Contemporary Science Research Articles

Comparative Review of the Three Avastha of Mind in Upanishads and Stages of Sleep

Background: Upanishads describe the three avastha (states) of mind/consciousness as Jagrita, Swapna and Sushupti. Though the epistemology of the names of these states of mind is indicative of a wakeful to deep sleep states of mind, explanations in Upanishads make it clear that these are the states of spiritual consciousness. Stages of sleep have been studied elaborately over time. Polysomnographic and biological findings have helped to identify distinct stages of sleep. Materials and Methods: This study is a sincere effort to comparatively find out any similarities or dissimilarities in the concept of these states of mind and stages of sleep in Upanishads and contemporary medical science literature respectively. Results and Discussion: The mind differently functions and actualizes itself from gross to subtle things in the different avastha of mind. Interesting observations were found like states of mind were close to the measure of mindfulness index of mind. In the case of stages of sleep, different brain waves, activities of mind like cognition, memory and restoration of normalcy of brain tissues have been found to be happening to varying degrees in different stages. Conclusion: Proper recommendations were made for the further studies to understand and validate the concept of states of mind and for the application of these concepts in the fields of sleep medicine and psychotherapy.

¿Cuál es la relación entre el cuerpo y el deporte?: desde la perspectiva de la fenomenología y la filosofía del cuerpo de Merleau-Ponty

Abstract: Merleau-Ponty is the founder of modern body phenomenology. His phenomenological masterpiece Phenomenology of Perception has greatly influenced the development direction of contemporary western cognitive science. The body theory runs through the beginning and the end of its philosophical thought, adopts phenomenological method to carry on the overview of the ontology of the body theory and turns the body into the cognitive subject’s field. By means of literature and logical analysis, this paper attempts to summarize the connotation and extension of Merleau-Ponty’s body theory, describe and interpret the ontological dimension of sports from the phenomenological perspective, bring sports back to the understanding and communication of exercise itself and, thus, trigger the thinking to provide multiple reference for the development of sports in each field.

Structural and functional indicators in freshwater ecosystem monitoring programs

SummaryEcosystem function is a foundational part of ecosystem health, but it is often neglected in the practice of ecosystem monitoring. We conducted a review of freshwater ecosystem management literature, analysing 60 documents across multiple organisations to understand the prevalence of function in conceptualisations and measures of ecosystem health. Only 28% (n = 13) of analysed documents included definitions of waterway health that included function, and only 30% (n = 18) integrated function into their conceptualisations of waterway health. More generally, we observed noticeable deviation in analysed documents from management best practices advocated for by contemporary ecosystem science – including unclear rationales, vague language, and imprecise metrics for assessing waterway health. We discuss these findings in broader ecosystem management contexts. Our findings support previous observations of a strong structural bias in current ecosystem health monitoring and suggest the need for closer examinations into the processes and rationales by which such an important factor could be absent from monitoring programs.

Education, relationships, and place: life choices in the narratives of university master students.

Choice is one of the most roughly defined concepts in contemporary social sciences. Previous studies have elucidated the factors that influence young people's choices in different life situations. However, it is still unclear how young people evaluate these choices and how they integrate them into their biographies. In this study, we examine the narratives of 30 first-year master's students at HSE University with regard to two categories of life choices: those that they perceive as fortunate and those that they perceive as unfortunate. Using a written online survey, the data was collected in the spring of 2022. To categorize the different decision kinds, thematic analysis was applied. Overall, we discovered that narratives about the life choices made by master students concentrated on education, relationships and place.

Комментарий к поэтическому произведению как филологический жанр

Not only in contemporary philological science but also among those in broader society in­terested in poetic creativity, commentary is one of the most sought-after genres of philological discourse that elucidates poetic works. This is linked to the distinctive position of the commen­tator in relation to the poem, characterized by flexibility, reliance on facts, and various inter­pretational possibilities. While numerous scholarly materials have been written in the genre of literary commentary, there appears to be a limited reflection on the parameters such commen­tary should possess, the goals it should set, and the factors it should consider. This article fills this theoretical gap, demonstrating that commentary on poetry should primarily be oriented towards the genre-specific nature of this type of artistic work. The main focus is on under­standing the two-stage character of commentary. The first stage relies on precise textological information, while the second takes on an explanatory-interpretative character. A balance is determined between interpretation and commentary, the pursuit of objectifying meaning, and the subjectively personal experiential aspect, which is realized in the aesthetic experience, in the encounter between the author and the reader in the work.

Abstraction, conceptualization, disambiguation, ideation, innovation, objectivization, quantification, and theorization in the social sciences: New pillars for contemporary social sciences research

Abstraction, conceptualization, disambiguation, ideation, innovation, objectivization, quantification, and theorization in the social sciences: New pillars for contemporary social sciences research

Konstantin Grigorievich Grigoriev — the last professor of fundamental theology at the Kazan Theological Academy

The article is devoted to studying the theological heritage of the professor, the last teacher of fundamental theology at the Kazan Theological Academy, Konstantin Grigorievich Grigoriev (1875–1933). The work uses previously unpublished archival materials. The program of K. G. Grigoriev’s lecture course on fundamental theology, preserved in the State Archives of the Republic of Tatarstan, as well as some of his journal publications on the same topic, are analyzed, with special attention paid to his methodology of teaching fundamental theology and the basic section of the discipline — proofs of the main religious truths (existence of God and immortality of soul). It is revealed that in teaching fundamental theology, K. G. Grigoriev largely adhered to the method and subject structure developed by bishop Mikhail (Gribanovsky). It is demonstrated that this method had also been previously supported and developed by the Kazan Theological Academy professors V. A. Snegirev and V. I. Nesmelov. The results obtained in the course of the study allow us to speak of K. G. Grigoriev’s rather high scientific and apologetic potential, which, at the same time, did not remain fully realized. The Kazan professor’s main merit is that he managed to accumulate the best achievements of his predecessors in the field of fundamental theology. K. G. Grigoriev, contrary to the liberal trends in contemporary theological science, managed to maintain the teaching of fundamental theology not only at a high scientific level, but also in accordance with the Orthodox worldview.

Silk-based intelligent fibers and textiles: structures, properties, and applications.

Multifunctional fibers represent a cornerstone of human civilization, playing a pivotal role in numerous aspects of societal development. Natural biomaterials, in contrast to synthetic alternatives, offer environmental sustainability, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. Among these biomaterials, natural silk is favored in biomedical applications and smart fiber technology due to its accessibility, superior mechanical properties, diverse functional groups, controllable structure, and exceptional biocompatibility. This review delves into the intricate structure and properties of natural silk fibers and their extensive applications in biomedicine and smart fiber technology. It highlights the critical significance of silk fibers in the development of multifunctional materials, emphasizing their mechanical strength, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. A detailed analysis of the hierarchical structure of silk fibers elucidates how these structural features contribute to their unique properties. The review also encompasses the biomedical applications of silk fibers, including surgical sutures, tissue engineering, and drug delivery systems, along with recent advancements in smart fiber applications such as sensing, optical technologies, and energy storage. The enhancement of functional properties of silk fibers through chemical or physical modifications is discussed, suggesting broader high-end applications. Additionally, the review addresses current challenges and future directions in the application of silk fibers in biomedicine and smart fiber technologies, underscoring silk's potential in driving contemporary technological innovations. The versatility and sustainability of silk fibers position them as pivotal elements in contemporary materials science and technology, fostering the development of next-generation smart materials.

Polarização e ideologia: explorando a natureza contextual do compromisso democrático

ABSTRACT Introduction: Political polarization stands as a pivotal topic in contemporary Political Science. Existing literature indicates that ideological extremism, prevalent in polarized environments, fosters the erosion of democratic norms by political elites. This phenomenon has primarily been explored through the examination of isolated cases or limited comparisons among a handful of highly polarized countries. This article investigates the role of “guardians of democracy”, questioning whether specific ideological groups maintain their commitment to democratic principles even amidst profound polarization. Materials and methods: Our analysis draws on public opinion data from 57 countries, encompassing over 77,000 respondents, sourced from the most recent wave of the World Values Survey (2017-2020). We explore the interaction between contextual and individual factors, investigating the impact of national-level polarization on individuals with varying ideological orientations and how the government's dominant ideology shapes individual responses to political polarization. Results: There is a negative relationship between polarization and democratic legitimacy. However, the impact varies depending on the ideology of the voters and their alignment with the ideology of the ruling party. Discussion: Our analysis suggests that the interaction between contextual factors (polarization and government ideology) and individual factors (voter ideology) creates scenarios that foster different profiles of guardians of democracy. However, none of these scenarios involved right-wing individuals presenting themselves as such.

Pirra Jungku and Pirra Warlu: using traditional fire-practice knowledge and contemporary science to guide fire-management goals for desert animals

Pirra Jungku and Pirra Warlu: using traditional fire-practice knowledge and contemporary science to guide fire-management goals for desert animals

INFLUÊNCIAS DE CONCEPÇÕES PARADIGMÁTICAS DA CIÊNCIA EM TEXTOS DE LICENCIANDOS DE CIÊNCIAS BIOLÓGICAS SOBRE ECOLOGIA

ABSTRACT: This article analyzed texts by undergraduates in Biological Sciences on the ecological theme, having as reference the paradigmatic conceptions of contemporary science: complexity, systemic and Cartesian. The research context was the Ecology Practice that is a curricular component of an undergraduate course in Biological Sciences at a public university in the Brazilian Northeast. The investigation employed a qualitative and quantitative approach with the objective of identifying the influence of paradigmatic conceptions of science in the construction of meanings of ecological themes by the undergraduate students participating in the research. The methodology combined the development of conceptual schemes and Statistical Implicit Analysis (SIA), which allowed viewing the implications of complexity and depth of the relationships established between conceptual variables present in the texts. The results indicated that different ecological themes suffer different paradigmatic influences. Systemic and complex conceptions were present in themes with conservationism and environmental impact, while consumerism was linked to the Cartesian paradigm. The research also corroborated the adequacy of mixed research approaches for the science teaching area.

Scientific Community

This article problematizes the state of the contemporary scientific community, which fluctuates between the desire for autonomy and creative freedom, on the one hand, and responsibility to social challenges, on the other. In this context, the social meaning of Paul Feyerabend’s epistemological anarchism is reconstructed, revealing not only critical but also positive significance for contemporary science. Answering the two-sided question, “What kind of society does science need, and what kind of science does society need?”, Feyerabend gives a disappointing diagnosis of both society and science. The political desire for ideological monism and totalitarianism is supported by science, which is sometimes a form of ideology – a militant rationalism that excludes alternative points of view – and in turn parasitizes society. This circle can only be broken in a regime of genuine pluralist democracy, which will lead to a change in the understanding of science and its role in society. The ability to “defamiliarize” (B. Brecht), to take the position of the “other”, to refuse to gain intellectual power – these are the key characteristics of free reason, as Feyerabend understood it. If we try to reconstruct a social group that possesses such a mind, then in the social projection it will include marginal people, dilettantes, scientists whose activities diverge from the disciplinary paradigm and norms of the standard scientific ethos. A precarian is such a subject of science that breaks the monopoly on the truth and contributes to changing the understanding of science. The question is raised about the productivity and effectiveness of the scientific precariat in relation to the concept of science in a free society, as well as to the positioning of this phenomenon in the context of current discussions about expert knowledge, citizen science and pseudoscience.

Bridging the gap: From the laboratory science education of the 19<sup>th</sup> century in Greece to STEM education

The objectives of the present study are to investigate both the history of the collection of scientific instruments from the Maraslean Teaching Center (MTC) and the potential for the collection’s use in STEM education programs. Although MTC went by a number of different names during its long history, its institutional goal remained the same: training the Greek state’s primary school teachers-to-be. To so do, it was necessary to assemble a collection of scientific instruments. The first objective of the paper is to present in detail the gradual enlargement of the collection from the last quarter of the 19<sup>th</sup> century through to the 1930s, along with the way the instruments were used in science lessons and the central role MTC played in relation to other regional teaching schools in Greece in terms of the distribution, administration, repair and maintenance of the equipment. The second objective is to investigate the role the historical scientific instruments can play not only in the history of science, but also in contemporary science teaching. The findings reveal that the history of laboratory physics education in MTC along with the corresponding collection of the historical scientific instruments can be a fertile ground for implementing STEM education programs. Finally, the findings imply the broader integration of STEM education and history of science in order to promote cultural and procedural aspects of science in student teachers and beyond. Such integration gives rise to broader research on introducing STEM education to cultural embedded environments, such as museums and historically important schools and laboratories, such as MTC.

“ARISTHA LAKSHANAS (NEAR DEATH SIGN) RELATED TO PRANAVAHA SROTAS – A REVIEW”

Ayurveda is a science of life with a holistic approach to healthy life and personalized medicine. Patient’s strength, morbidity (disease strength) and Life span must be assessed before proceeding for the treatment. For the evaluation of life span of patient a separate section called Indriya sthana is given in Charak Samhita. Susruta Samhita, Asthang Haridya, Bhela Samhita, Harita Samhita also having similar description showing near death signs in various places with adequate importance. Aim: to review and analyze near death signs / symptoms related to Pranavaha Srotas in present era. Material and method: Ayurvediya classical books especially Brihatrayee, Bhela Samhita, Harita Samhita, symptoms related to Pranavaha Srotas were compiled and re-arranged. Further to review 24 published articles related to the topic internet search engine like Google scholar was used. Compiled matter has been re-arranged to understand those signs / symptoms in light of contemporary science. Observation: Charak samhita, Susruta Samhita, Asthang Haridya, Bhela Samhita, Harita Samhita all of them Arishta Lakshanas related to Pranavaha Srotas in their text in different chapters. In this study compile and evaluate near death signs related to Pranavaha Srotas in present era. Result:-In this review study approx 29 Aristha lakshanas (near death signs) related to Pranavaha Srotas compile and evaluate with co-morbid disease condition. Conclusion:-Though all the Arista lakshanas given in Ayurveda classics are not examined by the modern parameters still they are found in the patients and are quite significant. The current study paves the path for future research directions.

Product development strategy of non-heritage cultural and creative products under the fusion of traditional crafts and modern technology

Abstract In the contemporary digital era, the transformation of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) products represents a critical trend in their evolutionary trajectory. This study advocates for the synergistic integration of traditional craftsmanship with advanced technologies within the ICH sector. A standardized electronic image repository was established by scanning these items under uniform lighting conditions, forming the basis for generating non-heritage experimental datasets. Subsequently, a clustering algorithm was applied to extract color features from the images. Owing to its resilience against rotation, scale, and noise variations, the Scale-Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT) algorithm was utilized to delineate pattern features of non-heritage items. The analysis primarily focused on the predominant colors in contemporary ICH products, paving the way for innovative developments that incorporate augmented reality (AR) technology with non-heritage characteristics. Quantitative analyses indicated that the average hue of these products is 118.15°, predominantly within the warmer green spectrum of the color wheel. Moreover, the evaluation of pattern style similarity of non-heritage items, as determined by the SIFT algorithm, yielded an average of 88.36%. Further, regression analysis demonstrated a significant influence of hue, brightness, pattern, and texture on the effectiveness of product development, with regression coefficients of 0.276, 0.236, 0.237, and 0.159, respectively, at a significance level of P<0.001. This research highlights the potential of contemporary science and technology to invigorate traditional arts, thereby contributing significantly to the preservation and revitalization of valued cultural legacies.

An Ayurvedic Approach in the Management of Vatarakta

Ayurveda, since beginning emphasizes on the importance of wholesome lifestyle for maintenance of health and prevention of several diseases. Changing dietary habit with fast food culture, lack of physical activities and stressful environmental factors are the leading cause of many lifestyle disorders and Vatarakta is one of them. It is characterized by severe pain, swelling, stiffness, inflammation and burning sensation of affected joints. It may be correlated with Gout in contemporary science. A 45 years old female patient visited Panchakarma OPD of S.V.S.P hospital with severe pain, mild oedema, tingling sensation in the joints of hand and leg bilaterally associated with burning sensation and discolouration of both feet since 3 month. She was treated with Shamana aushadhi, Panchakarma therapy and specific dietary intervention for 30 days. Encouraging improvement in both subjective and objective criteria was obtained. This case study may ignite a positive hope for individual suffering from Vatarakta.

At the interface of theory and experience

The founding motto of philosophy in science is “tracking down big philosophical problems in contemporary science.” Knowing the basic history of philosophy and the history of science, we more or less know what “big philosophical topics” mean. The most representative topics of this kind include: time, space, causality, matter, life, consciousness, thinking... The tables of contents of philosophy textbooks could be copied to continue this list. These topics are big not only when they remain at a high level of generality, but also when they get down to special cases and particular sub-problems. Sometimes it is only then that they fully reveal their big format.

The Strength of Ibn Rushd's Integration of Religion and Philosophy: An Islamic Historical Discourse

Ibn Rushd’s thoughts on the integration of religion and philosophy exerted a major influence on Medieval Jewish, Christian and Islamic philosophy. However, a study that writes the full concept of Ibn Rushd’s integration and its advantages has yet to be found. This study aims to thoroughly analyze Ibn Rushd’s concept of the integration of religion and philosophy, discover the strengths of the integration, and identify its logical consequences. This study uses the content analysis method with primary sources as the main data. The results of the study indicate that (1) Ibn Rushd integrates religion and philosophy by combining three things from religion and philosophy: sources, methods, and goals. (2) The strength of Ibn Rushd’s integration lies in the integrity of the aspects involved, the placement of ratios at a very high position, the principle that philosophical thinking is part of religious order, and the use of allegorical interpretation (ta’wil) of the holy verses. The implication shows that religion and philosophy become inseparable, and the movement for integration must be a movement towards each other, between religion and philosophy. Ibn Rushd’s thoughts on integration can be the basis of the efforts to integrate contemporary religion and science.

DESIGNING ETHNOCULTURAL IDENTITIES IN DIVIDED SOCIETIES AND CONSOCIATIONAL DEMOCRACY AS A POSSIBILITY

The management of ethnocultural diversity and design of related identities constitute one of the most fundamental questions of contemporary political science and constitutional law. Many countries in today’s world, albeit in different versions and degrees, are faced with challenges caused by ethnocultural identities that have transformed into political identities. Demands and problems arising in the line of ethnocultural identities occupy the agenda of many developed and developing countries. This article aims to highlight the most realistic and democratic method and strategy for such management and design through researching approaches and methods employed for ethnocultural identities in ethnoculturally deeply divided societies. In this context, following a brief explanation of the concept of a divided society, a macro-political analysis will be used to determine the main approaches and methods. Methods and strategies used by democratic states for ethnocultural diversity will be discussed under two general approaches: Integration, which advocates the policy of single identity in the public sphere, and accommodation, which protects diversity and advocates multiple identity in the public sphere. Following will be an examination as to whether the consociational power-sharing method is best suited as a design for ethnocultural identities in divided societies.

Surrogacy: Between Islam and European Secularism A Comparative Study

Medical sciences have made many developments in the field of modern procreation, using modern methods that help with artificial insemination, so surrogacy or renting wombs is one of the discoveries of contemporary medical sciences. It is an alternative to carrying the fertilized egg instead of the biological mother. And here we are now in this regard on the comparative approach to surrogacy from the point of view of Islam and Western secularism about an equal and non-measurable relationship. Both are dedicated to the well-being of the mother, child and society, but the methods are not always the same. Islamic bioethics is clear in banning surrogacy by highlighting the problem of lineage and the social chaos that causes other problems. Western bioethics is relatively secular and often takes a practical approach.