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This study examined the mediating role of working memory (WM) in the relation between rapid automatized naming (RAN) and Chinese reading comprehension. Three tasks assessing differentially visual and verbal components of WM were programmed by E-prime 2.0. Data collected from 55 Chinese college students were analyzed using correlations and hierarchical regression methods to determine the connection among RAN, reading comprehension, and WM components. Results showed that WM played a significant mediating role in the RAN-reading relation and that auditory WM made stronger contributions than visual WM. Taking into account of the multi-component nature of WM and the specificity of Chinese reading processing, this study discussed the mediating powers of the WM components, particularly auditory WM, further clarifying the possible components involved in the RAN-reading relation and thus providing some insight into the complicated Chinese reading process.

Monochamus alternatus Hope (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), an invasive beetle that has caused billions of dollars in economic losses, is a serious pest of Pinus massoniana in many Asian countries. Clarifying the eye pigment gene and its knockdown phenotype of M. alternatus can provide functional gene identification and a marker for screening of gene editing, as well as help develop new control ideas. In this study, we first screened the transcriptome and found one homologous gene of tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (TDO) and one of kynurenine-3-monooxygenase (KMO). By measuring the expression levels of TDO and KMO in different developmental periods, it was indicated that TDO and KMO were expressed in various stages of M. alternatus. The gene expression of MaKMO was higher than MaTDO, showing high expression after pupation and decreasing at the beginning of eclosion. MaTDO and MaKMO were knocked down using RNA interference technology in different periods of expression, and the temporal expression changes were obtained using RT-qPCR technology. The results showed that the expressions of MaTDO and MaKMO were significantly inhibited by the injection of dsRNA; the expressions of MaTDO at 48 h, 96 h and after pupation were 21.9%, 32.3% and 59.2%, respectively, meanwhile, those of KMO were 23.4%, 25.0% and 69.7%, respectively. There was a significant change in eye color, and the beetles were able to pupate normally without their activity being affected. Therefore, both MaTDO and MaKMO can be used as tag genes for M. alternatus. A dominant marker system based on eye color can be developed for the genetic manipulation and control of M. alternatus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]