Relevant Circumstances Research Articles

PREJUDICE AS A MEANS OF PROOF IN CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS IN UKRAINE: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS WITH CONTINENTAL AND COMMON LAW SYSTEMS

Background: During the preparation of the CPC of Ukraine in 2012, the issue of legal regulation regarding the use of prejudice in the process of criminal procedure proof received little scholarly attention. Although much time has passed since then, this subject of discussion remains largely unexplored in textbooks and manuals on criminal procedure published after the adoption of the codified act. Even within the few scholarly investigations dedicated to prejudice in criminal proceedings, a communis opinion doctorum on some issues related to the means of proof has yet to be achieved. This article aims to clarify the concept, formulate its characteristics, uncover the significance of prejudice in Ukraine’s criminal procedure, and distinguish peculiarities of legal regulation and the use of this means of proof in criminal procedure law of countries with continental and general systems of law. Methods: The methodological basis of the article is a dialectical approach to the scientific understanding of social phenomena. In writing this article, general scientific and specialised legal methods of cognition were also used, including analysis, generalisation, structural and functional methods, hermeneutic methods, doctrinal or specialised legal methods, and comparative legal methods. Results and conclusions: It has been found that prejudicial significance is attributed to legal acts that summarise the outcome of criminal procedural activities in specific criminal proceedings. These legal acts include final judgments and rulings of the court and unrevoked decisions of the interrogator, investigator, detective, and prosecutor. Prejudice encompasses not only relevant facts and circumstances but also legal conclusions regarding them. The principleof free evaluation of proof allows the parties to come to different legal conclusions than those made in the previous criminal proceedings, with proper argumentation of their legal position. The use of prejudice in criminal proceedings of civil law jurisdictions is based on the doctrine of res judicata, while in common law systems, it is based on the doctrine of collateral estoppel. Examples from the criminal procedure of Poland, Greece, Italy, and the USA illustrate the specific features of using this means of proof.

Formulation of contextual circumstances in final court decisions on cases of violation of the laws and customs of war: peculiarities of legal argumentation

The article analyzes the peculiarities of legal reasoning in final court decisions in cases of violation of the laws and customs of war (Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) in the context of such contextual circumstances as the existence of an international armed conflict during which and in connection with which the relevant war crime is committed. The author identifies the following shortcomings in the wording of contextual circumstances in sentences under Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine: an extensive historical excursion into the historical past of our State and world organizations, as well as the lack of a clear definition of such contextual circumstances. The author proves that in addition to the direct establishment of such circumstances, final court decisions should state the existence of a relevant victim, object and subject of a war crime, which are elements of the mechanism for determining contextual circumstances, as well as independent signs of the crime under Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. It is determined that the legal arguments used in final court decisions should include a brief description of the factual and temporal factors of the international armed conflict on the territory of Ukraine, which take place in the country as a whole, as well as the local aspect of the international armed conflict, the existence of which is proved by the occupation of the Ukrainian settlement where the war crime event took place. In addition, when describing the contextual circumstances of the crime under Art. 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, it is advisable to refer to international normative documents and international case law. It is determined that a complete description of the contextual circumstances will ensure the «stability» of court decisions in the courts of appeal, which may be appealed by the defense party arguing that there are no relevant contextual circumstances, which, in the opinion of the defense, indicates that an ordinary crime was committed, rather than a war crime. Key words: war crime, violation of the laws or customs of war, contextual circumstances, international armed conflict, criminal proceedings, international humanitarian law, final judgment, quality of judgment, legal technique, legal reasoning.

Inequality in educational opportunity in Thailand during the COVID-19 pandemic

This study provides lower-bound estimates of inequality in educational opportunity from 2020 to 2021—during the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand. We also analyze the relationship between school- and local-specific characteristics and inequality in educational opportunity. Using school dropout status as a student’s outcome, our study reveals that children’s and parental characteristics were the most relevant circumstances at the primary level. However, at the secondary level, access to computers and the internet were more important circumstances contributing to inequality in educational opportunity. The estimated inequality in educational opportunity in 2021 is slightly higher than that in 2020, indicating an increase in inequality from circumstances beyond children’s control. School quality and local social and economic factors could be potential drivers to improve equality in educational opportunity in Thailand.

Learning Optimal Dynamic Treatment Regimes from Longitudinal Data.

Studies often report estimates of the average treatment effect (ATE). While the ATE summarizes the effect of a treatment on average, it does not provide any information about the effect of treatment within any individual. A treatment strategy that uses an individual's information to tailor treatment to maximize benefit is known as an optimal dynamic treatment rule (ODTR). Treatment, however, is typically not limited to a single point in time; consequently, learning an optimal rule for a time-varying treatment may involve not just learning the extent to which the comparative treatments' benefits vary across the characteristics of individuals, but also learning the extent to which the comparative treatments' benefits vary as relevant circumstances evolve within an individual. The goal of this paper is to provide a tutorial for estimating ODTR from longitudinal observational and clinical trial data for applied researchers. We describe an approach that uses a doubly-robust unbiased transformation of the conditional average treatment effect. We then learn a time-varying ODTR for when to increase buprenorphine-naloxone (BUP-NX) dose to minimize return-to-regular-opioid-use among patients with opioid use disorder. Our analysis highlights the utility of ODTRs in the context of sequential decision making: the learned ODTR outperforms a clinically defined strategy.

Theoretical aspects of opening proceedings in the case of insolvency of a debtor – a natural person in accordance with the Code of Ukraine on bankruptcy procedures

The paper analyzes the theoretical aspects and legal norms regulating the procedure for initiating proceedings in cases of personal insolvency according to the Bankruptcy Procedures Code of Ukraine. It provides an in-depth analysis of Article 115 of the Code, which establishes the grounds for the court to decide to start examining a case of insolvency. This includes examining the debtor's inability to fulfill obligations to creditors, the absence of assets that can be subjected to enforcement, and other factors affecting the debtor's financial state. The paper delves into the legal intricacies and conditions under which a court can declare an individual insolvent, highlighting the critical importance of these conditions in protecting both the debtor and the creditors. Special attention is given to the importance of a detailed understanding and proper application of each norm, considering judicial practice and procedural nuances that can significantly affect the effectiveness and fairness of bankruptcy proceedings. The paper underscores the necessity for legal practitioners to be well-versed in these norms to navigate the complexities of insolvency cases effectively. It discusses how minor procedural missteps or misunderstandings of the law can lead to significant delays or even unjust outcomes, emphasizing the need for precision and thoroughness in legal proceedings. The role of the court is critically examined, particularly in ensuring an objective examination of the case circumstances. The court's duty is not limited to the evidence presented by the parties; it must also consider all relevant circumstances that might affect the case outcome. The paper highlights the court's subsidiary duty to assist the debtor in establishing the necessary circumstances for initiating proceedings, which is essential for ensuring that justice is served and that the debtor's rights are protected throughout the process. Furthermore, the paper discusses the broader implications of these legal norms and practices on the financial system and society. It considers how effective bankruptcy procedures can contribute to economic stability by providing a structured method for resolving insolvency issues. This, in turn, can encourage responsible lending and borrowing practices, as all parties have a clear understanding of the legal recourse available in cases of financial distress. This paper is particularly beneficial for lawyers, judges, and anyone interested in personal bankruptcy procedures, as it provides a comprehensive understanding of the procedural requirements and approaches used in Ukrainian legal practice. By offering detailed insights into the legal framework and practical applications of the Bankruptcy Procedures Code, it serves as a valuable resource for those involved in or studying insolvency law, helping to ensure that personal bankruptcy cases are handled with the highest standards of fairness and efficiency.

Negative legal facts as a subject of proof in administrative and civil proceedings

The authors of the article investigate the problems of dividing legal facts into positive and negative and prove that this division should be carried out only according to the criterion of the form of manifestation of the relevant circumstances. It is inappropriate to divide legal facts into positive and negative according to the criterion of the consequences they cause. Positive and negative legal facts are categories of the science of procedural (evidential) law. They are important in both civil and administrative proceedings. A negative legal fact denotes a circumstance that does not exist in reality and its absence has specific legal consequences. A negative legal fact is a circumstance that does not exist, so it is difficult to prove it in court. In judicial practice, an approach has developed, according to which the proof of a negative legal fact is connected with the proof of its opposite positive legal fact. The authors of the article demonstrate the process of proving a negative legal fact using the example of proving in court the fact of concluding a civil deed, in respect of which the requirement for a mandatory written form has not been met. If the interested party provides adequate evidence that proves a positive legal fact (the existence of a deed), then the opposite negative legal fact (the absence of a deed) is refuted. If the interested party does not prove the existence of a positive legal fact, then the opposite negative fact is considered proven. A similar approach is observed in administrative proceedings. The legislator places the burden of proof on the party interested in proving a positive legal fact. Thus, if the inaction of a public authority is contested, the burden of proof of the fact that the corresponding necessary actions have been taken rests with this authority. And the burden of proving the fact of the existence of damage caused by illegal individual acts of the relevant bodies rests with the plaintiff.

Imagination vs. routines: festive time, weekly time, and the predictive brain.

This paper examines the relationship between societal structures shaped by traditions, norms, laws, and customs, and creative expressions in arts and media through the lens of the predictive coding framework in cognitive science. The article proposes that both dimensions of culture can be viewed as adaptations designed to enhance and train the brain's predictive abilities in the social domain. Traditions, norms, laws, and customs foster shared predictions and expectations among individuals, thereby reducing uncertainty in social environments. On the other hand, arts and media expose us to simulated experiences that explore alternative social realities, allowing the predictive machinery of the brain to hone its skills through exposure to a wider array of potentially relevant social circumstances and scenarios. We first review key principles of predictive coding and active inference, and then explore the rationale of cultural traditions and artistic culture in this perspective. Finally, we draw parallels between institutionalized normative habits that stabilize social worlds and creative and imaginative acts that temporarily subvert established conventions to inject variability.

Quantum Antitrust – A Unified Exclusionary Abuse Theory

Now that the judgments in Servizio Elettrico Nazionale and Unilever have made sense of previous case-law, a unified analytical framework can be predicated for all exclusionary abuses. It is made up of two limbs (artificiality/conduct deviating from competition on the merits and potential exclusionary effect/capability of foreclosing). The two limbs are two sides of the same coin, which consists of ascertaining whether the plausible rationale (in the sense of nature and economy) behind a dominant company’s conduct is to derive an advantage that equally efficient competitors cannot either derive by doing the same (first limb–artificiality) or offset by other means (second limb–potential effect). This exclusionary rationale, which is a cognitive state in the dominant company’s mind rather than an ontological reality, is objectivised by holistically judging the dominant company’s conduct against the backdrop of the relative efficiency of its competitors, which is the link between both limbs: if the inherent features of the company’s conduct and all the relevant circumstances surrounding it allow equally efficient competitors to either derive a similar advantage or to defeat its exclusionary effect by some other means, the conduct does not make anticompetitive sense (exclusion is not its plausible rationale). Owing to the very Darwinian nature of competition law, relative efficiency is the common “quantum” and, therefore, a useful yardstick for abuse from the historical, legal, teleological and practical perspectives, as well as from the points of view of causality and reality. Finally, plausibility would be the single standard of proof that could be rebutted by disproving either of the two limbs (in an Intel II-like fashion), either by providing an alternative non-exclusionary explanation that breaks the casual link or by putting forward an objective justification. All other tests and standards merely reflect the extent to which either the artificiality or the potential effects of the conduct can be presumed based on economic judgement or experience (as happened in merger control following CK Telecoms)–thus reconciling per se rules, consisting of an Art. 101-like cursory analysis, with a more economic approach.

Participant‐driven salient beliefs regarding abortion: Implications for abortion attitude measurement

AbstractObjectiveGuided by the Reasoned Action Approach, we used a salient belief elicitation (SBE) to elicit participant‐generated beliefs regarding abortion. SBE is a formative research technique used to elicit people's control (i.e., perceived facilitators and barriers associated with a behavior), behavioral (i.e., perceived positive and negative consequences of doing a behavior), and normative (i.e., influence of important people/peers regarding a behavior) beliefs regarding a particular behavior (i.e., abortion).MethodsWe administered our SBE to English‐ and Spanish‐speaking U.S. adults (N = 608) from NORC's AmeriSpeak® panel. We used inductive content and thematic analyses to assess open‐ended questions.ResultsWe found that participants’ control and behavioral beliefs referenced circumstances used to assess abortion attitudes in polling item (e.g., rape) and reasons people seek abortion (e.g., financial reasons) as well as potential negative emotions (e.g., shame) and positive consequences (e.g., autonomy) associated with abortion. Participants indicated pregnant people's partners and people seeking abortion as salient referents.ConclusionParticipants mentioned several contexts reflected in common measures used to assess abortion attitudes by national polls and surveys. However, we also found other relevant circumstances not reflected in common measures and a range of salient referents. We recommend abortion attitudes measures account for these participant‐driven salient beliefs.

Protecting “No Surprises” Journalism: Why Courts Should Preserve the Actual Malice Privilege for News Media that Include the Subject’s Response to Allegations of Misconduct

The recent onset of the “fake news” era has brought with it a wave of public discussion about the importance of ethical journalism. The sheer volume of misinformation from non-traditional online sources has had the corollary effect of also reducing the trust of many in traditional news sources. This is especially the case when the report involves alleged misconduct or scandal, which stands to potentially benefit opponents of the subject person or organization. Traditional news sources have fought vigorously to both differentiate “fake news” and reinstate public trust in sources committed to ethical journalism. But what exactly is “ethical journalism”? Do recognized legal protections relating to free speech and free press rights at all encourage ethical journalism over tactics used by those peddling fake news? The Society of Professional Journalists summarizes the concept well in providing simply that: “Ethical journalism should be accurate and fair.” A key tenet in ensuring both accuracy and fairness is the principle that a journalist should “diligently seek” out the person or organization that is the “subject” of a developing news report “to allow them to respond to criticism or allegations of wrongdoing.” This principle is referred to by many as the “no surprises rule” because it gives the subject a “fair chance to refute the facts” for publication. The Washington Post goes so far as to say in its current Policies and Standards that “[n]o story is fair if it covers individuals or organizations that have not been given the opportunity to address assertions or claims about them made by others.” It is this fundamental “discipline of verification” that “separates journalism from other forms of communication such as propaganda, advertising, fiction, or entertainment.” According to core principles established by the United States Supreme Court in a line of relevant cases, the free speech and free press rights guaranteed by the First Amendment should incentivize the “no surprises rule” and most often protect news media that include the subject person’s response to allegations of misconduct in the published report. Specifically, in most reports involving a public controversy, the news media defendant should be protected by the “actual malice privilege” in a subsequent libel lawsuit brought by the subject person because such person qualifies as a “limited purpose public figure.” However, a lingering dicta observation made in one Supreme Court opinion in this relevant line of cases has created the potential for confusion on this point. Perhaps even more problematic are two artificial self-defense-based exceptions to the actual malice privilege that have been established in two federal circuits, which remove protection of the news media in many relevant circumstances. These exceptions have only become more confused and conflated as they have spread. Given the increasing need to protect and encourage ethical journalism in the online age, and the recent interest from some members of the Supreme Court in reevaluating the scope of the actual malice privilege itself, consideration of the issue is critical at this time. This Article demonstrates that, in most circumstances involving a public controversy, a news media defendant should be protected by the actual malice privilege in a subsequent lawsuit brought by a libel plaintiff that responded to the alleged false statements in a published report. In sum, this Article shows why such a libel plaintiff should be considered a limited purpose public figure.

Недостатки универсальной презумпции добросовестности на примере переговоров о заключении контракта

It is established that the distinctions between good faith in the objective sense and good faith in the subjective sense provide for different ways of proving relevant circumstances. It is proved that there can be no presumption regarding good faith in the objec-tive sense. The study revealed that good faith in the subjective sense, by contrast, is based on the assumption that the subject is bona fide. The difference in proof of two types of good faith is demonstrated by example of contract negotiations. It has been proven that there is no legal sense to place the burden of proving a good faith with regard to breach of duty to inform and ter-mination of negotiations contrary to good faith and fair dealing. It is found that the rule under which such burden is placed is random and has no analogues in civil law countries. A conclusion has been formulated according to which the general-purpose presumption of good faith becomes the cause of erroneous legislative decisions in various fields.

Developing an Approach for Equitable and Reasonable Utilization of International Rivers: The Nile River

The absence of a basin-wide apportionment agreement on using the Nile River equitably has been a long-standing source of disagreement among Nile riparian states. This study introduces a new approach that the riparian states can consider that quantifies the Nile River’s apportionment. The approach includes (1) developing a basin-wide database of indicators representative of the United Nations Watercourse Convention (UNWC) relevant factors and circumstances, (2) developing an ensemble of indicator weighting scenarios using various weighting methods, and (3) developing six water-sharing methods to obtain a range of apportionments for Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia and the group of the White Nile Equatorial States for each weighting scenarios. The results illustrate a relatively narrow range of country-level water apportionments, even though some individual factor weights vary from 3% to 26%. Considering the entire Nile River, the water apportionment for Ethiopia ranges from 32% to 38%, Sudan and South Sudan from 25% to 33%, Egypt from 26% to 35%, and the Equatorial States from 5% to 7%. We trust that the six proposed equitable water-sharing methods may aid in fostering basin-wide negotiations toward a mutual agreement and address the dispute over water sharing.

РОЗВИТОК СТАЛОГО ТУРИЗМУ В УКРАЇНІ В УМОВАХ ВІЙНИ

Today, Ukrainians are fighting fiercely for the right to be Ukrainians, to be a free, independent European, developed state. The time of reconstruction is not far off, so it is very important to be prepared in a timely manner for effective actions to restore and qualitatively transform the Ukrainian economy into the best examples of an innovative competitive economy that the world’s leading civilized countries are trying to follow. This type of economy is, of course, a green economy, circular or closed within the framework of the concept of sustainable development, as a general concept, which was declared at the UN Summit on Sustainable Development in September 2015. Since tourism is one of the most profitable sectors of the global economy and the most extensive, it can be an excellent tool for promoting the principles of sustainable development and effectively ensuring its economic, social and environmental dimensions. Purpose. The purpose of this study is to analyze the attainability of sustainable tourism objectives in Ukraine in the context of war; to identify effective types of sustainable tourism in the current conditions. Design/methodology/approach. In the article, the authors used hypothetical method; comparative analysis in the course of studying scientific sources on this issue; empirical analysis of the achievability of sustainable tourism tasks in our country in the conditions of war, as well as the experience of the functioning of Euroregions in Ukraine and the current state of political and economic conditions in the process of identifying opportunities provided by the development of cross-border sustainable tourism; logical method of cognition in the course of comparing the tasks of sustainable tourism with the opportunities that cross-border sustainable tourism can provide under relevant circumstances. Finding. The hypothesis on the possibility of sustainable tourism development in Ukraine in the context of war is proven. We define cross-border sustainable tourism as a viable type of tourism in times of war for objective reasons, the main advantage of which is the acceleration of Ukraine’s integration into the EU by ensuring the convergence of standards in the field of sustainable tourism, among other things. Practical implications. The results of this research are in the field of interest of scientists, government authorities, territorial communities, and business representatives who are willing to put the idea of developing cross-border sustainable tourism into practice and improve the functioning of existing forms of cross-border cooperation in the field of sustainable tourism. The subject of further research on this issue is the forms and mechanisms for intensifying cross-border cooperation in the field of sustainable tourism through the use of the possibility of accelerating Ukraine’s integration into the European and North Atlantic Unions. Originality/value. This study highlights cross-border sustainable tourism as a promising sector of Ukraine’s economy that can develop in wartime, as it involves the use of border areas remote from the combat zone, is able to realize all the objectives of sustainable tourism, and helps accelerate Ukraine’s integration into the EU.

Clinician Moral Distress: Toward an Ethics of Agent-Regret.

Moral distress names a widely discussed and concerning clinician experience. Yet the precise nature of the distress and the appropriate practical response to it remain unclear. Clinicians speak of their moral distress in terms of guilt, regret, anger, or other distressing emotions, and they often invoke them interchangeably. But these emotions are distinct, and they are not all equally fitting in the same circumstances. This indicates a problematic ambiguity in the moral distress concept that obscures its distinctiveness, its relevant circumstances, and how individual clinicians and the medical community should practically respond to it. We argue that, in a range of situations that are said to be morally distressing, the characteristic emotion can be well-understood in terms of what Bernard Williams calls "agent-regret." We show what can thereby be gained in terms of a less ambiguous concept and a more adequate ethical response to this distinctive and complex clinician experience.

The formation of civil legislation and the peculiarities of its application in Ukraine during the period of martial law

This study analyzes the peculiarities of the formation of modern civil legislation and peculiarities of its application in Ukraine, during the period of martial law. With the help of philosophical, general scientific and special legal methods and approaches, the legal nature of civil legal relations, the dynamics of their development and the mechanism of regulation under the conditions of a special legal regime were investigated. The expediency of showing a separate section in the Civil Code of Ukraine, which would contain temporary provisions providing legal guarantees for the period of war, for the implementation and protection of civil rights and interests of a person, additional obligations of the state to protect civil rights and interests, is based on social necessity. In the conclusions it is indicated that there is a scientific need to clarify the concept of updating the civil legislation of Ukraine with the key role of an anthropological approach, as a methodological basis for future recoding, and compliance with the principle of legality, proportionality of restrictions, proper definition of prerequisites for establishing restrictions on civil rights and the correct assessment of the degree of danger of occurrence of relevant circumstances.

Features of the Process of Evidence in Criminal Cases Evancation of Payment for Taxes from Organizations

Objective: The study of the features of the process of proof in criminal cases of tax evasion from organizations.
 
 Theoretical framework: Theoretical materials were based on international scientific publications, reports, and scientific papers. And also for a more complete and objective presentation of the problem being studied, practical materials from criminal cases were used.
 
 Method: It is a method to analyze the knowledge of the general patterns that characterize the evidentiary process in criminal cases of tax evasion. The methods of deduction and inducement made it possible to highlight the problematic aspects and characteristics of the investigation of evidence in criminal cases of tax evasion in criminal cases of tax evasion.
 
 Results and conclusion: Different points of view on the determinants of tax crimes are taken into account, taking into account macro factors, moving to microregulatory factors and moving to an additional need for sanction of some tax evasion actions.The author concludes that there is a need to improve the standards of legislation in order to deal effectively with tax offences.
 
 Originality/value: In criminal cases of tax evasion, the characteristics, procedure and mandatory points of the proof process of the entities are analyzed, which will allow us to identify many relevant circumstances. This type of crime greatly damages the budget of the Kazakhstan, and nowadays it has a great tendency for the problems of investigating tax crimes and one of its most dangerous manifestations, tax evasion, to be significant.

Force majeure, the principle of change of circumstances, and the doctrine of frustration during the COVID-19 pandemic: the case of commercial leases and judicial responses in China and New Zealand

ABSTRACT This paper analyses the application of force majeure, the principle of change of circumstances, and the doctrine of frustration in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand and China. The paper will first outline the general legal test and legal consequences of the three doctrines. Secondly, the paper will discuss the legal tests and legal consequences of the three doctrines specifically in New Zealand and China and in the context of COVID-19. Thirdly, the paper will discuss the similarities and differences between the three doctrines. In the second part of this paper, the paper will discuss how the three doctrines apply to commercial lease cases in the context of COVID-19. The paper will select two commercial lease cases in New Zealand and China to analyse the robustness of all three legal doctrines in providing practical workable solutions for tenants and landlords during government-imposed lockdowns and enforced closures of leased premises. The paper illustrates how the differences in the legal tests, legal consequences and underlying rationales of the doctrines result in different outcomes of a case. The paper concludes that the doctrines each have their strengths and weaknesses and other civil and common law countries can learn from the experiences of China and New Zealand. Furthermore, the paper suggests that courts should carefully consider the relevant facts and circumstances of a case when applying legal doctrines. Moreover, courts need to strike the right balance between doing the victims of unforeseen circumstances and upholding the principle of the sanctity of contract. The analysis of the three doctrines is particularly useful in this day and age where there is a high likelihood of the occurrence of another pandemic-level event and causing unprecedented disruptions to the commercial world. Moreover, the research has provided tenants and landlords with a good starting point as to how to protect themselves in the event of an unforeseen event.

Barriers to the adoption of social welfare measures in the electricity tariff structure of developing countries: A case of Pakistan

Energy tariff plays an important role in ensuring affordable energy availability in a country. Various developed countries have incorporated social welfare indicators in their electricity tariff structures to support their lower-income groups. The developing countries, riddled with multifaceted challenges in their energy value chains have not taken care of access to affordable energy for the poor (SDG7). Existing literature on developing countries and Pakistan has not sufficiently highlighted the drivers of social welfare mechanisms in the electricity tariff structure for poor households. This study aims at examining the factors contributing to the decline in social welfare for electricity household consumers in Pakistan. The study has utilized a mixed analytical approach, incorporating NVIVO analysis and Q methodology. The results highlighted a lack of regulatory performance, political influence, suboptimal governance, and financial constraints as barriers to enhancing the residential consumer's social welfare in Pakistan. Our findings may help to devise and revise the policies such as power sector subsidies for the determination of better electricity tariffs for the poorer segment of society in Pakistan. Other developing countries may also benefit by improving the relevant policy circumstances (main barriers from this study) of the electricity subsidies for poor households.

Clinicians’ preferences and attitudes towards the use of lithium in the maintenance treatment of bipolar disorders around the world: a survey from the ISBD Lithium task force

BackgroundLithium has long been considered the gold-standard pharmacological treatment for the maintenance treatment of bipolar disorders (BD) which is supported by a wide body of evidence. Prior research has shown a steady decline in lithium prescriptions during the last two decades. We aim to identify potential factors explaining this decline across the world with an anonymous worldwide survey developed by the International Society for Bipolar Disorders (ISBD) Task Force “Role of Lithium in Bipolar Disorders” and distributed by diverse academic and professional international channels.ResultsA total of 886 responses were received of which 606 completed the entire questionnaire while 206 completed it partially. Respondents were from 43 different countries comprising all continents. Lithium was the most preferred treatment option for the maintenance of BD patients (59%). The most relevant clinical circumstances in which lithium was the preferred option were in patients with BD I (53%), a family history of response (18%), and a prior response during acute treatment (17%). In contrast, Lithium was not the preferred option in case of patients´ negative beliefs and/or attitudes towards lithium (13%), acute side-effects or tolerability problems (10%) and intoxication risk (8%). Clinicians were less likely to prefer lithium as a first option in BD maintenance phase when practising in developing economy countries [X2 (1, N = 430) = 9465, p = 0.002) ] and private sectors [X2 (1, N = 434) = 8191, p = 0.004)].ConclusionsClinicians’ preferences and attitudes towards the use of lithium in the maintenance treatment of bipolar disorders appear to be affected by both the patients’ beliefs and the professional contexts where clinicians provide their services. More research involving patients is needed for identifying their attitudes toward lithium and factors affecting its use, particularly in developing economies.

An unsteady flow through porous media leads to a Newtonian fluid presence of CNTS and suction/injection

An action of CNTs flow access an unstable motion of a Newtonian fluid past a stagnation point on a stretched sheet using a penetrable medium is investigated in this paper. Once the fluid commences circulating with the flow of time, it flows. Flow is influenced by heat exchange with the surroundings. The implicitly limited component method is employed to track an unstable system of non-dimensional PDE with an associated boundary layer. Approaches, along with the relevant barrier circumstances, are acquired analytically. An influence of mass transpiration, volume fraction, and thermal radiation is investigated on Newtonian fluid flow using the penetrable medium. Heat transmission in a liquid with electrical conductivity, including heat source /sink across a continually stretched /shrinking surface with a Biot number. The importance of the present exertion is the stream of carbon nanotubes owing to Darcy porous media using linear heat radiation and an analytical approach. The nanoparticles provide important properties in enhancing the heat exchange procedure as well as thoroughly achieved applications in industry. It is discovered that the basic resemblance models accept two-phase for both extending /contracting sheets. In presence of calculation upon momentum with temperature jump conditions is accessible plots aimed at varying predictions of certain physical properties. Analyzing the properties of Darcy porous media of heat transport in the presence of radiation from a flat surface, the problem is solved analytically using incomplete gamma functions. Depending on the kind of boundary heating, the analytical equation for temperature is obtained in terms of power series.