Van Hoorn Research Articles

History in Documents: VOC Records from Batavia (17-18th centuries)

The present article deals with Malay letters and documents from the archives of the Dutch East India Company (Verenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie – VOC), dating to the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The documents belong to the collection of the Russian scholar and collectioner N.P. Likhachev (1862-1936) and have been kept in the Institute of Oriental Manuscripts in St. Petersburg since 1938. The collection of VOC diplomatic letters that was in a possession of to Governor-General Johan van Hoorn (1653-1711), travelled from old Batavia, to Amsterdam and then to St. Petersburg. Fifty-six letters were written in different languages: Malay in Arabic and Javanese scripts, Dutch, Persian, Arabic, Spanish and Chinese. Mostly addressed to Johan van Hoorn the Dutch Governor-General in 1704-1709, they are not only exemplary of the fine art of Malay letter-writing, but also original diplomatic documents and historical sources on Dutch early colonial policy in Malay Archipelago.

Water Softener Regeneration Effects on the Operation of Domestic Wastewater Treatment Plants: A Preliminary Study

There has been a large amount of scientific research carried out to date on the impact of salty backwash brine from domestic water softeners (WS) on domestic wastewater treatment plants (DWTPs). Experts and practitioners agree that the impact is harmful and there is still a need to look for new technologies. The study of the effect of an increased sodium chloride (NaCl) concentration after softener regeneration is important from the point of view of the operation of DWTPs and soil properties. This paper presents the results of a field study of the concentration of NaCl at the septic tank (ST) drainage point, into which the grey water from the regeneration of the water softener flowed. During the six-month measurements (recorded every 1 min), an increase in NaCl concentration was observed in the septic tank outflow, from an average NaCl concentration of 1.5 g·L−1—between regenerations—to an average concentration of 4.5 g·L−1—after water softener regeneration. The increased NaCl concentration decreased significantly up to 2 days after the water softener regeneration. Temperature changes in the treated wastewater were also measured—during the winter period, temperature differences of up to 10 °C per day were recorded. In the second part of the study, conducted on a semi-technical scale, the effect of brine from the regeneration of the water softener on the hydraulic conductivity (Ks) of the soil from the infiltration drain of the DWTPs studied was assessed. The Ks was determined by analysing the time it took the water to soak into the soil, using the Van Hoorn equation. The results and statistical analysis indicate an increased salt content in the soil absorbing the brine, which may have been influenced by the reduced absorption and capacity of the drain due to adverse physico-chemical changes.

Smugglers, pirates, diplomacy, and the Spanish Caribbean in the late seventeenth century

ABSTRACT In November 1682 the Dutch pirate Nicholas Van Hoorn entered the port of Santo Domingo. He left behind a path of robberies in Spain and attacks on ships of every nationality in West Africa for which English and Dutch authorities sought to prosecute him. The events that transpired during Van Hoorn's visit to Hispaniola reveal that European diplomatic alliances meant little in places where local groups had co-opted the Spanish bureaucracy under their own control and patronage. Local interests used their political influence to maneuver the Spanish administration and to serve their own goals, thus upending Spanish (and by extension, European) diplomatic arrangements. The sack of Veracruz in 1683 was in part the consequence of these actions, showing a worst-case scenario of the impact that events in the Spanish Caribbean borderlands had on the functioning of imperial systems. This article thus seeks to encourage a reevaluation of the relevance of Spanish Caribbean in the functioning of the Spanish colonial system beyond their traditional categorization as marginal enclaves.

Approach for Measuring a Ship to Shore Crane Actual Wheel Load

Knowing the real crane deadweight, center of gravity (COG) and wheel loads instead of nominal ones is crucial for many reasons. One of the reasons relates to the checking the quay strength where the crane is going to be installed and it should be based on the crane maximum real wheel loads. Another example could be the crane transportation by sea on the deck of the vessel (Starykov & Van Hoorn, 2017). In this case predicting the precise value of the crane deadweight and its COG plays a key role in accurate calculation of the vessel stability, acceleration calculation from the ship motions and the vessel’s deck strength. This paper demonstrates a new approach to finding the crane wheel load and in the result the deadweight and COG position. This method does not need special arrangement and uses combination of strain gauge measurements and Finite Element (FE) analysis only. The application of the method is demonstrated on example of the ship loader for which the possibility of capacity increase has been assessed.

Addressing climate anxiety among young people in the Philippines

Addressing climate anxiety among young people in the Philippines

34. Impact of Universal Mass Vaccination Programs of Children Against Hepatitis a with 2-dose and 1-dose Schedules: A Systematic Literature Review

BackgroundWith more than 100 million new hepatitis A (HepA) virus (HAV) infections estimated each year, HepA is a serious health concern worldwide. Several countries implemented 2- or 1-dose universal mass vaccination (UMV) programs of children with HAV vaccines. Here we present the first systematic review describing the impact of 2- and 1-dose UMV programs on HepA incidence and related health outcomes.MethodsWe systematically searched several databases for data published between Jan 2000–Jul 2019 (Figure 1). We assessed available evidence for 2- and 1-dose UMV programs with inactivated HAV vaccine in children worldwide, in terms of impact on HepA incidence, disease severity and mortality, vaccine efficacy, vaccine effectiveness and antibody persistence.Figure 1. PRISMA flowchart Results3739 articles were screened and 34 studies were included in our analysis (Figure 1). 18 real-world studies in 9 countries showed that HepA incidence declined in all ages following introduction of 2-dose and 1-dose UMV programs and persisted for at least 14 years (2-dose) and at least 6 years (1-dose) (Figure 2). Evidence for 1-dose schedule was limited to only 3 studies. HAV related outcomes (disease severity, mortality) decreased after UMV with either 2-dose or 1-dose schedule. Vaccine effectiveness for the 2-dose schedules was ≥ 95% over 3–5 years. Vaccine efficacy for the 1-dose schedule was > 98% over 0.1–7.5 years. Anti-HAV antibody persistence in vaccinated children was documented up to 15 years with ≥ 90% seropositivity rates for the 2-dose schedule and up to 10 years with ≥ 74.3% seropositivity rates for the 1-dose schedule. Anti-HAV antibody GMC data is presented in Table 1.Figure 2. Impact of vaccination on hepatitis A incidence in countries implementing 2-dose or 1-dose schedules (data from studies presenting ‘all ages’ incidence data) Table 1. Anti-HAV antibody GMCs following vaccination with 2-dose and 1-dose schedules, data from studies included in our reviewConclusionThe implementation of 2- and 1-dose UMV programs against HAV induced decreases in disease incidence and related outcomes. Experience with 2-dose schedule is extensive, with wide geographical use, while evidence beyond 10 years for the 1-dose schedule has not yet been demonstrated. Continued and robust surveillance is needed to monitor the epidemiology, vaccine effectiveness, antibody persistence and protection (particularly in the absence of natural boosting) in order to have a strong, scientifically sound basis for decision makers when concluding on HepA prevention strategies in their countries. Funding: GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals SADisclosures Anar Andani, BSc, GSK group of companies (Employee, Shareholder) Eveline M. Bunge, PhD, GSK group of companies (Research Grant or Support) Fernanda Salgado, MD, MSc, GSK group of companies (Employee) Rosa C. van Hoorn, MSc, GSK group of companies (Research Grant or Support) Bernard Hoet, MD, FFPM, GSK group of companies (Shareholder)

Social Influence in Adolescent Decision-Making: A Formal Framework.

Adolescence is a period of life during which peers play a pivotal role in decision-making. The narrative of social influence during adolescence often revolves around risky and maladaptive decisions, like driving under the influence, and using illegal substances (Steinberg, 2005). However, research has also shown that social influence can lead to increased prosocial behaviors (Van Hoorn et al., 2017) and a reduction in risk-taking (Braams et al., 2019). While many studies support the notion that adolescents are more sensitive to peer influence than children or adults, the developmental processes that underlie this sensitivity remain poorly understood. We argue that one important reason for this lack of understanding is the absence of precisely formulated models. To make a first step toward formal models of social influence during adolescence, we first identify three prominent verbal models of social influence in the literature: (1) social motivation, (2) reward sensitivity, and (3) distraction. We then illustrate how these can be translated into formal models, and how such formal models can inform experimental design and help identify developmental processes. Finally, by applying our formal models to existing datasets, we demonstrate the usefulness of formalization by synthesizing different studies with seemingly disparate results. We conclude with a discussion on how formal modeling can be utilized to better investigate the development of peer influence in adolescence.

Letters from the Malay Sultanates of the 17th and 18th Centuries: An Unknown Collection in St. Petersburg

AbstractThis article deals with Malay letters and documents from the archives of the Dutch East India Company (Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie—VOC), dating to the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The collection of “golden” Malay letters, which belonged to the governor- general of the VOC in Java (1704–1709) Joan van Hoorn, made a long voyage on the shipSandenburgfrom Batavia to Cape Town and Amsterdam in 1710. Its cultural and historical value was firstly estimated by the outstanding Russian scholar and antiquarian N. P. Likhachev, who purchased it for the Paleographical Museum in Petrograd (St. Petersburg) in 1910. The pages of the fifty-seven diplomatic letters cover one of the most controversial periods of VOC history on the Archipelago, 1683 to 1710, the establishment of its relationships with local nobility and states. The collection represents the original letters of the sultans of Palembang, Gowa, Buton, Bone, Tallo, Banten, and Cirebon, and of prominent historical figures of Malay states as well as the famous Indian merchant from Surat, Abdul Ghafur. They are written in Malay (in Arabic graphic: Jawi and Pegon), Arabic, Javanese (in two scripts: Pegon and Carakan), Dutch, Spanish, Persian, and Chinese. Their investigation will contribute to the academic scholarship on the famous records, reconstructing the history of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) on the Malay Archipelago, and on the peculiarities of Malay letter writing in different languages, scripts, and regions.

Abstract 183: HERG1 potassium channels perturb the β1 integrins mediated force transduction machinery in pancreatic cancer

Abstract Ion channels regulate cell proliferation, differentiation, and migration in normal and neoplastic cells through cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) transmembrane receptors called integrins. K+ flux through the human ether-à-gogo-related gene 1 (hERG1) channel shapes action potential firing in excitable cells such as cardiomyocytes. Its abundance is often aberrantly high in human tumors, including the pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). We recently demonstrated that the direct interaction of β1 integrins with hERG1 channels in cancer cells stimulated distinct signaling pathways that depended on the conformational state of hERG1 and affected different aspects of tumor progression [1]. We hypothesized that hERG1 channels compromise the PDAC mechano-reciprocity, the ability to dynamically respond to externally applied forces by exerting forces, which enhances invasion and compromises treatment. Using elastic micropillar arrays of varying stiffness (20-150 kPa) [2], we quantified the β1-integrin mediated forces exerted by PANC-1 cells. Micropillars coating with collagen and/or fibronectin derived peptides allowed us to direct cell surface receptor binding specificity (i.e. α2β1 and α5β1 integrins). Independently of the substrate coating, PANC-1 cells exerted higher forces as a function of substrate stiffness, as already demonstrated for other cell types. Remarkably, the disruption of the β1/hERG1 interaction through E4031 inhibition of hERG1 channels resulted in a significant increase in the detected cellular forces by ~20%, accompanied by an increase of focal adhesion areas as demonstrated by staining with vinculin. Our results suggest that, in addition to alter distinct signaling pathways and tumor progression [1], the direct interaction of β1 integrins and hERG1 channels perturbs the force transduction machinery. These findings encouraged us to develop bispecific antibodies (scDb, single-chain diabody) binding to the β1/hERG1 complex that are now being validated in PDAC cell lines. In particular, we have developed a bispecific antibody (scDb-β1/hERG1) [3], which is composed by the variable domains (VH and VL chains) of monoclonal antibodies binding two different antigens, hERG1 and β1 integrin. Data obtained from in vitro studies demonstrates that the scDb antibody impacts cell viability and migratory behavior in Mia PaCa-2 cell lines, holding promises for translational impact after a further validation in vivo as a novel candidate in cancer therapeutics. [1] Becchetti et al. Science Signaling (2017), 10 (473), eaaf3236. [2] van Hoorn et al. Nano Lett (2014), 14, 4257-4262. [3] Patent: “Novel antibodies”. Inventors: Annarosa Arcangeli, Claudia Duranti, Silvia Crescioli, Laura Carraresi. Patent Deposit: July 2017. Patent Ref: 102017000083637 (University of Florence). Citation Format: Stefano Coppola, Claudia Duranti, Annarosa Arcangeli, Thomas Schmidt. HERG1 potassium channels perturb the β1 integrins mediated force transduction machinery in pancreatic cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 183.

Abstract 4040: α2β1 integrins are potential regulators of chemoresistance through modulation of biomechanical cues in pancreatic cancer

Abstract Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly malignant tumor characterized by intrinsic or rapidly acquired chemoresistance. The remarkable desmoplastic response has been reported as a major contributor to chemoresistance, suggesting that PDAC progression could be highly influenced by mechanical factors (1). A recent study showed a key role of epithelial tension and matricellular fibrosis in the aggressiveness of SMAD4 mutant PDAC (2). Here we aimed at evaluating new mechanopharmacology approaches to overcome chemoresistance. PDAC cells attached to collagen and fibronectin showed a decreased sensitivity to chemotherapy, while the malignant phenotype was highly correlated to α2β1 integrin(ITGA2)-mediated adhesion to type I collagen (3). We hence hypothesized that this integrin might modulate chemoresistance. In two cohorts of 50 radically resected patients treated with gemcitabine, high expression of ITGA2 (assessed by immunohistochemistry in tissue-microarrays with 4 cores for each tumor) correlated to significantly shorter progression and overall free survival. Our hypothesis was further investigated in a gemcitabine-resistant clone (PANC1-R). In this clone, ITGA2 was among the top 10 most differentially upregulated genes at next-generation sequencing analysis. Using migration assays, we found that PANC1-R were more invasive than PANC1 cells, and a specific siRNA for ITGA2 caused a significant reduction of invasiveness while enhancing both gemcitabine antiproliferative effects and apoptosis induction. Using elastic micropillar arrays of varying stiffness (20-150kPa) (4), we observed delayed spreading of PANC1-R compared to PANC1 while a 24-hour treatment with a non-cytotoxic dose of gemcitabine activated traction forces in both lines, albeit to a lesser extent in PANC1-R. Remarkably, these cells showed also a significant increase of CXCR4 and MMP2 expression when growing in spheroids embedded in stiff collagen, as well as a different trend in modulation of E2F1 after exposure to gemcitabine, when growing as 2D collagen monolayers on soft and stiff flat PDMS, suggesting that aggressive/invasive behavior and response to gemcitabine are altered by both collagen and stiffness. These results define ITGA2 as a new prognostic factor, exerting its function through the promotion of metastatic behavior and altered drug response of PDAC cells under differential biomechanical conditions, which holds a potential as a novel therapeutic target to overcome PDAC resistance.

Notes on Contributors

Notes on Contributors

Constructing Confucius in the Low Countries

The first translation of Confucius’s Analects into a European language was a Dutch book by Pieter van Hoorn. Printed in Batavia in 1675, it predated the better-known Latin translation, Confucius Sinarum Philosophus (1687). Whereas the introduction of Confucius in the West has often been regarded as a project of the Jesuit mission, an exploration of the Netherlandish situation points out that the ‘manufacturing’ of Confucianism was a variegated and multi-confessional affair. The process of transmitting, translating, publishing, explaining, and judging Confucius presented a challenge to Europeans from different backgrounds and allegiances, integrating not only Latin and vernacular scholarship but also Asian expertise.

Session details: Special Issue on Challenges in Software Performance

Software systems have become increasingly complex. Such complexity makes it extremely challenging to deliver systems that meet their performance requirements. In recent years, there have been several high profile instances of projects that failed due to performance-related issues, e.g., the rollout of the healthcare.gov Web site. This motivates the need for new approaches for software developers to address performance problems. This special issue presents 6 papers that address this theme. A brief summary of these papers follows. Gesvindr and Buhnova study the challenges of building Platform as a Service (PaaS) cloud applications that meet their performance requirements. Using two case studies involving the Microsoft Azure cloud platform, the authors show that the use of a cloud platform in itself does not guarantee good performance and scalability. The authors then identify several best practices for ensuring the performance and scalability of PaaS applications. The work of Heinrich considers the problem of managing\ the performance of software systems composed of thirdparty cloud services. The lack of control over such thirdparty services can cause deviations from performance objectives that can be hard to foresee and manage. The author outlines a model-based framework called iObserve that can help a system adapt and evolve so as to address such problems. Li, O'Brien, and Kihl address the lack of standard methodologies for experimental performance evaluation of software systems. The paper outlines a method for defining domainspecific methodologies for performance evaluation in a way that is consistent across domains. The authors demonstrate the utility of their approach using a cloud services case study. The paper by Grottke et al. considers the problem of handling cyber attacks on networked computer systems andconnected industrial control systems supporting critical infrastructuresuch as energy, water, and gas. Using analytic models, the authors study the performance of various attack mitigation approaches. In particular, the model shows how parameters such as malware scanning rates, network topology, and types of infections impact the effective processing capacity of a system. Rehmann et al. describe the performance monitoring in SAP HANA's continuous integration process. They describe how performance regression tests have been integrated in the delivery process and what services are available to detect and report performance anomalies. Being an extended version of a previous workshop paper, this paper now also presents the reporting of performance test results and anomaly detection. Finally, Nambiar et al. examine issues and experience with software performance, and consider the shortcomings and potential benefits of modeling from the perspective of a potential industrial user. In particular, it considers why modeling is little used, and what conditions it would have to satisfy to fulfill its potential. We sincerely thank all authors for their work and contribution to this special issue. Additionally, we thank our reviewers Davide Arcelli, Danilo Ardagna, Alberto Avritzer, Steffen Becker, Ian Gorton, Andre van Hoorn, Raffaela Mirandola, Juan F. Perez, and Murray Woodside for their timely and constructive reviews as well as editor-in-chief Nidhi Hedge for her support.

Visual motor skills and reading fluency: a correlational study

According to Van Hoorn, reading and writing skills involve adequate performance in visual–motor coordination, motor planning, cognitive and perceptual skills, and accurate processing of tactile and kinesthetic information. Scientific instruments aimed at assessing visual motor integration can be used for early identification of difficulties in reading and writing skills. The Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration (VMI), in particular, allows to assess the level of development of skills such as perception, mental representation, motor planning and graphic reproduction. With regard to fluency of reading, the measure that best describes reading skills required in the various life contexts is given, according to Cornoldi, by the evaluation of the speed and accuracy of reading. The Prove di Lettura (MT-2 Reading Test) are the most popular instrument, for the Italian language, which assesses reading literacy in terms of fluency (speed and accuracy). This paper proposes a correlational study between the results obtained by administering MT2 and VMI tests to a group of students from a lower secondary school, in order to experimentally attest the opportunity to use the VMI as a tool for early detection of visuo-spatial related difficulties in learning to read.

Hydraulic Conductivity Estimation Test Impact on Long-Term Acceptance Rate and Soil Absorption System Design

The aim of this paper was to verify the common methods of hydraulic conductivity estimation for soil assessment in respect to wastewater disposal. The studies were conducted on three types of sandy soils. Hydraulic conductivity was determined using a scale effect-free laboratory method, empirical equations and compared with measurements estimated from a laboratory infiltration column with identified head loss. Based on the hydraulic conductivity values, the long-term acceptance rates (LTAR) [1] were calculated. The differences in LTAR values were about one order of magnitude smaller than differences in hydraulic coefficient. The study showed a good convergention of the results obtained from the constant head method (CHM) by solving the Glover Equation for medium and coarse sands. In low permeability soil (fine sand), the best result was obtained using CHM-a with a capillary rise consideration (a is a factor included in the flow in the unsaturated and saturated zones calculated from a capillary rise). From a practical point of view the relatively small value of LTAR underestimation (20%-for constant head method) is responsible for the extended surface area of the system and provides a security margin (the avoidance of clogging risk). The use of the falling head method, based on the Van Hoorn equation, can be said to be highly overestimated. For medium and coarse sandy soils the underestimation of LTAR calculated and based on CHM test determination is 14%–18%. The total cost of soil absorption system (SAS) designed-based on CHM in comparison to that designed-based on real hydraulic conductivity value in Poland is only about 7%–9% higher.

The VOC as a Company-State: Debating Seventeenth-Century Dutch Colonial Expansion

AbstractWhat was seventeenth-century Dutch expansion in Southeast Asia all about? In the traditional historiography, the Dutch East India Company (VOC) was predominantly presented as a multinational corporation and non-state colonial actor. Recent research, however, has significantly challenged this view, stressing instead the imperial aspects of VOC rule. This article aims to break new ground by analysing the vocabularies used in seventeenth-century reasoning about Dutch expansion overseas. Focusing on three critics of the VOC from the 1660s and 1670s, Pieter van Dam, Pieter de la Court, and Pieter van Hoorn, the article shows how voices within and outside of the ranks of the Company tried to make sense of the many-faced VOC as a commercial company that was also, in different ways, a state. In an on-going debate that centred on the issues of colonisation, conquest, free trade, and monopoly, the VOC was characterised as a distinctive political body that operated as an overseas extension of the state (Van Dam), as a competitor of the state (De la Court), or as a state as such (Van Hoorn). Following Philip J. Stern's recent analysis of the English East India Company, the VOC should therefore be considered to be a particular political institution in its own terms, which challenged its critics to think about it as a body politic that was neither corporation nor empire, but rather a Company-State.

Examining the Factors Contributing to Students’ Life Satisfaction

AbstractIn this study, the authors examined the relationship between students' life satisfaction, school engagement, and confidence in the classroom. An analysis was performed of how students' life satisfaction differs according to their housing, school type, and classroom level. The multidimensional student satisfaction scale, confidence scale in the class, and school engagement scale were used to collect data from a sample of 287 high school students. In this study, Pearson correlation coefficient, path analysis, t-test, Welch test, and Tamhane's T2 test were used to analyze the data. Goodness-of-fit indices concerning the path analysis demonstrate how variables such as school engagement and confidence in the classroom predict students' life satisfaction, indicating that the model is acceptable. The model can sufficiently explain the relationship between the observed arid implied variables (x2 = 209.69, df = 60, x2/df = 3.49, p = 0.00, RMSEA = .09, NFI = .92, NNFI = .93 CFI = .94, IFI = .94, RFI = .90, GFI = .88, AGFI = .82, and SRMR = .07). The results indicated that the life satisfaction of high school students decreases as the grade level increases. It was found that students who live in school dormitories have higher life satisfaction than those who reside with their families. In addition, it was found that students who study at fine arts high schools and sports high schools have higher life satisfaction than those who study at regular high schools.KeywordsStudents' Life Satisfaction, School Engagement, Confidence in the Classroom, Path Analysis.Recently, the concept of subjective well-being has become a field of interest in psychology. Psychologists have shifted their attention from negative or unpleasant emotional experiences, such as depression and anxiety, to feelings and psychological well-being in general (Van Hoorn, 2007). Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi (2000), in their inspiring study, have described this general shift and delineated the function and merits of this approach, which they label positive psychology: a science of subjective experience, individual traits, and institutions that promises to improve quality of life and prevent the pathologies that arise when life is barren and meaningless. Life satisfaction affects subjective well-being and is a judgmental process; it is a cognitive evaluation of the quality of life that individuals form, based on their own standards (Shin & Johnson, 1978). We can see that people who have high levels of life satisfaction are more successful in their relationships with people, at work, and in terms of their own physical functions. In addition, they live longer, make more money, and cope better with illnesses (Lewis, 2010). We can approach life satisfaction globally (one-dimensional) or in a single field (multidimensional). The global approach is that in which life satisfaction is measured by evaluating it overall, without focusing on any particular field ('1 love life). However, when we choose a certain field, we discuss specific aspects of life satisfaction one by one. For young people, these fields might include self, family, friends, school, and the environment.School life satisfaction comprises students' perceptions of their relationship with school climate. In one study, a small, but significant, relationship was found between life satisfaction and relationships with other students at school (Leung & Zhang, 2000). Another study found that middle and high school students who have higher life satisfaction have attitudes toward their teachers and school (Gilman & Huebner, 2006). Students spend majority of their school time in classrooms. If the period spent with their teachers and other students comprises meaningful and enjoyable events, then it is probable that their attitudes toward the school in general will also be positive. Students' perceptions of the quality of the classroom environment play a decisive role in their views on school life satisfaction, as proved by scientific studies (Mok & Flynn, 2002). …

Reply to van Hoorn: Converging lines of evidence

We agree with the comments by van Hoorn (1) on our critique (2): testing causal hypotheses about human behavior is a challenge (1, 3). Making progress requires specifying alternative hypotheses and then testing these hypotheses using diverse and converging lines of evidence. We have defended the hypothesis that social norms, which culturally coevolved with the institutions of large-scale societies including markets, influence economic decision-making. This hypothesis emerged from a larger set that we developed both at the outset of our project and as we went along. Our interdisciplinary team’s initial list of hypotheses included the idea that experimental games might spark an innate reciprocity module that would yield little variation across populations. We also considered the hypothesis that group-level differences might result from individual differences in wealth or income. Nevertheless, what emerged in the data in our first project was (i) substantial variation among 15 populations, (ii) a strong correlation with market integration, and (iii) little relation to individual-level economic or demographic variables. Not satisfied with our first effort, we sampled 10 new populations, replicated these findings with improved protocols (developed based on critiques of the Phase I), and then extended them to two additional experimental games. Along the way, we have explored alternative hypotheses using measures of genetic relatedness, social network position, anonymity manipulations, and framing tools. To our knowledge, no other existing hypotheses can better account for the observed patterns of variation.

The roots of international dermatology

This article gives historical overview of the development of international and European dermatovenereological societies. The first European Dermatological Society and the first world Venereological Society open in Russia. Taking into consideration the fact that it was the first officially registered national dermatological society whereas Municipal Society of New York and American National Society were not registered by state authorities, the Russian Society is regarded here as the first world official dermatological society. This article reviews the proffesional development of Prof Benjamin Mikhialovitch Tarnowsky (1837-1906) the most significant dermatovenerologist, influenced the development of world and Russian dermatovenerology, worked in the first world hospital specifically devoted to venereology, Kalinkinskaya Hospital ( founded in 1750, Saint Petersburg). Depicts XII International Congress, held in Moscow in August 7-14th, 1897, where the dermotology section was represented by internationally recognized scientists. Among speakers Kaposi (Wien), Hallopeau (Paris), Gaucher (Paris), Barthelemy(Paris), Wolf (Strassburg), Rosenthal (Berlin), Nikolsky (Kiev), Lindstrem (Kiev), Jullien (Paris), Poper- Mor (Budapest), Schwimmer (Budapest), Pospelov (Moscow), Tarnowsky( Saint Petersburg); such sientists as Unna, Campana, Lassar, Soffiantini, van Hoorn, Vatrashevsky, Yakovlev, Sack participated in the discussion.

Negative practice–value correlations in the GLOBE data: Unexpected findings, questionnaire limitations and research directions

The study of culture and cultural values continues to be hotly debated among cross-cultural researchers worldwide. Starting with the seminal work of Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck, and Hofstede, and continuing with more recent efforts, researchers have continued to develop and empirically examine cultural value frameworks in an attempt to understand how cultural differences affect work-related behaviors and attitudes. The purpose of this commentary is to briefly describe the interesting – and counterintuitive – findings from the Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness (GLOBE) project, summarize the different interpretations of these findings offered by Maseland and van Hoorn, and by Brewer and Venaik, provide a critique of their arguments, and finally offer a list of possible alternative interpretations and explanations for the conflicting findings in the GLOBE study.