-
Physiology (Bethesda, Md.) May 2019
Topics: History, 20th Century; History, 21st Century; Humans; Physiology
PubMed: 30968754
DOI: 10.1152/physiol.00007.2019 -
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal... Aug 2021Recent advances in tagging and biologging technology have yielded unprecedented insights into wild animal physiology. However, time-series data from such wild tracking... (Review)
Review
Recent advances in tagging and biologging technology have yielded unprecedented insights into wild animal physiology. However, time-series data from such wild tracking studies present numerous analytical challenges owing to their unique nature, often exhibiting strong autocorrelation within and among samples, low samples sizes and complicated random effect structures. Gleaning robust quantitative estimates from these physiological data, and, therefore, accurate insights into the life histories of the animals they pertain to, requires careful and thoughtful application of existing statistical tools. Using a combination of both simulated and real datasets, I highlight the key pitfalls associated with analysing physiological data from wild monitoring studies, and investigate issues of optimal study design, statistical power, and model precision and accuracy. I also recommend best practice approaches for dealing with their inherent limitations. This work will provide a concise, accessible roadmap for researchers looking to maximize the yield of information from complex and hard-won biologging datasets. This article is part of the theme issue 'Measuring physiology in free-living animals (Part II)'.
Topics: Animals; Physiology; Time Factors; Vertebrates
PubMed: 34176325
DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0227 -
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal... Aug 2021Thus far, ecophysiology research has predominantly been conducted within controlled laboratory-based environments, owing to a mismatch between the recording technologies...
Thus far, ecophysiology research has predominantly been conducted within controlled laboratory-based environments, owing to a mismatch between the recording technologies available for physiological monitoring in wild animals and the suite of behaviours and environments they need to withstand, without unduly affecting subjects. While it is possible to record some physiological variables for free-living animals using animal-attached logging devices, including inertial-measurement, heart-rate and temperature loggers, the field is still in its infancy. In this opinion piece, we review the most important future research directions for advancing the field of 'physiologging' in wild animals, including the technological development that we anticipate will be required, and the fiscal and ethical challenges that must be overcome. Non-invasive, multi-sensor miniature devices are ubiquitous in the world of human health and fitness monitoring, creating invaluable opportunities for animal and human physiologging to drive synergistic advances. We argue that by capitalizing on the research efforts and advancements made in the development of human wearables, it will be possible to design the non-invasive loggers needed by ecophysiologists to collect accurate physiological data from free-ranging animals ethically and with an absolute minimum of impact. In turn, findings have the capacity to foster transformative advances in human health monitoring. Thus, we invite biomedical engineers and researchers to collaborate with the animal-tagging community to drive forward the advancements necessary to realize the full potential of both fields. This article is part of the theme issue 'Measuring physiology in free-living animals (Part II)'.
Topics: Animals; Animals, Wild; Heart Rate; Physiology; Vertebrates
PubMed: 34176330
DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0230 -
The pipeline of physiology courses in community colleges: to university, medical school, and beyond.Advances in Physiology Education Dec 2016Community colleges are significant in the landscape of undergraduate STEM (science technology, engineering, and mathematics) education (9), including biology,... (Review)
Review
Community colleges are significant in the landscape of undergraduate STEM (science technology, engineering, and mathematics) education (9), including biology, premedical, and other preprofessional education. Thirty percent of first-year medical school students in 2012 attended a community college. Students attend at different times in high school, their first 2 yr of college, and postbaccalaureate. The community college pathway is particularly important for traditionally underrepresented groups. Premedical students who first attend community college are more likely to practice in underserved communities (2). For many students, community colleges have significant advantages over 4-yr institutions. Pragmatically, they are local, affordable, and flexible, which accommodates students' work and family commitments. Academically, community colleges offer teaching faculty, smaller class sizes, and accessible learning support systems. Community colleges are fertile ground for universities and medical schools to recruit diverse students and support faculty. Community college students and faculty face several challenges (6, 8). There are limited interactions between 2- and 4-yr institutions, and the ease of transfer processes varies. In addition, faculty who study and work to improve the physiology education experience often encounter obstacles. Here, we describe barriers and detail existing resources and opportunities useful in navigating challenges. We invite physiology educators from 2- and 4-yr institutions to engage in sharing resources and facilitating physiology education improvement across institutions. Given the need for STEM majors and health care professionals, 4-yr colleges and universities will continue to benefit from students who take introductory biology, physiology, and anatomy and physiology courses at community colleges.
Topics: Curriculum; Education, Premedical; Humans; Physiology; Schools, Medical; Universities
PubMed: 28145266
DOI: 10.1152/advan.00141.2016 -
Advances in Physiology Education Dec 2020Physiology undergraduate degree programs operate in isolation relative to other biological science programs, with little to no understanding of how other institutions...
Physiology undergraduate degree programs operate in isolation relative to other biological science programs, with little to no understanding of how other institutions structure their course requirements and other degree requirements. The purpose of this report is to preliminarily describe the collective curriculum of physiology programs represented at the Physiology Majors Interest Group (P-MIG) annual meetings from 2018 to 2019. A short preconference survey was sent to attendees that inquired about degree requirements of their respective physiology programs. The requirement for Physiology I (69.2%) with laboratory (66.7%) and Anatomy I (57.1%) with laboratory (42.9%), or combined Anatomy and Physiology I (16.7%) and laboratory (18.2%), were common requirements, but many programs did not require Physiology II (27.3%) or Anatomy II (11.1%). There was nearly consensus on required prerequisites such as Biology (2 semesters with laboratories, 85.7%), Chemistry (2 semesters with laboratory, 88.9%), Physics (2 semesters with laboratory, 75%), Calculus I (61.1%), and Statistics (Biostatistics 42.9%; General Statistics 13.3%). There was less agreement among programs in regards to Calculus II (20.0%), Organic Chemistry (2 semesters, 55.6%), and Biochemistry I (47%), which may be reflective of individual department focus. There was considerable heterogeneity among physiology program course requirements for disciplinary core courses and upper division electives. This report is meant to generate discussion on physiology program curricula in efforts to improve physiology education for majors and assist P-MIG in determining minimal points of consensus as they write the first set of national curricular guidelines for degree programs.
Topics: Biological Science Disciplines; Curriculum; Humans; Mathematics; Physiology; Public Opinion; Students
PubMed: 32990470
DOI: 10.1152/advan.00179.2019 -
Advances in Physiology Education Dec 2018
Topics: Educational Measurement; Humans; Physiology; Stress, Physiological; Stress, Psychological; Students; Universities
PubMed: 30431322
DOI: 10.1152/advan.00121.2017 -
Medicina 2022
Topics: Humans; Nobel Prize; Medicine; Physiology
PubMed: 36571543
DOI: No ID Found -
Advances in Physiology Education Dec 2020In 2011, we published a description of 15 core concepts of physiology, and in 2017 we described how core concepts could be used to teach physiology. On the basis of...
In 2011, we published a description of 15 core concepts of physiology, and in 2017 we described how core concepts could be used to teach physiology. On the basis of publications and conference presentations, it is clear that the core concepts, conceptual frameworks, and the homeostasis concept inventory have been used by faculty in many ways to improve and assess student learning and align instruction and programs. A growing number of colleagues focus their teaching on physiology core concepts, and some core concepts have been used as explicit themes or organizing principles in physiology or anatomy and physiology textbooks. The core concepts published in 2011 were derived from inputs from a diverse group of physiology instructors and articulated what this group of instructors expressed a decade ago. On the basis of current feedback from the physiology teaching community as a consequence of the use of core concepts in teaching and learning, we have revisited these concepts and made revisions to address issues that have emerged. In this article, we offer revised definitions and explanations of the core concepts, propose an additional core concept ("physical properties of matter" which combines two previous concepts), and describe three broad categories for the revised core concepts. Finally, we catalog published resources for each of the core concepts that provide instructors tools to focus facilitation of student learning on goals (learning outcomes), activities and assessments to enable students to develop and apply their understanding of the core concepts of physiology.
Topics: Faculty; Humans; Learning; Physiology; Students; Teaching
PubMed: 33226263
DOI: 10.1152/advan.00114.2020 -
Advances in Physiology Education Dec 2012The goal of this report is to discuss educational approaches for bridging the different perspectives of the physiological and mathematical disciplines. These approaches... (Review)
Review
The goal of this report is to discuss educational approaches for bridging the different perspectives of the physiological and mathematical disciplines. These approaches can enhance the learning experience for physiology, medical, and mathematics students and simultaneously act to stimulate mathematical/physiological/clinical interdisciplinary research. While physiology education incorporates mathematics, via equations and formulas, it does not typically provide a foundation for interdisciplinary research linking mathematics and physiology. Here, we provide insights and ideas derived from interdisciplinary seminars involving mathematicians and physiologists that have been conducted over the last decade. The approaches described here can be used as templates for giving physiology and medical students insights into how sophisticated tools from mathematics can be applied and how the disciplines of mathematics and physiology can be integrated in research, thereby fostering a foundation for interdisciplinary collaboration. These templates are equally applicable to linking mathematical methods with other life and health sciences in the educational process.
Topics: Curriculum; Humans; Interdisciplinary Studies; Mathematics; Physiology; Students, Medical
PubMed: 23209007
DOI: 10.1152/advan.00074.2012 -
Physiological Reports Oct 2018Pulmonary gas exchange is the primary function of the lung, and during my lifetime, its measurement has passed through many stages. When I was born, many physiologists... (Review)
Review
Pulmonary gas exchange is the primary function of the lung, and during my lifetime, its measurement has passed through many stages. When I was born, many physiologists still believed that the lung secreted oxygen. When I was a medical student, the only way we had to recognize defective gas exchange was whether the patient was cyanosed. The advent of the oximeter soon showed that this sign could be very misleading. A breakthrough was the introduction of blood gas electrodes that could measure the PO , PCO , and pH of a small sample of arterial blood. It was soon recognized that the commonest cause of hypoxemia was ventilation-perfusion inequality, and that this could also be responsible for CO retention. In the early days, the understanding of the mechanisms of pulmonary gas exchange relied on graphical analysis because the oxygen and carbon dioxide dissociation curves are nonlinear and interdependent which precluded algebraic methods. However, with the introduction of digital computing, problems that had hitherto been impossible to tackle became amenable to study. A key advance was the development of the Multiple Inert Gas Elimination Technique. Now, noninvasive methods for measuring gas exchange show promise, and the whole subject continues to develop.
Topics: Animals; History, 20th Century; History, 21st Century; Humans; Physiology; Pulmonary Gas Exchange
PubMed: 30350350
DOI: 10.14814/phy2.13903