A consistent white-matter lesion is associated with network-level structural and functional disconnection in chronic Broca's aphasia.

Abstract. Ever since the Japanese Government's 2021 announcement approving Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO)'s plan to discharge this wastewater into the Pacific Ocean, there has been widespread public dissension. In efforts to control public opinion and mistrust, words such as “treated”, “purified”, and “diluted” circulated among official government and scientific discourse concerning TEPCO's plan. These words are mundane, deceptive and distracting. For example, remaining traces of tritium were proposed as so diluted that the water is akin to drinkable standards. Furthermore, the vast scale of the Pacific Ocean reinforced just how diluted the Fukushima wastewater would ultimately become, totalling to 0.000183 %, meaning quite literally a drop in the ocean. This article responds to this context by exploring how this language of dilution and trace function to mask the slow eco-cultural violence embedded in Japan's wastewater release. Specifically, I focus on how my photographic series Listening to Seaweed attempts to visualize what is largely imageless – diluted trace evidence of tritium. Through close readings of these artworks, I explore how photographic film's inherent sensitivity to ionizing radiation can register, and thereby witness, the presence of environmental radiation. I am interested in how this witnessing functions to critique the ideological contexts that continue to perpetuate nuclear power as a safe by-product of the technology developed to produce nuclear weapons. Methodologically framed via artist and theorist Susan Schuppli's (2020) conception of material witnessing, I argue for forms of politicized witnessing that move beyond visibility itself; instead, quantifiable evidence of nuclear ideology is physically embedded in the image. This article questions how these materially oriented methods can establish forms of socio-ethical listening and material witnessing that promote transgenerational nuclear justice concerning this current geo-political moment.

Anterior temporal lobe resection (ATLR) is an effective treatment for drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) but carries a substantial risk of language impairment, particularly in naming. Understanding and predicting the impact of ATLR on language functions remains a major clinical challenge. In this study, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate the short-term effects of ATLR on the organization of the functional language connectome with a focus on the role of the nondominant hemisphere. We studied 44 patients with TLE due to unilateral hippocampal sclerosis (24 left, 20 right) who underwent language fMRI and neuropsychological testing preoperatively and 4 months after ATLR. We examined functional connectivity changes pre- and postsurgery and their relationship with neuropsychological performance. ATLR induced widespread alterations in functional connectivity, with distinct ipsilateral disruptions and contralateral compensatory changes. Left ATLR reduced mainly interhemispheric temporal connectivity, whereas right ATLR primarily affected bilateral frontal connections. Postoperatively, left ATLR showed increased intrahemispheric frontotemporal connectivity, and right ATLR exhibited more widespread intra- and interhemispheric increases. In left TLE, better preoperative naming was associated with stronger connectivity of the right (nondominant) temporal lobe and between the left inferior frontal cortex and bilateral posterior hippocampi. Postoperatively, reduced right frontotemporal integration was linked to greater naming decline, underscoring a compensatory role of the nondominant hemisphere. Finally, a machine learning model using preoperative functional connectivity fingerprints outperformed demographic and clinical variables in predicting clinically significant naming decline following ATLR. Our findings highlight the critical role of the right temporal lobe in supporting naming function after left ATLR and suggest that preoperative assessment of its connectivity may improve prediction of postoperative language outcomes.

Noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) has emerged as a transformative tool in both cognitive neuroscience research and the treatment of a growing range of neuropsychiatric conditions. This commentary, based on the 2025 H. Houston Merritt Lecture, explores how NIBS can be applied within a translational cognitive neuroscience framework that bridges theoretical models of cognitive function with targeted neural interventions. Drawing on over 15 years of research, the major focus of this piece is on the use of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to characterize and enhance language function in persons with aphasia (PWA). A significant body of work has examined the role of the right hemisphere, particularly the right pars triangularis, which may exert a maladaptive influence within reorganized language networks in many PWA. Inhibitory TMS targeting this region has been shown to produce both transient and sustained improvements in language performance. Key predictors of response to TMS include the characteristics of participants' language deficits and genetic differences that influence neuroplasticity. Network neuroscience approaches can also enhance predictive accuracy by revealing how individual variations in brain structure influence stimulation outcomes. While TMS remains the most extensively studied NIBS modality, transcranial electrical stimulation is gaining momentum, with promising results in both poststroke and primary progressive aphasia. Emerging modalities such as focused ultrasound and transcranial temporal interference stimulation are also on the rise as tools for enhancing brain performance. However, the expanding use of NIBS also raises ethical considerations that must be addressed to ensure its equitable and responsible deployment. Ultimately, NIBS represents a powerful convergence of neuroscience and technology, offering renewed hope for restoring cognitive function in individuals affected by neurologic disease.

The increasing number of older adults and longer life expectancy have led to various health challenges, including cognitive decline. Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is a condition that occurs in the transitional stage between normal aging and dementia. It is characterized by decreased memory, attention, language, visuospatial ability, and executive function, although it does not yet significantly disrupt basic daily activities. However, this condition can influence the independence of older adults in performing Activities of Daily Living (ADL), particularly instrumental activities that require higher cognitive abilities such as managing finances, shopping, preparing meals, and using transportation. If cognitive decline is not properly managed, it may increase dependency, raise the risk of injury, and reduce the quality of life of older adults. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between Mild Cognitive Impairment and Activities of Daily Living among older adults at Posyandu Dewi Sartika Cokrobedog. The research applied a quantitative cross-sectional design with a sample of 93 older adults selected using purposive sampling. Cognitive function was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Indonesian version (MoCA-Ina), while daily functional ability was measured using the Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) scale. Data were analyzed using the Shapiro–Wilk normality test and Spearman Rank correlation. The results showed a significant relationship between Mild Cognitive Impairment and ADL independence (p < 0.05) with a moderate correlation, indicating that better cognitive function is associated with greater independence in daily activities.

This study provides a rigorous sociolinguistic examination of the constitutive role of language in the ongoing socio-political conflict in Cameroon’s Anglophone regions, positing digital activism as a primary site of discursive struggle. While scholarship has addressed historical-political dimensions, a significant gap persists in the empirical analysis of the micro-linguistic strategies through which vernacular practices enact ideological resistance and counter-hegemonic mobilisation (Blommaert, 2005; Kroskrity, 2000). Employing an integrated mixed-methods framework that synergizes Corpus Linguistics with Critical Discourse Analysis (Baker, Gabrielatos, KhosraviNik, Krzy?anowski, McEnery, & Wodak, 2008), this research analyses a specialised digital corpus of approximately 1,200 text-based items from social media, activist communiqués, and transcribed audio (2020–2025)—the Anglophone Digital Activism Corpus (ADAC). Quantitative keyword and collocation analyses identify statistically significant patterns, while subsequent qualitative analysis, guided by Systemic Functional Linguistics’ transitivity model (Halliday & Matthiessen, 2014) and social actor representation (van Leeuwen, 2008), performs close readings. The findings reveal a deliberate linguistic architecture characterised by three core mechanisms: the consistent grammatical positioning of collective Anglophone actors as active agents in material processes; the strategic deployment of code-mixing and lexical innovation, using Cameroonian Pidgin English and Camfranglais to create an exclusive, authentic discursive space (Gumperz, 1982); and the use of conceptual metaphors (Lakoff & Johnson, 1980) such as EDUCATION IS SOVEREIGNTY to reframe political grievances into mobilising narratives. This paper argues that digital activism in this context is fundamentally a sociolinguistic project, contributing an empirical model for analysing the interface of grammar, digital communication, and political conflict, affirming that the struggle for power is intrinsically a struggle over representation and linguistic resource mobilisation (Bourdieu, 1991).

This study aimed to explore the impairment patterns of verbal and spatial working memory in Arabic aphasia adults after stroke. A total of 50 patients with Saudi aphasia admitted to the University Hospital between September 2023 and November 2025 were included in this study. The patient group consisted of 13 females (26.0%) and 37 males (74.0%), with a mean age of 50.3 years, mean years of education of 13.43 years, mean disease duration of 20.30 months, and mean lesion volume of 41.30 mL. The control group consisted of 10 females (20%) and 40 males (80%), with a mean age of 50.88 years and a mean years of education of 12.60 years. The Moroccan Arabic Bedside Western Aphasia Battery-Revised was used to test the subjects’ spontaneous speech, listening comprehension, repetition and naming. functions. It was found that both verbal and spatial working memory were significantly impaired in patients with Arabic aphasia after stroke, with verbal working memory impairment being more pronounced than spatial working memory impairment. After excluding demographic, lesion, and cognitive factors, a positive correlation was found between verbal or spatial working memory and the degree of language impairment in patients with Arabic aphasia after stroke. This study suggests that working memory training will be of great significance in improving language function in aphasia patients.

Cognitive Linguistics can be defined as an approach to language that is mainly relied on people's perceptions of the world and how they perceive, understand, and conceptualize it. The Conceptual Blending Theory , which was established by J Fauconnier and M. Turner, is affirmed in this study. in order to explain concepts like Conceptual Metaphor Theory and Mental Space Theory, Blending Theory was developed. The focus of blending theory was on the function of language in the creation of meaning, especially in creative features such as counterfactuals and novel metaphors.

White matter hyperintensities (WMHs) are common in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and may contribute to cognitive impairment. However, the associations between regional WMH volumes, cognitive domains, and plasma biomarkers remain unclear. This study aimed to explore these relationships across the AD spectrum. A total of 311 participants were enrolled, including healthy controls (HC), individuals with subjective cognitive decline (SCD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and AD. All participants underwent comprehensive neuropsychological assessment, brain magnetic resonance imaging, and plasma biomarker analysis. WMH volumes were segmented using United Imaging software and classified based on anatomical location: juxtaventricular WMH (juxWMH), periventricular WMH (pWMH), juxtacortical WMH (jcWMH), and deep WMH (dWMH). Correlations among regional WMH volumes, plasma biomarkers, and cognitive domains were analyzed with multiple comparisons. Path analysis was used to assess potential mediation effects. Mediation analyses using bootstrapping were conducted separately in cognitively unimpaired and cognitively impaired groups to assess WMH-mediated pathways between biomarkers and cognition. Compared with HC, SCD, and MCI groups, the AD group showed significantly increased log-transformed (lg) juxWMH volumes (all P < 0.05, Bonferroni corrected). The AD group showed significantly larger lgpWMH and lgjcWMH volumes than HC, SCD and AD groups (all P < 0.05). Lower plasma Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio was associated with higher lgjuxWMH, lgpWMH, and lgjcWMH volumes. Higher lgjuxWMH volume was associated with worse memory (r = -0.16, P = 0.006), language (r = -0.34, P < 0.001), and executive function (r = 0.18, P = 0.003). Similar trends were found for lgpWMH and lgjcWMH volumes. Mediation analysis revealed that in cognitively unimpaired individuals, juxWMH and pWMH primarily mediated amyloid-cognitive associations, while in cognitively impaired patients, mediation expanded to include neuroinflammatory and neurodegeneration pathways across multiple location-specific WMH. Location-specific WMH demonstrate stage-dependent mediation patterns in AD pathophysiology, evolving from amyloid-driven changes to multi-factorial processes. These findings provide insights for developing targeted therapeutic strategies at different disease stages.

This study explores how passivization and negation function as ideological positioning markers of gendered ideology in Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale (1985). The study has three interrelated objectives: first, to investigate how the grammatical structures of passivization and negation linguistically encode and reinforce gendered subordination and power asymmetries in The Handmaid’s Tale; second, to analyze the ways in which the employment of passivization and negation reflect and sustain patriarchal ideology in the discourse of the novel; and third, to explore how Atwood’s strategic use of passivization and negation provides discursive spaces for resistance and identity reassertion within the female narrative voice. The study draws on two analytical strands, critical discourse analysis and systemic functional grammar, to examine selected extracts from the novel. A qualitative textual analysis method is employed, focusing on patterns of passive constructions and negation in the discourse of the selected novel. This study has analytical and theoretical findings. Analytically, it reveals that passivization operates as a grammatical mechanism of control, concealing male or institutional agency and naturalizing female subjugation, and that negation constructs ideological boundaries by defining women’s identities through prohibition and absence. This, in turn, indicates that the use of passivization and negation in the selected novel contributes effectively to sustaining gendered ideology. Theoretically, this study contributes to the field of feminist linguistics by linking literary and discourse-analytic approaches to decipher the function of language as a tool of control and empowerment in gender-related contexts.

This study investigates the integration of three linguistic frameworks, Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL), Second Language Acquisition (SLA), and Sociocultural Theory (SCT), into English for Medical Purposes (EMP) teaching in military medical institutions. It explored how lecturers understand and enact these frameworks and which strategies may bridge the theory–practice gap. Data included a survey of 30 lecturers, semi-structured interviews with 15, and analysis of key EMP resources. Awareness was moderate but uneven (SFL 73%, SLA 67%, SCT 60%), with only 60% reporting integration of all three. Corrective feedback, especially prompts and clarification requests, was common (~80%). Main barriers were rigid curricula (87%), limited contextualised materials (80%), and heavy student workload (~67%). Despite these constraints, lecturers expressed strong support for theory-informed approaches, requesting targeted training and adapted materials. Findings show integration is both necessary and feasible if institutions provide curricular flexibility, professional development, and contextualized resources.

The language used by foreign language teachers in the classroom serves a dual role: as a means of communication and as a source of rich, meaningful input for learners. From a Conversation Analysis (CA) perspective, EFL teachers’ classroom language actively shapes interaction with learners, as it can either facilitate or hinder their oral performance and may discourage or encourage their initiation to use the language. This study explores the classroom language functions of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) teachers in Vietnamese universities. Sixteen hours of classroom time, drawn from English for Transportation and English for Tourism and Hospitality courses taught by eight ESP teachers, were recorded, transcribed and analyzed using CA approach. The data analysis showed three main functions of teachers’ classroom language: classroom management, pedagogical function, and feedback provision. Quantitative results indicated that classroom management accounted for only a small proportion of classroom discourse, while pedagogical function and feedback provision were almost equally dominant. Qualitative findings further highlighted specific sub-functions within each category. For classroom management, ESP teachers primarily used discourse to monitor time and regulate learning pace. Within pedagogical function, delivering instructions emerged as the most common sub-function, whereas providing corrective feedback was most frequent in the feedback provision category. The analysis also revealed how teachers integrated different sub-functions and functions of their discourse to facilitate students’ speaking. These findings underscore the crucial role of ESP teachers’ classroom language and point to the need for training in classroom discourse for both EFL and ESP teachers.

Association between health literacy and quality of life in patients with multiple sclerosis.

People with aphasia (PWA) display considerable variability in naming and connected speech during language recovery. While white matter lesion-related, micro- and macro-structural characteristics in the subacute and chronic phases have been associated with these language functions, the predictive value of white matter predictors acquired in the acute phase remains largely unknown. We aimed to assess how acute features of the arcuate fasciculus (AF), inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF), inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF), uncinate fasciculus (UF), and frontal aslant tract (FAT) contribute to naming and connected speech fluency and efficiency over time. Twenty-eight PWA underwent anatomical and diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging within the first week post-stroke. Naming and connected speech (quantified using correct information units per minute, CIUs/min) were assessed across the acute (0-5 days), subacute (7-15 days), and chronic (>6 months) phases. We conducted correlation and regression analyses using demographics, acute clinical scores, and characteristics of the language-related bundles of interest. Better subacute naming was correlated with higher acute naming, smaller lesions, and lower IFOF-lesion load. Subacute connected speech was correlated positively to acute CIUs/min and negatively to IFOF-lesion load. Regression models revealed that acute naming predicted subacute naming, and a combination of acute CIUs/min and IFOF-lesion load predicted subacute CIUs/min. Acute aphasia severity, as reflected in acute naming or connected speech performances, is a key predictor of subacute outcomes. Furthermore, the contribution of acute white matter tracts appears to vary across symptoms and recovery stages.

The neurodegenerative decline of brain with ageing is an acute global demographic problem, as elderly population surges worldwide. However, ageing effect has not been systematically studied for cerebellum, an autonomous part of brain having motor, cognition, language and memory functions. By magnetic resonance investigation, we study brain-ageing process: 177 normal subjects, aged 20-80, with focus on cerebellum, the first larger-scale analysis as we know. We found that for whole brain, both grey-matter/GM and white-matter/WM) volumes deceases with ageing (by ~ 15%). Contrastingly, these volumes remain unexpectedly stable in ageing cerebellum, indicating neuroprotective ability. To estimate neuroplasticity resilience of brain-tissue, we evaluated GM/WM interrelationship, assessed by GM-volume/WM axial-diffusivity. During ageing, the GM/WM interrelationship is comparatively stable in cerebellum, while in whole brain this relationship is much variable (230% increase). We validated the cerebellar neuroprotective ability by epigenetic tissue ageing analysis (DNA-methylation). Ageing retardation-level (years) of brain-tissue follows the neurodevelopmental caudal-rostral-rhinal axis: cerebellum (maximum retardation/neuroprotection), occipital, frontal, and temporal region (minimum). We log-normally plotted ageing-retardation against phylogenic age of that brain region (million-years ago/MYA), and found linear relationship, implying a quantitative evolutionary behaviour, indicating cerebellum's phylogenic antiquity (Cambrian-era ~ 510MYA), which adapted the cerebellum to withstand degenerative damage. Finally, we investigated cerebellum's neurocognitive resilience, enabling focussed development of coordination, tool-making and language, while present-day humans evolutionarily progressed over Neanderthals. We found that humans show maximal cerebellar expansion and depth. Of seminal significance is that cerebellum is a unique paradoxical brain region with peak neuroprotective behaviour, and may have substantial therapeutic rehabilitative biotechnological implications in neurodegenerative disorders.

With the rapid growth of China’s domestic tourism and its rising international status, English tourist spot introductions have become vital information carriers for cultural output. While many scholars examine tourism texts through vocabulary and syntax, few focus on the discursive mechanisms of cohesion and coherence. This paper analyzes English-translated tourist spot introductions based on Halliday’s Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL). It first explores the linguistic features of tourism discourse, emphasizing its persuasive and descriptive nature across lexical, syntactic, and textual levels. Then, it investigates the practical application of cohesive devices—including reference, substitution, ellipsis, conjunction, and lexical cohesion—through specific examples such as the Forbidden City and Xinjiang Tianshan. The study reveals that a strategic reorganization of cohesive ties is essential for achieving textual coherence and functional equivalence in translation. Finally, the paper provides optimization strategies for the writing and translation of tourism texts, aiming to enhance readability and cross-cultural communication efficiency.

This study investigates the linguistic and communicative functions of abbreviations in English and Karakalpak advertising discourse, focusing on how these compressed forms contribute to message efficiency, stylistic expression, and cultural positioning. Although abbreviations are widely used across global advertising, their structural patterns and pragmatic roles vary according to linguistic norms and audience expectations. Therefore, the research employs a mixed qualitative methodology integrating structural analysis, discourse interpretation, and comparative linguistics. The results demonstrate that English advertising makes extensive and creative use of acronyms, initialisms, blends, and hybrid forms to construct modern, technologically oriented, and globally recognizable brand identities. In contrast, Karakalpak advertising relies more on functional initialisms and borrowed English abbreviations, reflecting both local communicative preferences and growing global influence. The discussion interprets these findings within broader socio-cultural and economic contexts, revealing that abbreviation usage serves as a marker of globalization, cultural continuity, and linguistic innovation. Ultimately, the study contributes to a deeper understanding of how abbreviated forms shape contemporary advertising communication in multilingual environments.

On August 24, 2023, Japan began discharging nuclear wastewater (DNW) into the sea, sparking a strong international opposition. This study adopts a narrative review approach, it critically examines 15 media discourse studies related to DNW published between 2021 and 2025 from a linguistic perspective. The data in this study is sourced from Chinese, Japanese, and English scholarly platform. It evaluates the strengths and limitations of current research and proposes directions for future studies. The findings reveal that seven main themes are identified: Corpus Linguistic (CL), Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL), Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), transitivity analysis, nominalization and passivization, media discourse strategies and ideology. And key trends are traced in terms of research focus, theories, methods, corpus use, and findings. The study reveals a strong reliance on corpus-driven SFL and CDA. Yet recurring weaknesses remain in theoretical integration, coding transparency, and reliability checks. Despite these limitations, the review highlights interdisciplinarity and technical innovation in recent studies. It further recommends extending research beyond mainstream media to include social media narratives, adopting multimodal comparative designs, and standardizing reliability reporting to advance discourse-based environmental risk communication research.

Text of “I Cupak Tekȇn I Gerantang” is one of narrative texts which is very popular in Balinese communities. The text embeds symbolic meaning which has not been understood yet by a lot of Balinese communities comprehensively. This research would like to explore the philosophy of the text associated with Tri Hita Karana. This research employs qualitative, Grounded Theory. The theory used to explore the social phenomenon is the theory of Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL). The data source used for this research is from Balinese folktale collection written by Suwija et al. The clauses were analyzed with SFL theory, namely; context of situation, context of culture, and ideology. The result of this research indicates that the text teaches us how to use appropriate language in accordance with the principle of Tri Hita Karana, namely; good language use will make harmonies for the users and the environment, good language use brings positive impact for the users and the others, good language use is the representation of God teaching. The text teaches us how to behave by emphasizing aesthetic, and ethic to all communities. This research gives positive impacts for applied linguistics development especially SFL and Semiotics. This result of the research can enrich applied linguistic references which can be used for the following linguistics researches.

The interaction of teachers and students in the classroom in the Indonesian Senior High School 2 Baubau Is a research in the study of discourse studies, namely spoken discourse. This study aims to: 1. Describe and explain the structure of the teacher's oral and students in the class in the teaching and learning process, 2. Describe and explain the functions of language in teacher and student acts, 3. Mendeskripikan and explained that spoken discourse particles in teacher and student interactions in the classroom during the teaching and learning process. The research of oral discourse analysis between teachers and students is qualitative research, namely conducting research on the background natural or context from a integrity, the researcher himself or with the help of others to collect the main data. This research is descriptive, because the data collected is in the form of oral speech that occurs when the interaction of the teacher and students in the classroom. This research is also an analysis of the contents which are a research technique to describe the contents of communication that are clearly objective, systematic and qualitative. Data in this study is the verbal speech of teaching and learning interaction in the classroom between teachers and students observed, recorded and recorded and described in the form of text. The data source is three Indonesian teachers and students in class. The analysis of the spoken discourse of teacher interactions and students in the class, regarding what will be analyzed is: 1. The discourse structure in the class to be analyzed using Sinclair and Coultrad theory, there are 21 speech acts according to the structure, 2. The analysis of language functions in spoken discourse interactions using the MAK Haliday and 3 theory. Regarding oral discourse particles using the theory stated by Stubs via Linke, Nussbaumer, Portmann. Data collection techniques using read and proficient techniques. Based on the results of the analysis and discussion, it can be concluded that the interactions of teachers and students in the refer class of the compressive exchange pattern, although the results for oral discourse structure can be seen that teachers still dominate in interacting in the class, students can speak if there is an opportunity given by the teacher or want to convey something. In addition, communicative languages make it easier to deliver information both teachers and students. The characteristics of spoken discourse in class are marked by a context outside the speech of teachers who quite influence their speech meaning such as: place, time, atmosphere, subject, topic, purpose and tone of speech. The form of teacher tongue discourse and students in class is also determined by the language functions used by both teachers and students in general, language functions are used as a communication tool. The results show language function as: 1. Instrumental function, 2. Regulatory function, 3. Representation function, 4. The interaction function, 5. Individual functions, 6. Heuristic and 7 functions. Imaginative functions. Imaginative functions are not discovered during research, because these functions are often used in literary works. Particles are essential in oral interaction, especially during conversation change, in the analysis of teacher and student interactions in the classroom, several particles used by both teachers and students when communicating, these particles are as follows: 1. Tegun form, 2. Forms of reduction in exchange rate, 3. Opening talks, 4. Speaker's cues, 5. Partner cues spoke, 6. Greeting, 7. Greeting, 8. Call, 9. Acceptance and 10. Rejection