Primary Task Research Articles

Was Hans Asperger Complicit in the Nazi Child Euthanasia by Participating in the Gugging Commission?

Objective: In 2018, Herwig Czech (2018, 2020) and Edith Sheffer (2018) accused Hans Asperger of complicity in the Nazi child euthanasia program also because of his participation in the Gugging Commission. Method: We reviewed all documents related to the Commission to clarify Asperger's role. Results: The Commission consisted of officials from Vienna and Lower Danube and had the primary task of determining which children admitted to Gugging could attend an auxiliary school. As part of the investigations, a group of children was also diagnosed as incapable of learning and developing normally based on a list prepared by Gugging's Director. According to two documents prepared for the Commission, these children were to be assigned to the "Aktion Jekelius". The two authors imply that "Aktion Jekelius" was a cover term for the murder of these children and was known as such. However, this designation was communicated only within the Reich Governor's Office in Lower Danube. Conclusion: According to the available documents, there is no indication that Hans Asperger, as a member of the Vienna delegation, knew about "Aktion Jekelius" and its hidden murderous intentions. He therefore had no reason to refuse to participate in the Commission. Analysis of the subsequent transfers of children to Spiegelgrund showed no direct connection with the Commission's activities.

Antifungal activity of chalcone derivatives containing 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline and studies on them as potential SDH inhibitors.

A large number of pathogenic fungi have caused serious damage to the global crop yield, and drug resistance is always a topic that cannot be avoided for traditional fungicides. Therefore, finding efficient, green, and low-toxic fungicides is our primary task, which brings opportunities for the development of natural product green pesticides. Twenty chalcone derivatives containing 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline were designed and synthesized, and the compounds were tested for their fungicidal effects against eight plant pathogenic fungi in vitro. The results demonstrate that the original splicing did not have fungicidal activity, so a piperazine fragment was introduced; the test results revealed that H1-H10 all had good antifungal activity. Among them, H4 showed the highest inhibitory activity against Phytophthora capsici (Pc) with a median effect concentration (EC50) value of 5.2 μg/mL, which was higher than that of the control drugs Azoxystrobin (EC50 = 80.2 μg/mL) and Fluopyram (EC50 = 146.8 μg/mL). After the study, it was demonstrated that H4 mainly acted on the cell membrane against Phytophthora capsici and inhibited the activity of the marker enzyme of mitochondria (SDH) in the fungus. H4 has significant resistance to Phytophthora capsici and also plays a significant role in inhibiting SDH activity, providing a new direction for the development of green pesticides. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Role of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in processing temporal anomalies retained in working memory

IntroductionTime is a crucial abstract construct, allowing us to perceive the duration of events. Working memory (WM) plays an important role in manipulating and storing the different features of environmental stimuli, including temporal features. Different brain structures, including the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, are involved in time processing.MethodsHere we investigated the functional aspects of time processing by using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to assess changes in DLPFC activity. A modified version of the “Times Squares Sequences” (TSS) task was used, in which participants are required to match sequences of squares that have fixed or variable durations.ResultsFindings showed that the DLPFC activates when information necessary for later comparison needs to be maintained online, as is common in visuo-spatial WM tasks. Importantly, the DLPFC deactivates when a temporal anomaly is detected.DiscussionThis deactivation occurs because the temporal anomaly does not require ongoing maintenance for later comparison, thus demanding fewer cognitive resources from the DLPFC. This seemingly counterintuitive effect can be attributed to the temporal aspects being irrelevant to the primary task goals. This finding highlights the crucial role of implicit temporal interference and establishes a strong connection between timing and executive cognitive processes.

The roles and patterns of critical care pharmacists: a literature review and practical operation model in China

Drug-related problems (DRPs) are prevalent in critically ill patients and may significantly increase mortality risks. The participation of critical care pharmacists (CCPs) in the medical team has demonstrated a benefit to healthcare quality. Research indicates that CCP medication order evaluations can reduce DRPs, while their participation in rounds can reduce adverse drug events and shorten hospital stays. Pharmacist medication reconciliation often proves more effective than physicians, and CCPs play a crucial role in antimicrobial management and reducing treatment costs. Despite these benefits, there is a noticeable lack of practical guidance for implementing CCP roles effectively. Their workflow heavily influences the efficiency of CCPs. Integrating results from the literature with our practical experience, we have detailed workflows and critical entry points that CCPs can refer to. Pharmacists should be proactive rather than passive consultants. Pre-round medication order evaluations are crucial for determining the depth of a pharmacist’s involvement in patient care. These evaluations should cover the following aspects: medication indication, dosage, treatment duration, detection of DRPs, implementation of therapeutic drug monitoring, dosing of sedatives and analgesics, and pharmaceutical cost containment. Beyond identifying medication issues, a primary task during rounds is gathering additional information and building trust with the medical team. Post-round responsibilities for CCPs include patient and caregiver education on medication, medication reconciliation for transitioning patients, and follow-up care for post-ICU patients. Establishing a rationalized and standardized workflow is essential to minimize daily work omissions and maximize the pharmacist’s value. A multidisciplinary pharmacist-led team can significantly promote the rational use of antibiotics. Participation in post-ICU outpatient follow-ups can reduce drug-induced injuries after discharge. This review provides a detailed overview of the tasks performed by CCPs before, during, and after medical rounds, serving as a valuable reference for establishing an efficient workflow for CCPs.

Persuasive software features as antecedents to perceived compliance within physical activity behavior change support systems

ABSTRACT Although behavior change support systems (BCSS) have the potential to improve compliance using persuasive software features, there is a dearth of empirical evidence on how these features impact perceived compliance. This study aimed to investigate how and to what extent the persuasiv systems design (PSD) principles in physical activity BCSS influence perceived compliance. Quantitative data from 403 participants (165 users and 238 prospective users of BCSS designed for PA) was analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling. Results revealed differences in how the PSD principles impact perceived compliance between users and prospective users. Perceptions of dialogue support, credibility support, and social support were more relevant to prospective users than to users. Thus, designers should pay more attention to these principles to attract and engage prospective users of BCSS. Conversely, primary task support was more relevant to users than to prospective users. This indicates that once prospective users transition to active users, the focus should shift towards providing persuasive features that facilitate the performance of the primary task. These findings underscore the importance of developing intelligent BCSS that can adapt to the evolving needs and preferences of users at different stages of their interactions with a system.

Authenticate As You Go: From Exploring Smart Home Authentication with Daily Objects to Authenticating with Primary Tasks

Authenticate As You Go: From Exploring Smart Home Authentication with Daily Objects to Authenticating with Primary Tasks

Double training reveals an interval-invariant subsecond temporal structure in the brain.

Subsecond temporal perception is critical for understanding time-varying events. Many studies suggest that subsecond timing is an intrinsic property of neural dynamics, distributed across sensory modalities and brain areas. However, our recent finding of the transfer of temporal interval discrimination (TID) learning across sensory modalities supports the existence of a more abstract and conceptual representation of subsecond time that guides the temporal processing of distributed mechanisms. One major challenge to this hypothesis is that TID learning consistently fails to transfer from trained intervals to untrained intervals. To address this issue, here, we examined whether this interval specificity can be removed with double training, a procedure originally developed to eliminate various specificities in visual perceptual learning. Specifically, participants practiced the primary TID task, the learning of which per se was specific to the trained interval (e.g., 100 ms). In addition, they also received exposure to a new interval (e.g., 200 ms) through a secondary and functionally independent tone-frequency discrimination task. This double training successfully enabled complete transfer of TID learning to the new interval, indicating that training improved an interval-invariant component of temporal interval perception, which supports our proposal of an abstract and conceptual representation of subsecond time in the brain. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Fine-grained recognition algorithm of crop pests based on cross-layer bilinear aggregation and multi-task learning

Fine-grained recognition of crop pests is a crucial concern in the field of agriculture, as the accuracy of recognition and generalization ability directly affect the yield and quality of crops. Aiming at the characteristics of crop pests with a wide variety of species, small inter-class and large intra-class differences in external morphology, as well as the problems of uneven sample distribution and noisy labels in fine-grained image datasets under complex environments, we propose a fine-grained recognition model of crop pests (MT-MACLBPHSNet) based on cross-layer bilinear aggregation and multi-task learning, which consists of three key modules: the backbone network module, the cross-layer bilinear aggregation module, and the multi-task learning module. A new union loss function is designed in the primary task of the multi-task learning module, which is used to alleviate the two problems existing in the model training fine-grained image datasets. The experimental results show that the model effectively balances the model complexity and recognition accuracy in a comparative analysis with several existing excellent network models on the IP102-CP13 dataset, with the recognition accuracy reaching 75.37%, which is 7.06% higher than the Baseline model, and the F1-score reaching 67.06%. Additionally, the generalization of the model is also verified on the IP102-VP16 dataset, and the model outperforms most of the models in terms of recognition accuracy and generalization ability, which can provide an effective reference for fine-grained recognition of crop pests.

Evaluating Typing Performance in Different Mixed Reality Manifestations using Physiological Features

Mixed reality enables users to immerse themselves in high-workload interaction spaces like office work scenarios. We envision physiologically adaptive systems that can move users into different mixed reality manifestations, to improve their focus on the primary task. However, it is unclear which manifestation is most conducive for high productivity and engagement. In this work, we evaluate whether physiological indicators for engagement can be discriminated for different manifestations. For this, we engaged participants in a typing task in three different mixed reality manifestations (augmented reality, augmented virtuality, virtual reality) and monitored physiological correlates (EEG, ECG, and eye tracking) of users' engagement and workload. We found that users achieved best typing performances in augmented reality and augmented virtuality. At the same time, physiological engagement peaked in augmented virtuality, while workload decreased. We conclude that augmented virtuality strikes a good balance between the different manifestations, as it facilitates displaying the physical keyboard for improved typing performance and, at the same time, allows one to block out the real world, removing many real-world distractors.

THE IMPORTANCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION CONCEPT IN EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK LAW

The subject of this paper is the introduction of the environmental protection concept in the central banking law to preserve natural resources and contribute to ensuring sustainable economic development. In that sense, the author will attempt to describe the potential contribution of green central bank legislation in managing and mitigating environmental issues, aiming to identify the ecological dimension of the European Central Bank (ECB) mandate, as the supreme monetary institution of the European Union (EU). The following text focuses on the functional analysis of the ECB’s potential legal mandate for environmental activities, their scope, limitations, and practical justification where the introduction of these new activities must be carefully managed without creating a collision with its primary task of maintaining monetary and financial stability.tability.

Listening effort in children and adults in classroom noise

It is well known that hearing in noisy situations is more challenging than in quiet environments. This holds true for adults and especially for children. This study employed a child-appropriate dual-task paradigm to investigate listening effort in children aged six to ten years and young adults. The primary task involved word recognition, while the secondary task evaluated digit recall. Additionally, subjective perception of listening effort was assessed using a child-appropriate questionnaire. This study incorporated plausible sound reproduction and examined classroom scenarios including multi-talker babble noise with two signal-to-noise ratios (0 dB and −3 dB) in an anechoic and an acoustically simulated classroom environment. Forty-four primary school children aged six to ten (17 first- to second-graders and 18 third- to fourth-graders) and 25 young adults participated in this study. The results revealed differences in listening effort between the noise conditions in third- to fourth-graders and supported using the dual-task paradigm for that age group. For all three age groups, a greater subjective perception of listening effort in noise was found. Furthermore, a correlation between the subjective perception of listening effort and behavioural listening effort based on the experimental results was found for third- to fourth-graders and adults.

Individual Differences in the Impact of Distracting Environmental Sounds on the Performance of a Continuous Visual Task in Older Adults

Background/Objectives: Vulnerability to sound distraction is commonly reported in older adults with dementia and tends to be associated with adverse impacts on daily activity. However, study outcome heterogeneity is increasingly evident, with preserved resistance to distraction also evident. Contributory factors may include individual differences in distractibility in older adulthood per se, and failure to consider the influence of how difficult a person found the test. Methods: We therefore measured distractibility in a group of older adults by comparing the performance of a primary visual task (Swansea Test of Attentional Control), which includes an adaptive algorithm to take into account how difficult a person finds the test under both no-sound and sound conditions. Results: Analysis revealed no significant difference in group mean performance between no-sound versus sound conditions [t (33) = 0.181, p = 0.858; Cohen’s effect size d = −0.028], but individual differences in performance both within and between sound and no-sound conditions were evident, indicating that for older adults, distracting sounds can be neutral, detrimental, or advantageous with respect to visual task performance. It was not possible to determine individual thresholds for whether sound versus no-sound conditions affected a person’s actual behaviour. Conclusions: Nevertheless, our findings indicate how variable such effects may be in older adults, which in turn may help to explain outcome heterogeneity in studies including people living with dementia. Furthermore, such within-group heterogeneity highlights the importance of considering a person’s individual performance in order to better understand their behaviour and initiate interventions as required.

The composition diagram of a complex process: Enhancing understanding of hierarchical business processes

The article presents the Composition Diagram of a Complex Process (CDCP), a new diagramming method for modelling business processes with complex vertical structures. This Method addresses the limitations of traditional modelling techniques such as BPMN, Activity Diagrams (AD), and Event-Driven Process Chains (EPC).The experiment was carried out on 277 students from different study programs and grades to determine the effectiveness of the methods. The main objective was to evaluate the usability and effectiveness of CDCP compared to established methods, focusing on two primary tasks: interpretation and diagram creation. The participant's performance was evaluated based on the objective results of the tasks and the subjective feedback of the questionnaire. The results indicate that CDCP was the effective method for the reading and drawing tasks, outperforming BPMN and EPC in terms of understanding and ease of use. Statistical analysis of variance showed that while the year of the study did not significantly affect performance, the study program and Method used had a significant effect. These findings highlight the potential of CDCP as a more accessible and intuitive business process modelling tool, even for users with minimal prior experience.

User-wise perturbations for user identity protection in EEG-based BCIs.

An electroencephalogram (EEG)-based brain-computer interface (BCI) is a direct communication pathway between the human brain and a computer. Most research so far studied more accurate BCIs, but much less attention has been paid to the ethics of BCIs. Aside from task-specific information, EEG signals also contain rich private information, e.g., user identity, emotion, disorders, etc., which should be protected. We show for the first time that adding user-wise perturbations can make identity information in EEG unlearnable. We propose four types of user-wise privacy-preserving perturbations, i.e., random noise, synthetic noise, error minimization noise, and error maximization noise. After adding the proposed perturbations to EEG training data, the user identity information in the data becomes unlearnable, while the BCI task information remains unaffected. Experiments on six EEG datasets using three neural network classifiers and various traditional machine learning models demonstrated the robustness and practicability of the proposed perturbations. Our research shows the feasibility of hiding user identity information in EEG data without impacting the primary BCI task information.

СУЧАСНІ СТРУКТУРНІ ЗМІНИ В АГРАРНОМУ СЕКТОРІ ТА ЇХ ВПЛИВ НА ПРОДОВОЛЬЧУ БЕЗПЕКУ КРАЇНИ

. In the article, the author examines the evolution of the role of food security, both at the historical stages of development and in the modern world, as well as its place in the system of ensuring economic and national security of the state. The strategic priority of agrarian policy in most countries was ensuring food security, which was understood primarily as self-sufficiency in food. This became especially relevant in the 50s of the XX century as a result of the fact that military actions violated previously imposed trade relations, and violations in this area arose under the influence of the payment crisis. The purpose of the article is an analysis of modern structural changes in the agricultural sector and their impact on the country's food security. The methodological basis of the research in the article is the scientific work of the authors in the field of economics of culture, innovation management, management in the field of culture, as well as social partnership. The research was carried out on the basis of general scientific methods of research - a systematic approach, analysis and synthesis, methods of typological and comparative analysis, empirical methods. The object of the study is the sphere of culture, which needs conditions in which organizational and financial reforms are carried out, as well as the development and application of innovative management methods. The hypothesis of the study. Currently, all developed countries of the world, including the United States, Japan, and the EU countries, have their own national programs, laws and measures to ensure national food security. Presentation of the main material. The primary tasks of the state in the sphere of regulation of agro-industrial production should be the stabilization and development of agro-industrial production, ensuring food security, improving food security of the population, maintaining economic parity between agriculture and other sectors of the economy, converging income levels of workers in agriculture and industry, protecting domestic producers in the sphere of agro-industrial production. From the point of view of welfare economics, "the problem of food safety and quality is one of the specific features of the functioning of the agricultural market, which determine its equilibrium in a Pareto inefficient state. This, in turn, is the economic basis for the need for state policy intervention in the agricultural sector and the possibility of redistributing the financial resources of society for its development. The originality and practical significance of the study. In our opinion, the existing problem of food security should be considered in the context of economic security, since it concentrates the main directions of agricultural policy and economic reforms in the current market conditions. This process reflects the real trends in the development of agricultural production, the state of the market and the position of consumers in it, determines the degree of involvement and dependence on the world food market, applies the mechanism of state strategy taking into account internal and external factors in order to create the main life support system – food security. Conclusions. Taking into account the interests of economic security and socio-political stability in society, it should be noted that the food and agricultural complexes always remain the most important sectors of the economy. The primary task is to create conditions for economic management and entrepreneurial stability in the agro-food sector of the economy and to ensure state support for producers

ACUTE TOXICITY OF 5-((5-BROMOFURAN-2-YL)-4-METHYL-3-THIOHEPTYL)-1,2,4-TRIAZOLE

Statistical data show that more than 130,000 people in Ukraine are diagnosed with cancer every year. Cancer can affect any organ and eventually the whole body. In most cases, cancer is a tumor affecting epithelial, mucous, muscle, fat, and bone tissues. Also, processes related to malignant formations can occur in the blood and lymph. The main mechanism that triggers the process of formation of neoplasms is a violation of growth and, accordingly, cell division. They begin to grow uncontrollably, multiply, and can also migrate, spreading to nearby tissue structures, and later degenerate into atypical (malignant) ones. Cancer is one of the most life-threatening diseases. Literature data show that more than 90% of cancer patients die due to chronic metastases. Cancer therapy involves the use of drugs that block the growth and spread of cancer cells by affecting certain molecular structures involved in the growth, progression, and spread of cancer. The diversity of the use of means for cancer therapy, namely, hormone therapy, the use of angiogenesis inhibitors and apoptosis inducers, has provided scientists with various options for finding effective means to fight this disease. Heterocyclic compounds are the most common among organic substances. All of them are of natural or synthetic origin and play an extremely important role in human life. A scientifically proven fact today is the high biological activity of 1,2,4-triazole derivatives, they are also used as plasticizers for plastics, anti-corrosion agents, additives to various types of fuels, plant protection agents, etc. Derivatives of 1,2,4-triazole are well known as biologically active compounds, some of them are active substances of medicines. Scientists in many countries of the world are studying the properties of 1,2,4-triazole derivatives. The spectrum of pharmacological activity of 1,2,4-triazoles is wide enough, which allows scientists to choose different directions of research tests. It is also known that 1,2,4-triazole derivatives are low-toxic or practically non-toxic compounds. Studying the toxicity of biologically active molecules is a primary task on the way to their introduction into practical medicine. It was previously established that 5-((5-bromofuran-2-yl)-4-methyl-3-thioheptyl)-1,2,4-triazole has anticancer activity, acting selectively and purposefully on cancer cells. Therefore, it was necessary to investigate the acute toxicity of 5-((5-bromofuran-2-yl)-4-methyl-3-thioheptyl)-1,2,4-triazole by the method of experimental research and using computer technologies. Materials and methods. To achieve this aim, we used both classical and modern methods. Timely well-known methods for computer prediction of acute toxicity GUSAR (Germany), ProTox 3.0 (Germany), TEST (USA) and pkCSM (Australia). To obtain more reliable results, we also used the V. B. Prozorovsky express method in vivo on white nonlinear rats. Results. The data obtained for predicting acute toxicity using all four computer services have similar values. It should also be noted that the experimental results correspond to the obtained non-experimental data. Therefore, the compound 5-((5-bromfuran-2-yl)-4-methyl-3-thioheptil)-1,2,4-triazole can be attributed to the fourth class of toxicity according to the classification of K. K. Sydorov. Conclusions. According to generalized data, the compound 5-((5-bromfuran-2-yl)-4-methyl-3-thioheptil)-1,2,4-triazole has an LD50 value of 1245 mg/kg and is a low-toxic substance.

IMPROVEMENT OF THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF PATIENTS WITH CONCUSSION BY MEANS OF PHYSICAL THERAPY

Brain concussion from blast waves is one of the most common injuries in combat. This injury is three times more common than wounds. Blast wave brain concussion has significant consequences and impairs the quality of life for an indefinite period of time, so the use of physical therapy to improve the quality of life of patients with its consequences is an urgent issue. Purpose to prove the effectiveness of physical therapy in improving the quality of life of patients after blast concussion. Methods. To achieve the aim of the study, the scientific literature was analyzed and information was systematised using electronic databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar and others. To assess: sleep function, the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) was used; pain perception, the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and the Verbal Rating Scale were used; changes in emotional functions, the Wessman-Ricks Emotional State Self-Assessment (WESA) was used; and quality of life, the Health Survey (SF-36 v2) was used. Research results. The initial treatment of concussion is of great importance and includes a number of important aspects that can be performed by a first responder. Since concussion leads to partial or complete disability and largely results in disability, which leads to other problems at different levels, the prerequisites for developing a physical therapy programme aimed at improving the quality of life of patients were the selection of ICF components appropriate to the patients' condition. The physical therapy programme was individualised, tailored to each patient individually, taking into account their condition and wishes, with special attention paid to the primary tasks of pain relief and normalisation of sleep function, which is key to reducing all other consequences of concussion and improving the quality of life. After the implementation of the proposed physical therapy programme, patients in the main group improved their sleep, decreased their pain levels and improved their emotional state. All indicators at the end of the study were better in the main group than in the control group, although at the beginning of the study the indicators in both groups did not differ significantly. Comparison of the results of the SF-36 v2 Health Survey proves the effectiveness of the developed physical therapy programme in combination with conventional treatment of blast injury. Conclusions. The results of the study proved the positive impact of the physical therapy programme for patients with blast concussion, which took into account the patient's condition and wishes, and whose primary objectives were to stop the manifestation of pain and normalise sleep function, actively involve the patient in the rehabilitation process through Pilates, Yoga, Nordic walking and an obstacle course with a sports focus. Motivation for action and normalisation of the emotional state are important during the rehabilitation period. The combination of active activities with massage therapy, namely Thai traditional massage, Thai foot massage, Tibetan singing bowl massage and Rebozo massage, contributed to general relaxation, reducing the effects of stress, muscle and emotional stress, harmonising the emotional state, improving blood circulation and restoring all body systems.

Improving the Quality of Education at Madrasah Tsanawiyah Negeri Fakfak through Leadership Strategies implemented by the Head of Madrasah

The goal of this study is to assess how the Head of the MTsN Fakfak carries out their main roles and functions, identify the factors that assist or hinder the head of the Fakfak State Tsanawiyah Madrasah in improving the quality of education, and investigate the solutions implemented by the Madrasah Head to overcome obstacles to carrying out these primary tasks. The qualitative study draws on pedagogical, management, and theological approaches. Primary data was gathered from the madrasah head, teachers, administrative staff, and relevant individuals within the madrasah, while secondary data was collected from books, the internet, and other sources related to the research problem. Data collection methods included observation, interviews, and documentation studies. The study found that the head of MTsN Fakfak utilizes a democratic leadership style in fulfilling their main responsibilities, as evidenced by the active, dynamic, and purposeful strategies, actions, and programs that involve all stakeholders in advancing the institution. The leadership of the madrasah head has had a positive impact on the quality of education, but there are areas for improvement that require a more effective strategy for the madrasah head to fulfill their duties. The study suggests that as a leader, the head of the madrasah must continuously and optimally carry out their primary responsibilities to enhance the quality of education within the madrasah. Consequently,madrasah heads must adeptly mobilize resources in program planning and evaluation, curriculum development, learning, personnel management, learning facilities and resources, finance, student and community services, and fostering a conducive madrasah environment.

Depth Video-Based Secondary Action Recognition in Vehicles via Convolutional Neural Network and Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory with Spatial Enhanced Attention Mechanism

Secondary actions in vehicles are activities that drivers engage in while driving that are not directly related to the primary task of operating the vehicle. Secondary Action Recognition (SAR) in drivers is vital for enhancing road safety and minimizing accidents related to distracted driving. It also plays an important part in modern car driving systems such as Advanced Driving Assistance Systems (ADASs), as it helps identify distractions and predict the driver’s intent. Traditional methods of action recognition in vehicles mostly rely on RGB videos, which can be significantly impacted by external conditions such as low light levels. In this research, we introduce a novel method for SAR. Our approach utilizes depth-video data obtained from a depth sensor located in a vehicle. Our methodology leverages the Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), which is enhanced by the Spatial Enhanced Attention Mechanism (SEAM) and combined with Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (Bi-LSTM) networks. This method significantly enhances action recognition ability in depth videos by improving both the spatial and temporal aspects. We conduct experiments using K-fold cross validation, and the experimental results show that on the public benchmark dataset Drive&Act, our proposed method shows significant improvement in SAR compared to the state-of-the-art methods, reaching an accuracy of about 84% in SAR in depth videos.

Protection of the rights of foreign investors during the state of war in Ukraine

The article is devoted to the study of the protection of the rights of foreign investors during the state of war in Ukraine. The author focuses on the fact that this topic is currently relevant due to the fact that the reconstruction of Ukraine will become necessary. The war caused the outflow of foreign investments from our country. In addition, corruption, pressure from the authorities, and unfair justice are the reasons why foreign investors leave Ukraine. Every investor aspires to work in a state where law and justice reign, so Ukraine, which aspires to membership in the European Union, should create just such a state. Therefore, its primary task is to create a favorable business climate for foreign investors to carry out their activities. Current Ukrainian legislation guarantees compensation and indemnification of losses to a foreign investor, guarantees are also provided in case of termination of investment activity; state guarantees for the protection of foreign investments are defined. In accordance with the Law of Ukraine «On State Support of Investment Projects with Significant Investments in Ukraine», the state provides support to large investment projects. In connection with the introduction of the state of war in Ukraine in 2024, the Law of Ukraine on the insurance of investments against war risks entered into force. The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine established a credit agency that provides investment insurance. Although the war made Ukraine unattractive to foreign investors, the authorities are taking all possible measures to improve the country’s investment climate. The author draws attention to the need to study and transpose the experience of successful countries in this regard. For example, Australia offers quite good conditions to foreign investors - consistent economic growth, highly qualified labor force, strategic location, efficient administration and judicial system, and good infrastructure. Mexico is also attractive to foreign investors, the «Invest in Mexico» business center has been created to assist investors. The war is an accelerant for positive changes in the state, and after its end, the reconstruction of Ukraine is an important task, therefore the efforts of all branches of government should be directed at overcoming all obstacles to the effective work of foreign investors in our state.