Scientific Discourse Research Articles

The ‘bad’ pasts of ‘good’ norms: explaining the opium ban through the postcolonial lens

The global proscription of the opium trade and its non-medical consumption took almost a century to evolve. Within International Relations, opium’s ban is explained as part of the normative order that culminated in the global anti-drugs prohibition regime of the 1900s. The conventional view presents the history of opium’s ban as a ‘bad’ imperial and local practice discontinued through the activism of ‘good’ transnational actors. However, seen through the postcolonial lens, this simplistic narrative is upended. By centering hierarchical power relations, the postcolonial lens demands a reflective interrogation into ‘global’ standards to expose parochial subjectivities that are otherwise couched in the universalistic language of modernity, rationality and progress. Though the ban on opium challenged an imperial practice, this article shows that it did so with the help of discourses that were themselves imperialistic. An analysis of the underlying evangelical, racial and scientific discourses illustrate how it was in the context of a specific worldview that opium came to be vilified. It also explains how the anti-opium views of the newly decolonized countries like India and China were suffused with the ethical visions of the anti-colonial and nation-building movements. A granular interrogation into opium’s history is necessary as we try and work our way toward a more nuanced and textured understanding of the international normative order while eschewing a one-dimensional, unproblematic, and simplified understanding of norms in IR.

Neocolonialism and science diplomacy: lessons learned from the field and the way forward

To level the playing field in the production of global knowledge, we need to understand the practical implications of colonial heritage and how it has disproportionately affected scientific discourse and the generation and utilization of scientific knowledge from and about the Global South. This article explores how research practitioners can level the playing field. We must think about how we can collectively change the narrative so that every emerging scientist from the Global South can flourish and have an equal opportunity to conduct research that is meaningful to them and their societies. We argue the time has come for innovative and flexible models allowing science diplomacy to integrate features of reflexive and inclusive governance in its very core structures.

Future-Oriented Science Learning and its Effects on Students’ Emotions, Futures Literacy and Agency in the Anthropocene

AbstractScience education bears the broader objective of nurturing students today to be scientifically-literate citizens of tomorrow who are able to foresee challenges, invent solutions and make responsible decisions for global issues. As a prelude to the new focus of agency in the Anthropocene, this paper presents an intervention on climate change with upper secondary students in a museum of natural history in England. Instructional strategies such as infusing scenarios and arts into scientific discussions were adopted to induce imagination, future-oriented thinking and emotional responses. Statistical results showed that the intervention significantly enhanced participants’ futures literacy, environmental agency and positive emotions. However, it did not increase their interests in learning science in out-of-school context. Implications of this study will shed light on futurising science and climate education in research and practice.

Comparison of the effectiveness of drug therapy and non-drug technology of post-COVID rehabilitation of workers with intensive computer load

Currently, there is sufficient evidence of the importance and clinical effectiveness of non-drug therapy. The scientific discussion on the priority of the clinical application of pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods of rehabilitation of patients with mononeuropathies has acquired particular importance against the background of neurological post-COVID complications in patients with COVID-19. The study aims to compare the effectiveness of drug therapy and non–drug technology of post-covid rehabilitation of workers with intensive computer workload based on the study of clinical and laboratory parameters. Scientists have conducted a survey of two groups of workers with intensive computer workload who underwent rehabilitation after COVID-19 with the use of drug therapy and non-drug technologies, including balneotherapy, drinking narcotherapy, aerosol inhalations, low-frequency magnetic therapy. The authors have evaluated the effectiveness of therapy based on the results of studies of asthenization, degree of fatigue, latent coronary insufficiency, the state of the blood microcirculation system, immune status, the state of the POL-AOSIS system and endogenous intoxication of patients. Asthenization, the degree of fatigue, and latent coronary insufficiency decreased in the majority of the examined patients after post-COVID non-drug measures. Whereas in patients of the drug group, a decrease in these indicators was noted in a small number of examined patients. The indicators of the immune status of patients after non-drug therapy returned to normal, after drug therapy they only approached the limits of the norm, but did not reach it. After the treatment, the indicators of lipid peroxidation in the group of patients undergoing post-COVID rehabilitation using non-drug technologies decreased more significantly than in the group receiving drug treatment. The content of the antioxidant enzymes catalase and ceruloplasmin and the fat-soluble antioxidant α-tocopherol after treatment increases in both groups, but in the group of drug treatment they do not reach the lower limit of the reference intervals. The decrease in the content of medium-molecular peptides is more pronounced when using non-drug technologies. The application of the proposed non-drug technology for the rehabilitation of patients with post-COVID syndrome who are subjected to intense computer loads during work showed a significantly more pronounced normalization of asthenization, fatigue, latent coronary insufficiency and the state of the blood microcirculation system, immune status, the state of the POL-AOSIS system and endogenous intoxication of patients. The data obtained indicate a high therapeutic effect of the use of non-drug technology. Limitations. The surveyed groups included only persons permanently registered in Kislovodsk. Ethics. The research was conducted in accordance with the principles of biomedical ethics and approved by the local Ethics Committee of the Izmerov Research Institute of Occupation Health, Moscow (Protocol No. 4 dated 04/14/2021). Each participant of the study submitted a voluntary written informed consent signed by him after explaining to him the potential risks and benefits.

Can Autocracy Handle Climate Change?

ABSTRACT Existing literature on climate politics predominantly concentrates on democracies. However, there is a pressing need to examine how authoritarian regimes respond to climate change, given their growing impact on global carbon emissions and their populations’ acute climate vulnerability. Extant research often assumes that authoritarian regimes have inherent advantages in addressing climate change, leading to overly optimistic perspectives on their capabilities. This study highlights the necessity of qualifying those assumptions and evaluates the comparative advantages and disadvantages of autocracies relative to democracies throughout the policy process: policy formulation (or outputs), implementation, and outcomes. I argue that whereas climate-conscious autocracies may efficiently produce policy outputs based on scientific evidence, they often face more challenges related to information about local enforcement during implementation. This may result in greater hurdles than democracies, even with adequate state capacity and monitoring infrastructure. Furthermore, this analysis contends that a country’s developmental stage, rather than its regime type, is related more directly to the effectiveness of translating implementation efforts into tangible policy outcomes. Therefore, this article posits that the political science discourse, which often juxtaposes democracies with autocracies, should expand its scope to better understand how a country’s developmental level influences the success of its climate strategies.

The war against Ukraine through the prism of Russian military thought

ABSTRACT Over the past 2 years, since the beginning of the full-scale war in Ukraine, there have been very few studies that have examined the war from the perspective of Russian military thinking. To be able to more accurately predict ways in which the Russian way of war and force structure may change, it is essential to study the Russian military scientific discourse on the lessons of the war in Ukraine. Taking for granted that the Russians come to the same conclusions as Western observers can lead to mirror-imaging and will ignore the likely prospect that Russian lessons learned from the war will not coincide with those of Western military experts. This article contributes to the understanding of Russian military thinking with regard to the war by focusing on three key aspects. (1) The evolution of Russian thinking about indirect strategy. (2) The changing Russian perspective on the concept of non-contact war. (3) The Russian military discourse about the challenge posed by the increasingly transparent battlefield of contemporary wars.

Joep Leerssen’s imagology and Yuri Lotman’s semiotic ideas

Having emerged as an independent branch of literary studies, today, imagology is represented by various schools. Its most prominent representative, Joep Leerssen, has developed a holistic version of the imagological theory, which, in many respects, correlates with constructivist approaches to understanding nationalism. The main categories of imagology as interpreted by this school are ethnic stereotype, ethnotype, category of the imaginary, non-falsifiability, imagotypes, imaginary discourse, auto-image, hetero-image, context, common places, imagemes, and the representativeness trap.From the point of view of semiology, ethnic stereotypes, which are studied by imagology, are the signs by means of which their bearer interprets for himself the sphere of interaction between people, in which they act as representatives of certain nations. Thus, the imagosphere can be interpreted as part of the semeosphere, distinguished from it only by problem-thematic rather than by structural-functional features. Accordingly, many of Yuri Lotman’s semiotic ideas can potentially be productive for research in the field of imagology.Imagologists and semiologists analyze the same works of literature and formulate different conclusions largely because they use different types of the scientific discourse in the categories of which they conduct their research. However, in essence, these conclusions are often not so different, at least not mutually exclusive.

Научно-академический дискурс в образовательном пространстве неязыкового вуза

The article deals with the phenomenon of scientific academic discourse. A nomenclature of discourse typological characteristics is analysed. The concept of scientific academic discourse is defined as a specialized type of institutional discourse. In our research we consider the scientific academic discourse as an integrative concept combining the features of scientific and academic types of discourse due to the interpenetration and intersection of their components. Cognitive and communicative aspects of scientific discourse are examined specific attributes of scientific texts such as harmony, consistency, objectivity and others are determined. The article focuses on the analysis of scientific discourse genre varieties. The authors describe the specifics of functioning of a research paper and a scientific report as main genres of scientific academic discourse, reveal their peculiarities in realizing English language oral and written discourse. From the theoretical and practical points of view both a research aper and a scientific report represent oral/ written communication aimed at scientific informing. The scientific polylexemic templates suggested in the article prove to be useful in academic writing.

Science in the Language of the Heart: Ukrainian Language and Literature in the New Ukrainiian School as a Driver of STEM Development

The article outlines the pathways for integrating STEM disciplines into the planning of Ukrainian language and literature lessons in secondary education institutions within the framework of the New Ukrainian School. It substantiates the growing need for interdisciplinary approaches that foster the development of core competencies while considering the advantages, potential risks, and limitations of the proposed methods. The emphasis is placed on the importance of combining humanities with natural and mathematical sciences to enhance students' understanding of a holistic worldview, illustrating the need to avoid focusing solely on one aspect of development (so-called «humanitarians» and «technocrats»). The article offers theoretical and practical recommendations for developing STEM projects that engage students in creative literary exploration through applying scientific principles and doctrines. The effective combination of STEM education principles with the field of philology enables the creation of a dynamic and effective educational environment where students perceive the interconnectedness of knowledge, develop a well-rounded intellect, and receive foundational preparation for higher education. Methods of linguistic analysis of scientific texts are discussed, demonstrating how language skills can be enhanced through scientific discourse. To illustrate the material, approximate schemes for planning integrated lessons with specific examples from both linguistic-literary and scientific perspectives are provided. To improve understanding and engagement of modern students, emphasis is placed on using digital tools and platforms that ensure integration, including online resources, interactive modeling, multimedia content and artificial intelligence. The necessity for alignment among educators of various disciplines is evident to ensure a fair assessment of proficiency in the state language and scientific literacy, which is a crucial issue during wartime when language matters become increasingly prominent, alongside scientific and mathematical literacy, for building an intellectually developed country.

Environmental impacts of drugs against parasitic vector-borne diseases and the need to integrate sustainability into their development and use

Background The current scientific discourse on environmental impacts of veterinary medicines mostly focuses on ectoparasiticides. Meanwhile, the environmental impacts of widely prescribed drugs for the treatment of human and animal parasitic vector-borne diseases (PVBD) remain largely unexplored. There is thus a need for evidence-based information to support guidelines and protocols for sustainable One Health PVBD drug development and use, while promoting greener research practices. Here, we reflect on the potential environmental impacts of PVBD drugs in current use, and the environmental impact of our research practices for developing new antiparasitics. Methods We conducted a survey of the membership of the “One Health drugs against parasitic vector borne diseases in Europe and beyond” Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) Action 21111 (OneHealth drugs) to assess the current appreciation of sustainable drug design concepts and the extent to which One Health and sustainability principles are integrated into PVBD drug discovery and development. The survey also explored which human, technical, and funding resources are currently used in Europe and neighbouring countries in PVBD drugs research. Results The survey was conducted and analysed by OneHealth drugs and garnered 89 respondents, representing a response rate of 66% from 32 countries, predominantly European. 87% of participating collaborators worked in Academia; research groups were small (60% with 1–4 researchers) and mostly consist of few researchers, mostly at early career stages (63% <35 years old). Collaborations were mostly between academics, and 60% collaborated with non-European researchers, while funding was mostly from national governments. Motivation for greener research practices was high but there was as yet low implementation of green strategies or the incorporation of ecotoxicological test in drug development workflows, due to cost and unfamiliarity. Conclusions We highlight the need for early-ecotoxicological testing of new drug candidates and suggest best practices as we move towards standardized protocols in developing safe and efficacious PVBD drugs.

EAEU Role in the Evolution of Multipolar Structure in World Politics

The global political system is undergoing a transition from a unipolar to a multipolar world. Scientific discussions are underway regarding the emergence or formation of new poles in the world, including the potential development of a pole through the integration structure of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). Attention is focused on the changing conditions of the global economy and their influence on the development strategies of regional integration associations. The necessity to adapt the development strategies of the EAEU to new trends, including the shift in the economic paradigm and the reassessment of the role of integration process participants, is argued.Aim. To justify strategies and approaches to building an economic pole based on the EAEU.Tasks. Examining various theoretical approaches to the concept of multipolarity, poles, and centers of power. Investigating interpretations of global and regional leadership. Analyzing the concept of regional leadership considering the role of the EAEU as an important element of the new world political and global economic system.Methods. Comparative analysis of vectors and development strategies of regional integration associations. The civilizational approach illuminates not only the key economic and political aspects of regional leadership but also the cultural and civilizational factors of regional integration. The deductive method and synthesis allowed for the formulation of new approaches to understanding the economic component of the EAEU pole.Results. It has been established that one of the possible and most effective ways to form the economic component of the EAEU pole is to consider the formation of a new technological paradigm in the Union’s development strategy amidst the transformation and transition to a new economic paradigm.Conclusions. Framing the EAEU as an independent pole, based on the concept of changing economic paradigms, implies a rethinking or establishment of institutions based on principles of non-discrimination, mutual respect for sovereignty and national interests, as well as the establishment of mutually beneficial relations with other states. Such an approach to pole-building is a key step in transitioning to the sixth technological paradigm.

Emily Lawless, Natural History, and the Possibilities of Enchantment

Natural History – including entomology, marine zoology, and botany – enjoyed a significant vogue in the late nineteenth century, coinciding with the much more widely celebrated and discussed literary and cultural revival. These, I argue, are not distinct but rather entwined movements. Placing the Irish novelist, poet and scientist Emily Lawless (1845–1913) within this context, and examining both her scientific research and novels including Major Lawrence F.L.S (1885) and The Book of Gilly (1906), this article explores the overlapping modes of science and literature in the work, and suggests that Lawless’s sustained and committed engagement in naturalist study in Ireland led to an attempt to harness the discourses of natural science into narratives of spiritual and national resurgence. Whereas many contemporaries – Yeats among them – rejected science as a disenchanting force, Lawless provides an illuminating counter-example, whose scepticism regarding the occult spiritualities of her Revival contemporaries led her to develop an alternative form of positivist spirituality which foregrounded the materiality of the natural world and the spiritual potential of close, detailed scientific study.

Exploring the therapeutic potential of polysaccharide from Portulaca oleracea L.: A review of phytochemistry and immunomodulatory effect

Portulaca oleracea L., a plant with both edible and medicinal properties, is traditionally valued for its diuretic, antipyretic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, and anthelmintic functions in folk medicine. P. oleracea polysaccharide (POP), a pivotal bioactive component, has various biological activities. Notably, their immunomodulatory capabilities have emerged as a significant area of research. The extraction, purification, monosaccharide composition, structure characterization, and biological activity of POP have been extensively investigated to identify the active components and to clarify their pharmacological actions and underlying molecular mechanisms. It aims to delineate the pharmacological mechanisms and molecular pathways associated with these polysaccharides, thereby underscoring their therapeutic promise and nutritional significance. Furthermore, the review critically examines the current research landscape of POP, identifying gaps and proposing innovative perspectives to enrich the scientific discourse surrounding these bioactive compounds.

Modern trends in the study of scientific discourse in Russian linguistics: A systematic review

Modern trends in the study of scientific discourse in Russian linguistics: A systematic review

Management Strategy for Patients With Idiopathic Recurrent Pericarditis. Position Statement of the Experts of the Russian Society оf Cardiology and Eurasian Association of Therapists

Pericarditis as an inflammatory heart disease is rarely discussed in the cardiology community. The latest European guidelines on pericarditis were published in 2015, and Russian clinical guidelines are dated 2022. However, in recent years, a number of publications have appeared that have forced the scientific community to take a fresh look at this problem. This is mainly due to a change in the paradigm of the treatment of idiopathic recurrent pericarditis (IRP) registered in the Russian Federation as a rare (orphan) disease. According to most experts, IRP is an underestimated cardiac disease, which, due to the lack of specific symptoms and the physicians’ alertness regarding the IRP diagnostics, is rarely the subject of scientific discussions. The issues of diagnosis and therapy of IRP in light of the latest reports became the matter under discussion for a group of leading Russian experts chaired by Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Professor G.P. Arutyunov.

Global Warming and Climate Change – Need of Nuclear Energy

Global warming and climate change are the central point of scientific discussion and research around the world in 21st Century, the endeavor to alleviate the adverse impacts. The looming crisis of rising of global mean surface temperature by 1.5 oC and/or 2 oC over and above the pre-industrial level compelled the international community to execute the Paris Agreement in 2015. This is an agreement negotiated by 196 countries emphasizing the exigency to reduce the emission intensity of greenhouse gases and adopt measures to mitigate the adverse effect on the ecosystem. Extreme temperatures; more intense and frequent storms, droughts & floods; ocean acidifications; warmer ocean; loss of biodiversity; disruption of crops and increased health risks are reported across the regions which reflects the adverse effects of global warming and climate change. Intensity, frequency and scale of these man-made risks are going to follow an upward trend till the reduction of emissions of greenhouse gases to limit the anticipated temperature rise [1].

Conductive Nanocomposites Based on Graphene and Natural Polymers

This thesis focuses on the development of conductive nanocomposite materials based on graphene and natural polymers such as cellulose and chitosan. Graphene, a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb lattice, exhibits exceptional electrical, mechanical, and thermal properties, making it an attractive filler for polymer composites. However, the challenge lies in effectively dispersing graphene sheets within polymer matrices. The work presented explores new strategies for grafting polysaccharide chains onto oxidized graphite (graphene oxide) to improve its compatibility and dispersion in cellulose and chitosan matrices. The resulting composites were doped with gold or nickel nanoparticles to further enhance their electrical and catalytic properties. Detailed characterization techniques, including spectroscopic and microscopic methods, were employed to analyze the structure, morphology, and properties of the developed nanocomposites. The thesis is organized into three main parts: 1) a literature review on graphene, polysaccharides, and their biocomposites; 2) a description of the experimental materials and methods; and 3) a scientific discussion of the results, presented in the form of three research publications. The findings demonstrate the successful synthesis of conductive nanocomposites with improved compatibility and performance, opening up new avenues for the application of these sustainable and multifunctional materials in areas such as electronics, catalysis, and electromagnetic shielding.

The evolution of ACEs: From coping behaviors to epigenetics as explanatory frameworks for the biology of adverse childhood experiences

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have become a topic of public and scientific attention. ACEs denote a range of negative experiences in early life, from sexual abuse to emotional neglect, that are thought to impact health over the life course. The term was coined in the CDC-Kaiser ACE Study, an epidemiological study that surveyed 17,421 adults about ACEs and correlated the responses with participants’ current health records. Shortly after the study was published in 1998, the US CDC deemed ACEs an important public health target; however, it is only recently that ACEs feature prominently in scientific and public discourses. We contend that this rise in popularity is linked to the adoption of epigenetic explanations for how ACEs affect health. Based on a literature analysis, we trace the evolution of explanatory frameworks for ACEs—from coping behaviors to allostatic load to epigenetics—and analyze how each of these explanations not only reconsiders the mechanisms by which ACEs affect health, but also who should be held responsible for addressing ACEs and how. Epigenetics provides distinctly different discursive possibilities than previous frameworks: firstly, it offers one distinct molecular mechanism for how ACEs work, lending “molecular credibility” to epidemiological findings; secondly, it raises the possibility of reversing the negative effects of ACEs on the biological level. This epigenetic articulation makes ACEs attractive for new actors in science and society. Particularly, it facilitates novel interdisciplinary collaborations and attracts actors in health advocacy who are interested in non-deterministic readings of ACEs that counteract stigma and support positive health interventions and healing.

Modified CANDU Reactor MCR as an Early-Deployable Nuclear Workhorse

Safe, simple and soon deployable are the imperatives for each SMR concept today. Only this SMR has the potential to become a nuclear workhorse in the fight against climate change if it is available soon, in large numbers and deployable worldwide. Therefore the assessment of the usefulness of an SMR concept must not only relate to the reactor itself. Only a holistic view of the entire nuclear fuel cycle with the given SMR as the central part between the front-end and back-end can lead to viable decisions. The IAEA lists more than 120 SMR concepts in its Handbook 2022. Time pressure is forcing us to critical selection of a promising reactor concept and to combine innovative solutions with tried and established technical and administrative networks. Against this background, the Modified CANDU Reactor (MCR) is proposed as additional SMR design. The MCR has two obvious modifications compared to the well-known and globally proven CANDU design: a) spherical fuel elements (pebbles) with ceramic cladding b) vertical arrangement of the pressure tubes. Intended for the generation of heat and electricity close to the consumer, the construction of a plant with MCR is preferably carried out underground close to the surface. The Herrenknecht VSM-shaft-tunnel technology is planned for the construction of the structures. For the transportation of irradiated fuel elements, (extended) interim storage and final disposal, technologies are proposed (Initial Barrier; TRIPLE C) that have already been published elsewhere. In order to provide a basis for further scientific and technical discussions, an attempt was made to incorporate the MCR concept into the existing CANDU SMR TM design. The resulting combined “overlapping” concept has not yet been discussed with the CANDU developing and operating countries. The authors hope for a fruitful discussion and are looking for future cooperation with the CANDU SMR TM manufacturer (CANDU Energy Inc. Canada), as well as with the countries that traditionally use CANDU reactors (China, India, South Korea) and Norway in future maybe too.

Scientific and Regulatory Lessons Learnt on Building a Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls (CMC) Package for COVID-19 Variant Vaccine Updates in the EU—A Regulator’s Perspective

During the COVID-19 pandemic, eight COVID-19 vaccines were authorised in the European Union (EU); as a result of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants and waning immunity, some of these have been adapted to broaden the immunity against circulating variants. The pace at which variants emerge challenges the technical feasibility to make adapted vaccines available in a suitable timeframe and in sufficient quantities. Despite the current absence of a clear-cut seasonal spread for COVID-19, the EU regulatory approach thus far is a pragmatic approach following a pathway similar to that of seasonal influenza. This approach currently requires chemistry, manufacturing, and controls (CMC—the design, development and consistent manufacture of a specified medicinal product of good quality) and non-clinical data (from product laboratory and animal studies), as well as demonstrating that updated vaccines induce an immune response that can predict clinical efficacy and safety in humans. For CMC data, COVID-19 mRNA vaccine adaptations generally made use of the same formulation, control strategy, manufacturing process, and inclusion of registered manufacturing sites for the drug product; therefore assessment was generally streamlined. The experience gained from the vaccine adaptations, combined with a continuous early regulator-developer scientific discussion, permits increasingly greater predictability for timing and positive regulatory outcomes. Here, we review key aspects of the quality control and manufacture of updating COVID-19 vaccines to protect against new variants. Although most experience has been gained with mRNA vaccines, we note that investment in the streamlining of manufacturing processes for recombinant protein vaccines would facilitate future strain updates/adaptations thereby safeguarding availability of different COVID-19 vaccine types, which is considered of value for public health. We also reflect on the challenges and opportunities in establishing more predictable regulatory mechanisms for future COVID-19 vaccine adaptions and more widely for future vaccines containing rapidly evolving pathogens with the potential to cause health threats.