The seafood processing industry generates significant waste, including mackerel heads (MH), constituting 20-32% of total waste. This study explored the potential of utilizing MH as a feed source for ...black soldier fly larvae (BSF larvae). BSF larvae are known for their ability to efficiently convert organic materials into nutrient-rich biomass. Five concentrations of MH (0, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50% in chicken feed) were fed to BSF larvae for eight days. After harvesting, their growth, MH conversion efficiency, nutritional content, and heavy metals reduction potential were measured. BSF larvae showed optimal growth when fed with a feed containing 20% MH, resulting in a 14.36-fold increase in weight compared to the control group, as determined by the Fisher's Least Significant Difference Test. BSF larvae maintained a survival rate of 99.33%. With the lowest feed conversion ratio (FCR) of 2.09 at 20% MH, feed efficiency was improved by up to 65.15%, and feed reduction up to 73.53%. MH enhanced lipid and protein content in BSF larvae. Furthermore, BSF larvae in this study showed higher polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), as well as other amino acids which are required for breeding animals. The current study highlights the potential of MH as a feed source for BSF larvae, improving nutritional biomass. It also suggests BSF larvae as an eco-friendly option for handling seafood processing waste and as an alternative feed source for animals.
Armed conflict has a damaging effect on the lives of children and young people and affects their school education and future possibilities. This creates a serious challenge to the exercise of the ...human right for education and the achievement of a number of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) – notably SDG 4, education for all, and SDG 5, gender equality. This paper examines the effects of armed conflict by discussing school closures, or partial closures, internal and external displacement, child soldiers, the six grave violations and the education of girls during armed conflict. The paper concludes with a discussion that argues that the policy of protection promoted by the United Nations is one that should be supported but there are other dimensions that also have to be considered: a more nuanced conceptualisation of childhood and a greater awareness and understanding of the child’s lived experience and agency, the protection of children to be ensured in ceasefire and peace agreements and implementation of strategies to protect children from the effects of war and the enforcement of legal measures and political sanctions that can be used to hold to account the perpetrators of the abuse of children in armed conflict.
To facilitate recruitment of conscript cyber soldiers in Sweden, the
for
(
) was developed as a complement to the existing generic enrolment test (
). Consisting of several parts,
measures different ...aspects of computer-related knowledge and cognitive abilities that we believe are of particular relevance to cyber security. This article describes the evaluation regarding
validity and reliability based on data from 62 conscripts that took the test and the 27 selected conscripts finishing the training 1 year later (being the first to do so). Reliability was predicted through internal consistency and test-retest measures. Cronbach's alpha for
ranges from 0.79 to 0.86 whereas the test-retest reliability is 0.60. Evidence regarding validity was collected based on test content and internal structure. Convergent, discriminant, and predictive evidence are also presented. Perhaps most importantly,
could predict the cyber soldiers' performance during their training and added incremental validity to
. When adjusted for range restriction,
predicted 20% of the variation in course score, while 34% of the variance was explained when
was used in conjunction with
. The results show that
already in its first version is adding value for the Swedish Armed Forces.
Even as many argue that China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) has become increasingly professionalized, reports of PLA deserters are common. This article investigates such refusals to serve between ...2009 and 2018, using an original dataset of 236 publicly reported cases. It demonstrates that mainland reports about desertion are restricted, portraying the behavior as occurring among soldiers who are young, unable to endure hardship, and subject to severe and varied punishments. Analysis of this data shows that refusals to serve are more common in China's military than public reports indicate, and that China's leaders are concerned about the phenomenon, though they offer no indication the PLA as a whole would disobey civilian leadership. These findings shed light on China's civil-military relations, central-local relations, and foreign policy.
In this paper, the author advocates for a psychosocial and community perspective in the work with child soldiers, as torture survivors.
Healing is a priority for former child soldiers, many of whom ...have survived mass exposures to violence, perpetrated violence, or both. Reintegration programming is often limited by individualized treatment and deficits focused approaches that do not address powerful social barriers to reintegration such as stigma and not having a positive social role. This paper outlines a more holistic, relational approach to reintegration that addresses clinical maladies but also addresses the need for positive social relationships that support young people's resilience and well-being. Underscoring the importance of a multi-disciplinary approach, it calls for the integration of livelihoods supports with mental health and psychosocial supports.
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