A new edition of the Hittite hymn to Adad (KBo 3.21 – CTH 313)

Parent-implemented early communication interventions are commonly delivered to culturally and linguistically diverse families. Although there is evidence from fields such as public health or psychology, there is little guidance regarding what elements to culturally adapt for parent-implemented speech-language pathology interventions. This scoping review addresses this gap by identifying parent-implemented early communication interventions that have been culturally adapted and describing which intervention components were adapted. Definitions of culture, use of adaptation frameworks, and adaptation guidelines, policies, and recommendations are also reported. The databases Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Embase via OVID were searched. Supplementary search methods, including hand-searching of references and a gray literature search, were also conducted. Covidence software was used to deduplicate, collate, and review articles. Population, intervention, study, and cultural adaptation data were extracted and synthesized using the Ecological Validity Framework. Twenty-one articles were included from the database and supplementary searches. No studies defined culture, and only three used cultural adaptation models or frameworks to guide adaptation. Studies varied greatly in what they adapted; language adaptations, such as translation, were conducted most frequently, and intervention goals were rarely adapted. Only three studies obtained parent feedback to inform cultural adaptation for future recommendations. More clarity in the reporting of cultural adaptation for communication interventions is required. Cultural adaptation frameworks are useful tools to guide adaptation but can be difficult to operationalize. Additional research in this area is necessary to help clinicians provide culturally responsive, parent-implemented communication interventions. https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.20416107.

Cultural adaptation presents a significant challenge in translation, particularly when translating texts across diverse cultural contexts. Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies have introduced new approaches for translators to manage this issue, reshaping the way cultural adaptation is handled in various domains. This study investigates the role of human-centered artificial intelligence (HCAI) in improving translation quality, specifically in the context of translating popular science books. The research aims to explore how AI tools improve both the accuracy and fluency of the translation while maintaining the integrity of cultural features when applied to culturally-loaded content. In this study, the translation of culture-specific elements is initiated through machine translation. Subsequently, AI tools are employed for detecting and proofreading potential errors or inconsistencies, focusing on cultural adaptation. The case studies are drawn from a popular science book, providing a practical foundation for examining how AI tools assist translators in navigating the cultural challenges inherent to such texts. The findings reveal that while AI tools offer substantial support in managing the complexities of cultural adaptation, their effectiveness is optimized when they are used as complementary tools rather than as a replacement for human intervention. The research emphasizes that the translation process must remain fundamentally human-centered. Furthermore, the study underscores that while AI technologies can significantly improve efficiency and consistency, the human translator must retain a central role in ensuring that the translation meets the cultural and contextual expectations of the target audience. AI should be viewed as a supplementary tool that enhances the translator’s work so that cultural adaptation is both accurate and sensitive. This synergy between human translators and AI technology paves the way for more effective and high-quality cross-cultural communication and exchange. Overall, the utilization of AI tools in the translation process holds the potential to improve translation quality, but it must be applied within a framework that prioritizes human expertise and experience, particularly when addressing culturally specific content.

Bernardino's Rotting Corpse? A Skeptic's Tale of Capestrano's Preaching North of the Alps James D. Mixson (bio) Over the last two decades scholars have transformed our approaches to the religious history of the later middle ages. Setting aside older models of crisis and decline, reform and (pre-) Reformation, they now engage an era shown to be sparkling with energy and variety. A religious landscape once viewed through sharp dichotomies (elites against commoners, Latin against vernacular culture, clergy against laity, and so on across a wide range), now challenges scholars to think in terms of paradox, tension, and unpredictability, and to balance broad generalization with regional and local complexity. Moreover, scholars now confront more fully than ever the challenge of the sources - an unexplored wilderness of manuscripts and texts, of genres and dynamics of authorship, publicity and circulation that defy easy categorization.1 In ways resonant with this scholarship, the last two decades and more have also witnessed a reconsideration of the life and career of Giovanni of Capestrano. Though Johannes Hofer's monumental two-volume biography in many ways remains a standard, its early-twentieth century Catholic vision of 'a life in the fight for the reform of the Church' now yields to a wide range of new perspectives and approaches. From the pioneering conferences organized by Edith Pasztor and the essays of Kaspar Elm to the contributions of this volume of Franciscan Studies, scholars have transformed our image of the friar in ways that reflect and reinforce our changing view of his era.2 Capestrano's preaching, writing, and travel [End Page 73] are central to studies of the religion and culture of cities and towns from Tuscany to Silesia and Hungary; his legal and theological treatises are now central to recent discussions of topics ranging from Observant reform to blood piety and persecution of the Jews; his memory, miracles, and canonization are studied as part of a history of saints, of imagery and cult that reaches from late medieval Europe to the early modern Atlantic world.3 Each of these reappraisals of Capestrano has had to confront, to varying degrees, a formidable series of challenges. First, for all that specialists continue to teach us, general audiences lag behind. For many, inherited hagiographical and institutional traditions still hold sway; Capestrano's story remains primarily a Franciscan story, rather than a broader one about fifteenth-century Europe. And for most beyond the specialist [End Page 74] ranks, like so much else in his era, Capestrano's story is often a casualty of periodization - too late to inspire much interest among scholars of medieval religious life, who often remain focused on the golden age of the twelfth and (early) thirteenth centuries; too early, and somehow too medieval, to be of interest to scholars who look forward to the sixteenth century and beyond. To a general audience, especially in the Anglophone world, our friar can seem somehow less than compelling in other respects as well - too much a conservative man of the schools, too much a traditionalist, even a persecutor, whose worldview seems out of step with the stories of heresy and dissent, women, of and gender, piety and devotion that now inspire so many. We gravitate to other figures - Gerson, Cusanus, Christine - whose stories seem more compelling, more accessible, resonant with modern interests and sensibilities. These challenges of interpretation are in turn aggravated by the sources themselves. Capestrano's remarkable corpus of sermons, letters, and treatises remains frustratingly difficult to access. While many of his contemporaries (Gerson and Nicholas of Cusa again, for example, and especially Bernardino) have had their works published in reasonably reliable modern editions, the dream of a proper edition of Capestrano's works remains unrealized, plagued for centuries by false starts and bad fortune. Thankfully scholars have pressed on all the same, their efforts often piecemeal, but effective. Editions of important sermon cycles, treatises, and other texts are either underway or in view - most importantly, perhaps, the brave proposal to edit Capestrano's hundreds of letters, which Letizia Pellegrini advanced in the pages of this journal not long ago.4 But this work is arduous, difficult to coordinate, and increasingly difficult to fund. Small...

Cultural adaptation of interventions is complex and yet vital to achieving the intended benefits of interventions with new populations. However, little is known regarding deliverers' perceptions of cultural adaptation and when a cultural adaptation process can be considered complete. The purpose of this study was to explore aspects of cultural adaptation that need further attention in an intervention that had undergone an initial cultural adaptation. Four focus groups (FGs) were conducted with preschool teachers who had worked with a culturally adapted version of preschool Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PATHS©) in Sweden for approximately 6 months. In total, 16 teachers from eight preschools were included, with 3-5 teachers in each group. All FGs were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis with an inductive approach was applied to the transcribed data. Three themes were identified where teachers described the need for further cultural adaptation for the intervention to align with personal and societal fundamental cultural values and be useful for their work as teachers in the Swedish preschool setting. The themes pertained to culturally adapting a manual-based intervention to a foundational, value-based approach, such as the practical application of core values and the steering documents of the Swedish preschool. Furthermore, the practical function of the culturally adapted intervention in the new cultural context revealed a further need to adjust materials and activities in interaction with the children. Finally, the prerequisites within the Swedish cultural setting, including resources and collaboration with parents as part of the work structure for preschool teachers in Sweden, needed further attention in relation to the intervention. The findings of this study highlight the importance of the deliverer in the cultural adaptation process in addition to adaptations that focus on end users (children in the case of preschool PATHS). Furthermore, the study indicates a need for a more open-ended view of the cultural adaptation process for interventions than perhaps previously described in models of cultural adaptation of interventions.

Cultural adaptation occurs in a wide range of socio-cultural contexts which describe the acquisition of skills and knowledge. The aim of the study was to assess the process of cultural adaptation by the Bangladeshi workers in Sarawak and to compare it with their own culture. This was a cross-sectional study conducted among the Bangladeshi migrant workers in the selected districts in Sarawak. A total of 314 Bangladeshi workers were successfully interviewed using structured questionnaire. Data were collected by face-to-face interview. Data analysis was done by IBM SPSS version 22.0. Data analysis was done in three domains of cultural adaptation which was language adaptation, cultural behaviour and cultural knowledge using 22 items of question. Analysis revealed that language adaptation was quick and sustained which accounted for 53%, while, gaining cultural knowledge was 24% and cultural behaviour was 21%. Overall, 34% adapt local culture of the country of destination and 67% practiced their own culture and the difference was statistically significant (p<0.05). A multiple linear regression analysis revealed that nature of job, income, mode of payment, marital status and health insurance appeared to be important motivating factors for cultural adaptation in Malaysia (p<0.05). The findings suggest that Bangladeshi migrant workers are integrating into Malaysian society, keeping uphold their own culture. Though this study did not depict the overall scenarios, a cross-cultural issues with a rigorous working framework are warranted to get more in-depth cultural adaptation and process among the migrant workers in the country of destination.

Translating evidence-based intervention in public health is important to improve health behaviors and other outcomes and reduce health disparities. Culturally adapting intervention is one approach to reaching different cultural groups. The goals of this paper were to compile definitions of program adaptations, identify processes and steps in cultural adaptations, and pose recommendations for future research related to cultural adaptations. We performed a scoping review of cultural adaptation frameworks or models for public health. Studies were coded for definitions of adaptation, cultural adaptation, other cultural concepts, process steps, community engagement, and public health topic. We found 15 frameworks that described cultural adaptation concepts and processes, and nine had varying definitions of cultural adaptations. All frameworks included tasks of information gathering about the community and developing a preliminary adapted program; over 50% had making refinements to the adapted program after some pilot testing. Only one framework mentioned the role of experts in the adaptation or enhancement process, and one mentioned dissemination. Thirteen articles (86.7%) reported the inclusion of community engagement in the adaptation process. These data present key definitions related to cultural adaptation and themes related to the process of cultural adaptation. We also report on key steps for conducting cultural adaptations. Findings can be utilized to guide future adaptations of evidence-based interventions to ensure culturally competent research and practice.

Cultural adaptation of evidence-based treatments is a pressing priority for global health, and previous research has informed recommendations for guiding the process of translation and adaptation. As research in the domain of cultural adaptation and evaluation of evidence-based treatments progresses, it is critical that researchers communicate key lessons learned, so that models of adaptation can be continuously refined and reconsidered. The work described in this article aimed to translate and culturally adapt an online intervention to address symptoms of posttraumatic stress-the PTSD Coach Online-for use with young adults in Egypt. The cultural adaptation framework proposed by Bernal and colleagues (1995) was used, and focus groups and interviews with members of the target population, mental health professionals, and service users were conducted. The authors encountered a number of challenges in treatment adaptation that generated important insights for future work. Specifically, this case study highlights the importance of translation teams with diverse backgrounds and experiences, the critical nature of iterative feedback throughout the adaptation process, and the importance of a long time-horizon for optimal adaptation.

Cultural adaptation of a digital therapeutic for insomnia for Spanish-speaking Hispanic adults in the United States: a qualitative study.

Quality of life has become an important end point in clinical trials and academic studies. The questionnaires developed by the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Group are widely used to measure quality of life in cancer patients. The expanding geographical coverage of current studies and trials implies a continuous rise in requests for new language versions of the questionnaires. Together with normal linguistic problems in translation, cultural differences come into play, especially in translations into non-European languages. Two types of such problems can be differentiated: first, specific issues related to culturally dependent activities or phenomena; second, topical issues related to taboos. These translation challenges have to be carefully addressed to ensure the equivalence and validity of the final questionnaires.

BackgroundDigital mental health interventions leverage digital communication technology to address the mental health needs of populations. Culturally adapting interventions can lead to a successful, scalable mental health intervention implementation, and cultural adaptation of digital mental health interventions is a critical component to implementing interventions at scale within contexts where mental health services are not well supported.ObjectiveThe study aims to describe the cultural adaptation of a digital mental health intervention Step-by-Step in order to address depression among Chinese young adults.MethodsCultural adaptation was carried out in four phases following Ecological Validity Model: (1) stage setting and expert consultation; (2) preliminary content adaptation; (3) iterative content adaptation with community members; (4) finalized adaptation with community feedback meetings. Cognitive interviewing was applied to probe for relevance, acceptability, comprehensibility, and completeness of illustrations and text. Six mental health experts and 34 Chinese young adults were recruited for key informant interviews and focus group discussions.ResultsWe adapted the text and illustrations to fit the culture among Chinese young adults. Eight elements of the intervention were chosen as the targets of cultural adaptation (e.g., language, metaphors, content). Samples of major adaptations included: adding scenarios related to university life (relevance), changing leading characters from a physician to a peer and a cartoon (acceptability), incorporating two language versions (traditional Chinese and simplified Chinese) in the intervention (comprehensibility), and maintaining fundamental therapeutic components (completeness).ConclusionThis study showed the utility of using Ecological Validity Model and a four-point procedure framework for cultural adaptation and achieved a culturally appropriate version of the Step-by-Step program for Chinese young adults.

Migrant children’s discrimination perceptions directly affect their cultural adaptation in the city of influx. In response to migrant children, cities in China have issued relevant urban education policies such as the different-location college entrance examination policy. This study aims to investigate the impact of China’s urban educational policies on the relationship between perceptions of discrimination and acculturation among migrant children. The research sample for this paper was drawn from nine cities that pioneered the policy reform, and a total of 1436 questionnaires were collected. This study analyzed the data using multiple regression analysis and mediation effect tests. This study reveals the following: (a) Migrant children’s educational policy identity has a significant positive impact on their acculturation, whereas their perception of discrimination has a significant negative effect on their acculturation. (b) As the influence of urban educational policies increases, the negative effects of discrimination perceptions on migrant children’s school cultural adaptation, community cultural adaptation, and customs and language adaptation will all diminish. To further explore the facilitating effect of urban educational policies on the cultural adaptation of migrant children, this study proposes recommendations for the household registration system, college entrance examination admission system, and child protection system. This paper not only puts forward policy recommendations for cities of inflow but also provides a Chinese research horizon for the urban cultural adaptation of migrant children in cities of inflow.

5 - Models of Adaptation and Change

This book provides a comprehensive analysis of the religious landscape in the United States, tracing the historical evolution, demographic trends, and future prospects of various religious groups. Covering traditions such as evangelicals, mainline Protestants, Catholics, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, and the growing demographic of the religiously unaffiliated (atheist/agnostic and “nothing in particular”), the book delves into the unique challenges and opportunities each group faces. Special attention is given to the influence of immigration, cultural adaptation, and the rising secularism within American society. Using data-driven insights from sources like the General Social Survey and the Religion Census, the book presents a detailed picture of how religion shapes, and is shaped by, broader societal changes. The book concludes by exploring the potential future trajectories of American religion, considering factors such as generational shifts, changing religious affiliations, and the impact of social and political trends.

A scoping review of cultural adaptations of substance use disorder treatments across Latinx communities: Guidance for future research and practice

Development of an acceptance based PrEP intervention (ACTPrEP) to engage young black MSM in the South utilizing the Adaptome Model of intervention adaptation