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Purpose. To analyze the peculiarities of approaches to legal understanding through the prism of various criteria, which will make it possible to determine its essence and significance. Legal understanding is a meaningful system, since the answer to the question about the essence of law is also the answer to the question about the content (purpose) of law. Methodology. In this sense, quite reasonable questions arise: how can one create law on the basis of comprehending a huge set of social phenomena without imagining at least the signs of this law, without even basic knowledge about it (here, by the way, one's own life experience should be eliminated as an obstacle to objectivity), how can one find the optimal method by which one can at least come close to understanding the essence of law that one is looking for? Let's assume that before cognizing the subject matter, i.e., law, we managed to identify the means of cognition in the form of scientific methods. Again, the question arises: how are these methods discovered? After all, in order to find them, one needs some other method, and to find the latter, one needs the next, and so on ad infinitum. The only way out of this circle is to identify some "obvious" properties of the subject. The methodological basis of the study is a system of conceptual approaches, general scientific and special legal methods, as well as methods of scientific knowledge: anthropological, idealistic, need-based research, systemic, communicative approaches, and such methods as historical and legal, comparative legal, etc. Results. In the course of the study, the author proves that three things are necessary for the study of the concept of legal understanding: knowledge of law (intellectual element), activity (volitional element), and - undoubtedly - consciousness (spiritual element). After all, only the spiritual identifies the first two. Only the spiritual component fills the "legal light", content, purpose, spirit of the law, legal connection, and guarantees them from turning into a formal scheme at best, and criminal law chaos at worst, and law itself is not law. Practical significance. Without exaggeration, the problem of understanding law can be classified as "eternal". Since the emergence of professional legal activity and up to now, there has not been and probably is not a single lawyer who would not think about the question of what law is and would not try to answer it. more...

BACKGROUND Currently in Australia there are no standardised recommendations regarding the age at which dogs and cats should be desexed and there is a lack of clear evidence to support desexing at any particular age. The purpose of this study was to determine Australian veterinarians’ opinions and practices in relation to dog and cat desexing. METHODS A cross-sectional survey was emailed to all members of the Australian Veterinary Association in March 2013. Chi-squared test analysis was used to examine the association between demographic variables of respondents and the recommended (≤ 16 weeks, 20 weeks or ≥ 6 months) and minimum desexing age (≤10 weeks, 12−16 weeks or ≥ 20 weeks). RESULTS Respondents most commonly recommended desexing dogs and cats at the age of 6 months (24 weeks) before they have a season or a litter. The mean recommended age for desexing dogs was 21.9 weeks and for cats it was 20.8 weeks. The most common minimum age that veterinarians would desex dogs and cats if requested was 12 weeks. The mean minimum age for desexing dogs was 14.2 weeks and for cats was 13.5 weeks. A large proportion of respondents reported that they would perform early age (< 16 weeks) desexing if requested. A smaller proportion reported that they would perform very early age (< 10 weeks) desexing if requested. Anaesthetic risk was a major concern that inhibited respondents from desexing earlier. Respondents reported they would be more inclined to recommend earlier desexing with greater support from the scientific literature. CONCLUSION Respondent age, university of graduation, year of graduation, sex and current employment played significant roles in veterinarians’ recommended and minimum ages for desexing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Questions how we claim to know the things we know and whose claims to knowledge are treated as authoritative when reaching legal judgments through two hypothetical self-defense cases. Legal structure used to analyze the cases are identical, but evidence hard to differentiate; Leftist law students' hyperskeptical multiculturalist positions; Why hyperskeptics demand a subcultural rather than a wholly solipsistic validation of beliefs; The survival of a cultural entity; More. more...

Monitoring for mycotoxins in food or feed matrices is necessary to ensure the safety and security of global food systems. Due to a lack of standardized methods and individual laboratory priorities, most institutions have developed their own methods for mycotoxin determinations. Given the diversity of mycotoxin chemical structures and physicochemical properties, searching databases, and comparing data between institutions is complicated. We previously introduced incorporating a retention index (RI) system into liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) based mycotoxin determinations. To validate this concept, we designed an interlaboratory study where each participating laboratory was sent N-alkylpyridinium-3-sulfonates (NAPS) RI standards, and 36 mycotoxin standards for analysis using their pre-optimized LC-MS methods. Data from 44 analytical methods were submitted from 24 laboratories representing various manufacturer platforms, LC columns, and mobile phase compositions. Mycotoxin retention times (t R ) were converted to RI values based on their elution relative to the NAPS standards. Trichothecenes (deoxynivalenol, 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol, 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol) showed t R consistency (± 20-50 RI units, 1-5 % median RI) regardless of mobile phase or type of chromatography column in this study. For the remaining mycotoxins tested, the RI values were strongly impacted by the mobile phase composition and column chemistry. The ability to predict t R was evaluated based on the median RI mycotoxin values and the NAPS t R . These values were corrected using Tanimoto coefficients to investigate whether structurally similar compounds could be used as anchors to further improve accuracy. This study demonstrated the power of employing an RI system for mycotoxin determinations, further enhancing the confidence of identifications., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2025. Published by Elsevier B.V.) more...

Introduction: It is now widely acknowledged that there are serious shortcomings in allergy care provision for patients seen in primary care. We sought to assess the feasibility of delivering and evaluating a new nurse-led allergy service in primary care, measured by recruitment, retention and estimates of the potential impact of the intervention on disease-specific quality of life., Methods: Mixed-methods evaluation of a nurse-led primary care-based allergy clinic in Edinburgh, UK undertaken during the period 2017-2021 with a focus on suspected food allergy and atopic eczema in young children, allergic rhinitis in children and young people, and suspected anaphylaxis in adults. Prior to March 2020, patients were seen face-to-face (Phase 1). Due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, recruitment was halted between March-August 2020, and a remote clinic was restarted in September 2020 (Phase 2). Disease-specific quality of life was measured at baseline and 6-12 weeks post intervention using validated instruments. Quantitative data were descriptively analysed. We undertook interviews with 16 carers/patients and nine healthcare professionals, which were thematically analysed., Results: During Phase 1, 426/506 (84%) referred patients met the eligibility criteria; 40/46 (87%) of Phase 2 referrals were eligible. Males and females were recruited in approximately equal numbers. The majority (83%) of referrals were for possible food allergy or anaphylaxis. Complete data were available for 338/426 (79%) patients seen in Phase 1 and 30/40 (75%) in Phase 2. Compared with baseline assessments, there were improvements in disease-specific quality of life for most categories of patients. Patients/carers and healthcare professionals reported high levels of satisfaction, this being reinforced by the qualitative interviews in which convenience and speed of access to expert opinion, the quality of the consultation, and patient/care empowerment were particularly emphasised., Conclusion: This large feasibility trial has demonstrated that it is possible to recruit, deliver and retain individuals into a nurse-led allergy clinic with both face-to-face and remote consultations. Our data indicate that the intervention was considered acceptable to patients/carers and healthcare professionals. The before-after data of disease-specific quality of life suggest that the intervention may prove effective, but this now needs to be confirmed through a formal randomised controlled trial., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov reference NCT03826953., (© 2022 The Authors. Clinical and Translational Allergy published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.) more...

The Mount Meager Volcanic Complex (Mount Meager) is a glacier-clad stratovolcanic system in southwestern British Columbia which last erupted over 2400 years ago (VEI 4). While this is Canada's most recent major explosive eruption, most past research on Mount Meager has focused on its numerous and large volume landslides and thus the volcanic hazard characteristics remain understudied. Here we present a suite of scenario-based hazard maps and an assessment addressing a range of potential future explosive eruptions and associated hazards. In order to overcome limited knowledge of the eruptive history, numerical models have been used to simulate the primary syneruptive hazards of concern (dome-collapse pyroclastic density currents, lahars and tephra fallout) largely utilizing eruption parameters from analogous volcanoes, i.e., glacier-clad stratovolcanoes in a subduction zone setting. This study provides a framework for similar volcanic hazard studies where geologic data is limited, funds are minimal, and access is difficult. Furthermore, this sets the stage for recognizing volcanic hazards in the Canadian landscape, providing a resource to prepare for and mitigate potential impacts well in advance of a crisis situation., Competing Interests: Competing interestsThe authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© The Author(s) 2022.) more...

Canine parvovirus (CPV) is a major enteric pathogen of dogs worldwide that emerged in the late 1970s from a feline parvovirus (FPV)-like ancestral virus. Shortly after its emergence, variant CPVs acquired amino acid (aa) mutations in key capsid residues, associated with biological and/or antigenic changes. This study aimed to identify and analyse CPV variants and their capsid mutations amongst Australian dogs, to gain insights into the evolution of CPV in Australia and to investigate relationships between the disease and vaccination status of dogs from which viruses were detected. CPV VP2 sequences were amplified from 79 faecal samples collected from dogs with parvoviral enteritis at 20 veterinary practices in five Australian states. The median age at diagnosis was 4 months (range 1-96 months). Only 3.7% of dogs with vaccination histories had completed recommended vaccination schedules, while 49% were incompletely vaccinated and 47.2% were unvaccinated. For the first time, CPV-2b has emerged as the dominant antigenic CPV variant circulating in dogs with parvoviral enteritis in Australia, comprising 54.4% of viruses, while CPV-2a and CPV-2 comprised 43.1% and 2.5%, respectively. The antigenic variant CPV-2c was not identified. Analysis of translated VP2 sequences revealed a vast repertoire of amino acid (aa) mutations. Several Australian CPV strains displayed signatures in the VP2 protein typical of Asian CPVs, suggesting possible introduction of CPV strains from Asia, and/or CPV circulation between Asia and Australia. Canine parvoviruses were identified containing aa residues typical of FPV at key capsid (VP2) positions, representing reverse mutations or residual mutations retained from CPV-2 during adaptation from an FPV-like ancestor, suggesting that evolutionary intermediates between CPV-2 and FPV are circulating in the field. Similarly, intermediates between CPV-2a-like viruses and CPV-2 were also identified. These findings help inform a better understanding of the evolution of CPV in dogs., (© 2020 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.) more...

Canine parvovirus (CPV) is an important cause of disease in domestic dogs. Sporadic cases and outbreaks occur across Australia and worldwide and are associated with high morbidity and mortality. Whether transmission of CPV occurs between owned dogs and populations of wild dogs, including Canis familiaris , Canis lupus dingo and hybrids, is not known. To investigate the role of wild dogs in CPV epidemiology in Australia, PCR was used to detect CPV DNA in tissue from wild dogs culled in the peri-urban regions of two Australian states, between August 2012 and May 2015. CPV DNA was detected in 4.7% (8/170). There was a strong geospatial association between wild-dog CPV infections and domestic-dog CPV cases reported to a national disease surveillance system between 2009 and 2015. Postcodes in which wild dogs tested positive for CPV were 8.63 times more likely to also have domestic-dog cases reported than postcodes in which wild dogs tested negative ( p = 0.0332). Phylogenetic analysis of CPV VP2 sequences from wild dogs showed they were all CPV-2a variants characterized by a novel amino acid mutation (21-Ala) recently identified in CPV isolates from owned dogs in Australia with parvoviral enteritis. Wild-dog CPV VP2 sequences were compared to those from owned domestic dogs in Australia. For one domestic-dog case located approximately 10 km from a wild-dog capture location, and reported 3.5 years after the nearest wild dog was sampled, the virus was demonstrated to have a closely related common ancestor. This study provides phylogenetic and geospatial evidence of CPV transmission between wild and domestic dogs in Australia. more...

Infection of canids with canine parvovirus (CPV) can result in severe, often fatal disease. This study aimed to examine climatic, socioeconomic and geographic risk factors for CPV infection and CPV-associated euthanasia in Australia. Australian veterinary hospital responses (534; 23.5 %) to a national veterinary survey of CPV case occurrences and euthanasias in 2016 were used. Severe caseloads (>40 cases per annum) were reported by 26 (11 %) hospitals (median 60 cases; IQR 50-110). Case reporting, case numbers, and without-treatment euthanasia were significantly associated with disadvantage across all Socio-Economic Index for Areas quintiles (p < 0.0001) - the greater the disadvantage, the more reports. Strong negative correlations were found between case numbers and the Index of Relative Socioeconomic Disadvantage (r SP  = -0.3357, p < 0.0001) and also between euthanasia and the Index of Education and Occupation (r SP  = -0.3762, p < 0.0001). Hospitals in more remote areas were also more likely to report cases and to euthanize without treatment (p < 0.0001). Of the climate variables, temperature of the hottest month was most strongly positively correlated with case numbers (r SP = 0.421, p < 0.0001), and lower annual rainfall was associated with more case-reporting hospitals (p < 0.0001). These results confirm that socioeconomic disadvantage is a significant risk-factor for CPV infection and outcome, and high temperature may also contribute to risk., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.) more...

Feline panleukopenia (FPL), a frequently fatal disease of cats, is caused by feline parvovirus (FPV) or canine parvovirus (CPV). We investigated simultaneous outbreaks of FPL between 2014 and 2018 in Australia, New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) where FPL outbreaks had not been reported for several decades. Case data from 989 cats and clinical samples from additional 113 cats were obtained to determine the cause of the outbreaks and epidemiological factors involved. Most cats with FPL were shelter-housed, 9 to 10 weeks old at diagnosis, unvaccinated, had not completed a primary vaccination series or had received vaccinations noncompliant with current guidelines. Analysis of parvoviral VP2 sequence data confirmed that all FPL cases were caused by FPV and not CPV. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that each of these outbreaks was caused by a distinct FPV, with two virus lineages present in eastern Australia and virus movement between different geographical locations. Viruses from the UAE outbreak formed a lineage of unknown origin. FPV vaccine virus was detected in the New Zealand cases, highlighting the difficulty of distinguishing the co-incidental shedding of vaccine virus in vaccinated cats. Inadequate vaccination coverage in shelter-housed cats was a common factor in all outbreaks, likely precipitating the multiple re-emergence of infection events., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results. more...