Motivating Students to Learn English: Intrinsic and Extrinsic Strategies to Meet the Needs of First Time Learners

Motivation is the key to learning. The present study is about the relationship between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation as they affect learning with regard to students who are learning EFL for the first time. Cape Verdean seventh grade students learning English for the first time are generally very enthusiastic about the language before they start learning it in the high school. However, that enthusiasm seems not to be maintained throughout the school year and oftentimes teachers hear them complain about the difficulties of mastering aspects of the language. It seems that for some reason their motivation is undermined. Why does that happen? Is it the students’ fault or the teacher’s? If it the teacher’s fault, which motivation strategies work best to cope with this problem: intrinsic or extrinsic? With this in mind I asked the question: What is the relationship between students’ needs, interests, goals and expectations to learn English as a foreign language and teachers’ roles as facilitators and motivators? There are many studies that have been carried out in the field of motivation, and up to now, there seems to be no consensus of which is the best. For the purposes of this paper, three main theories will be discussed that have prevailed in the field of motivational psychology: the behavioural, the cognitive and the humanistic theories. Within these theories sub-theories are discussed and their relationship is explained with intrinsic and extrinsic motivation regarding Cape Verdean students learning English for the first time.

Purification and ligand binding of a soluble class I major histocompatibility complex molecule consisting of the first three domains of H-2Kd fused to beta 2-microglobulin expressed in the baculovirus-insect cell system.

A recombinant baculovirus encoding a single-chain murine major histocompatibility complex class I molecule in which the first three domains of H-2Kd are fused to beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2-m) via a 15-amino acid linker has been isolated and used to infect lepidopteran cells. A soluble, 391-amino acid single-chain H-2Kd (SC-Kd) molecule of 48 kDa was synthesized and glycosylated in insect cells and could be purified in the absence of detergents by affinity chromatography using the anti-H-2Kd monoclonal antibody SF1.1.1.1. We tested the ability of SC-Kd to bind antigenic peptides using a direct binding assay based on photoaffinity labeling. The photoreactive derivative was prepared from the H-2Kd-restricted Plasmodium berghei circumsporozoite protein (P.b. CS) peptide 253-260 (YIPSAEKI), a probe that we had previously shown to be unable to bind to the H-2Kd heavy chain in infected cells in the absence of co-expressed beta 2-microglobulin. SC-Kd expressed in insect cells did not require additional mouse beta 2-m to bind the photoprobe, indicating that the covalently attached beta 2-m could substitute for the free molecule. Similarly, binding of the P.b. CS photoaffinity probe to the purified SC-Kd molecule was unaffected by the addition of exogenous beta 2-m. This is in contrast to H-2KdQ10, a soluble H-2Kd molecule in which beta 2-m is noncovalently bound to the soluble heavy chain, whose ability to bind the photoaffinity probe is greatly enhanced in the presence of an excess of exogenous beta 2-m. The binding of the probe to SC-Kd was allele-specific, since labeling was selectively inhibited only by antigenic peptides known to be presented by the H-2Kd molecule.

The capital gains from trade are not enough: Evidence from the environmental accounts of Venezuela and Mexico

In principle, a country can not endure negative genuine savings for longperiods of time without experiencing declining consumption. Nevertheless,theoreticians envisage two alternatives to explain how an exporter ofnon-renewable natural resources could experience permanent negativegenuine savings and still ensure sustainability. The first one allegesthat the capital gains arising from the expected improvement in theterms of trade would suffice to compensate for the negative savings ofthe resource exporter. The second alternative points at technologicalchange as a way to avoid economic collapse. This paper uses the dataof Venezuela and Mexico to empirically test the first of these twohypotheses. The results presented here prove that the terms oftrade do not suffice to compensate the depletion of oil reservesin these two open economies.

Are Voting Advice Applications (VVAs) more than Toys ? : First findings on Impact and Accountability of VAAs

To what extent do Voting Advice Applications (VAA) have an influence on voting behaviour and to what extent should providers be hold accountable for such tools? This paper puts forward some empirical evidence from the Swiss VAA smartvote. The enormous popularity of smartvote in the last national elections in 2007 and the feedback of users and candidates let us come to the conclusion that smartvote is more than a toy and likely to have an influence on the voting decisions. Since Swiss citizens not only vote for parties but also for candidates, and the voting recommendation of smartvote is based on the political positions of the candidates, smartvote turns out to be particularly helpful. Political scientists must not keep their hands off such tools. Scientific research is needed to understand their functioning and possibilities to manipulate elections. On the bases of a legal study we come to the conclusion, that a science driven way of setting up such tools is essential for their legitimacy. However, we do not believe that there is a single best way of setting up such a tool and rather support a market like solution with different competing tools, provided they meet minimal standards like transparency and equal access for all parties and candidates. Once the process of selecting candidates and parties are directly linked to the act of voting, all these questions will become even more salient.

Ratio maps and correspondence analysis

We compare two methods for visualising contingency tables and developa method called the ratio map which combines the good properties of both.The first is a biplot based on the logratio approach to compositional dataanalysis. This approach is founded on the principle of subcompositionalcoherence, which assures that results are invariant to considering subsetsof the composition. The second approach, correspondence analysis, isbased on the chi-square approach to contingency table analysis. Acornerstone of correspondence analysis is the principle of distributionalequivalence, which assures invariance in the results when rows or columnswith identical conditional proportions are merged. Both methods may bedescribed as singular value decompositions of appropriately transformedmatrices. Correspondence analysis includes a weighting of the rows andcolumns proportional to the margins of the table. If this idea of row andcolumn weights is introduced into the logratio biplot, we obtain a methodwhich obeys both principles of subcompositional coherence and distributionalequivalence.

First impressions matter: Signalling as a source of policy dynamics

We first establish that policymakers on the Bank of England's Monetary PolicyCommittee choose lower interest rates with experience. We then reject increasingconfidence in private information or learning about the structure of the macroeconomy as explanations for this shift. Instead, a model in which voters signal theirhawkishness to observers better fits the data. The motivation for signalling is consistent with wanting to control inflation expectations, but not career concerns orpleasing colleagues. There is also no evidence of capture by industry. The papersuggests that policy-motivated reputation building may be important for explainingdynamics in experts' policy choices.

Discrete devaluations and multiple equilibria in a first generation model of currency crises

The first generation models of currency crises have often been criticized because they predict that, in the absence of very large triggering shocks, currency attacks should be predictable and lead to small devaluations. This paper shows that these features of first generation models are not robust to the inclusion of private information. In particular, this paper analyzes a generalization of the Krugman-Flood-Garber (KFG) model, which relaxes the assumption that all consumers are perfectly informed about the level of fundamentals. In this environment, the KFG equilibrium of zero devaluation is only one of many possible equilibria. In all the other equilibria, the lack of perfect information delays the attack on the currency past the point at which the shadow exchange rate equals the peg, giving rise to unpredictable and discrete devaluations.

An attempt to refine rockfall hazard zoning based on the kinetic energy, frequency and fragmentation degree

Rockfall hazard zoning is usually achieved using a qualitative estimate of hazard, and not an absolute scale. In Switzerland, danger maps, which correspond to a hazard zoning depending on the intensity of the considered phenomenon (e.g. kinetic energy for rockfalls), are replacing hazard maps. Basically, the danger grows with the mean frequency and with the intensity of the rockfall. This principle based on intensity thresholds may also be applied to other intensity threshold values than those used in Switzerland for rockfall hazard zoning method, i.e. danger mapping. In this paper, we explore the effect of slope geometry and rockfall frequency on the rockfall hazard zoning. First, the transition from 2D zoning to 3D zoning based on rockfall trajectory simulation is examined; then, its dependency on slope geometry is emphasized. The spatial extent of hazard zones is examined, showing that limits may vary widely depending on the rockfall frequency. This approach is especially dedicated to highly populated regions, because the hazard zoning has to be very fine in order to delineate the greatest possible territory containing acceptable risks.

Abcès du sein: privilégier la ponction-aspiration échoguidée [Ultrasonography-guided drainage should be considered as the first-line approach for breast abscesses treatment].

The abscesses of the breast are puerperal or non puerperal. The Staphylococcus aureus is the most common germ. The diagnosis is based on clinical criterias and confirmed by the ultrasonography. The percutaneous ultrasonography-guided drainage must be proposed in first intent to treat. Surgical treatment is still valid with a relapsing or chronic abscess, or after the non operative processes have failed.

First records of Collembola (Ellipura) from the State of Paraíba, Northeastern Brazil

This paper presents the first records of the Collembola fauna in four localities of State of Paraíba, Northeastern Brazil. These records represent the first list of species of Collembola for the State of Paraíba. The research adds new records for Brazil of six genera and one species. Furthermore, thirteen undescribed species are presented.

Development and evaluation of antibody-MHC/peptide conjugates as a new form of cancer immunotherapy

Summary One of the major goals of cancer immunotherapy is the induction of a specific and effective antitumor cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response. However, the downregulation of Class I Major Histocompatibility Complexes (MHC) expression and the low level of tumor peptide presentation on tumor cell surface, ás well as the low immunogenicity of tumor specific antigens, limit the effectiveness of anti-tumor CTL responses. On the other hand, monoclonal antibodies, which bind with high affinity to tumor cell surface markers, are powerful tumor targeting tools. However, their capacity to .kill cancer cells is limited and mAb cancer treatments usually require the addition of different form of chemotherapy. The new cancer immunotherapy strategy described herein combines the advantage of the high tumor targeting capacity of monoclonal antibodies (mAb) with the powerful cytotoxicity of CD8 T lymphocytes directed against highly antigenic peptide-MHC complexes. Monoclonal antibody Fab fragments directed against a cell surface tumor associated antigen (TAA) are chemically coupled to soluble MHC class I complexes carrying a highly antigenic peptide. Antibody guided targeting and oligomerization of numerous antigenic class IMHC/peptide complexes on tumor cell surfaces can redirect the cytotoxicity of peptide-specific CD8 T cells towards target cancer cells. After the description of the production of murine anti-tumor xMHC/peptide conjugates in the first part of this thesis, the therapeutic potential of such conjugates were sequentially investigated in different syngeneic tumor mouse models. As a first proof of principle, transgenic OT-1 mice and later CEA transgenic C57BL/6 (B6) mice, adoptively transferred with OT-1 spleen cells and immunized with ovalbumin, were used as a model of high frequency of ova peptide specific T cells. In these mice, growth inhibition and regression of palpable colon carcinoma expressing CEA, were obtained by systemic injection of anti-CEA Fab/H-2Kb/ova peptide conjugates. Next, LCMV virus and influenza virus infection of B6 mice were used as viral models to redirect natural antiviral CTL responses to tumors via conjugates loaded with viral peptides. We showed that in mice infected with the LCMV virus, subcutaneous CEA-expressing tumor cells were inhibited by the H2Db/GP33 restricted anti-viral CTL response when preincubated before grafting with anti-CEA Fab-H-2Db/GP33 peptide conjugates. In mice infected with the influenza virus, lung metastases expressing the HER2 antigen were inhibited by the H-2Db/NP366 restricted CTLs response when preincubated before injection with anti-Her2 Fab-H-2Db/NP366 peptide conjugates. In the last chapter, the stability of the peptide in the anti-CEA Fab-H-2Db/GP33 conjugates was improved by the covalent photocross-link of the GP33 peptide in the H-2Db MHC groove. Thus, LCMV immune mice could reject CEA expressing tumors when treated with systemic injections of anti-CEA FabH-2Db/GP33 cross-linked conjugates. These results are encouraging for the potential application of this strategy in clinic. Such conjugates could be used alone in patients boosted by the relevant virus, or used in combination with existing T cell based ìmmunotherapy. Résumé Une des principales approches utilisées dans l'immunothérapie contre le cancer consiste en l'induction d'une réponse T cytotoxique (CTL) spécifiquement dirigée contre la tumeur. Cependant, le faible niveau d'expression des complexes majeurs d'histocompatibilité de classe I (CMH I) et de présentation des peptides tumoraux à la surface des cellules cancéreuses ainsi que la faible immunogenicité des antigens tumoraux, limitent l'efficacité de la réponse CTL. D'autre part,. l'injection d'anticorps monoclonaux (mAb), se liant avec une haute affinité aux marqueurs de surface des cellules tumorales, a fourni des résultats cliniques encourageant. Cependant l'efficacité de ces mAbs contre des tumeur solides reste limitée et necessite souvent l'addition de chimiotherapie. La nouvelle stratégie thérapeutique décrite dans ce travail associe le fort pouvoir de localisation des anticorps monoclonaux et le fort pouvoir cytotoxique des lymphocytes T CD8+. Des fragments Fab d'anticorps monoclonaux, dirigés contre des antigènes surexprimés à la surface de cellules tumorales, ont été chimiquement couplés à des CMH I solubles, portant un peptide fortement antigénique. Le ciblage et l'oligomérisation à la surface des cellules tumorales de nombreux CMH I présentant un peptide antigénique, va réorienter la cytotoxicité des cellules T CD8+ spécifiques du peptide présenté, vers les cellules tumorales cibles. Après une description de la production de conjugé anti-tumeur x CMH Upeptide dans la première partie de cette thèse, le potentiel thérapeutique de tels conjugés a été successivement étudiés in vivo dans différents modèles de tumeur syngénéiques. Tout d'abord, des souris OT-1 transgéniques, puis des souris C57BL/6 (B6) transférées avec des cellules de rate OT-1 puis immunisées avec l'ovalbumine, ont été employées comme modèle de haute fréquence de cellules T CD8+ spécifiques du peptide ova. Chez ces souris, l'inhibition de la croissance et la régression de nodules palpables de carcinomes exprimant l'antigène caccino embryonaire (ACE), ont été obtenues par l'injection systémique de conjugés anti-ACE Fab/H-2Kb/ova. Par la suite, l'infection de souris B6 par le virus LCMV et par le virus de la grippe, ont été utilisés comme modèles viraux pour redirigées des réponses anti-virales naturelles vers les tumeurs, en utilisant des conjugés chargés avec des peptides viraux. Nous avons montré que .chez les souris infectées par le LCMV, la croissance de carcinome sous-cutané est empêchée par la réponse anti-virale, spécifique du complexe H2Db/GP33, lorsque les cellules tumorales greffées sont pré-incubées avec des conjugés anti-CEA Fab-H-2Db/GP33. Dans le cas de souris infectées par le virus de la grippe, la métastatisation de mélanomes pulmonaires exprimant l'antigène HER-2 est inhibée par la réponse anti-virale spécifique du complexe H-2Db/NP366, après pré-incubation des cellules tumorales avec des conjugés anti-Her2 FabxH-2Db/NP366. Dans le dernier chapitre, la liaison covalente du peptide GP33 dans le complexe H-2Db a amélioré la stabilité des conjugés correspondants et a permis le traitement systémique de souris greffées avec des tumeurs exprimant l'ACE et infectées par le LCMV. L'ensemble de ces résultats sont encourageant pour l'application de cette strategie en clinique. De tels conjugués pourraient être employés seuls ou en combinaison avec des protocols d'immunisation peptidique anti-tumoral. Résumé pour un large public Dans les pays industrialisés, le cancer se situe au deuxième rang des causes de mortalité après les maladies cardiovasculaires. Les principaux traitement de nombreux cancers sont la chirurgie, en association avec la radiothérapie et la chimiothérapie. L'immunothérapie est l'une des nouvelles approches mises en oeuvre pour la lutte contre le cancer. Elle peut être humorale, et s'appuyer alors sur la perfusion d'anticorps monoclonaux dirigés contre des antigènes tumoraux, par exemple les anticorps dirigés contre les protéines oncogéniques Her-2/neu dans le cancer du sein. Ces anticorps ont le grand avantage de spécifiquement se localiser à la tumeur et d'induire la lyse ou d'inhiber la proliferation des cellules tumorales exprimant l'antigène. Certains sont utilisés en clinique pour le traitement de lymphomes, de carcinomes de l'ovaire et du sein ou encore de carcinomes metastatiques du côlon. Cependant l'efficacité de ces anticorps contre des tumeurs solides reste limitée et les traitements exigent souvent d'être combiner avec de la chimiothérapie. L'immunothérapie spécifique peut également être cellulaire et reposer sur une démarche de type vaccinal, consistant à générer des lymphocytes T cytotoxiques (cytotoxic T lymphocytes :CTL) capables de détruire spécifiquement les cellules malignes. Pour obtenir une réponse lymphocytaire T cytotoxique antitumorale, la cellule T doit reconnaître un antigène associé à la tumeur, présenté sous forme de peptide dans un complexe majeur d'histocompatibilité de classe I. Or les cellules tumorales ne presentent pas efficacement les peptides antigèniques, car elles se caractérisent par une diminution ou une absence d'expression des antigènes d'histocompatibilité de classe I, des molécules d'adhésion et des cytokines costimulatrices, et par une faible expression des antigènes associés aux tumeurs. C'est en partie pourquoi, malgré l'induction de fortes réponses CTL specifiquement dirigés contre des antigens tumoraux, les régressions tumorales obtenus grace à ces vaccinations sont relativement rares. Alors que chez les personnes atteintes du cancer on observe l'instauration d'une tolérance immunitaire vis-à-vis de la tumeur, à l'inverse, notre systeme immunitaire reste parfaitement capable de combattre des infection virales classiques, tels que la grippe, qui font aussi appel à une réponse T cytotoxique. Notre groupe de recherche a donc eu l'idee de développer une nouvelle approche thérapeutique où une réponse immunitaire anti-virale très efficace serait redirigée vers les tumeurs par des anticorps monoclonaux. Concrètement, nous avons chimiquement couplés des fragments d'anticorps monoclonaux dirigés contre des antigènes surexprimés à la surface de cellules tumorales, à des CMH I portant un peptide viral antigénique. Les cellules tumorales, ciblées par le fragment anticorps et couvertes d' antigènes viraux présentés par des molécules de CMH I, peuvent ainsi tromper les lymphocytes cytotoxiques anti-viraux qui vont détruire les cellules tumorales comme si elles étaient infectées par le virus. Suite à des résultats prometteurs obtenus in vitro avec différents conjugués anticorps-CMH humain de type HLA.A2/peptide Flu, le but du projet était de tester in vivo des conjugués anticorps-CMH I murins sur des modèles expérimentaux de souris. Tout d'abord, des souris transgéniques pour un recepteur T specifique du peptide ova, puis des transferts adoptifs de ces cellules T specifiques dans des souris immunocompétentes, ont été choisi comme modèle de haute fréquence des cellules T spécifiques, et ont permi de valider le principe de la strategie in vivo. Puis, deux modèles viraux ont été elaboré avec le virus LCMV et le virus Influenza, pour réorienter des réponses antivirales naturelles vers les tumeurs grâce à des conjugés chargés avec des peptides viraux. Nous avons montré la grande capacité de nos conjugués à rediriger des réponses cytotoxiques vers les tumeurs et inhiber la croissance de tumeurs syngénéiques sous cutanés et pulmonaires. Ces résultats d'inhibition tumorales obtenus dans des souris immunocompétentes, grâce à l'injection de conjugués anticorps xCMH/peptide et réorientant deux réponses antivirales différentes vers deux modèles tumoraux syngeneiques, sont encourageant pour l'application de cette nouvelle stratégie en clinique.

Improving Transition Outcomes: Prototype First Year Highlights

Highlights from the community demonstration prototypes first year.