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Rapid development and deployment of marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) approaches will be required to prevent the worst consequences of climate change and meet national treaty obligations under the Paris agreement. However, approaches to monitor the efficacy and environmental safety of mCDR are not being developed with the same intensity as the technology. Verification will be required to convince a sceptical public and regulatory community of the overall benefit of mCDR as well as provide the regulatory community a basis for risk assessments that will be required for at scale deployments. In this perspective, we posit that genomics-based approaches can be used to assess the efficacy of carbon sequestration and monitor for the possibility of unintended consequences. By adopting these approaches, it will be feasible to develop the evidence portfolio necessary to underpin assessments of the risks, benefits and trade-offs involved in responsible deployment of mCDR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In higher education literature, academic staff have long been considered the main blockers in internationalizing study programs, but recent research suggests that the real blockers are the many changes required in their disciplinary contexts. However, both perspectives have not been based on organizational change theory including academics and their disciplinary contexts. This article examines the recurring institutional issues with strategies, resources, and connections with curriculum internationalization from a Dynamic Resource-Based View of organizational change. The dimensions of this resource-based organizational change theory have been decomposed into five propositions for investigating the value of strategies for curriculum internationalization as perceived and experienced by academic staff in specific disciplinary contexts. In a multiple case study of four disciplinary contexts in a West-European university from 2012 to 2020, we studied 56 strategic documents and 29 in-depth interviews with academic staff. Our theory-based approach and value-adding analysis with multiple data, cases, and researchers allow for theoretical generalization with implications for higher education strategy development in various regions of the world. Our findings reveal that, as a process involving organizational changes, curriculum internationalization requires more explicit, integrative strategies, adequate deployment of leadership, knowledge, and academic staff competencies, and strategic alignment with core processes and the specifics, commonalities, and dynamics of disciplinary contexts. Based on the selected theoretical perspective of organizational change, we present new explanations and practical guidelines to substantiate and improve the process of internationalizing study programs. At the same time, we demonstrate the critical role of academic staff and their disciplinary contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mental Health support to military operations is well established as an integral part of military medicine. Unfortunately, Commanders often receive little or no training in how best to use their mental health assets or what their capabilities are. Conversely, members of a Field Mental Health Team frequently have no operational experience and try to merely translate their civilian practice onto the battlefield. Aim: This article describes what mental health professional can, and should do on military deployments and calls for greater training and awareness of both Mental Health professionals and Operational Commanders to foster mutual understanding and use the Field Mental Health Team to best effect. Method: The paper drawson the experience of working in a Field Mental Health Team on six operational deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. Results: Military mental health professionals work mostly in peacetime and this work ill prepares them for the very different type of work required of them on operations. Conclusion: More training is required to prepare both practitioners and commanders for the mental health issues that confront them on operational deployments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the long duration of posttransitional authoritarian discourses of "national security" in Uruguay, in the five decades since the coup that led to a State terrorist regime. We posit that the current deployment of Cold war era discourses justifying state terrorism constitute foundational master tools that enable modern-day military and alt-right autocrats to conceal human rights violations and appropriate the liberal human rights discourse for illiberal political ends. Authoritarians of this new type use these resignified democratic discourses to perpetuate their power, gain influence, and legitimize their repressive illiberal practices. The article uses three public debates relating to the military's illicit actions in the dictatorship and their involvement in contemporary politics via the new military political party, Cabildo Abierto, to show how these authoritarian tools are deployed in political discourse. We analyze a corpus of texts from recent judicial documents with military "confessions," official withholding of secret archives, and law proposals presented in Congress. Our findings show that dictatorship-era discourses of "national security" are employed by contemporary military and right-wing political actors for the purpose of sustaining their power. We reveal continuities in dictatorship era discourse practices and strategies that contribute to the emergence of new autocratic social actors who enter the political sphere to capture state resources and protect their group interests. Our findings contribute to the exploration of discursive uses of the past in the present resulting in increased political polarization and autocratic tendencies in contemporary Uruguay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Italy is the only 'Big Four' European country and 'Quint' North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member ostensibly uninterested in the world's geopolitical and geoeconomic epicentre. However, a number of developments contradict the assumption that Rome overlooks the importance of the Indo-Pacific. By analysing official policies, naval deployments, new partnerships and evolving trajectories, this article reveals that Italy's strategic engagement with the Indo-Pacific is already significant and unfolding under three broad areas: (a) economy ; (b) security ; and (c) norms. It then assesses the benefits and risks of this developing foreign policy, and argues that the former outweigh the latter, a condition which is conducive to the establishment of an official Italian Indo-Pacific strategy. As the first scholarly work on the Italian role in the Indo-Pacific, this research makes a novel contribution to the literature on both Italian foreign policy and the Indo-Pacific security landscape, by investigating a complementary approach to that of existing Indo-Pacific strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Veterans of the 1990–1991 Gulf War have experienced excess health problems, most prominently the multisymptom condition Gulf War illness (GWI). The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Cooperative Studies Program #2006 "Genomics of Gulf War Illness in Veterans" project was established to address important questions concerning pathobiological and genetic aspects of GWI. The current study evaluated patterns of chronic ill health/GWI in the VA Million Veteran Program (MVP) Gulf War veteran cohort in relation to wartime exposures and key features of deployment, 27–30 years after Gulf War service. Methods: MVP participants who served in the 1990–1991 Gulf War completed the MVP Gulf War Era Survey in 2018–2020. Survey responses provided detailed information on veterans' health, Gulf War exposures, and deployment time periods and locations. Analyses determined associations of three defined GWI/ill health outcomes with Gulf War deployment characteristics and exposures. Results: The final cohort included 14,103 veterans; demographic and military characteristics of the sample were similar to the full population of U.S. 1990–1991 Gulf War veterans. Overall, a substantial number of veterans experienced chronic ill health, as indicated by three defined outcomes: 49% reported their health as fair or poor, 31% met Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria for severe GWI, and 20% had been diagnosed with GWI by a healthcare provider. Health outcomes varied consistently with veterans' demographic and military characteristics, and with exposures during deployment. All outcomes were most prevalent among youngest veterans (< 50 years), Army and Marine Corps veterans, enlisted personnel (vs. officers), veterans located in Iraq and/or Kuwait for at least 7 days, and veterans who remained in theater from January/February 1991 through the summer of 1991. In multivariable models, GWI/ill health was most strongly associated with three exposures: chemical/biological warfare agents, taking pyridostigmine bromide pills, and use of skin pesticides. Conclusions: Results from this large cohort indicate that GWI/chronic ill health continues to affect a large proportion of Gulf War veterans in patterns associated with 1990-1991 Gulf War deployment and exposures. Findings establish a foundation for comprehensive evaluation of genetic factors and deployment exposures in relation to GWI risk and pathobiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Innovative solutions are required to make long-duration space missions feasible. Crew performance and health is paramount to the success of anticipated Moon and Mars missions. Metabolic reduction via a quasi-torpor state is a possible mitigation strategy that can reduce consumable payload, which is necessary given the lack of available resupply options, and to reduce psychological stress, which is a risk for such lengthy missions. Even in lunar or cis-lunar missions, a quasi-torpor state could be implemented as an emergency countermeasure for critical situations where life support becomes limited. However, to date no studies have tested a quasi-torpor state in humans, and the impacts of intentional prolonged metabolic reduction on physiological and psychological parameters are unknown. To this end, we planned a three-phase study to provide proof-in-principle of the tolerability, feasibility, and side effects of a nonintravenous alpha-2-adrenergic receptor agonist for moderate sedation. This was accomplished by 1) determining the dosing and metabolic effects for different non-intravenous routes of alpha-2-adrenergic receptor agonist drugs; 2) assessing the degree of metabolic reduction and side effects during a 24-h quasi-torpor protocol; and 3) evaluating participant performance and total metabolic reduction achieved over a 5-day quasi-torpor protocol. We also aim to determine how skeletal muscle health and performance are affected by this quasi-torpor state. Quasi-torpor induced changes in skeletal muscle health and performance, as well as impacts on cognition and psychological stress, also have implications for terrestrial situations that result in prolonged confinement (e.g., austere environments such as submarine or remote scientific or military deployment and protracted critical illness). The findings of this three-phase study will be immediately applicable as a rescue strategy for emergencies during current or upcoming space missions. They will also identify key physiological and practical questions that need to be addressed for future deployment in long-duration space missions. This paper reviews the relevant literature that informed our rationale and approaches for this three-phase study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This cross-sectional study assessed combat readiness, alcohol abuse and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among Uganda Peoples' Defense Forces (UPDF) soldiers returning from Operation Lightning Thunder (OLT) in South Sudan and Central African Republic. Methods: One hundred fifty participants recruited from UPDF soldiers who had recently withdrawn from OLT, and were based in Singo Peace Support Operation School were screened for combat readiness, alcohol abuse and PTSD. The Perceived Combat Readiness Questionnaire, Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test, and PTSD checklist military version were used to measure the variables. Inferential analyses were performed to determine the association between combat readiness, alcohol abuse, and PTSD, while controlling for sociodemographic factors. Results: We found that 16% of UPDF soldiers met positive screening results for PTSD, and 21% met the positive screening results for moderate substance use disorder. UPDF soldiers who benefited from combat readiness were less likely to develop PTSD or alcohol abuse. Our results showed a mediating effect of alcohol abuse on combat readiness and PTSD among soldiers with UPDF. Conclusion: Our results highlight the high rates of PTSD and alcohol abuse among UPDF soldiers returning from military deployment. These findings provide insight into the role of combat readiness in reducing the risk of alcohol abuse and vulnerability to PTSD in the aftermath of military deployment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an adjusted Westminster-style system with large executive room for maneuver in matters of foreign, security, and defense policies, Australia's parliament does not have a formal say in sending troops abroad despite the continental nation's constant military deployments, i.e. alongside its major ally, the United States. Past efforts from Democrats and Greens to push legislation giving parliament ex ante voting rights have been stymied by Labor-Liberal bipartisanism opposing it. However, given increasing political fragmentation and the politicization of military deployments, post-Cold War politics gives testament to dissent on the use of force, decision-making on it, and the reach of oversight between political parties. Linking the Australian case to contemporary scholarship on the party politics of security and defense policy, this article focuses on the party-political component of contestation and explores patterns of dissent and consensus on the use of force, decision-making, and oversight. Using voting, debate, interview data, and taking stock of the most recent parliamentary inquiry into war powers, the article demonstrates Australian parallels with party-political contestation in other countries. However, it also highlights that debate and agency in Australia do only follow those in other Westminster systems to some extent, while Australian parties put an even higher emphasis on decision-making efficiency in an insecure strategic environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In 2020, Army National Guard members demonstrated greater risk of suicide than their military and civilian counterparts. Though literature on deployment-related experiences and suicidal ideation (SI) is mixed, investigations of specific deployment-related experiences (e.g., injuries) may further elucidate the relationship between deployment and suicide risk. Deployment-related injuries, including pain severity and functional impairment, have been linked to increased risk of SI, and correlates like perceived burdensomeness (PB) and hopelessness. The current study sought to examine the cross-sectional relationship between deployment-related injuries, including pain severity and functional impairment, and severity of SI through PB and hopelessness. Method: Immediately post-deployment, Army National Guard members (N = 2,261) completed validated self-report measures on past-week SI, PB, hopelessness, and single items regarding injury sustained during deployment and associated functional impairment and pain severity. Results: Indirect effect analyses revealed that experience of deployment-related injury was related to SI through PB and hopelessness (R2 =.1993), functional impairment was related to SI through PB, and pain severity was related to SI through PB. Contrary to hypotheses, hopelessness was not associated with SI when PB was simultaneously considered. Conclusions: Army National Guard members who develop a sense of PB related to their injury and functional impairment of that injury may be at increased risk for suicidal ideation. Military suicide-prevention efforts may be potentiated through targeting distorted cognitions such as PB and hopelessness, especially in service members who have been injured. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although some recent studies have examined the health of female Gulf War (GW) deployed and non-deployed GW era veterans, these all relied on self-report, which can be inaccurate and subject to recall bias. This study investigated the current health of GW deployed and non-deployed GW era female and male veterans using Veterans Health Administration (VHA) electronic health records (EHR). Methods: We performed a cohort study of deployed GW and non-deployed GW era veterans, identified from a list from the Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC). We used the VA-Frailty Index (VA-FI), calculated with VHA administrative claims and EHR, as a proxy measure of current health. Results: We identified 402,869 veterans (351,496 GW deployed; 51,3373 non-deployed GW era; 38,555 female) in VHA databases. Deployed female veterans had the highest VA-FI (i.e., were frailest) despite being younger than deployed and non-deployed male veterans and non-deployed female veterans. Compared with deployed male veterans, deployed females were more likely to be pre-frail, mildly, and moderately frail. Health differences between deployed and non-deployed female veterans were more prominent among older (60+ years) than younger (<60 years) veterans. Conclusions: Mirroring reports from recent, smaller survey studies of users and non-users of VA health care, findings from this cohort study indicate that deployed female GW veterans who use VA health care are frailer and have more health deficits than non-deployed female GW era and deployed male GW veterans. Because deployed female GW veterans appear to have additional health care needs, this may warrant increased outreach from women's clinics at VA hospitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research deals with the transformations of the current international system and their repercussions on the Arab regional system, the magnitude of the risks and potential repercussions faced by the Arab region as a result of the transformations of the current international system. The research followed the systems analysis approach and the functional and analytical approach to monitor global transformations and their repercussions on the Middle East, where the international system gradually began to lose the character of statism in the overlap of interests, and move according to new policies led by globalization currents, based on the fact that the current international system is living in a state of uncertainty and instability. The results of the research showed that the international system with its current features and turbulent situation is going through a severe and accelerating storm, and that the Middle East is witnessing a continuous process of reshaping, without full clarity of the new features so far, and that destabilizing events, violent acts, and strong reactions alone are not enough to bring about a shift towards a system The formation of the multipolar world requires other factors, such as changes in trade and consumption patterns, the continued deployment of military forces in areas where their vital interests are threatened, the emergence of new military powers in the Middle East and its surroundings, and the continued hegemony of the West in the economic, financial, technological and scientific fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metaphors are an essential part of how humans process and understand the world. Cognitive linguistics does not view metaphors as merely linguistic or rhetorical devices; rather, they are conceptual in nature and are central to the thought process. Therefore, the present research investigates the metaphorical depiction of the Covid-19 health emergency through the conceptual metaphor of WAR in three renowned Pakistani English Newspapers i.e. Dawn, The Express Tribune, and The News. Critical Metaphor Analysis (CMA) is specifically selected to uncover the covert and possibly unconscious intentions of language users in Newspaper discourse. Fifty (50) editorials on the subject of Covid-19 are specifically chosen and their language is meticulously observed by making a specialized Corpus PakNCovid-19. The size of the corpus is 17621 words. Moreover, Monoconc Corpus Tool is utilized to analyze the metaphorical depiction of Covid-19 as a WAR in Pakistani Newspaper discourse. The study highlights the explicit deployment of military concepts like BATTLE, ENEMY, WAR, SOLDIERS, FIGHT, and VICTORY to create the conception of WAR and to create SELF Vs OTHER distinctions between the Pakistani people and the medical illness of Covid-19. The inquiry demonstrates that to create a sense of urgency and to mobilize masses against the deadly virus, the metaphors of War have been used deliberately. The military concepts have been purposely employed to present Covid-19 as an 'alien', 'outsider', as well as an 'enemy' entity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores contemporary understandings of military duty and dynamics of cohesion during deployment with a focus on host–citizen relations. Duty is treated as a perception-based dynamic construct shaped, in part, by operational experiences. Traditionally, Western military duty is defined by conventional obligations of loyalty to the military unit and mission in the context of combat operations, in these ways linked to military cohesion. However, in response to increasingly "population-oriented" military operations, I argue the need to broaden the study of military duty and cohesion beyond interpersonal bonds of the military organization to include the role of host–citizen relations. In-depth interviews with Swedish service members reaffirm the centrality of conventional duty to the mission and military unit, yet also indicate varying levels and forms of obligations to local actors. Overall, understandings of duty matter to cohesion both as a unifying force and source of tension within the mission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid developments in the Internet of Things (IoT) have opened the door for game-changing applications in numerous sectors, especially the vehicle industry. There is a rising demand for efficient assessment and decision-making methodologies to pinpoint the most promising choices for the vehicle sector with the introduction of IoT-based maritime vehicles. To overcome this issue, the integrated multi-criteria decision-making analysis (MCDA) paradigm proposed in this research combines the additive ratio assessment (ARAS) and analytic hierarchy process (AHP) approaches to evaluate and choose IoT-based maritime vehicles based on their performance- and authenticity-related criteria in the vehicle sector. The selection issue is hierarchically organized, and the assessment criteria are prioritized using the AHP approach. There are seven performance and authentication related criteria are selected that might aid in the selection procedure. Using the AHP, we are assigned these criteria proportionate weights that reflect their respective significance and interrelationships. AHP, however, falls short of offering a thorough analysis of the alternatives that exist. To overcome these restrictions, this research presents the integration of AHP with the ARAS approach for the ranking of alternatives according to how well they perform against the set criteria. By using the ARAS technique, it is possible to get over the restrictions of AHP and achieve a more thorough assessment of maritime IoT-based vehicles. The efficiency of the framework is proven using empirical data and professional judgment. The findings show that the hybrid method successfully encapsulates the intricate relationships between the factors being evaluated and objectively appraises the potential of IoT-based maritime vehicles for the automotive sector. This study extends to the area by providing an organized and thorough method for assessing and choosing IoT-based maritime vehicles. Considering several factors and their mutual dependence, the hybrid AHP and ARAS technique gives decision-makers a powerful tool for evaluating the potential of IoT-based maritime vehicles in the automotive sector. Smart decisions on the deployment of IoT-based marine vehicles and maximizing the potential they present may be made by beneficiaries in the automotive sector using the study's results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article contributes to critical theory building in relation to political corporate social responsibility (PCSR) by conceptualizing the underlying processes and practices through which corporations seek to counter threats posed by activist groups. We argue that the problematic nature of PCSR is entangled not only in its state-like aims, but also in its covert deployment of military tactics towards the maintenance of corporate hegemony. We illuminate how corporations use counterinsurgency tactics to undermine the ability of activists to hold them accountable for their wrongdoing. Building on the work of Gramsci, we propose that counterinsurgency tactics combine elements of force and persuasion that enable corporations to maintain hegemony (i.e., secure consent over time). We ask: How are counterinsurgency tactics used by corporations to neutralize activist pressures and maintain corporate hegemony? We draw upon historical sources regarding the Nestlé infant milk boycott case to undertake a genealogical analysis that exposes counterinsurgency tactics enabling corporations to counter activists and sustain their hegemony. We find that Nestlé deployed four key counterinsurgency tactics to nullify activist pressures (suppressing external support, isolating the activist(s), capturing the dialogue, and covert intelligence gathering). From our analysis, we propose the term corporate counterinsurgency and theorize the historic use of corporate counterinsurgency tactics as an example of a hegemonic strategy that enables corporations to covertly undermine activist pressures. We conclude by calling for further reflexivity in organizational studies research on the military origins of PCSR, and by outlining how activist organizations might mobilize against corporate counterinsurgency tactics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Military personnel frequently experience stressful, morally challenging situations that can lead to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The relationships between moral identity, transgressive acts, and symptoms related to posttraumatic stress disorder (i.e. posttraumatic stress symptoms; PTSS) among U.S. Army Soldiers were assessed. Materials and Methods A convenience cohort of 1,547 soldiers completed a survey assessing moral identity and PTSS before deployment. A subset of 505 soldiers completed another survey assessing transgressive acts and PTSS during deployment. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to determine the underlying factor structure of the measures of moral identity and transgressive acts. Generalized linear modeling, robustness checks, and sensitivity analysis were used to evaluate the predictive relationships. Results Moral identity did not directly predict PTSS during deployment. However, self-attributed and betrayal-based transgressive acts were significant predictors. Specifically, self-attributed transgressive acts and PTSS were moderated by internalized moral identity; individuals with a higher internalized moral identity experienced more severe PTSS following self-attributed transgressive acts. These findings were consistent across various model checks, including covariate adjustments, data imputation, and the application of a data quality filter. Conclusions The study highlights the significant role of self-attributed moral transgressions during deployment in the development of PTSS among military service members—especially in those with a strong internalized moral identity. This finding suggests a "target of opportunity" for the development of intervention strategies that mitigate PTSS by addressing the moral dimensions of military service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Disease and non-battle injury (DNBI) has historically been the leading casualty type among service members in warfare and a leading health problem confronting military personnel, resulting in significant loss of manpower. Studies show a significant increase in disease burden for DNBI when compared to combat-related injuries. Understanding the causes of and trends in DNBI may help guide efforts to develop preventive measures and help increase medical readiness and resiliency. However, despite its significant disease burden within the military population, DNBI remains less studied than battle injury. In this review, we aimed to evaluate the recently published literature on DNBI and to describe the characteristics of these recently published studies. Materials and Methods This systematic review is reported in the Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews database. The systematic search for published articles was conducted through July 21, 2022, in Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health, Cochrane Library, Defense Technical Information Center, Embase, and PubMed. Guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses, the investigators independently screened the reference lists on the Covidence website (covidence.org). An article was excluded if it met any of the following criteria: (1) Published not in English; (2) published before 2010; (3) data used before 2001; (4) case reports, commentaries, and editorial letters; (5) systematic reviews or narrative reviews; (6) used animal models; (7) mechanical or biomechanical studies; (8) outcome was combat injury or non-specified; (9) sample was veterans, DoD civilians, contractors, local nationals, foreign military, and others; (10) sample was U.S. Military academy; (11) sample was non-deployed; (12) bioterrorism study; (13) qualitative study. The full-text review of 2 independent investigators reached 96% overall agreement (166 of 173 articles; κ = 0.89). Disagreements were resolved by a third reviewer. Study characteristics and outcomes were extracted from each article. Risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Meta-analysis of pooled estimates of incidence rates for disease (D), non-battle injury (NBI), and combined DNBI was created using random-effects models. Results Of the 3,401 articles, 173 were included for the full review and 29 (16.8%) met all inclusion criteria. Of the 29 studies included, 21 (72.4%) were retrospective designs, 5 (17.2%) were prospective designs, and 3 (10.3%) were surveys. Across all studies, the median number of total cases reported was 1,626 (interquartile range: 619.5-10,203). The results of meta-analyses for 8 studies with reported incidence rates (per 1,000 person-years) for D (n  = 3), NBI (n  = 7), and DNBI (n  = 5) showed pooled incidence rates of 22.18 per 1,000 person-years for D, 19.86 per 1,000 person-years for NBI, and 50.97 per 1,000 person-years for combined DNBI. Among 3 studies with incidence rates for D, NBI, and battle injury, the incidence rates were 20.32 per 1,000 person-years for D, 6.88 per 1,000 person-years for NBI, and 6.83 per 1,000 person-years for battle injury. Conclusions DNBI remains the leading cause of morbidity in conflicts involving the U.S. Military over the last 20 years. More research with stronger designs and consistent measurement is needed to improve medical readiness and maintain force lethality. Level of Evidence Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, Level III. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How do US foreign military deployments impact the defense policies of host states? Dominant scholarship holds that these deployments play a pivotal role in assuring allies that their security is guaranteed, which in turn leads host countries to neglect their national defense contributions. In this research note, we examine the micro-foundations of this conventional wisdom, investigating how nuclear and conventional troop deployments impact attitudes toward defense policies in (potential) host states. We highlight that the presumed linkage between assurance and free-riding critically implies that foreign military deployments must positively affect perceptions of security among host nations. We test this core logic, alongside some alternative pathways, at the micro level through two survey experiments that randomize hypothetical withdrawals (Germany) and deployments (Czech Republic). Although we find some evidence that foreign military deployments can decrease citizens' subjective need for defense, the survey experiments also reveal that citizens hardly feel protected by these deployments. Thus, our results cast doubt on the core logic underlying the theory of free-riding in alliances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Adverse respiratory outcomes in post-9/11 veterans with elevated urinary metal measures and enrolled in the VA's Toxic Embedded Fragment registrywere compared to thosewithout elevated urinary metals. Methods: Veterans completed questionnaires, underwent pulmonary physiology tests (pulmonary function and oscillometry), and provided urine samples for analysis of 13 metals. Respiratory symptoms, diagnoses, and physiology measures were compared in veterans with ≥1 urine metal elevation to those without metal elevations, adjusted for covariates, including smoking. Results: Among 402 study participants, 24% had elevated urinemetals, often just exceeding upper limits of reference values. Compared to veterans without elevated metals, those with elevated metals had had higher FEV1 values but similar frequencies of respiratory symptoms and diagnoses and abnormalities on pulmonary physiology tests. Conclusions: Mild systemic metal elevations in post-9/11 veterans are not associated with adverse respiratory health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

À partir de ma clinique de sujets trans, et dans la continuité des travaux d'Esther Bick concernant la seconde peau psychique et de celle de Didier Anzieu avec le Moi-Peau et les enveloppes psychiques, je propose une nouvelle hypothèse : celle d'une seconde peau et d'un Moi-peau corsets. Ainsi, les corsets psychiques empêchent (seconde peau) ou déploient (Moi-peau) selon les réappropriations psychiques de chacun. Les perspectives psychanalytiques à propos de la peau, avec leurs constitutions développementales psycho-affectives et psychosomatiques tout le long de la vie, restent en effet contemporaines, et ce, plus particulièrement des personnes trans(genres). Ma pratique de psychologue clinicien-psychothérapeute, mes réseaux (RCP-trans) et mes recherches à partir des vécus des personnes trans(genres) m'ont amené à m'interroger à propos d'une métapsychologie du corset. J'expose ici deux situations cliniques de jeunes adultes FtoM (Female to Male) lesquels sont, entre autres situations cliniques rencontrées, particulièrement à la source de cette hypothèse. Deux situations cliniques m'ont particulièrement amené à réfléchir la qualité d'une capacité dépressive authentique, ou dépressivité, que je nomme ici tristesse fluide (sadness fluid) ou fluidité de la tristesse par analogie au gender fluid, la fluidité du genre (ce qui répond à la dysphorie de genre). Sur les plans transféro-contre-transférentiels, la transphobie et la transphilie sont à interroger comme des corsetages qui fluidifient plus ou moins la relation de soins psychiques, l'empêchent ou/et la déploient. Une armature opératoire, en lien aux travaux de l'École psychosomatique de Paris (IPSO), peut s'imposer intrapsychiquement avec un tel parcours, par la complexité et la diversité des vécus, des histoires et des ressources trouvées au sein des différents environnements du sujet. Envisager les besoins thérapeutiques des sujets trans dans leurs parcours et leurs réflexions, amène à considérer les besoins de desserrer, de dénouer certains liens psychiques avec leurs conséquences psychosomatiques. Ce décorsetage favorise une fluidité réflexive, afin que le sujet puisse évoluer avec et dans un authentique Moi-peau corset où il s'appartient. I develop my hypothesis of a two different corsets, the second skin and the ego-skin corset, which respectively prevent or deploy according to the psychic reappropriations of the subjects, specially transgender subjects. My practice as a clinical psychologist-psychotherapist and my research with transgender subjects led me to wonder about a metapsychology of the corset. I expose here two clinical cases. Two cases in particular led me to think about an authentic depressive capacity that I call here sadness-fluid or fluidity of sadness by analogy to gender-fluid, the fluidity of gender. Also, I reflect on the operative armature that can impose itself throughout the transition process, by the diversity of experiences, stories, and resources found in the subject's different environments. The therapeutic needs of trans subjects in their journeys and their reflections lead us to consider the needs to loosen, to untie certain ties. This uncorsetting favors a reflexive fluidity, so that the subject can evolve in an authentic ego-skin corset where it belongs to itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients suffering from complex psychiatric pathologies require multi-disciplinary care and, in the event of decompensation, may need to be hospitalized. Institutional psychotherapy approaches psychotic, existential and institutional crises as opportunities for clinical elaboration and the deployment of creativity. The health crisis linked to the Covid-19 pandemic has prompted us to rethink its effectiveness and its place within plural contemporary practices. It also offered the opportunity for an unprecedented anthropological reading. In this context, is institutional psychotherapy still a machine for producing "innovation", for creating, or at least revealing, crises in order to overcome them? Key concepts from the field of institutional psychotherapy can be reexamined in the wake of the health crisis. In the aftermath of the pandemic, we propose an elaboration of what the pandemic has taught us about day-to-day practice, in a public psychiatric department oriented towards institutional psychotherapy. We will draw on a re-reading of clinical vignettes, interviews with caregivers and patients, and notes taken at department meetings during the pandemic. The major concepts of institutional psychotherapy may have some limitations, but they can be reinvented by the caregiver-client collective. During a crisis, collective failings and individual symptoms seem to reveal each other. The therapeutic club represents a stage on which to unfold and elaborate both group and individual issues. In this context, the symbolic framework, collectively instituted, and the culture of a service can present operative points of support for continuing care. They "put in crisis" the prejudices and implicit theories of the actors, and support new narratives and new ways of making sense. In the aftermath of a crisis, the therapeutic club remains a space of conflict and intrigue, at the crossroads of collective and individual health crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction The Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry (AHOBPR) allows service members to self-report exposure to burn pits during military deployments and functional status (a composite metric of physical fitness status). This study investigated whether general exposure to burn pits, specific performance of burn pit duties, or the cumulative number of days deployed in Southwest Asia was associated with a change in functional status. Materials and methods A retrospective cross-sectional analysis of 234,061 participants in the AHOBPR who completed questionnaires before August 2021 was conducted. Exposure was presumed if an individual reported any burn pits exposure during deployment or if an individual reported having to work at a burn pit as part of their duties and was quantified by the cumulative-reported exposure days. The outcome was the reported composite functional score. Statistical analysis used linear regression, which was adjusted for significant variables. A possible dose–response effect from cumulative deployment and burn pits exposure days was evaluated. Statistical significance was determined at P  < 0.05. Results The burn pit exposure groups were notably different in size (exposed: 230,079, non-exposed: 3982) and were significantly different for all compared variables. There was a negative association between cumulative exposure days and functional score with a significant test for trend. There was a marginal positive significant association between cumulative deployment days and functional score with a significant test for trend. Reporting exposure to burn pit duties was also significantly associated with a lower functional score. Conclusion This study suggests a dose–response relationship between cumulative burn pit exposure and decreased functional status. It also suggests a modest positive relationship between cumulative deployment days and reported function, which may represent a " healthy deployer " effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Where 'wellbeing' is referred to in relation to children from Armed Forces (service) backgrounds, it is often done so in absence of an exploration of this conceptually vague term. This is problematic, as there are multiple interpretations and discourses of wellbeing which, in turn, influence how it is both understood and operationalised by practitioners and policy makers worldwide. This article examines the deployment-related wellbeing of an under researched group; pre-school children (aged three to four years) from British Army families. Framed within a cultural historical approach, this study employed interviews (n = 30) with ten non-deployed/at home mothers and fourteen pre-school practitioners. Six of the pre-school children also took part in the interviews. Findings highlight that young children's relationships and socio-cultural environments influence the impact of a parental deployment on their different domains of wellbeing. Drawing upon different discourses of wellbeing further affords the reframing of young children's deployment-related wellbeing away from the traditional deficit approach of observable problematised behaviours towards a more positive approach, considering the reasons behind such behaviours. Findings led to the creation of a model to aid practitioners and policy makers seeking to understand and support young Army children's wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A proposed solution to address increasing scarcity of operating room (OR) nurses is the deployment of robotic scrub nurses (RSNs). One of the primary responsibilities of these robots is the handover of surgical instruments to the surgeon. Despite this tasks' apparent simplicity, it requires great precision and timing, while seamless execution is essential for the surgical workflow. This paper outlines the unique challenges of the instrument handover process between a RSN and a surgeon taking place during laparoscopic surgery. After customizing existing solutions from different domains to meet the specific needs of laparoscopic surgery, we introduced these solutions to medical professionals in a simulated OR scenario, and performed a utility analysis to identify the most suitable solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to describe the civilian experience and perceptions of the patient coordination and management at the interface of the New York City (NYC) civilian and the military health systems during a large-scale public health emergency. A qualitative study design was implemented with interviews conducted using a basic descriptive approach. Purposive sampling was used to recruit participants with experience working during the first wave of COVID-19 in NYC. Inclusion criteria were civilians who worked at the Javits Center, the USNS Comfort, or NYC hospitals, who interfaced with patient transfer and military personnel during the city-wide medical response to COVID-19. Semi-structured video interviews were conducted between July 20, 2021 and March 11, 2022. Civilian responders working in the clinical and transfer operations of patients to military facilities in NYC during March and April of 2020 described initial confusion, as well as logistical (patient selection, transfer logistics, patient tracking), communication, and leadership challenges. While the military deployment was felt to be necessary to address the surge capacity in hospitals, the lack of clarity about military medical resources and frameworks for response resulted in confusion about what was being offered by the military deployment. This was balanced by the positive impression of working with military members and the resources that they brought to the response more generally. The need for future trainings and exercises were highlighted. Initial challenges with civilian-military roles and responsibilities, regional needs assessment, patient selection, and logistics were ultimately resolved through adaptation of civilian and military leadership. Improvements in patient tracking, medical records, and standard hospital admission and discharge functions for patients in military alternative care facilities were identified as areas for improvement. Civilian government, health care, and military leaders should consider these ideas when planning for future military deployments in support of a domestic medical response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this article is to identify the factors underlying the success of peace negotiations in Africa, with particular emphasis on the role of UN peacekeepers. We analyze African Peace Processes (APP) data over the period 1989–2019 using the binary logistic model. Our results show that the deployment of UN peacekeepers is associated with the success of mediation efforts, both in intra-state and non-state conflicts. On the other hand, the presence of peacekeepers is detrimental to the success of bilateral negotiations. These results thus highlight that the ambiguity surrounding the effectiveness of UN forces in the peaceful management of conflicts depends on the presence or absence of a mediator. Consequently, political decision-makers should combine the deployment of peacekeeping forces with mediation initiatives to achieve peaceful conflict management. On the other hand, this should not be envisaged within the framework of bilateral negotiations, at the risk of producing opposite effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

United Nations peacekeeping operations (UNPKO) have been deployed in conflict-affected countries for decades. While we thoroughly understand what UNPKOs are mandated to do, there is little research on what activities peacekeepers actually do upon deployment in their host countries and in which sequence, if any. To address this gap, we formulate descriptive hypotheses about the number of implemented peacekeeping activities, the expansion toward new activity categories, and the sequencing of implemented activities. We use the novel Extended Peacekeeping Activity Dataset to evaluate our theoretical expectations for all UNPKOs deployed after the end of the Cold War until 2017. Our findings show that UNPKOs implement more activities over time. Yet, the expansion of UNPKOs' activities into new activity categories by generation (second, third, and stabilization) is not as clear-cut in practice as expected. Instead, there is a notable expansion of activities within activity categories—especially during third-generation UNPKOs. Finally, we find a security-first sequencing for second- and third-generation UNPKOs, while stabilization UNPKOs implement a high share of security activities long after initial deployment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a growing risk of a military attack on Taiwan by mainland China (otherwise known as the People's Republic of China, or PRC) to achieve what the latter terms "reunification." Taiwan, the US, and Japan must urgently and interactively prepare for this contingency—which is also the best way of deterring it. Taiwan must increase military spending (as it has begun to do), with an emphasis on a "porcupine strategy" of lots of distributed, mobile, survivable, affordable, and lethal weapons. The US must increase its military deployments and joint exercises in the region, again emphasizing the types of weapons that can survive a preemptive PRC attack and counter a Chinese blockade or amphibious invading force. Japan will double defense spending over the next five years in a welcome and transformative move, but effective deterrence requires that it also signal that the collective defense of Taiwan against a military attack is existential for its own security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some United States Army Reserve/National Guard (USAR/NG) soldiers have substantial health needs, which may be service-related, but not necessarily resulting from deployment. However, most USAR/NG members need to have been deployed to qualify for Veterans Administration (VA) benefits. Therefore, many USAR/NG soldiers seek care from civilian healthcare providers (HCPs). Using a subset (N = 430 current/former soldiers) of Operation: SAFETY study data, we used regression models to examine differences in healthcare experiences, attitudes, and preferences by deployment status (never-deployed vs. previously-deployed). Final models controlled for age, sex, rank (enlisted vs. officer), military status (current vs. former military), and RAND SF-36 General Health Score. Over 40% of soldiers agreed that civilian HCPs should ask patients about their military service, but never-deployed soldiers were less likely to report being asked about their service (p < 0.05) or how their service affects their health (p < 0.10). Never-deployed soldiers were also less likely to attribute their health concerns to military service (p < 0.001). Although never-deployed soldiers were more likely to prefer receiving physical (p < 0.05) and mental (p < 0.05) healthcare outside of the VA than previously-deployed soldiers, never-deployed soldiers had low confidence in their HCP's understanding of their needs (49% thought that their civilian HCP did not understand them; 71% did not think that their civilian HCP could address military-related health concerns; 76% thought that their civilian HCP did not understand military culture). Findings demonstrate that although civilian HCPs may be the preferred (and only) choice for never-deployed USAR/NG soldiers, they may need additional support to provide care to this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The deployment of biorefineries as part of the European Union's Bioeconomy Strategy aims at contributing to the transition to a climate-neutral economy and creating jobs and growth in rural areas. In this study, we examine the impact of biorefinery establishment on the EU labour market, using the quasi-experimental method difference-in-differences (DiD) by accounting for regional characteristics at the NUTS-2 level. The findings demonstrate that introducing biorefineries to a region can create additional employment opportunities, particularly in primary production and logistics activities. However, the results do not show significant differences in regional gross value added compared with regions without biorefineries. To maximise the positive impact of biorefineries, options for a more tailored and equitable approach are suggested, taking into account regional characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The influence of deployments on family relationships has hardly been investigated. Following a recently proposed new research strategy, military personnel with and without deployment-related life-threatening military incidents during deployment were compared. The hypothesis was that partner and family relationships of military personnel who experienced such an event would deteriorate more. Methods: This study included N = 255 military personnel who had a romantic partner (n = 78 of them had children) when deployed to Afghanistan. Of these, n = 68 military personnel experienced a deployment-related critical event during the deployment, n = 187 did not. Partnership quality was assessed using a semi-structured pre- and post-deployment interview. Results: The partner relationships of military personnel who experienced a deployment-related life-threatening military incident during deployment broke up significantly more often. The partner relationships of all military personnel deteriorated significantly, with greater deterioration after deployment in the group who faced such incidents. These results were independent of age, rank or number of previous deployments. In addition, there was a significant deterioration in the relationships between all military personnel and their children with greater deterioration after deployment in the group who faced such incidents. Conclusion: Life-threatening military incidents during a deployment abroad appear to have a considerable influence on the quality and stability of the partner and family relationships of military personnel. These findings can be used to inform the development of specific pre- and post-deployment measures and training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study addresses marine pollution caused by debris entering the ocean through rivers. A physical and bubble barrier system has been developed to collect debris, but an effective identification and classification system for incoming vessels is needed. This study evaluates the effectiveness of deep learning models in identifying and classifying vessels in real time. The YOLO (You Only Look Once) v5 and v8 models are evaluated for vessel detection and classification. A dataset of 624 images representing 13 different types of vessels was created to train the models. The YOLOv8, featuring a new backbone network, outperformed the YOLOv5 model, achieving a high mean average precision (mAP@50) of 98.9% and an F1 score of 91.6%. However, YOLOv8's GPU consumption increased by 116% compared to YOLOv5. The advantage of the proposed method is evident in the precision–confidence curve (PCC), where the accuracy peaks at 1.00 and 0.937 confidence, and in the achieved frames per second (fps) value of 84.7. These findings have significant implications for the development and deployment of real-time marine pollution control technologies. This study demonstrates that YOLOv8, with its advanced backbone network, significantly improves vessel detection and classification performance over YOLOv5, albeit with higher GPU consumption. The high accuracy and efficiency of YOLOv8 make it a promising candidate for integration into marine pollution control systems, enabling real-time identification and monitoring of vessels. This advancement is crucial for enhancing the effectiveness of debris collection systems and mitigating marine pollution, highlighting the potential for deep learning models to contribute to environmental preservation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The characterization of beached and marine microplastic debris is critical to understanding how plastic litter accumulates across the world's oceans and identifying hotspots that should be targeted for early cleanup efforts. Currently, the most common monitoring method to quantify microplastics at sea requires physical sampling using surface trawling and sifting for beached microplastics, which are then followed by manual counting and laboratory analysis. The need for manual counting is time-consuming, operatordependent, and incurs high costs, thereby preventing scalable deployment of consistent marine plastic monitoring worldwide. Here, we describe a workflow combining a simple experimental setup with advanced image processing techniques to conduct both quantitative and qualitative assessments of microplastic (0.05 cm < particle size <0.5 cm). The image processing relies on deep learning models designed for image segmentation and classification. The results demonstrated comparable or superior performance in comparison to manual identification for microplastic particles with a 96% accuracy. Thus, the use of the model offers an efficient, more robust, standardized, highly replicable, and less labor-intensive alternative to particle counting. In addition to the relative simplicity of the network architecture used that made it easy to train, the model presents promising prospects for better-standardized reporting of plastic particles surveyed in the environment. We also made the models and datasets open-source and created a user-friendly web interface for directly annotating new images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Though much research has been conducted on the potential well-being effects of deployment on armed forces members, a significant gap seems to exist in the literature when it comes to its effect on conflict-zone interpreters. Drawing on the experiences of six former Afghan-Canadian Language and Cultural Advisors (LCAs), this paper aims to contribute to expanding the nascent literature on conflict-zone interpreters by exploring how former LCAs perceive their experiences before, during, and after their deployment and the resulting impacts on their well-being. Interested in an in-depth exploration of the experiences of former LCAs, this study employed an interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) approach. Through the analysis, four superordinate themes emerged in participants' narratives including: (1) the right opportunity, referring to the reasons for becoming an LCA; (2) overcoming challenges, when it comes to the work itself; (3) deserving better, relating to the experience returning to post-service life; and (4) moving forward, speaking to the current reality of participants. The results reveal key insights into the unique experiences and support needs of former Afghan-Canadian LCAs included in the study, offering an in-depth account of their experience before, during and after their service. The findings also offer important considerations regarding the support available not just to interpreters but to all contractors deployed in conflict-zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The object of this study is the process of forming a training dataset for diagnosing the technical condition of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) using machine-learning algorithms. UAV flights are extremely important for various aspects of troop deployment. Combat UAV flights are performed under the influence of negative factors that cause flight special cases (FSC), which hinder the execution of combat missions, lead to mission failures, and result in the aircraft damage or loss. The available capabilities of autopilots are not enough for control under complex conditions, and in certain situations, the human operator cannot timely recognize a flight special case, including evaluation of the destructive impact of enemy’s electronic warfare systems on communication channels and operation of UAV. Therefore, the urgent issue is the intellectualization of onboard control systems, particularly towards recognizing the current technical state of UAV using artificial intelligence methods. To design such systems, labeled datasets are required. The procedure for forming datasets that consider the specificity of UAV construction and their combat use under adversarial conditions is not defined, necessitating the development of an appropriate method. Based on the well-known CRISP-DM methodology, a method for dataset formation has been proposed for subsequent use in artificial intelligence systems that use various machine-learning methods. This method differs from existing ones by considering the specificity of combat mission execution under adversarial conditions, which allowed for an 8.0 % increase in the accuracy of recognizing special cases in UAV flights by the onboard system. It also enabled timely detection of electronic warfare impacts on UAV and evaluation of the effectiveness of radio signal receivers jamming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soldiers have high rates of substance use disorders (SUD), often in the aftermath of stressors experienced during military deployments. There are several factors that protect against SUD. For example, individual factors like perceived resilience and group factors such as unit cohesion may make someone less likely to abuse substances. However, there is little research on the differential influence of these resilience factors on SUD over and above deployment stressors. In this study, we examined the relative effects of perceived resilience, unit cohesion, and deployment stressors on SUD in a sample of 21,449 active duty and reserve soldiers from the U.S. Army (primarily White and male, mean age = 28.66, SD = 7.41) using structural equation modeling. We found that unit cohesion (ß = −.17) and perceived resilience (ß = −.16) had negative effects on SUD over and above deployment stressors. The study findings clarify research on resilience to SUD and have implications for addressing substance use in the military, specifically regarding the importance of building unit cohesion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of resilience is embedded within military culture and professional identity. To date, temporal changes in individuals' perceptions of their own resilience have not been systematically assessed in highstakes occupational contexts, like the military. The current study examined change in selfreported resilience over time by: (1) examining the longitudinal measurement invariance of the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS); (2) assessing the longitudinal pattern of resilience across a combat deployment cycle; and (3) examining predictors of postdeployment resilience and change in resilience scores across time. U.S. Army soldiers assigned to a combat brigade completed a survey at four time points over the course of a deployment cycle: (a) prior to deployment to Afghanistan; (b) during deployment; (c) immediately following return to home station; and (d) approximately 2–3 months thereafter. The longitudinal measurement invariance of the BRS was established. Growth curve modeling indicated that, on average, self-reported resilience decreased across the deployment cycle, but there was considerable individual variation in the rate of change. Of note, loneliness, as measured during deployment, predicted the rate of change in self-reported resilience over time. Results have implications for the longitudinal analysis of resilience and for the development of interventions with military personnel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The deployment of soldiers for epidemic control in Africa has become more acceptable, even when human rights violations occur. This article outlines how this situation has arisen, foregrounding overlapping processes since the 1990s and the implications of Security Council Resolution 2177. It then explores effects with reference to Sierra Leone and Uganda. Drawing on long‐term fieldwork, it discusses militarised epidemic control programmes during Ebola and COVID‐19 outbreaks. It points out similarities in the responses to epidemics in these two countries, including the violent enforcement of regulations, but also striking differences. In Sierra Leone, a democratic transition of governmental power occurred, whereas militarised epidemic control in Uganda helped entrench autocratic public authority. To the extent that there is data available, disease control outcomes in the two countries were not widely divergent, yet the Ugandan response has been valorised. This highlights a drift towards less accountable forms of governance, justified by purported public health objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This paper explores Australian military families' use of social media and digital communication to maintain and strengthen parent–child relationships during military deployments. Background: The physical and emotional well‐being of children and partners of military serving members is affected by service. Maintaining positive family relationships between military members and their children during periods of absence (including deployment) is important for parental relationships as well as the well‐being of the child. Method: A qualitative meta‐analysis is used to collate data from two previous studies of Australian Defence Force (ADF) families with children, in order to generate a new data set from which novel insights were drawn. Results: Families show a preference for social media and digital communication methods, and digital technologies affordances and practicalities are well suited for Defence families with children. There are a range of benefits; digital technologies are used to strengthen relationships between children and their deployed parent. The study highlights a range of challenges for deployed parents as well as points to the work required from the at‐home parent in facilitating these connections. Conclusion: Maintaining positive family relationships between military members and their children during times of absences is important for both relationships. This paper explores how ADF families use social and digital communication during military absences and outlines the role these technologies play as a medium for strengthening familial relationship. Implications. The findings of this paper highlight the importance of digital and social communication technologies for supporting families during absences. This has implications for the ADF, who might look to reduce members' access to such communication for security concerns. Reduced family well‐being may also have impacts on retention, a key issue for military organizations. Accordingly, the findings of this paper may be used to inform decisions about restricting internet and social media access for deployed military members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How do citizens of US allies assess different reassurance strategies? This article investigates the effects of US reassurance policies on public opinion in allied states. We design and conduct a survey experiment in five Central–Eastern European states—Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Romania—in March 2022. Set against the backdrop of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, this experiment asked respondents to evaluate four types of reassurance strategies, each a critical tool in US crisis response policy: military deployments, diplomatic summitry, economic sanctions, and public reaffirmations of security guarantees. The international security literature typically values capabilities for their deterrence and reassurance benefits, while largely dismissing public reaffirmations as "cheap talk" and economic sanctions as being ineffective. Yet we find preferences for the use of economic sanctions and public statements as reassurance strategies during crises, in part because these approaches help states manage escalation risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to map the strategies used in hearing health education with military personnel during the Hearing Preservation Program (HPP). Method: This study is a scoping review, with electronic searches conducted in online databases and gray literature: Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences, PubMed/Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, ASHAWire, Google Scholar, and ProQuest Dissertation & Theses. Only studies describing, analyzing, or evaluating the application of the HPP to active duty or training military personnel were included. Results: A total of 3,478 references were retrieved, and 12 studies met the inclusion criteria. The strategies were classified into five categories: focus group aimed at exploring knowledge and perceptions regarding hearing health (five studies), training on the proper fitting of hearing protection devices (four studies), the utilization of audiovisual materials (seven studies), questionnaires administrated before and after educational intervention (five studies), and feedback survey concerning the implemented hearing health education (three studies). Conclusion: There are five strategies that aimed at assessing knowledge and attitudes, improving hearing health education, facilitating information access, and evaluating the applied actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates how US Presidents addressed the attributes of democracy in their speeches at critical European sites and historical breakpoints. The aim is to analyze the content of the speeches and determine whether there is a change in the emphasis on attributes related to the use of force. By examining projections related to force use, the study seeks to identify traces of US policies for the future of the Russian-Ukrainian War. Three speeches were selected for analysis: Reagan's (1987) and Clinton's (1994) Brandenburg's speeches, and Biden's (2022) Warsaw speech. They were analyzed using the attributes of global democracy indices through the Maxqda program. The findings indicate that the focused attributes of democracy and the overall comprehensiveness of attributes have changed over time. In summary, the analysis reveals that the frequency of the code 'force' in Clinton's and Reagan's speeches has shifted to the code 'power' in Biden's speech. This suggests that the potential military power for deterrence may be strengthened, yet it is not intended for physical deployment in the Russian-Ukrainian war as a means of force. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]