Predicting L2 fluency from L1 fluency behaviour: the case of L1 Turkish and L2 English speakers

The article reports on the findings of a study investigating the relationship between first language (L1) and second language (L2) fluency behaviour. Drawing on data collected from Turkish learners of English, the study also addresses the question of whether proficiency level mediates the relationship, if any. The data were coded for a range of breakdown, repair, speed and composite measures. Language proficiency was measured by means of two tests: Oxford Placement Test and an Elicited Imitation Task. The results show that some breakdown and repair measures were positively correlated in L1 and L2, but no correlations were observed for articulation rate and speech rate. The relationships were not mediated by proficiency level. Regression analyses show that a number of models predicted L2 fluency. L1 fluency contributed significantly to models predicting pausing behaviour; EIT scores predicted L2 speech rate; and L1 fluency and OPT scores predicted L2 reformulation and end-clause pauses. The important implications of the findings for fluency research and second language pedagogy are discussed

Cellular Therapy as Promising Choice of Treatment for COVID-19

In the pandemic of COVID-19, while living normals have been changing, there have been a huge effort globally to find out effective and safe treatment agents and vaccines. As of now, the advances show the progress in vaccine development, however the treatment of the COVID-19 is yet not fully specified. The drugs, i.e. antibiotics, antivirals, antimalarians, even anti-HIV agents which have been known already were taken out of the shelves and brought into use in different combinations. On the other hand, the cellular treatment, more specifically the mesenchymal stem cell therapy has been encouraged, resulting in various evidence published all over the world. This chapter aims to compile the published information, in means of methods, disease manifestations, results and limitations, about the stem cell treatment of the COVID-19 and to provide a source of harmonized reference for scientific society

Niche differentiation is spatially and temporally regulated in the rhizosphere.

The rhizosphere is a hotspot for microbial carbon transformations, and is the entry point for root polysaccharides and polymeric carbohydrates that are important precursors to soil organic matter (SOM). However, the ecological mechanisms that underpin rhizosphere carbohydrate depolymerization are poorly understood. Using Avena fatua, a common annual grass, we analyzed time-resolved metatranscriptomes to compare microbial functions in rhizosphere, detritusphere, and combined rhizosphere-detritusphere habitats. Transcripts were binned using a unique reference database generated from soil isolate genomes, single-cell amplified genomes, metagenomes, and stable isotope probing metagenomes. While soil habitat significantly affected both community composition and overall gene expression, the succession of microbial functions occurred at a faster time scale than compositional changes. Using hierarchical clustering of upregulated decomposition genes, we identified four distinct microbial guilds populated by taxa whose functional succession patterns suggest specialization for substrates provided by fresh growing roots, decaying root detritus, the combination of live and decaying root biomass, or aging root material. Carbohydrate depolymerization genes were consistently upregulated in the rhizosphere, and both taxonomic and functional diversity were highest in the combined rhizosphere-detritusphere, suggesting coexistence of rhizosphere guilds is facilitated by niche differentiation. Metatranscriptome-defined guilds provide a framework to model rhizosphere succession and its consequences for soil carbon cycling

Layered double hydroxide-based nanocomposite scaffolds in tissue engineering applications

Layered double hydroxides (LDHs), when incorporated into biomaterials, provide a tunable composition, controllable particle size, anion exchange capacity, pH-sensitive solubility, high-drug loading efficiency, efficient gene and drug delivery, controlled release and effective intracellular uptake, natural biodegradability in an acidic medium, and negligible toxicity. In this review, we study potential applications of LDH-based nanocomposite scaffolds for tissue engineering. We address how LDHs provide new solutions for nanostructure stability and enhance in vivo studies\u27 success

A novel D-xylose isomerase from the gut of the wood feeding beetle Odontotaenius disjunctus efficiently expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Carbohydrate rich substrates such as lignocellulosic hydrolysates remain one of the primary sources of potentially renewable fuel and bulk chemicals. The pentose sugar D-xylose is often present in significant amounts along with hexoses. Saccharomyces cerevisiae can acquire the ability to metabolize D-xylose through expression of heterologous D-xylose isomerase (XI). This enzyme is notoriously difficult to express in S. cerevisiae and only fourteen XIs have been reported to be active so far. We cloned a new D-xylose isomerase derived from microorganisms in the gut of the wood-feeding beetle Odontotaenius disjunctus. Although somewhat homologous to the XI from Piromyces sp. E2, the new gene was identified as bacterial in origin and the host as a Parabacteroides sp. Expression of the new XI in S. cerevisiae resulted in faster aerobic growth than the XI from Piromyces on D-xylose media. The D-xylose isomerization rate conferred by the new XI was also 72% higher, while absolute xylitol production was identical in both strains. Interestingly, increasing concentrations of xylitol (up to 8 g L-1) appeared not to inhibit D-xylose consumption. The newly described XI displayed 2.6 times higher specific activity, 37% lower KM for D-xylose, and exhibited higher activity over a broader temperature range, retaining 51% of maximal activity at 30 °C compared with only 29% activity for the Piromyces XI.This work was supported by the project FatVal PTDC/EAM-AMB/32506/2017 (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-032506), co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), through the Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalization (COMPETE 2020), under Portugal 2020, and by the Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia-FCT I.P through national funds. CBMA was supported by the "Contrato-Programa" UIDB/04050/2020 funded by national funds through the FCT I.P. PCS is recipient of a FCT PhD fellowship (SFRH/BD/140039/2018), and was supported by a Fulbright Scholarship Portugal grant from January to May 2020 at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA. BJ was awarded a Fulbright grant from The Swedish Fulbright Commission for Visiting Lecturers and Research Scholars between September 2014 and January 2015 visiting Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA. This work was supported in part by the United States Department of Energy's Genomic Science Program (grant SCW1039). Part of this work was performed at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory under US Department of Energy contract number DE-AC02-05CH11231. DNA sequencing was performed at the Vincent J. Coates Genomics Sequencing Laboratory at the University of California Berkeley, supported by NIH S10 Instrumentation grants S10RR029668 and S10RR027303

Networking Activities and Growth of Newly Founded Firms under Incubation

The network approach to entrepreneurship has become a notable theoretical perspective within the literature. Networking activities enable gaining resources for new ventures in growth process while allowing growing firms to maintain their flexibilities. In this study, we investigate the effects of intra-incubator networking activities on new firm growth performance in business incubators. Based on a survey of newly founded firms located in three major incubation centers located in Adana, Tarsus and Samsun cities in Turkey, we empirical test the network success hypothesis. Differences between growing and non-growing firms have been analyzed by using essential network characteristics. Empirical research investigating the effect of networking on incubated new firm performance is rare. Among them, to our knowledge, we, first time, employ essential network characteristics approach in performance analysis among incubated firms. The results have shown that incubated firms have similar intra-incubator networking intensity whether it is a growing or non-growing over time

Networking Activities and Growth of Newly Founded Firms under Incubation

The network approach to entrepreneurship has become a notable theoretical perspective within the literature. Networking activities enable gaining resources for new ventures in growth process while allowing growing firms to maintain their flexibilities. In this study, we investigate the effects of intra-incubator networking activities on new firm growth performance in business incubators. Based on a survey of newly founded firms located in three major incubation centers located in Adana, Tarsus and Samsun cities in Turkey, we empirical test the network success hypothesis. Differences between growing and non-growing firms have been analyzed by using essential network characteristics. Empirical research investigating the effect of networking on incubated new firm performance is rare. Among them, to our knowledge, we, first time, employ essential network characteristics approach in performance analysis among incubated firms. The results have shown that incubated firms have similar intra-incubator networking intensity whether it is a growing or non-growing over time

The predictive value of the Pleth Variability Index on fluid responsiveness in spontaneously breathing anaesthetized children—A prospective observational study

Background: In children, the preoperative hydration status is an important part of the overall clinical assessment. The assumed preoperative fluid deficit is often routinely replaced during induction without knowing the child's actual fluid status. Aim: We investigated the predictive value of the Pleth Variability Index as a measure of fluid responsiveness in spontaneously breathing anesthetized children. Methods: Pleth Variability Index, stroke volume and Cardiac Index, measured by electrovelocimetry, mean blood pressure, and heart rate were recorded during anesthesia induction in 50 pediatric patients 15% (Positive predictive value 2.71 (95% CI: 1.4 to 5.2)). Only in fluid responders, the Pleth Variability Index decreased during passive leg raising, while stroke volume increased. Conclusions: The Pleth Variability Index may be of additional value to predict fluid responsiveness in spontaneously breathing anesthetized children. A significant overlap in baseline Pleth Variability Index values between fluid responsive and nonfluid responsive patients does not allow a reliable recommendation as to a cut off value

A novel D-xylose isomerase from the gut of the wood feeding patent-leather beetle Odontotaenius disjunctus

D-Xylose Isomerase (XI) is a key enzyme for the metabolism of D-xylose in renewable carbohydrate rich feedstocks such as lignocellulosic hydrolysates. The widely used industrial organism baker’s yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae can metabolize xylose upon heterologous expression of this enzyme. This enzyme is notoriously difficult to express in S. cerevisiae and only about ten active genes are known from prokaryotic and eukaryotic sources. We cloned a new XI from microorganisms in the gut of the wood feeding beetle Odontotaenius disjunctus. The new enzyme was functionally screened from a pool of enzymes with potential XI activity based on its sequence similarity to XI from Piromyces sp. strain E2. Interestingly, the newly identified enzyme and XI from Piromyces shared the highest sequence identity among the assayed enzymes. Cells carrying the new XI grew in media with D-xylose as the sole carbon source at a superior rate to that of XI from Piromyces, yet at a considerably inferior rate to that of the alternative xylose reductase–xylitol dehydrogenase pathway. Furthermore, optimal conditions of temperature and pH, kinetic parameters, and inhibition kinetics by xylitol were determined for the new enzyme. The physiological characterization of D-xylose fermenting S. cerevisiae expressing the new XI will be further discusse

A novel D-xylose isomerase: from the gut of a wood feeding beetle for improved conversion in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Carbohydrate rich substrates such as lignocellulosic hydrolysates remain one of the primary sources of potentially renewable fuel and bulk chemicals. The pentose sugar D-xylose is often present in significant amounts along with hexoses. For low value/high volume products, yield is of paramount importance for process economy. Saccharomyces cerevisiae can acquire the ability to metabolize D-xylose through expression of heterologous D-xylose isomerase (XI). This enzyme is notoriously difficult to express in S. cerevisiae and only fourteen genes have been reported to be active so far. We cloned a new D-xylose isomerase derived from microorganisms in the gut of the wood-feeding beetle Odontotaenius disjunctus. Although somewhat homologous to the current gold-standard from Piromyces sp. E2, metagenome scaffold gene neighborhoods and metagenome binning identified the gene as of bacterial in origin and the host as a Parabacteroides sp. Expression of the new XI enzyme in S. cerevisiae resulted in faster aerobic growth on D-xylose than the XI from Piromyces. The D-xylose isomerization rate of the yeast expressing this new XI was also 72 % higher. Interestingly, increasing concentrations of xylitol (up to 8 g/L) appeared not to inhibit xylose consumption in both strains. The newly described XI displayed 2.6 times higher specific activity, 37 % higher affinity for D-xylose, and exhibited higher activity over a broader temperature range, retaining 51 % of maximal activity at 30 ºC compared with only 29% activity for the Piromyces XI. This new enzyme represents a highly valuable addition to the S. cerevisiae molecular toolbox and shows promise for improved industrial conversion of carbohydrates.FatVal PTDC/EAM-AMB/32506/2017. “Contrato-Programa” UIDB/04050/2020. PhD fellowship SFRH/BD/140039/201