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The hypothesis that impoverished language experience affects complex sentence structure development around the end of early childhood was tested using a fully randomized, sentence-to-picture matching study in American Sign Language (ASL). The participants were ASL signers who had impoverished or typical access to language in early childhood. Deaf signers whose access to language was highly impoverished in early childhood (N = 11) primarily comprehended structures consisting of a single verb and argument (Subject or Object), agreeing verbs, and the spatial relation or path of semantic classifiers. They showed difficulty comprehending more complex sentence structures involving dual lexical arguments or multiple verbs. As predicted, participants with typical language access in early childhood, deaf native signers (N = 17) or hearing second-language learners (N = 10), comprehended the range of 12 ASL sentence structures, independent of the subjective iconicity or frequency of the stimulus lexical items, or length of ASL experience and performance on non-verbal cognitive tasks. The results show that language experience in early childhood is necessary for the development of complex syntax.

The relationships between word frequency and various perceptual features have been used to study the cognitive processes involved in word production and recognition, as well as patterns in language use over time. However, little work has been done comparing spoken and written frequencies against each other, which leaves open the question of whether there are modality-specific relationships between perceptual features and frequency. Words have different frequencies in speech and written texts, with some words occurring disproportionately more often in one modality than the other. In the present study, we investigated whether perceptual features predict this frequency asymmetry across modalities. Our results suggest that perceptual features such as length, neighborhood density, and positional probability differentially affect speech and writing, which reveals different online processing constraints and considerations for communicative efficiency across the two modalities. These modality-specific effects exist above and beyond formality differences. This work provides arguments against theories that assume that words differing in frequency are perceptually equivalent, as well as models that predict little to no influence of perceptual features on top-down processes of word selection.

Period-doubled phonation, henceforth, period doubling, characterized by voicing periods that alternate in amplitudes and/or frequencies, is often perceived rough and with an indeterminate pitch. Lower pitch percept has been suggested by past studies when the degree of amplitude or frequency modulation increases. However, how listeners use period doubling when identifying linguistic tones remains unclear. The current study uses tasks of categorization with training, followed by imitation of tones manipulated with period doubling (with amplitude and frequency modulation, both separately and jointly) in a novel language. Native Mandarin and English speakers with different levels of music experience were tested. I show that period doubling leads to a low-tone bias in perception and imitation, especially as the modulation degree, particularly that of frequency, increases. Interestingly, interactions with stimulus f0 and modulation type show that in amplitude-modulated tokens, when compared to lower f0 (200 Hz), higher f0 (300 Hz) drives more low-tone responses. Period doubling is also imitated with lowered f0 and creaky quality. Language and music experience does not affect perceptual and imitative responses, suggesting that the perception of period doubling is not language-specific or conditioned by tonal knowledge. Period doubling likely signals low tones, even when the original f0 is high. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zero-dimensional tin-based halide perovskites have garnered considerable interest owing to their remarkable optical properties, including broad-band emission, high photoluminescence (PL) efficiency, and low self-absorption. Nevertheless, enhancing the PL efficiency and stability of these materials remains a pressing challenge. In this study, the enhancement of PL and stability in Cs4SnBr6 zero-dimensional perovskite was investigated through Ce3+ doping. Our experimental results demonstrate that the incorporation of Ce3+ can significantly boost the light emission intensity from self-trapped excitons (STEs) in Cs4SnBr6, achieving over a 150% increase compared to the undoped sample, with a PL quantum yield of approximately 64.7%. Moreover, the thermal stability of the corresponding doped sample is markedly enhanced. Through comprehensive analyses, including X-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, time-resolved PL, and temperature-dependent PL measurements, we elucidate that the enhanced light emission is attributed to the distortion of the [SnBr6]4− octahedral structure induced by Ce3+ doping, which strengthens electron–phonon coupling and elevates the binding energy of STEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Significance: Gasotransmitters, including nitric oxide (NO), hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and sulfur dioxide (SO2), participate in various cellular processes via corresponding oxidative posttranslational modifications (oxiPTMs) of specific cysteines. Recent Advances: Accumulating evidence has clarified the mechanisms underlying the formation of oxiPTMs derived from gasotransmitters and their biological functions in multiple signal pathways. Because of the specific existence and functional importance, determining the sites of oxiPTMs in cysteine is crucial in biology. Recent advances in the development of selective probes, together with upgraded mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics, have enabled the quantitative analysis of cysteinome. To date, several cysteine residues have been identified as gasotransmitter targets. Critical Issues: To clearly understand the underlying mechanisms for gasotransmitter-mediated biological processes, it is important to identify modified targets. In this review, we summarize the chemical formation and biological effects of gasotransmitter-dependent oxiPTMs and highlight the state-of-the-art detection methods. Future Directions: Future studies in this field should aim to develop the next generation of probes for in situ labeling to improve spatial resolution and determine the dynamic change of oxiPTMs, which can lay the foundation for research on the molecular mechanisms and clinical translation of gasotransmitters. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 40, 145–167. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zero-dimensional (0D) tin halide perovskites, characterized by their broadband and adjustable emissions, high photoluminescence quantum yield, and absence of self-absorption, are crucial for the fabrication of high-efficiency optoelectronic devices, such as LEDs, solar cells, and sensors. Despite these attributes, boosting their emission efficiency and stability poses a significant challenge. In this work, Cr3+-doped Cs4SnBr6−xFx perovskites were synthesized using a water-assisted wet ball-milling method. The effect of CrF3 addition on photoluminescence properties of Cs4SnBr6−xFx Perovskites was investigated. We found that Cr3+-doped Cs4SnBr6−xFx Perovskites exhibit a broad emission band, a substantial Stokes shift, and an efficient green light emission centered at about 525 nm at ambient temperature. The derived photoluminescence quantum yield amounted to as high as 56.3%. In addition, these Cr3+-doped Cs4SnBr6−xFx perovskites outperform their undoped counterparts in terms of thermal stability. Through a comprehensive analysis of photoluminescence measurements, our findings suggested that the elevated photoluminescence quantum yield can be attributed to the enhanced exciton binding energy of self-trapped excitons (STEs) and the suitable electron−phonon coupling resulting from the substantial distortion of [SnBr6]4− octahedra instigated by the addition of CrF3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]