Finnish Defence Forces

INTRODUCTION:The aim of this study was to investigate whether physical fitness and body mass index (BMI) are associated with premature discharge from military service because of health reasons. MATERIALS AND METHODS:The data was collected using a cross-sectional design and included the fitness test results and background information of Finnish conscripts (n = 228, 125) from 2012 to 2021. The physical fitness measures included a 12-minute running test, standing long jump, sit-up, and push-up tests. The BMI was calculated based on height and weight. RESULTS:Conscripts in any of the lowest quartile of physical fitness were more likely to be discharged from their service compared to those in the highest quartiles (12-minute running test odds ratio (OR) 1.99; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.88-2.11; standing long jump OR 1.45; 95% CI 1.38-1.53; sit-up test OR 1.46; 95% CI 1.38-1.54; and push-up test OR 1.50; 95% CI 1.42-1.59). The likelihood of being discharged from military service was higher among underweight (OR 1.35; 95% CI 1.22-1.50) and obese conscripts (OR 1.32; 95% CI 1.23-1.42) compared to normal weight conscripts. The most significant predictors for being discharged from service, found using backward elimination regression, were the 12-minute running test performance and BMI. The highest risk of being discharged from service was found to be among underweight conscripts with poor fitness. DISCUSSION:Physical fitness and BMI were both associated with discharge from military service. Both under and overweight conscripts and those with poor physical fitness had a higher probability of being discharged from service. Therefore, the use of pre- and in service modifications to improve physical fitness and BMI could save resources for the Defence Forces and society as a whole.

This study investigated the intra-build stability and inter-build repeatability of porosity, tensile properties and fatigue performance in laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing of Ti–6Al–4V. Location on the building platform and repeated builds were the studied variables on porosity and fatigue life, while the influence of 40 and 80 μm layer thickness parameter sets and specimen surface conditions were additionally evaluated for tensile properties. It was shown that variability in the properties between identically processed specimens is dominated by variability in internal defects, and that build location was the major source of this variation. Center of the building platform consistently provided the best performance. Upstream locations close to the gas flow inlet performed better than downstream locations close to the gas flow outlet. Tensile strength met the ASTM F2924-14 requirements for each specimen condition, while ductility requirements were met consistently only for machined specimens produced with 40 μm layer thickness parameters at favorable build locations. Specimens produced with identical process parameters showed high variation in fatigue lives, with logarithmic standard deviation of 1.163 for 66 specimens produced over four different builds. Within one build with build location as the only variable, logarithmic standard deviation was 0.899. On a fixed optimal location (center of the building platform) over three repeated builds the logarithmic standard deviation was 0.762, showing better inter-build repeatability than intra-build stability.

Anthrax, caused by Bacillus anthracis (BA), is a prominent neglected zoonosis with major impacts on human, livestock, and wildlife health. Despite this, limited genomic investigation at the One Health interface constrains current understanding of BA transmission and of the ecological and host factors shaping its diversity and population structure. This includes the possibility of host-specific BA lineages, given that anthrax outbreaks often disproportionally affect individual species. This study characterises the genomic diversity of BA in an endemic area, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA), in northern Tanzania. We analysed 213 BA genomes from livestock, wildlife and humans from cultured isolates combined with a culture-free targeted capture (TC) approach. NCA sequences formed a distinct genetic cluster compared with those from surrounding areas, and we observed surprisingly high levels of strain diversity within apparent epidemiological clusters, as well as within single animals, though strain diversity was lowest at the within host scale. We found limited evidence for seasonal clustering of cases as well as for BA lineages clustering by host species. This indicates that disproportional impacts on certain species during outbreaks are more likely driven by host ecology factors or, hypothetically, by accessory parts of the bacterial genome not represented in our data. TC-derived data significantly expanded the range of host species and geographic locations for genomic analysis, demonstrating the value of this approach. Although TC data may contain artefactual variation, shared SNP profiles between isolate- and TC-derived genomes gave confidence in its use for genotyping. Our analysis demonstrates unexpectedly high BA strain diversity and limited population structure in this endemic area across a range of spatial scales, including within-host. It further highlights the need for high density sampling and adaptable sequencing strategies to generate adequate BA genomic datasets that can enable informative molecular epidemiological studies of anthrax at the One Health interface.

Infectious outbreaks, like the recent localised adenovirus epidemics, can compromise military training and operational readiness. The rise of epidemics, zoonoses and disruptive biotechnologies has increased the need for new means to manage and prepare for disease outbreaks. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of collecting data for situational awareness, forecasting and infection tracing. However, the effective use of data remains in the early stages of development. The implementation of advanced computational methods, combined with the prompt use of comprehensive data on contacts, pathogens, infections and healthcare, is essential for developing the next era of epidemiological computational models. These tools facilitate informed decision-making, enhance situational awareness and support effective mitigation measures, and both operational readiness and health of military personnel. The tools mentioned also support resource preparation, trend prediction and proactive planning. Outbreak prevention measures of outbreaks benefit from collaboration, coordination and data sharing between civil and military authorities.

This study investigated the reliability of a novel casualty emergency evacuation (CEE) test and its associations with physical performance variables. Forty-eight male reservists performed the CEE test, along with physical performance and body composition assessments. The reliability of the CEE was evaluated across two sessions, using analyses of typical error, intraclass correlation (ICC) and coefficient of variation (CV). Pearson's correlation and multiple linear regression (MLR) were applied to identify variables associated with the CEE. The ICC (0.84) and CV (6.77%) indicated that the CEE test demonstrated good reliability. The strongest correlations were observed between the CEE and standing long jump (r = -0.67, p < 0.001), 30 m sprint (r = 0.59, p < 0.001) and countermovement jump (r = -0.55, p < 0.001). In the multiple regression analysis, body height, 60 s push-ups, standing long jump, and 30 s jumps collectively explained 67% of the variance in CEE time.