Negative Mean Research Articles

Pejorativisation of Solitude. A Narratological Deception?

In this paper I address the problem of the pejorativisation of solitude in philosophical discourse. By the pejorativisation of solitude I mean giving it a negative meaning. I show that the tendency to the pejorativisation of solitude in philosophy was initiated by Aristotle. He saw solitude as contrary to human nature. This nature is supposed to determine people to form organised communities with others. Only through them the individual is able to survive and thrive. In solitude, one quickly learns how inautarkic is and suffers because of it. Thomas Hobbes was one of the first philosophers to challenge Aristotle’s approach. He argued that man strives for community with others not as a result of a supposedly social nature, but because as a child one is dependent and helpless, and as an adult one expects benefits or honours from others. My thesis is that the pejorativisation of solitude is responsible for its negative stereotyping, the formation of prejudices against it and the learned helplessness syndrome, which makes us vulnerable to solitude.

<b>Contrastive Analysis of Similes with Dog Image in English and Vietnamese and Implications</b>

Studies on dog images in idiomatic languages ​​in different languages ​​always receive a lot of attention from researchers. The present study examines the similarities of 21 English-Vietnamese dog similes and tries to account for the differences based on Hofstede’s model (2001). The analysis results show that the image of the dog in each language has unique cultural characteristics due to the influence of factors such as geographical circumstances and customs. While the image of a dog appearing in English similes has both positive meaning (38%) and negative meaning (62%), Vietnamese similes record a full dominance in negative meanings (100%). Besides, the semantic symbols of similes with dog elements in Vietnamese and English have interesting similarities. Understanding the semantic characteristics of words for dogs in English and Vietnamese similes contributes to discovering new things about the life, customs, practices, culture, and thinking of British and Vietnamese people.

Government Obligations and the Negative Right to a Healthy Urban Environment.

Urban development often generates noise and light pollution, reduces green space, produces heat islands, and increases population density that can exacerbate crime, disease transmission, anxiety, and stress. This article argues that individuals and communities have rights to not have their space impinged upon by urban plans, designs, or development. This negative right means governments have ethical obligations to develop infrastructure that mitigates adverse health consequences, preserves natural environments, safeguards ecological well-being, and promotes peace and public health.

Aerosol retrievals derived from a low-cost Calitoo sun-photometer taken on board a research vessel

This study presents a comprehensive 5-year period assessment of aerosol optical depth (AOD) and Å ngströn Exponent (AE) data from a hand-held Calitoo sun photometer on board the Ángeles Alvariño research vessel. Observations spanned March 2018 to September 2023, focusing on key maritime regions such as the Canary Islands, coasts of North Africa, the Mediterranean, Portugal, the Cantabrian, and the Bay of Biscay. The Calitoo device measures solar irradiance at three wavelengths (465, 540, and 619 nm). Uncertainty analysis for Calitoo AOD retrievals was performed using the Monte Carlo method, yielding an expanded uncertainty (UAOD) ranging between 0.008 and 0.050 with a mean and standard deviation of 0.032 ± 0.008 for the three wavelengths. Our results also highlight the remarkable calibration stability of the Calitoo (< 2.6%) over this 5-year period. Calitoo AOD values were assessed using reference AOD data from Santa Cruz de Tenerife (the Canary Islands), El Arenosillo (Huelva), and Palma de Mallorca (the Balearic Islands) AERONET (Aerosol Robotic Network) stations. The comparison revealed a good agreement with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.727 to 0.917 and mean bias ranging from -0.030 to -0.001. Additionally, the Calitoo AOD data were compared with MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) and CAMS-ECMWF (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service-European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts) aerosol products obtaining that Calitoo AOD values were generally lower, showing negative mean bias of -0.063 and -0.024, respectively.The aerosol characterizations using AE vs. AOD plots in the three maritime study regions using 5-years of non-routine Calitoo data are similar to the corresponding aerosol characterizations performed with simultaneous AERONET-Cimel data.These findings underscore Calitoo’s reliability for aerosol studies in regions where AERONET instruments or other aerosol networks are unavailable. Likewise, given the low cost of Calitoo photometers, they could be deployed onboard a large number of merchant and passenger ships or in other remote or under-monitored areas, providing near real-time AOD/AE data to enhance our understanding of aerosols processes or for model or satellite assimilation/validation.

Assessment of Water-Related Ecosystem Services and Beneficiaries in the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park

Tropical rainforests are of vital importance to the environment, as they contribute to weather patterns, biodiversity and even human wellbeing. Hence, in the face of tropical deforestation, it becomes exigent to quantify and assess the contribution of ecosystem services associated with tropical rainforests to the environment and especially to the people. This study adopted a nuanced approach, different from traditional economic valuations, to estimate the water-related ecosystem services (WRESs) received by the people from 2010 to 2020 in the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park (HTRNP). The study focused on water yield, soil conservation, and water purification using InVEST, the SCS-CNGIS model, and spatial analysis. The results show (1) significant land cover changes within the HTRNP, as forest decreased by 4433 ha and water bodies increased by 4047 ha, indicating the active presence of human activities. However, land cover changes were more pronounced within the 5 km buffer area around the HTRNP, suggesting the effectiveness of the tropical rainforest conservation efforts in place. (2) The water yield of the HTRNP in the years studied decreased by 307.03 km3, based on the water yields in 2010 and 2020, which were 5625.7 km3 and 5318.7 km3, respectively. (3) Change detection showed that runoff mitigation in the rainforest has a negative mean (−0.21), indicating a slight overall decrease in soil conservation and runoff mitigation in the rainforest from 2010 to 2020; however, the higher curve number indicates areas susceptible to surface runoff. (4) The ecological effectiveness of water purification to absorb and reduce nitrogen load was better in 2020 (145,529 kg/year), as it was reduced from 506,739 kg/year in 2010, indicating improved water quality. (5) Population growth is more pronounced in areas with high water yields. Overall, the proposed framework has shown that the water yield potential of the HTRNP can meet the water consumption demands of people and industries situated within the buffer area. However, analysis of the study shows that it does not meet the crop water requirements. This study provides insights for decision makers in identifying potential beneficiaries and the essence of effective area-based conservation measures, and the proposed framework can be applied to any area of interest, offering a different approach in ecosystem services assessment.

Crossed effects of helminth infection and lead exposure on fitness: An experimental study in feral pigeons (Columba livia).

Living organisms are exposed to multiple environmental factors that can affect their fitness. The negative effects of these simultaneous stressors can be additive or can interact in negative synergistic or antagonistic ways to affect the health of exposed individuals. Parasites can accumulate pollutants in their own tissues and have been shown to increase the tolerance of their hosts to different pollutants (antagonistic interaction between parasites and pollutants). Through an experimental approach, we tested the existence of combined antagonistic effects between intestinal parasites and lead exposure on urban feral pigeons (Columba livia) which are known to be exposed to trace metal pollution and harbour a wide variety of internal and external parasites. We experimentally exposed wild feral pigeons in captivity to two treatments: an anthelmintic treatment to eliminate intestinal nematode parasites; an exposure to lead for a period of 6 months. We tested the effects of these crossed treatments on several components of fitness: immunocompetence, reproduction, and body mass. Our findings suggest that the overall effects of lead exposure, either alone or in combination with the presence of intestinal parasites (without anthelmintic treatment) were negative, through either additive or synergistic means. Our results reveal the existence of negative combined effects between pollutant exposure and intestinal parasites, highlighting the importance of accounting for multiple stress factors when studying the effects of exposure to pollutants and/or other environmental stressors on the fitness of organisms.

Estimated transmitral E- and A-wave overlapping predicted prognosis in patient with heart failure with preserved ejection

Abstract Background The impact of heart rate (HR) variability on clinical outcomes in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is not fully understood. Variations in HR may affect transmitral blood flow and consequently left ventricular filling and left atrial pressure. Changes in HR can cause the transmitral E-wave and A-wave to merge at higher HRs, while their interval lengthens at slower HRs (Figure: left). A recent study (Izumida. ESC Heart Fail. 2020;7:3231) demonstrated that the degree of overlap or interval between E- and A-waves can be estimated using resting HR and the deceleration time of the E-wave (DcT) on Doppler echocardiography. Purpose This study aims to investigate the relationship between the estimated overlap length between E- and A-waves and prognosis in patients with HFpEF. Methods Echocardiography was performed before hospital discharge in 398 patients (80±9 years, 59.0% female) hospitalized for decompensated HFpEF who were registered in the PURSUIT-HFpEF (Prospective, Multicenter, Observational Study of Patients with Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction) registry. The overlap length between E- and A waves was estimated using the formula [6.2 × HR (bpm) + 0.81 × DcT (ms) -589 (ms)] as previously described (a negative value means distance between two waves). Patients were divided into four groups based on quartiles of overlap length (Q1 to Q4, with Q4 representing the highest overlap length) and followed for a median duration of 759 days (interquartile range: 370, 1107 days) to observe all-cause mortality. Results The estimated overlap length in the study patients was -167±85 ms, and 105 deaths occurred during follow-up. The overlap length was selected as an independent predictor for all-cause mortality by Cox proportional hazards regression analysis (p=0.04), whereas HR or DcT was not. Kaplan-Meier curves indicated the difference in all-cause mortality among 4 groups (Figure: Right, p=0.02 by log-rank test), and the Q4 group (335 to -123ms) showed significantly higher mortality than the Q2 (-124 to -173 ms, p=0.03). Conclusion The overlap length of E and A predicted mortality in HFpEF patients, and the presence of overlap or shorter interval were associated with higher mortality. Optimal HR based on overlap length may be a new target for HFpEF therapy.Figure 1

Rank correlation between atopic comorbidity and laboratory parameters in allergic rhinitis

One of the current cutting-edge problems in allergy and ENT is the study of comorbidity in allergic rhinitis, which is the most common atopic disease among all other atopies. Two decades ago, a new endotype of the disease, local allergic rhinitis, was discovered. In the past, some patients with typical complaints of chronic nasal congestion, persistent runny nose, and other similar symptoms, did not display such characteristic diagnostic criteria as positive allergy skin tests and an increased value of serum total IgE and specific IgE antibodies. They were qualified by allergists and ENT specialists as individualists with non-allergic rhinitis and, accordingly, did not receive adequate treatment. However, their symptoms remained, prompting them to abuse decongestants and resulting in an increased burden on the cardiovascular system. This, along with the burden of concomitant pathology, including other atopies, can be considered a significant medical and social problem. With the purpose to study rank correlation between comorbidity and three laboratory biomarkers, 46 patients with allergic rhinitis were examined. The list of parameters included two routine items such as serum total IgE and eosinophilic cationic protein, and rarely studied IL-4 in skin exudate. Clinical analysis showed that significantly more often allergic rhinitis in patients was combined with bronchial asthma (in 39.1%, p 0.05), less often with food allergy (in 19.6%), atopic dermatitis (in 10.9%), insect allergy (in 8.7%), and allergic urticaria (in 4.5%). In one case, local perennial rhinitis was identified, accompanied by conventional seasonal rhinitis with a high content of serum total IgE and positive allergic skin tests with pollen allergens. Skin tests with household allergens, including house dust mite products, showed a negative result. This case was regarded as a manifestation of the so-called “double” allergic rhinitis. The Spearman correlation demonstrated a negative mean strength relationship between comorbidity and serum IgE and eosinophilic cationic protein (p 0.05). The seemingly paradoxical result can be interpreted quite logically, taking into account immunopathogenetic mechanisms of allergic inflammation. In particular, with an increase in the frequency of atopic comorbidity, the migration of eosinophils from the blood to sites of eosinophilic inflammation increases.

Witch, strumpet, maid and saint

Abstract Shakespeare’s Henry VI, Part 1 depicts Joan of Arc in contradictory terms. This paper discusses the narrative and literary techniques that are used to develop Joan of Arc’s characterisation, particularly the alternation of location between the Anglo-Burgundian and the French-Armagnac camp, the antagonistic staging of Joan of Arc compared to Lord Talbot and Margaret of Anjou, and the contrastive use of epithets, including the shifting positive, neutral or negative dictionary meanings and context-dependent meanings, as per Ray Jackendoff’s theory of Conceptual Semantics. This results in questioning the apparent meaning of words and concepts and thereby also the apparent judgment on the characters themselves, thus ambiguating, questioning, and ridiculing apparent certainties.

Representations of stimulus meaning in the hippocampus.

The ability to discriminate and categorize the meaning of environmental stimuli and respond accordingly is essential for survival. The ventral hippocampus (vHPC) controls emotional and motivated behaviors in response to environmental cues and is hypothesized to do so in part by deciphering the positive or negative quality of these cues. Yet, what features of the environment are represented in the activity patterns of vCA1 neurons, and whether the positive or negative meaning of a stimulus is present at this stage, remains unclear. Here, using 2-photon calcium imaging across six different experimental paradigms, we consistently found that vCA1 ensembles encode the identity, sensory features, and intensity of learned and innately salient stimuli, but not their overall valence. These results offer a reappraisal of vCA1 function, wherein information corresponding to individual stimulus features and their behavioral saliency predominates, while valence-related information is attached elsewhere.

Correlation between Human Embryo Morphokinetics Observed through Time-Lapse Incubator and Life Birth Rate.

(1) Background: Does the variation in sequential development times of embryos, observed through time-lapse monitoring, between the two study groups play a role in predicting pregnancy success? (2) Methods: The prospective double-arm study was to identify the morphokinetic parameters specific to embryos that were capable of implanting and were conducted on 89 embryos cultured in the Esco Miri time-lapse incubator, divided into two groups: Lot A, consisting of 57 embryos that successfully implanted and resulted in life birth rate (LBR), and Lot B (NLB), comprising 32 embryos that did not implant, leading to a negative beta-hCG outcome. (3) Results: Baseline characteristics, including female age, were not found to be statistically significant (p > 0.01). In contrast, there is a highly statistically significant difference concerning oocytes (p = 0.0029). Morphokinetic variables represented by sequential culture times were not statistically significant (p > 0.01) when comparing the two groups. However, the negative mean differences between these parameters suggest that the times for Lot A are better (shorter) than those for Lot B. While not statistically significant, these differences may still have practical significance. In the case of grading, the difference is considered to be extremely statistically significant (p < 0.01). (4) Conclusions: Although there are no statistically significant differences in sequential timings (p > 0.01) between the two groups, there are parameters indicating predictive potential for exploring pregnancy in embryo morphokinetics.

Impact Of Sarcasm Detection on Sentiment Analysis Using Bi-LSTM and FastText

Sentiment analysis categorizes a collection of texts in a document as either positive or negative. However, sometimes it cannot give accurate results due to sarcastic sentences. Sarcasm involves the use of positive language to convey negative meanings, So sarcasm detection is needed for sentiment classification to provide better results. One method that can be used to perform Sentiment classification is Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (Bi-LSTM). However, text data cannot be processed by Bi-LSTM, so it requires word embedding to convert text data into vectors. In this study, the word embedding used is FastText because it can learn the form of words by considering subword information. The results showed that sentiment classification with sarcasm detection could improve evaluation results by 0.08 for precision, 0.07 for recall, 0.07 for F1-score, and 0.07 for accuracy. A paired sample t-test was conducted on precision, recall, F1-score, and accuracy to examine whether there is a difference between sentiment classification with and without sarcasm detection. The obtained p-values are 2.84.10-9, 4.63.10-7, and 2.40.10-8, 6.22.10-8, respectively. This indicates a difference between sentiment classification with and without sarcasm detection. Therefore, with a 95% confidence level, it can be concluded that sarcasm detection impacts sentiment classification.

Macro-Economic Policy Coordination and Macro-Economic Instability in Pakistan

This study is intended to examine the impact of macroeconomic policies on macroeconomic instability in Pakistan. This study used time series data for the period of 1990 to 2022. To deal with the stationarity of the data ADF and PP tests are used which suggest the use of ARDL. The existence of a long-run relationship is confirmed by the Bound test. The impact of fiscal &amp; monetary policy is found to be significant in the long run. The impact of the fiscal policy variable (GEXP) on macroeconomic instability (MI) negatively means that an increase in GEXP (expansionary fiscal policy) leads to a decrease in MI while the impact of monetary policy variable IR (tight monetary policy) is found positive and significant in the long run means that the impact of tight monetary policy leads to increase MI. Similarly, the impact of expansionary fiscal policy on MI is effective but the monetary policy variable is effective in the short run. The impact of domestic investment is found to be negative and significant means that an increase in domestic investment leads to a decrease in MI. Therefore this study suggests that special attention should be paid to fiscal and monetary policies to deal with MI in Pakistan.

6848 Improvement Of Free Thyroxine Measurement Quality Through The CDC Clinical Standardization Programs

Abstract Disclosure: A. Ribera: None. N. Vazquez: None. S. Knoblock: None. O. Sugahara: None. T. Buchannan: None. L. Collins: None. D. Spector: None. L. Zhang: None. U. Danilenko: None. H.W. Vesper: None. Thyroid function tests are among the most requested tests in patient care, and reliability of these measurements are crucial for appropriate diagnosis and management of thyroid disorders. In response to concerns from the clinical and research community about the quality of thyroid function tests, the CDC Clinical Standardization Programs (CSP) has created the hormone standardization (HoSt) program for free thyroxine (FT4) in partnership with the International Federation for Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC). As a first step, CDC CSP has completed an interlaboratory comparison study of commercial immunoassays (IA) and lab-developed tests (LDT) to determine the current agreement among assays. Participants received 40 blinded, high quality individual donor serum samples with FT4 reference values assigned by the CDC FT4 reference measurement procedure (RMP). FT4 concentrations ranged between 11-32 pmol/L. Samples were analyzed in duplicate over 2 days and results were compared to the CDC FT4 RMP. To assess the potential impact of standardizing measurements to the CDC HoSt FT4 program, reported results were normalized to the CDC RMP results (recalibrated in silico using linear regression). Mean percent bias to the reference value was evaluated pre- and post-recalibration. In addition, inter-assay agreement of classification (assignment of hypo-, eu- or hyperthyroid status according to FT4 reference intervals) were assessed pre- and post-recalibration using the assay-specific and CDC RMP reference intervals, respectively. A total of 19 methods participated, consisting of 15 IA and 4 LDT. All participants showed a negative mean bias to the RMP, with IA showing a higher magnitude of bias (average: -20.7 ± 0.9%) than LDT (average: -4.7 ± 1.1%). Of the 40 samples measured, only 53% were classified uniformly by all 19 participants. Post-recalibration, mean percent bias improved profoundly (IA average: 0.0 ± 0.8%, LDT average: 0.1 ± 1.1%), and classification agreement improved by 33% to 86% of samples with consistent classification. The CDC CSP interlaboratory comparison among FT4 assays highlights the critical need for measurement standardization to improve accuracy of FT4 measurements and increase consistency in result interpretation. This study demonstrates that it is possible to develop common FT4 reference intervals via measurement standardization, which would allow for universal evidence-based clinical guidelines to be used in patient care. Presentation: 6/3/2024

The impact of new VAT enforcement on financial performance: Evidence from Saudi Arabia non-financial listed companies using the event study and ARMA model

This paper examines the influence of the new 15 % Value Added Tax (VAT) enforcement on non-financial listed companies in Saudi Arabia. By comparing financial data from 2019, before the VAT implementation and the COVID-19 pandemic, with data from 2020, during both the VAT increase and the pandemic, the research aims to uncover the consequences of this tax policy change. Utilizing charts, tables, and an event study analysis approach with the Autoregressive Moving Average (ARMA) model, we investigated key financial indicators such as Shareholders' Equity (SE), Total Income (TI), Total Revenues (TR), Net Income (NI), Total Expenses (TE), Other Changes in Operating Activity (COA), and Cash at the End of the Period (CEP). The findings reveal significant financial impacts, highlighting companies' challenges due to the increased tax burden. Shareholders' Equity dropped from an average of 11.55 million to 4.57 million, and Total Income and Total Revenues decreased from approximately 1.73 million to 316,234 and from 1.95 million to 331,605, respectively. Net Income sharply declined from 406,109 to 74,624, and Total Expenses decreased from about 1.18 million to 223,495. Other Changes in Operating Activity shifted from a negative mean of −168,936 to a positive 523,520, and Cash at the End of the Period fell from 1.99 million to 666,663. These results suggest that the VAT increase has significantly strained companies' financial performance, emphasizing the need to consider such tax reforms carefully, particularly in developing countries. The study concludes that while the VAT increase aims to enhance government revenues, it imposes substantial financial strain on companies, potentially leading to long-term economic repercussions. Policymakers should consider these implications and implement practical measures to optimize the VAT system and support business resilience in the face of such reforms.

Psychometric Evaluation of the Cancer Dependent Quality of Life (CancerDQoL) Questionnaire: An Individualised Measure of the Impact of Cancer and Its Treatment on Quality of Life.

The Cancer Dependent Quality of Life (CancerDQoL) questionnaire asks about the impact of cancer and its treatment on individuals' quality of life (QoL). This study evaluates the psychometric properties of the CancerDQoL in a UK sample. Patients (n=159) with a range of cancers, recruited from Barts Health NHS Trust and Barts Maggie's Centre, completed self-administered questionnaires: CancerDQoL, EQ-5D-VAS (health status), EORTC-QLQ-C30 (predominantly health symptoms/functioning) and W-BQ16 (well-being). Based on the pre-existing -DQoL template and Item Library (Bradley), the CancerDQoL includes 23 cancer-specific life-domain items and four overview items. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a 22-item, single-factor solution. Internal consistency was excellent (α=0.94). Cancer negatively impacted all life domains: 'feelings about future' had the most negative mean weighted (by importance) impact (WI) score. 'Physical abilities' WI scores were ranked 12th. CancerDQoL Average Weighted Impact (AWI) scores were more strongly correlated with the Cancer-dependent QoL overview item than with the General QoL or General Health overview items. As expected, the EQ-5D-VAS and EORTC-QLQ-C30 correlated together more strongly than with CancerDQoL AWI scores. The CancerDQoL is the first individualised questionnaire measuring the impact of cancer and its treatment on QoL. The CancerDQoL AWI score is related to, but different from, measures of health status/functioning and well-being. Eleven CancerDQoL life-domains were more negatively impacted/important than physical abilities which is a major focus of the EQ-5D and EORTC-QLQ-C30. By revealing aspects of life most impacted by cancer and its treatment, efforts can be prioritised to improve QoL for people with cancer.

Abyssal Slope Currents

Abstract Realistic computational simulations in different oceanic basins reveal prevalent prograde mean flows (in the direction of topographic Rossby wave propagation along isobaths; a.k.a. topostrophy) on topographic slopes in the deep ocean, consistent with the barotropic theory of eddy-driven mean flows. Attention is focused on the Western Mediterranean Sea with strong currents and steep topography. These prograde mean currents induce an opposing bottom drag stress and thus a turbulent boundary-layer mean flow in the downhill direction, evidenced by a near-bottom negative mean vertical velocity. The slope-normal profile of diapycnal buoyancy mixing results in down-slope mean advection near the bottom (a tendency to locally increase the mean buoyancy) and up-slope buoyancy mixing (a tendency to decrease buoyancy) with associated buoyancy fluxes across the mean isopycnal surfaces (diapycnal downwelling). In the upper part of the boundary layer and nearby interior, the diapycnal turbulent buoyancy flux divergence reverses sign (diapycnal upwelling), with upward Eulerian mean buoyancy advection across isopycnal surfaces. These near-slope tendencies abate with further distance from the boundary. An along-isobath mean momentum balance shows an advective acceleration and a bottom-drag retardation of the prograde flow. The eddy buoyancy advection is significant near the slope, and the associated eddy potential energy conversion is negative, consistent with mean vertical shear flow generation for the eddies. This cross-isobath flow structure differs from previous proposals, and a new one-dimensional model is constructed for a topostrophic, stratified, slope bottom boundary layer. The broader issue of the return pathways of the global thermohaline circulation remains open, but the abyssal slope region is likely to play a dominant role.

Semantic Shift and Phonological Features of Words Borrowed from Kurdish to Turkish

This study examines the semantic shift and phonological features of words borrowed from Kurdish into Turkish. It highlights the interactions between languages throughout history, which have led to shifts in the meanings of words. The research focuses on how certain Kurdish words that carried neutral or positive meanings have acquired negative or derogatory meanings in Turkish. The socio-cultural interactions and historical events that influenced this shift are analyzed, supported by examples of morphological, phonetic, and semantic changes. For instance, the Kurdish word "avare," which originally means homeless, is used in Turkish to mean jobless. The study aims to provide a systematic analysis of the semantic shifts of these words within the framework of etymology and linguistic interaction, contributing to a deeper understanding of the interactions between the two languages. The findings shed light on the social and cultural dimensions of language, offering insights into the evolution of language. In conclusion, the negative semantic shift of Kurdish words in Turkish reflects the dynamic nature of language and the influence of social perceptions.

Exploring patient death experiences among Iranian nursing students

Patient death can be a stressful experience for nursing students, leading to various undesirable psychological and emotional effects. However, research documenting these experiences remains limited. This study explores the experiences of Iranian nursing students when facing patient death. This qualitative study employed a purposive sample of 14 undergraduate nursing students. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using conventional content analysis. Lincoln and Guba’s (2004) criteria guided the data management process. Data analysis revealed three primary categories with six corresponding subcategories. These categories encompassed the significance of death, reactions to death, and the transformation of professional perspectives. Subcategories included positive and negative meanings attributed to death, emotional and behavioral responses, and the positive and negative effects on participants. The findings reveal that experiencing patient death significantly impacts nursing students psychologically and emotionally. Consequently, it is recommended that nursing curricula incorporate essential training modules addressing appropriate responses to death and effective communication with bereaved families. Further research should explore strategies to mitigate negative impacts and optimize positive outcomes related to this phenomenon.

Eliminating quantization errors in classification-based sound source localization

Sound Source Localization (SSL) involves estimating the Direction of Arrival (DOA) of sound sources. Since the DOA estimation output space is continuous, regression might be more suitable for DOA, offering higher precision. However, in practice, classification often outperforms regression, exhibiting greater robustness. Conversely, classification’s drawback is inherent quantization error. Within the classification paradigm, the DOA output space is discretized into several intervals, each treated as a class. These classes show strong inter-class correlations, being inherently ordered, with higher similarity as intervals grow closer. Nevertheless, this characteristic has not been fully exploited. To address this, we propose Unbiased Label Distribution (ULD) to eliminate quantization error in training targets. Furthermore, we introduce Weighted Adjacent Decoding (WAD) to overcome quantization error during the decoding stage. Finally, we tailor two loss functions for the soft labels: Negative Log Absolute Error (NLAE) and Mean Squared Error without activation (MSE(wo)). Experimental results show our approach surpasses classification quantization limits, achieving state-of-the-art performance. Our code and supplementary material are available at https://github.com/linfeng-feng/ULD.