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Layered structures have emerged as potential candidates for insulation coatings due to the high density of interfaces, which contributes to their low out-of-plane thermal conductivity. However, it still remains a challenge to efficiently prepare highly ordered structural coatings for thermal insulation applications. In this study, we present a novel approach that combines the layer-by-layer strategy with air pressure spray technology to fabricate a highly ordered Ca 2 Nb 3 O 10 − nanosheet thermal insulation coatings. The method enables the production of a uniform and highly adhesive coating at a remarkable rate of 0.47 μm min−1. The resulting coating exhibits excellent thermal stability, withstanding temperatures up to 600 °C. Notably, after annealing at 200 °C, the coatings show an ultra-low thermal conductivity of 0.09 W m−1 k−1, and the thermal conductivity of the coatings is below 0.3 W m−1 k−1 within 1000 °C. Moreover, our coating demonstrates exceptional protective properties, including resistance to corrosion and oxidation, suggesting its promising application prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses two books, "Afterlives of War" by Michael Roper and "Curating the Great War" edited by Paul Cornish and Nicholas J. Saunders, which explore memory cultures and practices related to the First World War centenary. Roper's book focuses on personal, family, and local memory, while Cornish and Saunders emphasize public realms and historical research. Both accounts compare national narratives and highlight the importance of descendants in shaping public commemoration practices. The article also examines innovative museum exhibitions, such as the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa's Gallipoli exhibition, that engage visitors in immersive and reflective experiences. [Extracted from the article]

Comprehensive Summary: A visible‐light‐induced and efficient one‐pot synthesis of β‐hydroxysulfides from olefins, thiosulfonates and HCOOCs using an EDA complex strategy under air atmosphere at room temperature has been disclosed. A plausible radical involved mechanism is proposed. During the reaction process, formates play a crucial role: first, as donors in the EDA complex; second, as providers of the hydrogen source; and third, by generating CO2•– to reduce peroxide intermediates, leading to the formation of β‐hydroxysulfides. In contrast to the previously reported thiol‐oxygen co‐oxidation reactions, this simple and sustainable approach features mild reaction conditions, operational simplicity, odorless and excellent functional group tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThe number of terrorist air blast attacks is increasing in a catastrophic way in the current era. However, the selection of material is a crucial task for designing a high-blast-mitigating protective structure. The experimental evaluation of the dynamic responses of various materials under a blast event is highly costly, with many restrictions and environmental pollution. Therefore, to avoid these difficulties, the current study demonstrated a series of dynamic explicit analyses to determine the dynamic responses of the plate structure of various materials and equal masses under air blast loads of 1–3 kg trinitrotoluene (TNT) at 300 mm stand-off distance (SoD). These loads were applied by using the Convention Weapons Effect Program (CONWEP). To correctly predict the mutilation behavior of metallic plates, the Johnson-Cook (J-C) material model was used, and to determine the damage behavior of composite plates, Hashin and Puck-Schurmann criteria were used. The Puck-Schurmann criterion was implemented via user defined VUMAT subroutine. These numerical approaches were first verified with the validations of the literature’s experimental results. To characterize the various plates’ blast mitigation capacity, their mid-point deflection, radial deflection at the instant of peak mid-point deflection, kinetic energy, internal energy, and damage patterns were compared. The influence of applied blast loads on the pressure and impulse variations on the plates has also been investigated. Findings of the analysis showed that the aluminum plate has the highest non-residual deflection resistance, and the composite plate had a maximum energy absorption characteristic under the air blasts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aerial transportation system belongs to a symmetrical system and has recently garnered increasing attention from researchers due to its broad application range and convenient operation. The control difficulty of the aerial transportation system lies in the fact that the load is not directly actuated, posing a significant challenge for state-constrained control. Taking the motion of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) suspension transportation system within complex pipelines as an example, this paper employs the the swept volume signed distance field (SVSDF) method to search for state boundaries, which is an aspect not considered or elaborated in many state-constrained control approaches. Furthermore, adaptive state-constrained control based on the radial basis function (RBF) neural network is utilized for the case of experiencing unknown air resistance. The convergence of the proposed method for underactuated and actuated state variables is theoretically demonstrated based on the Lyapunov technique. Compared with existing methods, the error integral index demonstrates that the proposed method displays better convergence capability in the simulation section when considering state constraints under disturbance and air resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The air conditioning system is a very important energy-consuming device in the field of construction. Timely troubleshooting of air conditioning chillers is an important aspect of reducing building energy consumption. Aiming at the problems of many model parameters, large amount of calculation and strong dependence of diagnostic performance on input features in data-driven diagnostic methods, this paper proposes an efficient fault diagnosis strategy combining RepVGG network and SENet attention mechanism. The multi-parameter feature signal is converted into a two-dimensional matrix to obtain multiple feature images. Based on the SENet attention mechanism, the multi-channel weights of the images are extracted, and the weighted feature image is input into the RepVGG network for feature depth mining and classification. Therefore, the method proposed in this paper greatly reduces the calculation amount of parameters, improves the representativeness of signal features to faults and the efficiency of model training. The effectiveness of the method is validated using the ASHRAE RP-1043 chiller unit dataset. The results show that the accuracy of this method reaches 96.55%, which is significantly better than the comparison methods PSO-ELM(96.4%), DT(95.1%), RepVGG(91.6%), ELM(87.6%) and BP(80.8%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a novel control strategy for cable-driven aerial manipulators (UAMs) aimed at enhancing impedance control during contact operations in complex environments. A fractional-order nonsingular terminal sliding mode control (FONTSMC) integrated with a disturbance observer (DOB) is proposed to improve the robustness and precision of the UAM under lumped disturbances. This developed approach utilizes the flexibility of fractional calculus, the finite-time stability of nonsingular terminal sliding mode, and the real-time disturbance estimation capabilities of the DOB to ensure smooth and compliant contact interactions. The effectiveness of the proposed control strategy is validated through comprehensive simulation studies, which demonstrate significant improvements in control performance, stability, and disturbance rejection when compared to traditional methods. The results indicate that the FONTSMC-DOB framework is highly suitable for complex aerial manipulation tasks, offering both theoretical and practical insights into the design of advanced control systems for UAMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article is a review of the memoir "Smoking Red: The Memoirs of a Fighter Pilot" by Wyndham Ward. The memoir focuses on Ward's 58-year career in aviation, particularly his time in the Royal Air Force (RAF). It provides a narrative of British air power from the aftermath of the Suez Crisis to the Falklands War, touching on topics such as the Soviet threat and Operation Unthinkable. The review also discusses the challenges faced by the RAF due to economic constraints and changing defense policies. The reviewer recommends the book for those interested in aviation history. [Extracted from the article]

The Digital Revolution shall profoundly transform the landscape of future fighter pilot training, integrating advanced technologies to enhance efficiency, realism, and adaptability. Key innovations include virtual and augmented reality, big data analytics, an understanding of cortex development from a young age, the application of the athlete model, and a marked shift from legacy approaches to tech training methodologies. Legacy training approaches primarily relied on traditional classroom instruction, manual flight simulations, and live flight exercises. While effective, these methods are resource-intensive, costly, and limited in their ability to replicate the complexities of modern aerial combat. Pilots trained under these conventional systems often face constraints in terms of exposure to diverse combat scenarios and adaptive learning opportunities. In contrast, tech training approach leverages virtual and augmented reality to create immersive, realistic simulation environments that can replicate a vast array of combat situations with high fidelity, fostering a more challenging and realistic training experience. This approach can offer personalized training programs by identifying individual strengths and weaknesses through continuous performance monitoring. Understanding cortex development, particularly in young individuals, plays a critical role in shaping effective training methodologies. The cortex, responsible for critical functions such as decision-making, and attention, undergoes significant development during childhood and adolescence. Early engagement in activities that stimulate cognitive functions can enhance the cortex’s growth and plasticity, preparing individuals for advanced training later in life. The athlete model further revolutionizes pilot training by treating pilots as elite athletes. This model emphasizes comprehensive physical conditioning, mental resilience, and optimized nutrition to enhance overall performance. Incorporating principles from sports science, it ensures that pilots maintain peak physical and cognitive conditions, enabling them to endure the high demands of aerial combat. Big data analytics further contribute by aggregating vast amounts of flight data to refine training syllabi and predict potential skill gaps. These technologies not only reduce the costs and logistical constraints associated with conventional training but also ensure a higher standard of preparedness for pilots facing modern combat environments. Next generation training should continually evolve and optimize fighter pilot training, ensuring that future fighters are better equipped with the skills and knowledge necessary to meet the demands of contemporary and future aerial warfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper estimates the impact of the U.S.-China trade war and the consequent increase in trade costs on air and ocean shipments between the two countries. Using panel data covering U.S. exports and imports with its trading partners from 2016 to 2021, we estimate gravity models and find evidence showing negative impacts of the trade war on both U.S. imports from China and U.S. exports to China. However, there are differential impacts on air shipments and ocean shipments. Specifically, we find that U.S. tariff increases on Chinese goods primarily had a negative effect on air imports from China, whereas China's retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods mainly had a negative impact on U.S. ocean exports. These findings contribute to the growing body of evidence on the effects of the U.S.-China trade war, highlighting the varying impacts of the trade war on different modes of transportation that drive the U.S.-China trade relationship. • The impacts of the U.S. – China trade war on air and ocean shipments are estimated using gravity models. • The trade war had differential impacts on air shipments and ocean shipments between the U.S. and China. • The trade war significantly decreased U.S. ocean shipments to China. • The trade war significantly decreased Chinese air shipments to the U.S. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional domains of land, sea, and air warfare have long held prominence, while space and cyberspace have recently gained recognition as spheres of conflict. As conflicts continue to evolve, the domains of war must expand to accommodate new dimensions of engagement and integrate them alongside those human-centred factors that have previously held considerable sway. It is imperative, therefore, to recognise culture as the sixth domain and reflect upon its profound influence on group thinking, decision-making, and behaviour. Integrating culture into the Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Targeting (C5ISRT) framework acknowledges its strategic relevance in shaping military strategies and responses in an increasingly complex and interconnected world. This paradigm shift highlights that the modern landscape extends beyond physical and virtual theatres to encompass the cognitive and social dimensions that define human interactions and conflicts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This special commentary summarizes the major findings and lessons taken from the Russia-Ukraine War integrated research project conducted by members of the US Army War College class of 2024— all subject matter experts on their topics. It outlines seven lessons covering doctrinal, operational, technological, strategic, and political issues related to the second year of the war, including Russia’s use of mercenaries; the need to create a culture of mission command; ways to deal with a transparent battlefield because of persistent, ubiquitous surveillance; air superiority as a prerequisite for successful combined arms ground offensives; and changes to the intelligence and information domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Israeli and Jordanian air forces were established during the 1948 war. While the Israeli air force did not enjoy prestige, the Jordanian air force enjoyed substantial budgets from its inception. However, in all the skirmishes it faced against the Israeli air force in the 1960s and in the 1967 war it suffered defeat. In addition to the lack of training and skill of the Jordanian pilots, the main reason for this was the lack of loyalty of the Jordanian pilots to the Hashemite regime, which hindered the development of the Jordanian air force prior to the 1967 war. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Public Administration is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

To effectively contest the air littoral, the US Air Force will need to meet two requirements: production at scale and continuous innovation. First, operating in this subdomain against a major power adversary will require an incredible mass of small drones, loitering munitions, and counter-unmanned aerial systems that exceeds the limits of the US defense industrial base and commercial market. Second, rapid innovation beyond the current Department of Defense procurement model is needed. This article describes these challenges and their implications for Air Force operations. It recommends the development of a new paradigm with three lines of effort: a new business model focused on capabilities, not programs; investment in scaling cutting-edge technologies; and a workforce that continuously upgrades the subdomain’s systems and software. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Railway Construction Technology is the property of Railway Construction Technology Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

With the continuous increase in air conditioning installations, the proportion of air conditioning electricity consumption to total electricity consumption is growing. Research on the decomposition of air conditioning electricity consumption is of great significance for assessing electricity usage, formulating electricity scheduling plans, and ensuring the stable operation of the power grid. Currently, typical day selection strategies for the decomposition of air conditioning electricity consumption often overlook the corresponding relationship between typical daily electricity consumption and temperature. Therefore, this paper proposes an air conditioning electricity consumption decomposition method based on the dependence between temperature and electricity consumption. This method filters typical days based on Copula-based dependence indicators and equiprobable ellipses, determines the baseline electricity consumption curve through model selection voting, and ultimately calculates the air conditioning electricity consumption. The effectiveness of the proposed method is validated by applying it to electricity consumption data in Fuzhou from 2019 to 2022. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Airborne pathogens, though a minor fraction of airborne particles, can cause infections, intoxications, or allergic reactions through respiration, dermal contact, or ingestion. The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has underscored the significance of mitigating airborne microbial threats. Traditional air ionization methods, such as dielectric barrier discharge and metal tip corona discharge, produce ozone, a reactive and potentially harmful byproduct. However, carbon-fiber ionizers (CFIs) generate high concentrations of ions with minimal ozone production, making them a safer alternative. Operating at voltages below 5 kV, CFIs are more efficient than their metallic counterparts. This review focuses on the antimicrobial efficacy of CFIs, which produce unipolar ions that can disrupt microbial membranes, leading to cell death. Compared to ultraviolet light sterilization, CFIs are cost-effective and suitable for small spaces. The literature review highlights the need for comprehensive studies to evaluate the real-world application and effectiveness of CFIs. Many existing studies are limited by small-scale testing and insufficient data reporting, complicating comparative analyses. Our work aims to provide a detailed perspective on CFIs, examining their impact on various microorganisms, ion efficacy, ionization outcomes, and ozone generation levels. By addressing these aspects, the review seeks to offer an updated understanding of CFIs' antimicrobial capabilities and to identify limitations in current research, paving the way for more informed and effective air purification strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent research has focused on applying PEM fuel cell systems to heavy-duty unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as eco-friendly power sources to enhance their mission capabilities. High-altitude operation poses challenges owing to low temperatures, poor oxygen concentrations, and humidity, which affect fuel cell performance. In this study, the thermal stability of a PEM fuel cell system for UAVs was analyzed using an integrated system model in MATLAB/Simulink. Parametric studies were conducted to analyze the thermal parameters of the stack and observe the changes in the cooling load of the system according to the cruising altitude, as well as variations in the optimal operating conditions to ensure the durability of the fuel cell stack. The results of this study are expected to contribute to the selection of optimal operating conditions and the development of thermal management strategies for PEM fuel cell-based UAVs operating at different cruising altitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development in artificial intelligence has dramatically changed all industries, among which Al-assisted air combat is a representative case of success. An Intelligent air combat model that consists of the attainment of samples and a decision-making model is constructed in connection with air combat simulator. Considering the characteristics of air combat continuous states and actions, DQN algorithm is selected as the model of intelligent air combat by comparison among several algorithms. Meanwhile, the Al network is trained interactively with Al enemies in the air combat simulation game DCS World, resulting in a model that is able to manipulate aircraft to a degree and many cases of air combat, by analyzing which a collection of winning, losing and dual samples is derived. The result of simulation indicates that the Intelligent air combat model has certain ability to generate strategic samples and enrich tactics in air combat environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing children's exposure to air pollution is a priority among California communities heavily impacted by air pollution exposures. We conducted an observational air quality study at a school to investigate the effectiveness of improved Heating, Ventilation, and Cooling (HVAC) system filters and portable air cleaners (PACs) in reducing children's exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) under real-world classroom conditions. This study included five classrooms, three of which had PACs. Halfway through the study period, high-efficiency HVAC filters were installed in all five classrooms. Continuous measurements of outdoor and in-classroom PM2.5 concentrations were used to evaluate filtration effectiveness. The air filtration strategies, alone and in combination, demonstrated 14–56% reductions in indoor PM2.5 concentrations compared to outdoor levels. There were significant improvements in filtration resulting from HVAC filter upgrades in the two classrooms without PACs (11% and 22% improvement, p < 0.001). Upgrading HVAC filters in classrooms with PACs did not significantly improve filtration effectiveness, suggesting that utilizing both strategies simultaneously may not meaningfully improve air quality under these circumstances. CO2 data, as a proxy for ventilation, helped demonstrate that the observed filtration effectiveness was likely impacted by the variable HVAC system use and open doors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has achieved a wide range of successes in autonomous air combat decision-making recently. Previous research demonstrated that AI-enabled air combat approaches could even acquire beyond human-level capabilities. However, there remains a lack of evidence regarding two major difficulties. First, the existing methods with fixed decision intervals are mostly devoted to solving what to act but merely pay attention to when to act, which occasionally misses optimal decision opportunities. Second, the method of an expert-crafted finite maneuver library leads to a lack of tactics diversity, which is vulnerable to an opponent equipped with new tactics. In view of this, we propose a novel Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) and prior knowledge hybrid autonomous air combat tactics discovering algorithm, namely deep Excitatory-iNhibitory fACTorIzed maneuVEr (ENACTIVE) learning. The algorithm consists of two key modules, i.e., ENHANCE and FACTIVE. Specifically, ENHANCE learns to adjust the air combat decision-making intervals and appropriately seize key opportunities. FACTIVE factorizes maneuvers and then jointly optimizes them with significant tactics diversity increments. Extensive experimental results reveal that the proposed method outperforms state-of-the-art algorithms with a 62% winning rate and further obtains a margin of a 2.85-fold increase in terms of global tactic space coverage. It also demonstrates that a variety of discovered air combat tactics are comparable to human experts' knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzed the impact of environmental regulation, specifically the "2+26" regional strategy for air quality improvement, on corporate research and development (R&D) investment in China. We developed a theoretical model based on the argument that R&D investment rises with regulation intensity. Using 2010–2019 data from China's listed companies located in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and its surrounding areas, we treated the $2+26$ policy as a quasi-natural experiment and adopted a difference-in-differences approach to explore its effect on firm R&D input. A positive association was observed between firm R&D intensity and the $2+26$ strategy's implementation in major polluting industries. Our results provide in-depth insights into the $2+26$ strategy's economic consequences, which are potentially of interest to both scholars and policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes an innovative method for achieving autonomous flight to inspect overhead transmission facilities. The proposed method not only integrates multimodal information from novel sensors but also addresses three essential aspects to overcome the existing limitations in autonomous flights of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). First, a novel deep neural network architecture titled the rotational bounding box with a multi‐level feature pyramid transformer is introduced for accurate object detection. Second, a safe autonomous method for the transmission tower approach is proposed by using multimodal information from an optical camera and 3D light detection and ranging. Third, a simple yet accurate control strategy is proposed for tracking transmission lines without necessitating gimbal control because it keeps the UAV's altitude in sync with that of the transmission lines. Systematic analyses conducted in both virtual and real‐world environments confirm the effectiveness of the proposed method. The proposed method not only enhances the performance of autonomous flight but also provides a safe operating platform for inspection personnel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Leidenfrost effect for a droplet on an over-heated substrate always results in a superhydrophobic state, significantly hindering the water evaporation for heat dissipation. Here, we demonstrate a strategy of air discharge assisted electrowetting-on-dielectrics (ADA-EWOD), overcoming this challenge. This strategy increases the solid surface free energy by generating air discharge near the three-phase contact line of the droplet and combines it with the electromechanical force to decrease the contact angle, which makes ADA-EWOD have stronger wetting capabilities than traditional electrically control methods that only rely on electromechanical force. The water contact angle on an over-heated surface (above 350 °C) is decreased from nearly 180° down to less than 10°. This superhydrophilicity at high temperature reduces the droplet lifetime by at least 10 times, well inhabiting the Leidenfrost effect. Furthermore, we use ADA-EWOD in droplet evaporation for heat dissipation, where a heated silicon wafer at 600 °C is cooled down to less than 200 °C within 20 s. We believe that the present work provides a perspective on suppressing the Leidenfrost effect, which may have important potential applications in the field of heat dissipation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The link between exposure to air pollution and adverse effects on human health is well documented. Yet, in a European context, research on the spatial distribution of air pollution and the characteristics of areas is relatively scarce, and there is a need for research using different spatial scales, a wider variety of socioeconomic indicators (such as ethnicity) and new methodologies to assess these relationships. This study uses comprehensive data on a wide range of demographic and socioeconomic indicators, matched to data on PM2.5 concentrations for small areas in Ireland, to assess the relationship between social vulnerability and PM2.5 air pollution. Examining a wide range of socioeconomic indicators revealed some differentials in PM2.5 concentration levels by measure and by rural and urban classification. However, statistical modelling using concentration curves and concentration indices did not present substantial evidence of inequalities in PM2.5 concentrations across small areas. In common with other western European countries, an overall decline in the levels of PM2.5 between 2011 and 2016 was observed in Ireland, though the data indicates that almost all small areas in Ireland were found to have exceeded the World Health Organization (WHO)'s PM2.5 annual guideline (of 5 µg/m3), calling for greater policy efforts to reduce air pollution in Ireland. The recent Clean Air Strategy contains a commitment to achieve the WHO guideline limits for PM2.5 by 2040, with interim targets at various points over the next two decades. Achieving these targets will require policy measures to decarbonise home heating, promote active travel and the transition to electric vehicles, and further regulations on burning fossil fuels and enforcing environmental regulations more tightly. From a research and information-gathering perspective, installing more monitoring stations at key points could improve the quality and spatial dimension of the data collected and facilitate the assessment of the implementation of the measures in the Clean Air Strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of this work is to develop algorithms and software solutions for finding optimal control strategies for an unmanned aerial vehicle, the mathematical model of which is represented by a system of ordinary differential equations. Using the maximum principle, an algorithm was developed to determine the optimal control. The presented methods and models are of high practical importance for managing various economic and technical systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on trials stemming from attacks on El Al aircraft in Athens (1968) and Zurich (1969) and their role in shaping the narrative surrounding the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. The defense framed the attacks as part of a Palestinian military campaign against Israel, thus rationalizing the behavior as a legitimate response to its actions in occupied territories. In doing so, the Palestinians sought to portray themselves as political resistance fighters. Conversely, the Israelis depicted the attacks as deplorable acts of terrorism that targeted innocent civilians. Their objective was to counter the political motivations put forward by the Palestinians and emphasize the potential repercussions of such attacks on international air travel. These trials marked the first instances of legal proceedings specifically addressing international terrorism, framing these incidents as acts of terrorism rather than legitimate acts of liberation. The trials, along with their outcomes and the subsequent verdicts issued by the courts, played a significant role in defining these actions as terrorism. Subsequent international conventions on hijacking further reinforced this perspective, solidifying them as illegitimate acts of terror. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Equid alphaherpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) is a highly contagious respiratory tract pathogen of horses, and infection may be followed by myeloencephalopathy or abortion. Surveillance and early detection have focused on PCR assays using less tolerated nasal swabs. Here, we assess non-invasive non-contact sampling techniques as surveillance tools in naturally equid gammaherpesvirus 2-shedding horses as surrogates for EHV-1. Methods: Horses were individually housed for 10 h periods on 2 consecutive days. Sampling included nasal swabs, nostril wipes, environmental swabs, droplet-catching devices, and air sampling. The latter was completed via two strategies: a combined air sample collected while going from horse to horse and a collective air sample collected at a stationary central point for 6 h. Samples were screened through quantitative PCR and digital PCR. Results: Nine horses on day 1 and 11 horses on day 2 were positive for EHV-1; overall, 90.9% of the nostril wipes, 81.8% of the environmental surfaces, and 90.9% of the droplet-catching devices were found to be positive. Quantitative analysis showed that the mean DNA copies detection per cm2 of nostril wipe sampled concentration (4.3 × 105 per day) was significantly (p < 0.05) comparable to that of nasal swabs (3.6 × 105 per day) followed by environmental swabs (4.3 × 105 per day) and droplet catchers (3.5 × 103 per day), respectively. Overall, 100% of the air samples collected were positive on both qPCR and dPCR. In individual air samples, a mean concentration of 1.0 × 104 copies of DNA were detected in per m3 air sampled per day, while in the collective air samples, the mean concentration was 1.1 × 103. Conclusions: Environmental samples look promising in replacing direct contact sampling. Environmental and air sampling could become efficient surveillance tools at equestrian events; however, it needs threshold calculations for minimum detection levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are considered significant contributors to odour emissions, which can have a sensorineural impact on surrounding communities. In this study, calculations of the half-lives of selected odorants commonly found in wastewater treatment plants were carried out, considering varying concentrations of atmospheric oxidants that exhibit diurnal and geographical fluctuations. Odorants displaying quick reactivity and brief half-lives, which were deemed less significant contributors to odour nuisances, reacted with nitrate radicals (NO3•) during nighttime and chlorine atoms (Cl*) with T½ ranging from 1.23 to 2.77×105 minutes and from 6.57×10-4 to 3.14x103 minutes, respectively. On the other hand, extended half-lives were observed during reactions with ozone (O3), ranging between 1.81×103 and 1.61x1011 minutes, suggesting a potentially smaller role in the degradability of odorants in the atmosphere. These insights into odorant-oxidant kinetics may aid in predicting atmospheric lifetimes and their contribution to secondary aerosol formation, thus informing regulatory and mitigation strategies to improve air quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When states fight wars, they choose between multiple military strategies, e.g. whether to place boots on the ground or restrict efforts to an air campaign. We modify the standard crisis bargaining model to account for this by endogenizing a state's war strategy. Intuitively, states choose the more powerful strategy when the additional strength gained covers the additional costs of doing so. However, there is a counterintuitive second-order consequence of this. When stronger campaigns are expensive but still credible, states are more likely to reach a negotiated settlement to avoid the corresponding high costs. As the cost of the more powerful option increases, states substitute their actions with cheaper but weaker alternatives. Because of these lower costs, states become less likely to reach a settlement. In some cases, both parties may be worse off as a result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the continuous development of the civil aviation industry toward digitalization and intelligence, the closed architecture of traditional air traffic information networks struggles to meet the rapidly growing demands for air traffic services. Network function virtualization (NFV) is one of the key technologies that can address the rigidity of traditional air traffic information networks. NFV technology has facilitated the flexible deployment of air traffic services, but it has also expanded the attack surface of the network. In addressing the network attack risks faced by service function chains (SFCs) in NFV environments, a SFC protection method based on honeypots and backup technology (PBHB) is proposed to reduce the resource cost of protecting air traffic information networks while enhancing network security. Initially, PBHB utilizes the TAPD algorithm to deploy the primary VNFs as closely as possible to the shortest path between the source and destination endpoints, thus aiming to reduce SFC latency and save bandwidth resource costs. Subsequently, the RAHDR algorithm is employed to install honeypot VNFs in each physical platform that is at risk of side-channel attacks, thus updating the deployment status of honeypot VNFs in real time based on the VNF lifecycle in order to offer primary protection for SFCs. Lastly, the BDMPE algorithm was used to calculate the backup scheme with the highest protection efficiency to implement secondary protection for the SFCs that still do not meet the security requirements. Through experiments, the maximum backup limit for SFCs in PBHB was determined, confirming its satisfactory performance across various SFC arrival rates. Furthermore, performance comparisons with other SFC protection methods revealed that PBHB achieves optimizations in resources cost while ensuring SFC security and latency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The future of political science in this crucial century requires that it (i) adopt the contemporary scientific paradigm, (ii) open itself to pluri-, inter- and transdisciplinarity, and (iii) redefine the main political actor, ourselves, in light of post-anthropocentric and relational turns. A theoretical revolution to a post-normal and eco-political science is needed and, through the influence of new fields such as sustainability science, is probably already in motion. In the Anthropocene, it implies paying attention to biological links that once seemed extemporaneous. And this is when we realize that the sky has become co-vulnerable. We may actually be at risk of losing blue sky through anthropogenic actions, including global warming or solar geoengineering. Politics will be crucial in determining whether or not to preserve its blue, and everything that goes with it. The article explores, through the answer to the blue question, this new super-wicked problem to illustrate the stated objectives for political science and the need to apply them. The proposals that have emerged from this also provide a new framework for Clean Air strategies for blue skies that are being developed at international and national levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Ciencia y Poder Aéreo is the property of Escuela de Postgrados de la Fuerza Aerea Colombiana and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)