Scientific Controversy Research Articles

Assessing knowledge claims in scientific controversies: On the origins of COVID-19

Abstract In the field of Science and Technology Studies (STS), scientific controversies (SCs) are often viewed as essential steps in the development of knowledge and technoscientific artifacts. This paper addresses the lack of an orchestrated epistemological effort to assess the quality of knowledge claims (KCs) articulated during SCs. This study proposes a framework that bridges ontology with appropriate methodological techniques to evaluate KCs, considering them as ontological hybrids in which the social and epistemic are interwoven. This paper argues for the rehabilitation of the existential autonomy of the natural world, which has been overshadowed by an overreaction to positivism. By employing methodological bracketing, specifically that of positive and normative analyses, this study aims to assess KCs in terms of their proximity to intransitive reality and the socio-political dynamics that influence their emergence respectively. The second part of the paper applies this framework to the SC on the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting a nuanced understanding that goes beyond the dichotomy of zoonosis and genetic engineering. This study highlights the impact of social factors on scientists’ epistemic stances, and the importance of public deliberation in policy formation. The contributions of this study are both epistemological and policy-oriented.

Chronic pain, fibromyalgia, and long COVID

Chronic pain is a common problem in rheumatology. A distinction is made between nociceptive pain and nociplastic pain. Nociceptive pain is, for example, mechanistically explained by persistent inflammation. Neuropathic pain is caused by nerve damage of various possible causes. In contrast, nociplastic pain is not due to tissue damage or a lesion in the somatosensory nervous system—at least not with the currently available techniques. Nociplastic pain is based on an altered perception of pain through modulation of stimulus processing. The concept of central sensitization, together with other neurobiological and psychosocial mechanisms, is considered to be the best explanation for such pain conditions. The syndrome of fibromyalgia (FM), considered to be due to central sensitization, plays a major role in rheumatology—both in terms of differential diagnosis and because the management of inflammatory rheumatic diseases can be made more difficult by the simultaneous presence of FM. During the coronavirus pandemic, persistent pain syndromes with similarities to FM were described following a COVID-19 infection. There is a growing scientific controversy as to whether the so-called long COVID syndrome (LCS) is a separate entity or just a variant of FM.

Amygdalin in antineoplastic medicine and the relevance of nanotechnology.

Amygdalin is a plant-based cyanogenic glycoside that has been the subject of both scientific interest and controversy for decades. Traditionally used in alternative medicine for its diverse biological activities, including anticancer, where amygdalin has been explored in complementary therapy. However, clinical utilization of amygdalin remains contentious due to concerns about its safety, primarily the release of hydrogen cyanide during its metabolism. Advancements in nanotechnology provides scope for the safe and targeted of amygdalin with improved bioavailability and targeted delivery of amygdalin, thereby, potentially eliminating the toxic effects. This review offers an update on the current research status surrounding amygdalin, with a focus on its molecular mechanisms of action, biological activities, and potential therapeutic applications. It also critically examines the challenges tied to its clinical use, particularly the safety concerns stemming from cyanide toxicity. Finally, the potential of nanotechnology in addressing cytotoxicity constraints is highlighted.

Преступление, предусмотренное ст. 284<sup>1</sup> УК РФ: эволюция уголовно-правовой нормы и проблемы ее толкования

Countering the penetration of destructive organizations into the territory of the Russian Federation, blocking attempts by them to influence the social and political institutions of Russian society led to the addition of Article 2841 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation in 2015. In addition, a procedure has been developed for the recognition of undesirable activities on the territory of the Russian Federation by a foreign or international organization. In the almost 9-year history of the existence of the norm under consideration, it has already been amended three times, which characterizes the tightening of criminal liability for the acts provided for. The statistics of the number of convicts under the article in question during this period indicate that the introduced norm is not in demand in practice. Despite the fairly common approach to the construction of criminal liability for crimes of an organizational nature, used in the presentation of Article 2841 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, difficulties in interpreting certain signs still arise. In particular, the article draws attention to the different approaches of criminologists to determining the object of encroachment, which can lead to a distortion of the social orientation of the act and errors in law enforcement. Practice is experiencing difficulties in interpreting a number of signs of the objective side of the crime, the possibility of termination of criminal prosecution due to the insignificance of the act. The article also discusses other issues that cause controversy in criminal law science and judicial practic.

Causes of revision hip arthroplasty after hemiarthroplasty for femoral neck fracture

Background. Hemiarthroplasty as a surgical choice for elderly patients with femoral neck fractures is still a matter of scientific controversy. The aim of the study is to analyse unsatisfactory outcomes of hemiarthroplasty and compare them with the similar outcomes of total hip arthroplasty in elderly patients with femoral neck fractures. Methods. We conducted a retrospective randomized study, which enrolled 36 patients who underwent revision endoprosthetics after various types of arthroplasty for a femoral neck fracture. The patients were divided into 3 groups. Group 1 included 10 patients who underwent arthroplasty with the use of hemiendoprostheses; Group 2 — 15 patients with cemented acetabular components; Group 3 — 11 patients who had cementless acetabular components. Results. The average age of patients in Group 1 at the time of revision arthroplasty was 79 years and was statistically significantly different from the age of patients in Groups 2 and 3 (74.4 and 74.9 years, respectively). The average time for revision interventions after hemiarthroplasty was 40.2 months and significantly differed from the time for the revisions after total cemented (82.7) as well as total cementless (86.6) arthroplasties. The average time for the onset of pain among patients in Group 2 was 68.2 months, and among patients in Group 3 — 71.2 months. The most common bone defects were types 2C and 3A (total of 41.6% in all groups). There were errors in choice of the size of the acetabular bipolar or monopolar component in all 100% of hemiarthroplasty cases. The use of a larger hemiendoprosthesis cup compared to the femoral head led to early erosion of cartilage tissue. Smaller hemiendoprosthesis cups were complicated by early protrusions of the acetabulum floor. The main errors in total arthroplasty were malposition of the acetabular component (33.3-54.5%) and inadequate cement mantle (20%). It should be noted that infections among patients from Groups 2 and 3 developed up to 24.7 months after primary arthroplasty. Conclusions. Errors associated with incorrect choice of the acetabular endoprosthesis component size during primary hemiarthroplasty lead to early complications: erosion and protrusion of the acetabulum. Severe pain syndrome due to incorrect selection of the acetabular hemiendoprosthesis component size develops on average after 13.9 months, and the time period for revision endoprosthetics is 40.2 months after the primary operation. With erosions of the acetabulum, there are no bone defects; with protrusions — bone defects of type 2C and 3A more often occur. In comparison with the outcomes of total hip arthroplasty, the use of hemiendoprostheses shows a low survival rate of 40.2 months.

Demon Possession, Theology, and Mental Health

Beliefs that human distress may be caused by demon possession have a long history and are very common around the world. They have been the subject of research across multiple academic disciplines and are a topic of theological as well as medical and scientific controversy. It is proposed that the theological diversity of perspectives may helpfully be represented as a spectrum of views ranging from theological realism to theological purity, with a middle ground of theological complexity. The range of interdisciplinary perspectives may also be represented using a spectrum model, incorporating anthropology, psychiatry, psychology and theology. This approach emphasises a practical, collaborative, and inter-professional approach to deliverance ministry within the Christian tradition.

When Scientists Disagree

In science studies, history and philosophy of science, and history of science, scientific controversies are supposed to reveal how science works. Controversy, in this sense, is not primarily a research object but a conceptual tool developed to model current or past events in the sciences with the aim of capturing the very nature of science. Treating controversy as a conceptual tool, I discuss which aspects of scientific disagreements are highlighted by this tool, which aspects are relegated into the background, and what remains unconsidered or ignored. I present my observations through the example of the discussion of color vision in fish and bees between physiologist Carl von Heß and zoologist Karl von Frisch in the 1910s and early 1920s. I discuss four points, each of which plays a particular role in controversy research: (1) the interest in the end and not the beginning of controversies, (2) the typical presentation of a controversy as a clearly defined confrontation of positions, (3) the assumption that controversies follow rules, and (4) the idea that controversies must begin almost automatically when certain conditions are met. As Helga Nowotny emphasized, in case of disagreement, non-controversy seems just as plausible as open contradiction.

Use of Historical Scientific Controversies in the Context of Physics Teaching. A Study of the Scientific Pragmadialectic Argumentation at School

El siguiente documento presenta los resultados obtenidos al incorporar una perspectiva de enseñanza de la física a través del análisis de controversias científicas históricas empleando una ruta de argumentación diseñada en tres niveles de dialogicidad basada en los principios de dialogicidad Bajtianos, así como del enfoque pragmadialéctico de van Eemeren. El objetivo de la investigación fue analizar cómo sucede el fenómeno de argumentación científica escolar empleando esta ruta de enseñanza. Para ello ejecutaron dos ciclos de investigación. Un primer ciclo centrado en el desarrollo de una unidad didáctica compuesta de 18 actividades, las cuales fueron analizadas en siete estudios de caso bajo un enfoque de investigación enmarcado en un paradigma constructivista interpretativo y analítico usando las técnicas de la teoría fundamentada. A partir de este análisis, se propuso una segunda unidad didáctica compuesta de 8 actividades con la cual se llevó a cabo un segundo ciclo de investigación que permitiera refinar la teoría provisional propuesta en el primer ciclo. Los resultados mostraron aspectos relevantes vinculados a una categoría central asociada al fenómeno de argumentación científica escolar pragmadialéctica a través de seis categorías subsidiarias que la definieron y caracterizaron.

Edward Jenner's Discovery of Vaccination: Impact and Legacy.

Edward Jenner's pioneering work in the late 18th century, particularly his development of the smallpox vaccine, marked a transformative moment in medical history. This review meticulously examines Jenner's groundbreaking discovery and its profound impact on modern immunology and public health. By analyzing a comprehensive range of peer-reviewed studies and historical accounts, this review provides an in-depth exploration of Jenner's experimental methodology, the scientific and ethical controversies that surrounded his work, and the subsequent adoption of vaccination practices. Jenner's rigorous approach to scientific inquiry, the broader implications of his work on public health strategies, and its enduring relevance in addressing contemporary health challenges are also highlighted. This comprehensive analysis underscores Jenner's legacy as a cornerstone of modern medicine and public health.

Disputes over the figures of the COVID-19 pandemic: Epistemic diversity, dissemination of science, and political opposition.

The health policies imposed by multiple national governments after the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 were publicly justified by official figures on the deaths that the new virus would have caused and could cause in the future. At the same time, however, groups of people from different countries expressed their scepticism about those figures. Although they were categorised as 'anti-science', 'spreaders of misinformation' or 'conspiracy theorists' in some media, many of those sceptics claimed to be based on scientific evidence. This article qualitatively analyses a sample of the content published by sceptics on their social media between 2020 and 2022. More specifically, it examines the shared documents supposedly coming from the scientific community. We find very diverse content ranging from unsubstantiated assumptions to documents produced by prestigious scientists inviting questions about the fatality rates, the mathematical models anticipating millions of deaths, and the real numbers of people who died from COVID-19. The disputes surrounding the official figures lead us to a reflection about the relationship between, epistemic diversity, the dissemination of science, censorship, and new forms of political opposition. We also touch upon the nature and ethics of scientific controversy in times of a 'war' against 'misinformation'.

What's Wrong with Misinformation?

Strangely, few recent studies of misinformation have given attention to the concept of misinformation itself. An examination of several studies of Covid misinformation shows them to be implicitly based on having unquestioned possession of the truth, so there is no attention to struggles over who decides what counts as misinformation and no mention of the possibility that views labelled misinformation might offer reasonable alternative perspectives. This has limitations, especially if understood in the context of research on public scientific controversies: ethical and political disagreements are obscured, and social analysts become de facto supporters of scientific orthodoxy.

Yeah, I’ve been immunized: Objectivity, ignorance, and privilege in media coverage of Aaron Rodgers’ COVID-19 vaccine refusal

During a team press conference in August 2021, then-Green Bay Packers Quarterback Aaron Rodgers claimed he had been ‘immunized,’ which implied he had taken a COVID-19 vaccine. He later admitted he was not vaccinated and sparked a debate in the news and popular media. This study builds on the epistemology of ignorance, science controversy, sports mythmaking, and fake news to explore news coverage of professional athletes, the COVID-19 pandemic, and vaccination. Thematic discourse analysis helped position the narratives built around Aaron Rodgers’ statements, attitudes, and behaviors on the continuum between vaccine hesitancy and discursive manipulation. The findings reveal evolving perspectives of social issues related to managing social responsibility of professional athletes and call for sharper interrogations of the dynamics of power, privilege, and agency among key opinion leaders at the intersection of sports, journalism, and society.

The educational potential of a literary quotation: linguistic, aesthetic and methodological aspects

Introduction. Despite significant differences in the traditions and practices of literary reading at school in different countries, the question of the role of reading in the process of developing reading strategies, intercultural competence and personal development of students remains relevant in pedagogical research. The influence of reading on the emotional and psychological state of a person, “bibliotherapy of the soul” have been actively studied not only in philosophy and hermeneutics of the twentieth century, but continues to be a subject of controversy in modern science. The study attempts to identify the features of perception, understanding and interpretation of a literary quotation as a significant element of a work of art. Purpose of the study: to identify the educational potential of literary quotation and to actualize the problem of creating methodological conditions for its implementation in the system of school literary education. Materials and methods. Research methods: pedagogical observation; introspection, contextual analysis of explanatory dictionaries; a survey of schoolchildren and students, as well as identifying expert opinion on assessing the significance of a quote for the Russian language. 199 students of the Herzen Russian State Pedagogical University. Took part in a pilot survey aimed at understanding and interpreting a literary quotation. A.I. Herzen, of which 28 are studying at the Faculty of Economics, 86 at the Faculty of Biology, 85 at the Faculty of Philology. For the survey, we chose a quote from the work of A.S. Pushkin “Mozart and Salieri” (cycle “Little Tragedies”) “And genius and villainy are two incompatible things. Isn’t it true?” Results. The survey showed that the most serious problem is ignorance of the precedent phenomenon – quotes from a classical text: 85.7% of students of the Faculty of Economics and 66.3% of students of the Faculty of Biology did not indicate the author and source of the quotation. 99% of students of the Faculty of Philology recognized the quote. It was also difficult for respondents to understand the meaning of the quote and its connection with life. None of the survey participants, in their reflections in tasks 2 and 5, cited as an argument the difference between the concepts of “evil” and “evil action”, or paid attention to the word “incompatible” and the special linguistic construction of the phrase. In third place in terms of difficulty in completing the task is understanding intertextual connections in the text, including quotes in someone else’s speech. Analysis of the survey results helped to identify problem areas in the perception and interpretation of quotes and types of tasks that could later become part of the system of working with quotes in literature lessons at school. Conclusion. A literary quotation has great methodological potential for developing the reader’s interpretive activity. The conducted research revealed that a literary quotation can become an effective tool for educating the reader as a person. The prospect of our research is the creation of a system of exercises and tasks for working with quotes in literature lessons.

Human radiation for medicine, spiritism and hypnosis in Argentina: scientific controversies around vital radiations (1880-1930).

In the mid-nineteenth century, magnetic theories penetrated other recognized medical practices in Argentina in order to rationalize their procedures, in a culture that accepted and validated magnetism as a positive science. At the start of the twentieth century, mesmerists created a society, published books and journals, and carried out a large welfare programme; there were public lectures, and magnetic treatment for spiritualists and the general public, emphasizing the therapeutic properties of mesmerism. Magnetologists/mesmerists measured vital radiation and built devices using sensitive objects as 'physical' evidence of it. There was an interest in acquiring and using artefacts to measure human radiation useful in medicine. Magnetic practices survived until the end of the 1920s, when they lost importance.

Права корінних народів України як центральний елемент їх правового статусу

The proposed article examines specific aspects of regulating the legal status of indigenous peoples of Ukraine and their rights as an element of its regulation. It was established that the rights of the indigenous peoples of Ukraine must be considered in the context of their legal status. It was determined that the legal status of the indigenous peoples of Ukraine is based on several international legal acts and the provisions of current national legislation. Given the existing classifications of legal status, the legal status of Indigenous peoples can be considered a special legal status due to its belonging to a particular group of people. The article examines the existing scientific controversy regarding the definition of the concept of “Indigenous peoples,” the basis of which is proposed to be defined based on its legal definition in the Law of Ukraine “On Indigenous Peoples of Ukraine.” The main characteristics of the indigenous people, distinguished by modern scientists in the field of law, are summarized. Broad and narrow approaches to understanding the indigenous people are determined depending on the number of such signs. It was established that the current Law of Ukraine, “On Indigenous Peoples of Ukraine,” demonstrates a three-level approach to the legal regulation of the rights of Indigenous peoples, consolidating them, in fact, into three groups: those that determine legal personality, fundamental rights, and others. However, the current legislation needs to allow to clearly define the legal markers of such a gradation and a clear understanding of the separation of fundamental rights and the rights provided for by individual articles of the profile law. The legal uncertainty of the mechanism of guarantees for the protection of the legal status of the indigenous peoples of Ukraine and its protection is established, as well as the need for further scientific research to improve the understanding of existing guarantees at the theoretical and legal level and their development at the regulatory level. Keywords: indigenous people, legal status, rights, guarantees, responsibility.

Acute appendicitis in adults: only clinical and laboratory diagnostics, only imaging, or both?

The presented article is devoted to the discussion of the necessity and expediency of using medical visualization diagnostics — radiological imaging — of acute appendicitis as an independent or complex approach in combination with clinical and laboratory data. Until now, the clinical diagnosis of each individual case of acute appendicitis is complicated, and its formulation requires combining clinical, laboratory and imaging data, since it includes a wide range of differential diagnoses depending on age and gender. The literature provides data that the frequency of negative appendectomies based on the results of a clinical examination can be up to 28.2%. Radiological imaging is used as an adjunct to clinical diagnostics using ultrasound examination, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, but the role of the latter is limited by the duration of the study, increased cost, unavailability around the clock, as well as the presence of absolute contraindications. Sonography and computed tomography in diagnostics have a number of advantages and disadvantages, and the question of choosing a specific method still causes scientific controversy. We also provide illustrative clinical examples demonstrating echographic and computed tomographic imaging manifestations of acute appendicitis, as well as discuss visualization signs. For a patient with suspected acute appendicitis, in order to increase the accuracy of diagnosis, reduce complications or the need of undergoing unnecessary diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, a multidisciplinary and multimodal approach is necessary, taking into account age, gender and constitution, however, the question of choosing the optimal method of medical imaging in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis between ultrasound and computed tomography remains debatable.

Anomalous anti-Kasha excited-state luminescence from symmetry-breaking heterogeneous carbon bisnanohoops

It is a long-standing scientific controversy to achieve anti-Kasha-type multiple emissions by tuning the structures at a molecular level. Although it is known that some conjugated structures have excitation-dependent multiple emissions, no all-benzenoid molecules have yet been reported, the emissions of which originate from different excited states. Herein, we report the design of two symmetry-breaking heterogeneous carbon bisnanohoops that in solution become multiple fluorescent emitters with unusual anti-Kasha characteristics. This phenomenon can be spectroscopically and theoretically explained and will find applications in a wide range of sensing and imaging technologies.

Lyme borreliosis and medical wandering: what do patients think about multidisciplinary management? A qualitative study in the context of scientific and social controversy

IntroductionTo answer to patients’ medical wandering, often due to “unexplained symptoms” of “unexplained diseases” and to misinformation, multidisciplinary care centers for suspected Lyme borreliosis (LB), such as the 5 Tick-Borne Diseases (TBDs) Reference Centers (TBD-RC), were created a few years ago in France, the Netherlands and Denmark. Our study consisted of a comprehensive analysis of the satisfaction of the patients managed at a TBD-RC for suspected LB in the context of scientific and social controversy.MethodsWe included all adults who were admitted to one of the TBD-RC from 2017 to 2020. A telephone satisfaction survey was conducted 12 months after their first consultation. It consisted of 5 domains, including 2 free-text items: “What points did you enjoy?” and “What would you like us to change or to improve?”. In the current study, the 2 free-items were analyzed with a qualitative method called reflexive thematic analysis within a semantic and latent approach.ResultsThe answer rate was 61.3% (349/569) and 97 distinctive codes from the 2-free-text items were identified and classified into five themes: (1) multidisciplinarity makes it possible to set up quality time dedicated to patients; (2) multidisciplinarity enables seamless carepaths despite the public hospital crisis compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic; (3) multidisciplinarity is defined as trust in the team’s competences; (4) an ambivalent opinion and uncertainty are barriers to acceptance of the diagnosis, reflecting the strong influence of the controversy around LB; and (5) a lack of adapted communication about TBDs, their management, and ongoing research is present.ConclusionThe multidisciplinary management for suspected LB seemed an answer to medical wandering for the majority of patients and helped avoid misinformation, enabling better patient-centered shared information and satisfaction, despite the context of controversy.

Representations of 5G in the Chinese and British press: a corpus-assisted critical discourse analysis

This study employs a corpus-assisted critical discourse analysis to demystify the dominant patterns of representations around 5G in the Chinese and British press. Keyword analyses identify four thematic categories around the representation of 5G: the nature of 5G, social actors in 5G discourse, actions around 5G and timing in 5G discourse. Findings suggest that the Chinese press tends to use positive evaluative expressions to depict 5G as a trustworthy and beneficial issue and stress China’s strong support for 5G development. In contrast, the British press prefers to frame 5G as a product of geopolitical rivalry and an issue with scientific uncertainties and controversies by repeatedly employing negative language patterns related to 5G risks and conspiracy theories. Besides, a subtle but varying “self versus other” schema is constructed by the two presses. The Chinese press is inclined to use positive predication strategies to construct a positive self-representation, whereas the British press tends to adopt negative predication strategies to portray China as an outgroup and meanwhile use scapegoating strategies to profile Britain as a positive self by using recurrent patterns denoting the pressure exerted on Britain by the United States. Such differences could result from their journalistic ideologies and values and the contrasting socio-political contexts where the two presses are situated.

Rise in arsenic pollution and oral cancer: A call for action

Over 140 million individuals across 70 countries have been exposed to arsenic with the levels surpassing World Health Organization guidelines. Epidemiological evidence strongly supports a causal relationship between oral cancer and arsenic, necessitating stringent regulatory policies and public health initiatives. This commentary delves into the carcinogenic qualities of arsenic, specifying its interference with vital biological functions and its role in promoting cancer development and progression. Regional disparities in oral cancer incidence are linked to varying levels of arsenic exposure, predominantly in areas with contaminated water sources. The challenges in prevention and advocates efficient screening, awareness campaigns, and long-term arsenic remediation are the need of the hour. Despite scientific controversies surrounding the linkage of arsenic with oral cancer, the overwhelming evidence demands coordinated action to combat arsenic contamination and its severe oral health consequences. We also discussed the therapeutic potential of arsenic in oral cancer. Future research is proposed to investigate the molecular role of arsenic in gutkha and tobacco users, considering its contribution to oral cancer heterogeneity.