Advances in Physiology Education最新文献

We have observed two starkly contradictory notions regarding the sympathetic influence on the salivary outflow in discussions with our students. Most of them believe that sympathetic nerves decrease salivation and are antagonistic to parasympathetic nerves. Some students, however, show awareness of the cooperative stimulatory action of both types of autonomic fibers. We have found a similar dichotomy in the descriptions of the sympathetic effect on secretion of the main salivary glands and their inconsistent illustrations in Anatomy/Physiology textbooks. We have investigated the historical roots of this discrepancy. Ludwig discovered excitatory actions of both parasympathetic and sympathetic nerves on salivary flow by 1856. The next year, Czermak proposed the hypothesis of an inhibitory effect of sympathetic nerves, observing their interference with salivation induced by the chorda tympani (i.e., parasympathetic) stimulation. Bernard and Eckhard soon confirmed Ludwig's findings, but Czermak's notion persisted because sympathetically evoked salivation was unstable and potentially abatable by glandular vasoconstriction. The salivary secretory response to moderate sympathetic nerve electrostimulation was reaffirmed by Langley who also discovered salivation in response to adrenaline injection at the beginning of the 20th century. A few years later, Cannon, on a purely theoretical basis, attributed the sensation of dry mouth occasionally associated with fear to hyposalivation induced by elevated sympathetic discharge. Despite subsequent researchers' inability to find unequivocal evidence of salivary flow reduction by sympathetic activation, Cannon's assumption gained acceptance in some textbooks. Most Anatomy/Physiology textbook authors, however, recognized the excitatory action of sympathetic nerves on salivary glands established by Ludwig and Bernard.

Introductory classes are often a student's first exposure to foundational knowledge, careers, and faculty in an academic major. The characteristics of introductory exercise science courses, as well as faculty impressions of course benefits and areas for improvement, were explored in this study. Electronic survey data from 181 universities around the United States were analyzed. A wide range of course content was reported. Institution type was related to the status of the faculty teaching the course, method of course delivery, class size, and class availability. The number of majors was related to faculty status, class availability, and class size. Specifically, private 4-year institutions were more likely to teach smaller, face-to-face classes. Introduction courses at R1, R2, and doctoral/professional institutions and programs with 300 or more majors were less likely to be taught by only tenured/tenure track faculty. Classes were more likely to be offered in various modalities as opposed to only face-to-face at community colleges, and programs with 300 or more majors were more likely to have classes with 50 or more students. Enrollment in the introductory course was more likely restricted to majors and minors at public 4-year schools and programs with 300 or more majors. Faculty perceived knowledge acquisition and relationship building as benefits of introductory classes for students and programs. The overarching themes for course improvement were modifying course content and characteristics of course delivery. Considering the varied course characteristics, we encourage faculty and administrators to be intentional when designing and implementing introductory exercise science courses.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Although introductory courses are important gateways to the exercise science major, there is a lack of consensus on content and delivery. Among institutions across the United States, introductory class size and mode of delivery varied, as well as who could enroll in and who taught the course. Course characteristics were related to institution type and major size. Relationship building and knowledge acquisition were perceived by faculty as key benefits of introductory classes for students and programs.

Research shows that when students use core concepts to guide their reasoning, they are able to construct more accurate, mechanistic explanations. However, there is scant research exploring student's perceptions of the usefulness of core concepts. Knowing students' perceptions could be influential in encouraging faculty to adopt core concept teaching strategies. In this study, we investigated how students perceive the usefulness of using the physiology core concepts to guide their reasoning. We collected the perceptions of undergraduate science majors who had completed Introductory Biology II, which was taught using a subset of physiology core concepts. Eleven student volunteers were interviewed using a semistructured protocol, and 22 students provided end-of-semester reflections. Using a constant comparative method, we identified four emergent themes in students' perceptions: core concepts guide reasoning, core concepts support reasoning and learning across topics and disciplines, core concepts build self-efficacy in reasoning, and drawn core concept tools visualize reasoning. These findings suggest that core concepts, when used as tools to reason with, help students explain rather than memorize physiological phenomena, thus supporting deeper learning and transfer of knowledge to novel contexts. We also found that drawn scaffolding tools play a critical role in helping students organize their thinking, making abstract systems more approachable and supporting mechanistic reasoning. This study is the first qualitative analysis examining students' perceptions of the role core concepts of physiology play in their learning and reasoning processes.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We explore how students perceive the benefits of using physiology core concepts in their learning. Students believe core concepts guide and strengthen their reasoning across topics, while improving their confidence in their ability to understand and reason. Our findings provide useful insights for educators on why and how they should integrate the core concepts of physiology into their teaching.

Physiology education in Africa faces challenges due to gaps in curricula across many of its universities, such as divergent content, a lack of standardized competencies, and suitable benchmarking. Here, we describe the development of the Physiology Curriculum for African Universities (PhysioCAFUN), a competency-based curriculum development guideline, as a first step to address such shortcomings. A committee of 15 physiologists from different African regions, Europe, and the United States was constituted to draft the PhysioCAFUN, which was introduced and revised during the joint East African Society of Physiological Sciences (EASPS) and African Association of Physiological Sciences (AAPS) conference held in Tanzania late 2023. The PhysioCAFUN consists of 23 modules. Modules 1-15 cover the organ systems, including principles and concepts of physiology, molecular biology, and cell physiology. Modules 16-23 contain optional content, including environmental physiology, pharmacology, and topics related to skill development. PhysioCAFUN serves as a freely available resource document for African stakeholders regarding the desired undergraduate physiology training and competencies. It will help universities in Africa, and elsewhere to draft a curriculum suitable for their local needs where there is a dearth of physiologists or to benchmark and revise their curricula where physiology programs are already in place.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We described the development of Physiology Curriculum for African Universities (PhysioCAFUN), a competency-based curriculum development guideline to promote physiology education in Africa. This freely accessible resource document should help African universities where there is a dearth of physiologists and thus aid in drafting a curriculum suitable for their local needs. Likewise, it should assist universities globally where physiology programs are already in place to benchmark and/or revise their curriculum as may be needed.

Here we report a successful initiative between Brazil and Germany to stimulate neuroscience outreach: the POPNeuro Program. The POPNeuro Program is a neuroscience outreach project created in Brazil that has been active for >10 years. It was initiated in Uruguaiana, RS, Brazil and linked to the Physiology Research Group from the Federal University of Pampa. The neuroscience dissemination was developed mainly in school environments by a team that includes neuroscientists and university undergraduate and graduate students. One of the key focuses of POPNeuro is to identify and avoid the dissemination of neuromyths (misconceptions generated by a misunderstanding, a misreading, or a misquoting of scientific facts). After an initial research cooperation, the Brazilian and German teams decided to replicate some of the POPNeuro activities in Germany. The POPNeuro spin-off developed the first activities in Germany, including neuroscience disclosure activities during the Chemnitz University of Technology (TUC) Open Campus Day and a Neuroscience of Learning course for sports and physical education teachers. During the activities, participants took a quiz to identify the prevalence of neuromyths and knowledge of neuroscience facts. The results demonstrate a high prevalence of neuromyths between the different participants. Despite the sociocultural differences, these results are in line with previous results from POPNeuro in Brazil. Considering our experience and the participants' evaluations, we are confident that promoting the internationalization of this successful neurophysiology outreach program and expanding the Brazilian POPNeuro program in Germany will have a positive impact. This initiative represents a model of international cooperation that should be stimulated.NEW & NOTEWORTHY The internationalization of scientific work is recognized as an essential resource for quality research in different areas and countries. However, international cooperation is less common in teaching and outreach than in research. We shared the experience of a successful international neurophysiology outreach cooperation between Brazil and Germany: the POPNeuro Program. The success of POPNeuro's spin-off in Germany reveals that promoting internationalization and expanding successful outreach projects have positive impacts.

Many publications describe use of ultrasound imaging in teaching of clinical courses, primarily integrated with clinical applications. More recently there have been increasing numbers of papers describing ultrasound as a tool primarily for teaching basic anatomy and physiology concepts rather than clinical applications. Of these, many have described qualitative analysis with a consensus that its use is viewed very positively by students for aiding learning. Far fewer studies have attempted quantitative analysis to support this belief, and conclusions have been varied. A review of studies was conducted that included those that used ultrasound to teach physiology and anatomy concepts. Studies were excluded if they did not contain quantitative or qualitative assessment of efficacy. Medline and Embase databases were searched (11/16/22) and screened by two independent reviewers. Forty-six studies were included, with data extracted relating to cohort characteristics, ultrasound intervention, quantitative or qualitative assessments, and any barriers to implementation. It was confirmed that both student and teacher opinions are extremely favorable in most cases. Although conclusions from quantitative studies were not as clear, there was evidence that ultrasound is at least as effective as more conventional teaching methods and could have significantly better performances in short-term assessments. However, varied methods of teaching intervention, experimental protocols, and assessment of learning may have contributed to the lack of clarity. Within this context, some of the problems encountered with implementing ultrasound as an educational tool (such as financial and temporal constraints), and in conducting more definitive studies, are discussed.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This first systematic review of ultrasound use as a teaching tool in basic anatomy and physiology confirmed that students and staff believe incorporation is beneficial to learning and is highly popular. Quantitative data are scarcer but show that it is at least as effective as more conventional teaching methods and can enhance short-term recall. Good-quality studies with adequate comparisons and assessment methods are still lacking, so further work in this area is needed.

The equilibrium potential of an ion species is a crucial concept for medical students, as it is a prerequisite to fully understanding the pathophysiology of K⁺ imbalances (hyperkalemia and hypokalemia) in clinical practice. However, it remains a challenging concept because current medical physiology textbooks are too simplistic and overlook several essential points. In this article, we present a total of five small but impactful additions to advance the introduction of the equilibrium potential that will eliminate confusion and facilitate mastery-level comprehension.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This novel approach to advance teaching of the equilibrium potential (E_ion) addresses and fills common educational gaps by 1) making a critical point explicit, rather than implicit; 2) introducing overlooked concepts to prevent confusion; 3) adding an effective assessment to promote mastery; and 4) emphasizing the importance of strengthening medical students' understanding of E_ion. These targeted additions facilitate a more comprehensive and transformative learning experience for medical students.

Games and analogies can significantly enrich the learning experience when integrated with traditional expository teaching methods. With this aim, we developed "The Mystery of the Cell Kingdom," an online game designed to enhance understanding of the physiology of thyroid hormones through a medieval analogy. In the game, students are challenged to apply their knowledge of endocrine physiology to solve a series of relevant questions on the topic. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the game as a complementary review tool for a theoretical lesson on thyroid hormones. After an online class, 18 students participated in the game and completed questionnaires before and after the activity. The results showed a 14.9% increase in postgame scores. Feedback revealed that all students enjoyed the experience and provided positive evaluations of both the game and the analogy used. These findings suggest that the online game The Mystery of the Cell Kingdom can facilitate learning about thyroid hormones while offering an engaging, enjoyable, and motivating approach to physiology education.NEW & NOTEWORTHY "The Mystery of the Cell Kingdom" is an online game designed as a revision tool of thyroid hormone endocrine physiology. There is a shortage of knights in the Cell Kingdom and you are called as a historian specialist in the Middle Ages to help solve the mystery. Can you help?

Newly acquired information is stabilized into long-term memory through the process of consolidation. Memories are not static; rather, they are constantly updated via reactivation, and this reactivation occurs preferentially during slow-wave sleep (SWS; also referred to as N3 in humans). Here we present a scalable neuroscience research investigation of memory reactivation using low-cost electroencephalogram (EEG) recording hardware and open-source software for students and educators across the K-12 and higher education spectrum. The investigation uses a method called targeted memory reactivation (TMR), whereby auditory cues that were previously associated with learning are represented during sleep, triggering the recall of stored memories and (through this) strengthening these memories. We demonstrated the efficacy of this technique on seven healthy human subjects (19-35 years old, 3 females, four males). The subjects learned to play a spatial memory game on an app where they associated pictures (e.g., a clock) with locations on a grid while they listened to picture-appropriate sounds (e.g., "tic-toc"); next, they took a nap while undergoing EEG recordings. During SWS, half of the sounds from the game were replayed by the app, while half were substituted with nonlearned sounds. Subjects then played the memory game again after waking. Results showed that spatial recall was improved more for cued than uncued memories, demonstrating the benefits of memory replay during sleep and suggesting that one may intervene in this process to boost recall of specific memories. This research investigation takes advantage of the importance of sleep for memory consolidation and demonstrates improved memory performance by cueing sounds during SWS.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Why study when you could just sleep? We demonstrate how students can perform scalable research investigations to manipulate memory processing during sleep. It is a hands-on way to advance students' understanding of sleep-based memory consolidation and the corresponding neural mechanisms using open-source software and do-it-yourself EEG tools.

Heartwheels! STEM Mobile Outreach is a scientist-led collaborative, innovative, and reproducible experiential educational program and mobile lab developed to engage people young and old in the cardiovascular sciences, improve health literacy and awareness of heart-healthy living, and spark curiosity in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Applied hands-on interactive activities at Heartwheels! events include heart dissection, cardiovascular physiology, and mock flow loops (science); medical devices (technology); instrumentation and sensors (engineering); and calibration and validation methods and models (math). These modules are complementary to school activities and are particularly successful from an educational standpoint because they are fun, interactive, engaging, voluntary, open-ended, and not graded or assessed and can lead participants and their families to develop STEM-positive identities. Primary learning objectives include a broad understanding of cardiovascular anatomy and physiology, advanced technologies and emerging medical devices, and the benefits of a heart-healthy lifestyle and stimulating interest, building self-confidence, and helping participants envision themselves participating in and making potentially significant contributions to STEM fields. To date, 11,229 attendees of all ages and backgrounds have participated in 55 Heartwheels! events. Excellent programmatic ratings (1-5 scale: 1 = poor, 5 = excellent), including 94.5% of participants self-reporting that it was a fun educational experience and 96.6% reporting that they learned new things, with complimentary verbal and open-ended written feedback, demonstrate the significant impact and value that Heartwheels! and hands-on experiential educational events contribute to diverse, resource-limited, and underserved communities.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Heartwheels! STEM Mobile Outreach is an innovative, portable, scaled-down version of the authors' research laboratory that they take out into the schools and communities to engage and connect with people young and old in the cardiovascular sciences, improve health literacy and awareness of heart-healthy living, and spark curiosity in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields through fun, hands-on, experiential educational activities.