The 2019 P-MIG Student Survey report and capturing the undergraduate perspective of physiology programming.

The aim of the 2019 Student Survey was to inform the Physiology Majors Interest Group (P-MIG) of characteristics of undergraduates enrolled in physiology courses or degree programs from across the United States, to be used as one input source for the development of program-level guidelines. There were 1,389 participants from seven universities who completed the 2019 P-MIG Student Survey. Thirty-seven percent reported enrollment in a physiology/human physiology major; allied health-related programs were the second most common (24%). Sixty-one percent of respondents reported attending a community college, the majority of whom enrolled in one or more courses at a community college while in high school (44%). Of participants who reported transferring coursework from one institution to another, 72% reported coursework transferred as expected. Homeostasis and structure/function were the two core concepts common to the top rankings for self-reported mastery, the expectation to be remembered in 5 yr, and deemed to be career relevant. Survey respondents indicated high engagement in co-curricular activities, with 72% participating or planning to participate in job shadowing opportunities, followed by volunteering (57%) and internships (50%). Over one-half of all survey participants indicated they "strongly agree" that their coursework and undergraduate programming has prepared them for success in their field of study. While the majority of respondents were satisfied with the academic advising received, additional guidance with regard to career choices and non-coursework professional development opportunities may be beneficial. Taken together, the collective data provides information from current physiology students that may inform development of consensus guidelines regarding curriculum, professional skills, and advising for undergraduate physiology degree programs.

Physiology core concepts in the classroom: reflections from faculty.

It is increasingly difficult for faculty to cover all of the content in a physiology course. Given this constraint, recent efforts in the physiology teaching community, and in particular the Physiology Majors Interest Group (P-MIG), have promoted using core concepts to help students master key physiological principles. This report summarizes the experiences of four faculty members who teach physiology using the core concepts in various educational environments and identifies several common strengths and challenges they have encountered thus far. Strengths of using the core concepts include the transfer of knowledge to solve unknown problems and providing a framework to build a course. Challenges include applying them in a teach-taught course and balancing time spent on content and the core concepts. This is the first report to document the use of the physiology core concepts in a course, and the authors encourage additional faculty to not only adopt the core concepts for their own use, but share their approaches and experiences with the entire teaching community.

Advising physiology students: perceptions from the programs.

Academic advising outcomes can be linked to both student success and retention. Yet relatively little is known specifically related to advising in physiology programs. Professional organizations dedicated to academic advising in general, and more specifically advising future health professional students exist, yet, whether current physiology programs utilize these resources remains unknown, as does a number of other demographic information about advising in physiology programs. Here we present data gathered from a sample of physiology educators to inform what current advising practices of physiology students are. Forty-five respondents from a variety of institutions and programs provided information on advising structures, resources utilized, student populations, and concerns. While programs may differ, many of the concerns regarding advising physiology students are the same.

ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complexes in embryonic vascular development and hypertension.

Hypertension, a chronic elevation in blood pressure, is the largest single contributing factor to mortality worldwide and the most common preventable risk factor for cardiovascular disease. High blood pressure increases the risk for someone to experience a number of adverse cardiovascular events including heart failure, stroke, or aneurysm. Despite advancements in understanding factors that contribute to hypertension, the etiology remains elusive and there remains a critical need to develop innovative study approaches to develop more effective therapeutics. ATP-dependent chromatin remodelers are dynamic regulators of DNA-histone bonds and thus gene expression. The goal of this review is to highlight and summarize reports of ATP-dependent chromatin remodelers contribution to the development or maintenance of hypertension. Emerging evidence from hypertensive animal models suggests that induction of chromatin remodeler activity increases proinflammatory genes and increases blood pressure, whereas human studies demonstrate how chromatin remodelers may act as stress-response sensors to harmful physiological stimuli. Importantly, genomic studies have linked patients with hypertension to mutations in chromatin remodeler genes. Collectively, evidence linking chromatin remodelers and hypertension warrants additional research and ultimately could reveal novel therapeutic approaches for treating this complex and devastating disease.

CHD4-regulated plasmin activation impacts lymphovenous hemostasis and hepatic vascular integrity.

The chromatin-remodeling enzyme CHD4 maintains vascular integrity at mid-gestation; however, it is unknown whether this enzyme contributes to later blood vessel or lymphatic vessel development. Here, we addressed this issue in mice harboring a deletion of Chd4 specifically in cells that express lymphatic vessel endothelial hyaluronan receptor 1 (LYVE1), which include lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) and liver sinusoidal endothelial cells. Chd4 mutant embryos died before birth and exhibited severe edema, blood-filled lymphatics, and liver hemorrhage. CHD4-deficient embryos developed normal lymphovenous (LV) valves, which regulate the return of lymph to the blood circulation; however, these valves lacked the fibrin-rich thrombi that prevent blood from entering the lymphatic system. Transcripts of the urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR), which facilitates activation of the fibrin-degrading protease plasmin, were upregulated in Chd4 mutant LYVE1+ cells, and plasmin activity was elevated near the LV valves. Genetic reduction of the uPAR ligand urokinase prevented degradation of fibrin-rich thrombi at the LV valves and largely resolved the blood-filled lymphatics in Chd4 mutants. Urokinase reduction also ameliorated liver hemorrhage and prolonged embryonic survival by reducing plasmin-mediated extracellular matrix degradation around sinusoidal blood vessels. These results highlight the susceptibility of LV thrombi and liver sinusoidal vessels to plasmin-mediated damage and demonstrate the importance of CHD4 in regulating embryonic plasmin activation after mid-gestation.