Enhancing engagement and confidence in male reproductive physiology through an escape room activity

Enhancing engagement and confidence in male reproductive physiology through an escape room activity

In this episode of The APS Publications Podcast, featuring Advances in Physiology Education, coauthors Michael Leung and Dasuni Alwis discuss their recently published article, “Enhancing Engagement and Confidence in Male Reproductive Physiology Through an Escape Room Activity.” They explore an innovative response to declining classroom engagement in higher education, highlighting a flipped learning escape room workshop developed at Monash University. Centered on diagnosing the infertility of a fictional medieval king, the activity demonstrates how immersive, gamified approaches can drive high engagement and significantly improve student confidence across all levels of preparedness. Enhancing engagement and confidence in male reproductive physiology through an escape room activity [https://journals.physiology.org/doi/abs/10.1152/advan.00166.2025] Michael C. M. Leung, Claire Huang, Joanne Caldwell Odgers, Dasuni Alwis, and Craig A. Harrison Advances in Physiology Education 2026 50:2, 384-391 10.1152/advan.00166.2025

Interorgan Insights: GLP-2R, a master integrator of gut-brain-liver communication

In this podcast, coauthors Mingdao Mu, Yunuo Jiang, Guo Han, and Zixu Zhang discuss their recently published review, ‘Glucagon-Like Peptide-2 Receptor: A Master Integrator of Gut-Brain-Liver Communication in Metabolic and Cognitive Health'. The review highlights GLP-2R as a systematic hub for metabolic and cognitive health, and a critical player in gut-brain-liver communication. Authors also discuss pharmacological innovations and highlight gaps in the current knowledge.  Glucagon-Like Peptide-2 Receptor: A Master Integrator of Gut-Brain-Liver Communication in Metabolic and Cognitive Health Yunuo Jiang, [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?sort=pubdate&term=Jiang+Y&cauthor_id=41943399] Guo Han [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?sort=pubdate&term=Han+G&cauthor_id=41943399], Zixu Zhang [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?sort=pubdate&term=Zhang+Z&cauthor_id=41943399], Shengru Hu [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?sort=pubdate&term=Hu+S&cauthor_id=41943399], Mingdao Mu [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?sort=pubdate&term=Mu+M&cauthor_id=41943399] Comprehensive Physiology 2026 16:2, e70144  https://doi.org/10.1002/cph4.70144

Interorgan Insights: Sprouting and splitting - rethinking angiogenesis in biomaterials

In this podcast, author Kuihua Zhan discusses the recently published article, ‘Vascularization Is Driven by Sprouting and Subsequent Splitting: Mechanisms of Physiological Angiogenesis in a Porous Biomaterial Scaffold and Intervention Insights’. The article describes engineering interventions to support the physiological vascularization of large-scale tissue scaffolds.  Vascularization Is Driven by Sprouting and Subsequent Splitting: Mechanisms of Physiological Angiogenesis in a Porous Biomaterial Scaffold and Intervention Insights Kuihua Zhan [https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/authored-by/Zhan/Kuihua], Lun Bai [https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/authored-by/Bai/Lun] Comprehensive Physiology 2026 16:3, e70170 https://doi.org/10.1002/cph4.70170 [https://doi.org/10.1002/cph4.70170]

Time-Restricted Feeding Improves Metabolic Rhythms and Liver Bioenergetics

In this AI generated episode of The APS Publications Podcast featuring Function, we will dive into exciting new research that is shaping our understanding of how the body works at its most fundamental level. We spotlight the article “Short-term time-restricted feeding improves metabolic rhythms and liver mitochondrial bioenergetic function in high-fat diet-fed mice,” by Valcin et al. published recently in Function. Across the U.S. and the world, more people are developing fatty liver disease—now often called metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease. About one in three adults are affected. What causes it? Often, long-term high-fat diets and disrupted metabolism. Inside the liver, tiny structures called mitochondria—the cell’s power plants—stop working efficiently. When that happens, the liver struggles to burn fat, energy levels drop, inflammation rises, and damage spreads to other organs. But here’s the surprising part: It’s not just what we eat that hurts these mitochondria. It’s when we eat. Ready to learn more? Listen now.   Jennifer A. Valcin, Telisha Millender-Swain, Jodi R. Paul, Brandon K. Collins, Fatme Ghandour, Sameer Al Diffalha, Jennifer S. Pollock, David M. Pollock, Scott W. Ballinger, Karen L. Gamble, Shannon M. Bailey Short-term time-restricted feeding improves metabolic rhythms and liver mitochondrial bioenergetic function in high-fat diet-fed mice [https://doi.org/10.1152/function.082.2025] Function, published February 25, 2026. DOI: 10.1152/function.082.2025

Interorgan Insights: Role of the gut microbiome in predicting PAH severity

In this podcast, author Arun Jose discusses the recently published article, ‘Lactobacillus Is Associated With Disease in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: A Prospective Cohort Study.' The prospective cohort study linked the gut microbiome, gut-derived metabolites, and disease severity in patents with pulmonary arterial hypertension undergoing right heart catheterization. Authors found that the presence of Lactobacillus was associated with less severe disease.  Lactobacillus Is Associated With Disease in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: A Prospective Cohort Study Arun Jose [https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/authored-by/Jose/Arun], Senu Apewokin [https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/authored-by/Apewokin/Senu], Nicholas J. Ollberding [https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/authored-by/Ollberding/Nicholas+J.], Qing Duan [https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/authored-by/Duan/Qing], Jennifer Trannguyen [https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/authored-by/Trannguyen/Jennifer], Sasha Z. Prisco [https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/authored-by/Prisco/Sasha+Z.], Thenappan Thenappan [https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/authored-by/Thenappan/Thenappan], Anna R. Hemnes [https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/authored-by/Hemnes/Anna+R.], Jean M. Elwing [https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/authored-by/Elwing/Jean+M.] Comprehensive Physiology 2026 16:3, e70161 https://doi.org/10.1002/cph4.70161 [https://doi.org/10.1002/cph4.70161]