Idioms Research Articles

Юридический язык средневековых русских купчих на землю XIV–XV вв.

This article aims to examine the history of the emergence of legal terms and expressions used in the drafting of land deeds in Russian territories during the XIV–XV centuries. The content of land deeds from this period indicates that over the centuries in medieval Russia, a distinct legal language was formed through which transactions for the sale and purchase of land were formalized. Analyzing the terminology and speech patterns used in the drafting of land deeds not only allows for a deeper understanding of our ancestors’ perceptions of the sequence of actions accompanying the process of land alienation through sale and purchase but also traces the transformation of certain commonly used words from Old Russian and Old Church Slavonic into legal terms. The findings of the study suggest that the legal language of medieval Russian land deeds was shaped by the oral practice of concluding real estate transactions predominantly based on the lexicon and linguistic expressions of the Old Russian language. In conclusion, the study of the legal language of medieval Russian land deeds sheds light on the evolution of legal terminology and linguistic practices in the region. The incorporation of traditional linguistic elements into legal discourse underscores the importance of historical context in understanding legal language. Moving forward, continued research into the linguistic and legal aspects of medieval land deeds will contribute to our understanding of the legal history of Russia and its linguistic heritage.

Video support for prehospital stroke consultation: implications for system design and clinical implementation from prehospital simulations

BackgroundVideo consultations between hospital-based neurologists and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) have potential to increase precision of decisions regarding stroke patient assessment, management and transport. In this study we explored the use of real-time video streaming for neurologist–EMS consultation from the ambulance, using highly realistic full-scale prehospital simulations including role-play between on-scene EMS teams, simulated patients (actors), and neurologists specialized in stroke and reperfusion located at the remote regional stroke center.MethodsVideo streams from three angles were used for collaborative assessment of stroke using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) to assess symptoms affecting patient’s legs, arms, language, and facial expressions. The aim of the assessment was to determine appropriate management and transport destination based on the combination of geographical location and severity of stroke symptoms. Two realistic patient scenarios were created, with severe and moderate stroke symptoms, respectively. Each scenario was simulated using a neurologist acting as stroke patient and an ambulance team performing patient assessment. Four ambulance teams with two nurses each all performed both scenarios, for a total of eight cases. All scenarios were video recorded using handheld and fixed cameras. The audio from the video consultations was transcribed. Each team participated in a semi-structured interview, and neurologists and actors were also interviewed. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed.ResultsAnalysis of video-recordings and post-interviews (n = 7) show a more thorough prehospital patient assessment, but longer total on-scene time, compared to a baseline scenario not using video consultation. Both ambulance nurses and neurologists deem that video consultation has potential to provide improved precision of assessment of stroke patients. Interviews verify the system design effectiveness and suggest minor modifications.ConclusionsThe results indicate potential patient benefit based on a more effective assessment of the patient’s condition, which could lead to increased precision in decisions and more patients receiving optimal care. The findings outline requirements for pilot implementation and future clinical tests.

Effective schematic design phase in design process

Design thinking is a way to create solid designs that responds to design problems and solve it in a creative and suitable way. However, it is not widely recognized in architectural education pedagogy in Egypt for undergraduate. Despite being very efficient in several business avenues but not in architectural pedagogy. So, this paper aims to spot the light on design thinking and the possibility of its usage in design process to help students have a successful architectural project that solves the design problems and face the site challenges through the use of visualization design thinking tool. Where students face a challenge in translating the verbal language of their collected data in the research phase to the architectural language in the schematic phase. There is a recognized gap between the research students perform in the beginning of design project and the schematic designs that students deliver. The study proposes the possibility of using visualization as a tool for design thinking to have a sufficient and successful schematic design phase. The study will explain how students could apply design thinking in architectural design to benefit from their research phase in their schematic design. Moreover, come up with solutions and variable ideas using the tools of deign thinking as a way for helping in delivering design problem solution and have a more effective schematic design. At the end of the research paper the study concludes how the students can use visualization tool to translate the verbal language to architectural language and the possibility for using design thinking. That to help students realize the importance of analysis phase in synthesis. The research follows descriptive method and quantitative analysis where first the descriptive method is used in illustrating design process and design thinking. Then the quantitative analysis in the experiment is done followed by a survey to prove research problem and help in proposing the solution.

A two-stream sign language recognition network based on keyframe extraction method

Sign language recognition (SLR) tasks are typically performed on a large number of continuous frames of sign language videos, making it challenging to utilize information efficiently and accurately from such a vast amount of data. Firstly, to efficiently utilize the information, it is necessary to select key information from numerous video frames to summarize the video. Therefore, this paper proposes a new method for key frame extraction that efficiently summarizes video information and addresses the issues of key frame clustering and data imbalance present in previous methods. Secondly, for more accurate information utilization, it is essential to learn the correct sign language expression features from a large dataset. Hence, we establish the Full-hand two-stream network to focus on the most crucial hand features in sign language expressions. The Full stream employs attention blocks to extract deep-level information and establishes temporal dependencies using global attention module. The Hand stream utilizes hand attention to focus on hand-specific feature information. Ultimately, our approach achieves state-of-the-art results on the CSL–500 Dataset and competitive results on the LSA64 Dataset. This paper validates the effectiveness of keyframe extraction methods and two-stream networks on the AUTSL dataset.

Language Translation Tool

The Language Translation Tool project aims to develop an advanced, user-friendly software application that facilitates accurate and efficient translation between multiple languages. Leveraging the latest advancements in neural machine translation (NMT) and artificial intelligence (AI), the tool is designed to overcome the limitations of traditional translation methods, providing high-quality translations in real-time. The core of the tool is built on state-of-the-art transformer models, such as OpenAI's GPT-4 and other comparable architectures, which have been fine-tuned on extensive multilingual datasets. This allows the tool to not only translate text with remarkable accuracy but also to understand context, idiomatic expressions, and cultural nuances, ensuring that the output is both grammatically correct and contextually appropriate. Key features of the Language Translation Tool include: The project also emphasizes data privacy and security, ensuring that user data is handled with the utmost confidentiality and compliance with international data protection standards. In conclusion, the Language Translation Tool project represents a significant step forward in bridging language barriers, fostering global communication, and promoting cross-cultural understanding through innovative technology. The successful implementation of this tool promises to revolutionize how individuals and organizations interact in an increasingly interconnected world.

Assessing the Impact of Bilingualism on the Linguistic Skills of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Greece: A Scoping Review.

(1) Background and Objectives: This review aims to identify the latest literature on the possible effect of bilingualism on the linguistic skills of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) residing in Greece. (2) Materials and Methods: The literature was searched in the databases of Scopus and PubMed by selecting articles and by reviewing four studies published in peer-reviewed journals. This Scoping Review is based on the standards of PRISMA recommendations for scoping reviews, while the PCC framework was used as a guide to construct clear and meaningful objectives and eligibility criteria. (3) Results: The publications included in the review addressed a variety of language-related skills, including morphology, the syntax-pragmatics interface, narrative ability, as well as both receptive and expressive language skills. (4) Conclusions: Three out of four studies provide evidence that bilingual ASD children are not disadvantaged compared to monolingual peers but rather enjoy some benefits, to a certain extent, due to bilingualism. However, the number of the reviewed studies as well as the limitations of the studies themselves render this conclusion tentative. Additionally, the findings set guidelines that speech therapists, educators, psychologists, and doctors in the Greek context need to follow when treating or educating bilingual children with ASD.

‘Where there is a will there is a way’: figurative language use and its pragmatic functions in political discourse

Abstract Although political discourse is essentially expected to be fact-based and objective, both practice and research show that literal language in political discourse is very often compounded with figurative language. The paper at hand tackles figurative language use in political interviews. For the purposes of this research, we conducted a critical discourse analysis of a corpus of political interviews given by a former Macedonian female politician – Radmila Shekerinska. The corpus consists of six interviews (with a total duration of about 3 h) in which she answers questions about the political climate and the challenges of North Macedonia in the last couple of decades. The selected interviews are all conducted in English as they are aimed at international audiences and they all fit into the time frame from 2017 to 2021, which practically overlaps with the final years of Shekerinska’s long-standing political career. This study uses a descriptive qualitative research design and focuses, first, on ascertaining the presence of different types of figures of speech in her answers (e.g. metaphors, simile, metonymy, synecdoche, personification, rhetorical questions, idiomatic expressions, proverbs, etc.); then, on identifying the pragmatic functions they perform in the context in which they are used, and finally, on establishing an interface between the figurative language use and the political ideology propagated by this politician. The results point to an extraordinarily resourceful use of a wide spectrum of figurative devices, skillfully intertwined with fact-based political discourse, primarily for addressing highly sensitive political issues, but also for driving important political points home; also, for gaining support from both the domestic and international community regarding the political ideology of this political figure as well as for enhancing the criticism addressed to political adversaries with an additional layer of creative flourish.

Singly exponential translation of alternating weak Büchi automata to unambiguous Büchi automata

We introduce a method for translating an alternating weak Büchi automaton (AWA), which corresponds to a Linear Dynamic Logic (LDL) formula, to an unambiguous Büchi automaton (UBA). Our translations generalize constructions for Linear Temporal Logic (LTL), a less expressive specification language than LDL. In classical constructions, LTL formulas are first translated to alternating very weak Büchi automata (AVAs)—automata that have only singleton strongly connected components (SCCs); these AVAs are then handled by efficient disambiguation procedures. However, general AWAs can have larger SCCs, which complicates disambiguation. Currently, the only available disambiguation procedure has to go through an intermediate construction of nondeterministic Büchi automata (NBAs), which would incur an exponential blow-up of its own. We introduce a translation from general AWAs to UBAs with a singly exponential blow-up, which also immediately provides a singly exponential translation from LDL to UBAs. Interestingly, the complexity of our translation is smaller than the best known disambiguation algorithm for NBAs (broadly (0.53n)n vs. (0.76n)n), while the input of our construction can be exponentially more succinct.

Implementation of Milleu Teaching: Improving Receptive and Expressive Language Skills in Early Childhood with Language Delay

Implementation of Milleu Teaching: Improving Receptive and Expressive Language Skills in Early Childhood with Language Delay

Subversion of Conventional Narratives in South Asian English Fiction: A Postmodern Analysis of Language Games and Metanarratives

This study investigates that South Asian English fiction subverts conventional narratives through the use of Jean-François Lyotard’s concept of language games. The study examines the constantly changing and context-dependent storytelling techniques employed in Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner, Michael Ondaatje's The English Patient, Amitav Ghosh's Sea of Poppies and Kamila Shamsie's Burnt Shadows. These techniques challenge established cultural, social, or moral norms. These novels utilize language techniques such as code-switching, ironic symbolism, and idiomatic phrases to highlight the ethnic backgrounds and complex identities of the protagonists. Authors demonstrate the evolution of meanings across time, as well as the varying ways justice is given to various individuals at different periods. They also emphasize the perpetual openness of truth, in accordance with Lyotard’s belief that knowledge is generated through conflicting narratives about reality. The findings clearly demonstrate that individual experiences and the socio-political environment continually influence and reshape our concept of morality.

Somatic, Auditory, Visual, Intellectual Learning Model in Improving Vowel Pronunciation for 3rd Class Deaf Students

The ability to pronounce vowels in deaf students is still low, the indications are the occurrence of replacement, addition, and even the omission of phonemes. On the other hand, there is the unpreparedness of the teacher in setting the right model and method during articulation exercises, ignoring the basic receptive and expressive language skills of deaf students, allegedly as a form of teacher failure in practicing articulation both during individual and classical learning. For this reason, it is necessary to have a learning model that can accommodate the needs of deaf students to articulate correctly. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of the SAVI (Somatic Auditory Visual Intellectual) learning model in improving the pronunciation of vowels in class III deaf students. The approach used in this research is quantitative with the type of experimental research in the form of SSR (Single Subject Research) with ABA design. Data was collected using Observation and Treatment Tests carried out on one deaf child. The results of the study were that in the baseline-1 condition, the intervention increased by a value of 73.33, the intervention in Baseline-2 decreased by a value of 60.83, and although the intervention in Baseline-2 experienced a decrease, the data obtained was much better than the baseline-1, which was 26.66. In conclusion, the Somatic, Auditory, Visual, and Intellectual learning model affects improving the pronunciation of vowels in Deaf Students. For this reason, teachers must pay attention to and develop sensory modalities in deaf students in an integrated and holistic way in learning articulation.

A State-Based Language for Enhanced Video Surveillance Modeling (SEL)

SEL, a State-based Language for Video Surveillance Modeling, is a formal language designed to represent and identify activities in surveillance systems through scenario semantics and the creation of motion primitives structured in programs. Motion primitives represent the temporal evolution of motion evidence. They are the most basic motion structures detected as motion evidence, including operators such as sequence, parallel, and concurrency, which indicate trajectory evolution, simultaneity, and synchronization. SEL is a very expressive language that characterizes interactions by describing the relationships between motion primitives. These interactions determine the scenario’s activity and meaning. An experimental model is constructed to demonstrate the value of SEL, incorporating challenging activities in surveillance systems. This approach assesses the language’s suitability for describing complicated tasks.

Puerto Rican welfare queens and the semiotics of respectability: The language of race, class, and gender

AbstractIn this article, we explore how raciolinguistic parody functions in a society that hegemonically denies racial divisions. Through an analysis of Puerto Rican comedian Natalia Lugo's YouTube portrayals of her character, Francheska the Yal ‘welfare queen,’ we argue that covert racialization operates through a semiotics of respectability, whereby disreputable forms of femininity, class expression, and nonstandard language are co‐indexical with the yal’s failure to normatively “whiten” herself. We contend that US colonial narratives that scapegoat poor women of color for the island's poverty are reconstructed in Lugo's parodies by depicting the yal as provincial and excessive. Lugo's performative choices underscore the interplay of linguistic, material, and discursive elements that marginalize the yal, enabling parody without challenging structural inequalities. Our analysis sheds light on the ways in which semiotic practices reify such social hierarchies where they are systemically denied.

Research gaps in the neurodevelopmental assessment of children with complex congenital heart defects: a scoping review

BackgroundChildren with congenital heart defects (CHD) are at risk for a range of developmental disabilities that challenge cognition, executive functioning, self-regulation, communication, social-emotional functioning, and motor skills. Ongoing developmental surveillance is therefore key to maximizing neurodevelopmental outcome opportunities. It is crucial that the measures used cover the spectrum of neurodevelopmental domains relevant to capturing possible predictors and malleable factors of child development.ObjectivesThis work aimed to synthesize the literature on neurodevelopmental measures and the corresponding developmental domains assessed in children aged 1−8 years with complex CHD.MethodsPubMed was searched for terms relating to psycho-social, cognitive and linguistic-communicative outcomes in children with CHD. 1,380 papers with a focus on complex CHD that reported neurodevelopmental assessments were identified; ultimately, data from 78 articles that used standardized neurodevelopmental assessment tools were extracted.ResultsThirty-nine (50%) of these excluded children with syndromes, and 9 (12%) excluded children with disorders of intellectual development. 10% of the studies were longitudinal. The neurodevelopmental domains addressed by the methods used were: 53% cognition, 16% psychosocial functioning, 18% language/communication/speech production, and 13% motor development-associated constructs.ConclusionsData on social communication, expressive and receptive language, speech motor, and motor function are underrepresented. There is a lack of research into everyday use of language and into measures assessing language and communication early in life. Overall, longitudinal studies are required that include communication measures and their interrelations with other developmental domains.

EXPLORING THE CONSISTENCY BETWEEN TEACHERS' AND PARENTS' RATINGS OF CHILDREN'S LANGUAGE SKILLS

Aim: The study investigated the correspondence between parent and teacher assessments of 3 to 6-year-old children's language skills using the Expressive and Receptive Language Scales from the Early Childhood Developmental Screening Toolkit – BAASIK (an acronym in Latvian). Material and methods: Ninety-five preschool teachers and 424 parents participated in an online survey assessing the expressive and receptive language skills of children aged 3 to 6 years. Results: Spearman's correlation analysis revealed statistically significant (p < .001) moderate to strong correlations between the ratings of children’s language skills by parents and teachers. For the Receptive Language Scales, correlations ranged from rS = .43 to rS = .6, and for the Expressive Language Scales, from rS = .54 to rS = .64. Conclusions: The study confirmed that parents’ and teachers’ assessments of children’s expressive and receptive language skills are significantly correlated. The BAASIK Expressive and Receptive Language Scales used by both parents and teachers could be effective for early screening, potentially aiding in the prompt identification of language development issues and the subsequent referral to speech and language therapy services.

INTEGRATION OF MUSIC AND ART: SOME ASPECTS TO TEACHING HISTORY OF ART

One of the trends in the process of updating the contemporary education is the use of the integratd approach to teaching. The integrated approach to teaching creates the environment which helps learners to understand relations between the areas of content of different arts. This approach is first and foremost oriented towards the development of learners’creative thinking and imagination. The program developed for teaching potential designers in Daugavpils University includes courses on history of Art. The History of Art operates with such common art categories as harmony, rhythm, genre, form, style, content, contrast, imaginative contrast etc. Being aware of mutual links between such arts as painting and music will develop understanding about associative imaginary links of the language of artistic expression. Comprehension of composer’s or painting’s creative work or an individual composition within the context of spiritual quest of the epoch allows us to broaden our perceptions about general regularities of the development of historical processes and art in one or another historical period. Those developmental periods of art, when the interaction between its different kinds was the most intensive and satiated the whole cultural aspect of the epoch (romanticism, impressionism, expressionism), attract the greatest attention. In music literature, the most delicate form of sound patterns is manifested in musical landscapes. Natural phenomena, due to their nature, can be not only seen but also heard, and therefore, the range of their reflection in music is tremendously broad. The research aim based on an integrated approach to teaching, to research the interaction between music and painting, as example using the creative work of Latvian landscapist Vilhelms Purvītis and Latvian composer Alfrēds Kalniņš. The paper focuses on the possibility to integrate art and music in the context of enrichment of students’ knowledge and skills.

Beyond words: an investigation of fine motor skills and the verbal communication spectrum in autism.

This study investigated the associations between fine motorskills and expressive verbal abilities in a group of 97 autistic participants (age 8-17, mean=12.41) and 46 typically developing youth (age 8-17, mean=12.48). Participants completed assessments of motor and verbal communication skills, including finger tapping speed, grooved pegboard, grip strength, visual-motor integration tasks, and measures of speech and communication skills. ASD group performance on motor tests was compared to controls. Non-parametric tests were used to analyze group differences and correlations between motor and verbal communication skills. Based on prior research, we hypothesized that individuals on the autism spectrum would exhibit deficits in fine motor speed, dexterity, pencil motor control, but not manual motor strength. Additionally, we expected that impaired fine motor skills would be linked to poorer performance on standardized measures of verbal abilities. The results indicated that 80% of autistic participants demonstrated an impairment on at least one measure of motor skills, and as a group, they exhibited significantly poorer fine motor performance compared to the non-ASD group in dominant hand finger tapping speed, bilateral fine motor dexterity measured via the grooved pegboard task, and pencil motor coordination and visual-motor integration measured on the Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration-Sixth Edition. Moreover, impaired fine motor skills were associated with poorer performance on standardized clinical measures of verbal abilities, including articulation errors, receptive and expressive language and vocabulary, rapid naming, oromotor sequencing, and parent reported functional communication skills and social communication symptoms. Overall,our findings suggest there is a high prevalence of fine motor impairments in ASD, and these impairments were associated with a range of verbal abilities. Further research is warranted to better understand the underlying mechanisms of these associations and develop targeted interventions to address both fine motor and verbal impairments in ASD.

A Contrastive Study of Euphemism Between English and Chinese - Taking Rejection as an Example

This paper investigates the nuances of euphemism language in refuse, comparing English and Chinese expressions. Politeness, a crucial aspect of communication, exhibits distinct cultural influences. The backdrop of communication underscores the pivotal role of politeness, particularly shaped by cultural disparities in English and Chinese. A thorough examination of these differences contributes to a comprehensive grasp of cultural variations in language expression. The study aims to discern commonalities and differences in the use of euphemism language, exploring frequency, expressions, and cultural implications. Adopting a comparative analysis approach, linguistic data related to requests is collected and analyzed. Findings reveal shared social strategies and illuminate the influential role of cultural backgrounds in shaping language expression during requests. English tends to be more direct, while Chinese prefers softer, more indirect approaches. Social relationships are crucial, with English culture maintaining looser ties and Chinese culture prioritizing face-saving and relationship preservation. Pragmatic strategies, including the use of mitigated language, are influenced by context and participant relationships. This comparative exploration not only deepens our understanding of cultural differences between English and Chinese but also provides valuable insights for linguistics and cross-cultural communication research, enhancing our appreciation for the intricate interplay between language and culture.

Subtitle Translation of Chinese Elements in View of Cultural Translation: A Case Study of Ne Zha: I Am the Destiny

Guided by Bassnett’s cultural translation theory, this paper probes the strategies and methods used in subtitle translation of film and television productions containing Chinese elements. Taking the translation of lines from Ne Zha: I Am the Destiny, it analyzes the language expressions of Chinese tradition and categorizes the methods of dealing with cultural elements in the translation process. The aim is to elevate the translation quality of film subtitles from a cultural perspective, facilitating better communication between the original-language films and target-language audiences, and promoting cross-cultural exchanges.

Folktales of Bihar: A Study of the Animal Characters

Cultural elements in folktales can manifest through idiomatic expressions, metaphors, proverbs, or references to specific historical events or figures. Each of these elements holds significant cultural value, enriching the story and providing insights into the community's collective experiences and values. In India, folktales are cherished by millions for their entertainment and aesthetic value. These tales are typically passed down orally from one generation to the next, and in more recent times, they may also be found in written form. Folktales from different regions reflect the thoughts, traditions, and culture of their people, providing both entertainment and insight into their past and present customs. Bihar is one of the most important states of India, located in the eastern region of the country, and has a rich tradition of folk culture. We often observe the representation of animal characters in folktales. In the context of the folktales of Bihar, we can also observe the depiction of different types of animal beings. The purpose of this study is to analyze how the animals are represented in the context of folktales of Bihar. To undertake this study, we need to utilize the descriptive analysis approach. To undertake this study, we need to utilize the descriptive analysis approach.