bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Geophysical Logging For Hydrogeology
Authors: Williams John , Paillet Frederick
Published: November 2023

Geophysical logging is the measurement and analysis of electrical, acoustic, nuclear, and other physical properties in a borehole using wireline or direct push technology. Geophysical logging is one of the primary methods of collecting subsurface information for hydrogeologic investigations. Groundwater scientists and engineers should have a basic understanding of borehole geophysics and how it is applied in the characterization of aquifer systems. In this book, the different types of geophysical logs and equipment used in hydrogeologic investigations are reviewed. Applications and analysis methods are illustrated by specific examples in both unconsolidated deposits and bedrock settings. Key references for further exploration of the methods and applications are provided. Hands-on exercises are included for students to develop and practice log-analysis skills.
Religion and the Evolution of Science (in Memory of Piama Gaidenko)
Authors:   Institute of Philosophy, Russian Academy of Sciences, Soloviov Erikh Ju.
Published: November 2023

In 2022, the author of this article spoke at the conference “Breakthrough to the Transcendent” dedicated to the outstanding historian of philosophy and an original Russian thinker – Piama Pavlovna Gaidenko (1934–2021). The speech was expanded by him in the essay “Piama Gaidenko and the philosophers of the Sixties”, published in the Istoriko-Filisofskii Ezhegodnik (Iss. 37). In these texts however, the large-scale scientific work done by P.P. Gaidenko did not find proper coverage. In the current publication, the author is trying to fill this gap. The article is a detailed comparison of two editions: P.P. Gaidenko’s monography “The Evolution of the Concept of Science”, published in 1980, and the book “Philosophical and Religious Origins of Science” (1997), prepared under her sci­entific editorship and with her author’s participation. One of the main ideas de­fended in these works, first covertly, then directly, is the idea that historically the construction of scientific concepts is largely determined by the image of God that culture sets. The author supports this idea, equips it with new arguments and raises it to the interpretation of religious studies as an obligatory prerequisite for a thorough, qualified science. Special attention is paid to the stimulating influence of religion on science, which distinguished the Renaissance and Reformation; the phenomenon of Renaissance Titanism; the socio – cultural context of the scien­tific revolution of the XVI–XVII centuries. A special topic is the methodology of building a memorial narrative and preserving heritage as a living, creatively ef­fective tradition, discussed in the mode of responsible benevolent criticism.
The Matrix of Illusion
Authors:   National Research University Higher School of Economics, Sorvin Kirill V.
Published: November 2023

The article highlights several methodological levels in the study of illusory forms of consciousness based on the heritage of German classical philosophy (Kant, Hegel) and on the materials of the works of Durkheim, Freud and Marx. The “Kantian” level involves deciphering the content of an illusory complex by isolating unconscious intellectual or social processes, the interweaving of which gives rise to the appearance of ontological connections that do not exist in real­ity. Such an understanding of the nature of illusory forms allows us to single out four regular stages of reflection of these phenomena: naive fetishism, its rational criticism, scientific ideology and critical theory. At the fourth stage, invisible connections are revealed, but the reason for their concealment by an illusory form remains unexplained (fetishized). The “post-Kantian” level implies the re­jection of the subjective understanding of the illusory form and its understanding as a natural generation of content, which requires the rejection of the classical opposition of truth and error. The Hegelian model of absolute reality, for which all knowledge and illusions are its internal, but transient characteristics, can act here as a “methodological measure”. Unlike Durkheim, for whom illusion was the eternal state of society, Freud and Marx viewed it as a transient phenomenon, focusing on the mechanisms of its formation and death, but the opposition of “society and man” characteristic of psychoanalysis did not allow revealing the “systemic secret of form”. Marx partly took this step, and Durkheim’s innova­tion consisted in revealing the reflexive nature of the connection between the fetish and its sign.
The Light and Shadows of the Ukrainian Soviet Religious Studies of the Second Half of the 1980s. (on Materials of the Journal Philosophical Thought)
Authors:   Publishing Council of the Russian Orthodox Church, Savchuk Ruslan A.
Published: November 2023

The subject of the research is the main directions of intellectual search in the field of religious studies among Ukrainian scientists of the second half of the 1980s. Publications in the central academic journal of the republic in the field of philosophy are considered. With the help of historical-genetic, typological and idiographic methods, the publications of Ukrainian scientists of this period con­cerning the issues of understanding the essence of religion and its place in public life are analyzed. The undertaken analysis makes it possible to identify the ideo­logical foundations in the question of understanding the social significance of re­ligion among Ukrainian researchers and public figures. The conclusions about the formation of several directions within which the authors tried to comprehend the role and place of religion in society are substantiated. The first approach, designated as a conservative direction, was closely related to the Soviet atheistic ideology. The authors, who wrote within the framework of a relatively “renova­tionist” approach, sought to rethink the attitude towards religion and believers, but in methodological terms they did not reach the critical analysis of the scien­tific tools of the Soviet scientific school. Publications that offered a historioso­phy understanding of the religious past of the country are singled out separately.
The Meaning of Life in Modern Materialism
Authors:   Рeoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), Lokhov Sergey A. , Mamchenkov Dmitriy V. ,   Рeoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University)
Published: November 2023

The article introduces the Russian-speaking reader to the stormy and original discussion that unfolded in the English-language philosophical literature at the end of the 20th – beginning of the 21st century on the question of the meaning of life. These studies unfold within the framework of the trilemma “nihilism-natu­ralism-supernaturalism”; the most vivid disputes occur both between naturalistic and supernaturalistic positions, and between different views within naturalism. Born within the analytical tradition, these discussions take detailed and ex­tremely refined forms, actively use thought experiments, sometimes reaching the discussion of very unusual and at first glance paradoxical topics: the meaning of life outside of man, the meaning of life in the absence of free will, etc. The authors not only give comprehensive analyse of such studies, but offer a de­tailed classification of approaches to the meaning of life. Naturalistic approaches are divided in relation to the source – into immanent or transcendent; in relation to the subject: objective or subjective (is there a meaning in life independent of a particular subject?); by predestination: freely created by the subject and im­posed from the outside. Based on the proposed systematics of approaches to un­derstanding the problem of the meaning of life in modern materialism, the anti­nomy arising here is demonstrated. The meaning of life should be immanent and freely accepted by the subject. The correction of concepts proposed in the article (carried out in the spirit of the analysed analytical tradition) – shifting the em­phasis from the meaning of life to the purpose of life – will avoid such an anti­nomy and will be able to accurately demarcate the religious and non-religious approach to the meaning of life. Attempts of naturalism to continue the search for the meaning of life inevitably lead either to absurdity or to a religious (quasi-religious) approach.
The Way to the Aesthetics of Romanticism: Jean Paul
Authors:   Institute of Philosophy, Russian Academy of Sciences, Bychkov Victor V.
Published: November 2023

In his Preschool of Aesthetics the German writer Jean Paul (Johann Friedrich Richter) in some sense has laid the foundation of the aesthetics of German Ro­manticism through an analysis of the main principles of poetry, which is under­stood as artistic word at large. Proceeding from Aristotle’s Poetics, he claims that poetry is a beautiful (as well as spiritual) imitation of nature, both external (the one we perceive by the senses) and internal (the one we become spiritually aware of). As a result, this “imitation” essentially becomes a transformation of reality. Therefore the imagination and fantasy, or “power of images”, play a significant role in the creation of a poetic work. Jean Paul distinguishes be­tween the following stages of fantasy: simple perception, talanted creativity and the work of genius. Genius, as the highest level of fantasy, possesses two pow­ers: the divine instinct of the subconsious and deliberation. It is precisely genius that is capable of creating Romantic poetry on the basis of the aforesaid powers. The German forerunner of Romanticism compares two poetic epochs: ancient Greek, with its characteristic plasticity, beauty (the ideal), peaceful clarity and moral grace, and the contemporary (Romantic), whose essence consists in its Christian character, sublimity, the beauty of the infinite, the miraculous and mar­velous world of the spirits, which are manifested to the soul of the recipient sub­ject by way of a specific organization of the poetic text.
Gamification as a Growing Trend in Higher Education: Prospects and Problems
Authors:   Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia, Gnatik Ekaterina N.
Published: November 2023

The article deals with the phenomenon of gamification and the problems of im­plementing game practices in higher education. Based on the information about consumer habits, style features of behavior, etc., gamification becomes a fairly effective IT tool that contributes to achieving the goals of one or another project by way of constructing artificially player motivation, i.e., in fact, programming for a certain behavior pattern. The paper notes that the Western trend of mass in­clusion of games and game technologies in curricula has become a significant reference point for domestic educational policy, and gamification is now dis­cussed as a new, alternative way of organizing learning in educational institu­tions of our country, which allows to significantly influence student behavior and the effectiveness of learning outcomes. Analyzing possible consequences and trying to take into account the explicit and latent risks, the author concludes that the most alarming trend of gamification implementation in the educational process is the creation of unprecedented opportunities for collecting data on student be­havior in the digital educational space. Tracking reactions and psychoemotional state of young people in the course of gamified learning, the use of artificial in­telligence technologies, neural networks, the use of learning action analysis tech­nologies, digital footprint analysis – all these may help to build and improve the behavior management strategy required by customers. Here we see the pro­spects of making a testing range for large-scale work to create additional means of control, standardization and correction with the view to improve the tech­niques of manipulating the consciousness and behavior of the masses of people. In the author’s opinion, the transformation of learning into a computer game will promote not only a significant deformation of the inner meaning of pedagogics, but also the transformation of student youth into an object of various manipu­lations using the high-human methodology, which widely applies the tools of smart technology.
Series Philosophy of Russia of the 20th Century: in Search of the Russian Idea
Authors:   Institute of Philosophy, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pruzhinin Boris I. ,   Institute of Logic, Cognitive Science and Development of Personality, Shchedrina Tatiana G. ,   Moscow State Pedagogical University (MPGU)
Published: November 2023

On September 29–30, 1922, a tragic event for the culture of Russia happened – the expulsion of its intellectual elite from the country began. The execution was replaced by exile. It was a heavy blow to the national culture. And when in the early 1990s this event was described and comprehended in the philosophi­cal literature, the formula “interrupted flight” became the leitmotif. In that time it was experienced and comprehended in this way. Today, however, after another two decades, we can say: yes, it was a terrible blow to Russian humanitarian thought, but its deep traditions still did not disappear without a trace. What did it cost to those who kept the threads of Russian philosophical thought – is a special topic – and we must also remember about them – about the fate of G.G. Shpet, P.A. Florensky, A.F. Losev, I.V. Popov and many others… But, one way or an­other, thanks to them, philosophical thought and intellectual domestic culture, de­spite all their seeming ephemerality and fragility, were preserved. They managed to preserve the tradition – despite external circumstances, despite attempts to in­terrupt it, destroy it, and passed it on to the next generations of humanitarians. To­day, to the assessments of this tragic event that took place a century ago, we want to add that efforts aimed at reviving in its entirety and updating the tradition of Russian philosophy continue. And reflections on these efforts, their philosophi­cal understanding is the topic of our article
Fundamentals of the Theory of “Language” in the Bilateral Consensus. Stalin’s Marxism and Problems of Linguistics from the Standpoint of the Communicative Model Part I
Authors:   Institute of Linguistics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vdovichenko Andrey V. ,   Saint Tikhon’s Orthodox University of the Humanities
Published: November 2023

In Joseph V. Stalin’s work Marxism and Problems of Linguistics (1950), a num­ber of general issues of the theory of the verbal process are touched upon, the in­terpretation of which is generally consistent with traditional (including modern quantitatively predominant) linguistic views on the phenomenon of “language”. The consensus is observed in several positions that arise as a result of theoretical simplification (inaccurate metaphor): 1) “language” exists as objective verbal forms, constitutes a unity that ensures communication between people and which can be an object of study and description; 2) “language” is grammar and vocab­ulary; 3) “language” is connected with thinking; there are no thoughts without “language”; 4) “language” is a common property for a given collective (nation, people), “language” unites all those who speak it; 5) “language” is a mystical (“magic”) object. This article proposes a critique of the Marxist-linguistic con­sensus from the point of view of the communicative model. A simplified model of a word-containing semiotic process is the result of excessive attention to the verbal substrate (“words”), of an attempt to present verbal units as self-orga­nized semantic-formal modules responsible for everything that happens in the field of communicative meaning (sense) formation. As a result, a theoretical construct “language” is created, designed to save researchers’ a priori attitude to the matter of words (which, at the right moment, when confronting with reality, is casuistically replaced by “speech”, which, however, is also verbal). The ineffi­ciency of “language” (and “speech”) lies in the imposition of its own action on verbal “bodies”, while the generation of meaning in natural word-containing communication is entirely carried out by the complex personal impact of the semiotic actor.
Late Lotman and the Moscow-Tartu Semiotic School: in the rear, on the front line or on the way?
Authors:   Institute of Philosophy, Russian Academy of Sciences, Avtonomova Natalia S.
Published: November 2023

The title of this text is based on images taken from a conversation between the late Lotman and the Estonian culturologist Peeter Torop, recorded in 1992. They appeared not on their own, but in response to the question about the destiny of the Tartu school, about its current state, about its place and role in science. Through the military metaphor of the late Lotman, who contrasted the rear and forefront, the article shows some current trends in the development of structural and semiotic studies. The author does not identify the methodological approach of the Moscow-Tartu Semiotic School (MTSS) and its embodiment in the work of its most prominent representative, but does not tear them apart, like those of modern critics who see in the post-structuralist sensitivity of the late Lotman an overcoming of the structuralist dogmatism of the school. Moving away from black-and-white assessments, the author shows the deployment in Lotman’s work of new (albeit attributed by him to the school as a whole) problems – multilingualism, cultural dynamics, openness of semiosis in space and time. The author sees the most interesting and philosophically significant conceptual move in Lotman’s interpretation of translation, where misunderstandings and un­translatabilities are no longer considered as obstacles to cognition, but as sources of new cultural meanings.
The Kyoto School of Philosophy and Nihilism: Nishitani Keiji
Authors:   Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences, Elena L. Elena L.
Published: November 2023

The article presents brief analysis of the main points of the philosophical con­cept of representation of the Kyoto school Nishitani Keiji (1900–1990), one of the pupils of the eminent Japanese thinker, Nishida Kitaro. Nishitani’s main lifework What is Religion (English variation Religion and Nothingness) is de­voted to the problem of Nihilism. His interest in this trend of social thought arose among the Japanese scientist under the influence, first of all, of the ideol­ogy of Friedrich Nietzsche (in whose person nihilism acquired self-conscious­ness) as well as the worldview ideas of Dostoevsky. A large place in the works of Nishitani is given to the work of Jean Paul Sartre. One can state the two-vec­tor nature of the Kyoto school’s ideological principles: on the one hand, reliance on the Buddhist and Taoist traditions of metaphysics, and on the other hand, the use of the conceptual apparatus of Western epistemology. Hence, syncretism in an effort to create an authentic national philosophy. It is no coincidence that Nishitani Keiji devoted his work to the development of the aesthetic and reli­gions areas of philosophy as the most fully expressing the ideological features of Japanese spiritual culture. At the same time, he notes the fact that nihilism is a spiritual disease not only of the Western part of humanity, but also of Japanese society.
“Existence is Destiny…” The Conversation of N.N. Shulgin and N.A. Kasavina
Authors:   Institute of Philosophy, Russian Academy of Sciences, Kasavina Nadezhda A.
Published: November 2023

The interview is devoted to the problem of existential experience, personal de­velopment, the role of existential philosophy in the cultural space, its dynamics and modern tasks. The question of the possibility of talking about existence, re­ferring not only to the existence of man, but also to the existence of an animal, is problematized. The “third wave” of existentialism (or neuroexistentialism) is considered, which concerns anxiety before the “disenchantment” of human na­ture, which carries new facets of the crisis of meaning. In the development of ex­istentialism, the role of the socio-cultural context is emphasized, its historical stages or “waves” are highlighted. The complex conjugation of the sensual and the rational in existential formation is shown. Experience is interpreted as a mul­tifaceted phenomenon that includes intellectual reflection, embodied in memory, comprehension of situations and events, establishing a connection in personal history. The human experience is culturally loaded, associated with the develop­ment and living of cultural archetypes and patterns, and includes the personal work of a person on himself, his growth in the perspective of the always relevant question of meaning and the answer to it. In the context of personal develop­ment, the concept of metaexistence is touched upon, which addresses the spiri­tual maturity of a person, the integration of experience and the experience of meaningfulness and value of life.
No Limit. On What Thought Can Actually Do. Part I Joсelyn Benoist
Authors:   Institute of Philosophy of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Pris Igor E.
Published: November 2023

In the article “No Limit” Jocelyn Benoist criticizes the idea of a constitutive lim­itation of human cognitive and thinking abilities, which has spread in modern and postmodern philosophy. The author explores the notion of finite being, which has its origins in late scholasticism, and its evolution. The discourse of limit is linked to the motif of finitude, which goes back to Kant. For critical philosophy, the notion of ‘finitude’ is not reduced to the simple status of ‘being finite’. Finitude of human beings is conditioned by the fact that only the world of phenomena, not things in themselves, is accessible to them. For postmodern philosophy, which asserts the overcoming of finitude, to be is to be represented. Postmodernism abuses the idea of the performativity of language, which leads to a form of linguistic neo-idealism – the idea of the performativity of thought. De-literalising ontology, it attributes to thought an unconditional ontological fruitfulness. This is an insurrection not only against the fact that things are as they are, but also against the normativity of the notion of reality. In fact, things do not depend on their representation and discourse. And representations them­selves cannot easily be changed. Thought adapts to reality, not produces it. The postmodern limitlessness of knowledge and thought is the inverse of the modern limitation. The post-postmodern speculative realism of Q. Meillas­soux, which announced the end of finitude, in fact shares the premise of critical philosophy. To the end of finitude in the very terms of finitude Benoist opposes its end in the sense of refusing to reason in these terms. There is no limit that Meillassoux and neo-metaphysicians attempt to overcome.
The Past as a Call: the Architectonics of a Philosophical Autobiography
Authors:   Institute of Philosophy, Russian Academy of Sciences, Kasavina Nadezhda A.
Published: November 2023

The text is devoted to the architectonics of philosophical autobiography as the author’s building the integrity and significance of his own history in the con­text of acquiring a professional vocation. Understanding the sources of per­sonal unity, linking the emotional impressions of childhood and adolescence and the subsequent vector of creative life, the search for the beginning of in­dividuality, the discovery of “tying acts” and their event unfolding are consid­ered as aesthetic facets of self-reflection. The concept of “architectonics” refers to the creation of the integrity of the work, its composition, which con­veys the author’s perception of life, sets its semantic structure, and deter­mines its main factors and lines. It is an attempt to connect life and vocation, to see the influence of one on the other, to consider the origins of one’s present and from these positions to recognize the past, which always remains alive, changing, flickering. It remains a call to understanding, it is never com­plete, and needs the author’s involvement. To ask questions about the past, to answer them from the position of what has been passed means to gain access to the versatility of your current state. Using G. Marcel’s existential autobio­graphical works the author shows the importance of self-history narrative for understanding personality and history. Appeal to the past acquires the charac­ter of revealing in it those “requirements” that largely determine the creativity of a person and his life path, and become available through personal work with his experience.
The Ideal of Beauty in the Life of Science (Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow)
Authors:   Institute of Philosophy, Russian Academy of Sciences, Gerasimova Irina A.
Published: November 2023

The devotee of Beauty Nikolai Ivanovich Kiyashchenko believed that the aes­thetic should permeate all spheres of life and any work. He thought of Beauty as the basis of a high culture and, accordingly, a worthy development of a person, a harmonious co-evolution of a person, society and nature. Researchers have re­peatedly raised the topic of beauty in science in literature, but with a new itera­tion of scientific, technical and cultural development, the concept took on new meanings. Plato did not think of the ideal of beauty separately from the ideals of goodness and truth, which is reflected in the concept of good. The idea of a synthesis of thought, word and action passes through many cultures. In the an­cient Russian mentality, good as an ethical aspect of thought at the level of its origin (thoughts) was conveyed through the concept of justice – “direct knowl­edge of the truth”, an impulse that originates in the depths of the heart and does not require proof. Modern transitional era proposes a leap in cognitive evolution: from the differentiation of cultural spheres to their convergence on the path of dialogue, interpenetration, and the emergence of synthetic forms of creativity. The aesthetics of life of science returns to the origins of the synthesis of science, art and religion, but on a new basis. The concept of post-non-classical rationality by V.S. Stepin leads to synthesis, which implies a wide dialogue between science and non-scientific forms of cognition and experience, cementing the space of creative contacts. The objective aspects of beauty are embedded in the funda­mental categories of natural science. In a technogenic civilization, science aes­theticizes its tools. Thought in action is realized in engineering, design, ecodesign.
Piama Pavlovna Gaidenko as Historian of Science
Authors:   National Research University Higher School of Economics, Drozdova Daria N.
Published: November 2023

During her early career Piama Gaidenko was a subtle and erudite interpreter of 19th century German philosophy, primarily of Fichte. Her turn to philosophy and the history of science occurred rather by chance, when in 1969 she became a staff member of the Institute of the History of Science and Technology. Still became one of the leading historians of scientific thought, displaying high stan­dards of skill and professionalism to succeeding generations. P.P. Gaidenko is es­pecially remembered for her works on philosophical and scientific programs of Antiquity and Modernity. Since the 1990s she has also been actively address­ing the topic of religious – primarily Christian – premises for the development of scientific thought. Her work is an example of a philosophical (or conceptual) history of science that looks not at the social and material conditions for the de­velopment of scientific practice, but at the general ideas about matter, motion, and the methods of their knowledge incorporated into scientific theories. Often, within this approach, the researcher uses historical material to illustrate general theses about the course of scientific progress. We will consider the application of this approach on the example of P.P. Gaidenko’s works on the formation of the modern science.
The Path to “Normal Science” Through Existentialism
Authors:   Institute of Philosophy, Russian Academy of Sciences, Mikhaylov Igor A.
Published: November 2023

The article reflects upon the developmet of professional history of philosophy, philosophy of science and theoretical sociology in Soviet Union in the 1950s and 1960s. The decisive contribution to the formation of modern historical and philo­sophical problems, as well as to modern disputes about the nature of philoso­phy and science, belongs to Piama Gaidenko. The author focuses on the role of studies in existentialism and the way its problematic shaped human and sci­ence studies in soviet philosophy. A small review article published in Voprosy Filosofii in 1959, the very first scientific paper by Gaidenko despite its formal status, appears to be an extremely important scientific document, revealing not only the characteristic personal style of the author soon to become famous, but also the full thematic structure of Gaidenko’s future works. Contrary to the com­mon in the 50-60-s classification of existentialism as “irrationalism” and hence as hostile to science, this movement was the first to be studied as a region of contemporary philosophy thus fostering soviet philosophy to move away from harsh criticism of bourgeois philosophy and develop the branch of history of phi­losophy as “normal science”.
Sanskrit Philosophical Terminology (Karma, Sūkṣma, Sthūla) Translated into Arabic (Based on al-Bīrūnī’s “Kitāb bātanjala al-hindī”)
Authors:   Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), Pskhu Ruzana V. , Paribok Andrei V. ,   Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University)
Published: November 2023

The article raises an important but unpopular question of the possibility of translat­ing Sanskrit philosophical terms and concepts into the Arabic language. In modern (and not only) Indological studies, the specifics of translating Sanskrit philosophical vocabulary into the language of the author of the study are somehow affected. A meaningful translation of philosophical texts from Sanskrit into Arabic is rather a rare phenomenon. In the medieval Arabic literature, two such translations made by al-Bīrūnī are known: a paraphrase of the Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali and the transla­tion of the Sāṅkhya-kārikā, which is possibly not extant. We will consider a number of the most important philosophical terms in Sanskrit (generally significant for all areas of Indian philosophy) and their Arabic equivalents proposed by al-Bīrūnī. Among such terms, the most significant is the term karma (karman), known to the general public in its vulgar meaning as a kind of return of negativity to the one who was its source. Less well-known are such important pair-functioning ontological concepts as a subtle one (sūkṣma) and gross one (sthūla). The analysis of the Arabic equivalents of the corresponding Sanskrit words proposed by al-Bīrūnī demonstrates the limits of the possibilities of the Arabic philosophical language (we mean the translation precisely, not calcification, transliteration or transcription).
Postmetaphysical Thinking, Ecclesiology and the Problem of a Unique Theological Language Part II
Authors:   Saint Tikhon’s Orthodox University of the Humanities, Koltsov Alexander V.
Published: November 2023

The article compares two selected ecclesiological concepts of the twentieth cen­tury (bishop Damascene Tsedrik and metropolitan Anthony Bloom) with the cur­rents of thought of postmetaphysical theology, namely the movement of weak theology (G. Vattimo, J. Caputo). Firstly, a special study is required to define the object of consideration – a set of ecclesiological programmes of the twentieth century, in key points consonant with the general principles of contemporary postmetaphysical thinking; this task requires, on the one hand, identification of specific features of weak theology in its authentic variants, on the other hand, establishment of a wider (both chronological and with respect to different schools and movements) space of thought that possesses the highlighted fea­tures. Secondly, the question of the uniqueness of each replica under considera­tion arises: to what extent they are conditioned by “external” factors (an object­ive historical situation or orientation towards certain philosophical tendencies) and to what extent they remain a specifically theological statement, reflecting a particular situation in a specific religious logic. The main part offers a detailed examination of the ecclesiological views of Bishop Damascene and Metropolitan Anthony (which are chosen as two distinctive examples of a wider range of typ­ically similar positions). As a result, it is possible to identify common for them content and methodological features, which at the same time are consonant with the main points of postmetaphysical theology. The conclusions are that 1) there is a wider space of reaction to the cultural situation of criticism of modernity, of which the weak theology movement is a part, 2) in the considered concepts there is a proper theology, not reducible to the actual historical and ideological context, and 3) sacramental aspects of the presented ecclesiologies can be inter­preted in the spirit of postmodern poetics of Event.
Cognitive Culture and Notions of Truth
Authors:   Dagestan State University, Bilalov Mustafa I.
Published: November 2023

The article provides an overview of the primary author’s ideas and publications on forming the concept of “cognitive culture”. It appears as the author’s concept with some components of logically interrelated issues of understanding the sub­ject of cognition, types, genera, and types of cognitive culture, and its relation­ship with the problem of truth. Pointing to his numerous publications, the author argues that refining subjective metrics in modern science and culture is difficult both by the complexity of isolating individual consciousness from the collective one and by the existentialization of subjective operations in which human inter­est is maximized. The author’s work traces the dynamics of the subject in its epistemological and epistemological sections from “elimination of the subject” to “death of the subject”. According to the author of the article, classification into rational and irrational types of cognitive culture is productive in clarifying the connection between truth and knowledge, substantiating the idea of inquiring and extra-knowing existence of truth, which is essential for defining truth. Iden­tifying the complex influence of subjective levels, operational mechanisms, and their creative products on concrete-historical interpretations of truth allows us to establish the correspondence of a particular kind of cognitive culture to the gen­eral concepts of truth. As a result, the philosophical and conceptual understand­ing of truth is quite correctly admissible by the methodology of the polylogue of cognitive cultures.
Circling the Void: Using Heidegger and Lacan to think about Large Language Models
Authors: Heimann Marc , Hübener Anne-Friederike
Published: November 2023

The paper aims to unite two currently distinct ways of thinking about and working with language. Large language models and continental philosophy, especially Martin Heidegger's thinking about language and, building on Sigmund Freud, Jacques Lacan's structural psychoanalysis. We show that the concept of language that Heidegger, Freud, and Lacan discussed and utilized in clinical frameworks is quite well matched by modern LLMs. This allows us to discuss a problem of negation and negativity that is central to continental discourse but absent from current LLM research. This also means that we offer a radically different approach than is usual in the philosophy of artificial intelligence, since we base our concepts on thinkers who are often neglected in the discourse of analytic philosophy that is closer to AI research. To this end, we also indicate where the ontological differences of the proposed approach lie. Our aim, however, is to address both AI researchers and continental philosophers.
Distinct functions of wild-type and R273H mutant Δ133p53α differentially regulate glioblastoma aggressiveness and therapy-induced senescence
Authors: Harris Curtis , Joruiz Sebastien , Von Muhlinen Natalia , Horikawa Izumi , Gilbert Mark
Published: November 2023

Mutations effects on p53 isoforms’ activities remain largely unknown, although they are mutated in 92% of TP53 mutant cancers. Therefore, exploring the effect of mutations on p53 isoforms activities is a critical, albeit unexplored area in the p53 field. In this article, we report for the first time a mutant Δ133p53α-specific pathway which increases IL4I1 and IDO1 expression and activates AHR, a tumor-promoting mechanism. Accordingly, mutant Δ133p53α R273H increases glioblastoma cancer cells proliferation and invasion while the WT does not. Furthermore, while WT Δ133p53α reduces apoptosis to promote DNA repair, the mutant also reduces apoptosis but fails to maintain genomic stability.Furthermore, both WT and mutant Δ133p53α reduce cellular senescence in a senescence inducer-dependent manner (temozolomide or radiation) because they regulate different senescence-associated target genes. Hence, WT Δ133p53α rescues temozolomide-induced but not radiation-induced senescence, while mutant Δ133p53α R273H rescues radiation-induced but not temozolomide-induced senescence. Lastly, using TCGA data, we determined that IL4I1, IDO1 and AHR are significantly higher in GBMs compared to LGGs. IL4I1 expression is increased in mutant TP53 LGGs and GBMs, although only significantly in LGG. Importantly, high expression of all three genes in LGG and IL4I1 in GBM is significantly associated with poorer patients’ survival. These data show that, compared to WT Δ133p53α, R273H mutation reorientates its activities toward carcinogenesis and activates the oncogenic IL4I1/IDO1/AHR pathway, a potential prognostic marker and therapeutic target in GBM by combining drugs specifically modulating Δ133p53α expression and IDO1/Il4I1/AHR inhibitors.
Sourcing aliphatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Jinga Shrimp (Metapenaeus affinis) muscle tissues and surface sediments (Study case: Northwest Persian Gulf)
Authors: Monjezi Shaghayegh Davodi , Bakhtiari Alireza Riyahi , Alavi-Yeganeh Mohammad Sadegh
Published: November 2023

The Persian Gulf, known for its abundant oil and gas reserves, faces significant contamination from hydrocarbon compounds originating from industrial activities. This study focused on investigating the distribution and source of aliphatic (AHs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the surface sediments of the Northwestern Persian Gulf and the muscle tissues of Jinga Shrimp (Metapenaeus affinis), one of the most commercially exploited aquatic species. The methodology involved sampling Jinga Shrimp in November 2018 from four important fishing areas in Behrgan and Khormousi Estuary: Imam Khomeini Port (S1), Mahshahr Port (S2), Sejafi (S3), and Behrgan Wharf (S4). After determining the sex of the shrimps, male samples were selected for analysis, and a total of 28 samples were collected. Additionally, sediment samples were collected from the same locations. The pollutants in the samples were quantified using laboratory procedures. The results revealed that the average concentration of aliphatic compounds in Jinga Shrimp was 4800.32 (µg g − 1 DW), while sediment samples showed an estimated value of 2496.69 (µg g − 1 DW). By analyzing the hydrocarbon components, the average concentration of EPA Priority List (PAH-16) and measured PAHs (PAH-29) in Jinga Shrimp were in the ranges of 1095.8 to 2698.3 (ng g − 1 DW) and in sediments were 653.6 to 1019.5 (ng g − 1 DW), respectively. The higher concentration of AHs and PAHs in Jinga Shrimp compared to sediments indicated the petrogenic source of these compounds. The predominant PAHs in both shrimp and sediment samples were the compounds with low molecular weight (LMW). Moreover, the aliphatic composition profiles in shrimps were similar to those in sediments, portraying a gradient of even-to-odd carbon dominance. The study found a positive and direct correlation between hydrocarbon concentrations in both shrimp and sediment samples and the corresponding aliphatics, PAH-16, and PAH-29 groups, affirming the potential of the Jinga Shrimp as an indicator of hydrocarbon pollution.
Morphological Spatial Clustering of High-density Central Areas and Their Coupling Relationship with Thermal Environment——A Case Study of the Wuyi Road Hatchback in Changsha
Authors: Su Xijing , Liu Luyun , Yi Pei , Chen Cunyou , Zhang Minhuan
Published: November 2023

Intense urban development and high urban density cause the thermal environment in urban centers to deteriorate continuously, affecting the living environment quality. In this study, 707.49 hectares of land in the central area of Changsha were divided into 121 plots. 11 microclimate-related morphological indicators were comprehensively selected, and the K-means method was used to cluster the plots. Then, the relationship between morphological clusters and the thermal environment was explored by simulating the thermal environment of the study area using Envi-met. First, five spatial types were found to characterize the area: High-rise-High-volume-Low-density-Low-green; Middle-rise-High-volume-High-density-Low-green; Low-rise-Low-volume-High-green; Medium-volume-High-density-Low-green; and Low-rise-Low-volume-Low-density-High-green. Second, the Sky View Factor, the Area-weighted Building Shape Index, the Building Windward-surface Density, the Building Density, and the Building Average Volume significantly affect the thermal environment. Third, Cluster 3 had the highest average air temperature (Ta), followed by Clusters 2 and 1, and Clusters 4 and 5 had relatively low Ta. The spatial vitality index and building otherness in Cluster 1; the area-weighted building shape index and average building volume in Cluster 2; green space coverage in Cluster 3; floor area ratio in Cluster 4; spatial vitality index, building average volume, and height in Cluster 5 had greater influences on Ta. Fourthly, simply increasing the area of green space cannot maximize the cooling effect of green spaces. Instead, constructing an equalized greening network can better regulate the thermal environment. Fifthly, the results provides a scientific basis for the design and the regulation of urban centers.
Increase of anthropogenic NOx emissions stimulate the productivity on global ocean deserts
Authors: Chen Fajin , Lao Qibin , Li Hongliang , Yan Jinpei , Huang Peng , Jin Guangzhe , He Guirong , Chen Chunqing , Zhu Qingmei
Published: November 2023

The decline in ocean productivity has become a consensus due to the weakening vertical supply of nutrients to the upper ocean under global warming. However, ocean productivity in the subtropical gyres, regarded as ocean deserts, has increased over the past few decades. We speculated that the continuous increase in anthropogenic NOx emissions is the key factor for such an inconsistent trend. Herein, aerosol nitrate dual isotopes covering the global oceans were analysed and we found that nitrate concentrations in the Northern Hemisphere (NH) are nearly twice higher than in the Southern Hemisphere (SH) due to intensive human activities in the NH. Although atmospheric nitrate deposition only accounts for 2.1% of nitrate inventory in the global upper ocean, its contribution is up to 31.5% in the subtropical gyres, with much higher contribution in the NH (over 50%), indicating the significant contribution of atmospheric deposition to the ocean productivity in these regions.
Development of a method for Making Optimal Decisions for Intervention Flexibility during Implementation (MODIFI): A modified Delphi study
Authors: Brewer Stephanie K , Corbin Catherine M , Baumann Ana A , Stirman Shannon Wiltsey , Jones Janine M , Pullmann Michael D , Lyon Aaron R
Published: November 2023

Background. Intervention adaptation is often necessary to improve the fit between evidence-based practices/programs and implementation contexts. Existing frameworks describe intervention adaptation processes but do not provide detailed steps for prospectively designing adaptations, are designed for researchers, and require substantial time and resources to complete. A pragmatic approach to guide implementers through developing and assessing adaptations in local contexts is needed. The goal of this project was to develop Making Optimal Decisions for Intervention Flexibility during Implementation (MODIFI), a method for intervention adaptation that leverages human centered design methods and is tailored to the needs of intervention implementers working in applied settings with limited time and resources.
Method. MODIFI was iteratively developed via a mixed-methods modified Delphi process. Feedback was collected from 43 implementation research and practice experts. Two rounds of data collection gathered quantitative ratings of acceptability (Round 1) and feasibility (Round 2), as well as qualitative feedback regarding MODIFI revisions analyzed using conventional content analysis.
Results. In Round 1, most participants rated all proposed components as essential but identified important avenues for revision which were incorporated into MODIFI prior to Round 2. Round 2 emphasized feasibility, where ratings were generally high and fewer substantive revisions were recommended. Round 2 changes largely surrounded operationalization of terms/processes and sequencing of content. Results include a detailed presentation of the final version of the three-step MODIFI method (Step 1: Learn about the users, local context, and intervention; Step 2: Adapt the intervention; Step 3: Evaluate the adaptation) along with a case example of its application.
Discussion. MODIFI is a pragmatic method that was developed to extend the contributions of other research-based adaptation theories, models, and frameworks while integrating methods that are tailored to the needs of intervention implementers. Guiding teams to tailor evidence-based interventions to their local context may extend for whom, where, and under what conditions an intervention can be effective.
Mechanism and Deterioration Pattern of Sandstone Surrounding Rock Voiding at Bottom of Heavy- Haul Railway Tunnel
Authors: Li Zi-qiang , Yang Shi-jian , Feng Jian-wen , Zhang Hang , Huang wei-wei , Li Zheng
Published: November 2023

This study combines laboratory experiments and discrete element simulation methods to analyze the mechanism and deterioration patterns of sandstone surrounding rock voiding the bottom of a heavy-haul railway tunnel. It is based on previously acquired measurement data from optical fiber grating sensors installed in the Taihangshan Mountain Tunnel of the Wari Railway. By incorporating rock particle wastage rate results, a method for calculating the peak strength and elastic modulus attenuation of surrounding rock is proposed. Research indicates that the operation of heavy-haul trains leads to an instantaneous increase in the dynamic water pressure on the bottom rock ranging 144.4–390.0%, resulting in high-speed water flow eroding the rock. After 1–2 years of operation, the bottom water and soil pressures increase by 526.5% and 390.0%, respectively. Focusing on sandstone surrounding rock with high observability, laboratory experiments were conducted to monitor the degradation stages of infiltration, particle loss, and voiding of rock under the action of dynamic water flow. The impact of water flow on the “cone-shaped” bottom rock deformation was also clarified. The extent of rock deterioration and voiding was determined using miniature water and soil pressure sensors in conjunction with discrete element numerical simulations. The measured rock particle loss was used as a criterion. Finally, a fitting approach is derived to calculate the peak strength and elastic modulus attenuation of surrounding rock, gaining insight into and providing a reference for the maintenance and disposal measures for the bottom operation of heavy-haul railway tunnels.