Frontiers in Physiology

Epidemiological evidence demonstrates that metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) has evolved into one of the most widespread chronic liver disorders globally, posing a serious public health challenge. From a mechanistic perspective, the initiation of MASLD is predominantly fueled by multiple factors. Multiple pathological processes, including insulin resistance, oxidati…

Background Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) significantly increases the risk of new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) through distinct pathogenic mechanisms. This study develops a machine learning (ML) model to improve AF prediction in patients with HCM and investigates electrophysiological abnormalities and non-traditional factors as preclinical predictors. The findings aim to inform early warning…

PTEN-induced kinase 1 (PINK1) is a mitochondrial serine/threonine kinase that orchestrates ubiquitin-dependent mitophagy together with the E3 ligase Parkin. Both physiological and pathological conditions rapidly recruit PINK1, and timely PINK1 degradation in healthy mitochondria determines whether it supports or harms the cell. Thus, the tight regulation of PINK1 balances its negative effects. In…

Purpose This study aimed to compare the effects of resistance training programs combining different load intensities with blood flow restriction (BFR), alongside a traditional high-load resistance training condition, on athletic performance in male tactical personnel. Methods Sixty healthy male tactical personnel with systematic resistance training experience were randomly assigned to four groups…

Background The prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) has been increasing in China. Previous studies link sarcopenia and visceral adiposity to GERD, but most models lack CT-based body composition data. This study aims to improve the identification of Reflux esophagitis (RE) by applying machine learning (ML) to third lumbar vertebra cross-sectional CT (L3-CT) images for quantitative …

The under-representation of women in clinical studies remains a major issue, recognized by researchers, patients, and legislators alike. In this review, we examine the key legislative documents that have shaped policies governing the exclusion and inclusion of women in clinical research over the past several decades, and their impact on seminal cardiovascular studies. We focus on early federal hu…

Background Acute injuries are common in rugby and threaten both player health and career longevity. Previous studies often focused on isolated risk factors, while limited research has comprehensively examined the interplay of physiological, environmental, and situational variables. Methods Study conducted A cohort study of 40 elite male players from the Tianjin Rugby Team was conducted, monitorin…

Accurate classification of electrocardiogram (ECG) signals plays a critical role in the automated diagnosis of cardiac arrhythmias. However, ECG recordings are often non-stationary and susceptible to various types of noise, which makes robust feature extraction challenging for many existing deep learning models. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a hierarchical pyramidal residual ne…

Background High-load resistance training (HL-RT) is commonly utilized to enhance performance in competitive table tennis athletes. Low-load blood flow restriction training (BFR-RT) has emerged as an alternative approach under lower mechanical loads. Considering the importance of explosive power and rapid movements in table tennis, it is essential to evaluate how BFR-RT compares with traditional H…

Metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is increasing worldwide, underscoring the need for noninvasive, repeatable biomarkers for accurate clinical stratification. This review synthesizes recent advances in quantitative ultrasound (QUS) for MASLD phenotyping, spanning attenuation-based metrics (e.g., controlled attenuation parameter, tissue attenuation imaging, ultrasound…

Background Squatting is essential for daily activities but may risk knee injury due to excessive loads. Tai Chi squatting (TCS), characterized by slow, controlled movements, is hypothesized to reduce joint load compared to standard squatting (SS), though biomechanical comparisons remain scarce. This study aimed to biomechanically compare TCS and SS, with a focus on knee joint kinematics, kinetics…

Background This study examined the effects of a 24-week functional training (FT) and blood flow restriction combined with FT (BFR-FT) on athletic performance and body composition in athletes. Methods Twenty-six male basketball players were randomly assigned to either the experimental group (EG) or the control group (CG). The CG performed FT, while the EG performed BFR-FT, both for 24 weeks. Asses…

The integrity of the intestinal epithelial and blood-brain barriers is critical for maintaining homeostasis along the gut-brain axis as these interfaces regulate the passage of inflammatory mediators into systemic circulation and their access to the brain. Disruption of these barriers can lead to neuroinflammatory processes implicated in mood disturbances. Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus HN001 has b…

Introduction Compelling data supports the concept that concurrent strength and aerobic training can interfere with adaptations to strength training related to speed, power, and rate of force development (RFD). Studies on this topic have primarily utilized non-athlete participants, with data subsequently extrapolated to athlete populations. Since there may be hesitancy to have athletes involved in…

Fascia, the connective tissue network enveloping muscles, organs, nerves, and vasculature, plays an important role in maintaining structural integrity, biomechanical function, and integrative physiological processes. Traditionally considered a passive support structure, fascia is increasingly discussed as an active component in cancer biology, particularly within the tumor microenvironment (TME),…

Background Korean popular culture (K-pop) has become increasingly popular worldwide and the convergence of K-pop and virtual reality (VR) has contributed to the popularity of metaverse technologies. Previous studies on K-pop and VR were largely conducted in the fields of cognitive psychology and qualitative research. Recently, the use of functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), electroencepha…

Background and aims Despite a wide amount of evidence regarding vascular improvements in overweight/obesity condition, little is known about similar vascular benefits from exercise training without weight loss. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a 6-week concurrent training (CT) program on pulse wave velocity (PWV), flow-mediated dilation (FMD), and carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) …

Background Eclampsia is a severe complication of preeclampsia involving blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption. While small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) contribute to endothelial dysfunction in preeclampsia, their role in eclampsia remains unclear. We examined the effects of plasma and plasma-derived sEVs from women with eclampsia on BBB integrity. Methods Plasma and plasma-sEVs were isolated from…

Introduction The underwater environment triggers the autonomic nervous system (ANS) responses during self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA) diving, which aims to conserve oxygen during submersion. The aim of the study is to evaluate cardiovascular responses in professional SCUBA divers by analysing heart rate dynamics across dive phases and comparing responses between novice and ex…

Introduction Accurate brain tumor segmentation is essential for clinical diagnosis and treatment planning. However, the complex anatomical structures, blurred tumor boundaries, and large inter-patient variability pose significant challenges to existing segmentation models. To address these issues, we propose DGFI-Net, a dual-branch guided feature interaction network. Methods DGFI-Net introduces a…