Pareto Optimization as the Basic for Selecting Robotic Mechanic Assembly Technologies

The task of selecting robotic mechanic assembly technologies (RMAT) is considered as a multi-criteria optimization task, which in this formulation is solved on the set of previously obtained solutions regarding the selection of RMAT. The purpose of the paper is to increase the efficiency of technological preparation of robotic mechanical assembly production of machine and instrument engineering due to a new approach to the selection of RMAT using Pareto optimization and the peculiarities of the selection task formulation. The novelty consists in the further development of a science-based approach to solving multi-criteria selection task, based on the first proposed formalisms of the specified process, which reflect the peculiarities of the selection task formulation, its meaningful essence and the content of the Pareto optimization method. The practical value of the research lies in the proposed engineering-acceptable approach to solving applied multi-criteria selection tasks on the example of RMAT selection, which is invariant to the statement of the selection task, the dimension of the task, and its meaningful essence. The methods of discrete optimization, fuzzy multi-criteria selection of alternatives, and the Pareto optimization method were used for the research. The main results of this work consist of the development of formalisms and the demonstration of the efficiency of the proposed approach for the applied task of RMAT selection. The peculiarity of the developed approach is the combination of Pareto optimization, performed on a discrete set of local criteria. Directions for further research are presented.

Unlocking the potential of ultra-thin two-dimensional antimony materials:Selective growth and carbon coating for efficient potassium-ion storage

Antimony-based anodes have attracted wide attention in potassium-ion batteries due to their high theoretical specific capacities(∼660 mA h g^(-1))and suitable voltage platforms.However,severe capacity fading caused by huge volume change and limited ion transportation hinders their practical applications.Recently,strategies for controlling the morphologies of Sb-based materials to improve the electrochemical performances have been proposed.Among these,the two-dimensional Sb(2D-Sb)materials present excellent properties due to shorted ion immigration paths and enhanced ion diffusion.Nevertheless,the synthetic methods are usually tedious,and even the mechanism of these strategies remains elusive,especially how to obtain large-scale 2D-Sb materials.Herein,a novel strategy to synthesize 2D-Sb material using a straightforward solvothermal method without the requirement of a complex nanostructure design is provided.This method leverages the selective adsorption of aldehyde groups in furfural to induce crystal growth,while concurrently reducing and coating a nitrogen-doped carbon layer.Compared to the reported methods,it is simpler,more efficient,and conducive to the production of composite nanosheets with uniform thickness(3–4 nm).The 2D-Sb@NC nanosheet anode delivers an extremely high capacity of 504.5 mA h g^(-1) at current densities of 100 mA g^(-1) and remains stable for more than 200 cycles.Through characterizations and molecular dynamic simulations,how potassium storage kinetics between 2D Sb-based materials and bulk Sb-based materials are explored,and detailed explanations are provided.These findings offer novel insights into the development of durable 2D alloy-based anodes for next-generation potassium-ion batteries.

A prognostic four-gene signature and a therapeutic strategy for hepatocellular carcinoma:Construction and analysis of a circRNA-mediated competing endogenous RNA network

Background:Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)has a poor long-term prognosis.The competition of circular RNAs(circRNAs)with endogenous RNA is a novel tool for predicting HCC prognosis.Based on the alterations of circRNA regulatory networks,the analysis of gene modules related to HCC is feasible.Methods:Multiple expression datasets and RNA element targeting prediction tools were used to construct a circRNA-microRNA-mRNA network in HCC.Gene function,pathway,and protein interaction analyses were performed for the differentially expressed genes(DEGs)in this regulatory network.In the proteinprotein interaction network,hub genes were identified and subjected to regression analysis,producing an optimized four-gene signature for prognostic risk stratification in HCC patients.Anti-HCC drugs were excavated by assessing the DEGs between the low-and high-risk groups.A circRNA-microRNA-hub gene subnetwork was constructed,in which three hallmark genes,KIF4A,CCNA2,and PBK,were subjected to functional enrichment analysis.Results:A four-gene signature(KIF4A,CCNA2,PBK,and ZWINT)that effectively estimated the overall survival and aided in prognostic risk assessment in the The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA)cohort and International Cancer Genome Consortium(ICGC)cohort was developed.CDK inhibitors,PI3K inhibitors,HDAC inhibitors,and EGFR inhibitors were predicted as four potential mechanisms of drug action(MOA)in high-risk HCC patients.Subsequent analysis has revealed that PBK,CCNA2,and KIF4A play a crucial role in regulating the tumor microenvironment by promoting immune cell invasion,regulating microsatellite instability(MSI),and exerting an impact on HCC progression.Conclusions:The present study highlights the role of the circRNA-related regulatory network,identifies a four-gene prognostic signature and biomarkers,and further identifies novel therapy for HCC.

Liver transplantation as an alternative for the treatment of neuroendocrine liver metastasis: Appraisal of the current evidence

Background:Liver transplantation(LT)for neuroendocrine liver metastases(NELM)is still in debate.Studies comparing LT with liver resection(LR)for NELM are scarce,as patient selection is heterogeneous and experience is limited.The goal of this review was to provide a critical analysis of the evidence on LT versus LR in the treatment of NELM.Data sources:A scoping literature search on LT and LR for NELM was performed with PubMed,including English articles up to March 2023.Results:International guidelines recommend LR for NELM in resectable,well-differentiated tumors in the absence of extrahepatic metastatic disease with superior results of LR compared to systemic or liver-directed therapies.Advanced liver surgery has extended resectability criteria whilst entailing increased perioperative risk and short disease-free survival.In highly selected patients(based on the Milan criteria)with unresectable NELM,oncologic results of LT are promising.Prognostic factors include tumor biology(G1/G2)and burden,waiting time for LT,patient age and extrahepatic spread.Based on low-level evi-dence,LT for low-grade NELM within the Milan criteria resulted in improved disease-free survival and overall survival compared to LR.The benefits of LT were lost in patients beyond the Milan NELM-criteria.Conclusions:With adherence to strict selection criteria especially tumor biology,LT for NELM is becoming a valuable option providing oncologic benefits compared to LR.Recent evidence suggests even stricter selection criteria with regard to tumor biology.

Selective internal radiation therapy segmentectomy:A new minimally invasive curative option for primary liver malignancies?

Transarterial radioembolization or selective internal radiation therapy(SIRT)has emerged as a minimally invasive approach for the treatment of tumors.This percutaneous technique involves the local,intra-arterial delivery of radioactive microspheres directly into the tumor.Historically employed as a palliative measure for liver malignancies,SIRT has gained traction over the past decade as a potential curative option,mirroring the increasing role of radiation segmentectomy.The latest update of the BCLC hepatocellular carcinoma guidelines recognizes SIRT as an effective treatment modality comparable to other local ablative methods,particularly well-suited for patients where surgical resection or ablation is not feasible.Radiation segmentectomy is a more selective approach,aiming to deliver high-dose radiation to one to three specific hepatic segments,while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue.Future research efforts in radiation segmentectomy should prioritize optimizing radiation dosimetry and refining the technique for super-selective administration of radiospheres within the designated hepatic segments.

Cooperative Anti-Jamming and Interference Mitigation for UAV Networks: A Local Altruistic Game Approach

To improve the anti-jamming and interference mitigation ability of the UAV-aided communication systems, this paper investigates the channel selection optimization problem in face of both internal mutual interference and external malicious jamming. A cooperative anti-jamming and interference mitigation method based on local altruistic is proposed to optimize UAVs’ channel selection. Specifically, a Stackelberg game is modeled to formulate the confrontation relationship between UAVs and the jammer. A local altruistic game is modeled with each UAV considering the utilities of both itself and other UAVs. A distributed cooperative anti-jamming and interference mitigation algorithm is proposed to obtain the Stackelberg equilibrium. Finally, the convergence of the proposed algorithm and the impact of the transmission power on the system loss value are analyzed, and the anti-jamming performance of the proposed algorithm can be improved by around 64% compared with the existing algorithms.

Joint Rain Streaks & Haze Removal Network for Object Detection

In the realm of low-level vision tasks,such as image deraining and dehazing,restoring images distorted by adverse weather conditions remains a significant challenge.The emergence of abundant computational resources has driven the dominance of deep Convolutional Neural Networks(CNNs),supplanting traditional methods reliant on prior knowledge.However,the evolution of CNN architectures has tended towards increasing complexity,utilizing intricate structures to enhance performance,often at the expense of computational efficiency.In response,we propose the Selective Kernel Dense Residual M-shaped Network(SKDRMNet),a flexible solution adept at balancing computational efficiency with network accuracy.A key innovation is the incorporation of an M-shaped hierarchical structure,derived from the U-Net framework as M-Network(M-Net),within which the Selective Kernel Dense Residual Module(SDRM)is introduced to reinforce multi-scale semantic feature maps.Our methodology employs two sampling techniques-bilinear and pixel unshuffled and utilizes a multi-scale feature fusion approach to distil more robust spatial feature map information.During the reconstruction phase,feature maps of varying resolutions are seamlessly integrated,and the extracted features are effectively merged using the Selective Kernel Fusion Module(SKFM).Empirical results demonstrate the comprehensive superiority of SKDRMNet across both synthetic and real rain and haze datasets.

Effect of an Airbag-selective Portal Vein Blood Arrester on the Liver after Hepatectomy:A New Technique for Selective Clamping of the Portal Vein

Objective:A novel technique was explored using an airbag-selective portal vein blood arrester that circumvents the need for an intraoperative assessment of anatomical variations in patients with complex intrahepatic space-occupying lesions.Methods:Rabbits undergoing hepatectomy were randomly assigned to 4 groups:intermittent portal triad clamping(PTC),intermittent portal vein clamping(PVC),intermittent portal vein blocker with an airbag-selective portal vein blood arrester(APC),and without portal blood occlusion(control).Hepatic ischemia and reperfusion injury were assessed by measuring the 7-day survival rate,blood loss,liver function,hepatic pathology,hepatic inflammatory cytokine infiltration,hepatic malondialdehyde levels,and proliferating cell nuclear antigen levels.Results:Liver damage was substantially reduced in the APC and PVC groups.The APC animals exhibited transaminase levels similar to or less oxidative stress damage and inflammatory hepatocellular injury compared to those exhibited by the PVC animals.Bleeding was significantly higher in the control group than in the other groups.The APC group had less bleeding than the PVC group because of the avoidance of portal vein skeletonization during hepatectomy.Thus,more operative time was saved in the APC group than in the PVC group.Moreover,the total 7-day survival rate in the APC group was higher than that in the PTC group.Conclusion:Airbag-selective portal vein blood arresters may help protect against hepatic ischemia and reperfusion injury in rabbits undergoing partial hepatectomy.This technique may also help prevent liver damage in patients requiring hepatectomy.

Theoretical investigations of population trapping phenomena in atomic four-color,three-step photoionization scheme

The four-color three-step selective photoionization process of atom is very important in laser isotope separation technology.The population trapping phenomena and their influences are studied theoretically in monochromatic and non-monochromatic laser fields based on the density matrix theory in this work.Time evolutions of the photoionization properties of the four-color,three-step process are given.The population trapping effects occur intensely in monochromatic excitation,while it gradually turns weak as the laser bandwidth increases.The effects of bandwidth,Rabi frequency,time delay,and frequency detuning on the population trapping effect are investigated in monochromatic and non-monochromatic laser fields.The effects of laser process parameters and atomic parameters on the effective selective photoionization are also discussed.The ionization probability and selectivity factors,as evaluation indexes,are difficult to improve synchronously by adjusting systematic parameters.Besides,the existence of metastable state may play a negative role when its population is low enough.

Population genomic analysis reveals key genetic variations and the driving force for embryonic callus induction capability in maize

Genetic transformation has been an effective technology for improving the agronomic traits of maize.However,it is highly reliant on the use of embryonic callus(EC)and shows a serious genotype dependence.In this study,we performed genomic sequencing for 80 core maize germplasms and constructed a high-density genomic variation map using our newly developed pipeline(MQ2Gpipe).Based on the induction rate of EC(REC),these inbred lines were categorized into three subpopulations.The low-REC germplasms displayed more abundant genetic diversity than the high-REC germplasms.By integrating a genome-wide selective signature screen and region-based association analysis,we revealed 95.23 Mb of selective regions and 43 REC-associated variants.These variants had phenotypic variance explained values ranging between 21.46 and 49.46%.In total,103 candidate genes were identified within the linkage disequilibrium regions of these REC-associated loci.These genes mainly participate in regulation of the cell cycle,regulation of cytokinesis,and other functions,among which MYB15 and EMB2745 were located within the previously reported QTL for EC induction.Numerous leaf area-associated variants with large effects were closely linked to several REC-related loci,implying a potential synergistic selection of REC and leaf size during modern maize breeding.

Evaluating the performance of genomic selection on purebred population by incorporating crossbred data in pigs

Genomic selection(GS)has been widely used in livestock,which greatly accelerated the genetic progress of complex traits.The population size was one of the significant factors affecting the prediction accuracy,while it was limited by the purebred population.Compared to directly combining two uncorrelated purebred populations to extend the reference population size,it might be more meaningful to incorporate the correlated crossbreds into reference population for genomic prediction.In this study,we simulated purebred offspring(PAS and PBS)and crossbred offspring(CAB)base on real genotype data of two base purebred populations(PA and PB),to evaluate the performance of genomic selection on purebred while incorporating crossbred information.The results showed that selecting key crossbred individuals via maximizing the expected genetic relationship(REL)was better than the other methods(individuals closet or farthest to the purebred population,CP/FP)in term of the prediction accuracy.Furthermore,the prediction accuracy of reference populations combining PA and CAB was significantly better only based on PA,which was similar to combine PA and PAS.Moreover,the rank correlation between the multiple of the increased relationship(MIR)and reliability improvement was 0.60-0.70.But for individuals with low correlation(Cor(Pi,PA or B),the reliability improvement was significantly lower than other individuals.Our findings suggested that incorporating crossbred into purebred population could improve the performance of genetic prediction compared with using the purebred population only.The genetic relationship between purebred and crossbred population is a key factor determining the increased reliability while incorporating crossbred population in the genomic prediction on pure bred individuals.

Mapping of powdery mildew resistance genes transferred to common wheat from wild emmer wheat revealed three functional Pm60 haplotypes

Powdery mildew(PM),caused by Blumeria graminis f.sp.tritici(Bgt),is one of the destructive wheat diseases worldwide.Wild emmer wheat(Triticum turgidum ssp.dicoccoides,WEW),a tetraploid progenitor of common wheat,is a valuable genetic resource for wheat disease resistance breeding programs.We developed three hexaploid pre-breeding lines with PM resistance genes derived from three WEW accessions.These resistant pre-breeding lines were crossed with susceptible common wheat accessions.Segregations in the F2populations were 3 resistant:1 susceptible,suggesting a single dominant allele in each resistant parent.Mapping of the resistance gene in each line indicated a single locus on the long arm of chromosome 7A,at the approximate location of previously cloned Pm60 from T.urartu.Sanger sequencing revealed three different Pm60 haplotypes(Hap 3,Hap 5,and Hap 6).Co-segregating diagnostic markers were developed for identification and selection of each haplotype.The resistance function of each haplotype was verified by the virus-induced gene silencing(VIGS).Common wheat lines carrying each of these Pm60 haplotypes were resistant to most Bgt isolates and differences in the response arrays suggested allelic variation in response.

Effect of samarium doping on the activity and sulfur resistance of Ce/MnFeO_(x) catalyst for low-temperature selective catalytic reduction of NO_(x) by ammonia

The self-made MnFeO_(x) catalysts doped with cerium and samarium were prepared by impregnation method for low-temperature selective catalytic reduction(SCR)by NH3.In this work,the surface properties of the series of MnFe-based catalysts were studied.The results indicate Sm-modified catalyst have superior low-temperature SCR activity;NO_(x) conversion maintained at nearby to 100%at 90℃ to 240℃.In addition,The N_(2) selectivity of Sm doping remains above 80%in the range of 60℃ to 150℃.In SO_(2) poisoning test,the NO_(x) conversion can be remained>90%after 10 h of reaction.The XPS,NH_(3)-TPD and H_(2)-TPR results show the catalyst with Sm doping enhances the acid sites and oxidation catalytic sites of mixed oxides serves for improving oxygen vacancies and transfer electrons.In situ diffuse reflaxions infrared Fourier transformations spectroscopy(DRIFTS)results show that NO_(x) is more easily adsorbed on the surface after Sm doping,which provided favorable conditions for the NH_(3)-SCR reaction to proceed.The reaction at the catalyst surface will follow the L-H reaction mechanism by transient reaction test.

Promoted catalytic property of Cu/SSZ-13 by introducing a minority of Mn for NO removal from diesel engine exhaust

The Cu-exchanged SSZ-13 with the small-pore chabazite framework is considered as a highly efficient catalyst for selective catalytic reduction of NO with NH_(3)(NH_(3)-SCR).In order to further improve the catalytic property,a series of Mn ion-assisted Cu/SSZ-13 powder catalysts were prepared by co-exchange method and stepwise exchange method.It is found that the NH_(3)-SCR activity,N_(2) selectivity,hydrothermal stability and sulfur resistance of Cu/SSZ-13 are promoted by introducing a minority of Mn(0.15%to 0.23%(mass))through co-exchange method.Characterization results reveal that the Cu,Mn co-exchange enables the higher amounts of Cu^(2+)active sites,the abundant medium strong and strong acid,the optimized ratio of Lewis acid to Brønsted acid etc.,which are required for a good NH_(3)-SCR catalytic property over broad temperature range and under harsh working environment.Moreover,a monolithic catalyst was prepared by impregnating a cordierite ceramic support into the coating slurry containing the optimized CuMn/SSZ-13 powder.The diesel engine bench tests show that Cu,Mn co-exchange gives the monolith catalyst a better catalytic property than commercial catalysts.This work provides an important guidance for the rational design of secondary-ion-assisted zeolites applied in NH_(3)-SCR.

Optimization-based mode selection scheme for OAM millimeter wave system in the off-axis misalignment case

Millimeter-wave transmission combined with Orbital Angular Momentum(OAM)has the advantage of reducing the loss of beam power and increasing the system capacity.However,to fulfill this advantage,the antennas at the transmitter and receiver must be parallel and coaxial;otherwise,the accuracy of mode detection at the receiver can be seriously influenced.In this paper,we design an OAM millimeter-wave communication system for overcoming the above limitation.Specifically,the first contribution is that the power distribution between different OAM modes and the capacity of the system with different mode sets are analytically derived for performance analysis.The second contribution lies in that a novel mode selection scheme is proposed to reduce the total interference between different modes.Numerical results show that system performance is less affected by the offset when the mode set with smaller modes or larger intervals is selected.

The suitability assessment on site selection for bottom seeding scallop culture based on analytic hierarchy process

Scallop culture is an important way of bottom-seeding marine ranching,which is of great significance to improve the current situation of fishery resources.However,there are some problems in site-selection evaluation of marine ranching,such as imperfect criteria system,complex structure,untargeted criteria quantification,etc.In addition,no site-selection evaluation method of bottom-seeding culture areas for scallops is available.Therefore,we established a hierarchy structure model according to the analytic hierarchy process(AHP)theory,in which social,physical,chemical,and biological environments are used as main criteria,and marine functional zonation,water depth,current,water temperature,salinity,substrate type,water quality,sediment quality,red tide,phytoplankton,and zooplankton are used as sub-criteria,on which a multi-parameter evaluation system is set up.Meanwhile,the dualism method,assignment method,and membership function method were used to quantify sub-criteria,and a quantitative evaluation for the entire criteria was added,including the evaluation and analysis of two types of unsuitable environmental situations.By overall consideration in scallop yield,quality,and marine ranching construction objectives,the weight of the main criteria could be determined.Five grades in the suitability corresponding to the evaluation result were divided,and the Python language was used to create an evaluation system for efficient calculation and intuitive presentation of the evaluation outcome.Eight marine cases were simulated based on existing survey data,and the results prove that the method is feasible for evaluating and analyzing the site selection of bottom-seeding culture areas for scallops under various environmental situations.The proposed evaluation method can be promoted for the site selection of bottom-seeding marine ranching.This study provided theoretical and methodological references for the site selection evaluation of other types of marine ranching.

Cooperative effect of sodium lauryl sulfate collector and sodium pyrophosphate depressant on the flotation separation of lead oxide minerals from hematite

As a cornerstone of the national economy,the iron and steel industry generates a significant amount of sintering dust containing both valuable lead resources and deleterious elements.Flotation is a promising technique for lead recovery from sintering dust,but efficient separation from Fe_(2)O_(3) is still challenging.This study investigated the cooperative effect of sodium lauryl sulfate(SLS,C_(12)H_(25)SO_(4)Na)and sodium pyrophosphate(SPP,Na_(4)P_(2)O_(7))on the selective flotation of lead oxide minerals(PbOHCl and PbSO_(4))from hematite(Fe_(2)O_(3)).Optimal flotation conditions were first identified,resulting in high recovery of lead oxide minerals while inhibiting Fe_(2)O_(3) flotation.Zeta potential measurements,Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FT-IR)analysis,adsorption capacity analysis,and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS)studies offer insights into the adsorption behaviors of the reagents on mineral surfaces,revealing strong adsorption of SLS on PbOHCl and PbSO_(4) surfaces and remarkable adsorption of SPP on Fe_(2)O_(3).The proposed model of reagent adsorption on mineral surfaces illustrates the selective adsorption behavior,highlighting the pivotal role of reagent adsorption in the separation process.These findings contribute to the efficient and environmentally friendly utilization of iron ore sintering dust for lead recovery,paving the way for sustainable resource management in the iron and steel industry.

Electron-deficient ZnO induced by heterointerface engineering as the dominant active component to boost CO_(2)-to-formate conversion

Electrocatalytic CO_(2)-to-formate conversion is considered an economically viable process.In general,Zn-based nanomaterials are well-known to be highly efficient electrocatalysts for the conversion of CO_(2) to CO,but seldom do they exhibit excellent selectivity toward formate.In this article,we demonstrate that a heterointerface catalyst ZnO/ZnSnO3 with nanosheet morphology shows enhanced selectivity with a maximum Faradaic efficiency(FE)of 86%at−0.9 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode and larger current density for the conversion of CO_(2) to formate than pristine ZnO and ZnSnO3.In particular,the FEs of the C1 products(CO+HCOO−)exceed 98%over the potential window.The experimental measurements combined with theoretical calculations revealed that the ZnO in ZnO/ZnSnO3 heterojunction delivers the valence electron depletion and accordingly optimizes Zn d-band center,which results in moderate Zn-O hybridization of HCOO*and weakened Zn-C hybridization of competing COOH*,thus greatly boosting the HCOOH generation.Our study highlights the importance of charge redistribution in catalysts on the selectivity of electrochemical CO_(2) reduction.

Clinical research progress on acupuncture for the treatment of otogenic vertigo

Otogenic vertigo is a common disorder that affects the vestibular system,which often results in considerable discomfort and impaired daily functioning.Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM),including acupuncture and moxibustion,has been historically utilized to manage the symptoms of vertigo.However,the effectiveness and methodology of these treatments have rarely been investigated in the medical literature.This study reviews the existing literature on the point selection,method,and therapeutic effect of acupuncture and moxibustion to provide a reference for the TCM treatment of otogenic vertigo.A literature search was performed using the PubMed search engine.The terms used included otogenic vertigo,acupuncture treatment,and acupuncture point selection.A total of 34 relevant articles were retrieved from PubMed.These suggest that the clinical treatment of otogenic vertigo should consider the functions of zang-fu organs and meridians and select different acupuncture treatment methods according to syndrome differentiation based on the difference between deficiency and excess.Acupuncture and moxibustion therapy should be based on acupoint selection,considering the syndrome differentiation,supplemented with experience.The treatment of otogenic vertigo with acupuncture and moxibustion refers to the selection of appropriate acupuncture methods under the guidance of TCM theory and following the principles of syndrome,disease,and meridian differentiation.Common acupuncture methods include body acupuncture,auricular acupuncture,scalp acupuncture,acupoint injection,electroacupuncture,and moxibustion.There are many acupuncture and moxibustion acupoints selected for the treatment of otogenic vertigo.Individualized treatment according to the patient’s specific condition is effective and safe,which can help to improve the patient’s vertigo symptoms and cerebral blood perfusion.

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.