Foundations and Trends in Research

ORGANIZATION AND METHODOLOGY OF BREAST, CERVICAL AND COLORECTAL CANCER SCREENING: THE KAZAKHSTAN EXPERIENCE

Sun, 13 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This scientific and analytical study examines the epidemiological patterns of cervical, breast, and colorectal cancer in the regions of the country, with particular emphasis on incidence and mortality rates and their regional variation. The study provides a comprehensive assessment of the current state of cancer screening and prevention, including the screening approaches used for the early detection of these malignancies in clinically asymptomatic populations. Particular attention is given to the organization and implementation of population-based screening programs, the target populations, screening intervals, diagnostic methods, and the subsequent management of individuals with abnormal screening results. The analysis also considers the role of screening in reducing the burden of malignant neoplasms through early detection and timely referral for further diagnostic evaluation and treatment. The study presents detailed, step-by-step algorithms for the organization and implementation of screening for cervical, breast, and colorectal cancer, outlining the principal stages from identification and invitation of eligible individuals to primary screening, additional diagnostic procedures, confirmation of the diagnosis, and appropriate follow-up. The diagnostic capabilities and practical significance of the screening methods currently applied are described, with particular emphasis on their potential for detecting precancerous conditions and early-stage malignancies before the onset of clinical symptoms. The findings highlight the importance of a systematic, evidence-based approach to cancer screening and demonstrate the potential of well-organized preventive programs to improve early detection, facilitate timely treatment, and ultimately contribute to reductions in cancer-related incidence and mortality

THE SCIENTIFIC DISCOURSE ON THE CONTEMPORARY PHARMACOTHERAPEUTIC ARMAMENTARIUM OF DUCHENNE MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY: AN INTEGRATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE PHARMACOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION OF THERAPEUTIC AGENTS, MOLECULAR PHARMACOLOGY, PHARMACODYNAMIC AND PHARMACOKINETIC

Sun, 13 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) constitutes a paradigmatic X-linked neuromuscular disorder characterized by pathogenic alterations in the DMD gene, disruption of dystrophin expression, progressive sarcolemmal instability, chronic myofiber degeneration, persistent inflammatory remodeling, impaired regenerative capacity, and inexorable deterioration of skeletal, respiratory, and cardiac muscle function. The contemporary pharmacotherapeutic armamentarium of DMD has undergone substantial expansion from predominantly glucocorticoid-based management toward an increasingly mechanistically stratified therapeutic paradigm encompassing corticosteroid pharmacotherapy, exon-skipping antisense oligonucleotides, histone deacetylase inhibition, micro-dystrophin gene replacement, and multidimensional pharmacological management of disease-associated cardiopulmonary, skeletal, endocrine, and functional complications. This scientific discourse provides an integrative pharmacological appraisal of currently established and emerging therapeutic modalities, emphasizing therapeutic classification, molecular mechanisms of action, pharmacodynamic determinants, pharmacokinetic characteristics, genotype-dependent treatment selection, adverse drug reactions, toxicological liabilities, pharmacological interactions, and comprehensive pharmacosafety considerations. Glucocorticoids remain fundamental components of DMD pharmacotherapy because of their clinically meaningful effects on muscle strength, motor performance, ambulation, and pulmonary function. Prednisone/prednisolone and deflazacort exert pleiotropic genomic and non-genomic corticosteroid effects through glucocorticoid-receptor signaling, modulating transcriptional networks involved in inflammation, immune activation, muscle homeostasis, and tissue remodeling. Vamorolone represents a pharmacologically distinctive corticosteroid derivative designed to retain glucocorticoid-mediated therapeutic activity while modifying receptor-dependent transactivation and transrepression profiles, thereby potentially altering the conventional corticosteroid toxicity spectrum. Nevertheless, chronic corticosteroid exposure necessitates systematic surveillance for growth impairment, weight gain, behavioral and metabolic abnormalities, hypertension, cataracts, osteoporosis, infection susceptibility, and hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis suppression, rendering individualized dose optimization and adrenal-stress management integral components of pharmacosafety. Molecularly targeted exon-skipping therapies represent a genotype-dependent pharmacological strategy designed to manipulate pre-mRNA splicing and restore the translational reading frame of selected DMD transcripts. Eteplirsen, golodirsen, viltolarsen, and casimersen are phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomer or related antisense oligonucleotide therapeutics directed against specific exons, respectively enabling exon 51, exon 53, or exon 45 skipping in genetically eligible patients. Their pharmacodynamic objective is the induction of dystrophin production through sequence-specific hybridization with dystrophin pre-mRNA. Their pharmacokinetic behavior is characterized by distribution to tissues, intracellular uptake, metabolic stability relative to conventional small molecules, and predominantly non-CYP-mediated elimination pathways. Pharmacovigilance nevertheless remains essential, particularly regarding renal safety, infusion-related reactions, hypersensitivity, hepatic or laboratory abnormalities, and the uncertainty associated with surrogate biomarker-mediated therapeutic assessment. Gene-replacement therapy has introduced a fundamentally different pharmacological modality through systemic delivery of a recombinant adeno-associated virus vector encoding a micro-dystrophin transgene. Delandistrogene moxeparvovec-rokl is intended to facilitate expression of a functional micro-dystrophin protein within skeletal and cardiac muscle, thereby addressing the underlying protein-deficiency phenotype rather than merely modifying downstream pathophysiology. Its pharmacological complexity encompasses vector biodistribution, cellular transduction, transgene expression, pre-existing anti-vector immunity, complement activation, hepatotoxicity, thrombocytopenia, and potentially severe immune-mediated adverse events. Consequently, patient selection, baseline serological assessment, corticosteroid immunomodulation, hepatic monitoring, and long-term pharmacovigilance constitute essential elements of responsible gene-therapy deployment. Givinostat, an orally administered histone deacetylase inhibitor, further expands the mechanistic spectrum of DMD pharmacotherapy by modulating epigenetic and transcriptional processes implicated in muscle pathology, inflammation, fibrosis, and regenerative dysfunction. Its pharmacodynamic effects are therefore conceptually distinct from corticosteroid receptor signaling, exon-specific RNA modulation, and gene replacement. Monitoring of hematological parameters, lipid metabolism, hepatic function, gastrointestinal tolerability, and other clinically relevant laboratory variables is necessary to mitigate treatment-associated toxicity. Beyond disease-modifying therapy, comprehensive DMD pharmacotherapy requires coordinated management of cardiomyopathy, respiratory insufficiency, osteoporosis, endocrine consequences, pain, contractures, and other secondary complications. Renin–angiotensin-system inhibitors, mineralocorticoid-receptor antagonists, β-adrenergic blockers, diuretics, and other cardiovascular agents may be incorporated according to individualized cardiac phenotype and guideline-directed indications, while bone-directed interventions and nutritional/endocrine therapies address corticosteroid-associated and disease-related skeletal vulnerability. Respiratory pharmacotherapy remains predominantly complication-oriented rather than disease-modifying. The contemporary DMD pharmacotherapy represents an increasingly sophisticated convergence of molecular genetics, RNA therapeutics, epigenetic pharmacology, gene therapy, immunopharmacology, and conventional clinical pharmacology. Optimal therapeutic decision-making requires integration of genotype, age, ambulatory status, disease stage, organ-system involvement, pharmacokinetic variability, treatment response, and cumulative toxicity. The emerging paradigm consequently extends beyond efficacy-centered prescribing toward precision pharmacotherapy, longitudinal pharmacovigilance, individualized benefit–risk assessment, and proactive pharmacosafety optimization throughout the lifelong clinical trajectory of DMD.

Before the Weapons Sound: Media Power in Conflict

Eka Tkhilava, PhD, Maia Ekaladze — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This paper analyses the process of media involvement in the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict and its implications. There is a prevailing argument that disinformation holds greater power than tanks. This premise serves as the foundational point of departure for the present study — to examine the role of media in conflict coverage and to investigate how disinformation is capable of surpassing the force of a tank. The research led us to the origins of the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict; it is precisely these issues that are foregrounded, analysed, and interpreted throughout the paper.

SEISMIC DESIGN CONCEPT OF BUILDINGS AND SEISMIC RISK REDUCTION

Paata Rekvava — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The disasters, such as earthquakes that severely damage buildings, prove fatal to life. However, the truth remains that it is not the disasters that are responsible for the loss of lives, but the buildings that are incapable of withstanding these disasters. Loss life can be drastically reduced by ensuring that the structures of buildings are strong enough to bear the impact of earthquakes.

Buildings are a combination of art and science, which are put together to function as a living structure.

They are designed by architects and engineers. In reality, in most cases, buildings principally for human occupancy are designed conceptually by architects.

The three most important aspects of building design are: (i) Function, (ii) Form and (III) Strength. Function refers to the usage of the building and form refers to its overall geometry, composed in an aesthetically pleasing manner in keeping with the requirements of the user or intended functions. The form follows function. The architect is responsible for the form derived from the function of the building structure. The role of a structural engineer is to give enough strength his ideas and look after endurance and seismic strength of the structural members.

In Georgia, seismic resistant design is considered to be exclusively within the field of responsibility of structural engineers. As a result, architects are not well informed about the effect of their design decisions on the seismic performance of the buildings. Improving the collaboration and communication between

the architects and structural engineers can greatly help in reducing the seismic vulnerability of buildings. Successful collaboration can bring much more to a project than just facilitating its design and completion. The client and the users of a building are the primary beneficiaries of architect-structural engineer collaboration, but architects and structural engineers themselves benefit greatly.

The objective of this paper is to present the concept of seismic resistant design in a comprehensible format for the architects and structural engineers, therefore aims contribute to the efforts of creating a better awareness of seismic resistant building design.

İqlim Dəyişikliyi Müstəvisində Qlobal Miqrasiya Prosesləri: Geosiyasi, Sosial-İqtisadi və Demoqrafik Transformasiyalar

Şəfəq Əliyeva Məmməd qızı — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Antropogen fəaliyyət nəticəsində sürətlənən qlobal iqlim dəyişikliyi müasir coğrafiya elminin fundamental tədqiqat obyektinə çevrilmişdir. Bu proses sadəcə fiziki-coğrafi parametrlərin (temperatur, yağıntı balansı, dəniz səviyyəsi) dəyişməsi ilə məhdudlaşmır, həm də iqtisadi-sosial və demoqrafik coğrafiyanın ən ciddi böhranlarından birini — iqlim miqrasiyasını şərtləndirir. Bu akademik məqalədə ekoloji amillərin qlobal əhali məskunlaşmasına təsiri, miqrasiya arealları, regional risk ekosistemləri və prosesin geosiyasi fəsadları kompleks şəkildə təhlil olunur.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN DIGITAL LOBBYING: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF REGULATORY AND LEGAL FRAMEWORKS IN THE EU AND THE USA

YELEMES S, SHUKIZHANOVA A.N — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This article provides a comparative analysis of the regulatory and legal frameworks governing artificial intelligence in digital lobbying within the European Union and the United States. As emerging technologies reshape interest representation, traditional lobbying practices increasingly rely on AI-driven data analytics, automated advocacy tools, and generative algorithms to influence public policy. The study examines how distinct legislative approaches – characterised by the EU’s rights-centric, stringent enforcement via the Artificial Intelligence Act and Transparency Register, versus the US’s market-oriented governance model shaped by the Lobbying Disclosure Act and federal-state disparities – address the transparency and ethical challenges of algorithmic lobbying.

Employing comparative legal and empirical methodologies, this research evaluates the efficacy of existing regulatory mechanisms in mitigating risks related to democratic manipulation, corporate undue influence, and algorithmic opacity. The findings indicate that while the EU prioritises comprehensive compliance and institutional accountability, the US regulatory landscape remains fragmented, focusing primarily on disclosure rather than technological restriction. Ultimately, the paper contributes to the academic discourse on digital governance by highlighting the regulatory gaps and policy adaptations necessary to ensure democratic integrity in the age of automated interest intermediation.

Тюркский археолого-этнографический комплекс «Кумай»: структура и значение в системе историко-культурного наследия Акмолинской области

Жаманова Гульмира — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

В статье рассматривается тюркский археолого-этнографический комплекс «Кумай», расположенный в Акмолинской области, как объект историко-культурного наследия. Анализируются его структура и основные элементы, включая курганы, могильники и каменные изваяния (балбалы). Рассматривается связь материальной культуры с мифологическим образом Кумай (Умай, Хумай), отражающим представления о защите и продолжении рода. Подчёркивается значение комплексного подхода к изучению памятника и необходимость его сохранения.

Cybersecurity as a Factor of Kazakhstan's National Foreign Policy Strategy

Arzigul Islamova, Aimen Kurmangali, İhsan Çapcıoğlu — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This article examines cybersecurity as an increasingly autonomous factor shaping the foreign policy strategy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the period 2020-2028. Drawing on the Concept of Foreign Policy of the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2020-2030, the national "Cyber Shield of Kazakhstan" programme, and the country's evolving engagement with multilateral cyber-diplomacy platforms, the study argues that cybersecurity has moved from a purely technical and domestic-security concern to a structural component of Kazakhstan's multi-vector diplomacy. The authors analyze the institutional architecture responsible for cyber-policy formation, Kazakhstan's positioning between Russia, China, the European Union and the United States on questions of digital sovereignty and information security, and the country's participation in United Nations, OSCE, SCO, CSTO and CIS cyber-related initiatives. Particular attention is paid to the tension between Kazakhstan's aspiration for an open, internationally integrated digital economy and its simultaneous pursuit of information sovereignty and control over the domestic information space. Based on document analysis and comparative case material, the article concludes that cybersecurity functions in contemporary Kazakhstani foreign policy simultaneously as a security imperative, a diplomatic resource, and a legitimizing narrative for the modernization of state institutions. The findings contribute to the broader academic discussion on digital diplomacy and technology-driven transformation of foreign policy doctrines in Central Asian states, and offer a set of policy recommendations aimed at strengthening Kazakhstan's cyber-diplomatic capacity through 2028.

EXTERNAL SECURITY THREATS TO GEORGIA: GEOPOLITICAL, TERRITORIAL, AND ECONOMIC DIMENSIONS

Giorgi Tsatsiashvili — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

National security is one of the fundamental prerequisites for the stable and peaceful development of a modern state. For Georgia, the protection of sovereignty, territorial integrity, economic resilience, and the security of its population represents a major national priority. Georgia's geographical position at the intersection of Europe and Asia has historically made the country strategically important to regional and global powers while simultaneously exposing it to a range of external security challenges.

This article examines the principal external security threats facing Georgia, with particular emphasis on geopolitical pressure, territorial occupation, the military and political role of the Russian Federation, economic vulnerabilities, and the transformation of contemporary security threats. The article argues that Georgia's external security environment is multidimensional and cannot be adequately understood through a traditional military-security framework alone. The continued occupation of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia, the presence of Russian military forces, restrictions on freedom of movement, illegal detentions, borderization, economic pressure, and wider geopolitical competition have significant implications for Georgia's sovereignty and long-term development.

At the same time, economic diversification, international cooperation, diplomatic engagement, peaceful conflict-resolution mechanisms, and institutional resilience provide important instruments for reducing Georgia's vulnerabilities. The article concludes that Georgia's long-term security requires a comprehensive strategy combining territorial resilience, economic diversification, democratic institutional development, international cooperation, technological security, and peaceful conflict resolution. Such an approach is essential for protecting Georgia's sovereignty and supporting its sustainable development in an increasingly complex regional and international security environment.

Social Media Marketing Practices of Kazakhstan's Local Coffee and Tea Chains: A Multiple-Case Analysis Based on the S-O-R Model

WEI Mengyun — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Purpose. This paper investigates how three leading local coffee and tea chains in Kazakhstan design and deploy social media marketing (SMM) stimuli, and how the observed patterns can be interpreted through the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) theoretical framework. Systematic academic analysis of local Central-Asian F&B chains remains scarce, and the study responds to this gap.

Design/Methodology. The paper adopts a multiple-case study design following Yin (2018). Three purposively selected Kazakhstani chains — Coffee BOOM, Marrone Rosso and Daily Coffee — jointly cover the strategic space of the local coffee/tea market along the value-to-premium spectrum. Data were collected from the brands' public Instagram, TikTok and Telegram accounts, supplemented by industry press and the DataReportal Digital 2025 Kazakhstan report. Cross-case pattern-matching was used to map each brand's SMM configuration onto the S-O-R model's stimulus, organism and response stages.

Findings. The three brands adopt visibly distinct SMM configurations that map to different S-O-R conversion pathways. Coffee BOOM emphasises reach-oriented stimuli (breakfast promotions, mass-audience Instagram posts) that convert primarily through perceived value. Marrone Rosso relies on aesthetic-quality stimuli and Instagram lifestyle photography, converting mainly through brand attitude. Daily Coffee operates a youth-culture, atmosphere-driven pattern whose primary conversion route runs through affective brand attachment — a finding that departs from the dominant logic of the Chinese SMM literature. Three sector-level gaps are identified: under-utilisation of TikTok despite its dominance in Kazakhstan's social media landscape; fragmented private-domain retention via Telegram; and limited structured cooperation with local micro-influencers (KOCs).

Originality/Value. This is, to the author's knowledge, the first study to apply the integrated S-O-R and AISAS framework to Kazakhstan's local F&B sector. The findings offer an empirical baseline against which incoming international competitors — most visibly Starbucks, Costa Coffee, and Chinese chains such as Mixue Bingcheng — can be benchmarked, and they identify three concrete, actionable levers through which local brands can defend and grow market share.

Shaping Urban Ecological Resilience with Artificial Intelligence Pilot Zone Policies Empirical Evidence from Multi-dimensional Ecological Indicators in China

Kang Huiming — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This study provides solid empirical evidence for the ecological resilience dimension of AI pilot zones driving sustainable urban development. Urban ecological resilience—defined as a socio-ecological system's capacity to withstand external shocks, absorb disturbances, and achieve dynamic adaptive reorganization—serves as a vital anchor for sustainable urban development. Exploiting the quasi-natural experiment generated by China's National Next-Generation Artificial Intelligence Innovation and Development Pilot Zones, this study investigates how artificial intelligence policy reshapes urban ecological resilience. Utilizing a balanced panel of 280 Chinese prefecture-level cities spanning 2000 to 2022, we construct a comprehensive Urban Ecological Resilience Index () under the Pressure-State-Response (PSR) framework using the time-series global entropy method. Combining Two-Way Fixed Effects Difference-in-Differences, Double Machine Learning (DML), augmented Bartik instrumental variables, mechanism analysis, and Spatial Durbin DID, we systematically identify policy effects, dimensional structures, transmission mechanisms, and spatial spillovers. Our empirical findings demonstrate that: (1) AI pilot zone establishment significantly enhances composite urban ecological resilience (baseline TWFE estimate = 2.8500, DML = 2.8124, ), generating persistent dynamic treatment effects that survive rigorous pre-trend validations and 500-iteration Monte Carlo permutation placebos. (2) Decomposing resilience reveals a distinct structural asymmetry: the policy aggressively suppresses environmental pressure loads (3.1200) and bolsters governance responses (+4.2000), while steadily expanding baseline biophysical carrying states (+1.4500). (3) Green technological innovation (28.8%) and environmental enforcement intensity (which may capture both regulatory stringency and underlying violation rates) (25.6%) represent the primary micro-level transmission conduits, reinforced by industrial structural upgrading (18.9%), with separate channel-specific coefficient decompositions corresponding to 73.3% of the total baseline estimate. (4) Treatment effects are amplified in legacy industrial bases, resource-dependent cities, and water-abundant regions, while radiating substantial positive spatial spillovers to geographically connected cities, with larger weights assigned to closer cities (using a row-standardized inverse-distance spatial weight matrix) (31.9% of total spatial impact). This study offers crucial theoretical and policy insights for leveraging intelligent technologies to cultivate resilient urban ecosystems worldwide. UERI is an index-based proxy for urban ecological resilience rather than a direct observation of resilience capacity.

The Role of FinTech in Cross-Border Financial Risk Management: A Case Study of China Bohai Bank

Zhong Yang — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This article examines the relationship between digital infrastructure and AI-assisted cross-border risk monitoring through a documentary case study of China Bohai Bank. It compares the Bank's 2025 interim and annual disclosures, distinguishing reported facts, calculated changes and proposed mechanisms. The Hong Kong Branch's reported assets increased from HKD18.3 billion at mid-year to HKD21.689 billion at year-end, approximately 18.5%. Bank-wide technology investment was RMB1,274 million for the year; the disclosures record completed infrastructure projects alongside AI risk-analysis applications still in pilot phases. These findings support a distinction between infrastructure readiness and demonstrated AI effectiveness. The article develops three propositions: integration may account for gains attributed to AI; alert quality depends on review capacity and decision deadlines; and different risk horizons require different analytical methods. Proposed applications are matched to cross-border payment review, the Bank's own foreign-exchange exposure controls and onshore-offshore customer review. A three-condition evaluation design separates existing rules, integrated data with rules, and integrated data with rules and AI. Public evidence supports the institutional analysis but cannot establish detection accuracy or causal loss reduction. The contribution is a case-grounded explanation of where incremental AI value should be sought and how it could be tested.

From Screening to Retention: Extending AI Bot Roles Across the Employee Lifecycle: A Case Study of a Mobile Game Studio

Milena Kazimir — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

AI bots in HR are generally associated with recruitment and are rarely carried over to other stages of the ELC. Moreover, while traditional bigtech companies are often the subject of the research, the gamedev industry - with its project-based structure, heterogeneous teams, and crunch culture - remains an under-researched case in the context of AI and HR. On the basis of this context, our research question was: How does AI adoption vary across the stages of the employee lifecycle? Focusing empirically on recruitment as a best-case scenario, to what extent does this pattern hold across heterogeneous roles within a game development studio? As a method, the insider single case-study on the example of an anonymised small game studio was chosen. We conducted the comparison of HR metrics before and after implementation of AI tools on the team level and, separately, creative roles. The key finding was that process metrics reduced by 60–77% in both segments; at the same time, those in creative roles achieved comparable or better results than the team as a whole, contrary to the expectations of the heterogeneity hypothesis. Our contribution consists of the development of a theoretical framework (Differential AI Adoption), a refinement showing that tool design (custom-built vs. generic) may matter more than role type; and a practical recommendation for small studios.

The Role of AI and IoT in Achieving Net-Zero Energy High-Rise Buildings in China

Yuan Xiaoying, Asanova Daniya, Olga Koshkina — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

China's building sector accounts for roughly 20 to 22 percent of the country's total carbon emissions and must peak alongside the broader economy by 2030 under China's dual-carbon commitments, yet high-rise buildings — a defining feature of Chinese urban form — present specific technical challenges for reaching net-zero energy performance that low-rise typologies do not. This article examines the role of artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) in advancing net-zero energy performance in China's high-rise building stock. Drawing on recent academic literature on nearly-zero-energy buildings (NZEBs), AI-enabled building energy management, and China's building-sector decarbonization pathway, the study finds that AI and IoT contribute primarily through operational optimization — predictive HVAC control, occupancy-based automation, and digital-twin-based performance monitoring — rather than through the building envelope and on-site generation measures that dominate current Chinese NZEB policy and standards. The analysis concludes that AI and IoT are necessary but insufficient tools for high-rise net-zero performance, and are most effective when layered onto, rather than substituted for, the physical envelope and renewable-generation measures already prioritized in China's national NZEB standards.

DESIGNING AND PRETESTING A SERVICE SATISFACTION QUESTIONNAIRE FOR ELDERLY HOME-BASED CARE IN CHINA: AN INSTRUMENT DEVELOPMENT PROTOCOL

Qiao Liang, Kozin Valeriy Aleksandrovich, Abinova Alfiya Yurievna — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Structural equation modeling of elderly-care satisfaction depends on a measurement instrument that is both psychometrically sound and usable by respondents who may have limited literacy, reduced stamina for long interviews, and unfamiliarity with abstract rating tasks. This paper sets out the design principles, structural logic, and pretesting protocol for a service-satisfaction questionnaire built around an integrated Structure-Process-Outcome and Customer-Satisfaction-Index (SERV-SPO-CSI) framework, intended for use with elderly recipients of home-based, community, and institutional care in China. The paper describes the questionnaire's four-module structure, the item-generation and simplification procedures applied to make it accessible to older respondents, and the planned pilot-testing and psychometric-refinement criteria — reliability screening by Cronbach's alpha and exploratory factor analysis — that will be used to finalize the instrument before full-scale data collection.

Digital Financial Literacy and Investment Decision-Making among Young Adults in Kazakhstan

Kabyl Akzhunis — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The rapid digitalization of financial services has increased young adults’ access to investment platforms, financial information, and digital financial products. At the same time, limited digital financial literacy may expose inexperienced investors to poor investment choices, misleading online information, and financial risks. This study examines the relationship between digital financial literacy and investment decision-making among young adults in Kazakhstan. A quantitative experimental design with pre-test and post-test assessments was employed, involving an experimental group and a control group. Digital financial literacy was assessed through financial knowledge, digital financial skills, awareness of digital financial risks, and the ability to evaluate online financial information, while investment decision-making was measured through scenario-based tasks related to risk, return, diversification, and information reliability. The results indicated that the experimental group demonstrated significant improvements in both digital financial literacy and investment decision-making after the intervention, whereas changes in the control group were limited. Correlation and regression analyses further showed that higher digital financial literacy was positively associated with better investment decision quality and significantly predicted improvements in investment behavior. The findings highlight the importance of integrating digital financial education into programs targeting young adults in Kazakhstan. Such initiatives may strengthen young investors’ ability to assess financial risks, critically evaluate digital information, and make more informed and responsible investment decisions

THE IMPACT OF INFORMATIZATION ON THE TRAINING OF YOUNG RESEARCHERS IN THE REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN

Sun, 13 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This article describes the results of a survey of students at leading universities in the Republic of Kazakhstan on the impact of computerization on students' research work. The research was conducted as part of the Republic of Kazakhstan grant-funded project AP19676691, “An Innovative Model for Improving the Research Work of Students in the Republic of Kazakhstan.”

The article examines the role of research advisors in shaping the professional competence of young researchers in the era of digital transformation

THE EVOLUTION OF LINGUACULTURAL COMPETENCE IN MODERN PEDAGOGY

Alima Berzhan, Perizat Yelubayeva — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This article presents a comprehensive theoretical review devoted to the study of the genesis, conceptual and categorical apparatus, and key stages in the evolution of linguacultural competence in modern pedagogical science. The relevance of this work stems from the need for a thorough theoretical and methodological understanding of the transformations of foreign language education in the context of globalization processes, the expansion of intercultural dialogue, and the practical implementation of the state trilingualism policy in Republic of Kazakhstan. The main goal of the study is to systematically structure the accumulated scientific and pedagogical knowledge regarding the content, component composition, and promising vectors for the development of this phenomenon.

This article consistently distinguishes between the concepts of "sociocultural", "intercultural", and "linguacultural" competencies, revealing their hierarchical interrelationships, where the linguacultural layer serves as the highest integrating level of language acquisition as a value-semantic code of culture. Based on a comparative analysis, the specific priorities of foreign, domestic, and Kazakhstani research traditions are characterized. The leading trends in the contemporary transformation of this concept are formulated and substantiated: a conceptual transition from factual linguistic and cultural studies to a value-oriented, culture-appropriate approach, as well as the adaptation of linguacultural theory to the conditions of digitalization of the educational environment and online communication. The theoretical significance of the results lies in the systematization of the terminological basis of linguadidactics, which creates the methodological prerequisites for the modernization of curricula, specialized courses, and methodological complexes in language disciplines in schools and universities.

AI AND CRITICAL THINKING: CAN TECHNOLOGY HELP STUDENTS THINK BETTER?

Bilibayeva Assem — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) tools, particularly generative large language models such as ChatGPT, into higher education has intensified debate over their effect on students' critical thinking. This article presents a narrative literature review that synthesizes recent empirical and theoretical work (2020–2025) on the relationship between AI tool use and critical thinking development, organized through Facione's (1990) model of critical thinking skills and Anderson and Krathwohl's (2001) revision of Bloom's taxonomy. The review indicates that AI's influence on critical thinking is neither uniformly positive nor uniformly negative but is conditional on how the technology is used. When AI functions as a scaffold that structures inquiry, prompts reflection, and requires learners to verify and justify outputs, it is associated with gains in argumentation, evaluation, and metacognitive awareness. When AI functions as a substitute for independent reasoning, its use is associated with cognitive offloading, reduced neural engagement, and a decline in measured critical thinking scores. The article concludes that AI can help students think better only under deliberate pedagogical conditions and proposes directions for instructional design, assessment, and future research.

MEMORY, TIME AND THE SPACE OF HOME IN THE PROSE OF TAUFIK KARIMOV

Mashakova Ainur Kassymzhanovna — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The creativity of contemporary Kazakhstani writer Taufik Karimov represents a unique artistic space in which personal memory, family history, the fate of generation, and cultural memory of a nation are combined into a unified system of images and motifs. In the represented works of the writer – "Grandfather Makabka," "A Drawing from Childhood", "Hello, My Home...", "Whistle in the Night," "Rain," "On the Nymphenburger Canal", "Once Upon a Festive Evening...," and "Impossible Tenderness and Pain..." – referring to the past becomes not just a means of reproduction of biographical events but also a crucial artistic principle for understanding human existence.

One of the defining characteristics of T. Karimov's prose is the autobiographical basis of the narrative. The author draws on his own childhood, parents, home, familiar places, historical events, and everyday realities of the past. However, the autobiographical nature of his works goes beyond the mere recording of facts. Experiences are transformed into artistic reality, where specific details acquire symbolic meaning, and individual lives become part of a broader historical and cultural experience.

In this regard, the story "Grandfather Makabka" is particularly significant. Already at the beginning of the narrative, childhood memories emerge as a return to a special space, designated by the author as "the world of childhood" [1, p. 13]. The character’s awakening from sleep is accompanied not so much by the recording of a specific event but by a sense of returning to a lost time. The summer landscape, the sounds of nature, insects, grandmother, tea, and conversation in the native language gradually shape the atmosphere of a child's world.

CONNECTED SPEECH AS A FACTOR OF LISTENING DIFFICULTIES IN DIGITAL DISCOURSE: A PILOT STUDY ON KAZAKHSTANI EFL LEARNERS

Alieva Dilnaz Maratkyzy — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The present study examines how Kazakhstani EFL learners with self-reported B1–C1 English proficiency perceive and decode connected speech in authentic digital discourse. Existing research relies mostly on scripted audio, therefore this paper uses unedited TikTok videos instead. Such content reflects real-world speech conditions more accurately. Sixteen third-year students of the “Foreign Philology” faculty transcribed six audio phrases which included different connected speech processes — elision, yod-coalescence, assimilation and lexical reduction. Additionally, each phrase was analyzed acoustically in Praat in order to check whether the process actually occurred in the signal, rather than being assumed from the transcript. Results showed that even advanced learners systematically had problems decoding a few phrases while still remaining confident in wrong answers. The most striking finding was that when several phonological processes overlapped in one phrase, the difficulty did not simply add up. Instead, it produced a completely different, non-existent word in the listener’s perception — and this was visible on the spectrogram itself. Perceptual failure turned out to depend on how deeply speech was phonologically reduced and on how familiar the listener was with the underlying word. By contrast, language proficiency level itself poorly explained these results. The study claims that university language programs need to bring authentic digital discourse into the classroom, in order to close the gap between what students are taught and what they actually hear in real life.

XARİCİ DİLİN ÖYRƏNİLMƏSİ VƏ TƏDRİSİNDƏ SÜNİ İNTELLEKT

SEVDA RAHIMOVA — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

XXI əsrdə elm və texnologiyanın sürətli inkişafı insan fəaliyyətinin demək olar ki, bütün sahələrində ciddi dəyişikliklərə səbəb olmuşdur. Təhsil də bu transformasiya prosesindən kənarda qalmamışdır. İnformasiya-kommunikasiya texnologiyalarının tədris prosesinə daxil olması nəticəsində biliklərin əldə edilməsi, saxlanılması və ötürülməsi ilə yanaşı, öyrənmə və tədrisin təşkili formaları da dəyişmişdir. Bu dəyişikliklər xarici dil tədrisində daha aydın şəkildə müşahidə olunur. Xarici dilin öyrənilməsi artıq yalnız auditoriyada müəllimin izahını dinləmək və dərslikdə verilmiş tapşırıqları yerinə yetirməklə məhdudlaşmır. Elektron lüğətlər, onlayn təhsil platformaları, mobil tətbiqlər, videokonfrans vasitələri, avtomatik tərcümə sistemləri və müxtəlif rəqəmsal resurslar dil öyrənənlərə istənilən vaxt və məkanda dil üzərində işləmək imkanı verir.

Bu texnoloji inkişafın ən yeni mərhələsini süni intellekt təşkil edir. Süni intellekt uzun müddətdir müxtəlif sahələrdə istifadə edilsə də, generativ süni intellekt sistemlərinin geniş yayılması onun təhsil sahəsində tətbiqini tamamilə yeni səviyyəyə çıxarmışdır. Xüsusilə böyük dil modelləri əsasında fəaliyyət göstərən sistemlər insan dilini emal etmək, suallara cavab vermək, mətn yaratmaq, dialoq aparmaq, mətnləri təhlil etmək, tərcümə etmək və istifadəçinin tələbinə uyğun müxtəlif öyrənmə materialları hazırlamaq imkanına malikdir. Bu xüsusiyyətlər xarici dilin öyrənilməsi baxımından xüsusi əhəmiyyət daşıyır, çünki dil tədrisinin mərkəzində məhz dilin yaradılması, anlaşılması və kommunikativ məqsədlərlə istifadəsi dayanır.

Exploring the interplay between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in student learning

Ramazanova K. — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This article analyzes the psychological and pedagogical essence of motivation in the learning process of students, the impact of types of motivation (intrinsic and extrinsic motivation) on student activity, and the strategies for forming motivation in a modern educational environment on a scientific basis. The theoretical framework of the study is based on the Self-Determination Theory (SDT) developed by Edward Deci and Richard Ryan. This theory emphasizes that the quality of motivation depends on the satisfaction of the student's three fundamental psychological needs - autonomy, competence, and relatedness. The article shows that intrinsic motivation plays a significant role in the development of processes such as deep learning, creativity, and sustained effort by the student, while extrinsic motivation performs the function of initiating, regulating behavior, and engaging in learning at the initial stages.

The impact of motivation on the quality of learning has been widely studied in Azerbaijani pedagogical literature (Taghiyeva, 2023; Haziyeva, 2024; Gahramanli, 2025, etc.) and it has been confirmed that student success directly depends on the level of motivation. Local studies emphasize that motivation is formed not only by psychological, but also by social, pedagogical and organizational factors. A comparison of international approaches with local experience shows that an effective motivation model requires the creation of a learning environment that takes into account the individual potential, interests, learning style and psychological needs of the student. The article ultimately proves that motivation is not only a component of learning, but also the main psychological mechanism that determines all stages of learning. Intrinsic motivation is considered the most powerful factor leading to personality development, lifelong learning and sustainable success in learning, while extrinsic motivation, when properly applied, plays the role of a bridge for the student's motivation to transition to an intrinsic form.

FATHER’S INFLUENCE ON THE FORMATION OF A CHILD’S GENDER IDENTITY

Aliyeva Khanym Ibrahim — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This research examines the figure of the father as a key factor in the development of a child’s gender identity and sexual attitudes. The father contributes to the formation of a sense of security and self-confidence. He exerts not only behavioral influence but also a deep emotional impact on the development of the child’s sexuality. The work emphasizes the importance of the father’s role in the harmonious development of the child.
A father's absence or emotional coldness can hinder the development of gender role behavior and negatively impact a child's self-esteem. Conversely, hypercriticism or aggressiveness on the part of the father can evoke feelings of fear and emotional detachment, influencing the nature of future interpersonal relationships. Conversely, in families where the father demonstrates respect, support, and emotional engagement, children are more likely to develop a stable gender identity and a positive attitude toward their gender role. A father's active involvement in upbringing promotes a more harmonious development of gender roles and reduces the likelihood of stereotypical distortions.