Soldier

Relying on personal growth and structuration theories, we aimed to examine the internal (sense of coherence/SOC and help-seeking/HS) and external (perceived social support) resources that contribute to soldiers' personal growth following the transition to military service. We also investigated the role that perceived social support plays in moderating the relationship between SOC and personal growth, and between HS and personal growth. Two-hundred-and-seventy-one compulsory service soldiers (of whom 135 were men and 136 were women) completed self-report questionnaires between 6 and 12 months post-recruitment...

OBJECTIVE: The U.S. Army uses sex-specific circumference-based prediction equations to estimate percent body fat (%BF) to evaluate adherence to body composition standards. The equations are periodically evaluated to ensure that they continue to accurately assess %BF in a diverse population. The objective of this study was to develop and validate alternative field expedient equations that may improve upon the current Army Regulation (AR) body fat (%BF) equations. METHODS: Body size and composition were evaluated in a representatively sampled cohort of 1904 active-duty Soldiers (1261 Males, 643 Females), using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (%BFDXA ), and circumferences obtained with 3D imaging and manual measurements...

COVID-19 had a psychological impact on the population, particularly those affected. Our objective was to investigate stress and resilience factors in the Senegalese soldiers affected during the first wave of COVID-19. Our retrospective and qualitative study included military personnel listed as contacts, suspects, or positive cases and supported by the Armed Forces Psychological Support Program during the period of isolation. The stress factors were health-related, sociological, and occupational. The conditions and the experience of isolation, stigmatization, and suspension of their professional projects were concerns for the soldiers...

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of 6 weeks of resistance training (RT) combined with aerobic training (AT) and Tirzepatide supplementation on lipid profiles, insulin resistance, anthropometric characteristics and physical fitness in prediabetic obese soldiers. METHODS: 61 obese men were randomly divided into six groups: Placebo; Tirzepatide 5 mg (T5); Tirzepatide 2.5 mg (T2.5); Hypertrophy, Strength, Power-Circuit Training+Placebo (Ex+P); Hypertrophy, Strength, Power-Circuit Training+Tirzepatide 5 mg (Ex+T5); Hypertrophy, Strength, Power-Circuit Training+Tirzepatide 2...

The creation of synthetic T cell states has captivated the field of cell-based therapies. Wang et al. (https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.20232368) describe how disruption of BCOR and ZC3H12A unleashes anti-tumor T cells with unprecedented lifespan and killer instinct. Are we witnessing the birth of immortal super-soldiers in medicine?

Terror Management Theory (Tmt, solomon et al., 1991) claims that individuals use three anxiety buffer mechanisms to regulate their death awareness - cultural worldviews, self-esteem, and proximity seeking. In this article, we use these three TMT anxiety buffers to explain the phenomenon of posthumous sperm retrieval, requested by spouses or parents, usually of young soldiers who died during their military service. Whereas this phenomenon has been known for some time, it increased dramatically in the initial days following the massacre conducted by the Hamas terrorist organization in Israel on October 7, 2023...

Domains as functional protein units and their rearrangements along the phylogeny can shed light on the functional changes of proteomes associated with the evolution of complex traits like eusociality. This complex trait is associated with sterile soldiers and workers, and long-lived, highly fecund reproductives. Unlike in Hymenotpera (ants, bees, and wasps), the evolution of eusociality within Blattodea, where termites evolved from within cockroaches, was accompanied by a reduction in proteome size, raising the question of whether functional novelty was achieved with existing rather than novel proteins...

SCOPE: Arginine kinase (AK) is an important enzyme for energy metabolism of invertebrate cells by participating in the maintenance of constant levels of ATP. However, AK is also recognized as a major allergen in insects and crustaceans capable of cross-reactivity with sera of patients sensitized to orthologous proteins. In the perspective of introducing insects or their derivatives in the human diet in Western world, it is of primary importance to evaluate possible risks for allergic consumers...

INTRODUCTION: Methemoglobinemia, characterized by the conversion of functional hemoglobin to methemoglobin, can significantly impede tissue oxygenation. Prompt diagnosis and treatment of methemoglobinemia are critical to optimizing clinical outcomes. Although the underlying etiology of methemoglobinemia is often attributed to a medication reaction or chemical exposure, its association with battlefield trauma remains underexplored. This case series explores the presence of methemoglobinemia in nine soldiers evacuated from tanks targeted by explosives, shedding new light on screening needs and treatment strategies...

BACKGROUND: Prior research suggests that trematode rediae, a developmental stage of trematode parasites that reproduce clonally within a snail host, show evidence of division of labor (DOL). Single-species infections often have two morphologically distinct groups: small rediae, the 'soldiers', are active, aggressive, and do not appear to reproduce; large rediae, the 'reproductives', are larger, sluggish, and full of offspring. Most data supporting DOL come from trematodes infecting marine snails, while data from freshwater trematodes are more limited and generally do not supported DOL...

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the digestion process of biodegradable and non-biodegradable microplastics (MPs) within black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) and assess their impact on larval growth and development. The goal was to understand the fate of MPs within BSFL, considering their potential for waste conversion polluted with MPs. METHODS: BSFL were exposed to two types of MPs, and their growth, development, potential accumulation and excretion of MPs were monitored...

BACKGROUND: Human nutrient intake is closely related to the conditions of their workplace. METHODS: This study used data from the Korean National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (KNHANES) conducted between 2016 and 2020. The study population comprised individuals aged 19 to 65 years who were engaged in paid work, excluding soldiers (total = 12,201, male = 5,872, female = 6,329). The primary outcome of interest was the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) score, which was calculated using dietary intake data...

BACKGROUND: Obesity rates are rising in the armed forces of Western democratic countries, impacting military readiness and health. This highlights the need for preventive health risk assessments and countermeasures. METHODS: Using mandatory health examination data from 2018 to 2022, we analyzed the prevalence of obesity, health risks, and associated specific military risk factors (rank and unit) in 43,214 soldiers of the German Armed Forces. Statistical methods included χ2 contingencies and binary logistic regressions...

Over 944 thousand tonnes of shrimp carcasses are produced worldwide during the shrimp production cycle, and black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) are a potential solution for this shrimp carcass accumulation. In this study, we evaluated the performance of BSFL feeding on shrimp carcasses. Six combinations of wheat bran and shrimp carcass powder (with replacement increments of 20 %) and one whole shrimp carcasses treatment were tested. The bioconversion rate (27.15 ± 3.66 %; p = 0...

OBJECTIVE: To explore and analyze the correlation between anxiety levels, coping strategies, and fertility quality of life in male soldiers with infertility. METHODS: A questionnaire survey was conducted on 480 male soldiers with infertility who visited the Reproductive Medicine Department of the Eastern Theater Command General Hospital from June 2022 to February 2023, analyze the impact of anxiety levels on stress coping strategies and fertility quality of life in male officers and soldiers with infertility...

Leafcutter ant colonies are divided into castes with the individuals performing different tasks, based mostly on size. With the mandibles, the small minims care for the brood or the fungus, whereas the larger minors and mediae cut and transport plant material, with the ant size positively related to the material size. The mechanical properties and composition of the mandible cuticle have been previously tested in the soldiers as the largest caste, revealing that the cutting edges contained high contents of the cross-linking transition metal zinc (Zn)...

This study investigated the effect of processed forms (defatted or hydrolyzed) of black soldier fly larvae ( Hermetia illucens L., BSFL) as a protein substitute on broilers. Experiment 1 was a feeding experiment, and Experiment 2 was a metabolism experiment. In Experiment 1, a total of 120 day-old Arbor Acres broilers (initial body weight 39.52 ± 0.24 g) were used for 28 days. There were 8 replicate pens, and 5 broilers were assigned to each pen. In Experiment 2, a total of 36 day-old broilers (initial body weight 39...

As autonomous technology emerges, new variations in old questions arise. When autonomous technologies cause harm, who is to blame? The current studies compare reactions toward harms caused by human-controlled vehicles (HCVs) or human soldiers (HSs) to identical harms by autonomous vehicles (AVs) or autonomous robot soldiers. Drivers of HCVs, or HSs, were blamed more than mere users of AVs or HSs who outsourced their duties to ARSs. However, as human drivers/soldiers became less involved in (or were unaware of the preprogramming that led to) the harm, blame was redirected toward other entities (i...

Livestock and dairy farmers are increasingly required to maintain productivity and profitability while mitigating the environmental harm associated with high-input agriculture. Accordingly, to reduce reliance on synthetic fertilizers, a wide range of organically derived products are being evaluated for their effects on sward growth and forage quality. This study used glasshouse experiments to investigate the responses of four grass species to a novel organic fertilizer derived from the mass production of black soldier fly larvae [ Hermetia illucens , HexaFrass™, Meath, Ireland]...

The interest in mass-rearing black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae for food and feed is rapidly increasing. This is partly sparked by the ability of the larvae to efficiently valorise a wide range of organic waste and by-products. Primarily, research has focused on the larval stage, hence underprioritizing aspects of the adult biology, and knowledge on reproduction-related traits such as egg production is needed. We investigated the impact of different organic waste and by-products as larval diets on various life-history traits of adult black soldier flies in a large-scale experimental setup...