bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Культурна співпраця України та Польщі наприкінці 20 – у перших десятиліттях 21 ст. в контексті євроінтеграції: аспекти української історіографії
Authors: Панчук Марина
Published: December 2023

The purpose of the article is a systematic analysis of the available works of Ukrainian scientists on the studied issues by thematic blocks for a more detailed coverage of individual aspects and regular processes of Ukrainian-Polish cultural cooperation. The research methodology is based on general scientific methods, such as systematization, generalization, analysis and synthesis, and special scientific methods, in particular, historical-genetic, historical-comparative, hermeneutic, as well as the principles of historicism, objectivity, and scientificity. The scientific novelty lies in highlighting the patterns of the formation of the national historiographical opinion on Ukrainian-Polish relations, taking into account the European integration processes in both states, which undoubtedly influenced the construction of interstate cultural relations. However, these aspects are not sufficiently represented in the writings of modern Ukrainian historians, which reveals the prerequisites for a more detailed study of the outlined issues. Conclusions. Modern European integration processes, conditions of rapid globalization and the common historical path of development of Ukraine and Poland contribute to increasing the relevance of the subject of Ukrainian-Polish cooperation among historical studies. The perspective of these studies directly affects the growth of scientific interest among Ukrainian historians in the analysis of certain aspects of the interaction between Ukraine and Poland at the current stage, which we can observe by analyzing the relevant array of works in historiography. The authors often lean towards a thematic approach and analysis of individual components of cultural interaction of both states, presenting concrete examples of manifestations and characteristic features of inter-ethnic dialogue. The available number of relevant works allows for comprehensive studies of the strategy and retrospective and dynamics of Ukrainian-Polish relations during the last decades. However, the lack of works that reveal mutual influences and interdependencies between European integration and the cultural dialogue of Ukraine and Poland represents a significant potential for scientific development in this field in the future.
Дурка Я. Януш Радзивілл (1880–1967): Політична біографія / Переклад з польської А. Бондаря. Тернопіль : Видавництво «Крок», 2023. 552 с.
Authors: Гаврилюк Світлана
Published: December 2023

The article analyzes the monograph of the Polish historian Jaroslaw Durka, "Janusz Radziwiłł (1880-1967). Political Biography", translated into Ukrainian from the Polish edition, published in Warsaw in 2011. J. Durka is a Doctor of Historical Sciences and researcher at the Kalisz Academy President Stanislaw Wojciechowski, an author of numerous publications related to the Radziwiłł family. The book describes the political biography of one of the brightest figures of Polish conservatism, Prince Janusz Radziwiłł, a parliamentarian of the Second Polish Republic [II Rzeczpospolita], an aristocrat, a person whose life absorbed all the significant events of the social and political life of Europe at the end of the 19th century – the 1960s. The monograph uses a vast source base, which includes documents from the Central Archives of Modern Records, the Central Archives of Historical Records, and the Central Military Archive (Warsaw), state voivodeship archives, in particular, Częstochowa, Kalisz, Katowice, Kraków, the Ossolinski National Institute in Wrocław, etc. The research examines publications from interwar periodicals, oral testimonies collected directly by the author, memoirs, published documents, etc. The author of the monograph highlights the traditions of the Radziwiłł family, the formation of Janusz Radziwiłł’s worldview and his political career, paying attention to his activities during the First World War, focusing on Janusz Radziwiłł's public and charitable activities in interwar Poland, the life of the last owner of the town of Olyka during the Second World War. One of the chapters draws attention to the final period of the life and activity of Janusz Radziwiłł, which he spent under the supervision of the special services of the Polish People’s Republic, practically outside of politics. J. Durka’s monograph, translated into Ukrainian, reveals little-studied pages of the history of Poland and Ukraine at the end of the XIXth – the first half and middle of the XXth century, prompting researchers for new scientific studies in the field of historical biography.
Комарніцький О. Б. Федорчук В. М. Іван Вікторович Івах: людина, вчений-методист, менеджер вищої освіти: монографія. Кам'янець-Подільський,ТОВ «Друкарня «Рута»», 2023. 548 с.
Authors: Романюк Іван , Зінько Юрій
Published: December 2023

The article reviews the monograph of Oleksandr Komarnitskyi and Viktor Fedorchuk, which comprehensively and comprehensively analyzes the life and work path, organizational, public, pedagogical and research activities of I.V. Ivakha, who worked at the Kamianets-Podilskyi State Pedagogical Institute in the positions of teacher, senior teacher, secretary of the party organization, deputy director, rector, head of the department, associate professor of the department in 1950-1989.
The influence of the educational environment on the psychological well-being of student youth
Authors: Haba Iryna
Published: December 2023

The article analyzes the features of the impact the educational environment on the psychological well-being of student youth. A psychological analysis of the content the educational environment and the essence of the phenomenon of "psychological well-being". The relationship between the psychological well-being of student youth and the psychological characteristics the educational environment is determined. It is stated that the psychological well-being of student youth largely depends on the level of development and quality of the educational environment. It is established that external objective indicators of well-being, such as criteria of success, indicators of health, material well-being, do not affect a person's experience of well-being. Psychological well-being is basically subjective, it is largely due to the special attitude of the individual to himself, the world around him and its individual parties. It is determined that a favorable psychological atmosphere in the educational environment is important for student youth. The more opportunities there are in the educational environment to seek help, the higher the protection against psychological violence, threats, ignoring and hostility from teachers and public humiliation from classmates, the higher the level of student self-acceptance. It is stated that the importance of correct and safe interaction of the subjects of the educational environment is a significant factor in maintaining a high level of psychological well-being of student youth.
The evaluation of the image of the culture profession within the scope of demensional gastronomy education: A research on students taking online education
Authors: SARIOĞLAN Mehmet , DEVECİ Bahar , ÜNÜVAR Recep Tayyip
Published: December 2023

Many professions have emerged from the early ages to the present day. In this context, cooking is an ancient profession that has been done by people since ancient times. Especially in recent years, the importance of this profession has increased considerably and more preferred. People usually consider the image of that profession when choosing a profession. Because people's choosing a profession that is compatible with their personal characteristics will increase the efficiency of that profession. In this context, the value and image of a profession are the biggest factors in choosing the profession. When the literature is scanned, it is seen that image determination studies are mainly carried out on nursing and teaching professions. However, it is seen that there are not enough studies on the image of the culinary profession. The aim of this study is in online environment to measure the perceptions of the students who receive non-formal gastronomy education about the culinary profession. In order to achieve this aim, “Image Scale of Culinary Profession” has been developed. This scale consists of 14 items and 4 dimensions. These factors are; It was named as Professional Characteristics (5 items), Personal Characteristics (3 items), Competence (3 items) and Behavioral Characteristics (3 items). The average score that can be obtained from the test is 2.5, the top score is 5, and the base score is 1. The created questionnaire was applied to 391 participants who received gastronomy training in in online environment private education institutions. These data were analysed with SPSS and AMOS programs and subjected to validity and reliability tests. Then t-test was applied to the data. As a result of the test, very significant and positive results were obtained regarding the image of the culinary profession. In addition, it was determined that the image perception of the culinary profession differed according to the demographic characteristics of the students. In this context, it was concluded that the score of the Professional Traits dimension was 4.16, the Personal Traits score was 4.46, the Competencies score was 4.43, and the behavioral traits score was 4.15. The overall score average was found to be 4.28. The results show that the culinary profession has a very positive image for students who receive non-formal gastronomy education.
Assessing second-language academic writing: AI vs. Human raters
Authors: GECKİN Vasfiye , KIZILTAŞ Ebru , ÇINAR Çağatay
Published: December 2023

The quality of writing in a second language (L2) is one of the indicators of the level of proficiency for many college students to be eligible for departmental studies. Although certain software programs, such as Intelligent Essay Assessor or IntelliMetric, have been introduced to evaluate second-language writing quality, an overall assessment of writing proficiency is still largely achieved through trained human raters. The question that needs to be addressed today is whether generative artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms of large language models (LLMs) could facilitate and possibly replace human raters when it comes to the burdensome task of assessing student-written academic work. For this purpose, first-year college students (n=43) were given a paragraph writing task which was evaluated through the same writing criteria introduced to the generative pre-trained transformer, ChatGPT-3.5, and five human raters. The scores assigned by the five human raters revealed a statistically significant low to high positive correlation. A slight to fair but significant level of agreement was observed in the scores assigned by ChatGPT-3.5 and two of the human raters. The findings suggest that reliable results could be obtained when the scores of an application and multiple human raters are considered and that ChatGPT may potentially assist human raters in assessing L2 college writing.
Kinetic Modeling of Electromembrane Extraction of Copper using a Novel Electrolytic Cell Provided with a Supported Liquid Membrane
Authors: Kadhim Noor R. , Flayeh Hussain M. , Abbar Ali H.
Published: December 2023

The aim of this study is to investigate the kinetics of copper removal from aqueous solutions using an electromembrane extraction (EME) system. To achieve this, a unique electrochemical cell design was adopted comprising two glass chambers, a supported liquid membrane (SLM), a graphite anode, and a stainless-steel cathode. The SLM consisted of a polypropylene flat membrane infused with 1-octanol as a solvent and bis(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate (DEHP) as a carrier. The impact of various factors on the kinetics constant rate was outlined, including the applied voltage, initial pH of the donor phase solution, and initial copper concentration. The results demonstrated a significant influence of the applied voltage on enhancing the rate of copper mass transfer across the membrane. As the applied voltage increased, the rate constant also increased. Additionally, increasing the pH of the solution led to an initial elevate in the rate constant, reaching a maximum value at pH 5, after which it started to decline. Moreover, higher initial copper concentrations had an adverse effect on the rate constant. Notably, the concentration decay profiles observed under different operating conditions followed first-order kinetics, with correlation coefficients exceeding 0.99. The elucidation of this discovery emanated from a remarkable and striking congruence between the experimental data and the mathematical underpinnings of the first-order kinetics model. This serendipitous alignment profoundly reinforced the robustness, veracity, and unwavering reliability of meticulously obtained results, amplifying the credibility and trustworthiness of the present comprehensive study.
Selecting Optimum Dimensions for a Three-Phase Horizontal Smart Separator for Khor Mor Gas-Condensate Processing Plant
Authors: Sulaiman Fenk A. , Sidiq Hiwa
Published: December 2023

The Khor Mor gas-condensate processing plant in Iraq is currently facing operational challenges due to foaming issues in the sweetening tower caused by high-soluble hydrocarbon liquids entering the tower. The root cause of the problem could be liquid carry-over as the separation vessels within the plant fail to remove liquid droplets from the gas phase. This study employs Aspen HYSYS v.11 software to investigate the performance of the industrial three-phase horizontal separator, Bravo #2, located upstream of the Khor Mor sweetening tower, under both current and future operational conditions. The simulation results, regarding the size distribution of liquid droplets in the gas product and the efficiency gas/liquid separation, reveal that the separator falls short of eliminating all liquid droplets of specified sizes from the gas phase to meet efficiency requirements, weather with or without a mist extractor. Consequently, an analysis of various structural parameters of the vessel is undertaken to determine their impact on the carried-over liquid mass flow rate and the vessel’s gas/liquid efficiency. The findings recommend a new design concept termed the "smart separator" for Bravo #2, applicable to both current and anticipated operational scenarios. The smart separator demonstrates a remarkable enhancement in gas/liquid separation efficiency, showcasing improvements of 21.31% and 24.02% under existing and future operating conditions, respectively. This innovative design proves effective in controlling liquid carry-over and maintaining high-efficiency levels, even as vessel inlet flow rates increase over time, thus preventing foaming phenomena in downstream processes caused carried-over liquids.
Enhancing Nitrate Ion Removal from Water using Fixed Bed Columns with Composite Chitosan-based Beads
Authors: Jamka Zainab N. , Mohammed Wadood T. , YOU Zhenjiang , Abid Hussein Rasool
Published: December 2023

Water contamination is a pressing global concern, especially regarding the presence of nitrate ions. This research focuses on addressing this issue by developing an effective adsorbent for removing nitrate ions from aqueous solutions. two adsorbents Chitosan-Zeolite-Zirconium (Cs-Ze-Zr composite beads and Chitosan-Bentonite-Zirconium Cs-Bn-Zr composite beads were prepared. The study involved continuous experimentation using a fixed bed column with varying bed heights (1.5 and 3 cm) and inlet flow rates (1 and 3 ml/min). The results showed that the breakthrough time increased with higher bed heights for both Cs-Ze-Zr and Cs-Bn-Zr composite beads. Conversely, an increase in flow rate led to a decrease in breakthrough time. Notably, Cs-Ze-Zr and Cs-Bn-Zr demonstrated impressive removal efficiencies, reaching 87.23% and 92.02%, respectively. The optimal conditions for peak performance were found to be an inlet flow rate of 1 ml/min, a bed height of 3 cm, and initial concentrations of 400 mg/L and 600 mg/L for Cs-Ze-Zr and Cs-Bn-Zr, respectively.
Oxidative Desulfurization of Simulated Diesel Fuel by Synthesized Tin Oxide Nano-Catalysts Support on Reduced Graphene Oxide
Authors: Mahmood Qahtan A. , Abdulmajeed Basma Abbas , Haldhar Rajesh
Published: December 2023

The modified Hummers method was applied to prepare graphene oxide (GO) from the graphite powder. Tin oxide nanoparticles with different loading (10-20 wt.%) supported on reduced graphene oxide were synthesized to evaluate the oxidative desulfurization efficiency. The catalyst was synthesized by the incipient wetness impregnation (IWI) technique. Different analysis methods like FT-IR, XRD, FESEM, AFM, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) were utilized to characterize graphene oxide and catalysts. The XRD analysis showed that the average crystal size of graphene oxide was 6.05 nm. In addition, the FESEM results showed high metal oxide dispersions on the rGO. The EDX analysis shows the weight ratio of Sn is close to its theoretical weight. The reduction of metal oxide and (GO) has occurred in one step at temperatures of 400 °C for 2 hours. The performance of the catalysts for dibenzothiophene (DBT) removal using H2O2 as an oxidizing agent was determined under a range of different operating conditions. The results showed that the maximum desulfurization was 71.68% in the best conditions (DBT concentration = 385 ppm, time = 90 min, temperature = 60 oC, catalyst dosage = 0.04g, and amount of oxidant = 0.375 ml).
An Introduction to the Psychology of International Law
Authors: Nadeem Saadat Ali , Mehmood Samana , Din Malik Zia-ud-
Published: December 2023

Cognitive studies and behavioural economics have been successful in domestic legal concerns and are increasingly utilized in public policy and regulation, their implication in public international law scholarship has not been systematically explored. We hope to fill two voids in the literature with this research: (1) the lack of behavioural insights in international law and economics; (2) the absence of international dimensions in behavioural law and economics; and (3) the avoidance of the importance of international norms by international political psychology. This piece provides a broad overview of the many psychological perspectives used throughout the research contributions and the challenges anticipated by those pursuing this line of inquiry. Despite these caveats, behavioural studies have yielded numerous insights that could greatly advance our comprehension of international law.
The Military Courts Experiment: A Double-Edge Sword in the Fight against Political Radicalization in Pakistan
Authors: Asghar Muhammad Faizan
Published: December 2023

This research investigates the root causes of political radicalization in Pakistan from a scholarly perspective in order to understand the 9th May incident and examines the military court's role in curbing this radicalization. Although the establishment of military tribunals was motivated by a desire to combat terrorism, now it is the need of the hour to have complete plans that address issues like economic disparity, religious extremism, effective leadership, and the dissemination of positive narratives about diversity and tolerance that can help reduce the likelihood of people being politically radicalized (Siddiqi, 2018). To prevent people from getting radicalized and create a safe and welcoming society for all, a reasonable and open justice system controlled by civilians is essential. This paper tries to conceptualize how political radicalization can be tamed through military courts' existence by first (i) examining political radicalization in Pakistani society and then (ii) exploring military court establishment and significance in (iii) combating extreme ideas and preventing people from becoming politically radicalized in Pakistan.
Protection Against Self-Incrimination: An Evaluation of Legal Framework in Pakistan
Authors: Rafiq Waqas , Fatima Samza , Bilal Muhammad
Published: December 2023

This paper examines the legal framework of Pakistan in the context of the universally recognized right of protection against self-incrimination. Since there is scarce literature concerning the analysis of the statutory laws and judicial pronouncements in the light of this constitutional protection, this paper aims to bridge this gap by employing a black letter approach to doctrinal legal research methodology. Despite the explicit recognition of this right, there was extensive litigation involving several controversial and unresolved problems concerning the protection against self-incrimination in the apex courts of Pakistan. The examination of statutory laws in Pakistan shows that the protection guaranteed under Art. 13(b) has not been recognized in its full vigour and spirit, necessitating appropriate legislative reforms. The analysis of the judicial pronouncements clearly signifies the resolve of courts in enforcing protection against self-incrimination, but the courts are constrained to make a hard rule to protect individual rights.
Qisas and Diyat: A Critical and Analytical Study of Murder in Criminal and Islamic Law
Authors: Munir Sahibzada Aqil , Umar Rabia , Rasool Aisha
Published: December 2023

Islamic criminal law is not retroactive; it still views murder as a serious offense. Any law's efficacy is established by critical examination and legislation comparison. Philosophers who identify as individualists or collectiveists support criminal law because it serves victims' rights and advances society's objectives. Diyat is financial recompense for lawful employment, whereas Qisas is a kind of retaliatory retribution. The only reason why someone should face legal consequences is if they have committed a crime. Punishment is meted out based on the merits of the criminal; justice is an aim in and of itself. According to this study, compared to secular criminal law, Islamic law takes homicide more seriously and provides heirs with more alternatives. Also, the study highlights the shortcomings of the criminal justice system and offers fixes for a trustworthy, equitable, and functional framework.
Exploring Global Justice and Personal Responsibility in Higher Education: Teachers and Students Perspective
Authors: Sherazi G. Zainab , Ihsan Muhammad , Hayat Khizar
Published: December 2023

This study explored the state of global justice, empathy, and personal responsibility that is substantial for individual and social development in the globalized era. The sample of this study were teachers (n= 454) and students (n= 202) from 6 public sector universities of Punjab using a multistage sampling technique. The researcher adapted Morais and Ogden's (2019) questionnaire to collect data related to global justice, empathy and personal responsibility. Perceptions of students and teachers were analyzed through descriptive statistics by calculating percentage, mean and standard deviation. The overall study revealed medium-level situations of justice, empathy and social responsibility among students and teachers of higher education. The exploring level of global justice, empathy and personal responsibility indicates that the behaviour of teachers and students in higher education is not at par with the desired behaviour of 21st-century teachers and students. It is recommended that the higher education system should cultivate global justice, empathy and personal responsibility through training, modelling by faculty and curriculum inclusion, media, technology, arts and dialogues with civil society.
Proactive interaction Management in domestic service robots to enhance human-robot conversational interaction
Authors:   University of Moratuwa, Rajendran H , Jayasekara B
Published: December 2023

Robotics technology has long been renowned for its ability to handle com- plex, repetitive, and sometimes risky tasks that are impossible for humans. In industries, robots are preferred for precise operations in various manu- facturing stages of a product. On the other hand, domestic service robot is the other side of robotic technology that brings the smart robotic system into our homes. Service robots are specially designed to interact and assist humans where they provide a range of services, including caregiving, com- panionship, and entertainment. In addition, service robots can elevate living standards by assisting with essential daily activities, especially for people with disabilities. Nowadays, the incorporation of generative pretrained models in robotic sys- tems to provide a fluid conversation between humans and robots is a highly researched topic. Though pretrained generative language models can be incorporated into conversational systems, they often fail to offer healthy conversations with users. Most pretrained models are trained on billions of data points from blogs, posts, and forums, where language quality is not a concern. However, language quality and clarity matter greatly when de-signing robotic systems to interact with humans, especially the elderly and children
Impact of correlated colour temperature on user's time perception and emotional state: an experimental study with reference to fast-food outlets
Authors:   University of Moratuwa, Diyamantha Krishantha , Hettiarachchi Anishka ,   University of Moratuwa
Published: December 2023

Time is one of the most valuable resources in the world and is one of the most controversial concepts that can be discussed at experiential, conceptual, and philosophical levels. Concepts of time were recognizable even before the 19th century and most of the time its’ importance de- pends on the uniqueness of the moment or the irreversible factor of its perceptible nature. Keep- ing track of time in space is a key component of living beings, which intentionally or unintention- ally contributes to maintaining and concentrating attention, health, and well-being [1]- [4]. Due to rapid development and globalization, people are used to relying on mechanical clocks and clock time rather than brain time. These behavioral patterns and global movements influence people to deviate from their natural senses. Discouraging sensory stimuli to function at their full capacity can cause a range of diseases and impairments. Therefore, encouraging human senses is essen- tial for health and good performance. Studies have shown that the deliberate use of sensory cues can influence the brain’s timing mechanism to encourage or discourage its processing [5]-[8]. Accordingly, it is vital to recognize these brain time manipulative factors for their conducive incor- poration in an intuitively constructed environment. Even if time influences individuals’ emotions and behavior in built spaces, this notion has not been thoroughly discussed in the Architectural research domain. The sensory cues are mainly dominated by the visual cues of the contemporary world [9]. Among those visual cues, colour and lighting hold significant value in both natural and built environments [2]. This research primarily builds upon four well-structured research ques- tions given below.
The other side
Authors:   University of Moratuwa, Rajapaksha U
Published: December 2023

Building occupants are either used or compelled to live in overheated indoors in buildings, particularly in urban environments in the tropics. It doesn’t mean that they are acclimatized to overheated indoors. This scenario has become a normalcy in the current building design and operational practice. The fail- ure of building design to control heat transfer from outside to inside and remove indoor heat generat- ed by occupants and equipment in buildings to the outside is seen as a major reason for indoor over- heating. This normalcy is problematic for the occu- pants in particular and to the environment at large. It is problematic because of its negative effect on the indoor comfort level on one hand and associated emissions due to wasteful (or rather extensive) use of energy for cooling on the other hand. Overheating elevates the indoor thermal environment particu- larly the standard effective air temperature higher than the preferred thermal comfort range. Similarly, the dramatic effect of daylighting that could be gen- erated from architectural space is seen as least re- garded and not taken into the indoors meaningfully in today’s average building design and practice, thus largely depending on active systems. Lack of opti- mum balance in daylight, artificial or mixed mode visual environments demands more energy either to maintain indoor visibility or to combat glare and heat stress associated with tropical daylighting, or both. This overall practice uses extensive amounts of ac- tive energy to maintain indoor comfort (both thermal and visual) contributing to emissions and weakening the demand side efficiency of operational stage.
A novel system for evaluating collateralization of the external carotid artery after cerebral revascularization in moyamoya disease
Authors: Li Wenjie , Zhao Meng , Liu Xingju , Wang Peijiong , Zhu Huan , Zhang Qihang , Zhu Chenyu , Zhang Qian , Zhao Jizong , Zhang Yan
Published: December 2023

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this retrospective study was to establish a novel system for evaluating collateralization of the external carotid artery in patients with moyamoya disease (MMD) following direct and indirect revascularization surgeries.

METHODS

The authors conducted a retrospective analysis of 456 patients diagnosed with MMD who underwent direct and indirect revascularization procedures at Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, between January 2015 and May 2023. Using a newly proposed digital subtraction angiography (DSA)–based evaluation system, the authors assessed collateralization angiogenesis objectively and in a standardized manner.

RESULTS

The authors’ findings indicated that there was no significant difference in collateralization angiogenesis between patients undergoing direct or indirect cerebral revascularization (p = 0.702). However, after cerebral revascularization, patients with ischemic MMD exhibited significantly higher collateralization angiogenesis compared with those with hemorrhagic MMD (p = 0.007). Children with MMD demonstrated higher angiogenesis levels than adults (p < 0.001), but subgroup analysis showed age-specific variations. In adults, collateralization angiogenesis was significantly greater in those with ischemic MMD (p = 0.006), whereas in children, no significant difference was noted between ischemic and hemorrhagic MMD (p = 0.962). Furthermore, regardless of MMD type, direct and indirect revascularization methods yielded similar collateralization angiogenesis (p = 0.962 and p = 0.963, respectively). Importantly, the Matsushima grading system revealed significant differences in angiogenesis in patients with ischemic MMD (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The newly introduced DSA-based evaluation system offers an objective and standardized method for assessing collateralization angiogenesis in MMD. This study supports the efficacy of both direct and indirect revascularization surgical procedures and highlights distinct pathophysiological processes of ischemic and hemorrhagic disease subtypes. These findings contribute to a better understanding of surgical outcomes and aid in the selection of appropriate treatment strategies for patients with MMD.
A prospective randomized comparison of functional and cosmetic outcomes of a coronal zigzag incision versus a conventional straight incision pattern for craniotomy
Authors: Ueberschaer Moritz , Endres Maximilian , Wachtel Nikolaus , Oehlschlägel Florian , Thorsteinsdottir Jun , Schichor Christian , Thon Niklas , Ehrl Denis
Published: December 2023

OBJECTIVE

Wound healing problems after neurosurgical procedures can lead to serious complications and may require complex revision or even reconstructive surgery. Therefore, optimal surgical management is critical to prevent complications. In a recent experimental study in animals, the authors demonstrated the superiority of a zigzag skin incision over a straight incision pattern. In this study, the authors applied these findings to clinical situations of neurosurgical patients with an indication for a coronal skin incision. The aim of this study was to objectively assess the functional and cosmetic outcomes between straight coronal and zigzag incisions in neurosurgical procedures.

METHODS

This prospective, randomized, controlled, single-center trial included adult patients undergoing frontal craniotomy for cerebrovascular or tumor pathologies. The study primarily included patients who were not expected to receive adjuvant radiation or chemotherapy. The zigzag incision was standardized using a template. A common straight skin incision behind the hairline served as a control. Complication rates, functional (2-point discrimination, width of the wound, Vancouver Scar Scale [VSS], and Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale [POSAS]), and cosmetic outcomes were assessed postoperatively and at 3-month follow-up evaluations. Additionally, all patients answered a wound-specific questionnaire and the SF-36 questionnaire.

RESULTS

Twenty-eight patients were randomized to the zigzag and 29 to the straight incision groups. Indications for surgery were cerebrovascular in 16 cases and tumors in 41 cases. Risk factors for wound healing were equally distributed in both groups. One patient in the zigzag group with poor postoperative compliance required surgery for secondary wound healing problems. Overall, the width of the scar was significantly smaller (p = 0.001) and local 2-point discrimination better (p = 0.005) in the zigzag group. Scores on the VSS (p = 0.003) and POSAS (p = 0.005) proved to be significantly superior in the zigzag group as well.

CONCLUSIONS

A zigzag coronal skin incision pattern leads to significantly superior functional and cosmetic outcome scores. For certain patient groups, these findings may prove to be practice-changing.
Electromyographic predictors of abducens nerve palsy after endoscopic skull base surgery
Authors: Jimenez Joaquin E. , Omar Mahmoud , Adams Gregory M. , Costacou Tina , Thirumala Parthasarathy D. , Crammond Donald J. , Anetakis Katherine M. , Balzer Jeffrey R. , Shandal Varun , Snyderman Carl H. , Gardner Paul A. , Zenonos Georgios A. , Wang Eric W.
Published: December 2023

OBJECTIVE

Recovery of abducens nerve palsy (ANP) after endoscopic endonasal skull base surgery (ESBS) has been shown to be potentially predicted by postoperative ophthalmological examination. Triggered electromyography (t-EMG) and free-run electromyography (f-EMG) activity provide an intraoperative assessment of abducens nerve function, but associations with long-term ANP outcomes have not been explored. The objective of this study was to describe intraoperative abducens EMG characteristics and determine whether these electrophysiological profiles are associated with immediately postoperative and long-term ANP outcomes after ESBS.

METHODS

The authors conducted a 5-year (2011–2016) retrospective case-control study of patients who underwent ESBS in whom the abducens nerve was stimulated (t-EMG). Electrophysiological metrics were compared between patients with a new postoperative ANP (cases) and those without ANP (controls). Pathologies included chordoma, pituitary adenoma, meningioma, cholesterol granuloma, and chondrosarcoma. Electrophysiological data included the presence of abnormal f-EMG activity, t-EMG stimulation voltage, stimulation threshold, evoked compound muscle action potential (CMAP) amplitude, onset latency, peak latency, and CMAP duration at various stages of the dissection. Controls were selected such that pathologies were similarly distributed between cases and controls.

RESULTS

Fifty-six patients were included, 26 with new postoperative ANP and 30 controls without ANP. Abnormal f-EMG activity (28.0% vs 3.3%, p = 0.02) and lack of response to stimulation (27% vs 0%, p = 0.006) were more frequent in patients with immediately postoperative ANP than in controls. Patients with immediately postoperative ANP also had a lower median CMAP amplitude (35.0 vs 71.2 μV, p = 0.02) and longer onset latency (5.2 vs 2.8 msec, p = 0.04). Comparing patients with transient versus persistent ANP on follow-up, those with persistent ANP tended to have a lower CMAP amplitude (12.8 vs 57 μV, p = 0.07) and higher likelihood of not responding to stimulation at the end of the case (45.5% vs 7.1%, p = 0.06). Abnormal f-EMG was not associated with long-term ANP outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

The presence of f-EMG activity, lack of CMAP response to stimulation, decreased CMAP amplitude, and increased CMAP onset latency were associated with immediately postoperative ANP. Long-term ANP outcomes may be associated with t-EMG parameters, including whether the nerve is able to be stimulated once identified and CMAP amplitude. Future prospective studies may be designed to standardize abducens nerve electrophysiological monitoring protocols to further refine operative and prognostic utility.
Rupture risk and outcomes of giant aneurysms in pediatric patients: a multi-institutional case series and systematic review
Authors: Gupta Saksham , Hauser Blake M. , Catapano Joshua S. , Farhadi Dara , Ng Patrick R. , Bernstock Joshua D. , See Alfred Pokmeng , Lawton Michael T. , Smith Edward R. , Du Rose
Published: December 2023

OBJECTIVE

Giant aneurysms in pediatric patients are vascular lesions that can cause significant neurological morbidity and mortality. Their rarity has precluded large cohort studies to inform their management. The objective of this study was to understand the clinical course and outcomes of giant aneurysms in pediatric patients.

METHODS

The authors performed a multi-institutional cohort study of cases from Boston Children’s Hospital and Barrow Neurological Institute, as well as a systematic review and pooled cohort analysis of previously reported cases using descriptive statistics and multivariate regression modeling.

RESULTS

Fifteen patients were included in the multi-institutional cohort, and an additional 88 patients were included from 14 series, yielding 103 patients within the pooled cohort. Among the pooled cohort, the most common aneurysm locations were in the middle cerebral artery (36%), internal carotid artery (27%), vertebral artery (11%), and vertebrobasilar junction (8%). Within 69 cases containing radiographic data in the analysis, 38% of aneurysms were saccular. Twenty-eight cases presented with aneurysm rupture (28%), including 0% of cavernous carotid aneurysms, 26% of other anterior circulation aneurysms, and 44% of posterior circulation aneurysms (p = 0.003). In multivariate analysis, posterior circulation location (OR 2.66, 95% CI 1.03–6.86) and younger age (OR 0.90 per year, 95% CI 0.81–1.00) were associated with aneurysm rupture presentation. Most cases were treated (97%) rather than observed (3%). The mortality rate was 3% for unruptured aneurysms and 18% for ruptured aneurysms. A favorable neurological outcome occurred in 80% of unruptured aneurysm cases and 54% of ruptured cases. In multivariate analysis, unruptured aneurysm presentation (OR 3.74, 95% CI 1.24–11.29) and endovascular treatment modality (OR 5.05, 95% CI 1.56–16.29) were associated with a favorable outcome.

CONCLUSIONS

Giant aneurysms are rare entities in pediatric patients that are unlikely to be discovered incidentally and usually merit treatment. Most patients survive with good neurological outcome, even in ruptured aneurysm cases. These data reveal that posterior circulation location and younger age are risk factors that correlate with an increased risk of aneurysm rupture.
Does recovery after sport-related concussion vary by time point in a season? A multi-sport investigation
Authors: Bishay Anthony E. , Williams Kristen L. , Jo Jacob , Fitch Samuel , Terry Douglas P. , Zuckerman Scott L.
Published: December 2023

OBJECTIVE

Seasonality, or the specific point in time within a season in which the injury occurs, may have an impact on the recovery following sport-related concussions (SRCs). In a cohort of high school athletes across multiple sports, the authors sought to investigate the impact of seasonality on 1) concussion frequency, 2) acute symptom presentation (initial Post-Concussion Symptom Scale [PCSS] score), and 3) recovery outcomes, including the time to return to learn (RTL), symptom resolution (SR), and return to play (RTP).

METHODS

A retrospective, single-institution, cohort study was conducted with adolescent athletes aged 14–19 years who sustained an SRC between November 2017 and April 2022 and presented to a multidisciplinary specialty concussion clinic. The time from first practice to the end of the regular season was evenly trichotomized into early, middle, and late season. Teams that participated in the playoffs were included in a subanalysis. One-way ANOVA and independent t-tests were used to compare PCSS scores, RTL, SR, and RTP across seasonality. Univariable and multivariable regressions were used to determine predictors for recovery, defined as total days from initial visit to each outcome.

RESULTS

Of the 1504 eligible athletes, 620 high school athletes met inclusion criteria; 491 (79.2%) sustained a concussion during the regular season with 73 (14.9%), 136 (27.7%), and 282 (57.4%) concussions occurring in the early, middle, and late seasons, respectively. No differences were seen for initial PCSS score, RTL, SR, or RTP across early-, middle-, and late-season concussions. The initial PCSS score was significantly higher for playoff compared with regular-season concussions (playoffs: 33.4 ± 27.5; regular season: 23.3 ± 22.8; t = −1.979, p = 0.048). A subanalysis of playoff concussions (n = 24) compared with regular-season concussions showed that concussion in the playoffs was associated with a higher initial PCSS score in univariable (β = 0.093, p = 0.048) and multivariable (β = 0.112, p = 0.014) analyses.

CONCLUSIONS

The majority of concussions occurred during the late-season period. No difference in acute symptoms or recovery outcomes was seen when comparing the three regular season time points. Playoff concussions were associated with significantly increased symptom scores compared with nonplayoff concussions.
Euphemisms and teacher–student interactions
Authors: Bloch-Rozmej Anna
Published: December 2023

The quality of teacher-student interactions appears to be one of the most significant prerequisites for effective instruction. One of the factors involved in determining this quality is definitely teacher talk that should adequately correspond both to the type of knowledge the teacher intends to transfer and students’ ability to absorb this knowledge. The latter we claim is directly related to the students’ attitude to the subject itself and the teacher. In this article we will delve into the problem of euphemisms as part of teacher and student talk with a view to determining the extent to which they might affect teacher-student interactions. The issue of euphemism use and their role in building positive relations in the language classroom will be discussed from the perspective of teachers’ experiences. To this end, we chose the research tool of an online questionnaire addressed at university teachers. The survey was administered in June 2023 and the results will be described and analyzed in the forthcoming pages. Euphemism use will also be considered as a manifestation of language creativity that should characterize good language teachers.
Representing temporal concepts using redundant gestures in L2 ongoing interactions
Authors: Hanamoto Hiroki
Published: December 2023

Human conversational interaction is multimodal, involving both verbal and non-verbal modalities. That is, when a speaker and listener interact, they use not only spoken messages but also manual gestures. Manual gestures and spoken messages are semantically and temporally related and work together to create and express a complete meaning. This study employs a data-driven approach to investigate how L2 learners spontaneously employ gestures to express temporal concepts in ongoing dyadic interactions using 11 recorded interactions among L2 learners. The distribution and frequency of specific types of manual gestures were examined using sequential and gesture analyses. The results showed that, when representing temporal concepts, the participants produced language-redundant gestures. For example, to convey temporal concepts, they tended to co-express the same information with manual gestures, namely abstract deictic and metaphoric gestures, on an imaginary mental timeline axis, which appeared to represent the English grammatical concepts of tense and aspectual meaning. Regarding the functional differences in gestures in interactions, based on sequential analysis, speakers employed language-redundant gestures to express time concepts explicitly in comprehension sequences and in the negotiation of meaning as a strategy of repair for lexical retrieval, paraphrasing, and clarification. These findings reveal that understanding the use of both modalities, speech and gestures, is critical in uncovering how speakers conceptualize time in their minds and integrate space and time in language.
Comparative analysis of American and Russian political discourse: A discourse analysis study
Authors: Kopik Monika
Published: December 2023

This article provides an exhaustive analysis of American and Russian political discourse through the examination of the linguistic techniques employed by President Joe Biden and President Putin in their speeches. The aim of this research is to examine the linguistic approaches employed in referencing social and political traditions in the United States and Russia, investigate disparities in linguistic strategies within both political discourses, and assess variations in semantic outcomes. The analysis has been conducted to answer the following research questions: (1) What are the linguistic methods of referring to social and political traditions in America and Russia? (2) Do the linguistic strategies differ depending on the political discourse? (3) Is the semantic output different depending on the political discourse? The findings reveal marked differences between the two discourses, reflecting the social and political discrepancies between the political systems of the United States and Russia.
Register in Czech: Designing an MDA-based experimental study
Authors: Marklová Anna , Buchmüller Olga , Demian Christoph , Meyer Roland , Szucsich Luka
Published: December 2023

There are no conventionalized ways to investigate the results of multidimensional analysis (MDA) from the perceptual perspective in an experimental setting. An MDA of the Czech corpus Koditex by Cvrček et al. (2020) established eight dimensions of variation based on 122 linguistic features. The first two dimensions, which explain the largest proportion of shared variance, are labeled as 1. dynamic (+)/static (-) and 2. spontaneous (+)/prepared (-). In our study, we investigated if some situational contexts of language use evoke stronger associations with the poles of the two dimensions than others. Furthermore, we aimed to explore the impact of the mode of language use and the properties of the interlocutor on the ratings.

Czech native speakers (n=107) rated various situational contexts on 7-point Likert-like scales representing the MDA-based dimensions. The items were balanced in the formality of the interlocutor’s name (Mr. or Mrs. in connection to surname/first name), the interlocutor´s gender, and the mode of language use (spoken/written). The statistical analysis uncovered a significant effect of the formality of the interlocutor's name and the mode of language use on the ratings. Using first names and spoken mode resulted in ratings closer to the positive poles of the dimensions. The comparison of individual items showed that some situations, mainly those representing the negative poles of the dimensions, are rated more consistently than others. The results of our study offer insight into how native speakers evaluate situations of language use on the scales of preparedness, subjectivity, and interactivity.