Modern Studies Research Articles

Analysis of Focalization: A Case of John Steinbeck’s “The Grapes of Wrath”

Modern studies in narratology provide some fine models to study the structure of novels and stories. The modern narratological approaches divide books and stories into story, narrative, and narration. There is also a further division of these units, the focalization of which is very important. Focalization gives the idea of the center of perception, which means who the focalizer is and what is being focalized. The important advancement in this study is that this approach distinguishes between the narrator and the focalizer and states that the narrator is not always the focalizer. The Grapes of Wrath is one of John Steinbeck's best novels, and it won the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize for fiction.

Диалог о глобализации, культуре и цивилизации

The article presents two original points of view on the most important topics of modern global studies. The topic is discussed from the perspective of Russian and Chinese scientists. During the conversation, which took place following the results of a lecture delivered by the Russian philosopher at the Chinese university, the participants of this conversation discussed the possibilities of dialogue in the modern world, where global processes are closely intertwined with cultural and civilizational trends of social development. Their positions on a number of significant issues are close or completely coincide. At the same time, the topics related to the definition of globalization, as well as the understanding of culture, civilization and the relationship between them, are clearly debatable in this dialogue. At the end of the conversation, which is conducted in a constructive spirit from the perspective of various philosophical systems, the authors agree on the need to continue the creative dialogue on emerging differences.

Real-world data studies in oncology: analysis of the Russian publications

Background. Real-world data studies are an important source of knowledge on malignant tumors and their treatment. This knowledge is a tool for making decisions by health care professionals and patients. Regarding this, authors conducted literature search to identify real-world data studies published in the Russian scientific journals.Objective. The study aim was finding and analyzing publications on real-world evidence studies in oncology therapeutic area.Materials and methods. Full-text articles published in the Russian peer-reviewed medical scientific journals of 2022 and 2023 were systematically relieved and analyzed.Results. 119 publications were selected. The following types of study data were identified: 1) data on patients management practice; 2) survival and other oncology outcomes regardless of treatment approach; 3) survival and other oncology outcomes depending on treatment approach; 4) efficacy of a concrete therapy; 5) treatment safety (toxicity) data; 6) clinical and demographic prognostic factors; 7) tumor (morphological, molecular and genetic) prognostic factors; 8) tumor characteristics (morphological, molecular and genetic) regardless of their prognostic significance; 9) oncology disease characteristic (e. g., comorbidities) regardless of its prognostic significance. The most common types of study data were the following: clinical and demographic prognostic factors — 24 studies; tumor (morphological, molecular and genetic) prognostic factors — 36 studies; tumor characteristics (morphological, molecular and genetic) regardless of their prognostic significance — 38 studies.Conclusion. The modern real-world data studies in oncology therapeutic area are a very important source of knowledge on malignant tumors and their treatment.

Chemometric Analysis Evidencing the Variability in the Composition of Essential Oils in 10 Salvia Species from Different Taxonomic Sections or Phylogenetic Clades.

Essential oil (EO) of Salvia spp. has been widely used for culinary purposes and in perfumery and cosmetics, as well as having beneficial effects on human health. The present study aimed to investigate the quantitative and qualitative variations in EOs in wild-growing and cultivated pairs of samples from members in four Salvia sections or three clades, namely S. argentea L. (Sect. Aethiopis; Clade I-C), S. ringens Sm. (Sect. Eusphace; Clade I-D), S. verticillata L. (Sect. Hemisphace; Clade I-B), S. amplexicaulis Lam., and S. pratensis L. (Sect. Plethiosphace; Clade I-C). Furthermore, the natural variability in EO composition due to different genotypes adapted in different geographical and environmental conditions was examined by employing members of three Salvia sections or two phylogenetic clades, namely S. sclarea L. (six samples; Sect. Aethiopis or Clade I-C), S. ringens (three samples; Sect. Eusphace or Clade I-D), and S. amplexicaulis (five samples; Sect. Plethiosphace or Clade I-C). We also investigated the EO composition of four wild-growing species of two Salvia sections, i.e., S. aethiopis L., S. candidissima Vahl, and S. teddii of Sect. Aethiopis, as well as the cultivated material of S. virgata Jacq. (Sect. Plethiosphace), all belonging to Clade I-C. The EO composition of the Greek endemic S. teddii is presented herein only for the first time. Taken together, the findings of previous studies are summarized and critically discussed with the obtained results. Chemometric analysis (PCA, HCA, and clustered heat map) was used to identify the sample relationships based on their chemical classes, resulting in the classification of two distinct groups. These can be further explored in assistance of classical or modern taxonomic Salvia studies.

THE FOCUS ON INCREASED RISK OF FRACTURES IN THEIR PROLONGED USE

Proton pump inhibitors are the most effective drugs for the treatment of acid-dependent diseases. For a long time, proton pump inhibitors have been considered to be completely safe drugs both for short-term and long-term use. A number of modern clinical studies note that when prescribing proton pump inhibitors in high doses for a long time, the possibility of side effects should be taken into account. The purpose of the review is to study the effect of prolonged use of proton pump inhibitors on the condition of bone tissue and the risk of osteoporotic fractures. Materials and methods. A search was conducted in the PubMed and Scopus information databases for publications on the safety of using proton pump inhibitors, including sources published before December 1, 2023, with an emphasis on the influence of proton pump inhibitors on bone tissue and the possible risk of fractures. Results. According to numerous studies, prolonged use of proton pump inhibitors is associated with an increased risk of fractures of the hip, vertebrae and the wrist. An increased risk of fractures may be associated with hypergastrinemia and hypochlorhydria (due to inhibition of acid secretion by proton pump inhibitors), and electrolyte disorders (hypocalcemia). Conclusions. All the pros and cons of prescribing proton pump inhibitors in patients with a history of fractures associated with osteoporosis should be carefully considered. In the curation of comorbid/multimorbid patients, proton pump inhibitors should be used if medically required for as short duration as possible and at the minimum effective dose to relieve symptoms.

The Influence of Buddhism on the Traditional Rituals of the Buryats of the Eastern Sayan Region

The article, based on field materials, examines the transformation of the worldview of the Buryats of the Eastern Sayan region under the influence of Buddhism. The relevance of the study comes from the need to clarify the value matrices of the traditional society of this region nowadays. The purpose of the study is to identify the key features of the interaction of traditional rituals with later beliefs among the bearers of these values. To achieve this goal, it was necessary to solve several problems: modern scientific ideas about the influence of Buddhism on traditional beliefs were systematized; the specific relationships of Buddhism, traditional shamanism and beliefs are highlighted; the dominant values of Buddhism reinterpreting the heritage of religious practices combined with it are clarified. Further, based on the analysis of field research, the most significant differences in the interpretations of such reinterpreted values were revealed, distinguishing them from traditional Buddhism. Using examples of existing customs, the modern development of the process of integration of the Buddhist worldview into the already existing ritual culture of the Sayan Buryats is traced. The research methodology includes comparative historical and religious studies and hermeneutical approaches. The field study used the method of interview. As a result, the role of Buddhism was confirmed as a way of adaptively rethinking the heritage of traditional culture in light of the modern crisis of values, associated, among other things, with the forgetting of traditions, consumer attitudes towards the environment, nature, society and even loved ones. Turning to Buddhism in the Eastern Sayan region today, as in the past, is becoming one of the ways to overcome such negative phenomena. Buddhism in the region not only absorbed beliefs that existed at different stages of the history of ethnic Buryatia, but also adapted them to its religious practice. A Buddhist worldview of this type corresponds to the concepts of vernacular religion accepted in modern religious studies. Forming a syncretical holistic picture of the world that corresponds to local conditions and the historical period, vernacular Buddhism defines a wide range of existing values that ideologically and practically incorporate the ritual culture that has developed over centuries.

Shakespeare is Not Pie: Contingencies of Labour, Marginalisation, and Early Modern Studies

ABSTRACT In the United States, zero-sum economic models (‘scarcity mindset’ often represented by the metaphor of pie) are being deployed in service to neoliberal ideas about humanist curricula. Backed by the insistence that dismantling the canon is the only way to enact strong DEIJ initiatives, these models are systemically attacking the study of Shakespeare in higher education. The echoes of these problems are strongly evident in the famously bad academic hiring market. Several key studies about the labour market in recent years render the turn towards contingency clear and quantifiable in English, History, and Theatre Departments, and clarify how this turn is unduly impacting Shakespeareans. Institutions say they are eliminating Shakespeare to make curricular space for marginalised voices, but these claims don’t hold up to scrutiny in light of systemic attacks on DEIJ work. This paper underlines how critical the studies of race and gender are to Shakespeare studies as a field; early modernists have been doing the labour of DEIJ for a long time, and thus are uniquely equipped to serve social justice initiatives. Accordingly, Shakespeareans and the work we do are vital to the health of the humanities as a whole.

An ethical «turn» in epistemology

The work is devoted to the issue of expanding the problematic field of epistemology and rethinking its fundamental concepts in the light of human subjectivity. The place and role of philosophical epistemology in the complex of modern studies of cognition, its characteristics are considered: the focus on finding the relationship between the cognitive and ethical meanings of cognition, the correlation of epistemological problems and existential issues of human existence. The difference between humanistic and technocratic rationality is substantiated.

Genre specifics of the modern novel in the context of psychopoetics

ABSTRACT The goal of the article is to consider the specifics of the genre semantics of the modern novel in the context of the psychopoetics development. Alongside this, the objective of the work is to revisit the novels through the characteristics of their varieties and to try to answer the question – why the novels under consideration can be specified as psychological. A significant element of the article is devoted to the study of the representation techniques in modern Ukrainian novels in the context of psychopoetics. This research resulted in defining the genre semantics of the novels by the modern Ukrainian authors, ways of their implementation in the light of psychopoetics, psychonarratives, psychological types and means of psycho-poetic representation. The practical significance of the research is determined by the contribution to the development of psychopoetics as a branch of modern literary studies. The research outcomes can be used to design elective philological courses, comparative studies, and also for the advanced research on historical-cultural and psychological aspects of the essence of creativity in general.

Marine lebensspuren: improving the classification of seafloor traces from underwater imagery and observations

Taxonomy is a dynamic and evolving scientific field in biological and paleontological research, which describes and systematises species and other taxa and thus lays the foundation to solve and structure biological questions. The study of past (fossil) and modern (present) seafloor traces holds huge potential for understanding the composition, behavioural ecology, and ecosystem impact of benthic communities, e.g., in terms of bioturbation and carbon cycling. In trace fossil research (paleoichnology), ichnotaxonomical analysis is based on the application of ichnotaxobases, morphology being the most important and useful criterion. However, marine neoichnological analyses (modern traces; lebensspuren) have no standardised ichnotaxobases. In the literature, classification based on morphological descriptions or behavioural assignations can be found, but without consensus. This lack of standardised terminology hinders comparisons among studies and regions. Through this manuscript, we discuss the limitations of marine lebensspuren characterisation through underwater observations and how further classification could be done (i.e., possible ichnotaxobases). Considering that most of the classifications will be based on marine still images, we propose a classification for marine lebensspuren based on a combination of three labels: 1) morphology (e.g., M-ridged trail), 2) behaviour determination (e.g., locomotion and feeding), and 3) tracemaker taxonomy (e.g., Echinocrepis rostrata). Accordingly, the classification will be 1) M-ridged trail 2) Locomotion and feeding 3) Echinocrepsis rostrata. A set of recommendations is given to address all three labels. Also, we describe some of the contrasting positions of paleo- and neoichnology, particularly where a solution presently seems difficult to find, and argue that open nomenclature could be useful as still images contain large amounts of information. Finally, we provide examples of the usage of this classification for input to a marine lebensspuren online repository and how this nomenclature can help to compare worldwide lebensspuren in a consistent way.

Visual poetics of the story by Grigory Baklanov "South of the main offensive"

The subject of research in this article are the characteristics and specificity of visual images and codes in the work of Grigory Baklanov "South of the main offensive". The relevance of the work lies in the fact that the scientific works devoted to the prose of Baklanov are represented by few works that study the poetics of psychologism in the writer's prose (A. E. Abramova) or the military prose of the Sixtiers as a whole (for example, in the study of T. G. Bogoradova and I. L. Startseva, Baklanov's prose is presented only as a part of the aggregate object). The writer's work is more widely discussed in the critical works of L. I. Lazarev, I. A. Dedkov and L. V. Oborin. Despite the importance of the figure of Grigory Baklanov in the "lieutenant prose", the sensual features of his prose are practically not studied. Meanwhile, Grigory Baklanov was one of the leading authors of "lieutenant prose". Thus, V. V. Bykov noted the primary influence on his work of the story "South of the main offensive" (1957) – the study of the visual poetics of this very work seems relevant. The methodological basis of the research was the immanent analysis, the comparative-comparative method, as well as B. A. Uspensky's approach to the analysis of the "point of view" in fiction. Aim of the research is to study the visual poetics of the story "South of the main offensive". The aim of the study is to consider the problem of visual poetics in modern literary studies, as well as to determine the functions and role of visual poetics in the artistic text of the story "South of the main offensive". In the work of Grigory Baklanov, the aspect of sensory poetics, which consists in appealing to the reader's perceptual experience through the text, is particularly pronounced – it is this aspect that is responsible for the formation of the sensory image of the artistic world of the work. In this study, visuality is considered as the main aspect of the reader's perception.

Old cities, ‘new’ agendas: Swedish cities across time

In its 2017 New Urban Agenda, the United Nations lists almost 200 declarations and implementation plans for creating sustainable and equitable cities, towns and settlements, yet the word ‘history’ is mentioned only once – to describe our own times as a critical juncture – a somewhat detached approach to problems with great time depth. Historical archaeology provides a unique toolbox for understanding urban through-lines, scientifically and theoretically. Case studies of Swedish cities, some many centuries old, describe the processes through which they were founded, transformed through time, and emerged differently in new contexts. Today, some have emerged as places not unlike the aspirational declarations of the New Urban Agenda. Yet most of these cities have few roots in equity and sustainability. Many systematically promoted less equality, even abject misery, focusing on the relatively short-term harvest of regional and local resources and labour, or for border security, population domination, and state and elite control. Many were ‘reinvented’ over the centuries – adjusting to new iterations of the same founding principles. Using select historical and modern case studies, we trace how relationships between various classes of hinterland and urban dwellers, influencers, and government officials struggled through time over the meaning and quality of urban life.

MIMO–OFDM System Analysis and Achievement

Multi-Input–Multi-Output (MIMO) technology has already become crucial in modern communication study, but the needs of anti-interference capability and spectral efficiency are always growing, which poses a significant challenge in future development. In the paper, by analyzing and summarizing the respective characteristics and problems of MIMO system and Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), we investigate the knowledge of MIMO–OFDM system. The theoretical analysis proves that this system can effectively solve the shortcomings of MIMO system and improve the performance of communication system. In addition, in the experimental simulation part, we also evaluate the system performance mainly by analyzing the Bit Error Rate (BER) metrics, while other methods such as channel estimation algorithms and synchronization techniques are also considered.

An assessment of crucial structural contributors of HDAC6 inhibitors through fragment-based non-linear pattern recognition and molecular dynamics simulation approaches

Amidst the Zn2+-dependant isoforms of the HDAC family, HDAC6 has emerged as a potential target associated with an array of diseases, especially cancer and neuronal disorders like Rett’s Syndrome, Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease, etc. Also, despite the availability of a handful of HDAC inhibitors in the market, their non-selective nature has restricted their use in different disease conditions. In this situation, the development of selective and potent HDAC6 inhibitors will provide efficacious therapeutic agents to treat different diseases. In this context, this study has been carried out to evaluate the potential structural contributors of quinazoline-cap-containing HDAC6 inhibitors via machine learning (ML), conventional classification-dependant QSAR, and MD simulation-based binding mode of interaction analysis toward HDAC6 binding. This combined conventional and modern molecular modeling study has revealed the significance of the quinazoline moiety, substitutions present at the quinazoline cap group, as well as the importance of molecular property, number of hydrogen bond donor-acceptor functions, carbon-chlorine distance that significantly affects the HDAC6 binding of these inhibitors, subsequently affecting their potency . Interestingly, the study also revealed that the substitutions such as the chloroethyl group, and bulky quinazolinyl cap group can affect the binding of the cap function with the amino acid residues present in the loops proximal to the catalytic site of HDAC6. Such contributions of cap groups can lead to both stabilization and destabilization of the cap function after occupying the hydrophobic catalytic site by the aryl hydroxamate linker-ZBG functions.

Honey and Indian Costus as found in Prophetic Medicine and Pharmacognosy: A Creedal Comparison

This study examines the medical uses of both honey and Indian costus in prophetic medicine, as well as the modern studies conducted on them through pharmacological science. It then compares honey and the studies conducted on it in pharmacology on one hand, and Indian costus and the studies conducted on it in pharmacology on the other hand. The study concluded several important results, the most important of which is that most of the modern pharmacological studies included in this research align with the noble prophetic traditions regarding the models of honey and Indian costus. This indicates the potential benefit of these studies within the religious and doctrinal framework, to demonstrate the prophethood of our Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. As for the rest of the studies, they did not contradict his teachings, peace be upon him, but their evidence was speculative regarding the intended purpose, which does not make them independent evidence of the proof of prophethood; however, they can be used in conjunction with other evidence.

Modern metaphor research in Russia: Trends, schools and results

This article focuses on various trends and linguistic approaches to metaphor studies in Russia (2019-2023). The latter deal with different types of metaphors, process of metaphor formation and the use of metaphors in discourse. The basic methods of investigation include comparative, inductive, generalization and descriptive approaches. The article summarises new results in modern studies of metaphor on data from Slavic, Romance and Germanic languages. In the paper, we show the role of metaphor both as a trope and a cognitive operation in monolingual and comparative studies. Alongside these traditional areas, we discuss the results of metaphor studies in multimodal texts and corpora. Multimodal texts are frequently constructed on the intersection of mental, semiotic and semantic fields. Corpora, which have proved to be a convenient source of recent and reliable data, present another modern sphere of investigation of metaphoric potential in Russian studies. We discuss such important areas of metaphor studies as the interdisciplinary approach, pluralism of methods, critical attitudes to universalism, emphasis on cultural features of communication and discourse, and the blending of rhetorical and cognitive methods.

Negative Phrases can Cause a Negative Emotional Assessment: an Empirical Study

Introduction. There are theoretical propositions declaring that negations carry a negative emotional charge. Indirectly, this is confirmed by a number of modern studies. However, it remains unknown whether negations in their most abstract lexical form are capable of causing a negative emotional effect. In the presented study, the negative effect of denial was revealed for the first time. Purpose. Theoretically substantiate the emotional negative effect of negations and empirically identify it by comparing evaluations of negative and affirmative phrases.Materials and methods. In studies related to the topic, it is difficult to differentiate the influence on the emotional assessment of the meaning of the negated concept from the influence of the negative form itself. To identify the negative emotional effect of lexical negations, we asked subjects to evaluate affirmative and negative phrases not only with a pronounced emotional meaning, but also with a neutral one, which allowed us to minimize the influence of the meaning of the phrase. The study involved 87 subjects who rated phrases using two methods: R. Likert’s direct scale assessment and color-mediated assessment (A. M. Etkind’s RCT method).Results. The results showed a high significance of the differences between the negation of the neutral and the assertion of the neutral, negative phrases were indeed evaluated more negatively. An additional comparison of phrases with emotional meaning showed that denial softens the emotional expression of the concept, shifting its assessment closer to the neutral part of the scale.Discussion. Previous studies have shown a connection between a negative response and negative emotional reactions. In our study, it was shown for the first time that even an abstract version of a negative phrase can significantly shift an assessment into the negative spectrum of the emotional scale. These data are consistent with the embodied approach to language analysis, where sensorimotor and emotional reactions underlie the formation of abstract language forms. For the first time, the revealed connection between lexical negation and negative emotional reactions deepens the understanding of one of the most frequent linguistic means.

Integrated UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS/MS Method and Network Pharmacology for Exploring the Active Components and Potential Mechanisms of Neuroprotective Effect of the n-Butanol Part of Mume Flos

Background: Mume Flos is a common Qi-regulating medication used in traditional Chinese medicine, modern study has discovered that Mume Flos and its components have neuroprotective properties. However, the effective components and molecular mechanisms of Mume Flos are still unclear. Methods: In this study, the current study chose Caenorhabditis elegans as a model to evaluate the anti-Alzheimer disease (AD) effect of the active parts of Mume Flos using life span, paralysis rate, oxidative stress capacity, and heat stress capacity as indicators. Then, UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS/MS and network pharmacology combined with GEO database chip were used for joint analysis to predict the active components and potential molecular mechanisms, which were validated using C. elegans models. Results: The results showed that the n-butanol part of Mume Flos slowed down nematode paralysis and possessed anti-AD activity, and we tentatively identified a total of 45 constituents, mainly including flavonoids and phenylpropanoids as well as a small number of amino acids, and determined that 39 active components and 130 targets are related to neuroprotection. Further analysis identified the main active ingredients such as rutin, neochlorogenic acid, and chlorogenic acid, all of which could reduce Aβ deposition in nematodes and slow down the rate of paralysis in transgenic nematodes. Conclusion: This study revealed the neuroprotective effects of MFB and identified its active components as rutin, neochlorogenic acid, and chlorogenic acid. They may play a role in reducing Aβ deposition by regulating the targets of GAPDH, TNF, IL6, INS, and TP53. This study provides a basis for further in-depth research on the mechanism of MFB to improve neurological diseases.

A “step” in the right direction: Quantifying error in twinning analysis due to EBSD scan resolution

Accurate evaluation of deformation twinning statistics is key when performing research on the twinning behavior of magnesium alloys or other HCP materials, and typically utilizes electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). However, many modern studies that perform EBSD for twinning analysis do not have a consistent step size used during EBSD data collection between studies, or do not report their step size at all. In this work, the effect of step size on the resultant twinning statistics calculated from the EBSD data was determined by comparing multiple scans of the same region with varying step size. Increasing the step size during data collection was found to increase the error of all considered twinning statistics, indicating a potential source of unquantified error in other studies. Additionally, a method for improving the accuracy from scans with coarse step sizes was considered and found to reduce error in most cases.

Analysis and prospect of correlation between relative molecular weight and efficacy of polysaccharides from medicinal plant resources

Polysaccharides from medicinal plant resources are a kind of polymers extracted from medicinal plants. They are complex long chains formed by different monosaccharides connected via glucosidic bonds. These polysaccharides usually have straight chain and branched chain structures, and their relative molecular weight changes greatly. Modern studies have shown that the biological activi-ty of polysaccharides from medicinal plant resources is closely related to their relative molecular weight. This paper first reviewed the preparation and detection methods of polysaccharides from medicinal plant resources with different relative molecular weights. Then, the paper summarized and analyzed the general experience of the correlation between efficacy and relative molecular weight of polysaccharides from medicinal plant resources with different molecular weights. It was considered that polysaccharides with large relative molecular weights(>100 kDa) play a leading role in immune regulation. Polysaccharides with medium relative molecular weights(10-100 kDa) play a leading role in immune regulation and the protection of the liver. Polysaccharides with small relative molecular weights(<10 kDa) play a leading role in anti-oxidation, regulation of intestinal flora, regulation of blood glucose and lipids, anti-fatigue, and the protection of nerves. Therefore, precise development of polysaccharides from medicinal plant resources based on relative molecular weight is expected to improve their biological activity and application value.