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Recent studies evaluating the effectiveness of using telehealth to train caregivers across large geographical distances in the United States and internationally indicate that this modality can increase families' accessibility to evidence-based interventions for problem behavior. In this study, experimenters and interpreters in the United States remotely coached nine caregivers of children with disabilities residing in three countries in Asia to implement functional analyses (FA) and functional communication training (FCT). Five of the nine families were culturally matched to either the experimenter or the interpreter. Problem behavior was reduced to near-zero levels for all but one participant. Furthermore, all caregivers implemented the procedures with high levels of integrity and rated the assessment and treatment as highly acceptable, regardless of cultural matching or use of interpreters. Overall, findings suggest telehealth-based caregiver coaching and caregiver-implemented FA plus FCT is feasible and acceptable in Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sogatella furcifera is one of the most serious insect pests that affect rice in Asia. One class of small RNAs (sRNAs; ~22 nt long) is miRNAs, which participate in various biological processes by regulating the expression of target genes in a spatiotemporal manner. However, the role of miRNAs in nymph‐to‐adult transition in S. furcifera remains unknown. In this study, we sequenced sRNA libraries of S. furcifera prepared from individuals at three different developmental stages (pre‐moult, moulting and early adult). A total of 253 miRNAs (134 known and 119 novel) were identified, of which 12 were differentially expressed during the nymph‐to‐adult developmental transition. Moreover, Real time quantitative PCR (RT‐qPCR) analysis revealed that all 12 miRNAs were differentially expressed among five different nymph tissues and 14 different developmental stages (first to fifth instar nymphs and 1‐day‐old adults). Injection of miR‐2a‐2 mimic/antagomir and miR‐305‐5p‐1 mimic/antagomir into 1‐day‐old fifth instar nymphs significantly increased the mortality rate. In addition, a defective moulting phenotype was observed in nymphs injected with miR‐2a‐2 and miR‐305‐5p‐1, suggesting that these miRNAs are involved in S. furcifera nymph–adult transition. In conclusion, these results reveal the function of critical miRNAs in S. furcifera nymph–adult transition, and also provide novel potential targets of insecticides for the long‐term sustainable management of S. furcifera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In plants, calcineurin B-like proteins (CBL) are a unique set of calcium sensors that decode calcium signals by activating a plant-specific protein kinase family called CBL-interacting protein kinases (CIPKs). The CBL–CIPK family and its interacting complexes regulate plant responses to various environmental stimuli. Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa ssp. pekinensis) is an important vegetable crop in Asia; however, there are no reports on the role of the CBLs–CIPKs' signaling system in response to abiotic stress during cabbage growth. In this study, 18 CBL genes and 47 CIPK genes were identified from the Chinese cabbage genome. Expansion of the gene families was mainly due to tandem repeats and segmental duplication. An analysis of gene expression patterns showed that different duplicate genes exhibited different expression patterns in response to treatment with Mg2+, K+, and low temperature. In addition, differences in the structural domain sequences of NAF/FISL and interaction profiles in yeast two-hybrid assays suggested a functional divergence of the duplicate genes during the long-term evolution of Chinese cabbage, a result further validated by potassium deficiency treatment using trans-BraCIPK23.1/23.2/23.3 Arabidopsis thaliana. Our results provide a basis for studies related to the functional divergence of duplicate genes and in-depth studies of BraCBL–BraCIPK functions in Chinese cabbage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the daily variability of the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) by projecting daily wind anomaly data onto the two major modes of an interannual multivariate Empirical Orthogonal Functions analysis. Mode 1, closely resembling the Pacific–Japan (PJ) pattern and referred to as PJ‐mode, transits from positive to negative phase around mid‐summer consistent with the Meiyu rains predominantly being an early summer phenomenon. Mode 2, which is influenced by the Indian summer monsoon (ISM) and referred to as ISM‐mode, peaks in late July and early August and is associated with rainfall farther north over China. We then analyze the relation between the intraseasonal variation of the EASM and the Madden–Julian Oscillation (MJO) by analyzing circulation anomalies following MJO events. In the lower troposphere, the circulation anomalies associated with the MJO most strongly project on the PJ‐mode. MJO phases 1–4 (5–8) favor the positive (negative) phase of the PJ‐mode by favoring the anticyclonic (cyclonic) anomalies over the subtropical western North Pacific. In the upper troposphere, the circulation anomalies associated with the MJO project mainly on the ISM‐mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice is a premier staple food that constitutes the bulk of the daily diet of the majority of people in Asia. Agricultural productivity must be boosted to support this huge demand for rice. However, production is jeopardized by soil salinity. Advances in whole-genome sequencing, marker-assisted breeding strategies, and targeted mutagenesis have substantially improved the toolbox of today's breeders. Given that salinity has a major influence on rice at both the seedling and reproductive stages, understanding and manipulating this trait will have an enormous impact on sustainable production. This article summarizes recent developments in the understanding of the mechanisms of salt tolerance and how state-of-the-art tools such as RNA guided CRISPR endonuclease technology including targeted mutagenesis or base and prime editing can help in gene discovery and functional analysis as well as in transferring favorable alleles into elite breeding material to speed the breeding of salt-tolerant rice cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aquaporins (AQPs), which are members of the major intrinsic protein (MIP) family, play an important role in the transport of water and other small, uncharged solutes across membranes. In this study, we identified gene encoding two aquaporin 12-like (AQP12L) proteins, CsAqp12L_v1 and CsAqp12L_v2, from Chilo suppressalis, a serious rice pest in Asia. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that CsAQP12L_V1 and CsAQP12L_V2 were grouped in a well-supported cluster that included other members of Lepidoptera. The two proteins are almost identical, except that CsAQP12L_V1 lacks 34 amino acids that are present in CsAQP12L_V2 at site 217. The qRT-PCR indicated that both CsAqp12L and CsAqp12L_v2 were expressed in heads, epidermis, foregut, midgut, and hindguts, with the highest level of expression in hindguts, heads, and epidermis. Expression of CsAqp12L and CsAqp12L_v2 was detected in all life stages and both sexes and was highest in first instar larvae and lowest in eggs. Expression of CsAqp12L and CsAqp12L_v2 was not significantly altered by exposure to brief changes in temperature. There were no significant differences in the third instar larvae, male and female pupae, and female adults in response to adverse humidity. However, the mRNA level of CsAqp12L in the fifth instar larvae and CsAqp12L_v2 in male adults was induced significantly by low humidity, respectively. Moreover, Xenopus oocytes injected with cRNAs of CsAQP12L_V1 and CsAQP12L_V2 showed no significant changes in permeability to water, glycerol, trehalose, or urea. The two CsAQP12L variants likely localize to an intracellular location in C. suppressalis and may respond to novel stimuli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]