The Relationship Between Phonemic Decoding Ability and Recall Accuracy and Reaction Time

The present study examines the relationship between phonemic decoding ability and recall accuracy and reaction time in orthographically consistent and inconsistent tasks. We measured phonemic decoding ability via the Test of Word Reading Efficiency, second edition (TOWRE-II) assessment tool. The phonemic decoding task required participants to read as many non-words that are made up of different phonemes (e.g. ip, ta, ko, luddy, dord) as possible within a forty-five second window. When the reading task was complete, participants were presented with a word sequence of orthographic consistency (e.g. best, rest, test, nest, vest) or inconsistency (e.g. bone, hone, done, tone, zone), followed by a distraction task and a memory task. Here, we hypothesized that participants with higher scores on the phonemic decoding task will have higher accuracy scores in the memory task as well as potentially lower reaction times. The results of this research showed no significant correlation between phonemic decoding ability and recall accuracy and reaction time in orthographically consistent and inconsistent tasks for words in the third and fourth position of the word sequences. This research has the potential to guide future investigations into the relationship between phonemic decoding and orthographic consistencies and inconsistencies

Twist-2 Controls Myeloid Lineage Development and Function

Basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors play critical roles in lymphoid and erythroid development; however, little is known about their role in myeloid lineage development. In this study, we identify the bHLH transcription factor Twist-2 as a key negative regulator of myeloid lineage development, as manifested by marked increases in mature myeloid populations of macrophages, neutrophils, and basophils in Twist-2–deficient mice. Mechanistic studies demonstrate that Twist-2 inhibits the proliferation as well as differentiation of granulocyte macrophage progenitors (GMP) by interacting with and inhibiting the transcription factors Runx1 and C/EBPα. Moreover, Twist-2 was found to have a contrasting effect on cytokine production: inhibiting the production of proinflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-12 (IL-12) and interferon-γ (IFNγ) while promoting the regulatory cytokine IL-10 by myeloid cells. The data from further analyses suggest that Twist-2 activates the transcription factor c-Maf, leading to IL-10 expression. In addition, Twist-2 was found to be essential for endotoxin tolerance. Thus, this study reveals the critical role of Twist-2 in regulating the development of myeloid lineages, as well as the function and inflammatory responses of mature myeloid cells