Large-scale Translation Research Articles

Is the use of multiple-choice items and a holistically-scored paragraph translation task fair? Examining a large-scale translation subtest

AbstractThis study investigated the test fairness of the translation section of a large-scale English test in China by examining its Differential Test Functioning (DTF) and Differential Item Functioning (DIF) across gender and major. Regarding DTF, the entire translation section exhibits partial strong measurement invariance across female and male test takers, while exhibiting full measurement invariance across test takers in (1) arts & humanities and social sciences (A&HSS) and (2) science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) majors. No major-based DIF was detected in this study. Objective test items tend to favor male test takers, while direct translation test task was more favorable to females. Combining the DIF and DTF results, there may be a cancelation effect in our case. However, the effect size of DIF is either negligible or slight to moderate, indicating minimal impact on the overall fairness of the translation test task. This study further discusses the necessity of exploring the source of DIF and the importance of combining DIF and DTF for test fairness research.

Research on the Acceptance of Crowdsourced Translation Platform Technologies by Translators

In the current era marked by rapid digitalization and globalization, crowdsourced translation platforms have emerged as key players in the global translation market, prized for their flexibility and efficiency. This new model of translation services not only provides a means to address large-scale translation demands but also introduces challenges and shifts in conventional translation workflows. This study investigates translators’ acceptance of paid crowdsourced translation platform technologies, with the aim of identifying the primary factors that influence technology acceptance and understanding how these factors impact translators’ work attitudes and behaviors. Through a mixed-methods approach that integrates surveys and in-depth interviews, the study gathers data from 300 translators with varied experiences and backgrounds. Utilizing the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the research reveals the significant effects of perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use on translators’ acceptance of technology. It is particularly noteworthy that translators show a high sensitivity to their perceptions of the platforms’ efficiency and potential changes in their income. Furthermore, job satisfaction emerges as a key factor in determining translators’ willingness to continue using crowdsourced platforms. This research not only provides insights into how to enhance the relationship between crowdsourced translation platforms and translators but also offers valuable recommendations for the advancement of translation education and the professional development of translators.

Utilizing Euler poles for the evaluation of plate rigidity in numerical mantle convection models

SUMMARY Evidence that the Earth’s surface is divided into a tessellation of piece-wise rigidly translating plates is the primary observation supporting the solid-state creep-enabled convection paradigm, utilized to investigate evolution of the Earth’s mantle. Accordingly, identifying the system properties that allow for obtaining dynamically generated plates remains a primary objective in numerical global mantle convection simulations. The first challenge for analysing fluid dynamic model output for the generation of rigid plates is to identify candidate plate boundaries. Here, we utilize a previously introduced numerical tool for plate boundary detection which uses a user specified threshold (tolerance) to automatically detect candidate plate boundaries. The numerical tool is applied with different sensitivities, to investigate the nature of the surface velocity fields generated in three calculations described in earlier work. The cases examined differ by the values that they specify for the model yield stress, a parameter that can allow the formation of tightly focussed bands of surface deformation. The three calculations we examine include zones comprising possible plate boundaries that are characterized by convergence, divergence and strike-slip behaviour. Importance of the potential plate boundaries is assessed by examining the rigidity of the inferred model generated plates. The rigidity is measured by comparing the model velocities to the rigid rotation velocities implied by the statistically determined Euler poles for each candidate plate. We quantify a lack in rigidity by calculating a deformity field based on disagreement of actual surface velocity with rotation about the Euler pole. For intermediate yield stress and boundary detection threshold value, we find that the majority of the model surface can translate almost rigidly about distinct plate Euler poles. Regions that conform poorly to large-scale region rigid translation are also obtained but we find that generally these regions can be decomposed into subsets of smaller plates with a lower tolerance value. Alternatively, these regions may represent diffuse boundary zones. To clarify the degree to which the mantle convection model behaviour shows analogues with Earth’s current-day surface motion, we apply the plate boundary detection and Euler pole calculation methods to previously published terrestrial strain-rate data. Strong parallels are found in the response of the terrestrial data and mantle convection calculations to the threshold value, such that appropriate choice of that parameter results in very good agreement between observations and convection model character. We conclude that plates generated by fluid dynamic convection models can exhibit motion that is markedly rigid, and define statistics (plateness) and fields (deformity) by which the generation of self-consistently determined plate rigidity can be quantified, as well as describing how plate recognition might be optimized. We also note that in agreement with the Earth’s current state, we obtain a dozen dominant plates in the case exhibiting the most plate-like (rigid) surface, suggesting that this approximate number of plates is perhaps intrinsic to the geometry, surface area and physical properties of Earth’s mantle.

The English Translation of Chinese Political Discourse from a Materialistic Dialectics Perspective

China has witnessed two rounds of large-scale translation activity over the past 40 years of reform and opening-up since 1978. And the focus of the Chinese translation community now has been shifting from “translating the world” to “translating China” after China entered the new era in 2012. Therefore, it is imperative to quicken the pace in China’s “going global” by narrating Chinese stories to the wider world. As an integral part of its global communication, Chinese political discourse represents national attitudes, stances and values. In this regard, how to improve the quality and communication effect of its translation becomes a major problem for China’s translators and global communicators. This paper lends insights into the essential role of material dialectics in its English translation from five aspects, by selecting and analyzing some important official texts and remarks in recent years, so as to provide valuable inspiration for how to better the translation of the field.

The coming decade of digital brain research: A vision for neuroscience at the intersection of technology and computing

Abstract In recent years, brain research has indisputably entered a new epoch, driven by substantial methodological advances and digitally enabled data integration and modelling at multiple scales—from molecules to the whole brain. Major advances are emerging at the intersection of neuroscience with technology and computing. This new science of the brain combines high-quality research, data integration across multiple scales, a new culture of multidisciplinary large-scale collaboration, and translation into applications. As pioneered in Europe’s Human Brain Project (HBP), a systematic approach will be essential for meeting the coming decade’s pressing medical and technological challenges. The aims of this paper are to: develop a concept for the coming decade of digital brain research, discuss this new concept with the research community at large, identify points of convergence, and derive therefrom scientific common goals; provide a scientific framework for the current and future development of EBRAINS, a research infrastructure resulting from the HBP’s work; inform and engage stakeholders, funding organisations and research institutions regarding future digital brain research; identify and address the transformational potential of comprehensive brain models for artificial intelligence, including machine learning and deep learning; outline a collaborative approach that integrates reflection, dialogues, and societal engagement on ethical and societal opportunities and challenges as part of future neuroscience research.

Automated Scoring of Translations with BERT Models: Chinese and English Language Case Study

With the wide application of artificial intelligence represented by deep learning in natural language-processing tasks, the automated scoring of translations has also advanced and improved. This study aims to determine if the BERT-assist system can reliably assess translation quality and identify high-quality translations for potential recognition. It takes the Han Suyin International Translation Contest as a case study, which is a large-scale and influential translation contest in China, with a history of over 30 years. The experimental results show that the BERT-assist system is a reliable second rater for massive translations in terms of translation quality, as it can effectively sift out high-quality translations with a reliability of r = 0.9 or higher. Thus, the automated translation scoring system based on BERT can satisfactorily predict the ranking of translations according to translation quality and sift out high-quality translations potentially shortlisted for prizes.

The Quality in Acute Stroke Care (QASC) global scale-up using a cascading facilitation framework: a qualitative process evaluation

BackgroundVariation in hospital stroke care is problematic. The Quality in Acute Stroke (QASC) Australia trial demonstrated reductions in death and disability through supported implementation of nurse-led, evidence-based protocols to manage fever, hyperglycaemia (sugar) and swallowing (FeSS Protocols) following stroke. Subsequently, a pre-test/post-test study was conducted in acute stroke wards in 64 hospitals in 17 European countries to evaluate upscale of the FeSS Protocols. Implementation across countries was underpinned by a cascading facilitation framework of multi-stakeholder support involving academic partners and a not-for-profit health organisation, the Angels Initiative (the industry partner), that operates to promote evidence-based treatments in stroke centres. .We report here an a priori qualitative process evaluation undertaken to identify factors that influenced international implementation of the FeSS Protocols using a cascading facilitation framework.MethodsThe sampling frame for interviews was: (1) Executives/Steering Committee members, consisting of academics, the Angels Initiative and senior project team, (2) Angel Team leaders (managers of Angel Consultants), (3) Angel Consultants (responsible for assisting facilitation of FeSS Protocols into multiple hospitals) and (4) Country Co-ordinators (senior stroke nurses with country and hospital-level responsibilities for facilitating the introduction of the FeSS Protocols). A semi-structured interview elicited participant views on the factorsthat influenced engagement of stakeholders with the project and preparation for and implementation of the FeSS Protocol upscale. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed inductively within NVivo.ResultsIndividual (n = 13) and three group interviews (3 participants in each group) were undertaken. Three main themes with sub-themes were identified that represented key factors influencing upscale: (1) readiness for change (sub-themes: negotiating expectations; intervention feasible and acceptable; shared goal of evidence-based stroke management); (2) roles and relationships (sub-themes: defining and establishing roles; harnessing nurse champions) and (3) managing multiple changes (sub-themes: accommodating and responding to variation; more than clinical change; multi-layered communication framework).ConclusionA cascading facilitation model involving a partnership between evidence producers (academic partners), knowledge brokers (industry partner, Angels Initiative) and evidence adopters (stroke clinicians) overcame multiple challenges involved in international evidence translation. Capacity to manage, negotiate and adapt to multi-level changes and strategic engagement of different stakeholders supported adoption of nurse-initiated stroke protocols within Europe. This model has promise for other large-scale evidence translation programs.

Sejarah Transmisi Keilmuan ke dalam Bahasa Arab

Arabic translation in Islamic history played an important role in connecting the civilization of the Arab world with ancient knowledge and foreign cultures. From the time of the Prophet Muhammad to the time of the Ottoman Empire, the translation of science and philosophy was key in the development of science in the Islamic world. During the time of the Prophet Muhammad, the importance of mastering foreign languages and communication with non-Arab communities encouraged translation activities. The Prophet Muhammad himself sent letters to foreign kings and even translated the Koran. During the Umayyad era, the translation of Greek knowledge into Arabic began as a personal initiative of clerics. Furthermore, the Abbasid Daula, especially during the time of Caliph al-Ma'mun, witnessed a large-scale translation movement and the establishment of Bayt al-Hikmah as a translation center. During the Ottoman Empire, Islamic education initially experienced a setback, but Sultan Mahmud II reconstructed the education system, including the curriculum and teaching methods. This article emphasizes that individual hard work and political support in the scientific translation movement were important factors in the development of Islamic civilization. Further research can explore the role of translation in the context of Islamic education and the development of Islamic society today.

Informed pixel pushing: A new method of large-motion handling for phase-based optical flow

In this paper, a novel method is presented to increase the efficacy of phase-based optical flow (PBOF) in cases of simultaneous relevant super-pixel and sub-pixel motions. To date, PBOF performs well for sub-pixel motions of interest while measurement potential for super-pixel motion remains limited. Although current methods exist across the literature to handle irrelevant super-pixel motions otherwise obstructing sub-pixel extraction, they are typically aimed at removing the super-pixel motion. The proposed method does not assume irrelevancy, instead working to maintain the entire motion signal without resolution reduction or combined processing techniques. The objective of this work is to reframe the small motion assumption of optical flow through dynamic processing, steerable filters, and motion thresholds so that PBOF can accurately extract super-pixel motions – particularly large-scale translation and in-plane rotation – while still extracting sub-pixel motion. Proof of concept is presented through various synthetic test cases followed by experimental validation, all showing good agreement.

Хэлний бодлого төлөвлөлтийн асуудал ба монгол хэлний хөгжил

Purpose of the article deals with the role of language development and language planning with terminology work. One way of developing a language is to understand subtleties of developed languages. To measure language development some criteria are suggested: terminologization, increasing of precision, standardization, reducing of loan-words and increasing of scientific concepts in native language. We need terminology standardization to express individual terms in single definitions and understandings of concepts throughout the world. But in most of our professional fields, there is no standard of term translated and interpreted. In large-scale scientific literature translation in which many people are involved, inconsistency in the translation of the same terminology is inevitable. 
 This paper carried out a comprehensive analysis to terminology definition inconsistency, finding that most are terminology with same meaning but different concepts and definition.

Lifting the Veil on the Use of Big Data News Repositories: A Documentation and Critical Discussion of A Protest Event Analysis

ABSTRACT This paper presents a critical discussion of the processing, reliability and implications of free big data repositories. We argue that big data is not only the starting point of scientific analyses but also the outcome of a long string of invisible or semi-visible tasks, often masked by the fetish of size that supposedly lends validity to big data. We unpack these notions by illustrating the process of extracting protest event data from the Global Database of Events, Language and Tone (GDELT) in six European countries over a period of seven years. To stand up to rigorous scientific scrutiny, we collected additional data by computational means and undertook large-scale neural-network translation tasks, dictionary-based content analyses, machine-learning classification tasks, and human coding. In a documentation and critical discussion of this process, we render visible opaque procedures that inevitably shape any dataset and show how this type of freely available datasets require significant additional resources of knowledge, labor, money, and computational power. We conclude that while these processes can ultimately yield more valid datasets, the supposedly free and ready-to-use big news data repositories should not be taken at face value.

Scaling Up Citizen Workshops in Public Libraries to Disseminate and Discuss Primary Care Research Results: Quasi-Experimental Study.

BackgroundLittle is known about engaging patients and stakeholders in the process of scaling up effective knowledge translation interventions targeting the public.ObjectiveUsing an integrated knowledge translation approach, we aimed to scale up and evaluate an effective pilot program to disseminate research results in public libraries.MethodsWe conducted a scaling-up study targeting the public. On the basis of our successful pilot project, we codeveloped and implemented a large-scale program of free citizen workshops in public libraries, in a close research partnership with stakeholders and patient representatives. Citizen workshops, each facilitated by 1 participating physician and 1 science communicator, consisted of a 45-minute computer-assisted presentation and a 45-minute open exchange. The intervention outcome was knowledge gained. The scale-up outcomes were satisfaction, appropriateness, coverage, and costs. An evaluation questionnaire was used to collect data of interest. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses were performed.ResultsThe workshop theme chosen by the patient and stakeholder representatives was the high prevalence of medication overuse among people aged ≥65 years. From April to May 2019, 26 workshops were conducted in 25 public libraries reaching 362 people. The mean age of participants was 64.8 (SD 12.5) years. In total, 18 participating physicians and 6 science communicators facilitated the workshops. Participants reported significant knowledge gain (mean difference 2.1, 95% CI 2.0-2.2; P<.001). The median score for overall public satisfaction was 9 out of 10 (IQR 8-10). The public participants globally rated the workshops as having a high level of appropriateness. Coverage was 92% (25/27) of the total number of public libraries targeted. Costs were CAD $6051.84 (US $4519.69) for workshop design and CAD $22,935.41 (US $17,128.85) for scaling them up.ConclusionsThis project successfully established a large-scale and successful implementation science or knowledge translation bridge among researchers, clinicians, and citizens via public libraries. This study provides a model for a dissemination practice that benefits the public by both engaging them in the dissemination process and targeting them directly.

At Penpoint: African Literatures, Postcolonial Studies, and the Cold War

At Penpoint: African Literatures, Postcolonial Studies, and the Cold War

Large-scale mRNA translation and the intricate effects of competition for the finite pool of ribosomes.

We present a new theoretical framework for large-scale mRNA translation using a network of models called the ribosome flow model with Langmuir kinetics (RFMLK), interconnected via a pool of free ribosomes. The input to each RFMLK depends on the pool density, and it affects the initiation rate and potentially also the internal ribosome entry rates along each RFMLK. Ribosomes that detach from an RFMLK owing to termination or premature drop-off are fed back into the pool. We prove that the network always converges to a steady state, and study its sensitivity to variations in the parameters. For example, we show that if the drop-off rate at some site in some RFMLK is increased then the pool density increases and consequently the steady-state production rate in all the other RFMLKs increases. Surprisingly, we also show that modifying a parameter of a certain RFMLK can lead to arbitrary effects on the densities along the modified RFMLK, depending on the parameters in the entire network. We conclude that the competition for shared resources generates an indirect and intricate web of mutual effects between the mRNA molecules that must be accounted for in any analysis of translation.

A multifactorial interdisciplinary intervention to prevent functional and mobility decline for more participation in (pre-)frail community-dwelling older adults (PromeTheus): study protocol for a multicenter randomized controlled trial

BackgroundAge-related decline in physical capacity can lead to frailty, associated with an increased vulnerability to adverse health outcomes and greater healthcare utilization. In an aging population, effective strategies to prevent physical decline and frailty, and preserve independence are needed. Prevention programs for vulnerable community-dwelling older adults are, however, often not yet established and implemented in routine practice. Research on the feasibility, implementation, and (cost-)effectiveness of multifactorial, interdisciplinary intervention programs that take advantage of available services of healthcare providers is also limited. The main aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of such an intervention program (PromeTheus) to prevent functional and mobility decline for more participation in community-dwelling (pre-)frail older adults.MethodsThe study is designed as a three-center, randomized controlled trial with a 12-month intervention period. Four hundred community-dwelling (pre-)frail (Clinical Frailty Scale score 4–6) older adults (≥70 years) will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to the intervention group (IG) or the control group (CG). The IG will receive the PromeTheus program consisting of obligatory home-based physical exercises (Weight-bearing Exercise for Better Balance) accompanied by physiotherapists and facultative counseling services (person-environment-fit, coping with everyday life, nutrition, group-based activities) delivered via existing healthcare structures (e.g., social workers, nutritionists). The CG will receive usual care and a one-time counseling session on recommendations for physical activity and nutrition. Primary outcomes assessed at months 6 and 12 are the function component of the Late-Life Function and Disability Instrument and the University of Alabama at Birmingham Life-Space Assessment. Secondary outcomes are disability, physical capacity and activity, frailty, nutritional status, falls, fear of falling, health status, and psychosocial components. Process and economic evaluations are also conducted. Primary statistical analyses will be based on the intention-to-treat principle.DiscussionCompared to usual care, the PromeTheus program is expected to result in higher function and mobility, greater independence and lower need for care, and more participation. As the PromeTheus program draws on existing German healthcare structures, its large-scale translation and delivery will be feasible, if evidence of (cost-)effectiveness and successful implementation can be demonstrated.Trial registrationGerman Clinical Trials Register, . Registered on March 11, 2021.

Volatile organic compound profiling to explore primary graft dysfunction after lung transplantation

Primary graft dysfunction (PGD) is a major determinant of morbidity and mortality following lung transplantation. Delineating basic mechanisms and molecular signatures of PGD remain a fundamental challenge. This pilot study examines if the pulmonary volatile organic compound (VOC) spectrum relate to PGD and postoperative outcomes. The VOC profiles of 58 bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and blind bronchial aspirate samples from 35 transplant patients were extracted using solid-phase-microextraction and analyzed with comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The support vector machine algorithm was used to identify VOCs that could differentiate patients with severe from lower grade PGD. Using 20 statistically significant VOCs from the sample headspace collected immediately after transplantation (< 6 h), severe PGD was differentiable from low PGD with an AUROC of 0.90 and an accuracy of 0.83 on test set samples. The model was somewhat effective for later time points with an AUROC of 0.80. Three major chemical classes in the model were dominated by alkylated hydrocarbons, linear hydrocarbons, and aldehydes in severe PGD samples. These VOCs may have important clinical and mechanistic implications, therefore large-scale study and potential translation to breath analysis is recommended.

Implementation and prospective evaluation of the Country Heart Attack Prevention model of care to improve attendance and completion of cardiac rehabilitation for patients with cardiovascular diseases living in rural Australia: a study protocol

IntroductionDespite extensive evidence of its benefits and recommendation by guidelines, cardiac rehabilitation (CR) remains highly underused with only 20%–50% of eligible patients participating. We aim to implement and evaluate the...

Integrating Prior Translation Knowledge Into Neural Machine Translation

Neural machine translation (NMT), which is an encoder-decoder joint neural language model with an attention mechanism, has achieved impressive results on various machine translation tasks in the past several years. However, the language model attribute of NMT tends to produce fluent yet sometimes unfaithful translations, which hinders the improvement of translation capacity. In response to this problem, we propose a simple and efficient method to integrate prior translation knowledge into NMT in a universal manner that is compatible with neural networks. Meanwhile, it enables NMT to consider the crossing language translation knowledge from the source-side of the training pipeline of NMT, thereby making full use of the prior translation knowledge to enhance the performance of NMT. The experimental results on two large-scale benchmark translation tasks demonstrated that our approach achieved a significant improvement over a strong baseline.

Perception of György Lukács’s Marxism in China: from ideological criticism to the formation of a scientific approach

The article examines the history and current state of studies on the ideas of the Hungarian Marxist philosopher György Lukács by the leading Chinese scholarship. It is based on many examples of the most characteristic scientific articles and monographs. The Chinese researchers of Lukács’s philosophy went through a difficult path – from the translation of individual essays to the large-scale translation and study of his fundamental works, as well as from political criticism of partisanship to the practical and theoretical interpretation of his ideas. First of all, it is shown that in the 1950s and 1990s, G. Lukács’s philosophy was involved in political discussions in the PRC, and that the Chinese studies of the Hungarian Marxist essentially repeated the Soviet criticism. At the end of the 1970s and 1980s, the related discussions on Lukács’s ideological affiliation were intensified among the Chinese philosophers (Xu Chongwen, Du Zhangzhi, Zhang Yixing, Sun Bokui). The key focus of the paper is on the main courses of the study of G. Lukács’s philosophy in the works of Chinese philosophers in the 1990s–2000s. There are following examples of such researches with main subject and scholars’ names: regarding the theory of reification (Xu Chongwen, Zhang Xiping, Sun Quansheng, Niu Hongmei, Ye Yanjun, Liang Hui, Li Qingjun, Hu Xuming, Han Qiuhong, Du Zhangzhi); ideas of totality (Xu Chongwen, Yang Wushuan, Zhang Kangzhi, Du Zhangzhi, Jiang Bin); the idea of totality (Xu Chongwen, Yang Wushuan, Zhang Kangzhi, Du Zhangzhi, Jiang Bin); class consciousness (Zhang Yibing, Luo Siliang); orthodox Marxism (You Hao, Li Rong); the book “History and Class Consciousness” (Du Zhangzhi, Sun Bokui, Gu Yisi, Zhang Liang, Zhang Kangzhi, Gao Min); comparative analysis (Pang Yiping, Han Lixin, Luo Siliang). Finally, the article describes and evaluates the study of Lukacs’s philosophy in China. It is shown that the Chinese scientific studies of G. Lukacs have become more specialized and focused on specific problems, and there has been a gradual departure from the traditional conception of Lukacs as a strictly Marxist philosopher. At the same time, it is noted that until today, the Chinese philosophers are significantly behind their Western colleagues in the studying of Lukacs’ ideas, and this primarily concerns the necessary diversity of theoretical and methodological approaches.

Color Zero-Watermarking Algorithm for Medical Images Based on BEMD-Schur Decomposition and Color Visual Cryptography

With the widespread use of medical images in telemedicine, personal information may be leaked. The traditional zero-watermarking technology has poor robustness under large-scale attacks. At the same time, most of the zero-watermarking information generated is a binary sequence with a single information structure. In order to effectively solve the poor robustness problem of traditional zero-watermarking under large-scale attacks, a color zero-watermarking algorithm for medical images based on bidimensional empirical mode decomposition (BEMD)-Schur decomposition and color visual cryptography is proposed. Firstly, the color carrier image and the color copyright logo are decomposed into R, G, and B three color components, respectively, and the feature value of each sub-block are extracted by wavelet transform, BEMD decomposition, block operation, and Schur decomposition. Then, the R, G, and B components of the copyright logo are scrambled by Arnold scramble and converted into binary watermark information. Finally, a color visual cryptography scheme is proposed to generate two color shared images based on the carrier characteristics and copyright information. One shared image is used to generate a color zero-watermark, and the other is used for copyright authentication phase. Experimental results show that this algorithm has strong robustness and stability in resisting large-scale noise attacks, filtering attacks, JPEG compression, cropping attacks, and translation attacks at different positions. Compared with similar zero-watermarking algorithms, the robust performance is improved by about 10%, and it can adapt to more complex network environments.