Somatosensory stimulation on the wrist enhances the subsequent hand-choice by biasing toward the stimulated hand.

Hand choice is an unconscious decision frequently made in daily life. The electroencephalogram before target presentation correlates with hand choice for the target where hand choice probability reaches equilibrium. However, whether neurophysiological interventions before target presentation influence hand choice remains unknown.

To What Age Do Japanese People Wish to Live?: The Impact of Age Stereotypes.

The images we have concerning aging and older people influence our health, well-being, and longevity; however, we do not know which of its aspects (e.g., health, appearance, and personality) positively or negatively affect us.

Understanding of the functions of forgiveness among preschoolers.

Forgiveness plays an important role in restoring and maintaining cooperative relationships. Previous studies have demonstrated that young children could forgive transgressors both as a third party and as a victim. However, the research on young children's understanding of forgiveness is scant.

Association between serum vitamin D levels and skeletal muscle indices in an older Japanese population: The SONIC study.

Aim: Vitamin D (VD) affects skeletal muscles. The high prevalence of VD deficiency in Japan may lead to decreased skeletal muscle mass and strength, increasing the prevalence of sarcopenia. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the association between serum VD levels and skeletal muscle indices in a Japanese community-dwelling older population.

Hallux valgus in preprofessional adolescent dancesport athletes: Prevalence and associated training factors.

Background: This study aimed to determine the risk factors of hallux valgus angle among preprofessional adolescent dancesport athletes.

Methods: A total of 275 athletes, (73 males and 202 females) aged between the ages of 11 and 18 years, participated in this study. A cross-sectional questionnaire was used to survey their demographic characteristics (sex and age), training information (starting age, weekly training time, and athletic career [number of years of training at this specific dancesport school]), and measured their height and weight.

Children are sensitive to the number of sources when relying on gossip.

Gossip allows children to effectively identify cooperative or trustworthy partners. However, the risk of being deceived must be faced because gossip may be false. One clue for determining gossip's veracity is the number of its sources since multiple informants spreading identical reputational information about others might imply that another's moral traits are viewed unanimously among members of a social group.

Subjective well-being can be predicted by caudate volume and promotion focus.

It is well-known that the caudate nucleus is associated with motivational behaviors and subjective well-being. However, no longitudinal studies have examined the relationship between brain structure, behavioral orientations, and subjective well-being. This study analyzes data from our previous longitudinal study to examine whether future subjective well-being can be predicted by the volume of the caudate nucleus.

Gender stereotypes regarding power and niceness in Japanese children.

Belief in gendered social power imbalance (i.e. males are more powerful than females) leads to undesirable gender disparities, but little is known about the developmental origins of this belief, especially in Eastern cultures.

Risk factors predicting subtypes of physical frailty incidence stratified by musculoskeletal diseases in community-dwelling older adults: The SONIC study.

Aim: This study aims to identify the key risk factors that lead to subtypes of physical frailty assessed by walking speed and grip strength among community-dwelling Japanese individuals, stratified by the presence of musculoskeletal diseases (MSDs) and age group.

Methods: We included 302 participants aged 70 or 80 years who did not exhibit subtypes of physical frailty at baseline through the Septuagenarians, Octogenarians, Nonagenarians, Investigation with Centenarians (SONIC) study. Our study was a longitudinal study.

Moving beyond Technical Issues to Stakeholder Involvement: Key Areas for Consideration in the Development of Human-Centred and Trusted AI in Healthcare.

Discussion around the increasing use of AI in healthcare tends to focus on the technical aspects of the technology rather than the socio-technical issues associated with implementation. In this paper, we argue for the development of a sustained societal dialogue between stakeholders around the use of AI in healthcare. We contend that a more human-centred approach to AI implementation in healthcare is needed which is inclusive of the views of a range of stakeholders.

Multidimensional regularity processing in music: an examination using redundant signals effect.

Music is based on various regularities, ranging from the repetition of physical sounds to theoretically organized harmony and counterpoint. How are multidimensional regularities processed when we listen to music? The present study focuses on the redundant signals effect (RSE) as a novel approach to untangling the relationship between these regularities in music. The RSE refers to the occurrence of a shorter reaction time (RT) when two or three signals are presented simultaneously than when only one of these signals is presented, and provides evidence that these signals are processed concurrently.

Search for unknown neural link between the masticatory and cognitive brain systems to clarify the involvement of its impairment in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease.

Brain degenerations in sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD) are observed earliest in the locus coeruleus (LC), a population of noradrenergic neurons, in which hyperphosphorylated tau protein expression and β-amyloid (Aβ) accumulation begin. Along with this, similar changes occur in the basal forebrain cholinergic neurons, such as the nucleus basalis of Meynert. Neuronal degeneration of the two neuronal nuclei leads to a decrease in neurotrophic factors such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex, which results in the accumulation of Aβ and hyperphosphorylated tau protein and ultimately causes neuronal cell death in those cortices.

Exploration of helpful elements contributing to engage in physical activity in patients with cancer.

Purpose: Although there are many reported benefits of physical activity for patients with cancer (e.g., improving quality of life), many patients with cancer do not meet the recommendations of physical activity guidelines.

Proposal and validation of a new approach in tele-rehabilitation with 3D human posture estimation: a randomized controlled trial in older individuals with sarcopenia.

Objective: Through a randomized controlled trial on older adults with sarcopenia, this study compared the training effects of an AI-based remote training group using deep learning-based 3D human pose estimation technology with those of a face-to-face traditional training group and a general remote training group.

Methods: Seventy five older adults with sarcopenia aged 60-75 from community organizations in Changchun city were randomly divided into a face-to-face traditional training group (TRHG), a general remote training group (GTHG), and an AI-based remote training group (AITHG). All groups underwent a 3-month program consisting of 24-form Taichi exercises, with a frequency of 3 sessions per week and each session lasting 40 min.

Promotive and protective effects of community-related positive childhood experiences on adult health outcomes in the context of adverse childhood experiences: a nationwide cross-sectional survey in Japan.

Objective: Although adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with poor health in adulthood, positive childhood experiences (PCEs) can reduce the risk of negative health outcomes. This study aimed to investigate whether PCEs in the community (CPCEs, ie, trusted adults other than parents, supportive friends, belongingness to school, or community traditions) would have an independent effect on better health outcomes and moderate the association between ACEs and adult illnesses.

Design: Cross-sectional survey.

The Dynamic Relationships between Educational Expectations and Science Learning Performance among Students in Secondary School and Their Later Completion of a STEM Degree.

The educational expectations of students for themselves have been commonly corroborated to directly predict their higher academic performance. Nevertheless, some recent research has reported that the academic performance of students may also contribute to their better development of educational expectations. Moreover, more advanced but limited research has argued that both the educational expectations and academic performance of students are developmental and changeable over time rather than fixed and stable.

An Examination of Students' Perspectives of Medical English Course Quality in Guangdong Medical Universities.

In China, medical English courses are critical to medical education, equipping Chinese students with the linguistic tools necessary for international medical practice and collaboration. However, a disconnect persists between the pedagogical approaches of medical practitioners and language educators, leading to a curriculum that emphasizes grammatical accuracy over practical communication skills. This misalignment results in student disengagement and falls short of addressing the real-world demands of the medical profession.

Isotemporal substitution of accelerometer-derived sedentary behavior and physical activity on physical fitness in young children.

This study investigates the effects of different types of physical activity (PA) on the physical fitness (PF) of young children in Japan, with a particular focus on how substituting sedentary behavior (SB) with active behaviors influences PF. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 1843 participants aged 3-6 years from northeastern Japan. Using triaxial accelerometers, we quantified PA, and PF was assessed via standardized tests.

An experimental study of the process of felt understanding in intergroup relations: Japanese and Chinese relations in Japan.

"Felt understanding" is a crucial determinant of positive interpersonal and intergroup relationships. However, the question of why felt understanding shapes intergroup relations has been neglected. In a pre-registered test of the process in intergroup relations with a sample from East Asia, we manipulated felt understanding (understood versus misunderstood by an outgroup) in an experimental study (N = 476).

Causal effect of physical activity and sedentary behavior on the risk of alcohol dependence: A bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization study.

Background: Alcohol dependence, influenced by physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior, lacks clear causal clarity. This study aims to clarify causal relationships by estimating these effects using bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR).

Methods: A bidirectional multivariable two-sample MR framework was employed to assess the causal effects of PA and sedentary behavior on alcohol dependence.

Metacognition in Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata): does impulsivity explain unnecessary looks in the tubes task?

Potential metacognitive abilities, such as monitoring and controlling cognitive processes, have been revealed in some primate species. In the tubes task, apes and macaques showed higher content-checking behavior when unaware of a reward's location, but they also periodically inspected the tubes when aware, especially when a more appealing reward was involved. Some attribute this to the pleasure of looking at the reward.