Heritage language development and processing:Noncanonical word orders in Mandarin-English child heritage speakers

Previous research suggests that child HSs’ performance in offline linguistic tasks is typically worse than their age-matched monolingual peers and is modulated by linguistic and child-level factors. This study examined the comprehension and production of three Mandarin non-canonical structures in 5- to 9-year-old Mandarin–English heritage children and Mandarin-speaking monolingual children, including an online processing task. Results showed that heritage children had different performance in production and offline comprehension across structures compared to monolinguals. In online processing, they showed sensitivity to different cues similarly to monolinguals but took longer to revise initial misinterpretations. Within heritage children, we found that presence of morphosyntactic cues facilitated performance across tasks while cross-linguistic influence was only identified in production and offline comprehension but not in online processing. Additionally, input quantity predicted their production and offline comprehension accuracy of non-canonical structures, whereas age modulated their production. Lastly, online processing was not modulated by age nor input

Degree of multilingual engagement modulates resting state oscillatory activity across the lifespan

Multilingualism has been demonstrated to lead to a more favorable trajectory of neurocognitive aging, yet our understanding of its effect on neurocognition across the lifespan remains limited. We collected resting state EEG recordings from a sample of multilingual individuals across a wide age range. Additionally, we obtained data on participant multilingual language use patterns alongside other known lifestyle enrichment factors. Language experience was operationalized via a modified multilingual diversity (MLD) score. Generalized additive modeling was employed to examine the effects and interactions of age and MLD on resting state oscillatory power and coherence. The data suggest an independent modulatory effect of individualized multilingual engagement on age-related differences in whole brain resting state power across alpha and theta bands, and an interaction between age and MLD on resting state coherence in alpha, theta, and low beta. These results provide evidence of multilingual engagement as an independent correlational factor related to differences in resting state EEG power, consistent with the claim that multilingualism can serve as a protective factor in neurocognitive aging

Genome-wide characterization of copy number variations in the host genome in genetic resistance to Marek’s disease using next generation sequencing

Marek’s disease (MD) is a highly neoplastic disease primarily affecting chickens, and remains as a chronic infectious disease that threatens the poultry industry. Copy number variation (CNV) has been examined in many species and is recognized as a major source of genetic variation that directly contributes to phenotypic variation such as resistance to infectious diseases. Two highly inbred chicken lines, 63 (MD-resistant) and 72 (MD-susceptible), as well as their F1 generation and six recombinant congenic strains (RCSs) with varied susceptibility to MD, are considered as ideal models to identify the complex mechanisms of genetic and molecular resistance to MD. In the present study, to unravel the potential genetic mechanisms underlying resistance to MD, we performed a genome-wide CNV detection using next generation sequencing on the inbred chicken lines with the assistance of CNVnator. As a result, a total of 1649 CNV regions (CNVRs) were successfully identified after merging all the nine datasets, of which 90 CNVRs were overlapped across all the chicken lines. Within these shared regions, 1360 harbored genes were identified. In addition, 55 and 44 CNVRs with 62 and 57 harbored genes were specifically identified in line 63 and 72, respectively. Bioinformatics analysis showed that the nearby genes were significantly enriched in 36 GO terms and 6 KEGG pathways including JAK/STAT signaling pathway. Ten CNVRs (nine deletions and one duplication) involved in 10 disease-related genes were selected for validation by using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR), all of which were successfully confirmed. Finally, qPCR was also used to validate two deletion events in line 72 that were definitely normal in line 63. One high-confidence gene, IRF2 was identified as the most promising candidate gene underlying resistance and susceptibility to MD in view of its function and overlaps with data from previous study. Our findings provide valuable insights for understanding the genetic mechanism of resistance to MD and the identified gene and pathway could be considered as the subject of further functional characterization.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12863-020-00884-

Monolingual comparative normativity in bilingualism research is out of “control”: Arguments and alternatives

Accepted manuscript, to appeared in Applied Psycholinguistics: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/applied-psycholinguistics.Herein, we contextualize, problematize and offer some insights for moving beyond the problem of monolingual comparative normativity in (psycho)linguistic research on bilingualism. We argue that, in the vast majority of cases, juxtaposing (functional) monolinguals to bilinguals fails to offer what the comparison is supposedly intended to do: meet the standards of empirical control in line with the scientific method. Instead, the default nature of monolingual comparative normativity has historically contributed to inequalities in many facets of bilingualism research and continues to impede progress on multiple levels. Beyond framing our views on the matter, we offer some epistemological considerations and methodological alternatives to this standard practice that improve empirical rigor while fostering increased diversity, inclusivity and equity in our field

Monolingual comparative normativity in bilingualism research is out of “control”: Arguments and alternatives

Herein, we contextualize, problematize, and offer some insights for moving beyond the problem of monolingual comparative normativity in (psycho) linguistic research on bilingualism. We argue that, in the vast majority of cases, juxtaposing (functional) monolinguals to bilinguals fails to offer what the comparison is supposedly intended to do: meet the standards of empirical control in line with the scientific method. Instead, the default nature of monolingual comparative normativity has historically contributed to inequalities in many facets of bilingualism research and continues to impede progress on multiple levels. Beyond framing our views on the matter, we offer some epistemological considerations and methodological alternatives to this standard practice that improve empirical rigor while fostering increased diversity, inclusivity, and equity in our field

Monolingual comparative normativity in bilingualism research is out of “control”: Arguments and alternatives

Herein, we contextualize, problematize, and offer some insights for moving beyond the problem of monolingual comparative normativity in (psycho) linguistic research on bilingualism. We argue that, in the vast majority of cases, juxtaposing (functional) monolinguals to bilinguals fails to offer what the comparison is supposedly intended to do: meet the standards of empirical control in line with the scientific method. Instead, the default nature of monolingual comparative normativity has historically contributed to inequalities in many facets of bilingualism research and continues to impede progress on multiple levels. Beyond framing our views on the matter, we offer some epistemological considerations and methodological alternatives to this standard practice that improve empirical rigor while fostering increased diversity, inclusivity, and equity in our field.publishedVersio

The development and processing of non-canonical word orders in Mandarin-speaking children

BACKGROUND: Cross-linguistically, syntactic structures bearing a word order different than the basic (canonical) word order in the specific language, i.e., non-canonical structures, have been shown to be more difficult than the canonical word order in the language, for children to acquire. This includes monolingual typically developing children (TD children), monolingual children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD children), heritage children whose first language is the societal minority language, among others. Furthermore, research suggests that unlike in TD children who reach adult-level mastery of these structures with the increase of age, the development of these structures in DLD children and heritage children is not guaranteed given age. However, the underlying causes for the difficulties children, especially DLD children and heritage children, have with non-canonical structures remain to be understood. AIM: This study investigated how Mandarin-speaking TD children, DLD children and Mandarin-English heritage children produce and comprehend (online and offline) Mandarin non-canonical structures. Specifically, the study aimed to understand the role of linguistic factors, e.g., word order and the presence or absence of morphosyntactic cue, in children’s production and comprehension of non-canonical structures. Furthermore, we also aimed to examine how child-level factors, i.e., chronological age, and input quantity (for heritage children), and their interplay, if any, modulated their non-canonical structures’ development. METHODS: We adopted a comprehension-to-production priming task to examine the production and a self-paced listening task with picture verification to test participants’ online and offline comprehension of non-canonical structures. To shed light on the role of linguistic factors, we targeted three Mandarin non-canonical structures with differing word order and/or the presence or absence of morphosyntactic cue, i.e., BA-, BEI-, and OSV-constructions. A total of 132 participants took part in the study. Among these participants, 38 were monolingual adults, and the rest 136 participants were 5-to-9-year-old children (40 TD children, 22 DLD children, and 32 heritage children). RESULTS: An interaction between group and structure types was found that typically-developing groups, i.e., adults, TD children and heritage children, had more difficulties with OSV-constructions than with BEI-constructions in production and comprehension (offline). Furthermore, heritage children had better performance in BA-constructions across tasks. For child-level factors, online comprehension was not modulated by chronological age across child groups, whereas it predicted TD children’s production and offline comprehension but not DLD children and heritage children. Other group-wise differences were summarised as follows: (1) Production: TD children were adult-like. DLD children were more likely to produce BA-constructions, while heritage children were more likely to produce SVO-constructions when their TD peers preferred BEI- and OSV-constructions. (2) Online comprehension: TD children were again adult-like, i.e., they made use of different cues immediately when these cues were available in the linguistic input. However, although DLD children had knowledge of these cues, they had difficulties using more than one cue at a time and relied on the most valid cue in the specific structure. As for heritage children, they used different cues immediately when they were available just like TD children, but they took a longer time reanalysing their initial misinterpretations. (3) Offline comprehension: although TD children were more likely to misinterpret non-canonical structures compared to adults, they outperformed their age-matched DLD children and heritage children. CONCLUSION: The results suggested that TD children were qualitatively similar to adults in their production and comprehension of non-canonical structures from the age of five onwards. Compared with age-matched TD children, DLD children and heritage children had significantly more difficulties with non-canonical structures. Importantly, the current thesis highlighted the role of the presence or absence of morphosyntactic cues. Additionally, heritage children’s performance showed signs of cross-linguistic influence from the societal dominant language to the heritage language, which further interacted with word order. As for child-level factors, the development of non-canonical structures was modulated by chronological age only for the TD children, whereas language therapy status and input quantity were more important in modulating DLD children and heritage children’s acquisition of non-canonical structures respectively

A-site phase segregation in mixed cation perovskite

Mixed cation strategy greatly benefits the enhancement of device performance and chemical stability. However, adverse impact also accompanies the mixed cation system simultaneously. It brings the compositional instability, wherein the homogeneous film is likely to segregate into multi-phases during the fabrication and ageing process, thus resulting in the efficiency reduction of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) devices. This review focuses on the cation induced phase segregation, and elucidates the segregation mechanisms from the perspectives of film formation and ageing process, respectively. Furthermore, the influence of cation segregation on device performance and operational stability are discussed. And based on these understandings, viable strategies are proposed for the design of phase-stable mixed composition halide perovskites and for suppressing segregation to benefit its development towards commercial applications

Synthesis of a waterproof geopolymer adhesive applied in DUV LEDs packaging

This paper presents the synthesis of a waterproof geopolymer based on the modification of silicon phosphate (Si3(PO4)4) that adheres to alumina and quartz glass substrate, which can replace traditional organic polymers for packaging deep-ultraviolet light-emitting diodes. The waterproof property of geopolymer strongly depends on the Si3(PO4)4 loading amount due to its hydrolysate H+ substitutes Na+, which is vulnerable to water. FESEM and microhardness results show that aging by 85°C/85% relative humidity for 100 h, the optimal waterproof geopolymer adhesive is successfully synthesized when the mass ratio of metakaolin, water glass, and Si3(PO4)4 is equal to 0.48: 1: 0.08 respectively, and the corresponding adhesion strength of 6.41 MPa to alumina substrate is achieved after the reliability testing. The rheological properties show that the optimal waterproof geopolymer adhesive, with shear thinning behavior and good thixotropy, is suitable for processing while holding the original shape