Unfavorable Conditions Research Articles

Comparative analysis of production and marketing aspects of deficit and surplus paddy production areas in Bangladesh

The study aimed to compare production and marketing aspects in deficit and surplus paddy production areas in Bangladesh. For this study, a face-to-face interview was conducted with a semi-structured questionnaire. The survey was carried out in two districts from February to March 2022. Data were collected from a total of 113 paddy farmers from Brahmanbaria, a deficit district, and 128 farmers from Habiganj, a surplus district. According to this study, farmers in surplus districts have excellent geographic characteristics such as medium-high land and a triple crop area, while farmers in deficit districts suffer unfavorable conditions such as low land and flooding. The study also discovered that there are differences between the districts in terms of land availability, paddy cultivation area, and cropping intensity. In production aspects, the size of the farmland and the productivity differ significantly at the 1% level between the districts. Deficit farmers produce less paddy per acre compared to farmers with surplus districts. In the paddy marketing channel, local paddy assemblers (LPA) are the dominant actors in the deficit and LPB/local paddy brokers in the surplus area. Farmers in surplus areas have more marketing facilities and get higher paddy revenue and profits compared to deficit districts. However, farmers in both districts are mostly dependent on traders to sell their produce. In that case, paddy marketing facilities can accumulate through farmers’ community investment and the organization of cooperative societies. It will help improve farmers’ negotiation power at the village level in both districts. Res. Agric. Livest. Fish. Vol. 11, No. 2, August 2024: 173-183

In situ multilevel covalent crosslinking binder with high ionic conductivity for high-performance Si anodes

Silicon (Si) anode has emerged as a promising material for high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), thanks to its high theoretical capacity. However, the commercial application of Si anodes is hindered by inadequate cycling performance and poor interfacial stability, stemming from unfavorable stress conditions. In this study, a multiple crosslinking binder with high ionic conductivity is proposed combining high mechanical strength and high adhesion to current collector and active Si particles by coupling poly(acrylic acid), polyvinyl alcohol, and polyethylene glycol. The designed polymer binder not only efficiently dissipates the inner stress with its multiple crosslinked networks, but also establishes a fast lithium-ion conduction pathway to facilitate the electrode reaction kinetic. The resultant Si anode using the designed binder exhibits significantly improved cycling stability and superior rate performance. This work presents a straightforward yet highly effective method to alleviate the detrimental stress incurred by high-capacity anodes in high-energy LIBs.

Image Processing and Support Vector Machine (SVM) for Classifying Environmental Stress Symptoms of Pepper Seedlings Grown in a Plant Factory

Environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, light, and CO2 influence plant growth, and unfavorable environmental conditions cause stress in plants, producing symptoms in their early growth stages. The increasing importance of optimizing crop management strategies has led to a rising demand for the precise evaluation of stress symptoms during early plant growth. Advanced technologies are transforming plant health monitoring through enabling image-based stress analysis. Machine learning (ML) models can effectively identify the important features and morphological changes connected with various stress conditions through the use of large datasets acquired from high-resolution plant images. Therefore, the objective of this study was to develop a method for classifying the early-stage stress symptoms of pepper seedlings and enabling their identification and quantification using image processing and a support vector machine (SVM). Two-week-old pepper seedlings were grown under different temperatures (20, 25, and 30 °C), light intensity levels (50, 250, and 450 µmol m−2s−1), and day–night hours (8/16, 10/14, and 16/8) in five controlled plant growth chambers. Images of the seedling canopies were captured daily using a low-cost red, green, and blue (RGB) camera over a two-week period. Eighteen color features, nine texture features using the gray-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM), and one morphological feature were extracted from each image. A two-way ANOVA and multiple mean comparison (Duncan) analysis were used to determine the statistical significance of the treatment effects. To reduce feature overlap, sequential feature selection (SFS) was applied, and a support vector machine (SVM) was used for stress classification. The SFS method was used to identify the optimal features for the classification model, leading to substantial increases in stress classification accuracy. The SVM model, using these selected features, achieved a classification accuracy of 82% without the SFS and 86% with the SFS. To address overfitting, 5- and 10-fold cross-validation were used, resulting in MAEs of 0.138 and 0.163 for the polynomial kernel, respectively. The SVM model, evaluated with the ROC curve and confusion matrix, achieved a classification accuracy of 85%. This classification approach enables real-time stress monitoring, allowing growers to optimize environmental conditions and enhance seedling growth. Future directions include integrating this system into automated cultivation environments to enable continuous, efficient stress monitoring and response, further improving crop management and productivity.

Right Parasternal Approach for Aortic Valve Replacement After Presternal Gastropexy.

Due to bicuspid aortic valve aortic stenosis, a 78-year-old man with a history of esophagectomy and presternal gastric tube reconstruction required aortic valve replacement (AVR). AVR with a bioprosthetic valve was performed through a right parasternal thoracotomy. Despite the unfavorable conditions for conventional median sternotomy, AVR was successfully performed through an alternate approach. The right parasternal approach was excellent for AVR in patients with presternal gastric tube reconstruction for esophageal cancer (EC).

Demand Model for Concrete Barriers Subject to Tractor Tanker-Trailer Impact

Test-level-6 (TL-6) barriers are specified for situations that involve a high percentage of truck traffic or unfavorable site conditions, where truck rollover or penetration beyond the railing could result in severe traffic consequences. Previous studies of TL-6 barriers impacted by tractor tanker-trailers (the truck category that creates the highest impact demands) assumed that the barriers behave rigidly. The rigid barrier assumption is investigated in this paper through simulation studies in which validated nonlinear models of the truck and barrier are employed. Parametric simulations are carried out to evaluate the effects of truck velocities, weights, and barrier heights on the impact force demands. The demand model in the current design guideline is critiqued based on the simulation results and discrepancy was found between the predicted performance of the barrier by AASHTO-LRFD loading and the truck impact. A revised demand model is proposed based on the simulation results.

Two-stage algorithm of spectral analysis for automatic speech recognition systems

Within the framework of a dynamically developing direction of research in the field of acoustic measurements, the task of spectral analysis of speech signals in automatic speech recognition systems is considered. The low efficiency of the systems in unfavorable speech production conditions (noise, insufficient intelligibility of speech sounds) compared to human perception of oral speech is noted. To improve the efficiency of automatic speech recognition systems, a two-stage algorithm for spectral analysis of speech signals is proposed. The first stage of speech signal processing consists of its parametric spectral analysis using an autoregressive model of the vocal tract of a conditional speaker. The second stage of processing is the transformation (modification) of the obtained spectral estimate according to the principle of frequency-selective amplification of the amplitude of the main formants of the intra-periodic power spectrum. The software implementation of the proposed algorithm based on the high-speed computational procedure of the fast Fourier transform is described. Using the author’s software, a full-scale experiment was carried out: an additive mixture of vowel sounds of the control speaker’s speech with white Gaussian noise was studied. Based on the results of the experiment, it was concluded that the amplitude of the main speech signal formants were amplified by 10–20 dB and, accordingly, a significant improvement in the speech sounds intelligibility. The scope of possible application of the developed algorithm covers automatic speech recognition systems based on speech signal processing in the frequency domain, including the use of artificial neural networks.

Distinction of facilitating effects between dissolved organic matter derived from corn straw and fulvic acid on transport of titanium dioxide nanoparticles in saturated sand: Dependent on the solution chemistry

The application of organic materials into agricultural soil introduces dissolved organic matter (DOM) into environment. The DOM derived from organic materials would significantly affect the environmental behaviors of nanoparticles. In this study, DOM extracted from corn straw (CSDOM) was characterized and its effects on the transport of titanium dioxides nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) in porous media were evaluated and compared with those of fulvic acid (FA). The characterization of DOMs indicated marked differences in molecular properties between CSDOM and FA. Weight-average molecular weight (Mw) of CSDOM was 3139 g/mol, higher than 1185 g/mol of FA, whereas CSDOM had a lower aromaticity than FA. Three distinct scenarios of nanoparticle mobility affected by CSDOM and FA were found. Under unfavorable conditions for nanoparticles mobility (pH 4.0 with/without electrolytes, pH 7.0 with electrolytes, and pH 10.0 with CaCl2), both DOMs facilitated TiO2 NPs mobility, and FA with higher aromaticity exerted stronger enhancing effects than CSDOM. However, the promoting effects of DOM on TiO2 NPs mobility were negligible under favorable conditions (pH 10.0 without electrolytes). Under the remaining conditions (pH 7.0 without electrolytes, and pH 10.0 with NaCl), DOM could facilitate the mobility of TiO2 NPs, while there was no difference in the facilitating effects between CSDOM and FA. It could be concluded that distinction of enhancing effects between CSDOM and FA on TiO2 NPs mobility was environmental chemistry-dependent. Furthermore, aromaticity rather than Mw would be a reasonable property determining the enhancing effects of DOM derived from distinct sources on nanoparticle mobility under unfavorable conditions.

Assessment of Genetic Diversity in Garden Pea (Pisum sativum L.) and Identification of Promising Lines for Hybridization

The current study is being conducted to understand the degree of genetic divergence in order to discover more diversified parents for pea genetic advancement. The creation of high yielding varieties with stable productivity, resistance to diseases and unfavorable environmental conditions, various maturing types, a high rate of organic matter accumulation during the early stages of growth, a sufficiently high intensity of photosynthesis, increases in protein content, essential amino acids, and favorable ratios among them are the most important tasks for pea breeding. The present investigation was carried out at vegetable research farm and laboratory works in the department of Horticulture (Vegetable and Floriculture), BAU, Sabour, Bhagalpur, Bihar during the Rabi season 2020-21. The genotype Kashi Mukti, Kashi Uday, Kashi Nandini and VM-11 of cluster II exhibited superiority for earliness in first flower, days to 50% flowering and days to first picking and significantly better performance as measured by the lowest cluster mean and a substantial improvement in performance while the genotype Haze-02 of cluster IV exhibited superiority for inter-nodal length , plant height , seeds per pod and total sugars (%) based on maximum cluster mean with significantly better performance. It is anticipated that progenies from such diversified crossings will exhibit a broad range of genetic diversity and more potential for transgressive segregant isolation in the later generations. Therefore, a multiple crossing program using these genotypes may be used to retrieve transgressive segregants.

Selection of reference genes for expression profiling in biostimulation research of soybean

BackgroundPlant biostimulants constitute a promising environmentally friendly alternative for increasing crop yield and tolerance to unfavorable conditions. Among various types of such formulations, botanical extracts are gaining more recognition as products supporting plant performance. Moreover, novel tools such as cold-plasma or low-pressure microwave plasma discharge are being proposed as techniques that might improve their efficacy. Elucidation of the biostimulant’s mode of action requires complex research at a molecular level. Transcriptional changes occurring after biostimulant spraying might be investigated using RT-qPCR. However, this technique requires data normalization against stable endogenous controls.ResultsHere, we tested the expression stability of ten candidate genes in soybean plants exposed to various biostimulants treatment. Selection of the best-performing reference genes was conducted using four algorithms (geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper, and ΔCt method). According to the obtained results, Bic-C2 (RNA-binding protein Bicaudal-C) and CYP (cyclophilin type peptidyl-prolyl cis–trans isomerase) showed highest expression stability, while expression of EF1B (elongation factor 1-beta) fluctuated the most among a tested set of candidate genes.ConclusionsOverall, we recommend using Bic-C2 together with CYP for the RT-qPCR data normalization in soybean biostimulation experiments. To our best knowledge, this is the first comprehensive study of reference genes stability in plants subjected to biostimulant treatment. The results of this study will aid in further biostimulant research in crop plants, facilitating analyses performed on the transcriptional level.Graphical

A comparative study on germination of wheat grains with different anthocyanin pigmentation of the pericarp in natural or induced aging.

One of promising areas of wheat breeding is the creation of varieties with a high concentration of anthocyanins in the grain for the production of functional food products. Nonetheless, the question of how these compounds affect seed viability after long-term storage has remained unexplored. A comparative study on seed viability was conducted using a set of near-isogenic lines on the background of spring wheat variety Saratovskaya 29. These sister lines carry different combinations of recombinant DNA regions (on chromosomes 2A and 7D) containing dominant and recessive alleles at loci Pp3 and Pp-D1 (Pp: Purple pericarp), which determine the anthocyanin color of coleoptiles and of the pericarp. Seeds were germinated on two layers of water-moistened filter paper in a climatic chamber at a constant temperature of 20 °C on a 12-hour daylight cycle. During long-term natural storage of the seeds for up to 9 years in a dry ventilated room in Kraft bags at 20 ± 2 °C, the tested wheat samples experienced a loss of seed germination capacity of ~50 %; anthocyanins were found to not participate in the preservation of germination capacity. Nonetheless, anthocyanins contributed to the preservation of seed viability under unfavorable short-term conditions of a temperature rise to 48 °C at 100 % humidity. The accelerated aging test did not predict poor germination capacity after long-term seed storage. The results showed a neutral role of anthocyanins in the maintenance of seed germination capacity for 6-9 years under natural storage conditions at 20 ± 2 °C. A small statistically significant increase in grain germination capacity during natural aging was associated with the presence of a recombinant region containing the Pp-D1 gene on wheat chromosome 7D.

A study on the performance of corn grain dryer using hybrid solar drying with liquefied petroleum gas

Corn is a widely produced and consumed agricultural product, used as fuel, staple food, and livestock feed. The high level of corn production can lead to potential post-harvest food losses. Drying methods offer a solution to extend the shelf life of a substance. Hybrid solar drying, which combines solar drying with additional heating, particularly using liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), was introduced in this research to ensure faster and more efficient drying processes. The three drying methods compared in this study consist of open sun drying, natural solar drying, and hybrid solar drying. The research results show an average corn grain moisture content of 13.95% over 10.5 hrs, 13.75% over 6 hrs, 13.65% over 7 hrs, 13.45% over 5 hrs, and 13.65% over 4.5 hrs in open sun drying, natural solar drying, and hybrid solar drying with temperature variables of 40°C, 50°C, and 60°C. The average drying rates were 0.212 g/min, 0.364 g/min, 0.318 g/min, 0.439 g/ min, and 0.477 g/min, respectively. The average drying efficiency values for each variable were 2.968%, 4.719%, 5.358%, 5.271%, and 6.037%. In the proximate test, the corn grain moisture content in the hybrid solar drying variable at 60°C was 13.8%, ash was 1.24%, protein was 7.76%, fat was 4.40%, and carbohydrate was 72.8%. For the corn grain color test, the average values obtained were L = 46.48, a = 4.58, and b = 25.37. Meanwhile, the aflatoxin test for dried corn grains showed values of aflatoxin B1, B2, G1, and G2 <0.5 with a total aflatoxin content <2.00. Therefore, hybrid solar drying is recommended over open sun drying and natural solar drying because of its ability to operate even in unfavorable weather conditions, its temperature control capability, its ability to accelerate the drying process, and its capacity to maintain the quality of the material.

Design And Characterization Of Regenerative Potential In Full Thickness Burn Wound Model

Hydrogel is a three-dimensional network of interconnecting polymers that is crosslinked and consists of hydrophilic polymers that can absorb and endure water. Because it mimics the extracellular matrix (ECM), the hydrogel has found widespread use in pharmacological and biological applications. Many types of wound dressings are based on hydrogels due to its many advantages. These dressings include Coseal, Tegaderm, Algisite, and Evicel. Notwithstanding their exceptional ability to cure wounds, they have many drawbacks, including expensive expenses, unfavourable storage conditions, and inadequate mechanical protection for the wound. As we have come to realise the need for dressings with greater performance qualities (e.g., antimicrobial, biodegradable, responsive, and injectable), the field of wound dressings has attracted an increasing amount of interest. The purpose of this work is to evaluate the hydrogel loaded with 7, 8-Dihydroxy flavone's healing capabilities in a full-thickness burn wound model.

Study of chili peppers and paprika contamination with alternaria toxins as health risk factors

At present, researchers show considerable interest in unregulated toxins of widespread fungi in nature, in particular, metabolites of microfungi of Alternaria genus. These toxins are potentially hazardous for human health and, under unfavorable conditions, capable of producing toxic metabolites, Alternaria toxins (AT), which have shown genotoxicity, mutagenicity and acute toxic effects. They are frequently detected not only in cereals and oilseeds, fruits, nuts, vegetables, but also in spices, especially dried red peppers. The aim of the study was to investigate the occurrence of Alternaria toxins in paprika and chili peppers sold on the domestic market as well as to assess their intakes by humans through their consumption. Concentration of 5 Alternaria toxins (alternatiol (AOH), alternariol monomethyl ether (AME), altenuene (ALT), tentoxin (TEN), tenuazonic acid (TeA)) was detected in 37 samples of dried red peppers marketed in Moscow and Moscow region in 2024 year including paprika (20 samples) and chili pepper (17 samples). The analysis of Alternaria toxins contamination was carried out by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass-spectrometric detection (HPLC-MS/MS). TeA was detected in 84 % of red pepper samples in concentration from 43 to 3295 µg/kg and TEN – in 40 % cases, in low levels ranging from 1.0 to 11 µg/kg. The occurrence of AT in paprika was higher than in chili pepper. Combined (2 or more toxins) contamination with Alternaria toxins was found only in paprika samples (65 %; the predominant combination is TeA and TEN). Intakes of Alternaria toxins associated with consumption of chili and paprika did not exceed the reference values and ranged from 0.0003 % (for TEN) to 0.24 % (for TeA) of the threshold of toxicological concern (TTC).

Результаты оценки контаминации перца чили и паприки альтернариатоксинами как факторы риска здоровью

At present, researchers show considerable interest in unregulated toxins of widespread fungi in nature, in particular, metabolites of microfungi of Alternaria genus. These toxins are potentially hazardous for human health and, under unfavorable conditions, capable of producing toxic metabolites, Alternaria toxins (AT), which have shown genotoxicity, mutagenicity and acute toxic effects. They are frequently detected not only in cereals and oilseeds, fruits, nuts, vegetables, but also in spices, especially dried red peppers. The aim of the study was to investigate the occurrence of Alternaria toxins in paprika and chili peppers sold on the domestic market as well as to assess their intakes by humans through their consumption. Concentration of 5 Alternaria toxins (alternatiol (AOH), alternariol monomethyl ether (AME), altenuene (ALT), tentoxin (TEN), tenuazonic acid (TeA)) was detected in 37 samples of dried red peppers marketed in Moscow and Moscow region in 2024 year including paprika (20 samples) and chili pepper (17 samples). The analysis of Alternaria toxins contamination was carried out by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass-spectrometric detection (HPLC-MS/MS). TeA was detected in 84 % of red pepper samples in concentration from 43 to 3295 µg/kg and TEN – in 40 % cases, in low levels ranging from 1.0 to 11 µg/kg. The occurrence of AT in paprika was higher than in chili pepper. Combined (2 or more toxins) contamination with Alternaria toxins was found only in paprika samples (65 %; the predominant combination is TeA and TEN). Intakes of Alternaria toxins associated with consumption of chili and paprika did not exceed the reference values and ranged from 0.0003 % (for TEN) to 0.24 % (for TeA) of the threshold of toxicological concern (TTC).

Problems of reproductive risk management in occupational medicine and issues of causation

In the Russian Federation, 2024 has been declared the year of the family, which, in the context of the growth of domestic industrial production, determines the importance of preserving the reproductive health of women working in harmful and unfavorable working conditions, preventing the adverse effects of factors in the working environment and the labor process on women’s health indicators. The review examines publications presented in the RSCI, PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases, which cover mainly the last 10 years (2013–2023)

Pressure-induced collapsed tetragonal transition in optimally Na-doped CaFe2As2\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$${\ ext{CaFe}}_{2} {\ ext{As}}_{2}$$\\end{document}

A comprehensive first-principles study on electronic structure of optimally doped Ca0.33Na0.67Fe2As2\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$${\\hbox {Ca}_{0.33}\\hbox {Na}_{0.67}\\hbox {Fe}_2\\hbox {As}_2}$$\\end{document} under hydrostatic pressures in the presence of magnetic configurations is presented. A magneto-structural transition from a tetragonal to a collapsed tetragonal phase at 3 GPa hydrostatic pressure is predicted in double-stripe antiferromagnetic configuration that corroborates experimental observations. As the system enters the non-superconducting collapsed phase, significant deviations occur in the local structural parameters compared to those at optimal Tc\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$${\\it{T}}_{c}$$\\end{document} values. This transition coincides with a sharp decrease in As density of states (DOS), accompanied by Fe magnetic moment collapse and substantial Fe square plane charge density modification. The structural transition induces a comprehensive reconstruction of the electronic structure, marked by distorted FeAs4\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\hbox {FeAs}_{4}$$\\end{document} tetrahedra, potentially leading to unfavourable nesting conditions, and complete suppression of magnetism, correlating with the observed disappearance of superconductivity. Increasing pressure leads to a rise in crystal field splitting, influencing the spin-state transition in Ca0.33Na0.67Fe2As2\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$${\\hbox {Ca}_{0.33}\\hbox {Na}_{0.67}\\hbox {Fe}_2\\hbox {As}_2}$$\\end{document}, ultimately resulting in a shift from tetragonal to non-magnetic collapsed tetragonal phase as the Fe2+\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\hbox {Fe}^{2+}$$\\end{document} spin state transitions to a low spin state. This demonstrates the intricate interplay between crystal field splitting, external pressure, and spin dynamics, highlighting the significant impact of magneto-volume effects on the structural phase of material under pressure.

Neurological outcomes in neonates treated with therapeutic hypothermia: challenges in a developing country.

Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) affects 1.5 newborns per 1 thousand term live births. Therapeutic hypothermia (TH) does not prevent all adverse outcomes. The experience with TH is still limited in Latin America. In Rio de Janeiro, Hospital Universitário Pedro Ernesto treats neonates with HIE since 2017 using the servo-controlled system. To describe the frequency of epilepsy, altered neurological exam, and neurodevelopmental delay at 12 months of age in patients treated with TH in a reference hospital in Rio de Janeiro and to evaluate the possible risk associations with clinical data and data from complementary exams. We evaluated medical records from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit hospitalization and from first evaluation recorded at 12 months of age in the High-Risk Neonate Follow-up Outpatient Sevice. A total of 30 subjects were included in the study. We found epilepsy in 18.2% of the patients, altered neurological exam in 40.9%, and neurodevelopmental delay in 36.4%. We also found a significant relationship between altered magnetic resonance imaging scan and subsequent altered neurological exam. Our findings are in line with those of the international literature, which shows that adverse outcomes are still observed, even when TH is applied. Brazilian data shows our limited access to complementary exams. The rate of loss to follow-up was of 26.6%, probably due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and to unfavorable socioeconomic conditions. More time for prospective follow-up and protocol adjustments should contribute to improve our data. High incidences of epilepsy, altered neurological exams, and neurodevelopmental delay were found, despite the use of TH. A more efficient use of resources is needed, as well as measures such as early intervention.

Instrumental and legal nature of early release on parole from serving a sentence

The article is devoted to the study of the peculiarities of the content of early release on parole as a comprehensive criminal law remedy. It is stated that the functional purpose of conditional early release on parole from serving a sentence is to achieve the goals necessary for society. From the point of view of the instrumental theory of law, it is determined that early release on parole from serving a sentence constitutes a specific system of criminal law means by which the goals of criminal law regulation are achieved. According to the information and psychological orientation, such legal means are divided into stimulating and restrictive. It is found that legal facts, subjective rights, legitimate interests, benefits and incentives are the forms of manifestation of legal means-incentives. It is substantiated that legal incentives, directly orienting an individual to achieve beneficial consequences for him/her, are the most powerful incentive factor, and their application in the case of early release on parole from serving a sentence may be associated with both ordinary lawful behavior which does not exceed the general requirements and excessive performance of duties by a convicted person and is expressed in the form of elimination of restrictions determined by the criminal sentence applicable to a convicted person. The article emphasizes that legal remedies-restrictions are associated with unfavorable conditions for realization of interests of subjects, are focused on negative legal motivation and reduction of negative activity of subjects of law, and their forms of manifestation are legal facts, prohibitions, suspensions, legal obligations, penalties, etc. A legal restriction on early release on parole from serving a sentence is a prohibition in the form of a passive legal obligation of a convicted person not to commit any new criminal offense during the unexpired part of the previously imposed sentence. It is generalized that legal means-incentives and legal means-restrictions should be considered in an inseparable interrelation, since they are paired legal categories, i.e., internally dialectically interrelated and mutually supporting each other in the process of criminal law regulation. Thus, the author concludes that the instrumental and legal nature of early release on parole from serving a sentence as a complex criminal law tool is dialectically complex, since it combines directly opposite and at the same time internally unified criminal law means of influencing social relations.

Considerable energy crop production potentials in the Russian Far East

High-latitude regions are not traditionally considered for energy crop production due to unfavorable production conditions, e.g., low temperatures and short growing seasons. However, with increasing pressures on land use in warmer regions, rising global food demands, and climate change, shifting energy crop production to cold climate regions has become a desirable alternative. Increasing attempts have been made in recent decades to cultivate cold-tolerant energy crops in high latitudes. This study aims to assess the potential biomass and bioenergy productivities of willow, poplar, and miscanthus over the Russian Far East (RFE) federal district, with a yield-predicting model built on newly published data from high latitude. We evaluated the potentials of energy crop production and greenhouse gas mitigation in RFE under three land use scenarios. Our analysis reveals that the RFE has the potential to produce 1.3 × 109 Mg of biomass per year on 215 Mha of spare land with an average yield of 6 Mg ha−1 under the most extensive land conversion scenario, which can be converted to 24 EJ of bioenergy and thus lead to a net mitigation of 4.1 × 108 Mg CO2e greenhouse gas emissions. The productivity and mitigation potential remain substantial (78 % of the most extensive land conversion scenario) under the scenario that all the RFE's existing croplands and forests are preserved. Our assessment offers valuable insights into the potential of energy crop development in the RFE and other high-latitude regions globally, presenting a novel land-use solution for a low-carbon future.

Factors Predicting the Quality of Care Among Nurses in Tertiary Hospitals in Fiji: A Cross-sectional Study

Quality of care by nurses is a key factor in determining the success of healthcare delivery around the globe, which is impacted by a shortage of nurses, excessive workloads, and unfavorable working conditions, including in the Republic of Fiji Islands. Using the Quality Health Outcome Model, this descriptive-predictive, cross-sectional study examined the quality of care and its predictors among 744 Fijian registered nurses from three tertiary hospitals. Instruments for data collection were the Demographic Data Sheet, the Quality of Care Scale, the Participation in Decision Making Scale, the Relational Coordination Survey, the Perception of Organizational Change Scale, the Job Satisfaction Scale, and the Organizational Commitment Questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis were applied to analyze the data. This study’s findings are informative and offer a glimmer of hope since 72.58% of participants perceived the overall quality of care as good/excellent, indicating a positive baseline. Two factors, relational coordination and job satisfaction, significantly affected the perception of the quality of care. The study model explained 8.90% of the variance in quality of care, with relational coordination being the strongest predictor. These findings provide a clear path to improvement. A comprehensive model should be developed and tested to better understand the factors predicting Fiji’s quality of care before it can be used to design an effective intervention. Developing nursing skills, improving good communication and work environments, and providing high-quality education and training among nurses can significantly improve the quality of care. In addition, support from the government for appropriate medical equipment, recruitment and retention strategies for nurses, and promotion of standard of care from the Ministry of Health and Medical Services are recommended to enhance the quality of care, further bolstering this hopeful outlook. Further Fijian nursing research is clearly needed on this topic in the future.