The Impact of a Semester-Long, Cell Culture and Fluorescence Microscopy CURE on Learning and Attitudes in an Underrepresented STEM Student Population.

Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) is an access institution with a diverse student body, located in metro Atlanta. To strengthen research skills, teach employer-valued cell biology laboratory techniques, and increase student engagement, a semester-long, inquiry-based CURE was developed and implemented in Cell Biology with Laboratory (BIOL3400K), a sophomore-level course, which serves as a "gateway" to all upper-level biology courses. This CURE centers on the investigation of a student-chosen experimental factor on the viability of cultured, mammalian cells. Through participation in this CURE, students gain experience in cell culture, fluorescence microscopy, and viability assays, and strengthen important research skills, such as literature searches, graphing, and data analyses. The impact of this CURE on student learning gains and attitudes was assessed using pre-/post-content exams and the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS). Our data show that all students made significant content gains. Female students made larger learning gains than male students. Additionally, minority students performed better than majority students in some content areas. Student attitudes did not change, or in some cases were slightly more negative after the CURE. Overall, this CURE had a positive impact on students by engaging them in an inquiry-based laboratory experience.

Adiponectin and its receptors are expressed in adult ventricular cardiomyocytes and upregulated by activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma.

Adiponectin is a protein hormone involved in maintaining energy homeostasis in metabolically active tissues. It enhances glucose and lipid metabolism via activation of AMP-dependent kinase (AMPK) in skeletal muscle and liver. Energy homeostasis is vital for the heart to work as a pump. In this study, we investigated whether adiponectin and its receptors are expressed in adult ventricular cardiomyocytes. We observed adiponectin transcript and protein in cultured ventricular cardiomyocytes isolated from adult rat, by quantitative real-time PCR, ELISA assays, Western blots, and immunofluorescent staining. In addition, we detected adiponectin receptor (AdipoR1 and AdipoR2) expression in the heart. AdipoR1 was expressed in rat myocardium at a level of approximately 50% of that in skeletal muscle; whereas adipoR2 was expressed at a similar level to that in liver. Rosiglitazone, a Peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) activator, substantially elevated expression of adiponectin in cultured cardiomyocytes and its secretion into cultured media. Rosiglitazone also increased adipoR1 and adipoR2 expression in cardiomyocytes. Treatment of recombinant globular adiponectin in cultured cardiomyocytes increased fatty acid oxidation and glucose uptake via activation of AMPK, suggesting a role for adiponectin in cardiac energy metabolism. Together, these data establish the existence of a local cardiac-specific adiponectin system that is regulated by PPARgamma. Moreover, these findings indicate a role for adiponectin on normal myocardial energy homeostasis, in part, through the activation of AMPK.