Pragmatic Relevance Research Articles

Rapid Strawberry Ripeness Detection And 3D Localization of Picking Point Based on Improved YOLO V8-Pose with RGB-Camera

Accurate identification of strawberries at different growth stages as well as determination of optimal picking points by strawberry picking robots is a key issue in the field of agricultural automation. In this paper, a fast detection method of strawberry ripeness and picking point based on improved YOLO V8-Pose (You Only Look Once) and RGB-D depth camera is proposed to address this problem. By comparing the YOLO v5-Pose, YOLO v7-Pose, and YOLO v8-Pose models, it is determined to use the YOLO v8-Pose model as the fundamental model for strawberry ripeness and picking point detection. For the sake of further improving the accuracy of the model detection, this paper makes targeted improvements: all the Concat modules at the Neck part are replaced with BiFPN richer feature fusion, which enhances the global feature extraction capability of the model; the MobileViTv3 framework is employed to restructure the backbone network, thereby augmenting the model's capacity for contextual feature extraction. Subsequently, the output-side CIoU loss function is supplanted with the SIoU loss function, leading to an acceleration in the model's convergence. The enhanced YOLO v8-Pose demonstrates a 97.85% mAP-kp value, reflecting a 5.49% improvement over the initial model configuration.. For the sake of accurately localizing the three-dimensional information of strawberry picking points, the strawberry picking points are further projected into the corresponding depth information to obtain their three-dimensional information. The experimental results show that the mean absolute error and the mean absolute percentage error of strawberry picking point localization in this paper are 0.63 cm and 1.16%, respectively. In this study, we introduce a method capable of concurrently detecting strawberry maturity and identifying the precise harvesting location while accurately localizing the picking point. This investigation holds considerable theoretical and pragmatic relevance in augmenting the intelligence of strawberry harvesting robots and actualizing automation and smart capabilities in agricultural production.

Researching approach toward circular economy on human resource performance management

BACKGROUND: The Industry 4.0 and 5.0 models are dynamic, still under research and unsolved implementation for industrial manufacturers. The paradigm “Green Deal” goals launched by the European Commission is apparently difficult to define concrete action plans. The good practices of the manufacturing industry are punctual. The health crisis of COVID-19 proves the necessity of a solid economy, with customized fields of industry-engines, located on countries proximity or associated. The productive operational chain with a multi-sequence activity processed by human labor becomes critical. OBJECTIVE: The paper aims to identify Industry 4.0 and 5.0 concepts in both scientific character and pragmatic relevance, useful for productive organizations performing in the current business with difficult predictability environment. METHODS: The methodology approach the grounded theories, combining the inductive and deductive methods. Next to the data collection provided from other authors research, a qualitative method apply to several case studies as empirical methodology to explore the situations in which the designed model has not a single set of outcomes. RESULTS: The principles CE become useful by transferring their meaning of waste reduction from material resources to human resources whether measuring tools are applied. I4.0 and I5.0 technical factors become means to recuperate the human factor within a culture of human centricity values. CONCLUSIONS: By applying the CE principles, a mutual benefit organization-society is revealed, organization add values by hiring smart specialist from society I5.0 previously trained by organizational professional reconversion with technical support I4.0. The contribution is measured by reducing the waste, hence the cost of community unemployment rate.

Expanding Pragmatism with Symbolic Interactionism: Recounting the Story of Two Frameworks

Abstract This article describes the story of pragmatism and its transformation into symbolic interactionism at Carnegie Mellon University and Aalto University. In both universities, design researchers were interested in user experience in interactive systems. John Dewey's pragmatism taught them to study how experience sometimes transforms into an experience and occasionally into stories. Herbert Blumer's interactionism had its roots in Chicago School sociology, and it developed in association with pragmatism. His interactionism gave these researchers tools to study Dewey's concepts empirically. We show in the article how this theoretical connection came about after 2000 and how it has shaped research programs in these two communities since then. We also discuss the relevance of pragmatism and interactionism in our current technological landscape, dominated by social media and artificial intelligence.

The Impact of Cultural Code on Communication Promotion of Japanese Animation in the USA

For the last eight years, the anime market in the USA has shown record growth rates, which is related to the epistemological relevance of the study. This leads to the fact that the studios are expanding their capabilities and looking for new ways to promote new products, which determines the pragmatic relevance of this study. The purpose of the research is to identify the influence of cultural characteristics on promotional campaigns of Japanese animation in the United States and determine the reasons for their effectiveness. The research was undertaken on the examples of the American promotional campaigns of Attack on Titan and Demon Slayer. The promotional materials that have been analyzed related to the content from streaming services (Crunchyroll, FUNimation), linear networks (Adult Swim), and anime events both global such as Anime Expo, FunimationCon and organized by the studios. Furthermore, the research was conducted using materials from internet publishers such as CBR, Anime News Network, and supported by data provided by Parrot Analytics. Methods that have been used during the research include synthesis and analysis, ideal-typical reconstruction of social reality, case study, non-formalized content analysis method, and indirect analysis of expert statements. Based on research results, it was inferred that, regardless of the consolidation of the international animation society, it is still crucial to take audience’s cultural background into the consideration and thoroughly calculate the promotion strategy when launching new products. This would help minimize the risks and avoid serious losses both in terms of profit and reputation.

Pragmatism in Education: Philosophical Foundations and Pedagogical Practice

The subject of this article is the ideas in the field of philosophy and practice of education, proposed by the founders of pragmatism: C. Pierce, W. James, J. Dewey, R. Rorty. The concepts of these authors gave rise to one of the most successful philosophies of education, which has been and is being subjected to considerable criticism, but is still in demand and demonstrating effectiveness. The article analyzes the initial axioms of the philosophy of pragmatism and the principles on which, according to the philosophers-authors, this educational model should work. The modern criticism of pragmatism in English-language literature is also touched upon. Attention to the philosophy of pragmatism in education seems justified due to the search for a better educational model that is taking place in Russia today. The scientific novelty of the article lies in the analysis of the key philosophical principles of the educational model of pragmatism along with practical recommendations, as well as in the attention paid to Ch. Pierce and the place, significance, of his ideas in the educational model of pragmatism. Traditionally Ch. Pierce is taken out of the brackets when writing about pragmatism in education. Much more attention is paid to the ideas of W. James, J. Dewey, R. Rorty, while Peirce's prolegomena seem fundamentally significant in understanding pragmatism as a philosophy of education. The author discusses the current controversy around the relevance of pragmatism as a philosophy of education, about its strengths and weaknesses. It is concluded that pragmatism as a philosophy of education carries useful principles associated with consensual practices, critical thinking, dialogue, increased attention to experience and an active cognitive position, and therefore can be used as a counterweight to destructive (commercialization, deprofessionalization) trends in education.

Impact of High Light Intensity and Low Temperature on the Growth and Phenylpropanoid Profile of Azolla filiculoides.

Exposure to high light intensity (HL) and cold treatment (CT) induces reddish pigmentation in Azolla filiculoides, an aquatic fern. Nevertheless, how these conditions, alone or in combination, influence Azolla growth and pigment synthesis remains to be fully elucidated. Likewise, the regulatory network underpinning the accumulation of flavonoids in ferns is still unclear. Here, we grew A. filiculoides under HL and/or CT conditions for 20 days and evaluated the biomass doubling time, relative growth rate, photosynthetic and non-photosynthetic pigment contents, and photosynthetic efficiency by chlorophyll fluorescence measurements. Furthermore, from the A. filiculoides genome, we mined the homologs of MYB, bHLH, and WDR genes, which form the MBW flavonoid regulatory complex in higher plants, to investigate their expression by qRT-PCR. We report that A. filiculoides optimizes photosynthesis at lower light intensities, regardless of the temperature. In addition, we show that CT does not severely hamper Azolla growth, although it causes the onset of photoinhibition. Coupling CT with HL stimulates the accumulation of flavonoids, which likely prevents irreversible photoinhibition-induced damage. Although our data do not support the formation of MBW complexes, we identified candidate MYB and bHLH regulators of flavonoids. Overall, the present findings are of fundamental and pragmatic relevance to Azolla's biology.

A Pragmatic Analysis of Selected Newspapers' Coverage of the Covid-19 Pandemic in Nigeria

Language is a pivotal instrument in the hand of journalists; they manipulate language at their disposal for accomplishing numerous goals. Thus, this study explores a pragmatic investigation of how meanings are interpreted in the selected newspapers’ coverage of the Coronavirus Pandemic in Nigeria. Mey’s (2001) Pragmatic Acts Theory was used to analyze ten (10) data selected purposively from The Punch and The Vanguard Newspapers between February 2020 and June 2020. The study found out that the pragmatic relevance of the COVID-19 newspapers’ coverage is embedded in its media functions as it serves as an indicator to interpret the messages inherent in the coronavirus newspapers’ coverage and a pract of warning to the citizens of Nigeria to stay safe. The study also revealed that the practs used depend on context, situation and existing shared-knowledge of both the speaker and the reader. It was observed that journalists use the news headlines to perform several acts of warning, sensitising, informing, exposing, etc. to achieve different goals and pass numerous meanings to their listeners/readers during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Nigeria. Results indicated that the Nigerian media performed well in terms of covering the pandemic, which in turn created awareness. However, the coverage was not in-depth as most of the reported stories were short and were predominantly straight news. This paper concludes that journalists use contextual language to enhance social relations among the readers.

Antidepressant Advisor (ADeSS): a decision support system for antidepressant treatment for depression in UK primary care – a feasibility study

ObjectivesTo develop and probe the first computerised decision-support tool to provide antidepressant treatment guidance to general practitioners (GPs) in UK primary care.DesignA parallel group, cluster-randomised controlled feasibility trial, where individual...

Grounding Mechanisms in Selected Interviews of President Muhammadu Buhari

Presidential interviews carry significant socio-political weight. Despite this, there is a dearth of research on Nigerian political interviews from the vantage of common ground. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the grounding techniques in two interviews of President Muhammadu Buhari and identify the pragmatic relevance of these strategies in accessing, building, and maintaining common ground. Using the theory of grounding as a theoretical basis, the top-down analysis revealed that the interviewer and interviewee utilised three main grounding techniques: alternative descriptions, referential instalments, and instalments. These three techniques were established by the use of proper nouns, appositives, relative clauses, and brief explanations. The study also demonstrated that the techniques (i) help to institute contexts to enable interlocutors and their audience to infer meaning appropriately, and (ii) indicate presuppositions and implicatures. The study concludes that grounding is a joint activity through which communication sails smoothly.

FOUNDATIONS OF PRAGMATIC LEGAL LINGUISTICS

In this review essay, I describe some basic problems in the research into the legal language that are methodologically connected to linguistic and philosophical pragmatics. I call this area of knowledge pragmatic legal linguistics. Pragmatic legal linguistics deals with the processes that are constitutive of the emergence of meaning in law. Its basic concepts are coined in the course of developments in linguistic and philosophical pragmatics. It applies pragmatic theoretical approaches to clarify the functioning of the legal language and discovers new areas of pragmatic relevance in the research into the legal language. The final goal of pragmatic legal linguistics is to re-formulate our laws in accordance with linguistic findings about the use of language.

Towards a new stakeholder-inclusive conceptual framework to strengthen internal corporate image

It is widely reported in the literature that employees’ image of the organisation has a direct influenceon external stakeholders’ image of the organisation. This research attempted to address theneed for an approach that facilitates employee engagement coupled with a leadership approachthat allows collaboration, inclusion and co-operation within the organisation, to strengthenthe internal corporate image. A synthesis of the literature from a unique stakeholder-inclusiveperspective, depicted in the King III Report on corporate governance, was conducted to identifythe theoretical principles for a preliminary conceptual framework explored through a case studyapproach. Parsec Technologies Pty Ltd was purposively selected as case study, because it wasthe 2012 and 2013 winner in the manufacturing sector of the Deloitte Best Company to Work For(BCTWF) survey, and served as a best practice organisation in the context of this research. Datatriangulation by means of one-on-one interviews, focus groups and an open-ended survey wasconducted with employees to determine the pragmatic relevance of the proposed framework. Thefindings culminated in a new generic stakeholder-inclusive conceptual framework to strengthenthe internal corporate image by means of the AA1000 Stakeholder Engagement Standardelements and responsible leadership. Although a single case study is limited, this frameworkcontributed to the body of knowledge on corporate image to provide organisations with guidelinesfor strengthening their internal corporate image.

Accepting change as part of organisational life

This article proposes a new concept, co-change-orientated communication (co-COC), whichencapsulates the daily social and communication processes of organisational members inmaking sense of change from a critical strategic communication perspective. Guided by anevolutionary approach to concept development, this article aims to quantitatively measure thepragmatic relevance of identified attributes and antecedents of co-COC to the development ofa fully-fledged concept at six high-change South African organisations. An exploratory factoranalysis confirmed that co-COC is attributed by meaningful dialogue, employee engagement,collaboration and co-creation, and the encouragement of dissent. It is bottom-up in nature andenabled by the antecedents of organisational agility, leadership agility, a change-able cultureand stakeholder engagement. Co-COC further extends theoretical development on the need forchange in approaches to communication that support ongoing organisational change and hasvepotential to assist communication professionals to recognise the need and pragmatic relevance ofcontemporary developments in strategic communication. The various antecedents and attributesof co-COC could also provide organisations with guidance on the implementation of changeorientatedcommunication approaches in support of ongoing organisational change.

Continuing, reducing, switching, or stopping antipsychotics in individuals with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders who are clinically stable: a systematic review and network meta-analysis

Although antipsychotic maintenance treatment is widely recommended to prevent relapse in chronic psychoses, evidence-based guidelines do not provide clear indications on different maintenance treatment strategies, including continuing the antipsychotic at standard doses, reducing the dose, switching to another antipsychotic, or even stopping the antipsychotic. We aimed to compare the effectiveness of these maintenance treatment strategies, hypothesising the superiority of all strategies over stopping, and of continuing at standard doses over both switching and reducing the dose. We did a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that investigated antipsychotics for relapse prevention in adults with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders who were clinically stable, and which compared four treatment strategies: continuing the current antipsychotic at standard doses recommended for acute treatment; reducing the current antipsychotic dose; switching to a different antipsychotic; and stopping the antipsychotic and replacing it with placebo. We excluded RCTs with fewer than 25 individuals, a prerandomisation washout period greater than 4 weeks, a follow-up shorter than 6 weeks, and those recruiting treatment-resistant individuals. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, CENTRAL, and online trial registers for published and unpublished RCTs from inception to Sept 1, 2021, combining terms describing all available antipsychotics, and terms describing continuation, maintenance, or long-term treatment for schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. Relative risks (RRs) and standardised mean differences were pooled using random-effects pairwise and network meta-analyses. We assessed risk of bias of each RCT with the Cochrane Risk-of-Bias 2 tool, and confidence of pooled estimates with CINeMA. The primary outcome was relapse prevention. The study protocol was registered in advance in the Open Science Forum registry. Of 3936 records identified, 119 records, reporting on 101 RCTs, were eligible, 98 of which (including 13 988 individuals) provided data that could be meta-analysed for at least one outcome. The mean proportion of female participants per study was 38% (range 0-100; median 39%, IQR 29-50), whereas for male participants it was 62% (range 0-100; median 61%, IQR 50-71), and the overall mean age was 38·8 years (range 23·2-63·9; median 39·3, IQR 35·0-43·9). Of the 98 RCTs meta-analysed, 89·8% were done in high-income and upper-middle-income countries. The ethnic group White or so-called Caucasian was the most represented (mean 56% participants per study), although this information was relatively scarce. All continuation strategies were significantly more effective in preventing relapse than stopping antipsychotic treatment, with a large risk reduction for continuing at standard doses (RR 0·37, 95% CI 0·32-0·43; number-needed-to-treat [NNT] 3·17, 95% CI 2·94-3·51) and antipsychotic switching (RR 0·44, 0·37-0·53; NNT 3·57, 3·17-4·25), and moderate risk reduction for dose reduction (RR 0·68, 0·51-0·90; NNT 6·25, 4·08-20·00). Continuing and switching antipsychotics did not differ significantly (RR 0·84, 0·69-1·02; with lower values favouring continuing), whereas reducing antipsychotic dose was outperformed by both continuing (RR 0·55, 0·42-0·71; NNT 4·44, 3·45-6·90) and switching (RR 0·65, 0·47-0·89; NNT 5·17, 3·77-18·18). Results were supported by moderate confidence of evidence and confirmed by secondary analyses and by several sensitivity and subgroup analyses, including removing studies with abrupt antipsychotic discontinuation or fast tapering (≤4 weeks). No tolerability differences emerged between treatment strategies. According to the Cochrane Risk-of-Bias tool, version 2, 16·8% of included RCTs had an overall high risk of bias for the primary outcome. We found moderate heterogeneity (τ2=0·13; I2=61%) and no overall incoherence for the primary analysis. Results were supported by moderate confidence of evidence and confirmed by secondary analyses. Contrary to our original hypothesis, we found that continuing antipsychotic treatment at standard doses or switching to a different antipsychotic are similarly effective treatment strategies, whereas reducing antipsychotic doses below standard doses is associated with higher risk of relapse than the other two maintenance treatment strategies and should therefore be limited to selected cases. Despite limitations, including moderate heterogeneity and moderate certainty of evidence, these results are of pragmatic relevance for clinicians, and should support the update of evidence-based guidelines. None.

Machine-learning in motor neuron diseases: Prospects and pitfalls.

Machine-learning in motor neuron diseases: Prospects and pitfalls.

Pedagogical Communication in Nigerian Children Literature: A Pragma-Semiotic Study of Akintayo Oluyinka’s The Greatest Mistake

This study is a cross-disciplinary investigation of the pedagogical significance of children literature in Nigeria—a linguistic study of selected samples from Akintayo Oluyinka’s The Greatest Mistake. Visual illustrations are typical of children literature because of the age-range of the readers. Hamilton (2000) notes that “children who encounter excellent picture books learn how to read not just the moods but also the pictures. They pay close attention to what they see often discovering things in illustrations.” Like in the literary text we examine in this study, pictorial illustrations in Nigerian children literature have varied contextual underpinnings which make them have meanings to children-readers. This establishes their pragmatic relevance. Objects and gestures convey messages in discourse. Therefore, semiotics is a crucial concern of this study. Hinging on the Pragma-crafting theory, this study concludes that the effectiveness of children literature in the transmission of knowledge to the target readers (children) depends on the skillful use of textual and extra-textual elements of communication.

What is an Anti-Racist Philosophy of Race and History?

Abstract In this article, I defend the pragmatic relevance of race in history. Kant and Hegel's racist development thesis assumes that nonwhite, non-European racial groups are defective practical agents. In response, philosophers have opted to drop race from a theory of history and progress. They posit that denying its pragmatic relevance amounts to anti-racist egalitarianism. I dub this tactic “colorblind cosmopolitanism” and offer grounds for its rejection. Following Du Bois, I ascribe, instead, a pragmatic role to race in history. Namely, Du Bois argues that race is an “instrument of progress” that advances emancipatory struggle. He appeals to the writing of history—or historiography—to cultivate group consciousness of historical memory in order to (1) strengthen intragroup bonds among the racially oppressed, especially black Americans, and (2) create intergroup bonds that reconstruct the republic on the basis of universal ideals. I detail Du Bois's defense of the black struggle for freedom in the wake of the U.S. Civil War to provide a concrete illustration of “spirit” in American history.

The Pragmatics of Political Claims and Social Responses amidst Covid-19 and EndSARS Saga in Nigeria

There have been few stand-alone linguistic studies on the Covid-19 virus and the 2020 EndSARS protests in Nigeria. The present study intersects these two critical events with particular focus on the political claims made by the ruling class and the corresponding social responses in line with the contextual affordances shared by the participants. Searle’s speech act theoretic approach is adopted to analyse the pragmatic intentions of the illocutionary acts which political claims perform while Juvenalian satire is used to discuss the satirical elements embedded in the social responses in a bid to ridicule leadership follies and abuses. Three popular Nigerian online Newspapers and few comments from Facebook are selected for this study. Their selection is based on their coverage of these events, coverage of these political claims and popular readership evidenced in the social responses. In all, a total of 6 political claims and 25 social responses relevant to this study are analysed. The study revealed that the pragmatic relevance of these claims is embedded in its political functions of wielding undue influence over the populace, making promises driven by rhetoric and short of initiative and calculated reticence in response to social issues. Consequently, the social responses highlight and criticise leadership vices and the weak efforts of the government in dispensing its leadership interventions. It also fulfils communicative purposes of the contextual space, promote solidarity among the people while prompting change in the political class and the society at large.

Pragmatism as a paradigm for patient-oriented research.

BackgroundMixed methods research studies continue to pervade the field of health care, where pragmatism as a research paradigm and patient‐oriented research (POR) as an engagement strategy are combined to strengthen the process and outcomes of the research. Pragmatists use the most appropriate research methods to address issues at hand, where complex social problems need multipronged approaches. As an emerging healthcare research strategy, POR actively engages individuals with lived experience across all stages of the research process. While POR continues to garner attention within mixed‐methods research designs, there is a paucity of literature that considers POR in relation to pragmatism.ObjectiveAs POR grows in popularity within the field of health care, there is a need to explore the theoretical and epistemological alignment with pragmatism and the implications to research.MethodsTo address this need, we provide a critical review of the literature to examine the synergies between POR and pragmatism, and argue for the adoption of pragmatism as a paradigm for conducting POR.Main ResultsThis article begins with a discussion of the philosophical underpinnings informing the pragmatic paradigm. It then identifies key alignments between POR and pragmatism across three intersecting concepts: democratic values, collaborative approaches to problem‐solving and the pursuit of social justice.Discussion and ConclusionsReflecting on our experiences engaging with patient partners in a mixed‐methods POR study titled READY2Exit, we illustrate the relevance of pragmatism to POR by applying these concepts to practice. Implications and considerations for conducting POR within the pragmatic paradigm are also described.Patient or Public ContributionThis paper provides a critical review of the literature and did not directly involve patients or the public. The authors reflected on their experiences collaborating with five young adult patient partners in the READY2Exit study (case exemplar described in this article) to demonstrate the relevance of the pragmatic paradigm to POR. We acknowledge and thank the young adult patient partners for their contributions to the research, for encouraging us to think critically about patient engagement in research, and for sharing their experiences.

Constraints of Attaining Pragmatic Relevance from English into Selected Luhya Varieties in Interpreter-mediated Sermons

Interpretation is an ultimate bridge among people who speak more than one language. In the case where the audience fails to understand the source language (SL), it is necessary to get the message to communicate with the target language (TL) speaker through an interpreter. This paper aims to evaluate the possible constraints of attaining pragmatic relevance during the delivery of interpreter-mediated sermons from English into selected Luhya varieties. The rationale for this position is that since English and Luhya belong to different language families, rendering information between these two languages can be very challenging. The Relevance Theory by Sperber and Wilson (1986) provided the background for discussing the data. Data was collected through Key-Informant Interviews for the interpreters, Focus Group Discussions for the congregants and the researcher’s non-participant observation during church services. The audio recording was used to collect corpus for analysis. The following constraints were revealed; grammatic and structural constraints, time lag, idiomatic expressions in the SL, lack of compatible hyponyms, phonological and prosodic constraints, semantic constraints, lack of lexicalized TL versions, culture-specific words in the SL and polysemous words. The findings also revealed that interpreters need to be aware of the constraints they face in interpreting sermons to determine the appropriate strategies to counteract the constraints.

The specifics of the evaluative metaphor in English (based on the texts of art discourse)

This article deals with a comprehensive description of the evaluativeness of metaphors in modern English. The evaluation criteria underlying the evaluability of metaphors are determined, variations as an object of evaluation and an agent as a donor of evaluation in the semantic structure of metaphors are considered, axiological types of lexical and semantic groups of metaphors are differentiated, and the means and conditions for varying the evaluability of metaphors are systematized. This research paper depicts the pragmatic relevance of the evaluative metaphor and represents the typology of demographic, socio-cultural, and national-cultural signs of the evaluability of metaphors. The axiological status of the metaphor is established by a comprehensive description of the semantic, syntactic, pragmatic, and sociolinguistic features of the evaluation of the metaphor in modern English. The specificity of evaluativeness as a component of meaning in the semantics of a metaphor is determined. The results of the study of metaphor are presented in many linguistic works. However, some provisions concerning the functioning of the metaphor and its ability to reflect the individual author’s worldview have not yet been sufficiently studied. To study the metaphor as an assistant to the creation of images that express the author’s attitude to something and its social, political, philosophical position, and as a means by which we know the world around us, it is necessary to examine the existing theoretical material and subsequent analyses of specific cases of using the metaphor.