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        <title>Frontiers in Physiology | New and Recent Articles</title>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology</link>
        <description>RSS Feed for Frontiers in Physiology | New and Recent Articles</description>
        <language>en-us</language>
        <generator>Frontiers Feed Generator,version:1</generator>
        <pubDate>2026-08-18T15:44:05.320+00:00</pubDate>
        <ttl>60</ttl>
        <item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2026.1828577</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2026.1828577</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Membrane-decisional architecture: a framework for multigenomic signal prioritization in the plasma membrane nanobiome]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-08-18T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Review</category>
        <author>João Francisco Pollo Gaspary</author><author>Luis Felipe Dias Lopes</author><author>Fernanda Peron Gaspary</author><author>Carmen Brum Rosa</author><author>Eduarda Grando Lopes</author><author>Alfred Lee Edgar</author><author>Eduardo Poletti Camara</author><author>Antonio Geraldo Camara</author>
        <description><![CDATA[BackgroundClassical models of cellular signaling assume that ligand recognition at the plasma membrane is sufficient to initiate intracellular cascades. However, experimental evidence consistently shows that extracellular signals can engage receptors without producing functional cellular responses and that identical ligand–receptor interactions may generate divergent outcomes depending on membrane organization, receptor clustering, and intracellular routing dynamics.Conceptual frameworkTo address this discrepancy, the concept of membrane-decisional architecture is introduced, in which plasma membrane organization is interpreted as a signal prioritization interface. Within this framework, membrane structure governs signaling competence by regulating signal access, receptor clustering, intracellular routing, and compartmental signal conversion, thereby determining which extracellular inputs acquire functional relevance.MethodsA structured integrative synthesis was conducted using a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) framework (WP1–WP5), encompassing evidence acquisition, mechanistic mapping, integrative synthesis, cross-system structural calibration, and formal systems integration. Mechanistic findings from membrane biology and cellular signaling were reorganized to evaluate whether a coherent architecture of signaling competence emerges across biological systems. A conceptual mathematical formalization was developed to represent the relationship between signal availability and membrane-dependent competence.ImplicationsThis framework does not propose new molecular mechanisms but provides an integrative interpretation of how established membrane-level processes collectively constrain signaling outcomes under heterogeneous input conditions. Membrane organization is therefore positioned as an upstream determinant of cellular responsiveness. The proposed formalization provides a basis for experimental investigation of membrane-dependent signaling competence and its role in physiological variability.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2026.1911464</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2026.1911464</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Exercise patterns and atherosclerosis: a network meta-analysis based on randomized controlled trials]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-08-18T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Systematic Review</category>
        <author>Cheng Xu</author><author>Shuxin Yan</author><author>Yuxin Liu</author><author>Hui Zhang</author><author>Fei Li</author><author>Yu Zhang</author><author>Yiying Liu</author><author>Yulian Yuan</author><author>Shujing Zhang</author><author>Xianggen Zhong</author><author>Yan Sun</author>
        <description><![CDATA[BackgroundIn 2023, cardiovascular diseases caused an estimated 19.2 million deaths worldwide, accounting for approximately one-third of all global deaths. Despite this heavy burden, there is limited evidence comparing the effects of various exercise modalities on functional capacity, arterial stiffness, and lipid profiles in patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). This network meta-analysis evaluated 12 exercise interventions to guide personalized exercise prescriptions.MethodsA systematic search of PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science was conducted from their inception until June 10, 2026, to identify randomized controlled trials assessing exercise interventions in adults with ASCVD. The primary outcomes measured included the 6-minute walk distance (6MWD), pulse wave velocity (PWV), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). A network meta-analysis was conducted, and the ranking of interventions was determined using the surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA). The protocol was registered with PROSPERO (registration No. CRD420261412964).ResultsA comprehensive analysis incorporating 29 RCTs with a cumulative sample size of 2,496 participants was conducted. The network meta-analysis (NMA) indicated that various exercise modalities exhibited unique benefits for specific health outcomes. Resistance Training (RT) was identified as the most effective intervention for enhancing the 6MWD. Both Qigong combined with Dancing (QD) and Aerobic Exercise (AE) were associated with the most pronounced improvements in PWV. In terms of lipid profile modulation, QD was the most efficacious in reducing total cholesterol levels and increasing HDL-C, whereas RT combined with Blood Flow Restriction (BFRT) was superior in improving LDL-C levels.ConclusionDifferent exercise interventions yield specific benefits in managing ASCVD. This study endorses the concept of “goal-oriented exercise prescription” and suggests that exercise regimens should be meticulously tailored to align with patients’ individualized treatment goals, in conjunction with standard pharmacological therapy.Systematic Review Registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD420261412964, identifier CRD420261412964.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2026.1944693</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2026.1944693</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Editorial: Integrative approaches to acute brain injury: vascular, electrical, and metabolic interactions]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-08-18T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Editorial</category>
        <author>Sérgio Brasil</author><author>Davi Jorge Fontoura Solla</author><author>Ryan Hoiland</author>
        <description></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2026.1898182</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2026.1898182</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Form informs function: innervation patterns of projection neurons correspond to response profiles of mushroom body output neurons during olfactory-visual integration]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-08-18T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Athil Althaf Aliyam Veetil Zyndheen</author><author>Andrea Rafaela Nicolaidou</author><author>Claudia Groh</author><author>Volker Dürr</author><author>Wolfgang Rössler</author><author>Martin Strube-Bloss</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Several studies have shown that honeybees have a remarkable ability to detect, learn, and discriminate different floral qualities such as colour patterns and odour bouquets. However, how they integrate this multi-sensory information at the neuronal level is less understood. The sites for multi-sensory convergence in honeybees and other insects are the mushroom bodies (MB). In this study, we focus on MB output neurons (MBON) to examine how different MBONs process olfactory, visual, and olfactory-visual compound stimuli using extracellular multi-unit recordings. By analysing functional responses, we defined three MBON subpopulations: “bimodal”, “unimodal light”, and “unimodal odour”. All three groups exhibit compound-mediated modulation in both directions, meaning that compared to the unimodal response, the response strength to the compound can be either higher or lower. This suggests the presence of a separate compound-activated pathway, especially for unimodal MBONs. Comparing our results to the morphology of the MB input regions, the calyces, which are both divided into the lip (olfaction), collar (vision), and the basal ring (bimodal), we provide evidence that the latter region might play a key role in compound signalling. By establishing a model based on information flow through the MB circuitry, we reproduced the functional phenotypes exhibited by the different MBON types.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2026.1911093</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2026.1911093</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Baseline cognitive performance moderates ACL injury–related knee biomechanics during unanticipated sidestep cutting in highly trained male soccer players]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-08-18T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Weipeng Liu</author><author>Zilong Wang</author><author>Zhuangzhuang Wang</author><author>Zhiyuan Qin</author><author>Zhengwei Wu</author><author>Weihua Zheng</author><author>Congjie Cheng</author><author>Weichao Li</author><author>Wenhua Li</author>
        <description><![CDATA[ObjectiveTo compare anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury–related knee biomechanics between anticipated and unanticipated sidestep cutting and to investigate whether baseline cognitive performance moderated these biomechanical responses in highly trained male soccer players.MethodsThirty highly trained male soccer players completed a computerized Go/No-Go task to assess inhibitory control, including reaction time (RT), commission error rate (CER; responses incorrectly made during No-Go trials), and omission error rate (OER; failures to respond during Go trials). Participants subsequently performed anticipated and unanticipated 90° sidestep cutting tasks while three-dimensional motion capture and force plate data were simultaneously collected. Peak knee flexion angle, peak knee abduction angle, peak knee abduction moment, peak anterior tibial shear force (ATSF), peak vertical ground reaction force (vGRF), and loading rate were analyzed. Paired comparisons were first performed to examine overall biomechanical differences between the anticipated and unanticipated conditions. Linear mixed-effects models were then used to investigate whether cognitive performance moderated the biomechanical responses to task anticipation.ResultsCompared with the anticipated condition, unanticipated sidestep cutting resulted in greater peak knee flexion angle (d = 0.389, 95% CI, 0.118–0.660, p = 0.006), peak knee abduction angle (d = 0.339, 95% CI, 0.189–0.489, p < 0.001), and peak knee abduction moment (d = 1.481, 95% CI, 0.857–2.104, p < 0.001). Significant anticipation × RT interactions were observed for peak knee abduction angle (βstd = 0.156, 95% CI, 0.039–0.274, p = 0.031), peak knee abduction moment (βstd = 0.380, 95% CI, 0.168–0.592, p < 0.001), and peak ATSF (βstd = 0.517, 95% CI, 0.350–0.684, p < 0.001). Significant anticipation × CER and anticipation × OER interactions were observed for peak knee abduction moment (βstd = 0.504, 95% CI, 0.299–0.710, p < 0.001) and peak vGRF (βstd = 0.463, 95% CI, 0.245–0.682, p < 0.001), respectively.ConclusionUnanticipated sidestep cutting altered multiple ACL injury–related biomechanical variables in highly trained male soccer players. More importantly, athletes’ baseline cognitive performance moderated several ACL injury–related biomechanical responses.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2026.1885059</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2026.1885059</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Effects of high-intensity interval training on cardiorespiratory fitness in adolescents with overweight or obesity: a systematic review and dose–response meta-analysis]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-08-18T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Systematic Review</category>
        <author>Jinchen Pan</author><author>Xusong Dong</author><author>Ruiqi Cheng</author><author>Jianmei Cui</author><author>Weian Lin</author><author>Lei Zheng</author>
        <description><![CDATA[BackgroundAdolescents with overweight or obesity commonly exhibit reduced cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), which is closely associated with cardiometabolic risk and premature mortality in adulthood. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has been proposed as a time-efficient exercise strategy; however, quantitative evidence regarding the dose of HIIT in adolescents with overweight or obesity remains limited. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of HIIT on CRF in adolescents with overweight or obesity and to explore the nonlinear association between weekly HIIT dose and improvements in CRF using dose–response meta-analysis.MethodsPubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, and CNKI were searched from database inception to March 2026. Eligible studies were randomized controlled trials involving adolescents aged 10–18 years with overweight or obesity. Interventions consisted of structured HIIT or sprint interval training, and comparators included usual care, health education, or no additional structured exercise. The outcomes were VO2max/VO2peak measured in the laboratory, or equivalent CRF indices estimated using standardized field tests. Two reviewers independently performed study screening, data extraction, and risk-of-bias assessment using the RoB 2 tool. Random-effects meta-analysis was used to Hedges’ g, and restricted cubic splines were further applied to examine the nonlinear relationship between weekly HIIT dose (MET-min/week) and CRF improvement.ResultsSixteen randomized controlled trials, including 19 effect sizes were included. Compared with control conditions, HIIT significantly improved CRF (Hedges’ g, 1.13, 95% CrI: 0.80–1.50). Exploratory subgroup analyses suggested more stable positive effects in studies using three sessions per week, a work-to-recovery ratio of approximately 1:1, and VO2max/VO2peak as the CRF outcome. Exploratory dose–response analysis suggested an inverted U-shaped association between weekly HIIT dose and CRF improvement, with the largest predicted effect observed at approximately 360 MET-min/week. However, this estimate should be interpreted cautiously because of the limited number of trials, between-study heterogeneity, and assumptions involved in MET-min/week conversion.ConclusionsHIIT may be an effective strategy for improving CRF in adolescents with overweight or obesity. Its benefits appear to depend not only on the use of HIIT per se, but also on training frequency, work–recovery structure, and weekly dose. Current evidence suggests a possible nonlinear association between weekly HIIT dose and CRF improvement; however, this finding is hypothesis-generating rather than definitive and should be verified in larger trials with standardized HIIT prescription reporting, transparent dose coding, and longer follow-up.Systematic review registrationshttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO, identifier CRD420261392042.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2026.1884017</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2026.1884017</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Effects of unilateral versus bilateral training on linear sprint and change-of-direction performance in athletes: a systematic review and meta-analysis]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-08-17T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Systematic Review</category>
        <author>Chen Dong</author><author>Yugang Zhang</author><author>Min Sun</author>
        <description><![CDATA[BackgroundUnilateral training may enhance sprint and change-of-direction (COD) performance in athletes, but existing evidence is inconclusive.MethodsWe searched CNKI, PubMed, Web of Science, and EBSCO up to 1 September 2025 for randomized controlled trials comparing unilateral versus bilateral training in athletes and reporting speed-related outcomes. Methodological quality was assessed with PEDro. Random-effects meta-analyses computed mean differences (MD), and GRADE was used for certainty grading.ResultsFourteen studies (415 male athletes, aged 9–27 years) were included. Unilateral training showed no significant pooled effects on 10 m, 20-m, or 30 m sprints (overall I² = 58%), the T-test (I² = 59%), or COD to the right (COD-R, I² = 44%). The 505 test was not pooled because of very high heterogeneity (I² = 92%) and conflicting individual findings. Significant improvements favoring unilateral training were observed for 5 m sprint (Z = 2.01, P = 0.04) and COD to the left (COD-L, Z = 2.13, P = 0.03). Age subgroup analysis (<18 vs. ≥18 years) did not moderate 10 m sprint results (P = 0.64). Overall evidence quality was low to moderate.ConclusionUnilateral training confers selective, small-magnitude benefits for 5 m sprint and COD-L, but these results are preliminary. The COD-L finding rests on only three studies (63 athletes), and the 5-m finding on four studies (113 athletes). Given the exclusively male sample and wide age range (9–27 years), generalization requires caution. Unilateral training did not universally improve all sprint or COD measures. While results for 30-m sprint, T-test, and COD-R were relatively consistent, the 505-test evidence should be interpreted with caution because of high heterogeneity. Future large-scale RCTs should explore applicability across sports, age groups, and sexes, with attention to maturational status and training age in younger populations.Systematic Review Registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=1031255, identifier CRD420251031255.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2026.1837224</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2026.1837224</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Gastrointestinal metabolites: a potential bridge connecting gut microbiota and myocardial metabolic reprogramming in acute myocardial infarction]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-08-17T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Jingxin Zhang</author><author>Xiang Xiao</author><author>Xuefei Gao</author><author>Jiazhen Li</author><author>Haoyue Shi</author><author>Jing-Yan Han</author><author>Yin Li</author><author>Lin Li</author>
        <description><![CDATA[BackgroundGut microbiota plays a significant role in the occurrence and progression of multisystem disease. Previous studies have indicated that the intestinal microenvironment is closely linked to metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, yet its underlying mechanism remains unclear. We aimed to explore the association between the gut microbiota-metabolite network and cardiovascular function with the transcriptomic changes in the myocardium of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) mice.MethodsEight-week-old C57BL/6J mice were adaptively fed for 7 days and then divided into the AMI model group and Sham group. After surgery, multiple approaches were used to assess the physiological and pathological changes in mice. At 7 days post-surgery, cardiac sections were analyzed using H&E staining and Masson staining. The gastrointestinal contents collected from the AMI and Sham group mice were analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing and untargeted metabolomics and apical myocardial tissues were harvested for transcriptomic detection. followed by multi-omics association analysis between the differential gut microbiota and metabolites. Taking metabolites as the bridge, an integrated multi-omics correlation analysis was conducted.ResultsCompared with the Sham group, mice in the AMI group exhibited obvious myocardial pathological damage and significant depletion of gut microbiota such as Christensenellaceae_R-7_group, Allobaculum, and Akkermansia. These changes may be associated with regulation of pathways such as retrograde endocannabinoid signaling, glycerophospholipid metabolism, riboflavin metabolism and primary bile acid biosynthesis, and metabolites such as nitrogen/aromatic metabolites, phospholipid metabolites, and oxidative stress related metabolites. Myocardial transcriptomic results revealed that genes such as Sdha, Hadha and Hsdl2 were significantly downregulated in the AMI group, and the DEGs were highly enriched in pathways including fatty acid β-oxidation, mitochondrial respiratory chain and ATP metabolism, suggesting severe energy metabolism disorder in the myocardium of AMI mice.ConclusionsMyocardial injury in AMI may show a link between the remodeling of gut microbial structure. Correlative correlations indicate that altered gastrointestinal metabolites, as products of gut microbiota, are closely associated with myocardial metabolic reprogramming after AMI, whereas causal effects remain to be verified by further functional experiments.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2026.1908547</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2026.1908547</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Structured MOAKS-based MRI features for predicting medial joint space narrowing progression: a comparative osteoarthritis initiative study]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-08-14T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Minggui Bao</author><author>Ahmad Alkhatatbeh</author><author>Jiankun Xu</author><author>Hongjiang Chen</author><author>Zhonglian Huang</author><author>Xiaohui Lu</author><author>Tariq Alkhatatbeh</author><author>Jun Hu</author>
        <description><![CDATA[BackgroundKnee osteoarthritis (OA) is a major cause of pain and disability, yet baseline radiographic severity grading provides only modest prediction of structural progression. We evaluated whether structured MRI-derived MOAKS features improve prediction of full-grade medial joint space narrowing (JSN) progression, and whether deep multimodal fusion adds value beyond structured feature models.MethodsWe performed a patient-independent internal-validation study using the Osteoarthritis Initiative. Full-grade medial joint-space-narrowing (JSN) progression was defined as an increase of at least one grade between baseline and fixed 48-month central radiographic readings from the same longitudinal reading project. The final analytic cohort included 2,899 knees from 2,392 participants, partitioned at the participant level into training, validation, and held-out test sets of 2,050, 421, and 428 knees. We compared a radiographic baseline model (RBM), raw-MOAKS model (RMO), structured MRI/radiographic model (SMR), and radiograph-plus-MOAKS ResNet50 fusion model (XMF). AUPRC was primary; uncertainty was estimated with 2,000 patient-cluster bootstrap replicates.ResultsProgression prevalence was 10.0%. On the held-out test set (40 progressor knees), AUPRC/AUROC were 0.220 (95% CI 0.142–0.331)/0.748 (0.663–0.827) for RBM, 0.412 (0.260–0.576)/0.805 (0.726–0.878) for RMO, 0.345 (0.219–0.507)/0.801 (0.725–0.871) for SMR, and 0.301 (0.191–0.464)/0.768 (0.679–0.852) for XMF. Compared with RBM, AUPRC increased by 0.192 (0.087–0.313) for RMO and 0.125 (0.042–0.233) for SMR; the corresponding AUROC differences were 0.057 (−0.012 to 0.123) and 0.053 (0.004–0.105). XMF did not improve on SMR in AUPRC or AUROC (differences −0.044 [−0.135 to 0.060] and −0.033 [−0.092 to 0.018], respectively). A stronger clinical-radiographic comparator achieved AUPRC/AUROC 0.251/0.759, increasing to 0.355/0.813 after adding MOAKS.ConclusionBaseline MOAKS features provided prognostic information beyond radiographic or clinical-radiographic severity for fixed 48-month medial JSN progression. In this selected MOAKS-scored cohort, adding a baseline-radiograph ResNet50 encoder did not improve discrimination over the structured models. The finite number of test events, selected MOAKS availability, calibration requirements, and lack of external validation preclude claims of clinical readiness.]]></description>
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        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2026.1874479</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2026.1874479</link>
        <title><![CDATA[DCLA-Net: dual-encoder cross-level alignment network for ultrasound-based ectopic pregnancy mass segmentation]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-08-14T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Yan Cheng</author><author>Xiaokang Ding</author><author>Weiwei Zhu</author>
        <description><![CDATA[IntroductionBenefiting from its real-time imaging capability and non-invasive nature, ultrasound imaging has become an important modality for the diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy. However, the segmentation of ectopic pregnancy masses in ultrasound images remains a challenging task due to low image contrast, indistinct boundaries, severe noise, and substantial variations in lesion size and shape.  To tackle these issues, we propose DCLA-Net, a dual-encoder cross-level alignment network for ectopic pregnancy mass segmentation.MethodsSpecifically, DCLA-Net adopts a dual-encoder architecture composed of a convolutional neural network (CNN) branch and a Transformer branch, which are designed to capture local details and global contextual information. To enhance the integration of features from different semantic levels, a multi-scale context-aware fusion module (MSCAFM) is introduced to strengthen feature interaction and alignment across hierarchical representations. In addition, cross-level connections are established between the encoder and decoder to promote information propagation and alleviate the loss of fine details during feature transmission. Furthermore, a dual-attention fusion module (DAFM) is incorporated into the decoding stage to adaptively integrate channel-wise and spatial features, thereby improving feature representation capability.Results and DiscussionTo evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed method, extensive experiments were conducted on a clinical Ectopic Pregnancy Mass dataset and a publicly available Carotid dataset. On the Ectopic Pregnancy Mass dataset, DCLA-Net achieved Dice of 0.8455, Mcc of 0.8425, and Jaccard of 0.7341. On the Carotid dataset, it obtained Dice of 0.9597, Mcc of 0.9588, and Jaccard of 0.9227. Compared with state-of-the-art methods, DCLA-Net consistently achieves superior performance across all evaluation metrics on both datasets. In addition, ablation studies were performed to further validate the effectiveness of each proposed component. The results demonstrate that the dual-encoder architecture, MSCAFM, and DAFM all contribute positively to the overall segmentation performance.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2026.1902583</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2026.1902583</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Agreement and reliability of force-plate, smartphone-based, and wearable-sensor countermovement jump assessments for neuromuscular monitoring in male professional volleyball players]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-08-14T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Bartosz Wilczyński</author><author>Tymon Środa</author><author>Mateusz Sikorski</author><author>Mariola Gepfert</author><author>Jakub Jarosz</author><author>Katarzyna Zorena</author>
        <description><![CDATA[BackgroundCountermovement jump testing is widely used to infer lower-limb neuromuscular performance, readiness, fatigue, and adaptation in applied exercise physiology. However, commercially available force-plate, inertial-sensor, and smartphone-based systems use different signal sources and calculation methods, which may affect the physiological interpretation of jump-performance changes.ObjectiveTo evaluate the agreement and test–retest reliability of bilateral and single-leg countermovement jump outcomes obtained from force plates, an inertial measurement unit, and a smartphone application in male volleyball players.MethodsTwenty professional male volleyball players were enrolled. Bilateral and left/right single-leg countermovement jump trials were recorded concurrently using VALD ForceDecks, MyJump Lab 3, and Baiobit. VALD impulse–momentum-derived jump height was used as the reference outcome. Agreement analyses compared MyJump Lab 3 and Baiobit with VALD using bias, limits of agreement, ICC(2,1), SEM, and MDC95. Test–retest reliability was assessed between two sessions separated by 12 days. Sensitivity analyses examined VALD flight-time-derived height, MyJump flight time, best-trial values, and strict quality-control exclusions.ResultsMyJump Lab 3 systematically overestimated VALD impulse–momentum jump height by +1.88 to +4.16 cm. This discrepancy was markedly attenuated when VALD flight-time-derived height was used as the reference, while MyJump flight-time bias was negligible, indicating a calculation-method effect rather than temporal event-detection error. Baiobit showed smaller mean bias in some single-leg conditions but poorer individual-level agreement, with wider limits of agreement and less consistent absolute-agreement ICCs. VALD showed the strongest bilateral CMJ reliability (ICC = 0.929; MDC95 = 2.79 cm), whereas single-leg reliability was generally lower.ConclusionCommercially available jump-testing systems can lead to method-dependent differences in the interpretation of neuromuscular performance. Device-, task-, and metric-specific measurement error should be considered before using jump-height changes to infer readiness, fatigue, or adaptation in professional male volleyball players.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2026.1912453</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2026.1912453</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Predicting athletic performance in track and field athletes based on wearable physiological and psychological indicators: an interpretable machine learning study]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-08-14T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Pengfei Zhang</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Track-and-field performance fluctuates week to week under the joint influence of training load, recovery, autonomic regulation, and psychological readiness, and wearables now enable continuous physiological monitoring; however, whether bodily signals and readiness markers contribute differently to performance prediction across technical and physical events remains unclear. In a prospective longitudinal study, 132 competitive track-and-field athletes (71 physical-event, 61 technical-event) were monitored over a planned 14-week athlete-week design. One-week lagged morning LnRMSSD, resting heart rate, sleep duration and quality, session-RPE load, cognitive anxiety, and self-efficacy were used to predict subsequent standardized weekly performance change. Extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) models were evaluated with athlete-level grouped cross-validation. SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) summarized feature contributions, and OLS interaction models with athlete-clustered robust standard errors tested moderation by event type. The integrated XGBoost model showed the highest overall prediction among the evaluated feature sets (mean outer-fold R² = 0.510, RMSE = 0.505, MAE = 0.406; within-athlete centered sensitivity R² = 0.177–0.306), and readiness measures added a consistent increment beyond monitoring-only features (mean ΔR² = 0.088). SHAP identified the ordinal competitive-level code as the largest single contribution (23.4%), followed by lagged physiological and self-efficacy features. Interaction analyses gave partial evidence of event-sensitive moderation, mainly for psychological readiness in technical events, whereas aggregated physiological and load interactions were non-significant. Sensitivity analyses showed that predictive performance decreased after removing the competitive-level code (R² = 0.366) and in within-athlete centered models, indicating that the headline R² reflected both stable athlete-level stratification and week-to-week monitoring signals. Overall, integrated wearable physiological and psychological monitoring can help predict and characterize week-to-week performance change in track-and-field athletes, with the most consistent event-sensitive signal involving psychological readiness, particularly self-efficacy, in technical events, while not implying causal mechanisms.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2026.1935418</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2026.1935418</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Vagal pathways and heart rate variability in recovery after caesarean delivery: a framework for multimodal autonomic-immune phenotyping]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-08-14T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Mini Review</category>
        <author>Yi Zhang</author><author>Shuang Guo</author><author>Qingjun Zeng</author><author>Haishan Cui</author><author>Chunmei Li</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Recovery after caesarean delivery involves interacting inflammatory, autonomic, neuroendocrine, nociceptive and psychosocial processes. This Mini Review examines whether vagal pathways and heart rate variability (HRV) can provide a mechanistic and measurable framework for studying that recovery. The inflammatory reflex and cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway offer a biological rationale: neural signals can restrain cytokine production through an autonomic-immune circuit that includes splenic sympathetic signalling, norepinephrine-responsive acetylcholine-producing T cells and the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR) on macrophages. However, the anatomy and relative vagal and sympathetic contributions to this circuit remain debated. HRV, particularly the root mean square of successive differences and high-frequency power under standardized recording conditions, indexes cardiac parasympathetic modulation rather than whole-body vagal activity or splenic anti-inflammatory output. Pregnancy is accompanied by substantial autonomic adaptation, and postpartum HRV follows a dynamic trajectory, but existing longitudinal data do not establish when individual values return to pre-pregnancy baselines. In obstetric anaesthesia, HRV has mainly been studied as a preoperative predictor of spinal anaesthesia-induced hypotension; evidence for serial HRV as a recovery measure remains limited. We therefore propose a testable framework in which standardized longitudinal HRV is paired with inflammatory biomarkers, patient-reported recovery and clinical milestones after caesarean delivery. Non-invasive interventions such as transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation, slow-paced breathing and HRV biofeedback are plausible probes of this framework, but their target engagement and clinical effects require rigorous sham-controlled evaluation. HRV should be treated as a candidate component of multimodal recovery phenotyping, not as a direct measure of the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2026.1902975</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2026.1902975</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Development and validation of an AI-driven blood glucose prediction system for pilots based on continuous glucose monitoring]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-08-14T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Dalong Guo</author><author>Guangyun Wang</author><author>Dexin Kong</author><author>Zhen Tian</author><author>Baosen Tan</author><author>Yufei Qin</author><author>Zhaoting Yang</author><author>Yubin Zhou</author><author>Haocheng Yin</author><author>Yimeng Zhang</author>
        <description><![CDATA[During flight, pilots are exposed to unique environmental factors such as low air pressure, acceleration, and psychological stress, which can lead to altered glucose metabolism that poses a threat to flight safety. Traditional fingerstick blood glucose monitoring has drawbacks such as the need for intermittent readings, time-consuming procedures, and passive monitoring. Conventional continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) can only display historical and real-time glucose data and lacks predictive capabilities. In the present study, an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven blood glucose prediction system for pilots based on CGM and a multimodal transformer was developed with the aim of achieving proactive early warning of blood glucose risks among pilots. Sixty healthy male volunteers aged 25–50 years were recruited. Subjects completed 180 simulated flight experiments, during which multimodal data such as CGM glucose level, heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, and physical activity levels, were simultaneously collected to establish a scenario-specific dataset in aviation. A multimodal transformer model was developed to predict future blood glucose levels at 15, 30, and 60 min, and its performance was compared with baseline models such as linear extrapolation, long short-term memory (LSTM), and gated recurrent unit (GRU).The results showed that the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of the model for the prediction of blood glucose at 30 min was 7.2%, and the root mean square error (RMSE) was 9.4 mg/dL, which indicated a significantly superior prediction performance compared with the baseline models. For hypoglycemia event prediction, sensitivity was 92.5%, specificity was 89.7%, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was 0.94. A Clarke error grid analysis revealed that 98.7% of the predicted points fell within the clinically accurate region, which could potentially provide pilots with approximately 32 min of lead time for intervention. This system proved capable of accurately predicting blood glucose fluctuations during flight. Therefore, it may aid in shifting the metabolic health management of pilots from passive monitoring to proactive prevention, and serve as a novel tool for assuring aviation medical safety.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2026.1960627</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2026.1960627</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Editorial: Uncovering physiological mechanisms of aquatic organisms under environmental stress in a changing climate]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-08-14T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Editorial</category>
        <author>Analía Ale</author>
        <description></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2026.1886745</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2026.1886745</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Skeletal muscle–heart crosstalk in chronic kidney disease: hierarchical signaling networks underlying myocardial metabolic reprogramming and fibrotic remodeling]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-08-14T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Review</category>
        <author>Haijing Lu</author><author>Boyin Liu</author><author>Jiazhou Ji</author><author>Lin Shuai</author><author>Jingyuan Cao</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Cardiovascular disease is a major complication of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and often develops alongside skeletal muscle wasting and sarcopenia. These abnormalities are usually studied as separate consequences of CKD, but they may also be linked through shared systemic stressors and inter-organ communication. CKD exposes both skeletal muscle and the myocardium to a persistent uremic milieu characterized by toxin retention, chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, hypoxia, and metabolic disturbance. In this setting, skeletal muscle–heart crosstalk may shift from an adaptive homeostatic program to a maladaptive network that contributes to myocardial metabolic dysfunction and fibrotic remodeling. Under physiological conditions, and especially during exercise, skeletal muscle releases myokines and extracellular vesicles carrying miRNAs, proteins, and other regulatory molecules that support myocardial substrate utilization, mitochondrial function, and repair responses. In CKD, however, altered myokine profiles and dysregulated extracellular vesicle cargoes may act on cardiomyocytes, cardiac fibroblasts, and endothelial cells, promoting impaired metabolic flexibility, extracellular matrix deposition, and progressive cardiac remodeling. The heart may also feed back on skeletal muscle through cardiac-derived endocrine signals and neurohumoral pathways, further reinforcing muscle wasting and systemic dysfunction. In this review, we summarize current evidence on skeletal muscle–heart communication under physiological, exercise-related, and CKD-associated conditions, with emphasis on myokines, extracellular vesicles, and miRNA-mediated signaling. Better definition of this axis may help identify biomarkers and therapeutic targets for CKD-associated sarcopenia and cardiovascular disease.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2026.1835158</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2026.1835158</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Quantifying gravity-dependent and gravity-independent ventilation distribution by hyperpolarized 129Xe MRI in restrictive and airway diseases]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-08-13T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Kunyu (Kimi) Du</author><author>David Mummy</author><author>Robert Tighe</author><author>Loretta Que</author><author>Bastiaan Driehuys</author><author>Yuh-Chin T. Huang</author>
        <description><![CDATA[RationaleHyperpolarized 129XeMRI can be used to quantify ventilation heterogeneity. The radio-frequency bias correction method has been shown to preserve the physiological ventilation gradient in healthy individuals. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and obese asthma would have worsened gravity-dependent and gravity-independent ventilation distribution gradients.MethodsWe analyzed 3-dimensional HPXeMRI ventilation images from our databank using both the conventional N4ITK and the RF bias correction methods. We divided the lung regions equally into apical/middle/basal compartments (gravity independent) and anterior/middle/posterior compartments (gravity dependent). We averaged the ventilation signals within each compartment and calculated ventilation differences (ΔV˙) between basal and apical compartments (ΔV˙B-A) and between posterior and anterior compartments (ΔV˙P-A).ResultsWe included 10 younger (age: 23 ± 3 years), 10 older healthy subjects (age: 62 ± 7 years), 30 patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) (age: 74 ± 6 years) and 10 obese asthma patients (age: 40 ± 10 years). Younger and older healthy subjects had greater ventilation in the basal compartment (ΔV˙B-A=0.20 ± 0.17 and 0.11 ± 0.15 respectively) and the posterior compartment (ΔV˙P-A=0.08 ± 0.06 and 0.13 ± 0.16 respectively). Twenty-five IPF patients had positive ΔV˙B-A (0.17 ± 0.08) and ΔV˙P-A (0.11 ± 0.07). Five patients had negative ΔV˙P-A (-0.17 ± 0.09, p<0.0001) with three also having negative ΔV˙B-A (-0.04 ± 0.01, p=0.049). Six obese asthma patients had positive ΔV˙P-A (0.13 ± 0.08). Four patients had negative ΔV˙P-A (-0.11 ± 0.15, p=0.017) with two also having negative ΔV˙B-A (-0.17 and -0.09).ConclusionsWith the RF depolarization bias correction method, we showed physiological ventilation gradients in healthy subjects and detected abnormal (inverse) ventilation gradients in a subgroup of patients with IPF and obese asthma, despite low ventilation defect percentage (VDP), and mild or no spirometry abnormalities. The abnormal ventilation gradients may reflect the heterogeneity of the disease that may be associated with different treatment response and prognosis. These will need to be explored in future studies with a different design including larger populations.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2026.1889633</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2026.1889633</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Beyond the apnea–hypopnea index in COPD–OSA overlap syndrome: a mechanism-informed framework for nocturnal oxygenation and ventilation]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-08-13T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Review</category>
        <author>Xize Zhang</author><author>Xue Han</author><author>Shaodan Hu</author><author>Li Shi</author>
        <description><![CDATA[BackgroundIn chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)–obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) overlap syndrome, the apnea–hypopnea index (AHI) confirms and grades OSA but does not fully explain nocturnal hypoxemia or carbon dioxide retention.ObjectiveWe propose a post-diagnostic, mechanism-informed framework for interpreting nocturnal oxygenation and ventilation after both COPD and OSA have been objectively confirmed.MethodsThis targeted narrative review synthesized PubMed literature and major guideline sources through 20 May 2026. Reporting followed established narrative-review quality principles, and evidence use was categorized as guideline-supported, direct overlap-syndrome observational evidence, indirect COPD or OSA evidence, or physiological inference.ResultsThe framework separates three baseline mechanisms: event-related upper-airway obstruction, sustained low-baseline oxygenation or gas-exchange impairment, and sleep-related hypoventilation or chronic hypercapnia. Residual hypoxemia after optimized positive airway pressure or noninvasive ventilation is treated as a post-treatment reassessment scenario rather than a baseline phenotype. Suggested core reporting includes the AHI measurement method, hypopnea rule, oxygen desaturation threshold, time spent below specified oxygen saturation thresholds, mean and verified minimum oxygen saturation, rapid eye movement and supine exposure, treatment context, oximetry settings, and carbon dioxide monitoring when indicated.ConclusionAHI remains essential for diagnosing OSA, but oxygenation and ventilation in overlap syndrome may be better interpreted by mechanism. The proposed framework is an interpretive and reporting scaffold rather than a treatment algorithm, and its clinical utility, reproducibility, and prognostic value require prospective validation in well-characterized cohorts.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2026.1695483</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2026.1695483</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Psychological monitoring in isolated, confined, and extreme environments: promise and challenges of ecological momentary assessment]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-08-13T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Mini Review</category>
        <author>Clara Richard</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Personnel in Isolated, Confined, and Extreme (ICE) environments face unique psychological stressors that can compromise performance, safety, and mission success. Traditional psychological monitoring approaches, predominantly retrospective questionnaires and clinical interviews, may inadequately capture the dynamic nature of psychological adaptation in these demanding contexts. This mini-review examines the potential role of Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) as part of a comprehensive approach to psychological monitoring in ICE environments. We review current monitoring practices across spaceflight, polar, submarine, and remote field operations, and evaluate emerging technologies including EMA, wearable sensors, and digital biomarkers. While EMA offers theoretical advantages through real-time data collection and reduced recall bias, implementation faces substantial obstacles including technological constraints, participant burden, cultural considerations, and validation challenges. Limited empirical evidence suggests that hybrid approaches combining multiple assessment modalities may be most promising for operational implementation. We propose a framework for developing next-generation psychological monitoring systems that balance scientific rigor with operational feasibility, emphasizing environment-specific validation and the inherent sample-size constraints of ICE settings.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2026.1852707</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2026.1852707</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Sternocleidomastoid muscle morphology is independently associated with neck strength and endurance in athletes and para-athletes]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-08-13T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Sandra Rozenstoka</author><author>Elena Comadran de Barnola</author><author>Santa Kauzena</author><author>Gundega Akuratere</author><author>Zinta Galeja</author><author>Daira Deicmane</author>
        <description><![CDATA[BackgroundNeck functional capacity is clinically relevant in sports medicine for performance support, screening, and injury prevention in sports characterized by acceleration, contact, and sustained precision demands. Ultrasound can quantify local muscle morphology and may improve interpretation of neck performance beyond crude anthropometry (e.g., neck girth) and global strength indicators.ObjectiveTo determine whether sternocleidomastoid (SCM) cross-sectional area (CSA) and neck anthropometry are associated with neck function (strength, endurance, range of motion), and whether SCM morphology explains function beyond age, BMI, general strength (handgrip), and sport-domain context in a male cohort of athletes, para-athletes, and physically active controls.MethodsCross-sectional comparative study (n=195 men) including athletes across sport domains, para-athletes, and controls. Outcomes were isometric neck strength (flexor and extensor), neck flexor endurance, and active neck ROM. SCM CSA was assessed by standardized musculoskeletal ultrasound; neck girth served as an anthropometric comparator. Analyses included Pearson correlations and adjusted linear regression models controlling for age and BMI. Explanatory value beyond general strength was evaluated by adding handgrip strength, and independence from sport-domain context by adding sport domain as a covariate.ResultsSCM CSA correlated positively with flexor strength (r=0.34, p<0.001), extensor strength (r=0.25, p<0.001), and flexor endurance (r=0.28, p<0.001), and showed a weak inverse association with extension ROM (r=−0.17, p=0.017). In adjusted models (age, BMI), SCM CSA was independently associated with flexor strength (β=1.32 kg per cm²; p<0.001) and flexor endurance (β=0.53 min per cm²; p<0.001), but not extensor strength. SCM CSA remained associated with flexor strength and endurance after adjustment for handgrip strength and sport domain. Additional within- versus between-domain analysis supported a within-domain SCM association for flexor strength and endurance rather than a purely between-domain aggregation effect. Neck girth did not provide comparable independent explanatory value for strength or endurance outcomes.ConclusionsSCM morphology is independently associated with neck performance, particularly flexor strength and endurance. Ultrasound-based SCM assessment provides measurable but limited additional information beyond neck girth, handgrip strength, and sport-domain context. These findings support its cautious use as an adjunct measure alongside objective cervical functional testing, rather than as a stand-alone screening tool.]]></description>
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