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Vision plays a fundamental role in the control of human locomotion, including walking gait. Given that side-dominance is associated with differences in motor control, the present study aimed to determine if patches obscuring half of the visual field affect left- and right-side dominant individuals' gait kinematics and accompanying leg muscle activation differently. Healthy right- (n = 15, age = 28.2 ± 5.5 years) and left-side (n = 9, age = 27.9 ± 5.8 years) dominant participants performed 10 min of walking trials on a treadmill at a self-selected speed with 5 min of rest between three randomized trials, i.e., wearing clear glasses or glasses with left-or right half-field eye patching. In addition to a set of spatiotemporal and kinematic gait parameters, the average activity during the separated gait cycle phases, and the start and end of muscle activation in % of the gait cycle were calculated from five muscles in three muscle groups. Our results indicate that gait kinematics of left- and right-side dominant participants were similar both in their dominant and non-dominant legs, regardless of half-field eye patching condition. On the other hand, inter-group differences were found in selected kinematic variables. For instance, in addition to larger but less variable step width, our results suggest larger ankle and knee ROM in right- vs. left-sided participants. Furthermore, medial gastrocnemius and biceps femoris muscle activation showed selected differences at certain phases of the gait cycle between participants' dominant and non-dominant legs. However, it was also unaffected by the half-field eye patching condition. Moreover, the endpoint of medial gastrocnemius activation was affected by side-dominance, i.e., its activation ended earlier in the non-dominant leg of right- as compared to left-side dominant participants. Our results suggest no major differences in walking gait kinematics and accompanying muscle activation between half-field eye patching conditions in healthy adults; nevertheless, side-dominance may affect biomechanical and neuromuscular control strategies during walking gait., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Conflict of interest: All authors declare that they do not have any conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results. Word count: 5689 words., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

Giving birth prematurely is a traumatic event that has many consequences for the mother but also for her baby and their family. Studies have shown that about a quarter of these mothers will suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result. This study aims to identify internal personality factors associated with the development of PTSD in mothers who gave birth before 33 weeks. The results revealed significant correlations between two personality dimensions (neuroticism and extraversion) and the likeliness of developing PTSD in mothers who gave birth prematurely. Neuroticism is positively liked with the disorder while extraversion is negatively correlated with it. Studies should now focus on early detection of PTSD and better interventions for these mothers., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Grand et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Rehabilitation of injured or immature individuals has become an increasingly used conservation and management tool. However, scientific evaluation of rehabilitations is rare, raising concern about post-release welfare as well as the cost-effectiveness of spending scarce financial resources. Over the past 20 years, events of juvenile Eurasian lynx presumably orphaned have been observed in many European lynx populations. To guide the management of orphaned lynx, we documented survival, rehabilitation and fate after the release and evaluated the potential relevance of lynx orphan rehabilitation for population management and conservation implications. Data on 320 orphaned lynx was collected from 1975 to 2022 from 13 countries and nine populations. The majority of orphaned lynx (55%) were taken to rehabilitation centres or other enclosures. A total of 66 orphans were released back to nature. The portion of rehabilitated lynx who survived at least one year after release was 0.66. Release location was the best predictor for their survival. Of the 66 released lynx, ten have reproduced at least once (8 females and 2 males). Conservation implications of rehabilitation programmes include managing genetic diversity in small, isolated populations and reintroducing species to historical habitats. The lynx is a perfect model species as most reintroduced populations in Central Europe show significantly lower observed heterozygosity than most of the autochthonous populations, indicating that reintroduction bottlenecks, isolation and post-release management have long-term consequences on the genetic composition of populations. The release of translocated orphans could be a valuable contribution to Eurasian lynx conservation in Europe. It is recommended to release orphans at the distribution edge or in the frame of reintroduction projects instead of a release in the core area of a population where it is not necessary from a demographic and genetic point of view. Rehabilitation programmes can have conservation implications that extend far beyond individual welfare benefits., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Molinari-Jobin et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

The mEHT method uses tissues' thermal and bioelectromagnetic heterogeneity for the selective mechanisms. The success of the therapy for advanced, relapsed, and metastatic aggressive tumors can only be demonstrated by measuring survival time and quality of life (QoL). The complication is that mEHT-treated patients cannot be curatively treated any longer with "gold standards", where the permanent progression of the disease, the refractory, relapsing situation, the organ failure, the worsening of blood counts, etc., block them. Collecting a cohort of these patients is frequently impossible. Only an intent-to-treat (ITT) patient group was available. Due to the above limitations, many studies have single-arm data collection. The Phase III trial of advanced cervix tumors subgrouping of HIV-negative and -positive patients showed the stable efficacy of mEHT in all patients' subgroups. The single-arm represents lower-level evidence, which can be improved by comparing the survival data of various studies from different institutes. The Kaplan-Meier probability comparison had no significant differences, so pooled data were compared to other methods. Following this approach, we demonstrate the feasibility and superiority of mEHT in the cases of glioblastoma multiform, pancreas carcinomas, lung tumors, and colorectal tumors.

We examined the effects of side-dominance on the laterality of standing stability using ground reaction force, motion capture ( MoCap ), and EMG data in healthy young adults. We recruited participants with strong right ( n = 15) and left ( n = 9) hand and leg dominance (side-dominance). They stood on one or two legs on a pair of synchronized force platforms for 50 s with 60 s rest between three randomized stance trials. In addition to 23 CoP -related variables, we also computed six MoCap variables representing each lower-limb joint motion time series. Moreover, 39 time- and frequency-domain features of EMG data from five muscles in three muscle groups were analyzed. Data from the multitude of biosignals converged and revealed concordant patterns: no differences occurred between left- and right-side dominant participants in kinetic, kinematic, or EMG outcomes during bipedal stance. Regarding single leg stance, larger knee but lower ankle joint kinematic values appeared in left vs right-sided participants during non-dominant stance. Left-vs right-sided participants also had lower medial gastrocnemius EMG activation during non-dominant stance. While right-side dominant participants always produced larger values for kinematic data of ankle joint and medial gastrocnemius EMG activation during non-dominant vs dominant unilateral stance, this pattern was the opposite for left-sided participants, showing larger values when standing on their dominant vs non-dominant leg, i.e., participants had a more stable balance when standing on their right leg. Our results suggest that side-dominance affects biomechanical and neuromuscular control strategies during unilateral standing., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Négyesi, Petró, Salman, Khandoker, Katona, Wang, Almaazmi, Hortobágyi, Váczi, Rácz, Pálya, Grand, Kiss and Nagatomi.)

DNA supercoiling is an essential mechanism of bacterial chromosome compaction, whose level is mainly regulated by topoisomerase I and DNA gyrase. Inhibiting either of these enzymes with antibiotics leads to global supercoiling modifications and subsequent changes in global gene expression. In previous studies, genes responding to DNA relaxation induced by DNA gyrase inhibition were categorised as 'supercoiling-sensitive'. Here, we studied the opposite variation of DNA supercoiling in the phytopathogen Dickeya dadantii using the non-marketed antibiotic seconeolitsine. We showed that the drug is active against topoisomerase I from this species, and analysed the first transcriptomic response of a Gram-negative bacterium to topoisomerase I inhibition. We find that the responding genes essentially differ from those observed after DNA relaxation, and further depend on the growth phase. We characterised these genes at the functional level, and also detected distinct patterns in terms of expression level, spatial and orientational organisation along the chromosome. Altogether, these results highlight that the supercoiling-sensitivity is a complex feature, which depends on the action of specific topoisomerases, on the physiological conditions, and on their genomic context. Based on previous in vitro expression data of several promoters, we propose a qualitative model of SC-dependent regulation that accounts for many of the contrasting transcriptomic features observed after DNA gyrase or topoisomerase I inhibition., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.)

Background and Purpose: Anterior cruciate ligament injuries are prevalent among the athletic population, imposing a heavy economic burden, and the risk of re-injury. Most current biomechanical screening tasks are performed in the sagittal plane, and there is a need for more screening tools that assess sports specific movements in the frontal plane. The purpose of this study was to determine the reliability of and examine differences between sexes in the performance of the Lateral Bound Test (LBT)., Materials/methods: Each subject performed three trials of a LBT which included jumping laterally from one leg over a hurdle and landing on the opposite leg. Two cameras were placed six feet from the landing marker. Maximum dynamic knee valgus using the frontal plane projection angle and knee flexion angle at initial contact and maximal knee flexion were measured upon landing leg using 2D video analysis software. Additionally, video of 10 individuals' trials were analyzed twice with one week between the analyses to obtain intra-rater reliability while 12 participants were retested one week later to determine test-retest reliability., Results: Thirty healthy subjects, 16 males, 14 females participated. Intra-rater reliability was determined to be excellent for all variables (ICC>0.96). In contrast, the test-retest reliability had greater disparity. Test-retest reliability ranged from poor (ICC = 0.47) to excellent (ICC > 0.90). Significant differences existed between the sexes, including males being significantly taller, weighing more, and demonstrating greater bilateral dynamic knee valgus (p < 0.05). No significant differences existed between sexes for knee flexion angles., Conclusion: The new LBT had excellent intra-rater reliability for assessing dynamic knee valgus and initial and maximum knee flexion angle when performing a functional movement in the frontal plane. Furthermore, males landed with more dynamic knee valgus than females which is contradictory to what has been observed with functional screening tools performed in the sagittal plane., Level of Evidence: 3b (reliability study)., Competing Interests: All authors declare no conflict of interest related to this manuscript.

Chemical scaffolds of natural products have historically been sources of inspiration for the development of novel molecules of biological relevance, including hit and lead compounds. To identify new compounds active against Trypanosoma cruzi, we designed and synthesized 46 synthetic derivatives based on the structure of two classes of natural products: tetrahydrofuran lignans (Series 1) and oxazole alkaloids (Series 2). Compounds were screened in vitro using a cellular model of T. cruzi infection. In the first series of compounds, 11 derivatives of hit compound 5 (EC 50  = 1.1 µM) were found to be active; the most potent (7, 8, and 13) had EC 50 values of 5.1-34.2 µM. In the second series, 17 analogs were found active at 50 µM; the most potent compounds (47, 49, 59, and 63) showed EC 50 values of 24.2-49.1 µM. Active compounds were assessed for selectivity, hemocompatibility, synergistic potential, effects on mitochondrial membrane potential, and inhibitory effect on trypanothione reductase. All active compounds showed low toxicity against uninfected THP-1 cells and human erythrocytes. The potency of compounds 5 and 8 increased steadily in combination with benznidazole, indicating a synergistic effect. Furthermore, compounds 8, 47, 49, 59, and 63 inhibited parasitic mitochondria in a dose-dependent manner. Although increased reactive oxygen species levels might lead to mitochondrial effects, the results indicate that the mechanism of action of the compounds is not dependent on trypanothione reductase inhibition. In silico calculation of chemical descriptors and principal component analysis showed that the active compounds share common chemical features with other trypanocidal molecules and are predicted to have a good ADMET profile. Overall, the results suggest that the compounds are important candidates to be further studied for their potential against T. cruzi., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Optimal management of hunted species requires an understanding of the impacts of hunting on both individual animal and population levels. Recent technological advancements in biologging enable us to obtain increasingly detailed information from free-ranging animals, covering longer periods of time, and providing the data needed to assess such impacts. In Sweden, more than 80 000 moose are harvested annually, mostly hunted with the use of baying dogs. The effects of this hunting method on animal welfare and stress are understudied. Here, we evaluated 6 real and 17 experimental hunting approaches with baying dogs [wearing global positioning system (GPS) collars] on 8 adult female moose equipped with ruminal temperature loggers, subcutaneous heart rate (HR) loggers and GPS collars with accelerometers. The obtained data were used to analyse the behavioural and physiological responses of moose to hunting with dogs. Successful experimental approaches (moose and dog were within 240 m for >10 min) resulted in higher maximum body temperature (T b, 0.88°C higher) and a mean increase in HR of 24 bpm in moose at the day of the approach compared to the day after. The moose rested on average >90 min longer the day after the approach compared to the day of the approach. The moose travelled on average 4.2 km longer and had a 1.3 m/s higher maximum speed the day of the approach compared to the day after. Our results demonstrate that hunting with dogs increase moose energy expenditure and resting time (and consequently decrease time available for foraging) on an individual level. This could possibly affect body condition and reproduction rates if the hunting disturbances occur frequently., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press and the Society for Experimental Biology.)

An arbovirus surveillance military exercise was conducted to assess the risk of Ross River virus (RRV) and Barmah Forest virus (BFV) in the Australian Defence Force (ADF) Wide Bay training area (WBTA), northeastern Australia, in April 2018. Of the 5,540 female mosquitoes collected, 3,702 were screened for RRV and BFV by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction in a field laboratory. One pool of Verrallina funerea was positive for RRV and 8 pools (7 pools of Aedes vigilax and 1 pool of Culex annulirostris ) were positive for BFV. Phylogenetic analysis of the complete nucleotide sequence of the E2 protein subgrouped both RRV and BFV with viruses previously isolated from human infections, indicating the potential risk of RRV and BFV infection to ADF personnel while training in WBTA. This is the 1st time that both RRV and BFV have been detected in a military training area.

The complete genome sequences of three Ross River virus (RRV) isolates from infected Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel and from mosquitoes collected in ADF training areas were determined. Phylogenetic analysis in comparison with all available complete RRV nucleotide sequences from GenBank split these three RRV isolates into two distinct sublineages., (© Crown copyright 2019.)

Implantable neural interfaces for central nervous system research have been designed with wire, polymer, or micromachining technologies over the past 70 years. Research on biocompatible materials, ideal probe shapes, and insertion methods has resulted in building more and more capable neural interfaces. Although the trend is promising, the long-term reliability of such devices has not yet met the required criteria for chronic human application. The performance of neural interfaces in chronic settings often degrades due to foreign body response to the implant that is initiated by the surgical procedure, and related to the probe structure, and material properties used in fabricating the neural interface. In this review, we identify the key requirements for neural interfaces for intracortical recording, describe the three different types of probes-microwire, micromachined, and polymer-based probes; their materials, fabrication methods, and discuss their characteristics and related challenges.

Brain electrical activity is largely composed of oscillations at characteristic frequencies. These rhythms are hierarchically organized and are thought to perform important pathological and physiological functions. The slow wave is a fundamental cortical rhythm that emerges in deep non-rapid eye movement sleep. In animals, the slow wave modulates delta, theta, spindle, alpha, beta, gamma and ripple oscillations, thus orchestrating brain electrical rhythms in sleep. While slow wave activity can enhance epileptic manifestations, it is also thought to underlie essential restorative processes and facilitate the consolidation of declarative memories. Animal studies show that slow wave activity is composed of rhythmically recurring phases of widespread, increased cortical cellular and synaptic activity, referred to as active- or up-state, followed by cellular and synaptic inactivation, referred to as silent- or down-state. However, its neural mechanisms in humans are poorly understood, since the traditional intracellular techniques used in animals are inappropriate for investigating the cellular and synaptic/transmembrane events in humans. To elucidate the intracortical neuronal mechanisms of slow wave activity in humans, novel, laminar multichannel microelectrodes were chronically implanted into the cortex of patients with drug-resistant focal epilepsy undergoing cortical mapping for seizure focus localization. Intracortical laminar local field potential gradient, multiple-unit and single-unit activities were recorded during slow wave sleep, related to simultaneous electrocorticography, and analysed with current source density and spectral methods. We found that slow wave activity in humans reflects a rhythmic oscillation between widespread cortical activation and silence. Cortical activation was demonstrated as increased wideband (0.3-200 Hz) spectral power including virtually all bands of cortical oscillations, increased multiple- and single-unit activity and powerful inward transmembrane currents, mainly localized to the supragranular layers. Neuronal firing in the up-state was sparse and the average discharge rate of single cells was less than expected from animal studies. Action potentials at up-state onset were synchronized within +/-10 ms across all cortical layers, suggesting that any layer could initiate firing at up-state onset. These findings provide strong direct experimental evidence that slow wave activity in humans is characterized by hyperpolarizing currents associated with suppressed cell firing, alternating with high levels of oscillatory synaptic/transmembrane activity associated with increased cell firing. Our results emphasize the major involvement of supragranular layers in the genesis of slow wave activity.