An Active Inference Agent for Modeling Human Translation Processes.

This paper develops an outline for a hierarchically embedded architecture of an artificial agent that models human translation processes based on principles of active inference (AIF) and predictive processing (PP). AIF and PP posit that the mind constructs a model of the environment which guides behavior by continually generating and integrating predictions and sensory input. The proposed model of the translation agent consists of three processing strata: a sensorimotor layer, a cognitive layer, and a phenomenal layer. Each layer consists of a network of states and transitions that interact on different time scales. Following the AIF framework, states are conditioned on observations which may originate from the environment and/or the embedded processing layer, while transitions between states are conditioned on actions that implement plans to optimize goal-oriented behavior. The AIF agent aims at simulating the variation in translational behavior under various conditions and to facilitate investigating the underlying mental mechanisms. It provides a novel framework for generating and testing new hypotheses of the translating mind.

Models of the Translation Process and the Free Energy Principle.

Translation process research (TPR) has generated a large number of models that aim at explaining human translation processes. In this paper, I suggest an extension of the monitor model to incorporate aspects of relevance theory (RT) and to adopt the free energy principle (FEP) as a generative model to elucidate translational behaviour. The FEP-and its corollary, active inference-provide a general, mathematical framework to explain how organisms resist entropic erosion so as to remain within their phenotypic bounds. It posits that organisms reduce the gap between their expectations and observations by minimising a quantity called free energy. I map these concepts on the translation process and exemplify them with behavioural data. The analysis is based on the notion of translation units (TUs) which exhibit observable traces of the translator's epistemic and pragmatic engagement with their translation environment, (i.e., the text) that can be measured in terms of translation effort and effects. Sequences of TUs cluster into translation states (steady state, orientation, and hesitation). Drawing on active inference, sequences of translation states combine into translation policies that reduce expected free energy. I show how the notion of free energy is compatible with the concept of relevance, as developed in RT, and how essential concepts of the monitor model and RT can be formalised as deep temporal generative models that can be interpreted under a representationalist view, but also support a non-representationalist account.

Multistep translation and cultural adaptation of the Penn acoustic neuroma quality-of-life scale for German-speaking patients.

BACKGROUND: Monitoring the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) for patients with vestibular schwannoma (VS) has garnered increasing interest. In German-speaking countries, there is no disease-specific questionnaire available similar to the "Penn Acoustic Neuroma Quality-of-life Scale" (PANQOL). METHOD: We translated the PANQOL for German-speaking patients based on a multistep protocol that included not only a forward-backward translation but also linguistic and sociocultural adaptations. The process consists of translation, synthesis, back translation, review by an expert committee, administration of the prefinal version to our patients, submission and appraisal of all written documents by our research team. The required multidisciplinary team for translation comprised head and neck surgeons, language professionals (German and English), a professional translator, and bilingual participants. A total of 123 patients with VS underwent microsurgical procedures via different approaches at our clinic between January 2007 and January 2017. Among these, 72 patients who underwent the translabyrinthine approach participated in the testing of the German-translated PANQOL. RESULT: The first German version of the PANQOL questionnaire was created by a multistep translation process. The responses indicate that the questionnaire is simple to administer and applicable to our patients. CONCLUSION: The use of a multistep process to translate quality-of-life questionnaires is complex and time-consuming. However, this process was performed properly and resulted in a version of the PANQOL for assessing the quality of life of German-speaking patients with VS.

[Recovery Self Assessment: Translation and cultural adaption of a recovery oriented assessment instrument]. / Recovery Self Assessment - Übersetzung und kulturelle Anpassung eines recovery-orientierten Einschätzungsinstrumentes.

BACKGROUND: The recovery approach is becoming increasingly important in mental health services and research. In English-speaking countries, its practical implementation as well as the scientific discussion is far more advanced. To support the approach, assessment instruments are required. A widespread and recognised tool is the Recovery Self Assessment Scale {RSA}. This includes four versions of a questionnaire, which cover the perspectives of users, providers, family members and management. AIM/METHOD: In this article, the development of the instrument and the system atictranslation process are presented. Two independent research groups applied different translation. METHODS: The Swiss research group {AGS} used the ISOPR principles, the German research group (AGN} the Guidelines of the European Social Survey Programme for survey translations TRAPD. The methods differ in the fact,that TRAPD uses focus groups. The results of both groups were combined by means of a consensus process. RESULTS: Within the translation and cultural adjustment of the RSA-D, the the oretical framework of the RSA as well as the transferability into the German speaking context has been ensured. CONCLUSION: Before the RSA-D c~n beused in practice and research, further studies towards psychometric testing should be conducted.

Translating Ideas into Commercial Biomaterial Devices: A Path to Improving Healthcare.

The medical device industry is undergoing substantial transformations, looking to face the increasing pressures on healthcare systems and fundamental shifts in healthcare delivery. There is an ever-growing emphasis on identifying underserved clinical requirements and enhancing industry-academia partnerships to accelerate innovative solutions. In this context, an analysis of the requirements for translation, highlighting support and funding for innovation to transform an idea for a biomaterial device into a commercially available product, is discussed.

Parallel translation process in consecutive interpreting: Differences between beginning and advanced interpreting students.

This study examines the parallel translation process of 30 beginning and 30 advanced consecutive interpreting students (BISs and AISs). It investigates the characteristics and efficiency of parallel translation processing employed during the comprehension phase across proficiency levels. Quantitative and qualitative analyses reveal AISs demonstrated superior information reformulation capabilities, particularly for high-density content, along with more efficient note-taking and utilization compared to BISs. A key finding is that AISs interpreted more propositions than they recorded in their notes, reflecting stronger encoding and memory retention. In contrast, BISs relied heavily on external notation instead of internal memory retrieval, only interpreting a portion of their notes while failing to decipher the rest. These findings uncover complex yet differentiated parallel processing approaches across skill levels, with more successful comprehension-to-production strategies utilized by AISs. Enhancing students' metacognitive awareness regarding parallel processing techniques may improve information processing efficiency during source language comprehension, ultimately enhancing target language reformulation accuracy and completeness.

Indonesian Translation and Cross-Cultural Validation of Pediatric Anesthesia Parent Satisfaction (PAPS) Questionnaire.

BACKGROUND: Many questionnaires have been widely used to assess patient satisfaction. One of them is the Pediatric Anesthesia Parent Satisfaction (PAPS) questionnaire. However, in Indonesia, the parent satisfaction of pediatric patients undergoing surgery has never been studied. Knowing patient satisfaction can provide feedback to improve the quality of anesthesia services. Furthermore, the PAPS questionnaire has never been used in Indonesia, so it needs to be translated and tested for validity and reliability before being implemented in Indonesia. AIM: to validate the Indonesian version of the PAPS questionnaire Method: This study uses a descriptive-analytic method with a cross-sectional design. The PAPS Questionnaire was translated into Indonesian version with the following steps (1) forward translation, (2) establish an expert committee, and (3) backward translation. After that, pilot testing and FGD with the expert were conducted to obtain the final questionnaire. Pearson's correlation and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were employed for the validity test. Sampling measurement before CFA was carried out with Keyser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) and Bartlett's test. Cronbach's alpha determined the reliability test evaluation. RESULT: Total number of subjects is 125 subjects. The PAPS questionnaire in the Indonesian version was obtained with help from INCULS and an anesthesiologist expert. Pearson's correlation found that all items ranged from r = 0.531-0.796 with p < 0.001. The CFA showed two factors that explained 65% of the total variance, with KMO being 0.937 (X2=1283.452, p < 0.001). Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.937. CONCLUSION: Indonesian version of the PAPS questionnaire is valid and reliable for assessing parents' satisfaction with the anesthesia services their child received.

Dictating translations with automatic speech recognition: Effects on translators' performance.

Technologies can greatly improve translators' productivity and reduce their workload. Previous research has found that the use of automatic speech recognition (ASR) tools for dictating translations can increase productivity. However, these studies often had small sample sizes and did not consider other important aspects of translators' performance, such as translation quality and cognitive effort. This study aims to investigate the impact of text input method on translators' performance in terms of task duration, time allocation, editing operations, cognitive effort, and translation quality, as well as whether text difficulty affects these factors. To do this, 60 Chinese translation trainees were randomly assigned to either a dictation group or a typing group, and completed two English-Chinese translations of varying levels of source-text difficulty. Data were collected using keylogging, subjective ratings, screen recording, and a questionnaire. The results showed that using ASR reduced the typing effort of participants without negatively affecting translation quality, but did not save time or reduce cognitive effort. No effect of text difficulty was observed. Analysis of the revisions made by the dictation group and the results of the post-test questionnaire provide insights into how ASR systems can be optimized for translation purposes.

Cross-Cultural Adaptation of the Arabic Version of the Waterloo Footedness Questionnaire-Revised to Assess Footedness in Arabic-Speaking Adults.

PURPOSE:  The goal of this research is to translate and analyze the psychometric properties of the Arabic version of the Waterloo Footedness Questionnaire-Revised (WFQ-R). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two native Arabic speakers created separate forward translations, which were then merged. Two different multilingual translators were used to translate it back into English from the synthetic version. Experts were gathered for a discussion on how to improve the localization and adaptation processes. A group of specialists was convened to analyze the localization and modification procedures. We now have the Arabic version of the WFQ-R which is "WFQ-R-Ar". Two hundred and ninety Arabic-speaking adults over the age of 18 were surveyed to evaluate the WHQ-R-Ar's characteristics (internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and construct validity). RESULTS:  The WFQ-R-Ar had no collisions with the ground or the sky. The factor analysis showed that the construct validity of the WFQ-R-Ar was dependent on a single factor. The WFQ-R-Ar also has excellent internal consistency, with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.93. The reliability of the examinations was examined, and it was found to have an intraclass correlation value of 0.94. CONCLUSION:  The WFQ-R-Ar may be relied on to provide accurate results when used to evaluate footedness in Arabic-speaking society.

Citizenship matters: Translating and adapting the Citizenship Measure to Norwegian.

Citizenship is considered intertwined with recovery, and may be a useful perspective for advancing quality of life among marginalised groups. Yet, matters of citizenship among persons with co-occurring substance use and mental health problems are underrepresented both in research and practice. Aims: In order to measure citizenship among persons with co-occurring problems in a Norwegian study, a measure of citizenship was translated from English to Norwegian. The aims of the study were to 1) translate and adapt the Citizenship Measure, developed by Rowe and colleagues at the Yale Program for Recovery and Community Health, to Norwegian, and 2) to assess the internal consistency and convergent validity of the Norwegian translated measure. Methods: The translation process was carried out using forward and back translation procedures. To examine measurement properties, a convenience sample of 104 residents with co-occurring problems living in supported housing completed the measure. Results: Two factors were identified, related to rights, and to relational citizenship. The Norwegian translation of the Citizenship Measure showed high internal consistency and adequate convergent validity. Conclusions: We argue that the measure can be useful in assessing perceived citizenship, and in initiating efforts to support citizenship among persons with co-occurring problems.