacher perceptions of instructor expectations leading them to become autonomous in an EFL teacher training context. The participants were 170 senior teacher trainees attending the ELT Department at Pamukkale University, Turkey. A mixed method was employed in the study. Firstly, a five-point Likert questionnaire was designed based on the students' replies to two open-ended questions covering in-class and out-of-class instructor expectations. Secondly, 10 senior students taking the School Experience course were asked to give their written opinions related to the instructor expectations leading to learner autonomy and they were classified under a set of themes. Based on the findings of the study, the participants seem to reflect a positive tendency towards in-class and out-of-class instructor expectations. The written views of the participants also offer significant hints for achieving autonomy within class practices and outside the class hours. One can say that instructors need to be as sensitive and selective as possible about their in-class and out-ofclass expectations of teacher trainees in order to assist them in becoming autonomous as they try to find their own way independently of the instructors with relevant, carefully selected and meaningful tasks, activities and assignments.