Short Takes – 6-27-24

NBC Weapons: Chemical Warfare in Ukraine. StrategyPage.com article. An interesting take on chemical warfare in Ukraine. Pull quote: “Chloropicrin is most effectively used as an enhancer for more dangerous gases in that it makes victims gasp for breath, and so leads them to inhale more of any really lethal war gases delivered soon afterwards. The element which makes Chloropicrin so effective is that it has a two-hour delayed effect so victims are rarely aware that they have been exposed to it. That makes later delivery of more lethal agents much more effective because victims are then unable to don gas masks. And the Chloropicrin is disabling by itself as well as lethal in strong concentrations. It might be cheaper than more lethal agents.”

Cooperative Research and Development Agreement: Payload Incorporated With Computer Vision and Machine Learning. Federal Register Coast Guard notice of intent. Summary: “The Coast Guard is announcing its intent to enter into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with AeroVironment, Inc. to evaluate payload(s) that can accelerate autonomy to fielded assets and uncrewed platforms, and automated overhead imagery analysis tool software. The Coast Guard is currently considering partnering with AeroVironment, Inc. to investigate their payload that seamlessly integrates with current AeroVironment UAS in use by the Coast Guard and solicits public comment on the possible participation of other parties in the proposed CRADA, and the nature of that participation. While the Coast Guard is currently considering partnering with AeroVironment, Inc., we are soliciting public comment on the possible nature of and participation of other parties in the proposed CRADA. In addition, the Coast Guard also invites other potential Federal participants, who have the interest and capability to bring similar contributions to this type of research, to consider submitting proposals for consideration in similar CRADAs.” Comment due date: July 26^th, 2024.

Why don’t we know how antidepressants work yet? ChemistryWorld.com article. Pull quote: “Ultimately, Hashemi is confident that scientists can solve the SSRI puzzle, citing the 80 years it took to work out how aspirin worked. ‘People have lost patience with the process with SSRIs,’ she says. ‘But that doesn’t mean the community is not working full time trying to understand how they work. We don’t have the technology that we need right now. But we will, it’s just a question of time.’”

Investigative Update Release Date 24 June 2024. NTSB.gov investigation update. Pull quote: “During the accident voyage, electrical breakers HR1 and LR1 unexpectedly opened when the vessel was three ship lengths from the Key Bridge, causing the first blackout (loss of electrical power) to all shipboard lighting and most equipment. While examining and testing the vessel’s electrical power distribution system and control circuitry, NTSB investigators (in coordination with vessel crew and parties to the investigation) noted an interruption in the control circuit for HR1’s undervoltage release.”

Studies find little to no immunity to H5N1 avian flu virus in Americans. CIDRAP.UMN.edu article. Pull quote: “Scientists challenged the blood samples with the H5N1 virus to gauge if there was an antibody reaction. They found that antibody levels were low in people who were or weren't vaccinated against seasonal flu, hinting at little to no pre-existing immunity and that most of the population would be susceptible if the virus changed to a form that more easily spreads among people.”

2024’s violent tornado season has been one of the most active on record − a meteorologist explains the weather behind the outbreaks. TheConversation.com article. Pull quote: “The expected decline in the number of tornadoes in the Plains is likely related to increasing heat over the high ground of the desert Southwest and Mexico. That heat flows over the Great Plains a few thousand feet above ground, creating a cap, or lid. The cap lets heat and moisture build up until it punches through to form a thunderstorm. This hot, moist air is why the central U.S. is home to the most violent tornadoes on Earth.One theory is that, with climate change, the cap will likely be harder to break through, reducing the number of tornadoes in the Plains. At the same time, increasing heat and moisture elsewhere will fuel more tornadoes in the East. Long-term trends and climate model predictions also suggest that more tornadoes are occurring during the cooler months, particularly in the Southeast. Tornadoes are also occurring on fewer days each year, but on the days when they do form, there is more likely to be an outbreak with several tornadoes.”

Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; Personal Protective Equipment for General Industry. Federal Register OSHA 30-day ICR notice. Slight, unexplained reduction in burden estimate. Summary: “The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting this Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA)-sponsored information collection request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA). Public comments on the ICR are invited.” Comments due July 29^th, 2024.