Does social information affect the settlement decisions of resident birds in their second breeding attempt?A case study of the Japanese Tit(Parus minor)

Individuals may gather information about environmental conditions when deciding where to breed in order to maximize their lifetime fitness.They can obtain social information by observing conspecifics and heterospecifics with similar ecological needs.Many studies have shown that birds can rely on social information to select their nest sites.The location of active nests and the reproductive success of conspecifics and heterospecifics can provide accurate predictions about the quality of the breeding habitat.Some short-lived species can facultatively reproduce two and/or more times within a breeding season.However,few studies have focused on how multiplebrooding individuals select nest sites for their second breeding attempts.In this study,we use long-term data to test whether the Japanese Tit(Parus minor)can use social information from conspecifics and/or heterospecifics(the Eurasian Nuthatch Sitta europaea,the Daurian Redstart Phoenicurus auroreus and the Yellow-rumped Flycatcher Ficedula zanthopygia)to select a nest site for the second breeding attempt.Our results showed that the nest boxes occupied by tits on their second breeding attempt tended to be surrounded by more breeding conspecific nests,successful first nests of conspecifics,and fewer failed first nests of conspecifics than the nest boxes that remained unoccupied(the control group).However,the numbers of breeding heterospecific nests,successful heterospecific nests,and failed heterospecific nests did not differ between the nest boxes occupied by tits on their second breeding attempt and the unoccupied nest boxes.Furthermore,the tits with local successful breeding experience tended to choose areas with more successful first nests of conspecifics than those without successful breeding experience.Thus,we suggest that conspecifics'but not heterospecifics'social information within the same breeding season is the major factor influencing the nest site selection of Japanese Tits during second breeding attempts.

Serological Investigation into the Infected Genotypes of Patients with Japanese Encephalitis in the Coastal Provinces of China

Objective Genotypes(G)1,3,and 5 of the Japanese encephalitis virus(JEV)have been isolated in China,but the dominant genotype circulating in Chinese coastal areas remains unknown.We searched for G5 JEV-infected cases and attempted to elucidate which JEV genotype was most closely related to human Japanese encephalitis(JE)in the coastal provinces of China.Methods In this study,we collected serum specimens from patients with JE in three coastal provinces of China(Guangdong,Zhejiang,and Shandong)from 2018 to 2020 and conducted JEV cross-neutralization tests against G1,G3,and G5.Results Acute serum specimens from clinically reported JE cases were obtained for laboratory confirmation from hospitals in Shandong(92 patients),Zhejiang(192 patients),and Guangdong(77 patients),China,from 2018 to 2020.Seventy of the 361 serum specimens were laboratory-confirmed to be infected with JEV.Two cases were confirmed to be infected with G1 JEV,32 with G3 JEV,and two with G5 JEV.Conclusion G3 was the primary infection genotype among JE cases with a definite infection genotype,and the infection caused by G5 JEV was confirmed serologically in China.

Japanese Sign Language Recognition by Combining Joint Skeleton-Based Handcrafted and Pixel-Based Deep Learning Features with Machine Learning Classification

Sign language recognition is vital for enhancing communication accessibility among the Deaf and hard-of-hearing communities.In Japan,approximately 360,000 individualswith hearing and speech disabilities rely on Japanese Sign Language(JSL)for communication.However,existing JSL recognition systems have faced significant performance limitations due to inherent complexities.In response to these challenges,we present a novel JSL recognition system that employs a strategic fusion approach,combining joint skeleton-based handcrafted features and pixel-based deep learning features.Our system incorporates two distinct streams:the first stream extracts crucial handcrafted features,emphasizing the capture of hand and body movements within JSL gestures.Simultaneously,a deep learning-based transfer learning stream captures hierarchical representations of JSL gestures in the second stream.Then,we concatenated the critical information of the first stream and the hierarchy of the second stream features to produce the multiple levels of the fusion features,aiming to create a comprehensive representation of the JSL gestures.After reducing the dimensionality of the feature,a feature selection approach and a kernel-based support vector machine(SVM)were used for the classification.To assess the effectiveness of our approach,we conducted extensive experiments on our Lab JSL dataset and a publicly available Arabic sign language(ArSL)dataset.Our results unequivocally demonstrate that our fusion approach significantly enhances JSL recognition accuracy and robustness compared to individual feature sets or traditional recognition methods.

Vice-President Liu Hongcai Meets the Japanese Okinawa Peace and Friendship Delegation

On December 29th,CAFIU Vice-President Liu Hongcai met with the Japanese Okinawa Peace and Friendship Delegation to exchange views on the relationship and people-to-people exchanges between China and Japan.Vice-President Liu Hongcai said that Okinawa-ken and China are geographically close and culturally connected,and both sides share a long history of friendly exchanges.

What is the Real Situation of the Japanese Cosmetics Market?

The Japanese cosmetics market still deserves major focus when talking about the cosmetics development.First of all,in terms of purchasing power,Japan is the third largest cosmetics consumer in the world with huge market potential,only after the United States and China;secondly,in terms of scientific research and technology,Japan has always been at the forefront of the cosmetics R&D in the world,leading the direction of many cosmetics categories.Especially in Asia,the Japanese cosmetics market has long played a pioneering role in the industry.In the post-pandemic era,what changes have taken place in the Japanese cosmetics market after the severe impact of COVID-19?And what are the new trends?

Japanese candlestick charts for diabetes

Continuous glucose monitoring(CGM)is a popular technology among the diabetic population,especially in patients with type 1 diabetes and those with type 2 diabetes treated with insulin.The American Diabetes Association recommends standardization of CGM reports with visual cues,such as the ambulatory glucose profile.Nevertheless,interpreting this report requires training and time for CGM to be cost-efficient.In this work it has been proposed to incorporate Japanese candlestick charts in glucose monitoring.These graphs are used in price analysis in financial markets and are easier to view.Each candle provides extra information to make prudent decisions since it reports the opening,maximum,minimum and closing glucose levels of the chosen time frame,usually the daily one.The Japanese candlestick chart is an interesting tool to be considered in glucose control.This graphic representation allows identification of glucose trends easily through the colors of the candles and maximum and minimum glucose values.

Psychometric Properties among Japanese Women Based on the Multidimensional Assessment of Women’s Experience of Childbirth

Aims/Background: Perceived experiences of childbirth are important for mothers as they affect their self-esteem, mother-child interactions, subsequent mother-child bonding, and their desire for another child. This study examined the factor structure and construct validity of Salmon and Drew’s Multidimensional Assessment of Women’s Experience of Childbirth (MAWEC) in Japanese. Design/Methods: This study conducted a questionnaire survey using the Japanese version of the MAWEC and other variables with 759 women with infants in Japan. The participants’ mean (standard deviation [SD], range) age was 31.9 (5.3, 18 - 46) years. A total of 353 (46.5%) participants were primiparous and 384 (50.6%) were multiparous, and 22 (2.9%) did not answer. The data were randomly divided into two groups for exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and separately analyzed the positive- and negative-worded items. I conducted EFA using the maximum-likelihood method with PROMAX rotation from one-through two- and three-factor structures. Different factor structure models were compared in terms of CFAs using, as indicator of goodness-of-fit, chi-square/df, comparative fit index (CFI), and root mean square of error approximation (RMSEA). Results: This study showed that a bifactor model for the MAWEC with four subscales (positive emotion, positive coping, negative emotion, and negative coping) fit the data the best. These four subscales were associated with demographic, obstetric, neonatal, and feeding characteristics. For example, primiparas were more vulnerable to coping aspects of perceived childbirth experiences, including sense of mastery over the delivery process and ability to enjoy the delivery. Gestational age at birth was associated with emotional aspects of perceived childbirth experiences. Conclusion: The Japanese version of the MAWEC consists of four aspects regarding perceived childbirth experience. Perinatal health professionals may examine women’s childbirth experiences from these four perspectives. .

Appropriate leucine-richα-2 glycoprotein cut-off value for Japanese patients with ulcerative colitis

BACKGROUND It has been suggested that serum leucine-richα-2 glycoprotein(LRG)could be a novel monitoring biomarker for the assessment of disease activity in inflammatory bowel disease.In particular,the relationship between LRG levels and the endoscopically assessed activity of ulcerative colitis(UC)has become a matter of interest.AIM To clarify appropriate LRG cut-off values for the prediction of endoscopic and histologic remission in Japanese patients with UC.METHODS This was a cross-sectional,single-center,observational study of Japanese patients with UC.Among 213 patients with UC,in whom LRG was measured from September 2020 to February 2022,we recruited 30 patients for whom a total colonoscopy and measurements of LRG and C-reactive protein(CRP)were performed on the same day.We retrospectively analyzed correlations between the LRG and CRP levels and endoscopic indices,including the Mayo endoscopic subscore and UC endoscopic index of severity.RESULTS Correlations between the LRG values and the Mayo endoscopic subscore or UC endoscopic index of severity were significant(r=0.754,P<0.0001;r=0.778,P<0.0001,respectively).There were also significant correlations between CRP levels and Mayo endoscopic subscore or UC endoscopic index of severity(r=0.599,P=0.0005;r=0.563,P=0.0012,respectively),although the correlation coefficients were higher for LRG.The LRG cutoff value for predicting endoscopic remission was 13.4μg/mL for a Mayo endoscopic subscore of 0[area under the curve(AUC):0.871;95%confidence interval(CI):0.744-0.998],and 13.4μg/mL for an UC endoscopic index of severity of 0 or 1(AUC:0.904;95%CI:0.792-1.000).CONCLUSION LRG may be a surrogate marker for endoscopic activity in UC,with a cut-off value of around 13.4μg/mL for endoscopically inactive disease.

Epidemic Japanese B encephalitis combined with contactinassociated protein-like 2 antibody-positive autoimmune encephalitis:A case report

BACKGROUND It is not uncommon to develop viral encephalitis.Epidemic Japanese B encephalitis infection combined with contactin-associated protein-like 2(CASPR-2)antibody-positive autoimmune encephalitis has not been reported at present.In clinical work,we need to consider more options.CASE SUMMARY A 32-year-old male worker presented with headache,fever and call-unresponsive presentation.Complete cranial magnetic resonance image showed symmetrical abnormal signals in bilateral medial temporal lobe,bilateral thalamus and basal ganglia.Improved lumbar puncture showed that cerebrospinal fluid protein and cell count increased significantly.Viral encephalitis was considered,and the patient's consciousness still increased rapidly after antiviral treatment.Further detection of Cerebrospinal fluid Japanese B encephalitis virus Polymerase Chain Reaction positive,serum autoimmune encephalitis antibody showed CASPR-2 antibody positive(1:320),the patient's condition gradually improved after plasma exchange treatment.3 mo later,the serum CASPR-2 antibody was negative and the patient's condition was stable.CONCLUSION This article reports the world’s first case of Epidemic Japanese B encephalitis infection combined with CASPR-2 antibody-positive autoimmune encephalitis,with a view to raising awareness.

Application of Blank Symbols in Japanese Architecture and Indoor Designs

A symbol is an expression of meaning,while blank symbols express special meanings.By focusing on the application of blank symbols in Japanese architecture and indoor designs,we analyzed the aesthetic principles in Japanese architecture and indoor designs from the perspective of semiotics,such as“Kongji,”“Emptiness,”and“Dying out,”and their minimalist and pure design concepts.Traditional Chinese culture was also further explored,especially the profound influence of the“Chan sect”and the philosophy of“unity of heaven and mankind”on Japanese architecture and designs.This study aims to facilitate the coexistence and mutual appreciation of Chinese and Japanese architectural designs.

The Relationship Between the Communist Party of China and the Japanese Communist Party During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression

It is important to clarify the historical facts and summarize the characteristics of the communication and cooperation between the CPC and the JCP during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression,as it holds historical and contemporary relevance.The research findings indicate that the Comintern played a crucial role as the key intermediary in facilitating the establishment of connections between the CPC and the JCP and in driving the deepening of their relationship.During their exchanges,both parties adhered to a flexible and multi-layered friendship based on the unified values of patriotism and internationalism.Their efforts played a significant role in the establishment of an international anti-fascist front in the East.

An Exploratory Data Analysis of Mazu Culture Research Based on Diaolong-Full-Text Database of Ancient Chinese and Japanese Books

Mazu is the most famous goddess of canal transport in China,and one of the three folk beliefs in China.Japan is our neighbor across the sea.As early as 1000 years ago,Japan was influenced by the Mazu ceremonial culture.Through big data analysis,this study conducted database counting,screening,and analysis on the Mazu culture in Diaolong,the full-text database of Chinese and Japanese ancient books.Besides,it explored the hot topics of concern and emotional attitudes,and then analyzed the important role of Mazu culture in the cultural exchange and mutual learning between China and Japan in the new era,with a view to completing the contemporary task of“people-to-people bond”and achieving common development.

强制留学:抗战时期日本的中国占领区留日警察政策

抗战时期,日本政府强令中国占领区各伪政权选派警察赴内务省警察讲习所留学,各伪政权大多以刚刚成立或财政困难为由,提出不派、缓派、少派请求,但在当地日军、日本使领馆和内务省派遣人员的压力下,不得不按照日本的原定计划选派。这些留日警察的接受、教育和管理,主要由外务省文化事业部和内务省警察讲习所协商负责。日本政府的目的是培养直接服务于其殖民统治和侵略战争政策的“协力者”,但它忽略了抗战时期中国人民族国家意识的增长,最终事与愿违。

国别化中文教育视角下教师课堂教学研究

国际中文课堂教学效果与学习者的二语交际意愿密切相关。本文以国别化视角考察教师因素对日本学生汉语课堂交际意愿的影响。整体而言,教师的内在品质、课堂反馈和课堂管理三个维度的具体表现是影响日本学生交际意愿的主要因素。日本学生整体与不同群体以及不同群体之间对具体教师行为的感知反应呈现出差异性,不同语言环境、性别和学习时长的日本学生对影响其交际意愿的教师因素接受度也不同。

巴西排日运动与1934年《百分之二限额法案》的颁布

1931年日本悍然发动了“九一八”事变,其帝国主义侵略行径遭到巴西的抵制,同时也引发了巴西国内针对日侨群体的猜疑和排斥。在巴西民族主义的语境下,“黄祸论”“不易被同化论”等种族主义论调频繁出现,针对日本移民的扩张阴谋论流行开来。1933年年底,限制外来移民的宪法修正案提案引发了巴西国内排日派和挺日派的激烈争论。1934年5月24日,巴西国会通过了《百分之二限额法案》,并将其列入《1934年宪法》,这是近代以来巴西第一次对所有外来移民采取限制措施,也是首次将限制移民入境写进宪法,确立了国籍来源的移民配额制度。作为20世纪30年代初增长最为迅猛的外来移民群体,日本移民受该法案的冲击最大。对此,日本政府积极打经贸亲善牌,开启了“棉花换移民”外交,以缓和改善日巴关系;而日本媒体和巴西日侨对该法案的颁布表示强烈不满,他们用实际行动反击排日言论。该法案对日本在巴西的投资置地和移民活动都产生了消极影响。

国际变局下日本经济形势分析与展望

在复杂多变的国际政治经济局势下,2023年日本经济有某些起色,也暴露出一定问题和隐患。其表现为大企业盈利和海外投资收益增长,入境旅游消费逐渐恢复,国家经济项目收支顺差扩大,股市与房地产市场回暖;但消费与投资动力不足,难以支撑经济稳定复苏。2023年第三、四季度实际GDP增长率连续陷入负增长,物价持续上涨趋势,居民收入增加速度低于物价上涨速度,实际工资水平连续下降。中国继续保持日本第一大贸易伙伴的地位,是日本重要的投资对象和区域经济合作伙伴。中日经贸关系受到日本强化经济安全及对华出口管制的负面影响。中日有必要在双边及区域层面进一步拓展合作空间,创造可持续发展的良好环境,共同维护区域供应链稳定。

2023年度日本政府地震调查研究的主要经费申请概算

根据日本地震防灾对策特别措施法,日本地震调查研究推进总部于2022年8月底,对日本政府各相关行政机构2023年度用于地震调查研究的主要经费申请概算,进行了汇总和调整并对外公布。2023年度,日本政府用于地震调查研究的相关经费总概算额为100亿日元,相比较2022年度的64亿日元,增长了56%,这些经费主要分配于文部科学省、经济产业省、国土交通省及总务省等下属部门,但经费并不包括日本公立行政法人等的运维补助费用。

七十年来的抗战外交研究

学界关于抗战外交的研究已经取得了极为丰富的成果。文章以中国抗战外交发展的线索为依据,重点介绍一些有重大影响并与战时外交发展线索有关联的事件,试图展现抗战外交的全貌。相较于抗日战争所具有的伟大意义和影响而言,目前的研究仍相对薄弱,学界需坚持科学态度,把抗日战争史作为一门科学继续进行深入系统的研究。具体来讲,需要继续加大国际法理论的引入,注意历史细节对于历史事件意义的重要性,重视对中外档案的全面仔细梳理和判读,并继续深化与国际同行的交流与合作。

日本汉方药物的妊娠期和哺乳期风险评估及对我国中成药的影响

目的:通过对日本汉方药物的药品说明书进行妊娠期和哺乳期风险分析,评估日本汉方药物的用药风险及其对于我国中成药妊娠期风险评估的影响,为进一步开展我国中成药的妊娠期和哺乳期风险评估提供借鉴及参考。方法:针对日本医药品与医疗器械局平台收集及整理的148种医用日本汉方药物相关药品说明书,分析妊娠期和哺乳期相关表述,评估具有用药风险的日本汉方药物及中药组分。结合我国《中华人民共和国药典:一部》(2020年版)、《中药药物警戒》和《中药药性论》等中药典籍,对日本汉方药物可能存在的妊娠期潜在风险进行评估。基于日本汉方药物妊娠期风险中药组分,对我国505种中成药进行妊娠期风险评估,分析其对我国中成药妊娠期风险的影响。结果:日本148种日本汉方药物中,存在妊娠风险的药物共39种。妊娠期风险的中药组分包括大黄、牡丹皮、附子、桃仁、牛膝、芒硝和红花,主要为自身毒性及对于流产、早产的影响。哺乳期风险日本汉方药物中,因含有大黄而易引起新生儿腹泻的药物共18种。根据我国典籍评估,日本汉方药物具有潜在风险共93种。依据日本汉方药物风险组分,我国505种中成药中具有妊娠期潜在风险的药物共59种,占345种未标注妊娠期禁忌药物种类的17.1%。结论:日本汉方药物基于妊娠期和哺乳期风险的中药组分对其日本汉方药物成药风险进行评估,其特殊人群的风险表述方法对我国中成药发展具有一定的借鉴意义。

绥西抗战再研究

近年来,中国台湾历史档案机构解密了一批绥西抗战时期傅作义、朱绍良和蒋介石密电电文,其中涉及五原、临河抗战电文资料十多条。这些电文资料对研究日寇侵犯绥西、国民政府军在绥西兵力布防、五原失守与收复、国民政府军伤亡人数、日寇使用毒气弹等情况具有重要的研究价值,同时也暴露了日寇企图利用民族问题肢解中国的阴谋。五原收复及绥西抗战胜利对保卫大西北具有重要意义。