Concept Of Sphere Research Articles

Comedy as journalism in Zimbabwe

Post-2000, Zimbabwe has witnessed a gradual shrinking of communicative space. In its efforts to control the narrative about the causes of the country’s multi-dimensional crisis, the ruling ZANU-PF government has used a gamut of legal and extra-judicial strategies to stifle press and other related freedoms. In this highly restrictive context, comedy has emerged as a viable source of information about events unfolding in the country as well as an alternative public sphere where counter-hegemonic discourses are ventilated by citizens who were previously excluded from the mainstream public sphere. Building on Mpofu’s (2017) and Mano’s (2007) studies on art and music as variants of journalism, our paper argues that comedy should be viewed as a variant of journalism in post-2000 Zimbabwe. We employ the normative roles of journalism, and Nancy Fraser’s (1990) concept of the alternative public sphere as our framework for examining how comedy, and more specifically Comic Pastor’s Monthly Comic Awards, has filled the void created by mainstream journalism by performing the journalistic function of communicating salient issues during the protracted Zimbabwean crisis. Our findings converge with, and broaden, Mpofu’s (2017) and Mano’s (2007) thesis that alternative sources of expression such as comedy should be viewed as journalism in crisis contexts. These findings also reinforce the need to expand traditional conceptions of journalism that narrowly limit the practice to traditional mass media.

Fluorine fluid experimental determination of the refractive index, spectral and thermal variation, and transparency quantification of the MezzoCielo telescope

The MezzoCielo (or "half of the sky") is a telescope that aims to revolutionize the way astronomical observations are carried out: once operational, it will be able to continuously patrol the whole sky due to its extremely large field of view estimated to be around 104 square degrees, showing, at the same time, the spatial resolution required for scientific purposes. It is a monocentric optical device designed on the concept of an optical sphere; the latter requires the filling of its inner volume with special fluid in order to be actually convergent with a reasonable focal ratio (for spherical aberration reduction). This fluid must exhibit two main properties, namely, a low refractive index and an extremely high transparency in the visible range. In addition, many other characteristics are also required: thermal and chemical stability over time, no toxicity or flammability, and compatibility with glass and metals are some examples. On the basis of these considerations, two fluorine liquids have been selected: the fluids commercially known as FC-72, perfluorohexane with n d = 1.251 at T = 25°C, and Novec7200, ethoxy-nonafluorobutane with n d = 1.282 at T = 25°C. In this work, the experimental evaluation of their optical properties (refractive index and transparency) in the visible range and in the thermal interval [-10,+25]°C has been carried out in order to verify the data supplied by the manufacturer and to fully characterize their optical behaviour both spectrally and thermally. All the employed techniques have been firstly applied to commercial pure water, for which extensive literature could be used as reference for the procedures validation.

Introduction: the cultural deliberation of Europe

ABSTRACT This special issue started years ago as part of a collective reading group on the public sphere with colleagues at the University of Groningen, the Netherlands. A significant portion of our initial time was dedicated to understanding Jurgen Habermas’ (1989 [1962]) foundational contributions, which established the basis for a wide-ranging and complex field of study. This field spans social and political theory, media and communication studies, sociology, and philosophy. Since then, scholars from diverse disciplines have responded to and critiqued Habermas’ concept, contributing to the development and refinement of its analytical potential by challenging the implicit normativity of Habermas’ initial notion. These critical reactions have further enriched the theoretical landscape by expanding its scope and applications. One point on which Habermas’ initial work was opened significantly related to the exclusionary nature of the historical practice described by Habermas by exposing the historical situatedness and specificity of his concept of the public sphere.

The concept of legal dualism and its overcoming in contemporary studies of the Russian Empire

The productive interdisciplinary exchange with legal anthropology and the “law and society” paradigm has significantly contributed to the formation of the “legal turn” in historical studies of empires. This “turn” has intensified the study of legal pluralism, the competition and mutual influence among various types of imperial jurisdictions (state, corporate, confessional, ethnic, estate-based, regional, communal, etc.), and the significance of law and judicial institutions in managing diversity and integrating imperial spaces. Additionally, it explores the role of judicial and legal institutions in reinforcing the status and identity of imperial communities and in shaping their interactions with the state. This article, in light of the new interdisciplinary synthesis, discusses one of the oldest and most enduring concepts in the legal-historical sphere of the Russian Empire — the model of “legal dualism”. Formed in the 19th century, this concept remains influential in historiography. It posits the coexistence and sharp distinction between two legal realms: on one hand, a unified realm of modern statutory law and corresponding institutions that regulate the lives of the empire's elite; and on the other hand, an ethnically and locally variable realm of particularistic “customary law” and associated conflict resolution practices prevalent among the heterogeneous population of the imperial center and periphery. According to this concept, the establishment of new courts modeled on European systems during the post-reform period exacerbated the legal and behavioral divide, disrupting pre-existing elements of pre-reform particularistic inclusion of ethnic and class communities. However, recent research has critiqued and revised the “legal dualism” concept in both the pre-reform and post-reform periods. Analyzing this historiographical dynamic has enabled the identification of the most promising avenues for further research on the legal-historical aspects of Russia from the 18th to the early 20th centuries, developing a more realistic depiction of the interaction between the state and various local, regional, class-based, ethnic, and confessional communities within the empire.

Языковая личность синхронного переводчика: тезаурусный (лингвокогнитивный) уровень

The paper aims to identify the representatives of the thesaurus (linguocognitive) level of the professional linguistic personality of a simultaneous interpreter through verbal means. The author conducts the research within the framework of the linguo-functional approach. To achieve the stated aim, the researcher examines the phenomenon of the linguistic personality as such, distinguishes between the related concepts of “linguistic personality” and “linguistic identity”, and offers a theoretical justification for the formation of a working definition of the thesaurus (linguocognitive) level and the language units included in it. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the fact that the thesaurus (linguocognitive) level of the linguistic personality of a simultaneous interpreter is considered from the perspective of the linguo-functional approach. The author proposes a methodology for exploring the thesaurus (linguocognitive) level to determine and analyze representatives reflecting the individual’s linguistic model of the world. Examples of analyzing representatives at different levels (the level of verbal representation, the level of conceptual sphere representation, the level of extralinguistic representation) demonstrate the breadth of the thesaurus level of a simultaneous interpreter in a communication situation of translation, taking into account the manifestation of available background and special knowledge in translation.

Jacobian Spheroids, Shallow Encounters, and the Keyhole Map

The study of the dynamics of flybys is featured in several space-mission-related applications, spanning from the design of interplanetary orbits to the computation of impact probabilities with given celestial bodies in planetary protection and defense tasks. While patched-conics, two-body models suffice in accuracy for trajectory planning cases, collision probability assessment requires instead more insightful approaches. High-fidelity simulations have shown impact patterns to happen outside nominally colliding trajectories in terms of two-body analysis, all caused by distant or weak interactions between the given trajectory-celestial body pairs. This work proposes a novel concept of sphere of influence based on the Jacobian of the three-body dynamics, resulting in a wider definition of encounters that encompasses weak interactions up to an arbitrary threshold. The so-defined Jacobian spheroids are then used to construct the Keyhole map, a graphical tool that maps in the orbital elements space both nominal and off-nominal keyholes, i.e., collision paths accounting for three-body weak interactions. The proposed concepts arise from and are compared against the on-ground casualty risk assessment of the European Space Agency’s mission JUICE.

LEXICO-SEMANTIC FIELDS OF THE CONCEPTUAL SPHERE "UKRAINE" IN THE SONG DISCOURSE DURING THE RUSSIAN-UKRAINIAN WAR

In the proposed article, we address one of the directions of modern linguistic research — cognitive linguistics. The aim of the study is to identify and analyze the linguistic means of representing the lexico-semantic field of the conceptual sphere "UKRAINE" based on the material of the song discourse during the Russian-Ukrainian war. The object of the study is the conceptual sphere "UKRAINE", and the subject of the study is the lexico-semantic field of the conceptual sphere "UKRAINE" in Ukrainian-language song discourse. To achieve this goal, the study employs the methods of linguoconceptual and contextual analysis of texts, as well as the method of field modeling. Based on 218 lexical units from the texts of 20 Ukrainian songs, three structural segments of the lexico-semantic fields of the conceptual sphere "UKRAINE" were identified: "UKRAINE — SPACE", "UKRAINE — SPIRITUAL VALUES", "UKRAINE — WAR". Within each LSF, lexico-semantic groups were formed, the largest of which were the LSG "Markers of Ukraine’s Consolidation" (present in 16% of the concepts of the conceptual sphere Ukraine) and the LSG "Defender" (present in 26% of the concepts of the conceptual sphere Ukraine). The core-periphery organization of the main components of the conceptual sphere "UKRAINE" in the song discourse of 2022-2024 was determined: the core consists of the lexemes "MOTHER" and "WARRIORS’ VICTORY". The author concludes that the multidimensional semantics of the conceptual sphere "UKRAINE" is represented through a significant number of components that change with the transformation of societal consciousness. In times of national danger, a transformation in the core structure of the conceptual sphere "UKRAINE" is observed: from conceptualvalue concepts to value-perceptive concepts. In the conceptual sphere "UKRAINE", the semantic meanings "country" and "independent state" are consistently actualized, but due to changes in societal consciousness, the conceptual sphere acquires new meanings: Ukraine as a special way of being; Ukraine as a sacred space, Ukraine as a metaphysical person — mother. The new reality dictates new nominations, leading to the emergence of new lexico-semantic features in the composition of the conceptual sphere "UKRAINE": UKRAINE — THE HIGHEST VALUE; UKRAINE — A SYNONYM FOR FREEDOM; UKRAINE — UNITY, BROTHERHOOD; UKRAINE — VICTORY. The prospect of the research lies in further exploration of the lexico-semantic field of the conceptual sphere "UKRAINE" in Ukrainian song discourse, considering that songs, as an important component of any ethnic culture, are a significant factor in global processes in their historical, cultural, and linguistic dimensions. The conceptual sphere, as a cognitive structure of human knowledge about the world, is characterized by special dynamism, because each historical period in the life of a people brings corresponding changes to its structure, so the number of lexico-semantic fields in the conceptual sphere "UKRAINE" can be changed and supplemented.

Colorimetric enzymatic rapid test for the determination of atropine in baby food using a smartphone.

A method for the enzymatic determination of atropine has been developed, which is based on a sequence of reactions involving (1) the hydrolysis of atropine to give tropine; (2) the enzymatic oxidation of tropine with NAD (catalysed by tropinone reductase); and (3) an indicator reaction, in which the NADH previously formed reduces the dye iodonitrotetrazolium chloride (INT) to a reddish species, the reaction catalysed by diaphorase. The method was first developed in solution (linear response range from 2.4 × 10-6M to 1.0 × 10-4M). It was then implemented in cellulose platforms to develop a rapid test where the determination is made by measuring the RGB coordinates of the platforms using a smartphone-based device. The device is based on the integrating sphere concept and contains a light source to avoid external illumination effects. The smartphone is controlled by an app that allows a calibration line to be generated and the atropine concentration to be quantified; moreover, since the app normalizes the CCD response of the smartphone, the results and calibrations obtained with different smartphones are similar and can be shared. Using the G coordinate, the results were shown to have a linear response with the concentration of atropine ranging from 1.2 × 10-5M to 3.0 × 10-4M with an RSD of 1.4% (n = 5). The method has been applied to the determination of atropine in baby food and buckwheat samples with good results.

What Is the EU’s Vision of Democracy in the Post-Truth Scenario? A Conceptual Analysis of the Institutional Narratives of the Public Sphere in the “Democracy Action Plan”

Contributing to recent academic and public debates on how European democracies should respond to a scenario of “post-truth politics”, this article explores the idea of democracy that underlies current regulatory responses in the “European Democracy Action Plan” (EDAP). It offers a conceptual analysis of the institutional narratives in the EDAP illustrating normative expectations of the public sphere and transformations of the basic concepts in the European polity. It revisits the famous Habermasian systemic view of deliberation emphasizing the interconnections of the social and institutional realms through the public sphere in democracies. We argue that previous scholarship has focused too much on the presumed loss of consensus originated from the digital transformations in the public sphere without taking into consideration other institutional changes within the EU. The analysis of the key concepts illustrates the normative expectations of specific measures and shows that there is evidence of a systemic view in the EDAP, with different modes of intervention, partially coherent with Habermas' normative expectations. We conclude that the vision of democracy in the EDAP has been developed for decades to legitimate the EU's development and initiatives, but that it also incorporates a reformulation of some concepts justified by a post-truth scenario.

The image of Russia as a result of political perception (based on the results cognitive analysis of the concepts of <i>Russia</i>, <i>Homeland</i>, <i>Country</i>, and <i>State</i>)

The article raises the problem of political perception and formation of the image of Russia in the individual and public consciousness. The hypothesis of the study is that the image of Russia as a result of political perception is structured from certain concepts (Russia, Homeland, country, and state). These concepts are basic for the conceptual sphere of the Russian people, and they have been studied in detail within the framework of cognitive linguistics. However, trends in political perception can be traced by studying changes in the perception of native Russian speakers of relevant concepts. Within the framework of the free association method, 326 respondents were selecting attributive distributors for lexemes that verbalize the corresponding concepts. The results of the study consist in: (1) identification of a range of attributes characteristic of each concept that makes up the image of Russia; (2) identification of overlapping, that is, repetitive and most common definitions that indicate the key characteristics of the concepts; (3) highlighting the most unique, neologous phrases that demonstrate trends in the dynamics of concepts; (4) visualization of the image of Russia (its key and peripheral characteristics), which allows you to see trends in political perception.

Conceptosphere of the basic concept “winter” in Yu. Shestalov’s lyrical poetry

The article presents a description of the conceptual sphere with the basic concept of “winter”, based on the lyrical poetry of the famous Mansi poet Yuvan Shestalov. The article develops philological regionalism as a current trend in literary criticism. Based on a conceptual analysis of two volumes of the poet’s poems from his complete works, the article suggests this conceptual sphere, proving the objective choice of the nearest periphery concepts by providing examples from the texts. The immediate periphery includes such concepts and their variants as “snow” (ice, blizzard, snowstorm, snow squall); “sleep”; “night” (stars, moon); “road” (skis, sleds, deer, movement, path); “fire” (bonfire, flame, hearth heat, hot tea, ray of sunshine, northern lights). The key conclusion is that winter for the lyrical hero is a time of discovery, a time of learning new things, moving forward, a time of love and creativity. This perception of winter and Ugra as a whole is at odds with the generally accepted perception of the northern region. We believe the presented analysis will help visualize the mental space of the peoples from the North and the “winter” concept functions in the poet’s lyrical poetry to better understand his individual works, at the same time evaluating his work as an integral, mobile and developing system.

The debates about the public sphere from social systems theory

AbstractThe purpose of this paper is to present the initial debate that generated the main contributions to the discussion of the public sphere from the perspective of systems theory. Although Luhmann consolidates himself as the main reference of this theoretical branch, he is not its only supporter, and other authors of this line also presented arguments for thinking about the concept of public sphere. Several of these authors' contributions were, in some way, incorporated by Luhmann or departed from Luhmann. Considering that we are working with social systems theory, we made a division based on a criterion that has heuristic purposes to map the argumentative field: On the one hand, we have the authors who consider the public sphere as a system and, on the other hand, authors who do not consider it as a system.

Лінгвокультурний концепт ВИНОв українській мовній картині світу

The article deals with the research of the concept as one of the key linguistic notions. The characterization of different approaches to the definition of the notion in "concept" is suggested. The role of the concept in the formation of the national conceptual sphere is discussed. It is noted that the persistent interest of scientists only in certain aspects of the study of the conceptual sphere of "food" necessitates a holistic study of the linguistic and cultural concept of WINE, the study of language units in the synthesis of their semantic and functional specificity, the identification of the peculiarities of the generation of a linguistic sign, as well as the need to outline linguosemiotic and linguocultural of the parameters of the concept, evidenced primarily in literary samples and paremias. The relevance of the chosen topic is determined by the need to expand and significantly deepen knowledge about the linguistic representation of the linguistic and cultural concept WINE in the formation of a model of the Ukrainian mentality, which helps to reveal ways of interaction between the verbal and cultural codes of the nation. The purpose of the scientific work is to study the linguistic and cultural specificity of the concept of WINE in the Ukrainian National Linguistic Worldview. The essence of the concept of "linguistic and cultural concept" and "gastronomic discourse" was clarified in the studio; the linguistic and cultural content of Ukrainian pairs with the concept of WINE is determined; the syntagmatic relations of the name of the concept were analyzed; the mechanism of respondents’ perception of the WINE concept was investigated. The authors researche into the concept WINE (vyno) in Ukrainian linguistic worldview. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the fact that it examines the linguistic and cultural concept of WINE in the Ukrainian linguistic picture of the world. In the work, the elucidation of the features of the linguistic and cultural concept and gastronomic discourse was further developed, the linguistic and cultural content of paremy with the concept WINE was determined, and the syntagmatic connections of the name of the concept were investigated. In the future, we plan to investigate the linguistic and cultural specificity of other concepts related to the gastronomic discourse.

КОНЦЕПТУАЛЬНЫЕ ПОНЯТИЯ В НАЦИОНАЛЬНОЙ ЯЗЫКОВОЙ КАРТИНЕ МИРА КАЗАХОВ (НА МАТЕРИАЛЕ ПОЭЗИИ ЖЫРАУ)

The study of texts by Kazakh zhyrau with the aim of identifying the peculiarities of conceptualizing universals of objective reality within the framework of Kazakh culture undoubtedly presents a significant interest for linguacultural researchers and ethnolinguists. The analysis of such material can provide valuable information about the structure and semantic content of nationally specific concepts. The study proves the interrelation of the concepts considered in the article, expands the idea of the whole conceptual system of Kazakh literature. The authors examined a series of universal concepts reflected in the poetic works of zhyraus, transformed by the worldview and understanding of the world of the Kazakh people, and became foundational elements of the national conceptual sphere. The research employed methods such as descriptive analysis, statistical analysis to identify the frequency of usage of certain words, and conceptual analysis to extract cognitive models. The results obtained during the analysis serve as a key to unlocking the culture, history, and mentality of the Kazakh ethnic group. The aim of the article is to study conceptual notions in the national language worldview of Kazakhs, related to representations of life and death, homeland, family, and other significant concepts in Kazakh linguaculture. The material for the study consisted of texts of zhyraus` poetry, as well as Kazakh proverbs and sayings. The considered problem is relevant in terms of studying the language of Kazakh poetry as a means of comprehending ethnic mentality

Особенности пересечения профессионально значимых концептов в языковом сознании кардиологов

The research is focused on the issues of conceptualization and identification of extra-linguistic aspects influencing the reflection of the received information in the language consciousness, revealing the connection of professionally significant concepts in the language consciousness of people. The aim of the study is to reveal whether the concept WORK is a hyperconcept in the language consciousness of representatives of the group distinguished by professional employment (cardiologists) in relation to the concepts representing the main objects of their labor functions (the concepts HEALTH and SICKNESS). The general research sample (1200 associations) was formed based on the results of two directional associative experiments with the words work, health, and disease stimuli with partial response constraints. The study was carried out on the integrated theoretical and methodological basis of psycholinguistics and cognitive linguistics. Scientific novelty is determined by the fact that the concepts WORK, HEALTH, SICKNESS are studied for the first time in the context of their representation in the language consciousness of representatives of a certain profession. The results of the scientific research allowed to establish that the concept WORK has a universal character and is an important element not only of the national, but also of the individual concept sphere. It was confirmed that in the spheres of employment requiring selfless labor, the WORK concept and the concepts denoting the main labor functions will not have a hierarchical relationship and will not act as hyper- and hypo-concepts.

NATIONAL-CULTURAL SPECIFICITY OF THE OF THE EAST SLAVIC CONCEPT OF LAZINESS IN COMPARISON WITH THE CHINESE 懒 (LAN) (BASED ON THE MATERIAL OF THE FAIRYTALE DISCOURSE)

The purpose of the work is to reveal the national and cultural specificity of the Eastern Slavic Laziness concept in comparison with the Chinese one 懒 (lan). The object of research is Eastern Slavic and Chinese folk tales. In folk tales, the conceptual sphere inherent in folk consciousness is best reflected. In Chinese folk tales, laziness is condemned because it is perceived as a vice. The result of the study is the revealed specificity of the East Slavic mentality, which is expressed in the correlation of the concepts Laziness and Success/Luck. Conclusions. Russian fairy tales can show different values. There are Russian fairy tales in which laziness is assessed as a defect and condemned; in others, the lazy person receives a reward, because he is kind and compassionate to other people's misfortune. The main components of the concept of Success / Luck in the Russian fairy-tale picture of the world are the absence of the need for hard work, a successful marriage, material well-being and the opportunity to demonstrate one's success to those who previously did not believe in it. Chinese folk tales unequivocally condemn laziness. Lazy people suffer from troubles and do not have happiness and wealth. The practical application of the research results lies in the possibility of their use in translations of East Slavic folk tales into Chinese.

Концепция развития местного самоуправления в условиях цифровой трансформации управления

State processes are currently regulated by conceptual strategizing, which means they rely on concepts of systematic, integrated, and consistent development in social and state spheres, e.g., municipal public administration. This research used theoretical generalizations, as well as constitutional and legal practice, to rationalize the need for a developmental concept of local government in the context of digital transformation. Acts of state strategic planning were classified according to subject and concept. Digitalization of management and local governance was described from the perspective of hierarchical subordination and strategic planning acts. The list of prospective goals and directions in the digital development of local government included: digitalizing the domestic agro-industrial complex; leveling the existing digital inequality; improving the financing of small and medium municipalities using digital systems and innovative technologies. The authors reviewed best foreign practices and modern approaches to standardization in the sphere of sustainable development concepts, which direct the regulation of local government development in the digital environment. They revealed some problematic issues of modern digital transformation of municipal government and prospective trajectories for local digital platforms.

Hypertext journey as a method for working on secondary school students’ conceptual sphere and speech in Russian language lessons

Hypertext journey as a method for working on secondary school students’ conceptual sphere and speech in Russian language lessons

Staging the Theatrical Public Sphere in The Laramie Project

Abstract Contemporary documentary theater has become a favored genre in scholarship to investigate the relationship between theater and the public sphere (Reinelt, “Promise”; Balme; Claycomb, Lurch). Drawing on Christopher B. Balme’s concept of the theatrical public sphere and other scholarship, I examine how The Laramie Project (2000) by Moisés Kaufman and the Tectonic Theater Project stages the idea of the public sphere and, in the process, rethinks the form of documentary performance. On one level, the play reflects a discursive turn in documentary practice as multiple narrative layers dramatize the collision of opposing value systems and civic voices in order to challenge established boundaries between the private and the public, the liberal and the conservative, the rural and the urban, poverty and wealth, life and art. The theatrical sphere is constructed as an imaginary space not just of rational debate but of negotiating questions of accountability by appealing to the affective engagement of the audience. On another level, I argue, the play operates as a metatheatrical piece, using strategies such as a narrator and anti-illusionism to establish the theatrical public sphere as a conceptual framework that fuses sociopolitical engagement with a self-reflexive theater practice.

The name of educational institutions in the pedagogical discourse of F. A. Vigdorova (based on the works of 1950-1960)

The object is the prose of 1950-1960 by F. A. Vigdorova. The subject is the words representing the concept of "EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS". The aim is to identify the role of the names of educational institutions in the pedagogical discourse of F. A. Vigdorova (based on the material of the prose of 1950-1960). Methods: linguistic observation, description, interpretation, statistical calculation, elements of component analysis. It is established that the lexical and semantic field of the concept "EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS" consists of lexical and semantic groups (LSG): LSG "Secondary educational institutions", LSG "Secondary specialized educational institutions", LSG "Higher educational institutions". The first LSG is the most frequent, which indicates its special importance in the mental and linguistic complex of the linguistic personality of F. A. Vigdorova, broadcasting the pedagogical views of the writer, in particular, about the key role of school in the formation of a child's personality. However, no less important are the second and third LSGs, expressing the pragmatic, moral, ideological, and social attitudes of F. A. Vigdorova. The relevance of the article is due to the interest of scientists in considering the concept of "EDUCATION"; referring to the role of the names of educational institutions in the pedagogical discourse of the writer in forming ideas about the peculiarities of a certain fragment of the linguistic picture of the world by F. A. Vigdorova; researching the language of works F. A. Vigdorova from the point of view of the anthropocentric approach, its lack of study, makes the novelty of the work. The results of allow us to expand our understanding of the specifics of F. A. Vigdorova's worldview, the features of her conceptual sphere, and identify the leading features of the writer's idiosyncrasy in prose of the 1950s and 1960s.