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        <title>Frontiers in Physiology | Biophysics section | New and Recent Articles</title>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/sections/biophysics</link>
        <description>RSS Feed for Biophysics section in the Frontiers in Physiology journal | New and Recent Articles</description>
        <language>en-us</language>
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        <pubDate>2026-05-12T23:38:17.313+00:00</pubDate>
        <ttl>60</ttl>
        <item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2026.1707620</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2026.1707620</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Operative lung cancer patients’ knowledge of pulmonary rehabilitation]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-02-19T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Xiaowei Mao</author><author>Fang Hu</author><author>Jin Peng</author><author>Feng Pan</author><author>Jingjing Yan</author><author>Liyan Jiang</author>
        <description><![CDATA[IntroductionWe conducted this survey to explore what operative lung cancer patients knew about pulmonary rehabilitation and the factors that influence it.MethodsBetween 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2020, patients who received thoracic surgery were enrolled in this study. We used a three-part questionnaire to collect the clinical features and knowledge of pulmonary rehabilitation.ResultsA total of 93 patients were enrolled in this study. Most patients were female, ≤60 years old, had normal pulmonary function, and had been diagnosed with non-small-cell lung cancer. Univariate analysis revealed that patients with abnormal pulmonary ventilatory function, higher preoperative COPD assessment test (CAT) scores, higher CAT differences, and higher mMRC differences showed a higher awareness of pulmonary rehabilitation (p = 0.043, 0.029, 0.178, and 0.003, respectively). Multivariate analysis suggested that preoperative CAT score (p = 0.01) and mMRC difference (p = 0.001) were the factors associated with awareness of pulmonary rehabilitation.ConclusionMany factors may influence the patients’ knowledge of pulmonary rehabilitation. We found that a higher preoperative CAT score and a larger mMRC difference were factors associated with awareness of pulmonary rehabilitation. However, assistance should also be provided to patients who do not fall into these categories, as they may lack knowledge of pulmonary rehabilitation.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2025.1727715</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2025.1727715</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Leg-specific modulation of muscle synergies during Tai Chi heel kick in elite athletes]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-01-08T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Jinsong Mo</author><author>Feiyue Jing</author>
        <description><![CDATA[PurposeThe Tai Chi heel-kick is a slow, high-amplitude single-leg movement that places substantial demands on lower-limb coordination, dynamic balance, and controlled force transfer, and is increasingly incorporated into performance training and rehabilitation programs. This study investigated muscle synergies and activation timing differences between the left and right legs of elite Tai Chi athletes during the heel-kick and explored leg-specific neuromuscular control features by combining synergy analysis with spinal segment statistical parametric mapping (SPM).MethodsTwelve national-level elite Tai Chi athletes were recruited. Surface electromyography (sEMG) signals were collected from key lower-limb muscles, and muscle synergies were extracted using non-negative matrix factorization (NMF). The center of activation (CoA) was calculated using circular statistics, and SPM was applied to examine activation differences across the L2–S2 spinal segments.ResultsFour to five robust muscle synergies were identified for both legs, showing high spatial similarity; however, activation timing differed, with the left-leg synergies peaking earlier and the right-leg synergies delayed. CoA analysis indicated an overall phase advance in the left leg and a phase delay in the right leg. Spinal SPM further revealed inter-limb differences during the mid-to-late phase of the movement (40%–80%), with right-leg activation concentrated in L4–S1 segments, whereas the left leg exhibited a broader distribution.ConclusionDuring the Tai Chi heel-kick, the left and right legs share similar synergy composition but differ in temporal activation patterns and spinal segmental drive, suggesting leg-specific modulation within an overall conserved modular structure. Characterizing these timing asymmetries in highly trained athletes provides a neuromuscular reference for designing Tai Chi–based training drills targeting single-leg control and side-to-side balance, and offers a potential framework for tailoring lower-limb rehabilitation exercises that require coordinated support and kicking functions.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2025.1633126</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2025.1633126</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Spatiotemporal video of blood-brain barrier disruption in neuroinflammatory disorders]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-01-02T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Yukai Xu</author><author>Zhiwei Zhang</author><author>Kaili Feng</author>
        <description><![CDATA[IntroductionUnderstanding blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption in neuroinflammatory disorders is crucial for advancing neurological diagnostics and therapy. Unlike prior work that focuses on static imaging or rule-based modeling, our approach introduces a principled, video-driven biomarker system with interpretable temporal dynamics, contextual adaptability, and patient-specific alignment. This represents a fundamental shift from handcrafted thresholding and static biomarker snapshots to real-time, trajectory-based modeling of BBB disruptions. Owing to the spatiotemporal complexity of BBB dynamics in diseases like multiple sclerosis and encephalitis, traditional assessment methods—such as contrast-enhanced MRI or CSF analysis—often fall short due to low temporal resolution, observer bias, and limited generalizability. These limitations hinder the detection of subtle or transient barrier perturbations with potential diagnostic value.MethodsIn response to these obstacles, we present a novel paradigm employing spatiotemporal video-derived biomarkers to facilitate real-time, interpretable assessment of BBB integrity. Central to our approach is VidNet, a deep video modeling architecture that extracts latent biomarker trajectories from neuroimaging sequences using hierarchical attention to focus on physiologically meaningful patterns, such as microvascular compromise. Complementing this, CABRiS (Context-Aware Biomarker Refinement Strategy) integrates imaging context and patient-specific priors to enhance robustness, domain adaptability, and semantic consistency. This hybrid system—combining BioVidNet’s trajectory encoding with CABRiS refinement—enables precise, individualized quantification of BBB dynamics.Results and discussionEvaluation on benchmark and clinical datasets reveals superior detection of neurovascular disruptions and alignment with expert annotations compared to existing methods. By offering temporally resolved and personalized assessments, our framework supports goals in dynamic neuroimaging, including early intervention and mechanistic disease understanding. This work contributes a scalable, interpretable tool for precision neuromonitoring in neuroinflammatory conditions. Unlike previous approaches that primarily depend on static neuroimaging features, handcrafted thresholds, or disease_specific heuristics, our method introduces a principled end-to-end framework that integrates dynamic video-based biomarkers with interpretable deep modeling. By disentangling transient motion patterns and physiological rhythms within a unified latent space, and aligning biomarker trajectories through patient-specific contextual priors, our method uniquely captures personalized temporal dynamics of BBB disruption. This represents a marked advancement over conventional methods in both adaptability and clinical interpretability, offering a new paradigm for precision neuromonitoring in neuroinflammatory settings.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2025.1626675</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2025.1626675</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Electrophysiological and biophysical perspectives on the clitoral corpus cavernosum and its role in female sexual arousal disorder]]></title>
        <pubdate>2025-09-01T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Review</category>
        <author>Chitaranjan Mahapatra</author><author>Jagatpati Raiguru</author><author>Kasetty Lakshminarasimha</author><author>Ahmed Al-Emam</author><author>Maher Ali Rusho</author>
        <description><![CDATA[The clitoris is a vital part of the female sexual system, playing a crucial role in sexual satisfaction and overall sexual health. During arousal, the smooth muscle within the corpus cavernosum of the clitoris relaxes, which increases blood flow and causes the clitoral tissues to swell and firm. This vascular engorgement is not only essential for clitoral erection but also enhances the pleasurable sensations during sexual activity. However, conditions such as pelvic floor disorders, Peyronie’s disease, neuromuscular disorders, and hormonal imbalances can lead to dysfunction in the smooth muscle of the corpus cavernosum, significantly impacting female sexual function. The contractile behavior of these smooth muscles is governed by intricate cellular and subcellular processes, particularly the generation of intracellular electrical activities, with calcium influx playing a central role. This calcium influx is mediated through voltage-dependent calcium channels and calcium release from intracellular stores. Despite the critical importance of these mechanisms, comprehensive studies on the biophysical aspects of smooth muscle electrophysiology are limited, likely due to their complexity. This review seeks to investigate the cellular electrophysiological mechanisms underlying the electrical excitability of corpus cavernosum smooth muscle and to understand the biophysical aspects of clitoral muscle contraction disorders. It also proposes a first conceptual model to guide future research, with the aim of supporting the development of more effective treatments and enhancing female sexual health.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2025.1651258</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2025.1651258</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Piezo in the eye: expression, distribution and roles in ocular diseases]]></title>
        <pubdate>2025-08-12T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Review</category>
        <author>Li Zhu</author><author>Shouyan Ren</author><author>Shuang He</author><author>Meifang Liu</author><author>Fei Hou</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Piezo channels are currently known to be the most sensitive molecular mechanoreceptors. Piezo can respond to membrane tension, sag, shear force, tensile and other mechanical stimuli, produces fast inactivation, small conductance, and low threshold current. In eukaryotic cells, Piezo has two family members: Piezo1 and Piezo2. Functionally, Piezo1 detects whole-membrane tension changes, including swelling and compression. Piezo2 is more likely to sense specific mechanical stimuli, including touch and airway stretching. In the ocular system, Piezo1 and Piezo2 are expressed across various cells and tissues. This article provides a comprehensive review of the expression, distribution, and function of Piezo channels in ocular tissues, offering novel insights for the treatment of eye diseases.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2025.1536165</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2025.1536165</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Review of electrophysiological models to study membrane potential changes in breast cancer cell transformation and tumor progression]]></title>
        <pubdate>2025-03-05T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Review</category>
        <author>Chitaranjan Mahapatra</author><author>Arnaw Kishore</author><author>Jineetkumar Gawad</author><author>Ahmed Al-Emam</author><author>Riad Azzam Kouzeiha</author><author>Maher Ali Rusho</author>
        <description><![CDATA[The transformation of normal breast cells into cancerous cells is a complex process influenced by both genetic and microenvironmental factors. Recent studies highlight the significant role of membrane potential (Vm) alterations in this transformation. Cancer cells typically exhibit a depolarized resting membrane potential (RMP) compared to normal cells, which correlates with increased cellular activity and more aggressive cancer behavior. These RMP and Vm changes are associated with altered ion channel activity, altered calcium dynamics, mitochondrial dysfunction, modified gap junction communication, and disrupted signaling pathways. Such fluctuations in RMP and Vm influence key processes in cancer progression, including cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Notably, more aggressive subtypes of breast cancer cells display more frequent and pronounced Vm fluctuations. Understanding the electrical properties of cancer cells provides new insights into their behavior and offers potential therapeutic targets, such as ion channels and Vm regulation. This review synthesizes current research on how various factors modulate membrane potential and proposes an electrophysiological model of breast cancer cells based on experimental and clinical data from the literature. These findings may pave the way for novel pharmacological targets for clinicians, researchers, and pharmacologists in treating breast cancer.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2025.1537537</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2025.1537537</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Optimized measurement methods and systems for the dielectric properties of active biological tissues in the 10Hz-100 MHz frequency range]]></title>
        <pubdate>2025-01-30T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Yueying Shi</author><author>Xiaoxiao Bai</author><author>Jingrong Yang</author><author>Xinyu Wu</author><author>Lei Wang</author>
        <description><![CDATA[The dielectric properties of active biological tissues within the 10Hz-100 MHz frequency range contain rich information about tissue morphology and function. Accurately understanding the dielectric properties of active human tissues holds significant value for disease diagnosis and electromagnetic protection. However, accurately measuring these properties has been challenging due to factors such as electrode polarization and distribution parameters. This study has developed a dual-purpose measuring cell that supports both four-electrode and two-electrode impedance measurements. Leveraging this development, we have established a system and methodology that is well-suited for the dielectric property measurement of active biological tissues within the frequency range of 10Hz to 100 MHz. Our measurements of dielectric properties in NaCl solutions of varying concentrations and pig liver tissues demonstrate the system’s high accuracy and repeatability. For NaCl solutions, the maximum relative deviation is only 6.34%, with an average deviation of less than 1.5%. For pig liver tissues, the overall relative deviation is below 6%. Through the integration of the four-electrode and two-electrode measurement systems, we have successfully addressed the challenges of electrode polarization at low frequencies and the influence of distribution parameters at high frequencies, achieving a significant improvement in measurement accuracy across the spectrum.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2024.1354091</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2024.1354091</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Effects of lithium isotopes on sodium/lithium co-transport and calcium efflux through the sodium/calcium/lithium exchanger in mitochondria]]></title>
        <pubdate>2024-04-09T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Irina Bukhteeva</author><author>Fasih A. Rahman</author><author>Brian Kendall</author><author>Robin E. Duncan</author><author>Joe Quadrilatero</author><author>Evgeny V. Pavlov</author><author>Michel J. P. Gingras</author><author>Zoya Leonenko</author>
        <description><![CDATA[The effects of lithium (Li) isotopes and their impact on biological processes have recently gained increased attention due to the significance of Li as a pharmacological agent and the potential that Li isotopic effects in neuroscience contexts may constitute a new example of quantum effects in biology. Previous studies have shown that the two Li isotopes, which differ in mass and nuclear spin, have unusual different effects in vivo and in vitro and, although some molecular targets for Li isotope fractionation have been proposed, it is not known whether those result in observable downstream neurophysiological effects. In this work we studied fluxes of Li+, sodium (Na+) and calcium (Ca2+) ions in the mitochondrial sodium/calcium/lithium exchanger (NCLX), the only transporter known with recognized specificity for Li+. We studied the effect of Li+ isotopes on Ca2+ efflux from heart mitochondria in comparison to natural Li+ and Na+ using Ca2+-induced fluorescence and investigated a possible Li isotope fractionation in mitochondria using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Our fluorescence data indicate that Ca2+ efflux increases with higher concentrations of either Li+ or Na+. We found that the simultaneous presence of Li+ and Na+ increases Ca2+ efflux compared to Ca2+ efflux caused by the same concentration of Li+ alone. However, no differentiation in the Ca2+ efflux between the two Li+ isotopes was observed, either for Li+ alone or in mixtures of Li+ and Na+. Our ICP-MS data demonstrate that there is selectivity between Na+ and Li+ (greater Na+ than Li+ uptake) and, most interestingly, between the Li+ isotopes (greater 6Li+ than 7Li+ uptake) by the inner mitochondrial membrane. In summary, we observed no Li+ isotope differentiation for Ca2+ efflux in mitochondria via NCLX but found a Li+ isotope fractionation during Li+ uptake by mitochondria with NCLX active or blocked. Our results suggest that the transport of Li+ via NCLX is not the main pathway for Li+ isotope fractionation and that this differentiation does not affect Ca2+ efflux in mitochondria. Therefore, explaining the puzzling effects of Li+ isotopes observed in other contexts will require further investigation to identify the molecular targets for Li+ isotope differentiation.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2024.1348915</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2024.1348915</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Ultra weak photon emission—a brief review]]></title>
        <pubdate>2024-02-14T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Review</category>
        <author>Rhys R. Mould</author><author>Alasdair M. Mackenzie</author><author>Ifigeneia Kalampouka</author><author>Alistair V. W. Nunn</author><author>E. Louise Thomas</author><author>Jimmy D. Bell</author><author>Stanley W. Botchway</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Cells emit light at ultra-low intensities: photons which are produced as by-products of cellular metabolism, distinct from other light emission processes such as delayed luminescence, bioluminescence, and chemiluminescence. The phenomenon is known by a large range of names, including, but not limited to, biophotons, biological autoluminescence, metabolic photon emission and ultraweak photon emission (UPE), the latter of which shall be used for the purposes of this review. It is worth noting that the photons when produced are neither ‘weak’ nor specifically biological in characteristics. Research of UPE has a long yet tattered past, historically hamstrung by a lack of technology sensitive enough to detect it. Today, as technology progresses rapidly, it is becoming easier to detect and image these photons, as well as to describe their function. In this brief review we will examine the history of UPE research, their proposed mechanism, possible biological role, the detection of the phenomenon, and the potential medical applications.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2024.1292035</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2024.1292035</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Comparative anatomy of the Sapajus sp. (bearded capuchin) hand with comments on tool use in a parallel evolution with the hominid pathway]]></title>
        <pubdate>2024-02-09T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Rafael Bretas</author><author>Emmanuel Freitas-Ferreira</author><author>Rafael Souto Maior</author><author>Carlos Tomaz</author><author>Maria Tereza Gonçalves-Mendes</author><author>Tales Alexandre Aversi-Ferreira</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Introduction: Bearded capuchins display a wide variety of manipulatory skills and make routine use of tools in both captivity and the wild. The efficient handling of objects in this genus has led several investigators to assume near-human thumb movements, despite a lack of anatomical studies.Methods: Here, we performed an anatomical analysis of muscles and bones in the capuchin hand. Sapajus morphological traits were quantitatively compared with those of humans, chimpanzees, gorillas, and baboons.Results: The comparative analysis indicated that the Sapajus hand is more similar to that of baboons and least similar to that of humans according to the muscles, bones, and three-dimensional data. Furthermore, these findings suggest that bearded capuchins lack true thumb opponency. Regarding manipulatory skills, they display rather primitive hand traits, with limited resources for precision grasping using the opponens pollicis.Discussion: These findings suggest that bearded capuchins’ complex use of tools depends more heavily on their high cognitive abilities than on a versatile hand apparatus. These findings offer crucial insights into the evolution of primate cognition.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2024.1348395</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2024.1348395</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Quantitative measurements of reactive oxygen species partitioning in electron transfer flavoenzyme magnetic field sensing]]></title>
        <pubdate>2024-02-02T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Brief Research Report</category>
        <author>Chase K. Austvold</author><author>Stephen M. Keable</author><author>Maria Procopio</author><author>Robert J. Usselman</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Biological magnetic field sensing that gives rise to physiological responses is of considerable importance in quantum biology. The radical pair mechanism (RPM) is a fundamental quantum process that can explain some of the observed biological magnetic effects. In magnetically sensitive radical pair (RP) reactions, coherent spin dynamics between singlet and triplet pairs are modulated by weak magnetic fields. The resulting singlet and triplet reaction products lead to distinct biological signaling channels and cellular outcomes. A prevalent RP in biology is between flavin semiquinone and superoxide (O2•−) in the biological activation of molecular oxygen. This RP can result in a partitioning of reactive oxygen species (ROS) products to form either O2•− or hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Here, we examine magnetic sensing of recombinant human electron transfer flavoenzyme (ETF) reoxidation by selectively measuring O2•− and H2O2 product distributions. ROS partitioning was observed between two static magnetic fields at 20 nT and 50 μT, with a 13% decrease in H2O2 singlet products and a 10% increase in O2•− triplet products relative to 50 µT. RPM product yields were calculated for a realistic flavin/superoxide RP across the range of static magnetic fields, in agreement with experimental results. For a triplet born RP, the RPM also predicts about three times more O2•− than H2O2, with experimental results exhibiting about four time more O2•− produced by ETF. The method presented here illustrates the potential of a novel magnetic flavoprotein biological sensor that is directly linked to mitochondria bioenergetics and can be used as a target to study cell physiology.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2023.1323605</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2023.1323605</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Analysis of metabolite and strain effects on cardiac cross-bridge dynamics using model linearisation techniques]]></title>
        <pubdate>2024-01-16T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Julia H. Musgrave</author><author>June-Chiew Han</author><author>Marie-Louise Ward</author><author>Andrew J. Taberner</author><author>Kenneth Tran</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Multi-scale models of cardiac energetics are becoming crucial in better understanding the prevalent chronic diseases operating at the intersection of metabolic and cardiovascular dysfunction. Computationally efficient models of cardiac cross-bridge kinetics that are sensitive to changes in metabolite concentrations are necessary to simulate the effects of disease-induced changes in cellular metabolic state on cardiac mechanics across disparate spatial scales. While these models do currently exist, deeper analysis of how the modelling of metabolite effects and the assignment of strain dependence within the cross-bridge cycle affect the properties of the model is required. In this study, model linearisation techniques were used to simulate and interrogate the complex modulus of an ODE-based model of cross-bridge kinetics. Active complex moduli were measured from permeabilised rat cardiac trabeculae under five different metabolite conditions with varying ATP and Pi concentrations. Sensitivity to metabolites was incorporated into an existing three-state cross-bridge model using either a direct dependence or a rapid equilibrium approach. Combining the two metabolite binding methods with all possible locations of strain dependence within the cross-bridge cycle produced 64 permutations of the cross-bridge model. Using linear model analysis, these models were systematically explored to determine the effects of metabolite binding and their interaction with strain dependence on the frequency response of cardiac muscle. The results showed that the experimentally observed effects of ATP and Pi concentrations on the cardiac complex modulus could be attributed to their regulation of cross-bridge detachment rates. Analysis of the cross-bridge models revealed a mechanistic basis for the biochemical schemes which place Pi release following cross-bridge formation and ATP binding prior to cross-bridge detachment. In addition, placing strain dependence on the reverse rate of the cross-bridge power stroke produced the model which most closely matched the experimental data. From these analyses, a well-justified metabolite-sensitive model of rat cardiac cross-bridge kinetics is presented which is suitable for parameterisation with other data sets and integration with multi-scale cardiac models.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2023.1349013</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2023.1349013</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Accelerating an integrative view of quantum biology]]></title>
        <pubdate>2024-01-11T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Perspective</category>
        <author>Luke J. Kinsey</author><author>Wendy S. Beane</author><author>Kelly Ai-Sun Tseng</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Quantum biology studies span multiple disciplines including physics, engineering, and biology with the goal of understanding the quantum underpinnings of living systems. Recent findings have brought wide attention to the role of quantum mechanisms in the function and regulation of biological processes. Moreover, a number of activities have been integral in building a vibrant quantum biology community. Due to the inherent interdisciplinary nature of the field, it is a challenge for quantum biology researchers to integrate and advance findings across the physical and biological disciplines. Here we outline achievable approaches to developing a shared platform—including the establishment of standardized manipulation tools and sensors, and a common scientific lexicon. Building a shared community framework is also crucial for fostering robust interdisciplinary collaborations, enhancing knowledge sharing, and diversifying participation in quantum biology. A unified approach promises not only to deepen our understanding of biological systems at a quantum level but also to accelerate the frontiers of medical and technological innovations.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2023.1338479</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2023.1338479</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Magnetic isotope effects: a potential testing ground for quantum biology]]></title>
        <pubdate>2023-12-11T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Perspective</category>
        <author>Hadi Zadeh-Haghighi</author><author>Christoph Simon</author>
        <description><![CDATA[One possible explanation for magnetosensing in biology, such as avian magnetoreception, is based on the spin dynamics of certain chemical reactions that involve radical pairs. Radical pairs have been suggested to also play a role in anesthesia, hyperactivity, neurogenesis, circadian clock rhythm, microtubule assembly, etc. It thus seems critical to probe the credibility of such models. One way to do so is through isotope effects with different nuclear spins. Here we briefly review the papers involving spin-related isotope effects in biology. We suggest studying isotope effects can be an interesting avenue for quantum biology.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2023.1323768</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2023.1323768</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Methods for assessing cardiac myofilament calcium sensitivity]]></title>
        <pubdate>2023-12-05T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Review</category>
        <author>Jarrah M. Dowrick</author><author>Andrew J. Taberner</author><author>June-Chiew Han</author><author>Kenneth Tran</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Myofilament calcium (Ca2+) sensitivity is one of several mechanisms by which force production of cardiac muscle is modulated to meet the ever-changing demands placed on the heart. Compromised Ca2+ sensitivity is associated with pathologies, which makes it a parameter of interest for researchers. Ca2+ Sensitivity is the ratio of the association and dissociation rates between troponin C (TnC) and Ca2+. As it is not currently possible to measure these rates in tissue preparations directly, methods have been developed to infer myofilament sensitivity, typically using some combination of force and Ca2+ measurements. The current gold-standard approach constructs a steady-state force-Ca2+ relation by exposing permeabilised muscle samples to a range of Ca2+ concentrations and uses the half-maximal concentration as a proxy for sensitivity. While a valuable method for steady-state investigations, the permeabilisation process makes the method unsuitable when examining dynamic, i.e., twitch-to-twitch, changes in myofilament sensitivity. The ability of the heart to transiently adapt to changes in load is an important consideration when evaluating the impact of disease states. Alternative methods have been proffered, including force-Ca2+ phase loops, potassium contracture, hybrid experimental-modelling and conformation-based fluorophore approaches. This review provides an overview of the mechanisms underlying myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity, summarises existing methods, and explores, with modelling, whether any of them are suited to investigating dynamic changes in sensitivity. We conclude that a method that equips researchers to investigate the transient change of myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity is still needed. We propose that such a method will involve simultaneous measurements of cytosolic Ca2+ and TnC activation in actively twitching muscle and a biophysical model to interpret these data.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2023.1268075</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2023.1268075</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Non-chemical signalling between mitochondria]]></title>
        <pubdate>2023-09-22T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Rhys R. Mould</author><author>Ifigeneia Kalampouka</author><author>E. Louise Thomas</author><author>Geoffrey W. Guy</author><author>Alistair V. W. Nunn</author><author>Jimmy D. Bell</author>
        <description><![CDATA[A wide variety of studies have reported some form of non-chemical or non-aqueous communication between physically isolated organisms, eliciting changes in cellular proliferation, morphology, and/or metabolism. The sources and mechanisms of such signalling pathways are still unknown, but have been postulated to involve vibration, volatile transmission, or light through the phenomenon of ultraweak photon emission. Here, we report non-chemical communication between isolated mitochondria from MCF7 (cancer) and MCF10A (non-cancer) cell lines. We found that mitochondria in one cuvette stressed by an electron transport chain inhibitor, antimycin, alters the respiration of mitochondria in an adjacent, but chemically and physically separate cuvette, significantly decreasing the rate of oxygen consumption compared to a control (p = <0.0001 in MCF7 and MCF10A mitochondria). Moreover, the changes in O2-consumption were dependent on the origin of mitochondria (cancer vs. non-cancer) as well as the presence of “ambient” light. Our results support the existence of non-chemical signalling between isolated mitochondria. The experimental design suggests that the non-chemical communication is light-based, although further work is needed to fully elucidate its nature.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2023.1251401</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2023.1251401</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Comparison of multilayer and single-layer coronary plaque models on stress/strain calculations based on optical coherence tomography images]]></title>
        <pubdate>2023-08-07T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Mengde Huang</author><author>Akiko Maehara</author><author>Dalin Tang</author><author>Jian Zhu</author><author>Liang Wang</author><author>Rui Lv</author><author>Yanwen Zhu</author><author>Xiaoguo Zhang</author><author>Mitsuaki Matsumura</author><author>Lijuan Chen</author><author>Genshan Ma</author><author>Gary S. Mintz</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Mechanical stress and strain conditions are closely related to atherosclerotic plaque progression and rupture and have been under intensive investigations in recent years. It is well known that arteries have a three-layer structure: intima, media and adventitia. However, in vivo image-based multilayer plaque models are not available in the current literature due to lack of multilayer image segmentation data. A multilayer segmentation and repairing technique was introduced to segment coronary plaque optical coherence tomography (OCT) image to obtain its three-layer vessel structure. A total of 200 OCT slices from 20 patients (13 male; 7 female) were used to construct multilayer and single-layer 3D thin-slice models to calculate plaque stress and strain and compare model differences. Our results indicated that the average maximum plaque stress values of 20 patients from multilayer and single-layer models were 385.13 ± 110.09 kPa and 270.91 ± 95.86 kPa, respectively. The relative difference was 42.2%, with single-layer stress serving as the base value. The average mean plaque stress values from multilayer and single-layer models were 129.59 ± 32.77 kPa and 93.27 ± 18.20 kPa, respectively, with a relative difference of 38.9%. The maximum and mean plaque strain values obtained from the multilayer models were 11.6% and 19.0% higher than those from the single-layer models. Similarly, the maximum and mean cap strains showed increases of 9.6% and 12.9% over those from the single-layer models. These findings suggest that use of multilayer models could improve plaque stress and strain calculation accuracy and may have large impact on plaque progression and vulnerability investigation and potential clinical applications. Further large-scale studies are needed to validate our findings.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2023.1204018</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2023.1204018</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Protein structural insights into a rare PCSK9 gain-of-function variant (R496W) causing familial hypercholesterolemia in a Saudi family: whole exome sequencing and computational analysis]]></title>
        <pubdate>2023-07-04T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Noor Ahmad Shaik</author><author>Najla Al-Shehri</author><author>Mohammad Athar</author><author>Ahmed Awan</author><author>Mariam Khalili</author><author>Hadiah Bassam Al Mahadi</author><author>Gehan Hejazy</author><author>Omar I. Saadah</author><author>Sameer Eida Al-Harthi</author><author>Ramu Elango</author><author>Babajan Banaganapalli</author><author>Eman Alefishat</author><author>Zuhier Awan</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a globally underdiagnosed genetic condition associated with premature cardiovascular death. The genetic etiology data on Arab FH patients is scarce. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the genetic basis of FH in a Saudi family using whole exome sequencing (WES) and multidimensional bioinformatic analysis. Our WES findings revealed a rare heterozygous gain-of-function variant (R496W) in the exon 9 of the PCSK9 gene as a causal factor for FH in this family. This variant was absent in healthy relatives of the proband and 200 healthy normolipidemic controls from Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, this variant has not been previously reported in various regional and global population genomic variant databases. Interestingly, this variant is classified as “likely pathogenic" (PP5) based on the variant interpretation guidelines of the American College of Medical Genetics (ACMG). Computational functional characterization suggested that this variant could destabilize the native PCSK9 protein and alter its secondary and tertiary structural features. In addition, this variant was predicted to negatively influence its ligand-binding ability with LDLR and Alirocumab antibody molecules. This rare PCSK9 (R496W) variant is likely to expand our understanding of the genetic basis of FH in Saudi Arabia. This study also provides computational structural insights into the genotype-protein phenotype relationship of PCSK9 pathogenic variants and contributes to the development of personalized medicine for FH patients in the future.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2023.1161711</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2023.1161711</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Effects of various hyperopia intervention levels on male college students’ gait kinematics]]></title>
        <pubdate>2023-06-06T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Zhaohong Zeng</author><author>Aochuan Xue</author><author>Huihui Wang</author><author>Xianjun Zha</author><author>Zhongqiu Ji</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Background: Hyperopia is a common blurred vision phenomenon that affects postural control in gait; however, current research has focused on the alteration and correction of hyperopia’s physiological characteristics, ignoring the effect of hyperopia on gait kinematic characteristics. The effect of hyperopia on the basic form of movement walking is a worthy concern.Objective: To investigate the gait kinematic characteristics of male college students with varying degrees of visual acuity (normal vision, hyperopia 150°, and hyperopia 450°), as well as to provide a theoretical foundation for the effect of visual acuity on gait and fall risk reduction.Methods: Twenty-two male college students with normal visual acuity were chosen. Their vision was tested using a standard visual acuity logarithm table at normal and with 150° and 450° concave lenses. Gait kinematic data were collected under normal vision and hyperopic conditions using the PN3 Pro advanced inertial motion capture system and Axis Studio application program.Results and conclusion: 1. The change of center of gravity in Pre-double support was smaller than normal vision; Late-single support and Late-swing was larger than normal vision; 2. The percentage of the double-leg support decreased; the percentage of the single-leg support and the Late-swing increased; 3. For the joints’ range of motion, Trunk flexion and extension range of motion in Pre-single support, Late-double support and Pre-swing smaller than normal visual acuity, and Late-swing larger than normal; hip internal abduction and adduction and internal and external rotation are larger than normal vision in Late-single support; knee and ankle in abduction and adduction direction are larger than normal vision in the swing stage; hip flexion and extension, internal external rotation are larger than normal vision in the swing stage. Hyperopic interventions have an impact on the kinematic characteristics of gait in male college students, mainly in terms of altered balance, increased instability, increased difficulty in maintaining trunk stability, and increased risk of injury.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2023.1210826</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2023.1210826</link>
        <title><![CDATA[A new approach of using organ-on-a-chip and fluid–structure interaction modeling to investigate biomechanical characteristics in tissue-engineered blood vessels]]></title>
        <pubdate>2023-05-12T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Liang Wang</author><author>Zaozao Chen</author><author>Zhuoyue Xu</author><author>Yi Yang</author><author>Yan Wang</author><author>Jianfeng Zhu</author><author>Xiaoya Guo</author><author>Dalin Tang</author><author>Zhongze Gu</author>
        <description><![CDATA[The tissue-engineered blood vessel (TEBV) has been developed and used in cardiovascular disease modeling, preclinical drug screening, and for replacement of native diseased arteries. Increasing attention has been paid to biomechanical cues in TEBV and other tissue-engineered organs to better recapitulate the functional properties of the native organs. Currently, computational fluid dynamics models were employed to reveal the hydrodynamics in TEBV-on-a-chip. However, the biomechanical wall stress/strain conditions in the TEBV wall have never been investigated. In this paper, a straight cylindrical TEBV was placed into a polydimethylsiloxane-made microfluidic device to construct the TEBV-on-a-chip. The chip was then perfused with cell culture media flow driven by a peristaltic pump. A three-dimensional fluid–structure interaction (FSI) model was generated to simulate the biomechanical conditions in TEBV and mimic both the dynamic TEBV movement and pulsatile fluid flow. The material stiffness of the TEBV wall was determined by uniaxial tensile testing, while the viscosity of cell culture media was measured using a rheometer. Comparison analysis between the perfusion experiment and FSI model results showed that the average relative error in diameter expansion of TEBV from both approaches was 10.0% in one period. For fluid flow, the average flow velocity over a period was 2.52 cm/s from the FSI model, 10.5% higher than the average velocity of the observed cell clusters (2.28 mm/s) in the experiment. These results demonstrated the facility to apply the FSI modeling approach in TEBV to obtain more comprehensive biomechanical results for investigating mechanical mechanisms of cardiovascular disease development.]]></description>
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