FOCALIZZARE LA FORMA: SVILUPPO DELLA COMPETENZA LINGUISTICA NELLA CLASSE MULTILINGUE DELLA SCUOLA PRIMARIA

L’obiettivo di questo contributo è la descrizione di modelli di didattica della grammatica all’interno di un approccio comunicativo all'insegnamento della L2. L’etichetta focus on form raccoglie alcune strategie di interazione che promuovono l’accuratezza linguistica all'interno di un dispositivo che non perde di vista l’aggancio con la dimensione del significato. Per delineare i tratti di questo approccio sono stati proposti degli esempi, tratti da trascrizioni di interventi in classe, che illustrano opzioni diverse di insegnamento della grammatica nella classe multilingue: da un modello deduttivo e decontestualizzato (focus on forms), ad un intervento di riflessione sulla lingua utile a notare delle regolarità linguistiche e una focalizzazione sulla forma basata sul feedback correttivo (focus on form). Per chiarire il ruolo che la focalizzazione sulla forma può avere in un task comunicativo sono state messe a confronto due sequenze di insegnamento, una di L1 e l'altra di L2 nella stessa classe di scuola primaria frequentata dal 50% di bambini non italofoni di cui 5 di livello basico. I due approcci sono stati ricondotti alla distinzione fra focus on meaning (didattica della L1) e focus on form (didattica della L2). Tutti gli esempi sono tratti da tre classi seconde della stessa scuola coinvolte in un esperimento didattico sull’acquisizione di tre forme del presente indicativo italiano. Focusing on the form: the development of expertise in multilingual primary school classesThe paper describes communicative grammar teaching models in L2 teaching. The label “focus on form” collects some interaction strategies that promote linguistic accuracy without losing sight of the link with the dimension of meaning. Examples taken from transcripts of speeches in class outline the features of this approach, showing different options for teaching grammar in the multilingual classroom: from a deductive and decontextualized model (focus on forms), to a reflection on language to note regularities and focus on form-based corrective feedback (focus on form). To clarify the role that the focus on form can have in a communication task, two teaching sequences were compared, one L1 and the other L2, in the same primary school class attended by 50% of children do not speak Italian, of which 5 were at a basic level. The two approaches reconsidered the distinction between focus on meaning (teaching L1) and focus on form (teaching L2). All examples were taken from three second-year classes at the same school involved in an educational experiment on the acquisition of three forms of the present indicative tense in Italian

Insegnare la grammatica italiana a bambini immigrati. Un esperimento sul focus on form nella classe multilingue

Este trabalho explora as possíveis aplicações da didática da L2 na perspectiva do focus on form (foco na forma) na realidade multilíngue da escola primária italiana. A novidade deste estudo consiste no fato de que o tratamento didático experimental envolvei três turmas do segundo ano da escola primária (68 crianças), frequentadas por falantes nativos, quase-nativos e não-nativos de italiano, de idade entre sete e oito anos. Os principais informantes da experiência são, no entanto, apenas 14 aprendizes chineses que, após dois anos de escolarização na Itália, ainda manifestam uma escassa competência gramatical, embora com uma boa capacidade de comunicar com os pares e com os professores. Isso sugere que o ensino a que foram expostos na escola, essencialmente baseado no conteúdo, não tenha fornecido um input adequado para o desenvolvimento de sua interlíngua, na mesma linha do que foi constatado em estudos anteriores e em contextos análogos. A hipótese é, portanto, que, para facilitar a aquisição da L2 por parte dessas crianças fosse necessário inserir na prática didática um dispositivo de focalização da forma: o modelo do foco na forma nos pareceu ser o instrumento mais adequado para fazer isso, sem renunciar à qualidade comunicativa da interação. Os dados sobre a interlíngua das crianças foram coletada em três momentos: com um pré-teste antes do tratamento didático, um pós-teste logo após e um pós-teste tardio após seis semanas. Para eliciar a fala durante os testes foi utilizada uma bateria de tarefas planejadas para isso. O tratamento didático concentrou-se na flexão dos verbos e, em especial, três formas do presente do indicativo (1a e 2a do singular e 3a do plural). Esses objetivos gramaticais foram selecionados a partir dos dados coletadas com o pré-teste e analisados com base na Teoria da Processabilidade (Pienemann, 1998; Bettoni, Di Biase, in print). A análise estatística mostra um forte efeito positivo do tratamento didático para o grupo experimental tanto no pós-teste imediato quanto no pós-teste tardio; nenhuma variação significativa foi observada no grupo controle, que não recebeu nenhum tratamento. Com a análise qualitativa evidenciam-se claramente algumas etapas evolutivas para o grupo experimental. O estudo possui interessantes consequências na didática, pois demonstra que breves e regulares sessões de italiano L2 baseadas no foco na forma são benéficas para o desenvolvimento da interlíngua de crianças migrantes e podem ser aplicadas com eficácia na sala de aula multilíngu

L’INSEGNAMENTO DELLA GRAMMATICA NELLA CLASSE MULTILINGUE. UN ESPERIMENTO DI FOCUS ON FORM NELLA SCUOLA PRIMARIA

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Development of a dual vaccine against East Coast fever and lumpy skin disease

East Coast fever is an acute bovine disease caused by the apicomplexan parasite Theileria parva and is regarded as one of the most important tick-vectored diseases in Africa. The current vaccination procedure has many drawbacks, as it involves the use of live T. parva sporozoites. As a novel vaccination strategy, we have constructed the recombinant lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV) named LSDV-SODis-p67HA-BLV-Gag, encoding a modified form of the T. parva p67 surface antigen (p67HA), as well as the bovine leukemia virus (BLV) gag gene for the formation of virus-like particles (VLPs) to potentially enhance p67 immunogenicity. In place of the native sequence, the chimeric p67HA antigen has the human tissue plasminogen activator signal sequence and the influenza hemagglutinin A2 transmembrane domain and cytoplasmic tail. p67HA was detected on the surface of infected cells, and VLPs comprising BLV Gag and p67HA were produced. We also show that higher multiple bands observed in western blot analysis are due to glycosylation of p67. The two vaccines, pMExT-p67HA (DNA) and LSDV-SODis-p67HA-BLV-Gag, were tested for immunogenicity in mice. p67-binding antibodies were produced by vaccinated animals, with higher titers detected in mice vaccinated with the recombinant LSDV. This candidate dual vaccine warrants further testing in cattle

A cluster randomised controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the GoActive intervention to increase physical activity among adolescents aged 13-14 years.

INTRODUCTION: Adolescent physical activity promotion is rarely effective, despite adolescence being critical for preventing physical activity decline. Low adolescent physical activity is likely to last into adulthood, increasing health risks. The Get Others Active (GoActive) intervention is evidence-based and was developed iteratively with adolescents and teachers. This intervention aims to increase physical activity through increased peer support, self-efficacy, group cohesion, self-esteem and friendship quality, and is implemented using a tiered-leadership system. We previously established feasibility in one school and conducted a pilot randomised controlled trial (RCT) in three schools. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We will conduct a school-based cluster RCT (CRCT) in 16 secondary schools targeting all year 9 students (n=2400). In eight schools, GoActive will run for two terms: weekly facilitation support from a council-funded intervention facilitator will be offered in term 1, with more distant support in term 2. Tutor groups choose two weekly activities, encouraged by older adolescent mentors and weekly peer leaders. Students gain points for trying new activities; points are entered into a between-class competition. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline, interim (week 6), postintervention (week 14-16) and 10-month follow-up (main outcome). The primary outcome will be change from baseline in daily accelerometer-assessed moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Secondary outcomes include accelerometer-assessed activity intensities on weekdays/weekends; self-reported physical activity and psychosocial outcomes; cost-effectiveness and cost-utility analyses; mixed-methods process evaluation integrating information from focus groups and participation logs/questionnaires. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval for the conduct of the study was gained from the University of Cambridge Psychology Research Ethics Committee. Given the lack of rigorously evaluated interventions, and the inclusion of objective measurement of physical activity, long-term follow-up and testing of causal pathways, the results of a CRCT of the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of GoActive are expected to add substantially to the limited evidence on adolescent physical activity promotion. Workshops will be held with key stakeholders including students, parents, teachers, school governors and government representatives to discuss plans for wider dissemination of the intervention. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN31583496

Characterization of a Novel Chimeric Theileria parva p67 Antigen Which Incorporates into Virus-like Particles and Is Highly Immunogenic in Mice

The current method to protect cattle against East Coast Fever (ECF) involves the use of live Theileria parva sporozoites. Although this provides immunity, using live parasites has many disadvantages, such as contributing to the spread of ECF. Subunit vaccines based on the sporozoite surface protein p67 have been investigated as a replacement for the current method. In this study, two DNA vaccines expressing recombinant forms of p67 designed to display on retrovirus-like particles were constructed with the aim of improving immunogenicity. The native leader sequence was replaced with the human tissue plasminogen activator leader in both vaccines. The full-length p67 gene was included in the first DNA vaccine (p67); in the second, the transmembrane domain and cytoplasmic tail were replaced with those of an influenza A virus hemagglutinin 5 (p67HA). Immunofluorescent staining of fixed and live transfected mammalian cells showed that both p67 and p67HA were successfully expressed, and p67HA localised on the cell surface. Furthermore, p67HA was displayed on the surface of both bovine leukaemia virus (BLV) Gag and HIV-1 Gag virus-like particles (VLPs) made in the same cells. Mice vaccinated with DNA vaccines expressing p67 and p67HA alone, or p67HA with BLV or HIV-1 Gag, developed high titres of p67 and BLV Gag-binding antibodies. Here we show that it is possible to integrate a form of p67 containing all known antigenic domains into VLPs. This p67HA–VLP combination has the potential to be incorporated into a vaccine against ECF, as a DNA vaccine or as other vaccine platforms

Investigation of the siliceous hydrogel phase formation in glass-ionomer cement paste

The microstructure evolution of a complex glass-ionomer cement (GIC) paste over the first 72 h of the cement setting reaction was investigated by small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) and infrared spectroscopy. GIC is a biocompatible material which is clinically used for dental fillings. In this study, GIC pastes were prepared, following the ISO9917-1:2007 cement preparation method, from medical grade poly(acrylic acid), SiO₂–Al₂O₃–P₂O₅–CaO–CaF₂ -based fluoroaluminosilicate glass and H₂O/D₂O solvent. During the setting reaction, polyacrylic acid attacks the fluoroaluminosilicate glass particles to form a siliceous hydrogel phase, glass core and hydrated polyacrylate matrix. The formation of the siliceous hydrogel structure and cross-linking of polyacrylate chains play important roles to harden the GIC. Infrared spectroscopy was used to identify the formation of the hydrogel phase and cross-linkage in GIC paste. In addition this paper reports SANS measurements for GIC pastes at different contrast conditions (H₂O:D₂O ratio) from the Bilby instrument at the Australian Centre for Neutron Scattering, ANSTO, Australia. The SANS data provide microstructure information for the hydrogel phase in GIC paste over the length scale of 10–5000 Å

Midlife changes: the Sopot burial ground at Alsónyék

Archaeological research on the Neolithic of western Hungary started on sites of the Linearbandkeramik (LBK) and Lengyel cultures in the late nineteenth century. The existence of assemblages of the Starčevo culture, representing the earliest Neolithic of Transdanubia, became known much later, in the 1970s. In the late 1960s, a close connection began to be recognised between some previously discovered grave assemblages in western Hungary and what was then called the Sopot-Lengyel (SopotskoLenđelska) culture in the Slavonian region of eastern Croatia; this was later labelled as the Sopot culture. However, the full integration of this material into the regional framework of the Neolithic was not without difficulties

Elongator mutation in mice induces neurodegeneration and ataxia-like behavior

Cerebellar ataxias are severe neurodegenerative disorders with an early onset and progressive and inexorable course of the disease. Here, we report a single point mutation in the gene encoding Elongator complex subunit 6 causing Purkinje neuron degeneration and an ataxia-like phenotype in the mutant wobbly mouse. This mutation destabilizes the complex and compromises its function in translation regulation, leading to protein misfolding, proteotoxic stress, and eventual neuronal death. In addition, we show that substantial microgliosis is triggered by the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway in the cerebellum and that blocking NLRP3 function in vivo significantly delays neuronal degeneration and the onset of ataxia in mutant animals. Our data provide a mechanistic insight into the pathophysiology of a cerebellar ataxia caused by an Elongator mutation, substantiating the increasing body of evidence that alterations of this complex are broadly implicated in the onset of a number of diverse neurological disorders.The authors acknowledge the facilities, and the scientific and technical assistance of the Australian Phenomics Facility (APF), the Australian National University. The APF is supported by the Australian Phenomics Network (APN). The APN is supported by the Australian Government through the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) program. We are very grateful to Jelena Bezbradica Mirkovic and Kate Schroder for providing NLRP3 KO and Caspase-1 KO animals and for their valuable discussion. We also thank Avril Robertson and Matthew Cooper for the gift of MCC950 and Trent Woodruff for advice regarding the administration of MCC950. We acknowledge Ting-Yu Lin and Andrzej Chramiec-Głąbik for providing labeled tRNAs. This work was supported by the POLONEZ1 Grant UMO-2015/19/P/NZ1/02514 from the National Science Centre, Poland and received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 665778 (M.G. and A.S.-K.) and the First Team grant First TEAM/ 2016-1/2 from the Foundation for Polish Science (S.G.)