Teaching foreign languages taking into account the variety of types of communicative activity

The article deals with the key aspects of teaching foreign languages, taking into account the variety of types of communicative activity. It is known for certain that the leading communicative characteristic of language communication is its dualism, i.e. the presence in any separate act of communication of two participants and, accordingly, two communicative processes: the transmission or production of a language message and its reception. The processes of transmitting and receiving language messages can be separated by arbitrarily large intervals of space and time. The very two-sidedness of language communication determines the presence of different roles performed by the individuals involved in it. Each of these roles, which we will call types of communicative or linguistic activity, is a complex psychophysiological complex with pronounced specificity. The distinction between productive and receptive in linguistic communication is, therefore, not a terminological excess, but a fact of paramount importance, arising from the very nature of linguistic information exchange. Communication has many features that it would be right to take into account when teaching the acquired language. Such forms of speech activity as production and receiving have a different nature of origin and existence. An invaluable help in teaching foreign languages for the successful solution of these tasks is to conduct a number of lexicographic and phonetic-grammatical studies.

Academician G. K. Boreskov: Catalysis as Destiny

The article is a biographical outline of the life and achivements of an outstanding chemist Georgy Konstantinovich Boreskov (1907–1984). G. K. Boreskov entered the history of domestic and world science as an outstanding scientist, engineer and teacher. The bright life of the scientist-chemist Boreskov was devoted to the study of catalysis and the closely related problems of chemical kinetics and chemical technology. In his work, fundamental research on catalysis as an interesting chemical phenomenon were harmoniously combined with the successful solution of the most important problems of the chemical industry. With the development of a new catalyst for one of the main industrial processes – the production of sulfuric acid – that G. K. Boreskov began his career in science. Thanks to the introduction of technologies based on his developments, a real breakthrough occurred in some areas of industrial production related to catalysis. In Novosibirsk, Academician Boreskov played the main role in the creation of the country’s first Institute of Catalysis of the Siberian Branch of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, which now bears his name. No less important is the merit of Academician Boreskov as the founder of the scientific school in the field of heterogeneous catalysis.

Application of the train congestion recovery method for constructing an instantaneous direct current railway section

Improving the energy efficiency of the transportation process is one of the key tasks, the solution of which is one of the priority areas of the holding JSC «RZD» research. The successful solution of this problem depends, among other things, on the effectiveness of measures taken to reduce energy losses arising from electricity transmission to the consumer, which is the rolling stock of electrified railways. To develop a set of organizational and technical measures aimed at minimizing electricity consumption, an effective apparatus that provides determination of energy losses amount of in the electric-traction netware in real time is needed. The article proposes a method for hardware-analytical calculation of energy losses, which is based on an algorithm for processing the results of direct measurements. It is proposed to calculate power losses using laws and relationships known from the course of electrical engineering. A distinctive feature of the proposed method is the function of recreating the instantaneous circuit based on the data of currents and voltages measurements at the control points of a given section. The proposed method is suitable for use exclusively on DC electrified railways. Also, the paper presents the methods for determining energy losses used today in Russia, and gives their brief characteristics. The logical and mathematical apparatus of the method is described in detail, indicating the possible reasons that, in the process of synthesizing instantaneous circuits, can affect the occurrence of errors. An assessment of the study results of this method application in the electric-traction netware of railways is given.

Ecology as the main way for sustainable development in agriculture

Based on these facts, it is clear that agriculture has a detrimental impact on the environment at this stage of development. Taking into account the negative consequences of its activities, it can be concluded that, in today’s world, there should be tendencies to create ecological equilibrium, soil recovery, restoration of biogeochemical cycles, improvement of the resilience of agro-ecosystems to ensure the cleanliness of all agricultural products. Their successful solution can only be based on environmental management, a comprehensive system of measures to conserve wildlife, and increased agricultural and livestock productivity. Positioning Russia as a country with good and clean lands for the production of food materials, with rich genetic resources, the good environmental situation in many agricultural regions will contribute to the creation of a favorable investment climate in such industries as ecological agriculture, production of environmentally friendly products, development of environmental, agricultural, and gastronomic tourism, service and restaurant sectors. Making the ecologization of agriculture a priority will help to address problems such as increasing soil fertility at the expense of soil-forming organisms, preserving the biodiversity of plants, animals, increasing the sustainability of agro- and biocenoses and it will ultimately lead to the restoration and preservation of human health.

USE OF LOW POTENTIAL ENERGY FOR ELECTRIC AND THERMAL ENERGY PRODUCTION

This article presents new directions for the search for alternative energy sources that can be extracted from the environment, have unlimited reserves, low cost of conversion into other types of energy, do not use fossil fuels, are autonomous, environmentally friendly, do not depend on meteorological conditions and the time of year, do not require long lines for power transmission. Objectives: Rational use of fuel and energy resources is today one of the global world problems, the successful solution of which, apparently, will be of decisive importance not only for the further development of the world community, but also for the preservation of its habitat

Youth solving pandemics: hopeful futures in Maths Claesson’s novel Pandemic

Are representations of pandemics in fiction always bleak dystopian tales understood as nature’s revenge on the modern Faustian man, or could they also express hope and expand our imagination in a time of environmental crisis? In this article, we analyse the young adult novel Pandemic (Swedish title: Pandemi, 2018) by Swedish author Maths Claesson. Pandemic is the third novel in a trilogy (2013–2018) with 15-year-old astronaut-trainee Linux as the main protagonist. During his astronaut program on a space station, a pandemic breaks out on Earth. While scientists on Earth struggle to isolate the virus and find a vaccine, Linux and his fellow astronaut-trainees are asked by the WHO to try out a simulation, a computer game aimed at isolating a pandemic outbreak and finding a vaccine. Their simulation is successful and eventually becomes decisive for the solution of the current pandemic crisis on Earth. Departing from Critical Future Studies (Goode and Godhe, Cult Unbound J Curr Cul Res 9(1):108–129, 2017), we focus on the figures of hope (cf. Moylan, Demand the impossible: Science fiction and the utopian imagination, Methuen, pp. 1–2, 1986) for a sustainable future and analyse how the novel is widening the scopes of possible futures. We show how the computer simulation and the successful solution of the crisis serves as a vehicle for a broader discussion about what kind of future we want, a future where the conquest of space offers new opportunities, e.g. for solving the environmental crisis. While normally in Y/A speculative fiction, technology is almost exclusively depicted as ostensibly serving human needs, in Pandemic it is thanks to technology, and the younger generation’s particular skills, that the disease is conquered. In this sense, the novel is hopeful since it depicts the younger generation as being capable of developing different thinking patterns from those of the adult society.

POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE ASPECTS OF ELECTRONIC CRIMINAL CASE INTRODUCTION

The article discusses both positive and negative aspects of the development of such a phenomenon as an electronic criminal case. It is noted that, taking into account the general digitalization of society, criminal proceedings in the future will undergo significant changes. This will be facilitated by the widespread introduction of electronic document management, remote forms of investigative and judicial actions, the use of algorithms and mathematical calculations in making procedural decisions, the use of robotics. Much will depend on the successful solution of problems related to ensuring information security, protecting the legal rights and freedoms of citizens, as well as the interests of society and the state.Keywords:electronic criminal case, information technology, criminal procedure, algorithms, robotics

A Hybrid–Electric Driveline for Agricultural Tractors Based on an e-CVT Power-Split Transmission

This paper proposes a full-hybrid driveline based on an electric continuously variable transmission (e-CVT), which is inspired by the car industry’s most successful solution. The paper describes the operating principle, the system architecture, and the control scheme of the proposed driveline. An analysis of four possible operating modes shows that the e-CVT driveline leads to a performance similar to that of conventional tractors, as well as unusual features such as power boost, full-electric mode, optimized auxiliary drive and electric power delivery capability. The compact layout proposed for the e-CVT also makes it possible to simplify the overall layout of the tractor, particularly during the installation of both the thermal engine and the cooling system.

GREEN: Cool & Care—Research and Development of Greening Measures in Nursing Homes in Austria. Technical and Social Interconnections

According to demographic data, the percentage of elderly people within the population is growing, representing a vulnerable group to the effects of increasing heat, but little attention has been paid to developed adaptation measures. In addition, many older people leave their familiar homes and live in nursing homes. The person-centred care pursues creating spaces of high living quality for these people in nursing homes, to which plants and greenery can contribute. Greening is also considered an effective climate change adaptation measure. To create healthy conditions for this vulnerable group of elderly, both technical and social factors must be considered, and accordingly, a successful solution can only be achieved in an interdisciplinary way. The research and development of the project “Green: Cool & Care” dealt with this outset from a building physics, social, and nursing science perspective, and concepts to integrate greening measures in nursing homes were developed jointly by researchers, planners, staff, volunteers, and residents. For this purpose, measurement campaigns of air quality parameters, individual interviews and focus groups, as well as co-creative workshops were conducted aiming to include the objective building conditions as well as the subjective needs in developing and, in a further step, implementing greening measures.

On the Problem of Synchronization of Virtual and Real Movements for Virtual Reality Systems

An immersive experience in modern virtual reality systems requires adjusting of various parameters. This report focuses on the problem of virtual representation of real movements of objects in space. Separately, a special class of problems is highlighted: synchronization of visual and dynamic imitation for virtual reality systems and motion platforms. Modern mass-produced virtual reality headsets do not allow effective tracking of human movements on a moving base using standard software. The element base and algorithms necessary for the successful solution of this problem are presented.