Früher Zweitspracherwerb: zur Rolle des extrafamilialen und familialen Kontextes

Nationale und internationale Studien weisen darauf hin, dass bilinguale Kinder über tiefere Kenntnisse in der Bildungssprache verfügen. Da Sprachkompetenzen den weiteren schulischen und beruflichen Erfolg maßgeblich beeinflussen, ist es wichtig, die Bedingungen zu ergründen, die den erfolgreichen Spracherwerb begünstigen. Diese kumulative Dissertation beschäftigt sich mit den sozialen Kontextbedingungen des frühen Zweitspracherwerbs. Anhand von vier Studien wird dargelegt, dass sowohl dem extrafamilialen wie dem familialen Kontext eine wichtige Bedeutung bei der Erklärung individueller Unterschiede im frühen Zweitspracherwerb zukommt. In Bezug auf den extrafamilialen Kontext zeigte sich, dass der Besuch früher Bildungseinrichtungen den frühen Zweitspracherwerb vorauszusagen vermochten. Der Besuch früher Bildungseinrichtungen war insbesondere für bilinguale Kinder aus statusniedrigen Einwanderergruppen von Bedeutung. Des Weiteren waren die Kontakte zu lokalsprachigen Personen außerhalb früher Bildungseinrichtungen mit den Zweitsprachkenntnissen positiv assoziiert. In Bezug auf den familialen Kontext zeigten die Befunde, dass Kinder mit vielen Geschwistern sowie einem höheren Geburtsrang durchschnittlich tiefere Zweitsprachkenntnisse aufweisen. Der elterliche Sprachengebrauch hatte hingegen auch bei guten elterlichen Kenntnissen in der Umgebungssprache keinen Einfluss auf die Zweitsprachkenntnisse oder den Zweitspracherwerb. Zudem wirkte die elterliche Akkulturationsorientierung indirekt auf die Zweitsprachkenntnisse der Kinder – vermittelt über den Besuch früher Bildungseinrichtungen und über die elterlichen Kenntnisse in der Umgebungssprache. Die elterlichen Kenntnisse in der Umgebungssprache waren insbesondere für Kinder aus statushohen Einwanderergruppen von Bedeutung. Die Befunde werden im Hinblick auf ihre Bedeutung für die Praxis und die weiterführende Forschung diskutiert

Inter-Node Distance Estimation from Multipath Delay Differences of Channels to Observer Nodes

We study the estimation of distance d between two wireless nodes by means of their wideband channels to a third node, called observer. The motivating principle is that the channel impulse responses are similar for small d and drift apart when d increases. Following this idea we propose specific distance estimators based on the differences of path delays of the extractable multipath components. In particular, we derive such estimators for rich multipath environments and various important cases: with and without clock synchronization as well as errors on the extracted path delays (e.g. due to limited bandwidth). The estimators readily support (and benefit from) the presence of multiple observers. We present an error analysis and, using ray tracing in an exemplary indoor environment, show that the estimators perform well in realistic conditions. We describe possible localization applications of the proposed scheme and highlight its major advantages: it requires neither precise synchronization nor line-of-sight connection. This could make wireless user tracking feasible in dynamic indoor settings.Comment: To appear at IEEE ICC 2019. This work has been submitted to the IEEE for possible publication. Copyright may be transferred without notice, after which this version may no longer be accessibl

The senescence associated gene HvS40 of barley

In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurde das seneszenzassoziierte Gen HvS40 der Gerste als dual kodierendes Gen charakterisiert. Damit wurde ein solches Gen erstmals in Pflanzen beschrieben. Der alternative S40+1-Leserahmen, der den kanonischen Leserahmen im 5'-Bereich überragt, konnte auch in anderen monokotylen, jedoch nicht in dikotylen Arten gefunden werden. Das S40-Protein, das durch den kanonischen Leserahmen S40+3 kodiert wird, kann der pflanzenspezifischen Proteinfamilie DUF584 zugeordnet werden. Diese kommt sowohl in monokotylen als auch in dikotylen Pflanzen vor. Der in dieser Arbeit generierte Stammbaum zeigt, dass die DUF584-Proteine monokotyler Arten in sieben Gruppen eingeteilt werden können. Dabei bilden die Proteine, die einen alternativen Leserahmen in ihrer kodierenden Sequenz aufweisen, eine eigene phylogenetische Untergruppe. Versuche zur subzellulären Lokalisation mit PEND- und GFP-Fusionsproteinen zeigten, dass die Alt-S40-Proteine von Gerste und Weizen mit dem PEND-Protein von Arabidopsis in Plastiden und Zellkern derselben Zelle ko-loklisiert waren. Die S40-Proteine zeigten in transient transformierten Zwiebelepidermiszellen hingegen eine ausschließliche Lokalisation im Zellkern. Es konnte gezeigt werden, dass der Transport von Alt-HvS40:GFP in die Plastiden abhängig vom Entwicklungszustand der Zelle ist: In Gerstenprotoplasten aus jungem Gewebe war Alt-HvS40:GFP im Cytoplasma und im Zellkern detektierbar, in Protoplasten aus seneszierendem Gewebe hingegen in den Plastiden und im Zellkern derselben Zelle lokalisiert. Untersuchungen an Gerstentransformanten mit verändertem S40-Transkriptgehalt zeigten, dass beide Proteine eine regulatorische Funktion während des Seneszenzprozesses ausüben. Dabei agiert das HvS40-Protein als negativer Regulator der Seneszenz, während das alternative S40-Protein den Seneszenzprozess fördert. Es ist wahrscheinlich, dass beide Proteine eine regulatorische Funktion als DNA-Bindeproteine ausüben.In this study the senescence associated gene HvS40 of barley was identified as dual coding gene thereby being the first dual coding gene described in plants. The alternative reading frame S40+1 which overlaps the canonical reading frame S40+3 in 5' direction can also be found in other monocotyledonous but not in dicotyledonous plants like Arabidopsis. The S40 protein of barley encoded by the canonical reading frame S40+3 belongs to the plant specific DUF584-protein family which is present in monocotyledons as well as in dicotyledons. A phylogenetic tree was created using the protein sequences of the monocotyledonous DUF584-proteins. Within this phylogenetic tree the DUF584-protein showing an alternative reading frame in the coding sequence constitute an own subgroup. Co-localization experiments with transiently transformed onion epidermis cells confirmed the subcellular localization of Alt-HvS40:GFP and Alt-TdS40:GFP in plastids and the nucleus of the same cell, whereas the S40-proteins of barley and wheat show an exclusive subcellular localization in the nucleus of transiently transformed onion epidermis cells. It was further demonstrated that the subcellular localization of Alt-HvS40:GFP in the chloroplasts is age dependent: In barley protoplasts isolated from young, non-senescent leaves, Alt-HvS40:GFP showed a subcellular localization in the cytoplasma and the nucleus, whereas a subcellular localization in the chloroplasts could only be observed in protoplasts derived from senescent tissue. To gain more insight into the function of the S40 proteins as potential senescence regulators, transgenic barley lines with altered S40 transcript levels were characterized. The S40 protein from barley was shown to be a negative regulator of senescence whereas the Alt-S40 protein might act as a positive regulator of the senescence process. It is likely that both proteins function as DNA binding proteins

Ultrasonographic findings in a cow with vascular hamartoma of the liver: case report

Backgroung: This is the first description of the ultrasonographic findings in a cow with vascular hamartoma of the liver. Case presentation: Ultrasonographic examination of a six-year-old Swiss Braunvieh cow revealed an excessive number of hypoechogenic blood vessels in the liver parenchyma and a thrombus in the right hepatic vein. The activities of the liver enzymes and the concentration of bilirubin were within the reference ranges. At postmortem examination, a poorly delineated, non-encapsulated lesion, measuring approximately 10 cm × 10 cm in diameter, was found in the right liver lobe. The cut surface of the lesion was sponge-like and contained extremely dilated blood vessels, one of which was occluded with a branching red thrombus. A vascular hamartoma of the liver with thrombosis was diagnosed based on the histological findings. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first description of the ultrasonographic findings of vascular hamartoma of the liver in a cow. Hamartoma should be considered part of the differential diagnosis in cows with an abnormally large number of blood vessels in the liver parenchyma. This case report broadens the spectrum of liver diseases and ultrasonographic findings of the liver in cattle

Differential and shared effects of psychological skills training and mindfulness training on performance-relevant psychological factors in sport: a randomized controlled trial

Background: Mental training intends to support athletes in mastering challenges in sport. The aim of our study was to investigate the differential and shared effects of psychological skills training and mindfulness training on psychological variables relevant to athletic performance (e.g., handling emotions or attention control). We assumed that each approach has its own strengths (e.g., mindfulness has a differential effect on the acceptance of emotions), but for some goals (e.g., attention control), both training forms are expected to be equally successful (i.e., shared effects). Methods: A total of 95 athletes (Mage = 24.43, SDage = 5.15; 49% female) were randomly assigned into three groups: psychological skills training intervention (PST), mindfulness training intervention (MT), and wait-list control group (WL). Participants completed a questionnaire battery before and after the training (pretest and posttest). We assessed mindfulness, use of mental strategies, handling of emotions, attention in training and competition, as well as the dealing with failure. The two intervention programs each consisted of four 90-min group workshops conducted over a period of 4 weeks. Results: Both interventions passed the manipulation check, that is, PST led to more mental strategies being used (probabilities > 95%), and MT led to an increase in two of three aspects of mindfulness (probabilities > 98%) when compared to WL. Compared to WL, both interventions equally improved in the ability to not let emotions interfere with performance (probabilities > 99%) and in controlling attention in training and competition (probabilities > 89%). To a lesser extend, both interventions showed shared improvements in dealing with failure indicated by more action orientation (probabilities > 82%). We found a differential effect of MT on decreased experiential avoidance: MT decreased compared to WL and PST (probabilities > 92%), whereas PST did not differ from WL. Conclusion: We conclude that both forms of mental training lead to improvements in performance-relevant psychological factors, especially concerning the handling of emotions and attention control. The results of our study suggest that different paths may lead to the desired outcomes, and accordingly, both forms of mental training seem justified

Bilateral congenital lacrimal fistula in a Brown Swiss bull

A five-year-old Brown Swiss bull was referred to the Department of Farm Animals, University of Zurich, because of bilateral epiphora that was unresponsive to treatment. Clinical examination revealed a fistulous opening medial to the medial canthus of both eyes and mucopurulent discharge from both openings. Attempts to flush the nasolacrimal duct via the lacrimal points resulted in the fluid exiting via the fistulous opening. Retrograde flushing of the nasolacrimal duct from the nasolacrimal opening resulted in the flush fluid flowing back out the nasolacrimal opening. Bilateral lacrimal fistula medial to the medial canthus of the eye was diagnosed based on the findings. The same anomaly was diagnosed a year later in 4 related female animals referred to our Department for other reasons. Three of the cases were sired by the bull described above and one was sired by his half-brother. Therefore, an autosomal recessive mode of inheritance of this anomaly was assumed. Clinical, epidemiological and molecular studies of the offspring of both bulls are underway to further investigate this anomaly

Bilateral congenital lacrimal fistula in a Brown Swiss bull

A five-year-old Brown Swiss bull was referred to the Department of Farm Animals, University of Zurich, because of bilateral epiphora that was unresponsive to treatment. Clinical examination revealed a fistulous opening medial to the medial canthus of both eyes and mucopurulent discharge from both openings. Attempts to flush the nasolacrimal duct via the lacrimal points resulted in the fluid exiting via the fistulous opening. Retrograde flushing of the nasolacrimal duct from the nasolacrimal opening resulted in the flush fluid flowing back out the nasolacrimal opening. Bilateral lacrimal fistula medial to the medial canthus of the eye was diagnosed based on the findings. The same anomaly was diagnosed a year later in 4 related female animals referred to our Department for other reasons. Three of the cases were sired by the bull described above and one was sired by his half-brother. Therefore, an autosomal recessive mode of inheritance of this anomaly was assumed. Clinical, epidemiological and molecular studies of the offspring of both bulls are underway to further investigate this anomaly

An improved assembly and annotation of the allohexaploid wheat genome identifies complete families of agronomic genes and provides genomic evidence for chromosomal translocations

Advances in genome sequencing and assembly technologies are generating many high-quality genome sequences, but assemblies of large, repeat-rich polyploid genomes, such as that of bread wheat, remain fragmented and incomplete. We have generated a new wheat whole-genome shotgun sequence assembly using a combination of optimized data types and an assembly algorithm designed to deal with large and complex genomes. The new assembly represents >78% of the genome with a scaffold N50 of 88.8 kb that has a high fidelity to the input data. Our new annotation combines strand-specific Illumina RNA-seq and Pacific Biosciences (PacBio) full-length cDNAs to identify 104,091 high-confidence protein-coding genes and 10,156 noncoding RNA genes. We confirmed three known and identified one novel genome rearrangements. Our approach enables the rapid and scalable assembly of wheat genomes, the identification of structural variants, and the definition of complete gene models, all powerful resources for trait analysis and breeding of this key global crop

The Stromal Processing Peptidase of Chloroplasts is Essential in Arabidopsis, with Knockout Mutations Causing Embryo Arrest after the 16-Cell Stage

Stromal processing peptidase (SPP) is a metalloendopeptidase located in the stroma of chloroplasts, and it is responsible for the cleavage of transit peptides from preproteins upon their import into the organelle. Two independent mutant Arabidopsis lines with T-DNA insertions in the SPP gene were analysed (spp-1 and spp-2). For both lines, no homozygous mutant plants could be detected, and the segregating progeny of spp heterozygotes contained heterozygous and wild-type plants in a ratio of 2∶1. The siliques of heterozygous spp-1 and spp-2 plants contained many aborted seeds, at a frequency of ∼25%, suggesting embryo lethality. By contrast, transmission of the spp mutations through the male and female gametes was found to be normal, and so gametophytic effects could be ruled out. To further elucidate the timing of the developmental arrest, mutant and wild-type seeds were cleared and analysed by Nomarski microscopy. A significant proportion (∼25%) of the seeds in mutant siliques exhibited delayed embryogenesis compared to those in wild type. Moreover, the mutant embryos never progressed normally beyond the 16-cell stage, with cell divisions not completing properly thereafter. Heterozygous spp mutant plants were phenotypically indistinguishable from the wild type, indicating that the spp knockout mutations are completely recessive and suggesting that one copy of the SPP gene is able to produce sufficient SPP protein for normal development under standard growth conditions

Birth of a Photosynthetic Chassis: A MoClo Toolkit Enabling Synthetic Biology in the Microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

Microalgae are regarded as promising organisms to develop innovative concepts based on their photosynthetic capacity that offers more sustainable production than heterotrophic hosts. However, to realize their potential as green cell factories, a major challenge is to make microalgae easier to engineer. A promising approach for rapid and predictable genetic manipulation is to use standardized synthetic biology tools and workflows. To this end we have developed a Modular Cloning toolkit for the green microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. It is based on Golden Gate cloning with standard syntax, and comprises 119 openly distributed genetic parts, most of which have been functionally validated in several strains. It contains promoters, UTRs, terminators, tags, reporters, antibiotic resistance genes, and introns cloned in various positions to allow maximum modularity. The toolkit enables rapid building of engineered cells for both fundamental research and algal biotechnology. This work will make Chlamydomonas the next chassis for sustainable synthetic biology