Traditional Characters Research Articles

Adaptation of the Taiwan Version of the Supportive and Palliative Care Indicators Tool (SPICT-TW) and Its Association with Six-Month Mortality: A Multi-Center Validation Study in Older People.

Background: The Supportive and Palliative Care Indicators Tool (SPICT) was developed for identifying, in a timely manner, patients who may benefit from supportive and palliative care for better treatment review, care-plan discussion, and end-of-life care. Although the SPICT has been validated in different languages and for patients living in different settings, it has not been validated for patients receiving home-based medical care (HBMC), or in the context of using traditional Chinese characters. Objectives: The present study aimed to validate the Taiwanese version of the SPICT (SPICT-TW) and to measure its ability to predict six-month mortality in patients who received HBMC in Taiwan. Methods: Seven HBMC agents (five clinics and two hospitals) participated in this validation study. We recruited 129 patients aged ≥ 50 years who had been consistently receiving HBMC for >two months. Results: The results revealed that the SPICT-TW demonstrated similar reliability and validity compared to other language versions of the SPICT. It may be an appropriate tool for healthcare professionals to detect, in a timely manner, the needs for palliative care in older people who receive home healthcare. Furthermore, we found that a combination of four general indicators and one clinical indicator in the SPCIT-TW has the best prediction ability at predicting six-month mortality in these HBMC recipients. This multi-center study validated the SPICT-TW among HBMC recipients in Taiwan. Conclusions: The SPICT-TW demonstrated high reliability and validity through the Kuder-Richardson 20, an intraclass correlation coefficient, Cohen's kappa, and receiver operating characteristic analysis, supporting its potential as a practical tool for identifying older adults at risk of dying within six months who have not yet received palliative care but may benefit from it.

Exploration of AI and AR Technologies in the Character Design of "Dream of the Red Chamber"

This study explores the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR) technologies in recreating the character of Wang Xifeng, a core figure in the Chinese classical literary masterpiece "Dream of the Red Mansions". By integrating two advanced tools, Midjourney and Kivicube, the study successfully created and displayed a digital virtual avatar of Wang Xifeng. The research employed qualitative research methods, including content analysis, experimental research, and a questionnaire survey. The feedback results showed that most participants were satisfied with the reshaped image of Wang Xifeng using AI and AR technologies. This study not only opens up new avenues for the modern interpretation of traditional literary characters but also provides valuable experience and theoretical support for the inheritance and innovative practice of traditional culture.

Identification of non-model mammal species using the MinION DNA sequencer from Oxford Nanopore.

The Neotropics harbors the largest species richness of the planet; however, even in well-studied groups, there are potentially hundreds of species that lack a formal description, and likewise, many already described taxa are difficult to identify using morphology. Specifically in small mammals, complex morphological diagnoses have been facilitated by the use of molecular data, particularly from mitochondrial sequences, to obtain accurate species identifications. Obtaining mitochondrial markers implies the use of PCR and specific primers, which are largely absent for non-model organisms. Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) is a new alternative for sequencing the entire mitochondrial genome without the need for specific primers. Only a limited number of studies have employed exclusively ONT long-reads to assemble mitochondrial genomes, and few studies have yet evaluated the usefulness of such reads in multiple non-model organisms. We implemented fieldwork to collect small mammals, including rodents, bats, and marsupials, in five localities in the northern extreme of the Cordillera Central of Colombia. DNA samples were sequenced using the MinION device and Flongle flow cells. Shotgun-sequenced data was used to reconstruct the mitochondrial genome of all the samples. In parallel, using a customized computational pipeline, species-level identifications were obtained based on sequencing raw reads (Whole Genome Sequencing). ONT-based identifications were corroborated using traditional morphological characters and phylogenetic analyses. A total of 24 individuals from 18 species were collected, morphologically identified, and deposited in the biological collection of Universidad EAFIT. Our different computational pipelines were able to reconstruct mitochondrial genomes from exclusively ONT reads. We obtained three new mitochondrial genomes and eight new molecular mitochondrial sequences for six species. Our species identification pipeline was able to obtain accurate species identifications for up to 75% of the individuals in as little as 5 s. Finally, our phylogenetic analyses corroborated the identifications from our automated species identification pipeline and revealed important contributions to the knowledge of the diversity of Neotropical small mammals. This study was able to evaluate different pipelines to reconstruct mitochondrial genomes from non-model organisms, using exclusively ONT reads, benchmarking these protocols on a multi-species dataset. The proposed methodology can be applied by non-expert taxonomists and has the potential to be implemented in real-time, without the need to euthanize the organisms and under field conditions. Therefore, it stands as a relevant tool to help increase the available data for non-model organisms, and the rate at which researchers can characterize life specially in highly biodiverse places as the Neotropics.

The genera Chrysillaand Phintelloidesrevisited with the description of a new species (Araneae, Salticidae) using digital specimen DOIs and nanopublications.

Two Southeast Asian spider collections: that of Frances and John Murphy, now in the Manchester University Museum and the Deeleman collection, now at the Naturalis Biodiversity Center in Leiden constituted the basis of this analysis of Chrysilla Thorell, 1887 and related genera. The latter collection also includes many thousands of spiders obtained by canopy fogging for an ecological project in Borneo by A. Floren. Some incongruences within the genera of the tribe Chrysillini are disentangled. The transfer of C.jesudasi Caleb & Mathai, 2014 from Chrysilla as type species of Phintelloides Kanesharatnam & Benjamin, 2019, based on analysis of molecular data is validated by morphology. An interesting new species known only from the forest canopy in Borneo, Phintelloidesscandens sp. nov, is described based on both male and female specimens. Distinguishing chrysilline genera is mostly based on traditional somatic characters, e.g., habitus, carapace and abdomen patterns, mouthparts, and genital organs. The utility of two character systems for distinguishing chrysilline genera is highlighted: 1) the presence of a flexible, articulating embolic tegular branch (etb) in combination with the conformation of the characteristic construction of the epigyne in Chrysilla and Phintelloides; 2) presence of red colour on carapace and abdomen of live males and females, in combination with abundant blue/violet/white iridescent scales such as inChrysilla and Siler. The red colour usually gets lost in alcohol, hampering species identification of alcohol material. The genera Chrysilla andPhintelloidesare redefined. Specimens of the heretofore unknown female of Chrysilla deelemani Prószyński & Deeleman-Reinhold, 2010 are described. The male and female ofChrysillalauta and male of C.volupe are redescribed. The genus Chrysilla is diagnosed and discriminated from PhintellaBösenberg & Strand, 1906, SilerSimon, 1889, Phintelloides Kanesharatnam & Benjamin, 2019 andProszynskiaKanesharatnam & Benjamin, 2019. The structure of the female genital organ of Phintelloidesflavumi Kanesharatnam & Benjamin, 2019 is scrutinized and the generic placement of Phintelloides is discussed. Males and females of one of the most variable species, Phintelloidesversicolor (C. L. Koch, 1846) are redescribed.Phintelloidesmunita(Bösenberg & Strand, 1906) is removed from synonymy with P.versicolor. Phintellaleucaspis Simon 1903 (male, Sumatra) is synonymized withP.versicolor.Biodiversity data are increasingly reliant on digital infrastructure. By linking physical specimens to digital representations of their associated data, we can lower barriers to information flow. Here we demonstrate a workflow whereby persistent identifiers (PIDs) in the form of DOIs issued by DataCite are assigned to specimens. Recognized taxa are identified by their catalog of life identifier, or by registration in ZooBank where no catalog of life identifier is available. We demonstrate the use of nanopublications, creating a series of machine readable, scientifically meaningful assertions regarding the provenance and identification of cited specimens. All human agents associated with the specimen data are linked to a persistent identifier issued by either ORCiD or Wikidata.

Aesthetics and Values in Animated Opera Characters: The Fusion and Innovation of Tradition and Modernity

In today's cultural exchange and heritage, animation, as a modern communication medium, is gradually becoming an important means of expressing traditional opera characters. This paper explores the fusion and innovation of tradition and modernity in the aesthetics and value expression of animated opera characters. By analyzing the aesthetic characteristics and value expressions of traditional opera characters, combined with the application of modern animation techniques, this study elucidates the unique advantages of animation in conveying the cultural connotations of opera and social values. Finally, the paper proposes strategies for combining traditional aesthetics with modern technology, and new pathways for innovative value expression in animated media, aiming to provide theoretical support and practical guidance for the modernization of traditional cultural dissemination.

An integrative taxonomy of some close related Palaearctic Macromia spp. (Anisoptera: Macromiidae)

An integrative taxonomy combining morphological and molecular data confirmed that both Macromia amphigena Selys, 1871 and M. manchurica Asahina, 1964 have been assigned to separate species hypotheses, although there is hybridization between the members of these taxa. Scientific names Macromia clio Ris, 1916 and Macromia kubokaiya Asahina, 1964 are shown to be junior synonyms of M. amphigena. Macromia amphigena exhibits a large range of intraspecies morphological variation within its wide distribution, which covers most of East Asia. Macromia berlandi Lieftinck, 1941 is treated as a junior synonym of M. cupricincta Fraser, 1924 based on previous research and the present study. Some traditional diagnostic morphological characters are deemed not suitable for species diagnosis. Integrative taxonomy can help researchers to filter out amphibolous morphological features and find more credible characters for future taxonomy.

НОВЫЙ ГЕРОЙ В КЫРГЫЗСКОЙ ЛИТЕРАТУРЕ (ПО РОМАНУ К. ДЖУСУБАЛИЕВА «ХОЛОДНЫЕ СТЕНЫ»)

K. Dzhusubaliev's novel "Cold Walls" (1969) is a pioneering work in Kyrgyz literature, employing the “stream of consciousness” technique and introducing a new type of hero. This article examines Arykov's character and the artistic methods used to reveal his inner world. The author creates a multilayered psychological portrait of a hero living in his memories and reflections, representing a departure from traditional Kyrgyz literary characters. “Cold Walls” significantly influenced the development of Kyrgyz literature by showcasing the potential of modernist techniques and profound psychologism, opening new avenues for portraying the human inner world.

Revision of Monstera (Araceae: Monsteroideae) of Central America

Monstera is the taxonomically least understood genus in the Araceae family in Mesoamerica. Identification is further complicated by drastic phenotypic changes from juvenile to adult stages and the precocious flowering of some species. The reliability of traditional taxonomic characters is uncertain, as they have been primarily studied in dry herbarium specimens, with their variability in natural populations and living plants remaining largely unknown. To enhance the taxonomy of Monstera, a comprehensive revision of Central America species was conducted. This involved: (1) an exhaustive literature review; (2) examining 4500 specimens from different herbaria, including most type specimens; (3) extensive fieldwork to document plant morphology at different developmental stages through photography and herbarium preparation; and (4) circumscribing species using the gathered data. This study recognizes 52 native species in Central America. Three species are newly described here M. coclensis, M. harrisoneorum, and M. ngabensis, and one is new record for Panama. For each species, detailed morphological descriptions, habitat information, phenology, conservation status, examined specimen lists, taxonomic and nomenclatural comments, and photographs of key morphological traits are provided.

Recircumscription of the genera Goniozus and Sierola (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae) based on morphological and molecular evidence

A number of undescribed species of the bethylid genera Goniozus and Sierola have been discovered in Australia and North America with character states that had previously been thought to be exclusive to one or the other, prompting a re-examination of the generic boundaries. Analysis of a large dataset of cytochrome oxidase I mtDNA sequences and key morphological characters found that Goniozus is well defined by two insertion-deletion events in COI. The traditional morphological characters can also be used to separate the genera, but variation within the regional fauna must be taken into account. Sierola always has four maxillary palpomeres; Goniozus usually has five, but some Nearctic species have four. Goniozus always has cell 2R1 of the fore wing open, with vein Rs weakly curved; Sierola has Rs bent sharply towards the wing margin, usually closing 2R1, but a small number of recently-described Hawaiian species and many undescribed Australian species and have it narrowly to moderately open. As a result of these changes, two species are transferred from Goniozus to Sierola: Sierola angulata (Muesebeck, 1933) comb. nov. from Australia, and Sierola jamiei (Ward, 2013) comb. nov. from New Zealand.

Retelling of Indian Mythological Stories Through Gender and Multi-Cultural Perspective and Analysis of Retelling

The research delves into exploring Indian mythology through gender and multicultural perspectives, employing a multidisciplinary approach to analyse contemporary retellings of myths. It evaluates how these retellings reinterpret traditional narratives, characters, and themes from diverse cultural and gender viewpoints. Data collection involves secondary analysis of literary works and primary data through interviews, using a purposive sampling method. The study aims to uncover socio-cultural, psychological, and ideological implications within these retellings. By examining diverse perspectives, the research argues that such reimaginations enrich cultural heritage and foster a more inclusive society. This exploration serves as a springboard for further discussions on storytelling’s significance in shaping societal norms. In conclusion, analysing retellings of Indian mythology through gender and multicultural lenses challenges traditional narratives, fostering inclusivity, and shaping a progressive understanding of our shared cultural heritage.

몽골 전통문자 교육의 현황

This study reviewed the current Mongolian government's overall traditional character education policy, analyzed how this education policy was reflected in Mongolia's general middle and high school textbooks, and examined the current status of Mongolia's traditional character education based on this. Mongolians have been using ‘Mongol bichig’, Mongolia’s own traditional script, since the 13th century and have a great heritage and history of written culture. As specified in the ‘Law on the Mongolian Language’ resolved in 2015, Mongolia's traditional script, Mongolian bichig, is ‘the precious heritage of the spiritual culture of the Mongolian people, the roots and stem of the nation's civilization, the unity of the nation, the well-being of the nation, and independence. It is a confirmation of independence, and it is also the noble duty of all Mongolians to learn, teach, use, and transmit the Mongolian language. Mongolia began using the cyrillic alphabet as the country's official alphabet in 1946, and with democratization in 1990, it is making great efforts to use both the current cyrillic alphabet and its own traditional script. The Mongolian government has been implementing many policies related to traditional characters since 1995, starting with the ‘Mongolian Traditional Characters National Program I’. Based on these policies, the subject ‘Mongolian Traditional Characters’ is currently being opened and taught in grades 6 to 12 of general middle and high schools.

Two different language ideologies and conflicting representations of China in Chinese Mandarin and Hanja

AbstractThis article demonstrates the ambivalent sentiments of Koreans toward China as represented by the ideological construction of Hanja (traditional Chinese characters) and Chinese Mandarin embodied in Korean media. Adopting discourse analysis to examine what is described by different language ideologies, this article investigates language discourses concerning Hanja and Mandarin, locating the former mainly within linguistic nationalism and the latter within linguistic instrumentalism. This article puts forth two suggestions. First, investigating linguistic nationalism in relation to the use of Hanja not only displays negative and antagonistic attitudes toward China and the use of Hanja as an embodiment of humiliating historical experiences but also shows ambiguity, fluidity, and vulnerability of Korean national identity. Second, in contrast to Hanja, Koreans' heated enthusiasm to learn Mandarin shows their affection for China as a global market and becomes intertwined with linguistic instrumentalism, embodying an articulation of neoliberalism by reproducing structures of inequality.

Visual field asymmetries in visual word form identification

Visual performance across the visual fields interacts with visual tasks and visual stimuli, and visual resolution decreases as a function of eccentricity, varying at isoeccentric locations. In this study, we investigated the extent of asymmetry and the rate of change in visual acuity threshold for visual word form (VWF) identification at horizontal and vertical azimuths across the fovea, and at eccentricities of 1°, 2°, 4°, 6° and 8° for 10%, 20%, 40%, and 80% contrast levels, to determine whether and how the eccentricities, meridians, and contrasts modulated the VWF identification acuity threshold. The stimuli were 16 traditional Chinese characters of similar legibility. Participants pressed a key to indicate the character presented, either monocularly or binocularly, at one of 21 randomly selected locations. A staircase procedure was used to determine the threshold, and a multiple linear regression model was used to fit the linear cortical magnification factor (CMF). We found that (1) the asymmetry was most pronounced on the vertical and superior azimuths, (2) the asymmetry between the right and left azimuths was not significant, (3) the CMF was significantly smaller on the vertical azimuth than on the horizontal azimuth, (4) the CMF was smaller on the superior vertical azimuth than on the inferior azimuth, and (5) monocular viewing and low contrast enhanced the CMF difference between azimuths. In conclusion, vertical and horizontal azimuths, location of eccentricity, contrast levels of word symbols, and monocular/binocular viewing have different effects on visual field asymmetry and cortical magnification factors.

Species delimitation, discovery and conservation in a tiger beetle species complex despite discordant genetic data

In an age of species declines, delineating and discovering biodiversity is critical for both taxonomic accuracy and conservation. In recent years, there has been a movement away from using exclusively morphological characters to delineate and describe taxa and an increase in the use of molecular markers to describe diversity or through integrative taxonomy, which employs traditional morphological characters, as well as genetic or other data. Tiger beetles are charismatic, of conservation concern, and much work has been done on the morphological delineation of species and subspecies, but few of these taxa have been tested with genetic analyses. In this study, we tested morphologically based taxonomic hypotheses of polymorphic tiger beetles in the Eunota circumpicta (LaFerté-Sénectère, 1841) species complex using multilocus genomic and mtDNA analyses. We find multiple cryptic species within the previous taxonomic concept of Eunota circumpicta, some of which were historically recognized as subspecies. We found that the mtDNA and genomic datasets did not identify the same taxonomic units and that the mtDNA was most at odds with all other genetic and morphological patterns. Overall, we describe new cryptic diversity, which raises important conservation concerns, and provide a working example for testing species and subspecies validity despite discordant data.

A study of the commodification of multilingualism in four cafés in China

Abstract Space is constructed as a particular place by various agents and in a variety of ways, and languages play an important role in the semiotic construction of a space. This study adopts a linguistic landscape approach to explore how languages are commodified for consumption in sites of luxury, i.e., four cafés in Quanzhou, a southeastern city of China. The findings show some similarities and differences in terms of language choice for the four cafés. Despite the similarities and differences, the four shops’ landscapes feature atmospheric multilingualism, where multiple languages and scripts move into a luxury register of late-modern consumption and create the affective regime of luxury and exclusivity. Atmospheric multilingualism is driven by commercial interests and characterized by the commodification of multilingualism and a division of labor among languages in four cafés. In this division, English, other foreign languages, and traditional Chinese characters are employed for their symbolic functions, indexing cosmopolitanism, distinction, luxury, and modernity. Simplified Chinese characters are linked to the interaction order and used in daily business as the main instrument of communication.

Comparative interpretation of the genesis of morphotypes of ideographic signs of Japanese and Chinese writing to the technology of teaching hieroglyphs to oriental specialists and orientalist teachers

The purpose of the study is to provide a theoretical justification, develop and introduce into university pedagogical practice a modular educational technology and the methods of «hieroglyphic identification», «ideographic comparison of morphotypes», methods of passive recognition and active prescribing used for its implementation to study the genesis of morphotypes of ideographic signs of the Japanese language, effective training future oriental specialists and orientalist teachers in ideographic writing. The article presents two submodules of the modular technology «Basic hieroglyphs». In the first submodule, «The history of the origin of Japanese language hieroglyphs, the morphogenesis of hieroglyphs and syllabic alphabet signs», a historiographic analysis is carried out, the historical and philosophical connections of ideograms and alphabet signs of the Japanese language with traditional and simplified Chinese characters, their evolution and involution are explored. Future specialists are trained to identify the similarities and differences in the morphology of modern Japanese and simplified Chinese hieroglyphic characters operating on the territory of mainland China, based on their characteristic features: type/shape, composition/structure, meaning, order of writing, etymological reference. The second submodule «Options for morphotypes of Japanese and Chinese ideographic writing characters» includes training in the differentiation of traditional Chinese characters, simplified Chinese characters, traditional Japanese characters, abbreviated Japanese characters, comparative characteristics and classification of written characters of the Japanese language. The implementation of the educational modular technology «Basic Hieroglyphs» and its constituent submodules in the structure of the complex didactic goal of the subject «Hieroglyphs» provides an effective solution to pedagogical problems. The introduction of the proposed modular educational technology into university pedagogical practice has a positive effect on achieving the pedagogical goal and improves the quality of organizational and pedagogical conditions for training future specialists in oriental studies and teachers of oriental studies at the university.

The buy-one-get-(almost)-one-free effect of learning traditional or simplified Chinese characters

A set of simplified Chinese characters (k = 995) and their traditional counterparts were presented to habitual traditional and simplified Chinese users, respectively, for recognition. The results showed an accuracy rate of at least 85% in the recognition of simplified characters by traditional Chinese users and in the recognition of traditional characters by simplified Chinese users. Additionally, it took the traditional Chinese users about 2.4 rounds of exposure to correct answers to learn and correctly identify all the simplified characters; it took the simplified Chinese users about 1.8 rounds to learn the traditional ones to the same effect. The results indicate that once the learners have mastered one script, the substantial overlaps between the two, along with a simple feedback for learning, enable the learners to make sense of the other easily. The buy-one-get-(almost)-one-free effect serves to encourage learners of Chinese to pursue bi-script literacy, a realistic and pragmatic goal.

Thinking Scripts

Chinese traditional characters share with Peirce’s existential graphs the fact of being endowed with an object-language that they describe through a nonlinear syntax and in an iconic way. Here iconicity is not restricted to images and perceptive similarity since diagrams and graphic metaphors are iconic too. The graphs are shown to be a borderland between Western traditional logic and Chinese traditional writing and culture, so the écart (Jullien’s concept for cultural distance) between characters and graphs is preserved even though graphs break with the Western prejudice in favor of conventionality at the expense of iconicity in logical systems. The take-home lesson for the study of writing systems is to substitute the orality-writing duality with the interplay among orality, writing, and pictures thus shifting from a linguistic typology to a semiotic one.

WING PHENOTYPIC DIVERSITY IN STINGLESS BEES GENERA (APIDAE: MELIPONINI) FROM ECUADOR AMAZONIA

Native stingless bees, Meliponini, are the only social bees that produce honey in addition to honeybees. These bees have been managed in meliponiculture and for crop pollination. In Ecuador, meliponiculture studies are scarce and limited by the lack of species recognition. Traditionally the taxonomic recognition of the species is based on morphological characteristics. In Hymenoptera, the wing shape has proven to be a valuable tool in combination with traditional characters. Due to this, the wing shape was evaluated for discriminating morphospecies in Ecuador’s Amazonian meliponaries. A total of 127 specimens grouped into six genera were analyzed: Melipona (Melikerria) sp., Melipona (Michmelia) sp1., Melipona (Michmelia) sp2., Tetragonisca sp., Paratrigona sp., Nannotrigona sp., Scaura sp., and Plebeia sp. The most significant differences are located at the vein intersection: cubital and cubital 1 (Cu + Cu1), posterior margin of the marginal cell (r and Rs), and basal and posterior marginal cell (M and Rs).

A Study of the Intersection of Traditional Calligraphy and Digital Media Art

Abstract As a classic representative of traditional culture, Chinese calligraphy art has more and more obvious advantages in today’s digital media art creation. In this paper, the calligraphic text image is binarized by the OTSU method, the image enhancement is realized by linear gray value stretching, and the optimal tilt correction method is used to preprocess the traditional calligraphic text image and make a font library. Based on the data from the calligraphy font library, an immersive digital interactive context of traditional calligraphy is designed using digital media art. Pix2Pix network is introduced to combine with the PatchGAN network to establish a style migration network for traditional calligraphy text images, and three different types of loss functions are designed to ensure the accurate generation of traditional calligraphy text. The L1 loss of this paper’s model in generating traditional calligraphy characters is only 0.0359 at the lowest, the similarity values of the generated samples of calligraphy characters are mainly between 90% and 96%, and the maximum error of the relative position and relative size of the radicals is only 1.18%. The average value of the G2R indicator for the users’ images of calligraphic characters was 75.23%, and 89.86% of the users indicated that they were basically satisfied with the immersive interactive context of traditional calligraphy. Traditional calligraphy can achieve digital transformation and provide audiences with more diverse cultural experiences by relying on digital media art.