Preliminary Measures Research Articles

Engaging the Lower Extremity via Active Therapy Early (ELEVATE) Is Feasible and May Improve Gross Motor Function in Children with Spastic Bilateral Cerebral Palsy: A Case Series.

The feasibility of ELEVATE with respect to adherence and preliminary efficacy was determined for children with spastic bilateral cerebral palsy (CP) from encephalopathy of prematurity. A case series was used. Participants were randomized to receive ELEVATE immediately or delay the intervention by 3 months before receiving the intervention. The outcomes included feasibility measures of (1) number of children recruited, (2) percentage of sessions attended, (3) stride counts during the intervention, and preliminary efficacy measures of change over the intervention period in (4) Gross Motor Function Measure-66 (GMFM-66), and (5) kinematics and weight-bearing during treadmill walking. Four boys under 3 years of age participated. All participants tolerated 60-minute intervention sessions four times/week for 12 weeks, and attended 75%-94% (min-max) of the targeted sessions. The median step count per session ranged from 833 to 2484 steps (min-max) during the final week of training. Participants showed an increase in GMFM-66 score of 2.4-7.5 points (min-max) over the 3-month intervention phase, as compared to a decrease of 1.7 for one participant and an increase of 1.3 for another over the delay period. Three participants demonstrated small improvements in their gait with the intervention. Engaging young children with bilateral CP in intensive rehabilitation targeting gross motor function was feasible and demonstrated preliminary efficacy. The results have guided the design of a larger clinical trial to assess efficacy of early, active interventions for children with spastic bilateral CP.

Hybrid Composites for the Design and Development of Pressure Vessel for Underwater Applications

The study’s main objective is to design and develop pressure vessels in underwater applications using Hybrid composites-Fibre Metal Laminates (FML) so that the weight will be reduced. The proposed pressure vesselaccommodates electronics in the underwater ambient noise measurement system under an external hydrostatic pressure of 1 MPa (10 bar). The research study aims initially to design and develop a pressure vessel with stainless steel 316 L and subsequently design a pressure vessel with hybrid composites with a combination of composite materials of E-glass and carbon/epoxy materials with a metal alloy stainless steel 316 L. The pressure vessel has been optimised with varying metal and composite percentage combinations. The cylinder’s wall thickness has been pivotal in optimizing pressure vessel design. Classical Laminate Theory (CLT) transforms the FML pressure vessel or cylinder into a rectangular plate. As preliminary measures, FML specimen with a size of 0.45 m square laminate and 0°orientation has been developed with 50 % metal layer and 50 % fibre composites, and corresponding mechanical tests have been carried out as per the standards. The tensile strength of the developed FML is 420 MPa compared to base metal (SS316 L) strength of 556 MPa, and similarly, Flexural and Impact properties have shown a higher level when compared to other types of FMLs.

Acceptability and Feasibility of a Socially Enhanced, Self-Guided, Positive Emotion Regulation Intervention for Caregivers of Individuals With Dementia: Pilot Intervention Study.

The responsibilities of being a primary caregiver for a loved one with dementia can produce significant stress for the caregiver, leading to deleterious outcomes for the caregiver's physical and psychological health. Hence, researchers are developing eHealth interventions to provide support for caregivers. Members of our research team previously developed and tested a positive emotion regulation intervention that we delivered through videoconferencing, in which caregiver participants would meet one-on-one with a trained facilitator. Although proven effective, such delivery methods have limited scalability because they require significant resources in terms of cost and direct contact hours. This study aimed to conduct a pilot test of a socially enhanced, self-guided version of the positive emotion regulation intervention, Social Augmentation of Self-Guided Electronic Delivery of the Life Enhancing Activities for Family Caregivers (SAGE LEAF). Studies have shown that social presence or the perception of others in a virtual space is associated with enhanced learning and user satisfaction. Hence, the intervention leverages various social features (eg, discussion boards, podcasts, videos, user profiles, and social notifications) to foster a sense of social presence among participants and study team members. Usability, usefulness, feasibility, and acceptability data were collected from a pilot test in which participants (N=15) were given full access to the SAGE LEAF intervention over 6 weeks and completed preintervention and postintervention assessments (10/15, 67%). Preliminary outcome measures were also collected, with an understanding that no conclusions about efficacy could be made, because our pilot study did not have a control group and was not sufficiently powered. The results suggest that SAGE LEAF is feasible, with participants viewing an average of 72% (SD 42%) of the total available intervention web pages. In addition, acceptability was found to be good, as demonstrated by participants' willingness to recommend the SAGE LEAF program to a friend or other caregiver. Applying Pearson correlational analyses, we found moderate, positive correlation between social presence scores and participants' willingness to recommend the program to others (r9=0.672; P=.03). We also found positive correlation between social presence scores and participants' perceptions about the overall usefulness of the intervention (r9=0.773; P=.009). This suggests that participants' sense of social presence may be important for the feasibility and acceptability of the program. In this pilot study, the SAGE LEAF intervention demonstrates potential for broad dissemination for dementia caregivers. We aim to incorporate participant feedback about how the social features may be improved in future iterations to enhance usability and to further bolster a sense of social connection among participants and study staff members. Next steps include partnering with dementia clinics and other caregiver-serving organizations across the United States to conduct a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention.

Why Won’t You Listen To Me? Predictive Neurotechnology and Epistemic Authority

From epileptic seizures to depressive symptoms, predictive neurotechnologies are used for a large range of applications. In this article we focus on advisory devices; namely, predictive neurotechnology programmed to detect specific neural events (e.g., epileptic seizure) and advise users to take necessary steps to reduce or avoid the impact of the forecasted neuroevent. Receiving advise from a predictive device is not without ethical concerns. The problem with predictive neural devices, in particular advisory ones, is the risk of seeing one’s autonomous choice supplanted by the predictions instead of being supplemented by it. For users, there is a potential shift from being assisted by the system to being over-dependent on the technology. In other terms, it introduces ethical issues associated with epistemic dependency. In this article, we examine the notion of epistemic authority in relation to predictive neurotechnologies. Section 1 of our article explores and defines the concept of epistemic authority. In section 2, we illustrate how predictive devices are best conceived of as epistemic authorities and we explore the subject-device epistemic relationship. In section 3, we spell out the risk of harms interconnected with epistemic deferral. We conclude by stressing a set of preliminary measures to prepare users for the authoritative nature of predictive devices.

A Pilot Study of Family-Integrated Care (FICare) in Critically Ill Preterm and Term Infants in the NICU: FICare Plus.

Family-integrated care (FICare) is associated with improved developmental outcomes and decreased parental mental health risks in stable preterm infants. However, less is known about its application in critically ill infants who are at greater risk for adverse outcomes. The objective of this study was to assess the safety and feasibility of implementation of an augmented FICare program, FICare Plus, in critically ill infants in the first few weeks of life. Resources were specifically developed for staff and parents to support earlier parental engagement in infant care. Infant health outcomes and standardized measures of parental stress, anxiety and parenting self-efficacy were also collected using standardized questionnaires: State -Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Parental Stressor Scale: NICU (PSS: NICU), Perceived Parenting Self-Efficacy Tool and Family Centered Care Survey. The t-test or Wilcoxon rank-sum test were used to compare continuous variables, while the Chi-square or Fisher exact test were used for categorical variables, respectively. In this prospective cohort study, 41 critically ill infants were enrolled: 17 in standard care (SC) and 24 in the FICare Plus group. The tools and procedures developed for FICare Plus successfully supported greater engagement in the care of their infants with no increase in adverse events and no increase in parental stress. Parents in the FICare Plus cohort felt confident to participate in their infant's care. The staff also found this model of care acceptable and well adopted. Preliminary measures of infant efficacy were similar in both groups. Total anxiety scores were high among all parents at enrollment (87 (67-94) vs. 70.5 (66-86); p-value 0.22). However, the scores prior to discharge were lower in FICare Plus group (78 (71-90) vs. 63 (52-74.5); p-value 0.02). This pilot study showed that it is feasible and safe to implement family-integrated care in critically ill infants.

Shaping the European Future of Ukraine during Wartime

A significant amount of information is available regarding the onset of the Russian invasion, the progress and failures of the military attack, and the assistance to be provided by the international community once the war has ended. The authors of this paper and others have addressed these issues. However, given the uncertainty of when and how the war may ultimately end, it is essential to consider what can be done during the interim phase leading up to that point in the future. Specifically, this paper explores what Ukraine can do during wartime given changes in the global landscape, we examine how Ukraine can improve the rule of law during wartime, change its economic model, and promote empowerment within the country. On the internal front, Ukraine must combat paternalism and oligarchs, fight corruption, foster education and international contacts, upgrade production and industrialization, address the impact of emigration on ageing, and work towards meeting the membership requirements for the European Union. Therefore, all importantly, in addition to a Marshall Plan to support the post-war rebuilding of Ukraine’s economy, preliminary measures towards changing the domestic socio-political regime are needed. Rules established during wartime will be critical in ensuring later assistance, as well as improving wellbeing and to contribute to a new upcoming world order. The future of Ukraine hinges on the outcome of elections in the United States, a s well as the rise of nationalism in Europe, both could mean a risk of diminishing support for Ukraine.

Phase 2 multicenter trial of rucaparib and nivolumab as maintenance therapy following first-line platinum-based chemotherapy in patients with advanced biliary tract cancer (BTC): BilT-02.

4113 Background: Gemcitabine, cisplatin and durvalumab followed by maintenance durvalumab is standard of care first-line (1L) therapy for patients (pts) with advanced BTC. In this trial, we investigated the combination of a PARP inhibitor with anti-PD1 antibody in absence of progression after at least 4 months of standard 1L platinum-based chemotherapy. Methods: Pts with advanced BTC, ECOG PS 0-1 and absence of progression on 1L platinum-based therapy were enrolled on a phase 2 trial to receive rucaparib 600 mg PO BID in combination with nivolumab 240 mg IV Q2 weeks every 28 days for up to 2 years. The primary endpoint was 4-month progression-free survival (PFS) rate from the date of first study treatment with an alternative hypothesis of 85%. Secondary endpoints included median PFS and overall survival (OS) from first study treatment (PFS1, OS1) as well as from start date of first-line chemotherapy (PFS2, OS2), best overall response, and safety. Results: 31 pts were enrolled of which 14 (45%) were women, 25 (80.6%) Caucasian and 24 (77.64%) with ECOG 1. Primary disease site was intrahepatic, extrahepatic hilar and distal, and gallbladder cancer in 21 (67.7%), 4 (12.9%), 1 (3.2%) and 4 (12.9%), respectively. 1L platinum-based treatment included gemcitabine/cisplatin based in 26 (83.9%), FOLFOX in 3 (9.7%) and carboplatin/paclitaxel in 1 (3.2%) pts. Mean (range) cycles of rucaparib and nivolumab were 6.75 (1-24) and 5.9 (1-24). The median follow-up time is 28.7 months using reverse censoring methodology. PFS rate at 4 months was 54.8% (95% CI, 36-70.3), comparable to the 63% null estimate based on ABC-02 trial. Median PFS1 and OS1 are estimated to be 4.6 months (95% CI, 3.7-6.2) and 15.9 months (95% CI, 9.8-24.1). Median PFS2 and OS2 calculated from date of 1L chemotherapy are estimated as 9.9 months (95% CI, 8.3-11.3) and 21.4 months (95% CI, 14.8-26.7). Two (6.4%) pts had partial response (with IDH R132G and KRAS G12D) as best response with stable disease in an additional 22 (71%) pts. Grade 3-5 treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) occurred in 15 (48.4%) pts, including 1 patient who died on therapy due to possibly-related immune-related myocarditis. The most common grade 2 or greater TRAEs included fatigue (9, 29.0%), anemia (7, 22.6%), neutropenia (6, 19.3%), elevated AST (5, 16.1%) and elevated ALT (4, 12.9%). Reasons for treatment discontinuation included death (2), progression (27), adverse event (1) while 1 patient completed 2 years of study treatment. Conclusions: The primary endpoint of PFS rate at 4 months was not met but the preliminary measures of PFS1 and OS1 are much longer than expected, and hypothesis generating for rational combination of PARP inhibitor with maintenance immunotherapy in this rare cancer. Exploratory endpoint of association of genomic analysis with efficacy is ongoing and will be discussed. Clinical trial information: NCT03639935 .

Historical production and release inventory of PCDD/Fs in China and projections upon policy options by 2025

Using the source identification and classification methodology described in UNEP standardized toolkit for dioxin releases, combined with research data over the past decade, the production and release of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) from 6 major sectors in China were inventoried from 2003 to 2020, and were projected until 2025 based on current control measures and relevant industrial plans. The results showed that after ratification of the Stockholm Convention, China's production and release of PCDD/Fs began to decline after peaking in 2007, demonstrating the effectiveness of preliminary control measures. However, the continual expansion of manufacturing and energy sectors, along with the lack of compatible production control technology, reversed the declining trend of production after 2015. Meanwhile, the environmental release continued to decrease, but at a slower rate after 2015. If subject to current policies, production and release would remain elevated with an expanding gap in between. This study also established the congener inventories, revealing the significance of OCDF and OCDD in terms of both production and release, and that of PeCDF and TCDF in terms of environmental impacts. Lastly, through comparison with other developed countries and regions, it was concluded that room for further reduction exists, but can only be achieved through strengthened regulations and improved control measures.

Plastic pollution and the open burning of plastic wastes

The open burning of plastic wastes is a practice that is highly prevalent across the globe, toxic to human and environmental health, and a critical—but often overlooked—aspect of plastic pollution. Most of the countries where such burning is widespread have laws and policies in place against it; open burning continues nevertheless. In this article, using data from ethnographic fieldwork in urban and rural sites in India, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Zambia, we examine local practices of open burning and investigate why regulations to tackle it have proven largely ineffective. Adopting a harm reduction approach, we then suggest preliminary measures to mitigate the health risks of open burning by targeting those plastics and packaging types that are most toxic when burned.

Asynchronous Consultations in Geriatric Psychiatry: Experiences in a Rural Academic Health System

More Americans are living longer and entering old age than ever before. The number of adults age 65 years and older in the United States (US) is projected to grow to more than 83.7 million by 2050. Today's 65-year-olds can expect to live, on average, another 19.4 years. However, the outcomes of extending longevity have not kept pace with the US healthcare system's ability to improve mental and cognitive well-being. The 2012 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report estimates that 14%–20% of the elderly population is afflicted by a mental health or substance use condition, including dementia-related behavioral and psychiatric symptoms. Despite this clear growing demographic need, the number of physicians formally trained in geriatric psychiatry and geriatric medicine is shrinking, limiting the availability of specialty care to this vulnerable demographic. This disparity is magnified in rural settings and/or historically disadvantaged areas/populations where access to geriatric psychiatrists and geriatric medicine specialists may be severely limited, if available at all.This session will cover the development, implementation, and preliminary outcome measures of two asynchronous geriatric psychiatry consultation programs, one EMR based e-consultation program and one on-demand telephone consultation program, that have been developed by geriatric psychiatrists at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. Our aim is to demonstrate how similar asynchronous geriatric psychiatry consultation programs could be feasibly implemented at essentially any site or within any health system to begin to address the limited availability of specialty geriatric psychiatry expertise, especially in rural and/or historically disadvantaged areas/populations.

Assessment of Agricultural Drought Vulnerability with Focus on Upland Fields and Identification of Primary Management Areas

Robust water management systems are crucial for sustainable water use, particularly considering rapidly changing, ever-improving water supply system technologies. However, the establishment of specific management standards in upland fields is challenging, as several types of crops are cultivated in upland fields. Hence, the timing and required amount of water vary greatly, further rendering drought response challenging. In this study, we evaluated the agricultural drought vulnerability of South Korean upland fields, considering the lack of water resources, to establish preliminary drought damage prevention measures. The Technique for Order of Preference method was used for the drought vulnerability assessment, and the assessment indicators used were annual rainfall, number of dry days, upland field area, available soil water capacity, and groundwater usage. The 20 areas of highest vulnerability comprised large cultivation areas with minimal subsurface-water usage, except for areas where the number of dry days appeared to be the major factor for drought vulnerability. Damage caused by recurring droughts accumulated over time; thus, upland-field-oriented management may be required and can even be used in cases where insufficient drought information is available. Future studies can use the proposed method while considering assessment factors that describe upland field conditions.

Some problems of the prosecutor's supervision over the procedural activities of the preliminary investigation bodies and measures to resolve them

The subject of the study is the implementation of prosecutorial supervision of the procedural activities of the preliminary investigation bodies. The authors consider problematic issues related to the regulation of the timing of approval by the prosecutor and the head of the investigative body of petitions to initiate investigative actions before the court that require a court decision; as well as the need for the participation of the prosecutor, investigator, inquirer when the court considers relevant petitions based on the legal regulation of this issue by the Criminal Procedure Code of the Russian Federation and departmental regulations. Particular attention is paid by the authors to the question of the expediency of returning to the prosecutor the authority to give written instructions to the investigator on the conduct of investigative and other procedural actions. The main conclusions of the study are: the need to fix the deadline for approval by the prosecutor and the head of the investigative body to initiate a petition before the court for investigative actions requiring a court decision, fixing this provision by means of appropriate instructions in the departmental acts of these officials, or by amending Article 165 of the Criminal Procedure Code of the Russian Federation. In addition, the authors note the mandatory participation of the prosecutor and the investigator in the consideration of the relevant petitions by the court, allowing the possibility of performing such a duty through video conferencing. A special contribution is the theoretical and practical justification of the expediency of returning to the prosecutor the right to give written instructions to the investigator on the conduct of investigative and other procedural actions

Modeling community COVID-19 transmission risk associated with U.S. universities

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is among the worst in recent history, resulting in excess of 520,000,000 cases and 6,200,000 deaths worldwide. The United States (U.S.) has recently surpassed 1,000,000 deaths. Individuals who are elderly and/or immunocompromised are the most susceptible to serious sequelae. Rising sentiment often implicates younger, less-vulnerable populations as primary introducers of COVID-19 to communities, particularly around colleges and universities. Adjusting for more than 32 key socio-demographic, economic, and epidemiologic variables, we (1) implemented regressions to determine the overall community-level, age-adjusted COVID-19 case and mortality rate within each American county, and (2) performed a subgroup analysis among a sample of U.S. colleges and universities to identify any significant preliminary mitigation measures implemented during the fall 2020 semester. From January 1, 2020 through March 31, 2021, a total of 22,385,335 cases and 374,130 deaths were reported to the CDC. Overall, counties with increasing numbers of university enrollment showed significantly lower case rates and marginal decreases in mortality rates. County-level population demographics, and not university level mitigation measures, were the most significant predictor of adjusted COVID-19 case rates. Contrary to common sentiment, our findings demonstrate that counties with high university enrollments may be more adherent to public safety measures and vaccinations, likely contributing to safer communities.

SYSTEMATIZATION OF APPROACHES TO THE UNDERSTANDING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF LEAN MANUFACTURING

The work systematizes approaches to understanding the essence of lean production and takes into account the specifics of implementing this concept specifically for Ukrainian enterprises. The toolkit of lean production, which can be implemented in Ukrainian enterprises, has been systematized. For each type of tool, it is indicated which tasks it can solve for Ukrainian enterprises and what is the peculiarity of its application for domestic economic entities. Most of the companies that are already implementing or have implemented a lean production system have carried out preliminary measures to prepare personnel for the implementation of these latest tools, and for Ukrainian enterprises, this preparatory stage is just as necessary because there is an urgent need to understand that enterprises will be able not only to implement the tools of lean production but also to implement qualitative transformations in the management system of the enterprise. It has been proven that the problem at Ukrainian enterprises is mostly outdated equipment and significant dependence of production processes on personnel, as a result, for the effective implementation of lean production approaches, it is necessary to train personnel and improve their qualifications. Outdated equipment should be updated and new resource-saving technologies introduced, but this is a longer and more expensive way than training staff. A diagram of the relationship between the possibilities of lean production implementation and staff training for obtaining quality transformations at domestic enterprises has been developed, which indicates the importance of staff training to achieve positive results from the implementation of the concept of lean production. This scheme allows you to clearly follow the sequence of stages of staff training to ensure readiness for the implementation of the lean production system and to prepare staff for quality transformations in enterprise management. It has been proven that the staff is the main link of transformations at the enterprise and ensuring its better management and timely implementation of measures to save resources.

Implementation and Preliminary Effectiveness of a Multidisciplinary Telemedicine Pilot Initiative for Patients with Chronic Non-Cancer Pain in Rural and Underserved Areas at a Major Academic Medical Center.

Arkansas lacks adequate access to high-quality pain care, as evidenced, in part, by it having the second highest opioid prescribing rate in the United States. To improve access to high-quality treatment of chronic pain, we developed the Arkansas Improving Multidisciplinary Pain Care and Treatment (AR-IMPACT) Telemedicine Clinic, a multidisciplinary and interprofessional team of specialists who provide evidence-based pain management for patients with chronic pain. We conducted a single-arm pilot trial of the AR-IMPACT Telemedicine Clinic with rural, university-affiliated primary care clinics. We assessed the AR-IMPACT Telemedicine Clinic using an implementation framework and preliminary effectiveness measures. Specifically, we assessed 5 of the 8 implementation outcomes of the framework (ie, penetration, adoption, acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility) using a mixed methods approach. To evaluate implementation outcomes, we used surveys, interviews, and administrative data. We used electronic health record data to measure preliminary effectiveness (ie, changes in average morphine milligram equivalents per day and pain and depression scores). The AR-IMPACT team saw 23 patients that were referred by 13 primary care physicians from three rural, university-affiliated primary care clinics over one year. Of the 19 patients willing to participate in the pilot study, 12 identified as women, 31.6% identified as Black, and over 50% had less than a bachelor's level education. Patients rated the clinic positively with high overall satisfaction. Referring physicians indicated high levels of appropriateness, acceptability, and feasibility of the program. AR-IMPACT team members identified several barriers and facilitators to the feasibility of implementing the program. No changes in preliminary effectiveness measures were statistically significant. Overall, the AR-IMPACT Telemedicine Clinic obtained moderate penetration and adoption, was highly acceptable to patients, was highly acceptable and appropriate to providers, and was moderately feasible to providers and AR-IMPACT team members.

Certain procedural aspects of the institute of interim measures in protection of copyright and related rights

The article analyses the peculiarities of the institute of interim measures and preliminary interim measures provided by the section 144.1 of the Civil Procedural Code of the Russian Federation in the part of their taking by the court. The authors draw attention to the temporary nature of interim measures, which involves the return of the parties to the initial position in the event that the claims are recognized by the court as unfounded. However, difficulties of a technical nature arise in this part when the court takes preliminary injunctive relief under section 144.1 of the Code of Civil Procedure of the Russian Federation in the form of obliging the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Communications and other persons to stop creating technical conditions for the placement, distribution and other use of the disputed musical work. As a rule, after the filing of an application for interim measures by the applicant claiming that his rights have been violated by placing an object of copyright and related rights on the Internet, either the defendant himself or the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media essentially removes the corresponding work or a link to it. After filing an action to prohibit the creation of technical conditions for the placement, distribution and other use of the disputed work, in accordance with the procedure stipulated by part 5 section 144.1 of the Civil procedural code of the Russian Federation for its consideration on the merits sometimes requires the expertise to establish the identity of the work posted on the Internet by the defendant and the work in respect of which the plaintiff claims the exclusive rights. This is particularly relevant when disputes arise regarding the posting of phonograms, since multiple phonograms are allowed and the court needs to establish the identity of the phonogram claimed by the plaintiff and the phonogram posted by the defendant and in respect of which the court has taken preliminary injunctions. Even the mere possibility for the defendant to re-post the phonogram on its website after the plaintiff’s claims have been found unfounded does not undermine the fact that the restoration of the defendant's rights to post the phonogram on its website is not through the lifting of provisional measures to resume access to the previously posted work, but through its new posting by the defendant. The foregoing contradicts the provisional nature of the interim measures.

Assessing the livestock raising and waste treatment of small-scale pig farming households in Binh Dinh Province

Small-scale pig farming played a important role and brought effective economic benefits to households. However, it also caused risks to environmental quality, including air, soil and water, that farmers did not understand or paid enough attention. This study aimed to describe environmental parameters, livestock raising activities and waste treatment of small-scale pig farming households in Binh Dinh province. The samples for air, wastewater, groundwater and surface water analysis were surveyed at 05 sites of the project area in June and September of 2023 to evaluate the environmental quality status in study area. For the small-scale pig raising activities, data was investigated at 100 households in 04 Districts/Towns. The results indicated that the wastewater parameters collected at the pig farming households, with of TSS (300 – 1,500 mg/L), BOD5 (742 – 3,465 mg/L), COD (1.808 –10,320 mg/L), T_N (39 – 463 mg/L) and Coliform (3.6x105 – 9,2x105 MPN/100 mL). These findings exceeded from 1.5 – 160 times the allowable concentration for discharge into water sources that could not be used for domestic water supply purposes (QCVN 62:2016/BTNMT). These wastes have polluted surrounding surface water sources, furthermore, there was a risk of contaminating the air quality, soil environment, and groundwater layers. The survey results on pig raising activities showed that most households (69%) desired to keep the current scale, only 6% of farmers hoped to increase the scale. In addition, up to 25% of total farmers wanted to reduce the farming scale because they were afraid of risks in the pig raising process. Nowadays, small-scale pig farming households in Binh Dinh province have been aware of the pollution problem and taken preliminary measures for the waste treatment generated, of which building biogas digesters (without manure separation) accounted for the highest proportion (89% of the total number of households). However, the pollutant content of treated wastewater has been still high and exceeded the allowable discharge concentration. Most pig raising households would like to be guided to invest in building their own wastewater treatment systems, but investment costs were still a significant barrier for households in this production activity. Research results showed that the high application opportunities when popularizing the construction of wastewater treatment models for small-scale pig raising households in Binh Dinh province.

The Effect of Record Versus Rank Competition on the Performance of Male Marathoners

We examined the performance differences in elite male marathoners when competing for record times versus ranks. Data of the top 300 male marathoners in 2019 were obtained from the World Athletics website for comparison and analysis. All competitions approved by the World Athletics were rated in the order of OW, GL, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Time comparisons were performed using one-way ANOVA and then the Bonferroni post-hoc test. Higher-grade competitions consist of top athletes with competitive qualifying record whose central motivation is to achieve the best records. Lower-grade competitions are often preliminary measures of qualification for larger competitions, motivating athletes to compete for ranks rather than records. The average time difference for each competition was statistically significant. GL's average time was the fastest at 2:13:42 (±00:03:15). From A to F, the average finishing time tended to increase from 2:09:51 (±00:03:27) to 2:14:48 (±00:03:24). The average end time at F was the slowest at 2:14:48 (±00:03:24). When comparing the athletes’ relative performance, the times for large international competitions, such as GL, A, and B, were also faster than smaller competitions, such as E and F (p<0.05). These results are interpreted to mean that competing to achieve record times is better for marathon performance than competing for ranks.

Research into the influence of the thin ore body occurrence elements and stope parameters on loss and dilution values

Purpose. Development of a methodology for determining the level of actual losses and dilution of ore based on the identified patterns of the influence of occurring ore body elements and the stope parameters when mining thin slope deposits using a system for delivering ore by the blasting force. Methods. The task set is solved using an integrated approach, including the analysis of literary sources and the existing practical experience on the issues of losses and dilution, conducting experimental-industrial experiments in the conditions of the Akbakai deposit to assess the recommended method effectiveness for determining the values of excess losses and dilution of ore, geomechanical assessment of the mass using the methods of limit equilibrium, numerical and probabilistic analyses. Findings. A methodology for determining losses and dilution when mining thin slope deposits using a system for delivering ore by the blasting force is proposed, which makes it possible to predict excess losses and dilution coefficients arising from stope roof caving and incomplete ore delivery. The actual losses and dilution of ores in the Akbakai deposit have been determined based on the proposed methodology and instrumental surveys. The developed methodology for determining the values of excess losses and dilution makes it possible to take preliminary measures to prevent the stope roof caving with the complete ore mass delivery using the blasting force. Originality. New dependences have been revealed for the conditions of the Akbakai deposit: logarithmic – the value of dilution depending on the angle of the ore body occurrence; polynomial – the stope maximum span depending on the ore body dip angle; exponential – ore losses depending on the angle of the ore body occurrence. Practical implications. The practical significance, confirmed in the course of pilot-experimental work, is in minimizing the percentage of loss and dilution of the useful component when mining thin slope ore deposits using a sublevel blast-hole stoping system with an open stope space, which makes it possible to reduce the cost of the produced mineral.

Legal regulation of counteraction to domestic violence in Russia and Germany: comparative analysis

The subject. The article considers a study of regulation of countering domestic violence in Russia and Germany. The author investigates the draft of Russian federal law "On the prevention of domestic crimes" No. 1183390-6 and the law of Germany "On civil protection from acts of violence and persecution" as well as federal and lands’ legislation in this sphere. Purpose of the study. The comparative study aims to identify the reasons for the draft’s unviability in Russian Federation, in particular, and to search for legislative opportunities to solve the domestic crime’s problems in Russia, in general.Methodology. The article is based on the comparative legal method. Due to this method, the article describes the legal protections against domestic violence in Russia and Germany (at the level of the federation and states), the advantages and disadvantages of each system.The main results. The legal measures in Germany as well as the draft federal law in the Russian Federation contain protective measures that can be applied by police and court. The main feature of German measures from Russian ones is the possibility of temporary violator’s ejection from the occupied housing by issuing a judicial or police order. The simplicity of the procedure allows а victim to receive effective help at any time, even at night and on non-working days. The article analyses the allowability of these measures to the offender from the point of view of basic rights’ interference; notes the position of the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany about the police order on temporary eviction: the residence ejection is allowable only when the measure aims at preventing criminal acts. The article draws attention to the technique’ defects of the Russian draft federal law "On the prevention of domestic crimes" No. 1183390-6, which require correction in order to improve the domestic violence’ counteraction in Russia.Сonclusions. It is concluded that in the Russian Federation it is necessary to differentiate heterogeneous phenomena in the law, such as victim’s protection from domestic violence and preventive family relationships’ measures, unreasonably mixed together in the draft federal law "On the prevention of domestic crimes" No. 1183390-6. Besides the law about victim’s protection from acts of violence and persecution should include significant consequences exactly for the violator. In this regard, the German multi-level protection system consisting of police protective measures, preliminary judicial measures as well as judicial measures can be applied. German practice makes it possible to react quickly to an act of domestic violence and provide the necessary victim’s support. The experience of applying the police order on the temporary eviction in Germany as well as violator rights’ interference may be appropriate for use in Russia.