An Integrated Framework for Drought Stress in Plants.

With global warming, drought stress is becoming increasingly severe, causing serious impacts on crop yield and quality. In order to survive under adverse conditions such as drought stress, plants have evolved a certain mechanism to cope. The tolerance to drought stress is mainly improved through the synergistic effect of regulatory pathways, such as transcription factors, phytohormone, stomatal movement, osmotic substances, sRNA, and antioxidant systems.

Molecular Network for Regulation of Seed Size in Plants.

The size of seeds is particularly important for agricultural development, as it is a key trait that determines yield. It is controlled by the coordinated development of the integument, endosperm, and embryo. Large seeds are an important way of improving the ultimate "sink strength" of crops, providing more nutrients for early plant growth and showing certain tolerance to abiotic stresses.

Prevalence, co-occurring difficulties, and risk factors of developmental language disorder: first evidence for Mandarin-speaking children in a population-based study.

Background: Developmental language disorder (DLD) is a condition that significantly affects children's achievement but has been understudied. We aim to estimate the prevalence of DLD in Shanghai, compare the co-occurrence of difficulties between children with DLD and those with typical development (TD), and investigate the early risk factors for DLD.

Methods: We estimated DLD prevalence using data from a population-based survey with a cluster random sampling design in Shanghai, China.

BTRX-246040 Acts Through the Ventrolateral Periaqueductal Gray to Exert Antidepressant-Relevant Actions in Mice.

Background: BTRX-246040, a nociceptin/orphanin FQ peptide receptor antagonist, is being developed for the treatment of depressive patients. However, the underlying mechanism of this potential antidepressant is still largely unclear. Here, we studied the antidepressant-related actions of BTRX-246040 in the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (vlPAG).

The development of a parent report instrument of early communication and language skills of infants and toddlers in mainland China.

Objective: This study was designed to produce a new parent-report measure, the Diagnostic Receptive Expressive Assessment of Mandarin-Infant Toddler Assessment of Communication and Language (DREAM-IT) in order to provide norms for the developmental skills of children aged 0-36 months in four areas: expressive language, receptive language, cognitive play and social skills.

Methodology: The scale was designed to be both broader and deeper than existing instruments that neglect one or more of these significant domains involved in early language. Items were chosen by a group of specialists with clinical experience working with the age group and with attention to the developmental literature.

The characteristics of spontaneous language in young children identified as language delayed in Mandarin.

Background: Little is known about the spontaneous speech characteristics of young children with language delay in Mandarin, relative to their peers. Until the recent development of standardized language assessments normed in China on Mandarin-speaking children, it was difficult to independently identify atypically developing children to study their spontaneous speech, and only case studies have been available.

Aim: To investigate which aspects of spontaneous speech might be distinctive for atypical development in a short play session.

Adapting the UNICEF/WHO Nurturing Care Framework for speech-language pathologists to support Sustainable Development Goal 4.

Purpose: The United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals and the UNICEF/WHO Nurturing Care Framework for supporting children's health and development present unique international opportunities for speech-language pathologists to contribute support to early childhood development and Sustainable Development Goals (especially SDG 4 and SDG 17) in diverse international contexts. The crucial role that parent/caregiver support plays in promoting Nurturing Care and sustainable education is often underappreciated, so the objective of this paper is to describe key concepts and importance of parent/caregiver support in the Nurturing Care Framework and the SDGs. This commentary focusses on SDG 4, which is foundational to individuals, communities and societies in creating an education framework that includes and harnesses family and community support.

The Acquisition of Exhaustive Pairing in Multiple Wh-Questions in Mandarin.

The comprehension of paired wh-questions is examined in child Mandarin, to compare the age of acquisition with that of children speaking European languages like English and German. In Study 1, participants were 734 Mandarin speakers aged 2;6-7;11, drawn from four regions of China. Results reveal a striking parallel between the acquisition of exhaustive answers in Mandarin and that in languages with wh-movement.

A Narrative Evaluation of Mandarin-Speaking Children With Language Impairment.

Purpose: We aimed to study narrative skills in Mandarin-speaking children with language impairment (LI) to compare with children with LI speaking Indo-European languages.

Method: Eighteen Mandarin-speaking children with LI (mean age 6;2 [years;months]) and 18 typically developing (TD) age controls told 3 stories elicited using the Mandarin Expressive Narrative Test (de Villiers & Liu, 2014). We compared macrostructure-evaluating descriptions of characters, settings, initiating events, internal responses,plans, actions, and consequences.

An Interprofessional Team Approach to the Differential Diagnosis of Children with Language Disorders.

The ability to communicate effectively with others is central to children's development. Delays or disruptions due to isolated expressive language delay, articulation errors, multiple sound production errors with motor planning deficits, or mixed expressive and receptive language delay, often bring widespread consequences. Physical anomalies, neurologic and genetic disorder, cognitive and intellectual disabilities, and emotional disturbances may affect speech and language development.

Research to Establish the Validity, Reliability, and Clinical Utility of a Comprehensive Language Assessment of Mandarin.

Purpose: With no existing gold standard for comparison, challenges arise for establishing the validity of a new standardized Mandarin language assessment normed in mainland China.

Method: A new assessment, Diagnostic Receptive and Expressive Assessment of Mandarin (DREAM), was normed with a stratified sample of 969 children ages 2;6 (years;months) to 7;11 in multiple urban and nonurban regions in northern and southern China. In this study of 230 children, the sensitivity and specificity of DREAM were examined against an a priori judgment of disorders.

Current trends in outcome studies for children with hearing loss and the need to establish a comprehensive framework of measuring outcomes in children with hearing loss in China.

Since the 1970s, outcome studies for children with hearing loss expanded from focusing on assessing auditory awareness and speech perception skills to evaluating language and speech development. Since the early 2000s, the multi-center large scale research systematically studied outcomes in the areas of auditory awareness, speech-perception, language development, speech development, educational achievements, cognitive development, and psychosocial development. These studies advocated the establishment of baseline and regular follow-up evaluations with a comprehensive framework centered on language development.

New language outcome measures for Mandarin speaking children with hearing loss.

Objective: The paper discusses recent evidence on the assessment of language outcomes in children with hearing loss acquiring oral language.

Methods: Research emphasizes that language tests must be specific enough to capture subtle deficits in vocabulary and grammar learning at different developmental ages. The Diagnostic Receptive and Expressive Assessment of Mandarin (DREAM) was carefully designed to be a comprehensive standardized Mandarin assessment normed in Mainland China.