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This study aimed to investigate the physiological, perceptual, and biomechanical differences between male and female soldiers across several military-relevant load and walking speed combinations. Eleven female and twelve male soldiers completed twelve 12 min walking trials at varying speeds (3.5 km·h−1, 5.5 km·h−1, 6.5 km·h−1) and with varying external loads (7.2 kg, 23.2 kg, 35.2 kg). Physiological (indirect calorimetry, heart rate), perceptual (perceived exertion), and biomechanical (spatiotemporal, kinematic, kinetic) outcomes were measured throughout each trial. Females had a lower aerobic capacity and lower body strength than males, which resulted in them working at a greater exercise intensity (%VO2peak and heart rate) but with a lower oxygen pulse. Females demonstrated higher breathing frequency and perceived exertion with specific loads. At selected loads and speeds, frontal and sagittal pelvis, hip, and knee motions and forces were greater for females. Females consistently displayed greater relative stride length and step width. In conclusion, this study demonstrates the importance of tailored interventions, periodisation, and nutritional strategies for female military personnel, given their higher relative work rate and increased injury risk during load carriage tasks. Understanding these differences is crucial for preparing female soldiers for the physical demands of military service.

This study aimed to understand how tennis coaches perceive and approach the development of grip positions, a foundational skill in tennis. Professionally accredited coaches, classed as less (n = 140) or more (n = 86) experienced, participated in an online survey where they provided their perspectives on the importance of developing grip positions and their opinions on using physically constraining tools for coaching. Irrespective of coach experience level, the findings revealed that technique development and grip position training were ranked as the two most important components in foundational tennis skill development. The Semi-western grip for forehand (less: 68%; more: 65%), a combination of Continental and Eastern grips for double-handed backhand (less: 59%; more: 48.8%), and the Continental grip for serves (both: 94%) were identified as the most commonly taught positions for different shots. Perceived barriers to developing grip positions were out of habit (less: 62%; more: 56%), discomfort (less: 58%; more: 50%), and lack of confidence (less: 44%; more: 21%). Notably, 65% of coaches expressed an openness to incorporating physically constraining tools to enhance grip-specific skill development. Overall, this study serves as a foundational resource, guiding coaches in optimising their strategies for foundational tennis development, prompting further research in this area.

Temporal changes in the total running demands of professional football competition have been well documented, with absolute running demands decreasing in the second half. However, it is unclear whether the peak match running demands demonstrate a similar decline. A total of 508 GPS files were collected from 44 players, across 68 matches of the Australian A-League. GPS files were split into the 1st and 2nd half, with the peak running demands of each half quantified across 10 moving average durations (1–10 min) for three measures of running performance (total distance, high-speed distance [> 19.8 km·h −1 ] and average acceleration). Players were categorised based on positional groups: attacking midfielder (AM), central defender (CD), defensive midfielder (DM), striker (STR), wide defender (WD) and winger (WNG). Linear mixed models and effect sizes were used to identify differences between positional groups and halves. Peak running demands were lower in the second half for STR across all three reported metrics (ES = 0.60–0.84), with peak average acceleration lower in the second half for DM, WD and WNG (ES = 0.60–0.70). Irrespective of match half, AM covered greater peak total distances than CD, STR, WD and WIN (ES = 0.60–2.08). Peak high-speed distances were greater across both halves for WIN than CD, DM and STR (ES = 0.78–1.61). Finally, STR had lower peak average acceleration than all positional groups across both halves (ES = 0.60–1.12). These results may help evaluate implemented strategies that attempt to mitigate reductions in second half running performance and inform position specific training practices.

Youth footballers need to be developed to meet the technical, tactical, and physical demands of professional level competition, ensuring that the transition between competition levels is successful. To quantify the physical demands, peak match intensities have been measured across football competition tiers, with team formations and tactical approaches shown to influence these physical demands. To date, no research has directly compared the physical demands of elite youth and professional footballers from a single club utilising common formations and tactical approaches. The current study quantified the total match and peak match running demands of youth and professional footballers from a single Australian A-League club. GPS data were collected across a single season from both a professional (n = 19; total observations = 199; mean ± SD; 26.7 ± 4.0 years) and elite youth (n = 21; total observations = 59; 17.9 ± 1.3 years) team. Total match demands and peak match running demands (1–10 min) were quantified for measures of total distance, high-speed distance [>19.8 km·h-1] and average acceleration. Linear mixed models and effect sizes identified differences between competition levels. No differences existed between competition levels for any total match physical performance metric. Peak total and high-speed distances demands were similar between competitions for all moving average durations. Interestingly, peak average acceleration demands were lower (SMD = 0.63–0.69) in the youth players across all moving average durations. The data suggest that the development of acceleration and repeat effort capacities is crucial in youth players for them to transition into professional competition.

Peak match running intensities have recently been introduced to quantify the peak running demands of football competition, across incremental time intervals, to inform training practices. However, their between-match variation is yet to be comprehensively reported, limiting the ability to determine meaningful changes in peak match running intensities. The current study aimed to quantify the between-match variability in peak match running intensities across discrete moving average durations (1–10 min). GPS data were collected from 44 elite football players across 68 matches (mean ± SD; 13 ± 10 observations per player). For inclusion players must have completed 70mins of a match across a minimum of two matches. Performance metrics included total and high-speed (> 19.8 km·h-1) running distances and average acceleration (m·s -2), expressed relative to time. For each metric, the coefficient of variation and smallest worthwhile difference were calculated. The peak match running intensity data was similar to previously reported data from various football competitions. The between-match CV of relative total distance ranged between 6.8–7.3%, with the CV for average acceleration and relative high-speed running being 5.4–5.8% and 20.6–29.8%, respectively. The greater variability observed for relative high-speed running is likely reflective of the varying constraints and contextual factors that differ between matches. The reported between-match variability helps to provide context when interpreting match performance and prescribing training drills using peak match running intensity data.

Abstract Background Foot orthoses have the potential to be an efficacious treatment for patellofemoral osteoarthritis (PFOA) but have not been evaluated in clinical trials in this population. This study aimed to determine the: (i) feasibility of conducting a randomised controlled trial (RCT) investigating the efficacy of foot orthoses in individuals with PFOA; and (ii) effects of foot orthoses versus flat shoe inserts on pain, function, and knee-related quality of life (QOL). Methods This 6-week, single-blinded pilot RCT randomly allocated participants with PFOA to receive foot orthoses or flat inserts. The primary outcome of feasibility was determined via the following parameters: one participant recruited per week, 20% (35 h/week) adherence to the intervention, 50% log book completion rate, and 20% (37.2 [9.8] hours/week) adherence to the intervention, 69.2% (18/26) log-book completion, and 3.8% (1/26) drop-outs. The most common adverse events were arch irritation and shoe fit issues, which were more common in the foot orthoses group (67.9% versus 32.1%). There was a trend for the foot orthoses group to report larger improvements in average and maximum pain than the flat insert group, with the mean difference for maximum knee pain severity (21.9 mm, 95% CI − 2.1 to 46.0) exceeding the minimal clinically important difference (15 mm). The estimated sample size for a full-scale RCT is 160 participants. Suggestions to improve study design include a greater number of face-to-face follow-up appointments, a larger variety of foot orthoses to reduce rates of adverse events, and increasing follow-up time to determine long-term efficacy. Conclusion This study supports the feasibility of a full-scale RCT to determine the efficacy of foot orthoses versus flat inserts in individuals with PFOA. Trial registration The trial protocol was retrospectively registered with the Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR number: 12616001287426).

Tin(II) sulfide (SnS) is an attractive semiconductor for solar energy conversion in thin film devices due to its bandgap of around 1.3 eV in its orthorhombic polymorph, and a band gap energy of 1.5–1.7 eV for the cubic polymorph—both of which are commensurate with efficient light harvesting, combined with a high absorption coefficient (10−4 cm−1) across the NIR–visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum, leading to theoretical power conversion efficiencies >30%. The high natural abundance and a relative lack of toxicity of its constituent elements means that such devices could potentially be inexpensive, sustainable, and accessible to most nations. SnS exists in its orthorhombic form as a layer structure similar to black phosphorus; therefore, the bandgap energy can be tuned by thinning the material to nanoscale dimensions. These and other properties enable SnS applications in optoelectronic devices (photovoltaics, photodetectors), lithium- and sodium-ion batteries, and sensors among others with a significant potential for a variety of future applications. The synthetic routes, structural, optical and electronic properties as well as their applications (in particular photonic applications and energy storage) of bulk and 2D tin(II) sulfide are reviewed herein.

This study examined the effects of cold-water immersion (CWI) and cold air therapy (CAT) on maximal cycling performance (i.e. anaerobic power) and markers of muscle damage following a strength training session. Twenty endurance-trained but strength-untrained male (n = 10) and female (n = 10) participants were randomised into either: CWI (15 min in 14 °C water to iliac crest) or CAT (15 min in 14 °C air) immediately following strength training (i.e. 3 sets of leg press, leg extensions and leg curls at 6 repetition maximum, respectively). Creatine kinase, muscle soreness and fatigue, isometric knee extensor and flexor torque and cycling anaerobic power were measured prior to, immediately after and at 24 (T24), 48 (T48) and 72 (T72) h post-strength exercises. No significant differences were found between treatments for any of the measured variables (p > 0.05). However, trends suggested recovery was greater in CWI than CAT for cycling anaerobic power at T24 (10% ± 2%, ES = 0.90), T48 (8% ± 2%, ES = 0.64) and T72 (8% ± 7%, ES = 0.76). The findings suggest the combination of hydrostatic pressure and cold temperature may be favourable for recovery from strength training rather than cold temperature alone.

Only a subset of recurrent glioblastoma (rGBM) responds to anti-PD-1 immunotherapy. Previously, we reported enrichment of BRAF/PTPN11 mutations in 30% of rGBM that responded to PD-1 blockade. Given that BRAF and PTPN11 promote MAPK/ERK signaling, we investigated whether activation of this pathway is associated with response to PD-1 inhibitors in rGBM, including patients that do not harbor BRAF/PTPN11 mutations. Here we show that immunohistochemistry for ERK1/2 phosphorylation (p-ERK), a marker of MAPK/ERK pathway activation, is predictive of overall survival following adjuvant PD-1 blockade in two independent rGBM patient cohorts. Single-cell RNA-sequencing and multiplex immunofluorescence analyses revealed that p-ERK was mainly localized in tumor cells and that high-p-ERK GBMs contained tumor-infiltrating myeloid cells and microglia with elevated expression of MHC class II and associated genes. These findings indicate that ERK1/2 activation in rGBM is predictive of response to PD-1 blockade and is associated with a distinct myeloid cell phenotype.

This study aimed to investigate the physiological, perceptual, and biomechanical differences between male and female soldiers across several military-relevant load and walking speed combinations. Eleven female and twelve male soldiers completed twelve 12 min walking trials at varying speeds (3.5 km·h−1, 5.5 km·h−1, 6.5 km·h−1) and with varying external loads (7.2 kg, 23.2 kg, 35.2 kg). Physiological (indirect calorimetry, heart rate), perceptual (perceived exertion), and biomechanical (spatiotemporal, kinematic, kinetic) outcomes were measured throughout each trial. Females had a lower aerobic capacity and lower body strength than males, which resulted in them working at a greater exercise intensity (%VO2peak and heart rate) but with a lower oxygen pulse. Females demonstrated higher breathing frequency and perceived exertion with specific loads. At selected loads and speeds, frontal and sagittal pelvis, hip, and knee motions and forces were greater for females. Females consistently displayed greater relative stride length and step width. In conclusion, this study demonstrates the importance of tailored interventions, periodisation, and nutritional strategies for female military personnel, given their higher relative work rate and increased injury risk during load carriage tasks. Understanding these differences is crucial for preparing female soldiers for the physical demands of military service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to understand how tennis coaches perceive and approach the development of grip positions, a foundational skill in tennis. Professionally accredited coaches, classed as less (n = 140) or more (n = 86) experienced, participated in an online survey where they provided their perspectives on the importance of developing grip positions and their opinions on using physically constraining tools for coaching. Irrespective of coach experience level, the findings revealed that technique development and grip position training were ranked as the two most important components in foundational tennis skill development. The Semi-western grip for forehand (less: 68%; more: 65%), a combination of Continental and Eastern grips for double-handed backhand (less: 59%; more: 48.8%), and the Continental grip for serves (both: 94%) were identified as the most commonly taught positions for different shots. Perceived barriers to developing grip positions were out of habit (less: 62%; more: 56%), discomfort (less: 58%; more: 50%), and lack of confidence (less: 44%; more: 21%). Notably, 65% of coaches expressed an openness to incorporating physically constraining tools to enhance grip-specific skill development. Overall, this study serves as a foundational resource, guiding coaches in optimising their strategies for foundational tennis development, prompting further research in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dismal clinical context of advanced-grade glioma demands the development of novel therapeutic strategies with direct patient impact. Adenovirus-mediated virotherapy represents a potentially effective approach for glioma therapy. In this research, we generated a novel glioma-specific adenovirus by instituting more advanced genetic modifications that can maximize the efficiency and safety of therapeutic adenoviral vectors. In this regard, a glioma-specific targeted fiber was developed through the incorporation of previously published glioma-specific, phage-panned peptide (VWT peptide) on a fiber fibritin-based chimeric fiber, designated as GliomaFF. We showed that the entry of this virus was highly restricted to glioma cells, supporting the specificity imparted by the phage-panned peptide. In addition, the stability of the targeting moiety presented by fiber fibritin structure permitted greatly enhanced infectivity. Furthermore, the replication of this virus was restricted in glioma cells by controlling expression of the E1 gene under the activity of the tumor-specific survivin promoter. Using this approach, we were able to explore the combinatorial efficacy of various adenoviral modifications that could amplify the specificity, infectivity, and exclusive replication of this therapeutic adenovirus in glioma. Finally, virotherapy with this modified virus resulted in up to 70% extended survival in an in vivo murine glioma model. These data demonstrate that this novel adenoviral vector is a safe and efficient treatment for this difficult malignancy.