Another Productive Year — A Very Productive Year

I had a feeling that 2025 was a busy year. I wear many hats in my daily routine, but it is the first year that I had the feeling that I spent more hours in the Journal's submission management system than previous years. I knew that the Journal initiated several initiatives to increase manuscript submission, such as a special issue in Long COVID and reaching out to Cardiopulmonary residents, but I was not sure if these initiatives were working. As a scientist, I went back and looked at the data. Historically, the Journal has published 3 to 4 articles per issue. For example, last year (volume 35), we published 18 articles where 14 are considered research. This year (volume 36), we are publishing 35 articles, 25 of them considered research. This is a major accomplishment as MEDLINE/PubMed considers journals that publish more than 20 research articles per year. This year is the first time that the Journal meets this standard, which put us in a great place for our application in 2027. This is a collaborative effort, and I can't thank enough to all the authors, co-authors, associate editors, and the Editorial Board. Together, we are moving the needle. In this issue, we present 10 articles: 2 clinical perspectives, 6 research reports, and 2 case reports. Petersen et al.1 bring us a the SINSS construct (Severity, Irritability, Nature, Stage, and Stability) for clinical reasoning in cardiovascular and pulmonary physical therapy. Out from the cardiopulmonary residence at the University of Utah, Slay, Bento et al. bring us a new postlung transplantation protocol, the Clamshell Protocol,2 and their preliminary results decreasing upper extremity precautions when using it.3 Karim et al.4 showed here that a virtual 2-min step test is valid, reliable, and safe to test aerobic capacity in older adults. Continuing with long COVID content from our January's special issue, Graves et al.5 showed that patients with Long COVID and myalgic encephalomyelitis are characterized by postexertional neuroimmune exhaustion, which significantly affects their quality of life. In a contemporary approach, Dr. Christopher Jenks6 used machine learning to predict frailty postcardiac surgery via wearable-derived ECG and accelerometry features. These results can help screening patients before surgery and drive clinical decisions. From Dr. Billinger lab, Whitaker-Hilbig et al.7 found that higher heart rates during high intensity interval training are associated with gait asymmetry and fatigue in stroke survivors. Their results confirm the complexity between exercise intensity and gait quality in stroke survivors. Furthermore, Green et al.8 performed a scoping review assessing the potential risk of major adverse cardiac events before initiating aerobic exercise and found the therapists have several tools to assess the risk before prescribing exercise. Finally, 2 interesting case studies associated with therapeutic exercise and cardiac support. McKeeman et al.9 presented a case of physical rehabilitation from temporary to durable biventricular support and Collins & Whitlock10 a case of physical therapy in a critically ill patient with right ventricular failure. Yes, it was a busy year, and I did spend more time in the submission management system than in other years. It was not just a feeling. It was another productive year — a very productive year.