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Research investigating gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms from oil spill-related exposures is sparse. We evaluated prevalent GI symptoms among U.S. Coast Guard responders deployed to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill cleanup. Crude oil (via skin contact, inhalation, or ingestion routes), combined crude oil/oil dispersant exposures, other deployment exposures, deployment characteristics, demographics, and acute GI symptoms during deployment (i.e., nausea/vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, and constipation) were ascertained cross-sectionally via a post-deployment survey (median time between deployment end and survey completion 185 days) (N = 4885). Log-binomial regression analyses were employed to calculate prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CI). Effect modification was evaluated. In adjusted models, responders in the highest (versus lowest) tertile of self-reported degree of skin contact to crude oil were more than twice as likely to report nausea/vomiting (PR=2.45; 95 %CI, 1.85–3.23), diarrhea (PR=2.40; 95 %CI, 2.00–2.88), stomach pain (PR=2.51; 95 %CI, 2.01–3.12), and constipation (PR=2.21; 95 %CI, 1.70–2.89). Tests for trend were statistically significant (p < 0.05). Results were similar for crude oil exposure via inhalation and ingestion. Higher PRs for all symptoms were found with combined crude oil/dispersant exposure than with crude oil exposure alone. These results indicate positive associations between self-reported crude oil and combined crude oil/oil dispersant exposures and acute GI symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Helicopter emergency services (HEMS) are widely used to bring medical assistance to individuals that cannot be reached by other means or individuals that have time‐critical medical conditions, such as chest pain, stroke or severe trauma. It is a very expensive resource whose use and importance depends on local conditions. The aim of this study was to describe flight and patient characteristics in all HEMS flights done in Iceland, a geographically isolated, mountainous and sparsely populated country, over a 5‐year course. Methods: This retrospective study included all individuals requiring HEMS transportation in Iceland during 2018–2022. The electronic database of the Icelandic Coast Guard was used to identify the individuals and register flight data. Electronic databases from Landspitali and Akureyri hospitals were used to collect clinical variables. Descriptive statistics was applied. Results: The average number of HEMS transports was 3.5/10,000 inhabitants and the median [IQR] activation time and flight times were 30 min [20–42] and 40 min [26–62] respectively. The vast majority of patients were transported to Landspitali Hospital in Reykjavik. More than half of the transports were due to trauma, the most common medical transports were due to chest pain or cardiac arrests. Advanced medical therapy was provided for 66 (10%) of individuals during primary transports, 157 (24%) of individuals were admitted to intensive care, 188 (28%) needed surgery and 53 (7.9%) needed a coronary angiography. Conclusion: In Iceland, the number of transports is lower but activation and flight times for HEMS flights are considerably longer than in other Nordic countries, likely due to geographical features and the structure of the service including utilizing helicopters both for HEMS and search and rescue operations. The transport times for some time‐sensitive conditions are not within standards set by international studies and guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Related Articles This article explores the utility of punctuated equilibrium (PE) theory in explaining revolutionary organizational change in the public sector and its effects on policy implementation, with a focus on the United States Coast Guard. We illustrate our model using data from in‐depth interviews with current and former senior Coast Guard officers and enlisted personnel, as well as secondary sources such as historical accounts and budget data. Through content analysis, we argue that PE theory begins with a change in the public sector organization's external environment, which then affects organizational strategy, structure, power distribution, and outputs. Punctuated equilibrium theory proves to be a valuable lens for understanding policy outputs in relation to organizational change.Kwon, Sung‐Wook, and Sylvia Gonzalez‐Gorman. 2019. “Influence of Local Political Institutions on Policy Punctuation in Three Policy Areas.” Politics & Policy 47(2): 300–25. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12295.Neill, Katharine A., and John C. Morris. 2012. “A Tangled Web of Principals and Agents: Examining the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill through a Principal–Agent Lens.”Politics & Policy 40(4): 629–56. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747‐1346.2012.00371.x.Peng, Peiwen, and Tangzhe Cao. 2023. “Attention, Institutional Friction, and Punctuated Equilibrium in China's Budget: Changes in Social Security and Employment Expenditure.” Politics & Policy 51(2): 256–82. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12523. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The notion of vulnerability is gaining traction in EU border protection. On the one hand, the concept refers to vulnerable migrants and their affectedness by insecurity and violence. On the other, it indicates the susceptibility of borders to irregular crossings and cross-border crime. Both forms of vulnerability are assessed through dedicated procedures under the umbrella of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency Frontex. To make sense of these seemingly contradictory conceptual and practical uses of vulnerability, we draw on feminist postcolonial scholarship in security studies and political geography. We argue that a shared colonial matrix of gendered and racialised meanings and problematisations enables analogies between borders and bodies as (un-)deserving of protection. In a discourse-theoretical analysis of Frontex documents, we show how the ambiguous use of vulnerability legitimises the EU border regime and its security practices by constructing EU bordering as neutral and objective and EU borders as objects of care. We conclude that vulnerability becomes increasingly important for normalising the EU's violent borders in the context of the EU's broader claims to liberal values of freedom, protection, and human rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the cooperative control of unmanned surface vessels (USVs) and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in maritime rescue and coastal surveillance. The USV-UAV system faces challenges of disturbances and substantial inertia-induced overshooting during path following. A novel position prediction line of sight (LOS) guidance law is proposed to address these issues for USV path following control. Radial basis function-based neural networks (RBF-NNs) are used to estimate disturbances, and a high-order differentiator is used to design a velocity observer for unknown USV velocity. The UAV control system employs proportional–derivative (PD) control with feedforward compensation for quadrotor control design and utilizes a finite-time converging third-order differentiator to differentiate non-continuous functions. The simulation results demonstrate strong robustness in the proposed USV-UAV cooperative control algorithm. It achieves path following control in the presence of wind and wave disturbances and exhibits minimal overshoot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The People's Republic of China (PRC)'s rapid development of military maritime capabilities, and their harnessing under strong personalist paramount leader Xi Jinping to address ambitious national goals, is one of the most important subjects concerning great power security in the international system today. Understanding the key dynamics is thus inherently important. This article surveys Chinese-language publications, U.S. government analyses, and related research, and applies it to a larger framework that addresses both conceptual and empirical issues, considers comparative cases, and offers suggestions for further examination. Its findings are relevant to scholars and practitioners alike: China's military maritime power radiates outward, backstopped by a land-based "anti-Navy." Its Navy focuses on proximate seas--supported by Coast Guard, Maritime Militia, and survey vessel fleets; and extends into the farthest oceans. China's sea forces and the strategy informing them has become progressively less distinctive with time and distance--trends continuing today. Herein lies one of the greatest strengths, and limitations, of Beijing's dramatic military maritime development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migrant destination states of the Global North generally seek to stem irregular migration while remaining committed to refugee rights. To do so, these states have increasingly sought to externalize migration control, implicating migrant origin and transit states in managing the movement of persons across borders. But do externalization policies actually have an impact on unauthorized migration flows? If yes, do those impacts vary across different migrant categories given that both asylum seekers and other migrants can cross borders without prior authorization? We argue that these policies do have an impact on unauthorized migration flows and that those impacts are distinct for refugees and other migrants. Using data on "irregular/illegal border crossings" collected by Frontex, the Border and Coast Guard Agency of the European Union (EU), we first find that the geographical trajectories of refugees and other migrants who cross EU borders without authorization are distinct. Using a novel method to estimate whether individuals are likely to obtain asylum in 31 European destination states, we find that "likely refugees" tend to be concentrated on a single, primary migratory route while "likely irregular migrants" may be dispersed across multiple routes. Through an event study analysis of the impact of the 2016 EU–Turkey Statement, a paradigmatic example of externalization, we show that the policy primarily blocked likely refugees while deflecting likely irregular migrants to alternative routes. Our findings ultimately highlight how externalization policies may fail to prevent unauthorized entries of irregular migrants while endangering refugee protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Commercial vessels play a significant role in rescuing migrants on the Mediterranean. There are physical and financial risks to performing these commercial rescues that are poorly understood and often ignored. For ship captains, migrants in maritime distress embody the close linkages between geoeconomic and geopolitical risk. I argue that the negotiation of migrant rescues by commercial shipping captains captures the ways in which geoeconomic and geopolitical security‐seeking discourses become entangled and contradictorily embodied in everyday life and suffering. The rationale and logic that underwrite the securitisation of the supply chain is the discursive site where geopolitical and geoeconomic strategy define the risks in maritime rescue space. This study extends from a conceptual framework that identifies the spatial structuring of an ongoing dialectic between geopolitical and geoeconomic strategy as a defining feature of geoeconomic analyses. The research is based on interviews with 24 maritime professionals and a series of freedom of information requests to the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) for information about rescues involving commercial ships. This paper contributes new information on the human geography of maritime rescues that involve commercial ships and migrants in the Central Mediterranean. Commercial vessels play a significant role in rescuing migrants on the Mediterranean. There are physical and financial risks to performing these commercial rescues that are poorly understood and often ignored. For ship captains, migrants in maritime distress embody the close linkages between geoeconomic and geopolitical risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyses the role of the naval system of Cartagena de Indias during the eighteenth century, especially the elements related to its financing and supply needs. Cartagena was the most important naval base in the southern Caribbean, and this made it necessary to deploy a coastguard system that was capable of curbing smuggling and, at the same time, reinforcing coastal surveillance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Indo-Pacific Region, a hotbed for geographical and hydro-climate disasters such as cyclones, tsunamis, floods, and typhoons, presents both direct and indirect threats to human and national security. This research seeks to bolster both forms of security by enhancing the management of these natural disasters within the region. Employing a qualitative research method, this case study is both explanatory and analytical. Data, collected through primary and secondary resources, is presented in both quantitative and qualitative forms. The research is framed from the perspective of the human security approach. The Sri Lanka Navy and Coast Guard, as the agencies responsible, strive to mitigate the effects of these disasters and provide humanitarian assistance within their jurisdictions. Their participation in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) exercises with regional and international actors underscores their commitment to human and national security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drug trafficking is one of the most serious crimes of our century. The market reach is estimated to be over $500 billion annually, with a particularly robust user base found in the Americas and Europe. The United States, in particular, is one of the strongest consumer markets for drugs originating from Latin America. While such serious drugs as cocaine have been trafficked into the United States using various means, one method that has been gaining attention is the use of fishing vessels. Nevertheless, studies on the role of fishing vessels in trafficking drugs from Latin America into the United States are rare. To fill this gap, this research uses fishing vessel interception data obtained through Freedom of Information Act request from the United States Coast Guard for the years 2015–2021. Informed by crime science theory, this research examines the geospatial and temporal trends associated with drug trafficking by fishing vessels, as well as such vessel characteristics as flags they carried at the time of interception, and vessel type. Policy implications are discussed in light of the main research findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid change of information environment, this study explored the relevance of the Coast Guard Public Affairs Service (CGPAS) in executing the functions of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG). The research highlights the essential skills of Public Affairs Officers (PAOs) in these areas: Media Relations, Public Information Dissemination, and Social Media Management in promoting a positive image of the PCG. The study utilized survey and interview to gather data from 40 PAOs, majority with the rank of Ensigns, with at least six months PAO experience; 84 Heads of Offices (HOs), who were mostly Captains; and four Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) in Public Affairs, Education, and Training, all from the PCG. Results revealed that PAOs, HOs and SMEs concurred on the crucial role of CGPAS in the execution of PCG functions, particularly in crisis communication and public image promotion. In terms of skill levels of PAOs, the overall scenario-based exam results coincided with the overall HO's perception. Both were equivalent to Competent, based on the Dreyfus Model of Skill Acquisition. The study also identified challenges faced by PAOs, including role overload from multiple designations and inadequate resources such as office space, trained spokesperson and PA equipment. Recommendations included providing better equipment, comprehensive trainings on crisis communication, news writing and cybersecurity, fostering organizational collaboration, and recruiting specialists. Finally, a Course Instructional Guide for Public Affairs Officers was developed and proposed for adoption and implementation to hone their effectiveness in promoting the PCG's mission and functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to present the performance of Direction of Arrival(DoA) estimation algorithms for underwater sound source localization using an acoustic Vector Sensor Array (VSA) that is developed by the National Institute of Ocean Technology, Chennai. Algorithms such as conventional beam forming, Multiple Signal Classification (MUSIC) with Eigen value decomposition, and MUSIC with Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) are used for estimation of DoA and performance study. An experiment has been conducted with the VSA at the Acoustic Test Facility of NIOT with the source transmission of 1 kHz to 5 kHz for different azimuth angles. The estimation of DoA using the above three algorithms and the comparison of the results on resolution and accuracy have been studied in detail in terms of the number of vector elements. Results reveal that the MUSIC method gives results with higher accuracy and resolution than the conventional method. The maximum deviation from the true angle in the conventional method is 4°; in MUSIC, it is 2°, whereas in MUSIC with SVD, it is 1°. While the standard MUSIC algorithm involves computing the eigenvectors of the covariance matrix, which can be computationally expensive, MUSIC with SVD provides a more efficient way to achieve better results. SVD enables straightforward computation of the signal subspace, making it more practical for real-time applications like coastal surveillance. Further to the laboratory experiment, the vector sensor system has been deployed in an open sea environment near the harbor and a known source experiment is carried out. The DoA estimated using MUSIC with SVD for the field data reveals that the results are in good comparison with the measured azimuth and elevation positions. The deviations in the field results are due to dynamic conditions of the ocean,and more sea trials need to be carried out for further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This study shows a comprehensive evaluation of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) personnel's competencies in enforcing maritime criminal laws. Anchored in the context of the Philippines' complex maritime environment, the research highlighted the pivotal role of the PCG in safeguarding maritime security, safety, and environmental protection through effective law enforcement. Employing mixed methods, the study used interviews and survey questionnaire among PCG personnel. The findings revealed significant gaps in knowledge and skills among PCG personnel, particularly in the application of specific criminal laws and procedures relevant to maritime law enforcement. It was observed that while personnel possessed basic knowledge of laws, there were inconsistencies in their ability to apply this knowledge effectively during law enforcement operations. Additionally, the study identified a strong correlation between the level of education, training, and the competency levels of the respondents, suggesting that continuous professional development and targeted training programs are crucial for enhancing the PCG's operational effectiveness. The study underscored the need for a structured and comprehensive training program tailored to address the identified competency gaps. The program is essential for enhancing capabilities for maritime criminal laws enforcement. The research advocated for the integration of theoretical knowledge with practical application through continuous education and training, emphasizing the importance of developing a skilled workforce capable of adapting to the challenges of maritime law enforcement. The findings serve as a strategic guide for the PCG to enhance personnel management, operational efficiency, and stakeholder trust, ultimately contributing to the nation's maritime security framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes the movie "The Swimmers" using ideological and frameby- frame film analysis methods. The themes, characters, and locations in the film are evaluated in the context of the critique of orientalism and self-orientalism, analyzing how ideological themes are processed and reinforced. The film associates concepts of faith and hope with Christianity, presenting Christian characters as saviors. While telling the story of Syrian refugees, the film chooses Christian and European-looking heroes, portraying Muslims negatively. Emphasizing the superiority of Western culture, the film depicts the Eastern world as backward and helpless. Countries such as Türkiye are coded as dark and uncanny, while European countries are idealized. The positive portrayal of Greece praises European efforts towards refugees but creates a negative image of the Turkish Coast Guard. The orientalist and self-orientalist elements of the film are attempts to present an attractive narrative for Western audiences. The Muslim screenwriter's distortion of Eastern historical realities under Western producers' influence represents self-orientalism. This approach reflects an endeavor to present Eastern culture in line with Western perspectives to gain Western approval, reinforcing prejudices rather than fostering understanding of cultural and political differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maritime security governance is crucial for Indonesia, the world's largest archipelago spread across a vast water area about the size of the United States. The existence of several law enforcement institutions to uphold Indonesian laws made governance and authority fractured and weak. Consequently, BAKAMLA was established to improve Indonesian maritime security governance by synergising and monitoring law enforcement at sea. Despite being supported politically by Indonesian President Joko Widodo, institutionally, BAKAMLA remains underperforming. This article discusses whether the existence of BAKAMLA fulfils Indonesia's political and security needs to have an integrated coast guard institution. The article considers relevant literature and the research phase employed in-depth interviews with stakeholders of Indonesia's law enforcement officers at sea. This article concludes that BAKAMLA is still relevant if significant adjustments are made to institutional empowerment by revising and harmonising relevant laws. Such revision reflects the aspirations of political support and will from the Indonesian government to BAKAMLA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As 2024 dawned, Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated in his New Year Address that Taiwan must unify with China. In her New Year Address, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, with the election of her successor only 14 days away, repeated her offer to meet China on the basis of equality, mutual respect, and without preconditions, echoing themes dating back to her first inaugural address in 2016. On Jan. 14, Tsai's chosen successor, Vice President Lai Ching-te, won an unprecedented third successive term for the Democratic Progressive Party, promising to uphold the independence of the Republic of China, but the party lost its majority in the legislature. A month later, two Chinese fishermen operating illegally near Kinmen Island died when their boat capsized as they were pursued by the Taiwan Coast Guard. Five days later, a Chinese Coast Guard vessel boarded and inspected a Taiwanese tour boat near Kinmen. Tensions grew but they did not boil over. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sea crossing from Libya to Italy is one of the world's most dangerous and politically contentious migration routes, and yet over half a million people have attempted the crossing since 2014. Leveraging data on aggregate migration flows and individual migration incidents, we estimate how migrants and smugglers have reacted to changes in the border enforcement regime, namely the rise in interceptions by the Libyan Coast Guard starting in 2017 and the corresponding decrease in the probability of rescue to Europe. We find support for a deterrence effect in which attempted crossings along the Central Mediterranean route declined, and a diversion effect in which some migrants substituted to the Western Mediterranean route. At the same time, smugglers adapted their tactics. Using a strategic model of the smuggler's choice of boat size, we estimate how smugglers trade off between the short-run payoffs to launching overcrowded boats and the long-run costs of making less successful crossing attempts under different levels of enforcement. Taken together, these analyses shed light on how the integration of incident- and flow-level datasets can inform ongoing migration policy debates and identify potential consequences of changing enforcement regimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article interrogates the development of the European Border and Coast Guard (Frontex) and its implications for the EU's approach to border control coordination. Through the theoretical lens of the principal-agent model, it investigates information asymmetry and friction between stakeholders in the implementation of Frontex's increased competence at the borders. The findings of this article show that the development of Frontex has led to growing incentives for the EU's supranational institutions to steer the agency to pursue their individual objectives, creating new supranational elements in EU border management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pace of digitalization has accelerated, and internet connectivity has expanded beyond traditional computers and mobile phones to encompass other cyber-physical or smart systems. This introduces a new paradigm of threats, including remote exploitation of operational technology networks and systems, such as air defence and coastal surveillance networks, power grids, pipelines, air traffic control systems, port operation systems, railway signaling systems, satellites, industrial plants, and more. Based on the lessons learned, there is an urgent need to further strengthen the cyber resilience of critical national functions, business and industrial processes, and the underlying ICT infrastructure and systems. In the present review article, we review some globally accepted cybersecurity standards and frameworks like NIST CSF, ISO 27001, CRR Framework, CIS Control Framework, and SCF; and three popular cybersecurity maturity models, viz., CMMC, C2M2, and SCF-SP-CMM [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing has emerged as a leading threat to global maritime security, with China operating the world's largest fleet engaging in predatory practices. This article argues that combatting IUU fishing should be a strategic priority for the US Indo- Pacific Command to promote a free and open region and counter negative Chinese influence. It advocates for a robust, multinational law enforcement approach consisting of an expanded mission for Joint Interagency Task Force West, an intelligence fusion center in the Philippines, additional bilateral shiprider agreements, more US Coast Guard cutters based in Oceania, and an enlarged tactical law enforcement program. Implementing these recommendations will strengthen ties with regional partners, reinforce territorial claims, and protect vital marine resources and US national interests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study emphasized the importance for effective leadership in the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and introduces the development of a specialized Competency Manual tailored for PCG Commanding Officers, guided by the Dreyfus model of skills acquisition. While effective leadership is vital for maritime safety and security, the absence of a structured competency framework poses challenges for PCG Commanding Officers, impeding their adaptability and effectiveness in rapidly evolving maritime environment. The development process encompassed a thorough needs assessment, which included reviewing PCG regulations, competency frameworks, and conducting a comprehensive analysis of the Dreyfus model. Collaborative efforts with subject matter experts, surveys, and pilot testing involving PCG officers played a pivotal role in refining the content of the manual. The result of the study yields a Competency Manual that meticulously defines specific competencies, knowledge, skills, and behaviors deemed essential at each stage of the Dreyfus model. Covering critical areas such as maritime regulations, navigation, decision-making, leadership, and crisis management, the manual precisely caters to the unique demands placed on PCG Commanding Officers. The Competency Manual stands out as a structured and progressive tool for skill development, ensuring that PCG Commanding Officers are well-prepared to navigate the difficult challenges inherent in their roles. Effective implementation that entails the seamless integration of the manual into PCG's training programs, conducting routine assessments, and establishing channels for continuous improvement. This strategic approach seeks to foster the development of PCG Commanding Officers into highly proficient leaders, empowering them to adeptly protect maritime interests in the Philippines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In support of the IMO's GHG emission goals, and to promote the introduction of hydrogen fuel cell technology onto vessels in North America, the Hornblower Group company Alcatraz Island Services, LLC (AIS), conducted a project named "Nautilus" to retrofit an existing diesel-battery hybrid passenger ferry with a hydrogen fuel-cell system in order to test and evaluate hydrogen technology as an approach to reduce reliance on diesel fuel for motive and auxiliary power. As Phase 1 of the project, AIS and its partners designed a "buildable" hydrogen fuel cell hybrid drivetrain to supply auxiliary power to the vessel, rechristened the Discover Zero. The very detailed design, with sufficient fidelity to be constructed, provided a platform to encounter specific regulatory issues, and devise approaches to satisfactorily resolving those concerns. Following a preliminary design that underwent a HazID study and received feedback, the plans and drawings for an advanced design were submitted to the United States Coast Guard (USCG) for approval. The improved propulsion system design combines power from the hydrogen fuel cells with the existing onboard lithium-ion batteries. The design obtained a Design Basis Letter from the USCG Marine Safety Center (MSC). This report describes the activities and results of Phase 1, including the drivetrain design, management of regulatory concerns, arrangement of hazardous zones related to hydrogen usage, and lessons learned. • Hydrogen fuel cell auxiliary power system for a battery-diesel hybrid ferry. • The buildable design reveals US Coast Guard regulatory issues and their resolution. • Hazardous zone plans defined for all hydrogen related technology pieces. • Vessel regulatory basis receives Design Basis Letter from the U.S. Coast Guard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the challenges faced by Southeast Asia in the context of major power competition between the United States and China. It discusses the region's integration with the global economy and its strategic location, which have provided advantages in the past but are now under stress due to changing dynamics. The text emphasizes the need for Southeast Asia to navigate this uncertain environment and adapt to the changing dynamics of major power rivalry. It also highlights the concerns about economic coercion from China and the military and territorial tensions in the region, particularly in the South China Sea. The article mentions the responses of different Southeast Asian countries to these challenges, with some seeking to enhance defense capabilities and strengthen cooperation with the United States and its allies, while others remain relatively silent. The document includes a list of various sources that can be useful for library patrons researching the geopolitical dynamics in Southeast Asia and the South China Sea. [Extracted from the article]

Nowadays, set of cooperative drones are commonly used as aerial sensors, in order to monitor areas and track objects of interest (think, e.g., of border and coastal security and surveillance, crime control, disaster management, emergency first responder, forest and wildlife, traffic monitoring). The drones generate a quite large and continuous in time multimodal (audio, video and telemetry) data stream towards a ground control station with enough computing power and resources to store and process it. Hence, due to the distributed nature of this setting, further complicated by the movement and varying distance among drones, and to possible interferences and obstacles compromising communications, a common clock between the nodes is of utmost importance to make feasible a correct reconstruction of the multimodal data stream from the single datagrams, which may be received out of order or with different delays. A framework architecture, using sub-GHz broadcasting communications, is proposed to ensure time synchronization for a set of drones, allowing one to recover even in difficult situations where the usual time sources, e.g. GPS, NTP etc., are not available for all the devices. Such architecture is then implemented and tested using LoRa radios and Raspberry Pi computers. However, other sub-GHz technologies can be used in the place of LoRa, and other kinds of single-board computers can substitute the Raspberry Pis, making the proposed solution easily customizable, according to specific needs. Moreover, the proposal is low cost, since it does not require expensive hardware like, e.g., onboard Rubidium based atomic clocks. Our experiments indicate a worst case skew of about 16 ms between drones clocks, using cheap components commonly available in the market. This is sufficient to deal with audio/video footage at 30 fps. Hence, it can be viewed as a useful and easy to implement architecture helping to maintain a decent synchronization even when traditional solutions are not available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2003, the state-of-the-art Canadian Coast Guard Ship (CCGS) research icebreaker Amundsen has furrowed the Canadian Arctic waters to support novel research endeavors and collect oceanographic data. This paper presents the data acquisition, the processing methods and an overview of the data collected during the 2021 expedition as the ship traveled over 30 000 km during 122 d across the Canadian Arctic Ocean, collecting sea surface, atmospheric and seabed underway measurements. A total of 266 casts of a conductivity, temperature and depth profiler mounted on a Conductivity Temperature Depth rosette (CTD Rosette) were also conducted to monitor the main physical, chemical and biological parameters of the water column. More specifically, the data presented here were collected with the CTD Rosette across historical sampling transects in Davis Strait, the North Water Polynya (NOW) and Cape Bathurst. A 182 km dedicated survey using the Moving Vessel Profiler® (MVP), equipped with CTD, transmissometer, dissolved oxygen, fluorescence and sound velocity sensors, was conducted across Hudson Strait. We also present an overview of the data collected by the underway systems (seabed, thermosalinograph and atmospheric). Such data are essential in understanding the impacts of climate warming on the unique environments of the Canadian Arctic Ocean. Amundsen Science supports and promotes easy access and sharing of such valuable data to the scientific community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Assess operator performance in a simulation of US Coast Guard small boat recovery to a larger vessel on a large scale, six degree-of-freedom, full motion simulator. Background: Studies of human performance in small boat recovery task have never been conducted on a high amplitude, low frequency simulator. Empirical evidence of small boat recovery task performance in challenging motion conditions is needed to inform future maritime systems designs. Method: Experienced active-duty boat crewmembers (N = 13) conducted a small boat recovery task in three sea states on the Vertical Motion Simulator (VMS) at the NASA Ames Research Center. Task performance was assessed using a task equivalent for time to complete the task. Participant behaviors associated with increasing motion severity were observed. Results: Task performance declined as motion conditions became more severe. Participants were more likely to use at least one hand to maintain balance during motion conditions, becoming more frequent with increasing motion severity. Many participants used one hand to complete the task despite contrary instructions and previous experience. Conclusion: Two design recommendations were proposed to counter declining task performance in increasingly severe motion conditions. Handholds available to participants during the task, and task design supporting single handed completion were recommended for small boat recovery systems. Application: This research is directly applicable to gross motor tasks requiring simultaneous maintenance of balance in a maritime environment, and may be extended to other environments where humans experience complex motions while completing tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In January 1940, the U.S. Coast Guard intercepted numerous messages that were encrypted on a commercial Enigma D machine using the same key. By solving these messages in depth and examining the resulting cipher alphabets for each position of the rotors, the Cryptanalytic Unit, headed by Elizebeth Smith Friedman, was able to recover the wiring of two of the rotors. This paper explains Friedman's methods in detail and uses them to determine the wiring of two rotors from an Enigma M3 machine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Externalizing borders for the purpose of shifting and avoiding responsibilities under human rights law is not a new phenomenon in the context of migration control. In the Mediterranean, European States have increasingly sought new measures of extraterritorial migration control to avoid being held responsible under cornerstones of international refugee law such as non-refoulement. In the precedent Hirsi Jamaa and Others v. Italy, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) established that the exercise of effective control over persons on the high seas amounts to the exercise of jurisdiction within the meaning of Art. 1 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). As a result, European States began to find new ways of controlling their borders. The focus on physically controlled 'push-backs' shifted to administratively controlled 'pull-backs'. Cooperation with third States by equipping and training their coast guards has become a way for European States to avoid any direct contact with migrants, thereby avoiding triggering jurisdiction as defined by the current case law of the ECtHR. This paper focuses, first, on how ECtHR jurisprudence responds to new forms of extraterritorial migration control and, second, on how this concept of jurisdiction relates to the obligation of States to fulfill their international obligations in good faith. How can the object and purpose of an obligation be undermined if that obligation does not apply in the first place? While the realization of Hannah Arendt's concept of 'the right to have rights' seems to depend in practice on the geographical location of the individual, this paper addresses the question of whether there might be a right to come within the jurisdiction of a State, in the sense of gaining access to a legal system, applying a good faith reading to non-refoulement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For Japan's former prime minister Abe Shinzō, security cooperation with Southeast Asia was central to preventing the South China Sea from turning into a "Lake Beijing" - completely under Chinese control. This paper explains why Abe's security engagement in the region focused mainly on providing Capacity Building Assistance (CBA) to Southeast Asian coast guards agencies to counter China's maritime assertiveness. Answers are provided by looking at not only international but also domestic factors. Based on key variables of post-Cold War Japan's foreign policy, namely the US-Japan alliance, the dominance of economic tools, and normative and institutional constraints on the use of force, the analysis concludes that CBA was an ideal response to the complex demands and restrictions of Japan's security policy. In particular, the economic benefits of providing CBA are an important finding of the analysis and one that has not yet received much scholarly focus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

«Elle, melle, deg fortelle, skipet går ut i år, rygg i rann, to i spann, snipp, snapp, snute, du er ute!» About Copenhagen as a shipping port for the leidang in the 11th and 12th century. The remains of a large semi-circular rampart in the central parts of Copenhagen is discussed as part of the city's defence and leiðangr organisation, Norwegian leidang, during the 11th and 12th century. Despite the lack of archaeological evidence, the proposal is based on the site's geographic location by Øresund and function as a natural shipping port. As part of this hypothesis, the leidang as a military organisation and coast guard arrangement is discussed over time, as well as the proposed link between the leidang as an organisation and the occurrence of snekke-names. After Bishop Absalon's takeover of the village of Hafn at the end of the 12th century and the construction of a new castle on Strandholmen, the location continued as an important place for defence and mobilisation. The leidang in its original form gradually came to lose its importance in the following century, due to further structural and defence efforts in what would later become the market town of Copenhagen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article includes a legal analysis of the principle of shared responsibility, which is the current basis for implementing European Integrated Border Management (EUIBM). In particular, the article analyzes the main instruments strengthening the institutional position of the European Union in border management, that is, the Frontex standing service and its powers to apply coercive measures and the obligation of Member States to cooperate with the agency. There are three stages in the evolution of the principle of shared responsibility. The first stage begins with the reform of the EUIBM system resulting from the then migration pressure, initiated by the European Commission’s communication of December 2015 and the European Border and Coast Guard (ESGiP) Regulation of 2016, replacing the original Frontex Regulation. The reform allowed for the adoption of the first binding definition of European integrated border management and introduced the principle of shared responsibility. The second stage is marked by the ESGiP reform of 2019, which significantly expanded Frontex’s competences by establishing the agency’s force corps. The third stage, carried out during the period of intensifying geopolitical changes in Europe and the world, begins with the adoption in 2023 of the first multi-annual program implementing and aimed at the effective implementation of EUIBM, the so-called “strategic policy.” The article puts forward the thesis that geopolitical conditions favoring the tendency to tighten operational cooperation have enabled the Union to build an EUIBM based on the principle of shared responsibility and a significant evolution of the principle itself. It seems that EUIBM in its current formula has exhausted the treaty possibilities and further expansion of the system should be preceded by a treaty reform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the criminalization of humanitarian search and rescue at sea in the United Kingdom under the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 through the widening of the facilitation offence under Section 41, primarily by the removal of the words "for gain." In this endeavor, it evaluates the compatibility of the NBA with the maritime search and rescue international legal framework, with particular attention to the protection of rescuers and the integrity of the maritime search and rescue system. The NBA introduces a punitive approach towards maritime search and rescue efforts not undertaken on behalf of or coordinated by His Majesty's Coastguard or an overseas maritime search and rescue authority exercising equivalent functions. Despite the statutory exclusions and defences suggesting some protection to rescuers, the NBA amounts to an act of deterrence for rescuers to act outside the supervision of the designated authorities. Further, the statutory threat to prosecute rescuers at sea ultimately serves the unspoken purpose of tightening the detection and control of unauthorized arrivals. The analysis proposed signals the UK's shortfalls in the compliance with its international commitments, primarily in the maritime search and rescue realm, in its pursuit to prioritize deterrence policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This article examines the implementation of succession human resources (HR) planning in law enforcement agencies. Α quantitative–descriptive survey was carried out, and questionnaires were completed by 302 executives from Greek law enforcement agencies (Hellenic Police and Hellenic Coastguard), through random sampling. The survey highlighted severe concerns, reflecting a lack of implementation of succession HR planning in both agencies. Succession HR planning, defined as the timely handling of personnel needs (qualitative–quantitative) required for the organization to maintain its performance at high levels, is applied to a minimum extent in the Hellenic Police and Hellenic Coastguard. It seems that these organizations do not follow a specific plan to cover their needs in personnel or other operational matters. The study makes a significant contribution on a theoretical and practical level. The research exposes the problem of the non-implementation of succession HR planning in law enforcement agencies. Using the data highlighted by this study, these agencies will be able to implement HR planning to maximize personnel performance and respond to the crucial role they play in society. Future research in law enforcement agencies over the wider area of Greece or other countries should be conducted to draw more representative conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reporting system for fishing vessel and crew casualties in Peru needs a disruptive change in order to know what the risks in terms of marine safety are, who should manage them, and how they should be managed. According to a technical review on accidents recorded by the Peruvian Direction of Captaincies and Coast Guards (DICAPI), it is evident there is a need to process the available information on casualties of fishing vessels and crew in the fishing industry since this information is not easy to analyze. Nevertheless, this paper provides the casualties reported between 2004 and 2010, and from 2013 to 2020. In order to understand the research endeavors and trends surrounding the safety of fishing vessels, a systematic review using VOSviewer was performed. After a deep analysis and study of the information available in Peru, as well as reports and regulations from the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), and the recent advances available in the scientific literature on the safety of fishing vessels and crew casualties around the world, this paper presents some proposals regarding the current Peruvian scenario that are expected to be considered in new regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All continents, excluding Antarctica and the Artic, have been affected by incursion from alien freshwater fish species. Australia has not been spared. Four hundred and fifty species have now been declared on the ornamental importation list, making management a real challenge. With approximately 25 non-native species documented, Papua New Guinea (PNG) has likely some problems with invasive freshwater fish. Many of these species have been intentionally introduced to increase access to food as a protein source for remote communities or have spread naturally from western parts of Java and Indonesia, and now constitute a large biomass on some floodplain areas in PNG. The Torres Strait is located between PNG and northern Queensland and was previously a land bridge, though now under higher sea levels the region exists as a series of approximately 300 islands. The threat of further range extension of freshwater fish from PNG into northern Queensland via the Torres Strait Islands is significant, with two invasive fish species already recorded on northern islands of the Torres Strait (climbing perch, Anabas testudineus which has been continually recorded for the past decade; and recently the GIFT tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus). Here we present a case to control further spread of invasive freshwater fish species towards Australia, using a Land and Sea Ranger program, where Rangers are trained to be confident in the identification of pest fish species and to implement strategies to protect their borders from potential future incursions. The success of this program relies on Rangers to continue partaking in surveillance monitoring of coastal waters, checking and controlling for any new invasive species moving from PNG into Australian waters. We outline the biosecurity obligation under Article 14 of the Treaty between the two nations, which identifies the importance of conservation and protection of coastal floodplains from invasive species, and the spread between both nations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]