No abstract

Abstract:In the first part we briefly discuss the concept of future time perspective (FTP) as a cognitive-motivational construct. By setting goals in the rather near or more distant future, human beings develop their individual FTP that can be characterized by its content (i.e., what people are striving for) and extension or depth (i.e. how far into the future individuals set their goals). Individual differences in the content and extension of the FTP have motivational consequences. In the second part we discuss our own empirical studies showing that not only does the number of future goals matter, but even more so their motivational content. Finally we will report empirical data on the correlates of present and future temporal orientations among adolescents and emerging adults in Europe, South Africa and Latin America. These empirical studies are based on Future Time Perspective Theory, Expectancy*Value Theory and Selfdetermination Theory.Key words: time perspective, motivation, education.The main purpose of this article is to review our theoretical and empirical research on future time perspective (FTP) as a cognitivemotivational construct. In the first section we describe how in our conceptualization and operationalization individual differences in the length and the content of FTP result from goal setting in the near and/or more distant future, and why these differences have motivational consequences. In the second section, we will examine empirical data on the correlates of present and future temporal orientations among adolescents and emerging adults in Europe, South Africa, and Latin America. We argue how goal content affects the quality of motivation. Present motivation that derives from future goals is by definition indeed extrinsic motivation, but not all types of extrinsic motivation are low-quality motivations. We will discuss our empirical work showing how important it is to take into account not only the extension of length of FTP, but certainly also the content of the goals that are pursued in the near and distant future. This goal content determines the quality of motivation. Then we discuss how important being future-oriented is for one's motivation. Finally, we propose further remarks on Future Time Perspective Theory.

Chromobacterium violaceum is one of millions of species of free-living microorganisms that populate the soil and water in the extant areas of tropical biodiversity around the world. Its complete genome sequence reveals (i) extensive alternative pathways for energy generation, (ii) Ϸ500 ORFs for transport-related proteins, (iii) complex and extensive systems for stress adaptation and motility, and (iv) widespread utilization of quorum sensing for control of inducible systems, all of which underpin the versatility and adaptability of the organism. The genome also contains extensive but incomplete arrays of ORFs coding for proteins associated with mammalian pathogenicity, possibly involved in the occasional but often fatal cases of human C. violaceum infection. There is, in addition, a series of previously unknown but important enzymes and secondary metabolites including paraquat-inducible proteins, drug and heavy-metal-resistance proteins, multiple chitinases, and proteins for the detoxification of xenobiotics that may have biotechnological applications.T he genomes of soil-and water-borne free-living bacteria have received relatively little attention thus far in comparison to pathogenic and extremophilic organisms, yet they provide fundamental insights into environmental adaptation strategies and represent a rich source of genes with biotechnological potential and medical utility. A particularly interesting organism of this kind is Chromobacterium violaceum, a Gram-negative ␤-proteobacterium first described at the end of the 19th century (1), which dominates a variety of ecosystems in tropical and subtropical regions. This bacterium has been found to be highly abundant in the water and borders of the Negro river, a major component of the Brazilian Amazon (2) and as a result has been studied in Brazil over the last three decades. These, in general, have focused on the most notable product of the bacterium, the violacein pigment, which has already been introduced as a therapeutic compound for dermatological purposes (3). Violacein also exhibits antimicrobial activity against the important tropical pathogens Mycobacterium tuberculosis (4), Trypanosoma cruzi (5), and Leishmania sp. (6) and is reported to have other bactericidal (2, 7-10), antiviral (11), and anticancer (12, 13) activities.Some other aspects of the biotechnological potential of C. violaceum have also begun to be explored, including the synthesis of poly(3-hydroxyvaleric acid) homopolyester and other shortchain polyhydroxyalkanoates, which might represent alternatives to plastics derived from petrochemicals (14, 15), the hydrolysis of plastic films (16), and the solubilization of gold through a mercury-free process, thereby avoiding environmental contamination (17, 18). These studies, however, have been based on knowledge of only a tiny fraction of the genetic constitution of the organism. In addition, the more basic issues of the mechanisms and strategies underlying the adaptability of C. violaceum, including its observed but infrequent infection of h...

This research comprises two studies based on Self Determination Theory. In Study 1, we translate and examine the factor structure of the Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction and Frustration Scale (BPNSFS; Chen, Vansteenkiste et al., 2015) in a sample of Portuguese undergraduate students. Further, in Study 2 we used an independent longitudinal sample of 12th grade students to inspect whether the six subscales differently predict adjustment over time. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that a six-factor solution best fitted the BPNSFS data. Subsequent structural equation modelling indicated that the dimensions of need satisfaction and need frustration predicted unique variance in participants’ well-being and ill-being over time, even after controlling for reciprocal and baseline effects. Taken together the findings support the 6-factor multidimensional structure of the BPNSFS and provide extensive support for the distinction between the satisfaction and frustration dimensions of needs, suggesting that they should be measured and interpreted as relatively distinct motivational constructs.

No abstract