Question Of Debate Research Articles

Carbon Leakage and International Climate Change Law

AbstractCarbon leakage – the increase of greenhouse gas emissions in foreign jurisdictions following the introduction of domestic or regional climate mitigation measures – raises key questions in the climate change debate. This includes whether carbon leakage constitutes a threat to the environmental integrity of climate policies and, if so, how this could be mitigated. Through the use of four hypothetical models of international climate change regime, this article argues that international climate change law is a key factor in answering this two-part question. Firstly, the article demonstrates that the architecture of international climate change law affects whether carbon leakage can be considered as undermining the mitigation objective of climate policies. Secondly, it draws attention to the interaction – and potential tension – between carbon leakage prevention measures and international climate change law.

Response of training participants in preparation of argumentative questions to train HOTS in Davao Indonesian school teachers

Higher-Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) can be trained through concepts in science learning generally, and biology in particular. Teacher competence to facilitate students skilled HOTS can be improved through scientific forums, one of which is training and workshops. This activity is an alternative for teachers to refresh their understanding and pedagogical skills and build enthusiasm through various modeling and information to generate motivation. Training activities on the preparation of argumentative questions to train HOTS for Davao Indonesian School Teachers of Philippines were held in two stages, the first stage was carried out synchronously through online meetings using Zoom Meeting, while in the second stage, training was carried out asynchronously using Google Classroom. Trainees' responses to the implementation of the training were netted with an online questionnaire using Google Form. The data were analyzed in a quantitative descriptive. The results of this study showed that all participants rated that the material presented by the resource persons was good, which included material on HOTS, STEM approaches, and argumentative thinking. In addition, participants also gave positive responses to the workshop on developing argumentative questions, the ability of resource persons, and the technical implementation of the training. Participants hope that this activity can be followed up with offline training.

Актуальные тренды развития финансовой инфраструктуры и трансформации валютного рынка России

The article analyzes the main changes in the Russian currency market in the context of modern realities — unprecedented geopolitical pressure, changes in the financial, currency and payment landscape under the influence of sanctions. The purpose of the article is to study the directions of ruble settlements, financial integration and trade in currencies of friendly countries in response to structural changes in the Russian currency market. A significant decrease in the share of the dollar in international payments, reserves and transactions in the foreign exchange market is noted. Much attention is paid to the current trends of dedollarization and diversification of financial markets, which the exchange infrastructure has developed under the influence of difficult external conditions. The authors conducted a study to answer the debatable question of whether the rise in popularity of national currencies was natural or accidental. They support their conclusions with historical statistical data on transactions in the foreign exchange market.

ДОВІРА ДО ПРИКОРДОННОЇ ІНСТИТУЦІЇ КРІЗЬ ПРИЗМУ МАСОВОЇ СВІДОМОСТІ МІСЦЕВОГО НАСЕЛЕННЯ НА ЗВІЛЬНЕНИХ ТЕРИТОРІЯХ ДОНБАСУ В 2014–2018 рр.

Work with the local population became an important component of the service and combat activities of the State Border Service of Ukraine in the territory liberated from the illegal armed formations of the Russian occupation administrations. Determining the level of trust of local citizens of Ukraine is considered one of the criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of such work. Therefore, clarifying the structure and dynamics characteristic of the mass consciousness of the population of the liberated territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions and their attitude towards the military formations and law enforcement agencies of Ukraine remains an urgent task, both from a scientific and an applied point of view. From a historical point of view, such studies have value as the formation of an appropriate research base, which in the future is expedient to use when studying various aspects of wars conducted by hybrid methods. Therefore, the conducted research showed that the majority of the local population of the liberated territories consciously sought the speedy establishment of peace. Answers to debatable questions about negotiations, conditions for establishing peace, the status of certain regions of Donbas, etc. depended on the place and time period when the survey was conducted. Regarding trust in border guards, this issue was also ambiguous and depended on the region. But, in general, the population treated military personnel with some caution, and the level of trust, as for the department, was low. The reason for this can be seen in the anti-Ukrainian propaganda by the Russian mass media, the influence of which continued in the territories on both sides of the contact line. Regime measures, which created restrictions on the movement of local residents and a tense situation with queues and constant shelling of entry-exit checkpoints on the contact line, which were maintained throughout the period of the anti-terrorist operation, also did not contribute to strengthening trust in border guards as representatives of state.

Legitimacy and Nationalism in the Central Asian States: A Case of Kazakhstan in the Context of the War in Ukraine

This paper aims to analyze selected mechanisms accompanying the processes of national revival in the Central Asian republics after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The idea is to investigate the authorities’ actions, which legitimized themselves by appealing to national issues and controlling the processes of building national consciousness. The paper also covers the changes in the nationalist narrative in Kazakhstan in the context of the war in Ukraine, showing the tensions over national identities and loyalties. Some Kazakhs supported Russian aggression against Ukraine, to the great disappointment of national patriots, which has sparked a debate about how the “us” vs. “them” division should be understood in the face of war and a possible threat from Russia. Some participants in the debate question the reliability of equating national identity with loyalty to the state. In doing so, they challenge the government’s primordial narrative, in which nationality legitimizes or naturalizes the current configuration of political power.

«PEDAGOGIC LITERACY» – TEST FOR ASSESSMENT OF ELEMENTARY KNOWLEDGE IN THE FIELD OF GENERAL PEDAGOGY

The proposed methodology is designed to assess knowledge in the field of general pedagogy, the history of pedagogy and education. It can be used both in working with students of the directions: «pedagogical» and «psychological and pedagogical education», and with current teachers. The peculiarity of pedagogy as a branch of scientific knowledge is the frequent ambiguity in the interpretation of a number of basic concepts. The methodology of testing pedagogi- cal literacy has been developed taking into account the identification of the minimum knowledge gained during the development of general pedagogical disciplines of the professional (psychological and pedagogical) module at the university. The presented test tasks are formulated in such a way that they practically exclude debatable questions. Authors thank the professors and associate professors of the Department of Pedagogy for their highly qualified, constructive assistance in developing the methodology and its empirical verification.

Toward high-resolution projection of electricity prices: A machine learning approach to quantifying the effects of high fuel and CO2 prices

The growing share of renewables, the retirement of coal generation, and the increasing significance (and price) of carbon emissions continue to reshape electricity market dynamics. Ongoing power sector transformations, along with recurrent energy price shocks, bring new challenges to electricity price prediction and projection. Adept at capturing nonlinear and time-varying dynamics of the power market, machine learning (ML) methods can significantly enhance modeling and projection capabilities. This paper leverages ML modeling to (1) analyze the day-ahead electricity price dynamics and (2) develop future price projections under varying market conditions. First, we offer a methodology for identifying and ranking the factors determining day-ahead power price behavior. Guided by the understanding of power price drivers, we then develop an ensemble ML model for high-resolution (i.e., for each day of the next year) electricity price projection. Hence, the first part of our analysis helps relate fundamental modeling approaches to ML studies, and the second part extends the existing literature, which is limited to high aggregation level (e.g., yearly basis) projections. High-resolution projections provide valuable insights into within-year price dynamics and help answer highly debated questions raised by the growing share of renewables and the current energy market turmoil. We demonstrate our methodology on the German power market, using data on 80 explanatory variables from 2015 to 2021. We identify the most critical power price drivers and develop an ML model to study the within-year impact of high fuel and carbon prices. Our findings indicate that the often-neglected interaction variables may significantly impact price projections and should be included in day-ahead electricity price modeling. We confirm the efficacy of our approach with a forecasting exercise based on day-ahead electricity prices in the first two quarters of 2022.

Sociological Impact of Honour Killings in India

Honour Killings as a social vice has been ingrained within the Indian society since the time immemorial and has existed ever since in form of “entrenched flaw” tarnishing the very social fabric. The aim of this paper is to provide with a comprehensive sociological analysis of Honor Killings and various factors acting as a catalyst to this phenomenon. Further, the paper also focuses on the probable challenges which are faced by law enforcement agencies in detection of “plausible perpetrators” of these crimes. Most importantly, the ultimate motive of the paper is to analyze the factors which drive the mindset and behaviour of the offenders using the theories of criminology and sociology examining the role different kinds of institutions in addressing the perpetrators of honor killings. The paper also explores into a rather debatable question is there is a need for a special laws in the paradigm of legal system in order to provide curbing mechanism for Honor Killings or whether the current laws under the sections 300 and 302 of IPC suffice for curbing this vice. The paper also sheds light on the roots of the problem and provides some insights to aid in prevention strategies.

Pastoral Power and Revolution: Beyond Secularization and Political Theology

When stressing how ‘Christian pastoral power’ defined the specificity of ‘governmental power’, Foucault never explicitly acknowledged the German debate on modernity or theological-political issues. My hypothesis is that – whatever the actual reasons for this omission might be – this oversight is symptomatic of Foucault’s unique interpretation of the role of Christianity in Western culture and of his different approach to the theme of power. After analysing the positions of two of the leading exponents of the German debate, Karl Löwith and Carl Schmitt, the essay substantiates this hypothesis by looking at Foucault’s investigations of pastoral power. In particular, the essay aims to demonstrate how the latter’s apparent omissions are linked to Foucault’s challenge to two central questions in the 20th-century debate on modernity, namely: (1) the possibility of interpreting modern political revolutions as expressions of a linear and secularized vision of history; and (2) the centrality of the category of sovereignty in the definition of Western power.

Promising applications of phyto-fabricated silver nanoparticles: Recent trends in biomedicine

The prospective contribution of phyto-nanotechnology to the synthesis of silver nanomaterials for biomedical purposes is attracting increasing interest across the world. Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) through plants has been extensively examined recently, and it is now seen to be a green and efficient path for future exploitation and development of practical nano-factories. Fabrication of Ag-NPs is the process involves use of plant extracts/phyto-compounds (e.g.alkaloids, terpenoids, flavonoids, and phenolic compounds) to synthesise nanoparticles in more economical and feasible. Several findings concluded that in the field of medicine, Ag-NPs play a major role in pharmacotherapy (infection and cancer). Indeed, they exhibits novel properties but the reason is unclear (except some theoretical interpretation e.g. size, shape and morphology). But recent technological advancements help to address these questions by predicting the unique properties (composition and origin) by characterizing physical, chemical and biological properties. Due to increased list of publications and their application in the field of agriculture, industries and pharmaceuticals, issues relating to toxicity are unavoidable and question of debate. The present reviews aim to find out the role of plant extracts to synthesise Ag-NPs. It provides an overview of various phytocompounds and their role in the field of biomedicine (antibacterial, antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory etc.). In addition, this review also especially focused on various applications such as role in infection, oxidative stress, application in medical engineering, diagnosis and therapy, medical devices, orthopedics, wound healing and dressings. Additionally, the toxic effects of Ag-NPs in cell culture, tissue of different model organism, type of toxic reactions and regulation implemented to reduce associated risk are discussed critically. Addressing all above explanations, this review focus on the detailed properties of plant mediated Ag-NPs, its impact on biology, medicine and their commercial properties as well as toxicity.

Medically Assisted Death and the Ends of Medicine.

This paper aims to refute a common line of argument that it is immoral for physicians to engage in medical assistance in death (MAiD), i.e., the practices of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. The argument in question is based on the notion that participating in MAiD is contrary to the professional-role obligations of physicians, due to MAiD's putative inconsistency with the ends of medicine. The paper describes several major flaws from which that argument suffers.

Understanding market competition between transportation network companies using big data

As in a typical two-sided market, the competition between transportation network companies (TNCs) can lead to market fragmentation and loss of matching efficiency between passengers and drivers, whereas a monopoly market may result in the dominant TNC abusing its market power. Therefore, whether to encourage or discourage competition between TNCs is a debatable question for cities. Prior studies explored this question mostly through mathematical equilibrium models, but few have comprehensively investigated it based on empirical analysis using real-world data. To fill this gap, this study proposes a framework to measure and analyze the competition between TNCs using the most accessible ride-hailing trip data. Specifically, using an interpretable machine learning model, we investigate how TNCs’ pricing and wage strategies influence their market shares and how competition intensity affects passenger cost and driver income. The results based on large-scale trip records from four TNCs in New York City show that the pricing strategy is more influential than the wage strategy on the market shares and competition intensity. Instead of the top TNC, it is the strategies of challenger TNCs (with sizeable but not the biggest market shares) that affect the competition more. Both the passenger cost and driver income can benefit from competition even after considering the potential loss of matching efficiency, while TNCs’ profits shrink with growing competition intensity. These findings suggest that cities should encourage competition between TNCs, yet within a limit. They add empirical evidence to prior studies and provide implications for regulating TNC competition.

Seeding the CGM: how satellites populate the cold phase of milky way haloes

ABSTRACT The origin of the cold phase in the circumgalactic medium (CGM) is a highly debated question. We investigate the contribution of satellite galaxies to the cold gas budget in the CGM of a Milky Way-like host galaxy. We perform controlled experiments with three different satellite mass distributions and identify several mechanisms by which satellites can add cold gas to the CGM, including ram pressure stripping and induced cooling in the mixing layer of the stripped cold gas. These two mechanisms contribute a comparable amount of cold gas to the host CGM. We find that the less massive satellites (≤109M⊙) not only lose all of their cold gas in a short period (∼ 0.5–1 Gyr), but their stripped cold clouds also mix with the hot CGM gas and get heated up quickly. However, stellar feedback from these less massive satellites can hugely alter the fate of their stripped gas. Feedback speeds up the destruction of the stripped cold clouds from these satellites by making them more diffuse with more surface area. On the other hand, the more massive satellites (LMC or SMC-like ∼1010M⊙) can add cold gas to the total gas budget of the host CGM for several Gyr.

On the Fiercely Debated Questions of a Chinese Metaphysics and a Tradition of Early Daoism: Western and Chinese Perspectives on the Daodejing and Huang-Lao Daoism

Two long-standing and fiercely debated issues remain central to contemporary studies on Chinese philosophy. The first concerns whether there was an early tradition of metaphysics, and the second concerns whether there was an early tradition of Daoism. This study engages with both issues simultaneously, since if there was a tradition of early Chinese metaphysics, then it is identifiable with Huang-Lao Daoism, and if Huang-Lao Daoism constituted an early Chinese tradition, then it is identifiable with the tradition of Chinese metaphysics. This study engages with these issues in two parts. The first part examines Western and Chinese perspectives concerning what is entailed by claims that there was or was not an early tradition of Chinese metaphysics and that there was or was not an early tradition identifiable as Huang-Lao Daoism. The second part is an analysis of contemporary Chinese scholarship that, deeply grounded in the growing collection of early Chinese excavated manuscripts, both affirms the dynamic existence of early Chinese metaphysics and the vibrant existence of an early tradition identifiable with Huang-Lao Daoism. Throughout, this study attempts to concurrently build on the work of contemporary Chinese scholars for reading certain early Chinese writings often held as Daoist, but instead of agreeing with them that Laozi’s Daodejing represents an early blossoming of metaphysics, it argues that his work is grounded in an originally non-metaphysical philosophy of the Dao that Huang-Lao Daoism transformed into a metaphysics, thereby originating the tradition of early Chinese metaphysics.

Moving In-Class Debates Online: Deliberating Contentious Issues in an Asynchronous Classroom

Ensuring that students in asynchronous classrooms are afforded similar opportunities to develop business-relevant skills and knowledge has become an increasingly important area as many universities have expanded their online course offerings. In this article, I document a format translation of an in-class debate into a highly flexible and generalizable exercise for an asynchronous classroom. Drawing on previous work on in-class debates and rhetorical strategies, I adapt the in-class group debate format, to an asynchronous undergraduate Human Resource Management course, to foster active learning among students while tackling contentious subjects within the field. Moreover, this versatile exercise can be applied effectively in a wide variety of management courses. I begin by outlining the benefits of debates in a business education context, describe the learning objectives of the exercise, offer numerous sample debate questions, and conclude by providing all relevant teaching notes and instructions.

Correlations of inflammatory processes caused by cerebral stroke with the outcome of the disease

Introduction. Inflammation plays a central role in the pathogenesis of stroke, so understanding inflammatory processes can greatly improve stroke treatment options. In this analysis, we review the positive and negative role of neuroinflammatory mechanisms in stroke.Negative influence of inflammatory cells and mediators in brain injury patients. All neuroinflammatory reactions and mediators play a negative role in initiating the pathological response to stroke and thus promote the development of inflammatory processes.Nosocomial infection. Elevated inflammatory markers and other prognostic factors are directly associated with higher rates of in-hospital complications such as pneumonia, urinary tract infection, and unfavorable stroke outcomes. New treatment directions can significantly improve clinical outcomes by reducing the incidence of hospital-acquired infections, which are one of the main complications after stroke.Vascular dementia. Stroke is a causative factor in vascular dementia, but certain neuroinflammatory processes in the brain are also involved. These processes may have detrimental effects on cognitive function after stroke. Therapeutic approaches that enhance pro-inflammatory cytokines and the immune system may be useful in preventing cognitive dysfunction, particularly after stroke.Physical disability. A stroke associated with ischemic, hemorrhagic, and neuroinflammatory processes in the course of the disease can cause a reduction or increase in physical disability and neurological deficit, which are very important for daily activities and quality of life.Positive influence of inflammatory cells and mediators in brain injury patients. All inflammatory cells and mediators play a positive role in complicating the pathological response to stroke and also in maintaining brain cell homeostasis.Discussion. Since the situation in this matter is quite controversial, a debatable question arises whether inflammatory processes have a positive or negative effect on the course and outcome of the disease in patients with stroke.Conclusions. After reviewing the latest scientific articles on this topic, we can say that the inflammatory process plays an ambiguous role in the pathogenesis of stroke and that its influence on the course and outcome of the disease can be both positive and negative. Therefore, today it is necessary to carry out more detailed scientific research in order to gain a deeper understanding of this issue and to achieve a better cure for the disease.

Critical engagements with “Climate Change as Class War”—class critical ecomodernism

This essay considers the import and originality of Matt Huber’s book Climate Change as Class War: Building Socialism on a Warming Planet. It identifies class critique and skillful application of the Professional-Managerial Class (PMC) concept to contemporary environmental movements as the book’s most substantive contributions, culminating in a reflective reassertion of Marxian modernism with regard to capitalist-induced climate change. It also finds lacunae in Huber’s underdeveloped theory of the state as it pertains to energy transition and in his connection (or lack thereof) between specific policy demands and working-class agency. These issues pose questions for further debate and elaboration, yet fail to overshadow the book’s generative class analysis and promising strategic proposals, which deserve widespread discussion on the activist Left. This paper is part of the SPE Special Theme “Critical Engagements with ‘Climate Change as Class War.’”

International consensus recommendations on face transplantation: A 2-step Delphi study

Face transplantation is a viable reconstructive approach for severe craniofacial defects. Despite the evolution witnessed in the field, ethical aspects, clinical and psychosocial implications, public perception, and economic sustainability remain the subject of debate and unanswered questions. Furthermore, poor data reporting and sharing, the absence of standardized metrics for outcome evaluation, and the lack of consensus definitions of success and failure have hampered the development of a “transplantation culture” on a global scale. We completed a 2-round online modified Delphi process with 35 international face transplant stakeholders, including surgeons, clinicians, psychologists, psychiatrists, ethicists, policymakers, and researchers, with a representation of 10 of the 19 face transplant teams that had already performed the procedure and 73% of face transplants. Themes addressed included patient assessment and selection, indications, social support networks, clinical framework, surgical considerations, data on patient progress and outcomes, definitions of success and failure, public image and perception, and financial sustainability. The presented recommendations are the product of a shared commitment of face transplant teams to foster the development of face transplantation and are aimed at providing a gold standard of practice and policy.

The concept of “interaction” in debates on human–machine interaction

The concept of “interaction” is central to debates on Human–machine interaction (HMI). At the same time, however, it is vague and ambiguous: “interaction” is understood in different ways within and between the scientific disciplines involved in debates on HMI. Ultimately, this makes it difficult to reasonably debate questions of ethics, politics, engineering, and the sciences regarding HMI. Against this background, we elaborate and analyze the different meanings and dimensions of the term “interaction” in the disciplines and discourses relevant to debates on modern HMI. For this purpose, we introduce a four-dimensional SMPC model, according to which “interaction” is specified with a view to its subjects, modes, purposes, and contexts. With this, we aim to provide a basis for a fruitful intra- and particularly interdisciplinary discourse on HMI.

Can drug policies modify cannabis use starting choice? Insights from criminalisation in Italy

A key question in the ongoing drug policy debate is whether legalising cannabis leads to an increase in cannabis use. In Europe although no country has yet moved to legalisation, many have decriminalised personal possession. However, some jurisdictions are still discussing increased sanctions or have further strengthened penalties for the possession of illicit substances in order to deter widespread cannabis use. This is the case in Italy, where a law introduced in 2006 and repealed in 2014 de facto criminalised personal drug possession, and a potential increase in penalties is currently being debated as a policy option. Despite the intense public debate surrounding the legal status of cannabis, limited empirical research has been conducted in Europe to assess the population-level effects of drug policy reforms, mainly due to data availability constraints. In this study, we analyse the effect of criminalisation on the age of onset of cannabis use using an unique dataset that combines seven waves (2001–2017) of the nationally representative Italian Population Survey on Alcohol and other Drugs with relevant socio-economic data. The final dataset comprises 77,650 observations. Leveraging the rare opportunity to examine the effects of a policy that remained in force for a limited period, our empirical investigation employs a Complementary Log-Log model to analyse the starting rate, that is, the transition rate from non-use to use. To do so, we use self-reported data on the age of first cannabis use. Our results suggest that the implementation of stricter punishments has a significant effect in reducing the likelihood of early cannabis use initiation. The observed impact of criminalisation is limited in younger ages and diminished as adulthood approaches. This paper also discusses other considerations related to the social costs of criminalisation, which should also be taken into account in the ongoing policy debate.