Young Scientists Research Articles

THE ROLE OF MUSEUMS OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING SYSTEM

The development of higher education, professional training of highly qualified future specialists necessitates the use of various forms, methods, and means of organizing the educational process.Today, questions about the peculiarities of university museum complexes, their specific features, as well as how their involvement in the educational process will contribute to the improvement of the professional training of specialists, are gaining relevance and cause considerable interest, since there are very few significant works and studies in this field.In the context of the integration of the educational process and museum activities, the issues of museum pedagogy as a separate interdisciplinary direction of research are becoming more and more relevant.The article reveals the role of museums of higher education institutions as a unique scientific and educational space in the professional training system.The author highlighted the activities of the Museum of History of Kherson State University – a structural unit where educational classes, research projects, meetings of scientific schools are held, scientific research is underway to research new unknown pages, study the history of each faculty.At the Kherson State University, the museum is a structural unit where educational classes, research projects, meetings of scientific schools are conducted, scientific research is underway to research new unknown pages, and study the history of each faculty. Many forms of work have become traditional for preparing young scientists: the annual summary of the student project «From student to professor», «Science schools of the university in the professional self-determined specialist».
 Postgraduate students studying the history of pedagogy take an active part in the work of the Center for Regional Historical and Pedagogical Research. Also, the museum and archive center is successfully used in the study of individual educational modules of the disciplines «Introduction to the profession», «Management in education», «History of pedagogy», «Pedagogy and psychology of higher education».It was found that the museums of educational institutions are a unique scientific and educational space that expands the possibilities of high-quality professional training of future specialists using modern information technologies. The specified aspects are promising for further scientific research and practical activities of museums of higher education institutions in the system of professional training.

Думи на водещия броя

Issue 57 of the Rhetoric and Communications journal follows the traditions of publishing analyses of studies in thematic areas, in particular in rhetoric, semiotics and in new failures of communication in the 21st Century. Again, following good traditions, the journal provides a platform for both prominent and young scientists. The authors are 11, nine of them – authors of scholarly articles. A book presentation is also included. Three of the articles are in English. The nine articles are written by 10 authors, two of whom are representatives of academic institutions of Azerbaijan and one is from the University of Bucharest. The authors from Bulgaria are representatives of Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, the National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts “Krastyo Sarafov” (NATFA), the University of National and World Economy, the University of Ruse “Angel Kanchev”, Shumen University “Bishop Konstantin Preslavski”. These are the proofs of the conclusion that the journal presents established scholars and researchers from different academic communities and established research units in Bulgaria. The thematic focus allows the formation of three sections. The first section “Rhetoric and Semiotics” includes two articles. Authors Azad Mammadov and Maryam Isgandarli from Azerbaijan focus in their research on the rhetorical and linguistic features of USA President Donald Trump's communication through a selection of key speeches at important forums. Miroslav Dachev announces the results of semiotic and visual analysis based on selected images from different monasteries on Theotokos iconography with an emphasis on intentional states and joy. The text is a contribution to an insufficiently researched area that implies an interdisciplinary approach and in-depth theoretical knowledge. The section “Public communication” includes three texts. Ivet Tileva presents a text that explores a topic of social sensitivity and significance, namely organ donation. The analysis is about selected institutional documents and previous studies on the topic and the aim is to establish both the communicative and economic dimensions of the issues. Maya Vasileva announces methodological and pedagogical results related to the training of students on current topics, namely communication management of facts and data, in particular on communication units and carbon footprint. Atanaska Milotinova presents the results of a study of media publications and institutional documents related to the fight for voting rights of American suffragettes and draws conclusions about the changes in public communication as a result of this activity and new techniques in public communication. The fourth section “Virtual Communication” includes four publications that present a wide range of studies. The use of Facebook during the election campaign for local elections in 2020 in Bucharest through the prism of gender elements in virtual communication was analyzed in depth in theoretical and visual terms by Elena-Irina I. Ghinet. Hristina Sokolova presents results on the communicative and sociocultural characteristics of the notion of success among digital consumers in Bulgaria, which presents opportunities for future research in this area. Diana Nikolova studies the communicative and linguistic features of computer jargon through a comparative analysis between two languages in selection and a rich corpus of data. Desislava Tomova remains in the field of virtual communication as the focus is on online platforms for financing art, or the so-called Crowdfunding. Simeon Vasilev presents the book “Toreador. Kevork Kevorkian. The Will of You Win” with a volume of almost 700 pages of the author prof. Dr. Margarita Pesheva. Тhe book is dedicated to a TV presenter and a whole era of television history in Bulgaria.

Technical aspects of the development of solar energy refrigeration technology on solid sorbents

Objective. The purpose of the study is a scientific review of the stages of development of refrigeration technology with sorption action on solid sorbents and an assessment of the current state of development of such household equipment in relation to the use of solar energy.Method. The dynamics of the development of solar energy refrigeration equipment based on sorption thermotransformers, the working vapors of which are solid sorbents and ozone-safe refrigerants, are analyzed. The beginning of development comes from the creation of periodic installations operating from the thermal energy of traditional energy carriers: hot water, burning of hydrocarbon or organic fuels, electric energy, and cooling with water and air and ends with modern refrigeration units operating from the energy of solar radiation and the daily temperature difference of the environment.Result. The peculiarities of making technical decisions underlying the design of the main devices of solar energy refrigeration units are noted. Circuit designs and operating principles of installations and their devices used to improve operating efficiency are described. The main trends in research conducted by scientists to improve the operation of solar energy thermal transformers of cyclic action are considered.Conclusion. This article may be useful to young scientists, engineers and designers for the design and development of innovative autonomous thermal transmitters and refrigeration units for cooling and short-term storage of products and medicines, obtaining food ice, air conditioning, operating independently from solar energy. Such installations are easy to manufacture and operate.

Open access-enabled evaluation of epigenetic age acceleration in colorectal cancer and development of a classifier with diagnostic potential

Aberrant DNA methylation (DNAm) is known to be associated with the aetiology of cancer, including colorectal cancer (CRC). In the past, the availability of open access data has been the main driver of innovative method development and research training. However, this is increasingly being eroded by the move to controlled access, particularly of medical data, including cancer DNAm data. To rejuvenate this valuable tradition, we leveraged DNAm data from 1,845 samples (535 CRC tumours, 522 normal colon tissues adjacent to tumours, 72 colorectal adenomas, and 716 normal colon tissues from healthy individuals) from 14 open access studies deposited in NCBI GEO and ArrayExpress. We calculated each sample’s epigenetic age (EA) using eleven epigenetic clock models and derived the corresponding epigenetic age acceleration (EAA). For EA, we observed that most first- and second-generation epigenetic clocks reflect the chronological age in normal tissues adjacent to tumours and healthy individuals [e.g., Horvath (r = 0.77 and 0.79), Zhang elastic net (EN) (r = 0.70 and 0.73)] unlike the epigenetic mitotic clocks (EpiTOC, HypoClock, MiAge) (r < 0.3). For EAA, we used PhenoAge, Wu, and the above mitotic clocks and found them to have distinct distributions in different tissue types, particularly between normal colon tissues adjacent to tumours and cancerous tumours, as well as between normal colon tissues adjacent to tumours and normal colon tissue from healthy individuals. Finally, we harnessed these associations to develop a classifier using elastic net regression (with lasso and ridge regularisations) that predicts CRC diagnosis based on a patient’s sex and EAAs calculated from histologically normal controls (i.e., normal colon tissues adjacent to tumours and normal colon tissue from healthy individuals). The classifier demonstrated good diagnostic potential with ROC-AUC = 0.886, which suggests that an EAA-based classifier trained on relevant data could become a tool to support diagnostic/prognostic decisions in CRC for clinical professionals. Our study also reemphasises the importance of open access clinical data for method development and training of young scientists. Obtaining the required approvals for controlled access data would not have been possible in the timeframe of this study.

Financial determinants of ensuring the resilience of Ukrainian regions

Financial resilience is the basis of economic development as it determines the ability of the financial system to efficiently perform its functions and ensure optimal resource allocation and the normal course of economic processes under the impact of macroeconomic shocks and endogenous risks. The article aims to assess financial resilience as a systemic component of ensuring the economic development of Ukrainian regions. The research methods include systemic and structural analysis (building an information and analytical model for studying financial resilience), clustering (grouping regions by the criterion of economic development), and risk theory and analysis of variance (identifying potential zones of financial resilience and its components). Data from the regions (oblasts) of Ukraine for 2015–2021 serve as the information and analytical basis of the study. The article reveals that in 2021 regions with better financial resilience (Zhytomyrska, Dnipropetrovska, Kyivska, Lvivska, Odeska, Kharkivska, Cherkaska, and Volynska oblasts) take leading positions in terms of economic development and more efficient use of exogenous and endogenous financial resources than the regions with low financial resilience (Chernivetska, Vinnytska, Khmelnytska, Donetska, Ternopilska, and Ivano-Frankivska oblasts). The study proves that enhancing financial resilience is a trigger and foundation for ensuring economic growth in the regions, especially amid macroeconomic shocks. Balancing the need to use financial resources to restore the economy (growth of production, consumption, and employment) while reducing the dependence of regional economies on external financial sources should become the main vector of policy to ensure the financial resilience of Ukrainian regions. AcknowledgmentsThe study was conducted within the framework of the “Financial Determinants of Ensuring Economic Growth of Regions and Territorial Communities based on Behavioral Economics” project (No. 2020.02/0215) funded by the National Research Foundation of Ukraine (Competition “Support for Research of Leading and Young Scientists”).

Demystification and feasibility of CRISPR technology and gene editing in African laboratories.

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats, or CRISPR, is a powerful molecular biology tool that is enabling high-quality genetic research and engineering. However, for practical reasons, but more specifically because of the lack of training and the rapid development of gene-editing technology, the technique is still not well established in African laboratories. For this reason, a consortium formed by the Institut Pasteur of Tunis and Learn and Win decided to organise an international conference and workshop on CRISPR technology in particular and gene editing in general, focusing on the low-budget model more appropriate to the African context. From 12 to 17 June 2023, more than 200 interdisciplinary researchers and students from the life sciences and more than 20 international speakers and trainers gathered at the Institut Pasteur in Tunis, Tunisia, for the First African Conference and Workshop on CRISPR to discuss the latest gene editing technologies and discoveries. This Meeting Review describes the scientific event and highlights the main outcomes of both the conferences and the practical sessions. The symposium was a real success and thrives to educate, train and network international and young scientists in the field of gene editing and gene engineering.

Darwin, Haeckel, and the "Mikluskan gas organ theory".

A previously unknown reference to the Russian ethnologist, biologist, and traveler Nikolai N. Miklucho-Maclay (1846-1888) was discovered in correspondence between Charles Darwin (1809-1882) and Ernst Haeckel (1834-1919). This reference has remained unknown to science, even to Miklucho-Maclay's biographers, probably because Darwin used the Russian nickname "Mikluska" when alluding to this young scientist. Here, we briefly outline the story behind the short discussion between Darwin and his German counterpart Haeckel, and highlight its importance for the history of science. Miklucho-Maclay's discovery of a putative swim bladder anlage in sharks, published in 1867, was discussed in four letters between the great biologists. Whereas, Haeckel showed enthusiasm for the finding because it supported (his view on) evolutionary theory, Darwin was less interested, which highlights the conceptual differences between the two authorities. We discuss the scientific treatment of Miklucho-Maclay's observation in the literature and discuss the homology, origin, and destiny of gas organs-swim bladders and lungs-in vertebrate evolution, from an ontogenetic point of view. We show that the conclusions reached by Miklucho-Maclay and Haeckel were rather exaggerated, although they gave rise to fundamental insights, and we illustrate how tree-thinking may lead to differences in the conceptualization of evolutionary change.

Italy is no country for young life scientists

Italy is no country for young life scientists

Methods of digital-sociology: valuation of young researchers

Some methods of social research and social analysis were modified last years. Digitalization of economy and of the social governance create some new conditions for sociological practices. There were modified a respondent, an other objects of social research because of online relocation. There were modified an object, methodology, methods and technics of social research. At the same time, education and trainings of social scientists take into account new reality very bad. Some opinions of young social scientists and social students about factual situation and wishing situation in sphere of digital-competentions presented in this research. There were marked some reasons of important these competentions because of changes in social governance, changes in communication capabilities of society, changes in demands from clients, pace of life increasing, and some new social phenomenon, which could be analyzed by digital methods only. There were marked the most high-demand in practice methods and technics of social research in digital context, needs and capabilities for students education, institutional capabilities and limits of its development in Russia. The results of the research may be used for educational program’s correction as a reflect of new challenges of social governance in Russia.

Magic and Metamodernism

Magic and Metamodernism

Shortage of Mental Health Professionals Doing Research: A Cause for Concern.

Research plays a crucial role in advancing health care. Physician scientists, who bring together clinical and scientific perspectives, are integral to this effort. However, the pursuit of research careers among physicians has declined due to several obstacles, including inadequate support, training, time, and financial constraints. Emergency medicine and psychiatric specialties receive less support than other specialties, and COVID-19 has worsened the challenges. The COVID-19 has made things harder for physician scientists, increasing clinical demands and causing research delays. To tackle this, future physician scientists should receive organized training that includes mandatory research activities during their training. Large-scale studies should identify barriers to research and offer mentoring for young physician scientists. Encouraging female researchers and involving research faculty in residency training is crucial. Collaboration between physician and PhD researchers is essential for the future of medical research. It is vital to address these to advance health care and improve mental health outcomes.

Ice Core Young Scientists spotlight new developments in ice-core science

Ice Core Young Scientists spotlight new developments in ice-core science

Особенности осуществления научноисследовательской деятельности студентов в вузах Республики Казахстан

At present, the formation of a young scientist takes place in the conditions of intensive development of digitalization, prompt receipt of various information, dynamic changes in innovative technologies and opportunities for their use. The formation of predisposition to scientific research of university students begins to change, interest in scientific research and the performance of student science is falling. For this reason, a serious change in the situation is necessary, the implementation of systematization of the influence of socio-economic factors on the effectiveness of student science is required. Previous studies have shown that one of the important factors in attracting students to research work is the personality of the teacher, his scientific potential, scientific achievements and interest in research work. The main identified patterns of influence of socio-economic factors on the effectiveness of research activities in higher education institutions of the Republic of Kazakhstan are described. The authors emphasize the importance of the identified regularities for use in further research on the development of conceptual provisions for improving the research work of students. The article was prepared in the framework of grant financing agreement concluded with the Committee of Science of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan (IRN project 19676691).

Nonlinear days in Saratov for young scientists — 2023

Nonlinear days in Saratov for young scientists — 2023

Patient Advocate Presence Helps Poster Presenters Understand Clinical Significance of their Research and Increases Empathy

Patient advocates represent the voice of the patient community and bring a unique perspective to research. We hypothesized that including patient advocates in poster sessions allow trainees to communicate their science in lay language, have an increased understanding of the clinical impact of their work, and increase their empathy for patients. A survey was designed to assess the impact invited patient advocates had on poster presenters at our Department of Radiation Oncology Research Symposium. The two advocates, one with primary breast and primary endometrial cancer, and one with metastatic breast cancer, visited each poster to discuss the project goals and outcomes with all 16 researchers (graduate/medical students, postdoctoral fellows including medical and physics residents, laboratory assistants, and faculty). The survey included demographics, and Likert scored questions about their ease in discussing research and use of lay language, the impact of the advocate on increasing the presenter's empathy and understanding the clinical significance of their work, and future role of advocates in complementing their research. Following the poster session, 14 of 16 participants completed the survey. Respondents were 57.1% male, 57.1% younger than 30 years old, and 50% people of color. Poster presenters comprised: 35.7% Graduate/Medical Students, 42.9% Medical/Physics Residents or Postdoctoral Fellows, 14% Faculty, and 7% laboratory assistants. All respondents agreed/strongly agreed they were comfortable talking to advocates. Overall, 42.8% of participants strongly agreed that they could talk to the patient advocate in lay language. 85.7% agreed/strongly agreed that their empathy for patients increased by this interaction. Although 92.9% of poster presenters believed patient advocates were able to help them understand the clinical impact of their research and 71.4% believed advocates helped them think of ideas to complement their research, 57.1% did not believe advocates could help them identify novel research conclusions. Most respondents would like advocates at future poster presentations (92.9%), but were not as sure and they would like advocates participating in study design or data analysis. Women, people of color, and graduate/medical students were most comfortable communicating in lay language, believed advocates increased their empathy and understanding of the clinical significance of their work. Patient advocates in poster sessions help trainees communicate their science, increase their empathy and understanding of the clinical impact of their research. Workshops should be considered to help young scientists communicate their science in lay language. Future radiation oncology training should consider including the patient advocate voice to improve the tangible connection between research and real-world impact.

Future Opportunities in the Field of Drug Delivery Research

Much of the priorities in drug delivery research are focused on targeted drug delivery for cancer therapies and a wide range of controlled drug release systems for commonly used active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). In this “thousand words article” we highlight some of the emerging health threats and future opportunities for drug delivery research. Important emerging health threats include viral pandemics beyond COVID, antibiotic-resistant pathogens, the need for new antifungal therapies, and emerging diseases caused by increasing pollution and climate change. Fundamentally new drugs may be needed. For example, one little known research effort focuses on the development of new antibiotics based on metal-organic frameworks. Finally, new delivery approaches will be needed. This is illustrated by the development of a topical peptide delivery system as a wound dressing for burn patients, combining biotechnology (a new peptide) with polymer science (a new topical delivery system) to address a medical need (burn injury) for which there is currently no effective treatment. Another important trend is the shift in our collective understanding of impact, moving away from “counting papers” to considering the societal benefit of the research including its potential for commercialization. To remain relevant in the coming decade, we need to anticipate and embrace future challenges. This is particularly important for younger scientists.

Evaluation of an 8-week high school science communication course designed to read, write, and present scientific research.

The development of science writing and presentation skills are necessary for a successful science career. Too often these skills are not included in pre- or postsecondary STEM education, leading to a disconnect between high schoolers' expectations for college preparedness and the skills needed to succeed in college. The Young Scientist Program (YSP) Summer Focus recruits high school students from historically marginalized backgrounds to participate in eight-week summer internships at Washington University in St. Louis. Students conduct hands-on biomedical research projects under the mentorship of Washington University scientists (graduate students, post-doctorates, lab staff). Here, we present the curriculum for a science communication course that accompanies this early research experience. The course is designed to strengthen students' communication skills (critical reading, writing, presenting, and peer review) through a combination of weekly lectures and active learning methods. It prepares students for the capstone of their summer internship: writing a scientific paper and presenting their results at a closing symposium. We administered pre- and post-program surveys to four Summer Focus cohorts to determine whether the course met its learning objectives. We found significant improvements in students' self-confidence in reading, interpreting, and communicating scientific data. Thus, this course provides a successful model for introducing science literacy and communication skills that are necessary for any career in STEM. We provide a detailed outline of the course structure and content so that this training could be incorporated into any undergraduate and graduate research programs.

Genetic resources and genetic technologies for the development of the Northern Territories: on the results of the Second Conference (March 13–15, 2023)

A series of events in honor of the centenary of the Polar Experiment Station of VIR founded by Nikolay Ivanovich Vavilov, was opened by the Second Scientific Conference “Genetic Resources and Genetic Technologies for the Development of Northern Territories”, which took place on March 13-15, 2023. The objective of the Conference was to provide a regular platform for the exchange of experience, consolidation of efforts and development of interdisciplinary approaches between specialists – geneticists, resource scientists and biotechnologists, as well as specialists from related areas of biology, medicine and other sciences, whose joint efforts are aimed at increasing the demand for bio-resource collections and the role of genetic technologies in the development of the northern regions of the country. The Conference was organized by the Federal Research Centre the N.I. Vavilov All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources (VIR), the Vavilov Society of Geneticists and Breeders (VOGiS), the Russian Geographical Society (RGS), Scientific Council on Genetics and Breeding of the RAS, Scientific Council of RAS for the Studies of the Arctic and Antarctic, and the Russian Botanical Society (RBS). The Conference was held online. The program of the Conference included three sections: “Effective Development of Northern Agriculture: Genetic Resources of Agricultural Plants and Microorganisms, Genetic Technologies and Interdisciplinary Research”; “Farm Animals, Marine Mammals and Commercial Fish in the Far North: Conservation and Study of Genetic Resources, Breeding and Interdisciplinary Research”; “Health and Longevity of the Population in Northern Territories: Genetic and Interdisciplinary Studies (Including Model Organisms)”, as well as a Round Table “Expeditionary Research in the Arctic and Northern Regions of Russia: Experience of Young Scientists”. Altogether, five plenary presentations, one evening lecture and 23 section reports were made. Genetic, genomic and omics research using valuable genetic resources of plants, animals and microorganisms, as well as human biomaterials, including bio-resource ex situ collections from regions with extreme nature and climate conditions is the basis for acquiring knowledge, creating a set of tools and developments that contribute to socio-economic development and security in the Arctic, addressing health-saving issues, improving the quality of life of the population and partial food self-sufficiency of the regions of the North and the Arctic. The development of these aspects is important for the implementation of the State scientific and technical policy of the Russian Federation, considering the Presidential Decrees 164 of March 5, 2020, and 645 of October 26, 2020. The article presents the main trends announced at the Conference and publishes the Resolution adopted by the Conference.

Open science: demand and prospects

Problem setting. Since the European Commission has emphasized openness in science and innovation, it has been natural for relevant mandatory requirements to appear in EU research grant programs, including Horizon Europe, the main one. In principle, the very need to meet these requirements is a sufficient motivation for the introduction of open science in Ukraine and the development of the relevant National Plan, an important European integration tool. analysis of recent researches and publications. Domestic scholars who have studied this issue include: Drach I.I., Vasylenko A.Y., Bruy O. and others. Foreign researchers are: Lichten C.A., Hafner M., Wooding S., Cooper S.F., KhatibA., Treuille J., Barbero J. Lee, Beenen M., Leaver-Fay A., Baker D., Popović Z., Eiben C.B., Siegel J.B., Bale J.B., Cooper S., Khatib F., Shen B.W., Brownstein J.S., Freifeld C.C., Madoff L.C., and others. Purpose of the research is to analyze the essence of open science, its goals, advantages and disadvantages, as well as the demand for and prospects of large-scale implementation of open science policy. article’s main body. For the international community, the role of open science has become even more apparent during the global crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic, which has shown humanity the key role of open access to scientific information, rapid knowledge sharing, and collaboration between scientists in overcoming global challenges. Today, it is no exaggeration to say that the effective and rapid implementation of open science in Ukraine can become the basis for restarting the national scientific system, which is not fully competitive in the global dimension and suffers from the vestiges of the past. In particular, this concerns the development of a renewed national scientific culture based on academic integrity, cooperation, and a focus on the needs of society. The emergence of a national plan for open science in Ukraine is the beginning of systematic work at the state level, which is to be welcomed. Obviously, we need to act quickly, because every day the gap with the EU countries will increase and may become critical, complicating European integration processes. The bad news is that the implementation of open science always means additional efforts and/or costs (for new research infrastructure, payment for open access publications, awareness raising and training, etc.) that Ukraine may not be able to afford, especially given that a huge share of the national budget will be spent on defense in the coming years (almost 50% in 2023). It is also worth remembering the need to focus on young scientists, who will need additional support but can become effective agents of change, as open science will provide them with many tangible benefits, and the ideal time to develop the relevant skills is at the beginning of their scientific career. conclusions and prospects for the development. Given the benefits of open science, compliance by Ukrainian scientists with certain requirements will facilitate their integration into the global scientific community. Since open science is still in the early stages of its evolution, consolidated information on trends and practices will help to show where policy development can be useful and where participants in open science initiatives have already been able to create their own useful practices. However, open science can also have a negative impact on the research system, and this should also be highlighted and investigated. It is advisable to review the systems for evaluating research and professional performance in order to bring them in line with the principles of open science.

Вторая студенческая!

The article presents a report on the II All-Russian scientific and practical conference of young scientists with international participation “Current issues of physical education of youth and student sports”, held on April 21, 2023 at the Yelets State University named after I. A. Bunin.