Susan Welsh (asker) Nov 25, 2017:

ah, so it's metaphorical I think I get it now. This treats it as metaphorical ("как"): "До сих пор проблематика психологического и физического насилия не имеет единой теоретической и исследовательской парадигмы, в то время как психотерапевтическая практика ясно указывает на общность генеза пограничных расстройств и долговременных последствий посттравматического стресса вследствие насилия. В их основе лежит единый синдром зависимости как системообразующий радикал пограничной личностной структуры." If only the author had written the phrase in quote marks, it would have saved me all this grief! http://www.ngpedia.ru/pg1441859YyBIrwV0006179352/

The Misha Nov 25, 2017:

That's exactly my point, Susan A Google search for "системообразующий радикал" produces all of three or four relevant hits, the first of which is this very question on Proz, two come from the article you are translating and another one or two from another similar oeuvre. See for yourself:
https://www.google.com/search?q=системообразующий радикал&ie...

What these folks do is conscript a valid term from a bona fide STEM discipline and use it for its ornamental value alone, as a metaphor at best, without defining it in any way. Then they call this "nauchnaya deyatelnost". Old man Popper tikho plachet v uglu.

Just you wait, the next thing we will try to tackle here will be quantum sublimation or something.

Susan Welsh (asker) Nov 25, 2017:

radicals? chemistry? If it just means key elements or components, where do the "radicals" come in? I can't make any sense of that.
As to "backbone radicals" and "core radicals," a Google Scholar search places them solidly within the field of biochemistry. https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=1,47&as_vis=...

The Misha Nov 25, 2017:

This is just an awful pseudo-scientific, pretentious way of saying key elements or components, but I am sure you know that. Of course, there is no such thing as "system-shaping radicals," or core radicals (except, perhaps, when speaking about these nice Antifa folks) but you may as well give them that (except I'd suggest "systemic" instead; these learned folks absolutely adore this world, it makes them feel important). Such texts really don't deserve anything better, and it's not like anyone reads them anyway.