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Although there is abundant evidence for the use of first-language (L1) knowledge by bilinguals when using a second language (L2), investigation into the impact of L1 knowledge in large-scale L2 language assessments and discussion of how such impact may be controlled has received little attention in the language assessment literature. This study examines these issues through investigating the use of L1-Japanese loanword knowledge in test items targeting L2-English lexical knowledge in the Reading section of EIKEN grade-level tests, which are primarily taken by Japanese learners of English. First, the proportion of English target words that have loanwords in Japanese was determined through analysis of corpus-derived wordlists, revealing that the distribution of such items is broadly similar to that in language in general. Second, the impact of loanword frequency in Japanese (and cognate status) was demonstrated through statistical analysis of response data for the items. Taken together, the findings highlight the scope and impact of such cognate items in large-scale language assessments. Discussion centers on how test developers can and/or should deal with the inclusion of cognate words in terms of context validity and test fairness.

Examining multiple niche relationships, such as habitat use and activity patterns, between sympatric species contributes to an understanding of the mechanisms of coexistence and competition. Sika deer (Cervus nippon Temminck, 1838) and Japanese serows (Capricornis crispus (Temminck, 1836)) often show different habitat use, and diversity in vegetation and topography seems to facilitate their coexistence. Conversely their habitat use may overlap in areas with low-diversity habitats; however, this remains unstudied. Moreover, whether they spatiotemporally avoid each other to reduce direct interference is unclear. We examined the fine-scale patterns of habitat use and activity of deer and serows in the subalpine forests of Mount Fuji, which have low-diversity habitats, using camera trapping data over 3 years. Deer and serow habitat niches largely overlapped, especially in summer (92%-94%) and autumn (89%-91%), suggesting that low-diversity habitats facilitate overlapping habitat use. Both species selected areas frequently used by the other during spring to autumn and their temporal niches largely overlapped, especially in summer (88%) and autumn (83%), suggesting that they do not spatiotemporally avoid each other (i.e., there is no direct interference). Rapid range expansion of deer into these subalpine habitats may exclude native serows through resource exploitative competition rather than interference competition. Key words: activity pattern, Capricornis crispus, Cervus nippon, competition, habitat use, sika deer, Japanese serow, Introduction Understanding the coexistence of multiple species belonging to the same guild is one of the major goals in animal ecology (Connor and Simberloff 1979). Niche theory posits that partial [...]

Background: This study investigated the scoring and criterion-related validity of the TEAP, a newly developed Test of English for Academic Purposes. In this study, scoring validity was examined by investigating the factor structure, while criterion-related validity was examined by first investigating the longitudinal change of test takers' perceived test task value toward the measured construct and then investigating the relationship of test takers' perceived value to the factor structure of the TEAP. Methods: Confirmatory item-level factor analysis was conducted using the data obtained from 2217 first-year university students comparing four models (unitary, correlated, receptive-productive, higher order). Additional confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to first investigate the longitudinal change of perceived value toward the measured construct and then to investigate the relationship of test takers' perceived value of the construct measured by the test to the factor structure of the TEAP. Results: The results show that the higher-order model was the best-fitting model. This confirmed a previous small-scale study suggesting the generalizability of the test's factor structure. Furthermore, it was found that test takers' perceived values measured at the start of university positively affected the values measured about 6 months later. In addition, perceived values measured both at the start of university study and about 6 months later positively correlated with the higher-order factor of the test. Conclusions: The results provide further support of the scoring validity of the test. In addition, a positive relationship between the higher-order factor of TEAP and the factors of perceived values provide evidence of the usefulness of test takers' perception to further support the criterion-related validity of the test.

This paper describes three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction processes introducing an image selection method to efficiently generate a 3D model from an image sequence. To obtain suitable images for efficient 3D reconstruction, we applied the image selection method to remove redundant images in an image sequence. The proposed method can select suitable images from an image sequence based on optical flow measures and a fixed threshold. As a result, it can reduce the computational cost for 3D reconstruction processes based on the image sequence acquired by a camera. We confirmed that the computational cost of 3D reconstruction processes can be reduced while maintaining the 3D reconstruction accuracy at a constant level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge of diet is essential for understanding the mechanism of coexistence among multiple species. Two gleaning bats, the Japanese long-eared bat (Plecotus sacrimontis) and the Ussuri tube-nosed bat (Murina ussuriensis), have similar eco-morphological traits, but it is unclear how they coexist. We examined the seasonal fecal contents of these species in the cool temperate forest of Mount Fuji, central Japan, using microscopical analysis. Long-eared bats, which have larger pinnae, more frequently consumed tympanate insects, such as adult moths, during early spring to summer, whereas tube-nosed bats, which have smaller pinnae, more frequently consumed non-tympanate insects such as caterpillars and grasshoppers, during spring to early summer and summer to autumn, respectively. Interestingly, they consumed insects of the same order but different developmental stages (i.e., adult moths and caterpillars) during spring to early summer, which revelation was made possible by microscopic analysis, not by DNA analysis. These differences suggest that the large pinna of the long-eared bat is an adaptation for preying on tympanate insects, which resulted in food resource partitioning. Additionally, to the best of our knowledge, the Ussuri tube-nosed bat can be considered one of the bats that most frequently eats caterpillars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the decommissioning activities, a movie was shot inside the reactor building during the investigation of the primary containment vessel by applying photogrammetry, which is one of the methods for three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction from images, to the images from this movie, it is feasible to perform 3D reconstruction of the environment around the primary containment vessel. However, the images from this movie may not be suitable for 3D reconstruction because they were shot remotely by robots owing to limited illumination, high-dose environments, etc. Moreover, photogrammetry has the disadvantage of easily changing 3D reconstruction results by simply changing the shooting conditions. Therefore, this study investigated the accuracy of the 3D reconstruction results obtained by photogrammetry with changes in the camera angle of view under shooting conditions. In particular, we adopted 3D computer graphics software to simulate shooting target objects for 3D reconstruction in a dark environment while illuminating them with light for application in decommissioning activities. The experimental results obtained by applying artificial images generated by simulation to the photogrammetry method showed that more accurate 3D reconstruction results can be obtained when the camera angle of view is neither too wide nor too narrow when the target objects are shot and surrounded. However, the results showed that the accuracy of the obtained results is low during linear trajectory shooting when the camera angle of view is wide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims/Introduction: This study evaluated the effects of the Medtronic MiniMed 770G hybrid closed‐loop system on glycemic control and psychological aspects in persons with type 1 diabetes mellitus. Materials and Methods: This 3‐month prospective observational study included 22 participants with type 1 diabetes mellitus who used the Medtronic MiniMed 640G predictive low‐glucose suspend system and were switched to the 770G system. Time in the range of 70–180 mg/dL and glycated hemoglobin levels were evaluated; satisfaction, emotional distress and quality of life were assessed using self‐reported questionnaires, including the Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire Status, Problem Area in Diabetes and Diabetes Therapy‐Related Quality of Life. Results: Time in the range of 70–180 mg/dL increased (63.5 ± 13.4 to 73.0 ± 10.9% [mean ± standard deviation], P = 0.0010), and time above the range of 181–250 mg/dL decreased (26.9 ± 8.9 to 19.6 ± 7.1%, P < 0.0005). Glycated hemoglobin levels decreased (7.7 ± 1.0 to 7.2 ± 0.8%, P = 0.0021). The percentage of participants with time below the range of 54–69 mg/dL <4% of readings increased from 91% to 100% (P < 0.0005). No significant changes were detected in the satisfaction, emotional distress and quality of life levels, but increased sensor calibration might be related to worsened emotional distress and quality of life. Conclusions: The hybrid closed‐loop system decreased hyperglycemia and minimized hypoglycemia, but did not improve psychological aspects compared with the predictive low‐glucose suspend system, probably because sensor calibration was increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study examined the factor structure of the Test of English for Academic Purposes (TEAP®) test--a recently developed academic English test measuring four skills among Japanese university applicants--and compared the structure to that of the Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet-based test (TOEFL iBT®), to investigate the extent towhich the TEAP test is related to the TOEFL iBT test. Methods: Using confirmatory item-level factor analysis and scores on both tests, obtained from 100 students, we tested four models (unitary, correlated, receptive-productive, andhigher-order) for the TEAP test. Results: We found that the higher-order model fit the data best. This suggests that the TEAP measures the four skills of reading, listening, writing, and speaking well and that they could be conceptualized as reflecting a single academic proficiency. This supports the appropriateness of the constructs, as defined and operationalized in the specifications of the TEAP test. Further, we found a close relationship between the TEAP and the TOEFL iBT tests (1.005). This suggests that both tests measure a very similar construct. This provides positive evidence of the concurrent validity of the TEAP test, as an indicator of academic English skills. These results were also supported by a follow-up analysis using item-parceled data. Conclusions: The close relationship between the TEAP and TOEFL iBT tests suggests that the TEAP test measures the intended construct of the four skills in academic settings very well.

Mg2+ and silicate ions are important ionic species in bone formation. Previously, the authors' group reported a 15MgO–15CaO–8P2O5–4SiO2 glass (silicophosphate invert glass [spIG]) containing orthophosphate and orthosilicate structures. Mg2+ and Ca2+ ions in the glass preferentially formed Si–O–Mg and P–O–Ca bonds, respectively, suppressing the release amount of silicate ions in a tris–HCl buffer solution (TBS). In this study, a new 15MgO–15CaO–5P2O5–10SiO2 invert glass without a silicate 3D‐network structure was prepared via a melt‐quenching method. The new glass exhibits an improved silicate‐ion release ability that promotes bone formation. The dissolution amounts of Ca2+ and phosphate ions from the glass into a TBS were similar to those of spIG, but the amounts of Mg2+ and silicate ions increased by ∼2 and ∼5 times, respectively. 31P and 29Si magic‐angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic analyses showed that the glass was composed of orthophosphate and chain silicate structures. Even when the silica content exceeded that of spIG, the formation of a silicate 3D‐network was suppressed. The O1s X‐ray photoelectron spectra indicated that (Si, P)–O–Mg bonds contribute to the glass formation. In a glass model based on classical molecular dynamics, the oxygen coordination numbers of Mg and Ca were determined as 4–7 and 5–8, respectively. Mg2+ ions are predominantly responsible for bridging the silicate/phosphate structures in this glass and play an important role in tuning the glass formation and the release amount of silicate ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]