It's Alive! Video of heart cell contraction

I am currently working on the effects of cholesterol on heart muscle cells (cardiac myocytes). This week I cultured heart cells that I extracted from experimental mouse models (read: I removed the hearts from several mice, broke down the heart into individual cells, and grew them in petri dishes with a nutritious broth). I'd never seen these kinds of cells under the microscope before and boy, did I get a neat surprise!

As you know, the heart pumps blood by contracting muscles in the wall of the heart. The force of the contraction pushes blood out of the heart and into the arteries to be carried off to our extremities. To review a little biology, remember that the structural hierarchy in the body is as follows:

Organ (heart) ==> Tissue (heart muscle) ==> Cell (cardiac myocyte)
Macroscopic ==> Microscopic

Although we see the entire heart contract as one muscle tissue, the contractions are actually taking place on the cellular level. This means that individual cells contract independently. It is the function of the brain and the nervous system to coordinate thousands of cellular contractions into one big muscle contraction of the whole heart.

When you culture cardiac myocytes in a dish, you can observe the individual contractions. Indeed, long after you have extracted the cells from a mouse, the cells are still beating on their own. Incredible! And it makes experimenting a lot easier...

Here's an example of what I can see under the microscope:



Truly amazing!

Mad, Mad River: Spin Profile #13

It's Monday. Sometimes all we can think about on Monday is "WEEKEND." Perhaps we're thinking of the great times from the past weekend. Perhaps we're already thinking ahead to next weekend and wondering what interesting events will come to pass.

Wouldn't it be great if we could extend that feeling a little longer? Yes? Alrighty then! Head on down to spin class this evening and join me in a sing-a-long to all those classic bar songs that have us jumping up and down and belting out "Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch" (you know you have!) and all those other bar favorites.

What's better than having a sing-a-long? COMPETITION!

That's right. Let's see how much you've been paying attention to me all semester long.
Points for:
-Song name
-Artist
-Theme (Bar Songs; Mad River = bar where I hear all of these songs)
-Form (sprints, jumps, climb)
-Knowing the words
-Showing up

It's the end of the semester and people are getting a bit burnt out. Let's encourage by giving an award to everyone who shows up and the highest point scorer. This is a place where just showing up earns you points! Sweet!

1. Video Killed The Radio Star by The Buggles (4:14)
2. ABC by The Jackson 5 (2:57)
3. Jump Around by The House of Pain (3:36)
4. Drift Away by Uncle Kracker (4:16)
5. Come On Eileen by Dexy's Midnight Runners (4:00)
6. Laid by James (2:37)
7. I Can't Help Myself by Four Tops (2:46)
8. Lola by The Kinx (4:25)
9. You Shook Me All Night Long by AC/DC (3:29)
10. Sweet Child of Mine by Guns N Roses (5:58)
11. Free Fallin' by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (4:20)
12. Beautiful by Akon (5:13)
13. American Pie by Don McLean (8:29)
14. Cecilia by Simon & Garfunkel (2:55)
15. It's Five O'Clock Somewhere by Jimmy Buffet (3:44)

Welcome Music
Undone (Sweater Song)
I Touch Myself

A Different Kind of Sunday School: Tria Wine & Cheese Bar

It's Sunday night and you're sitting at home wondering why/how the weekend sped by so quickly. You may already be in your pj's or you may be still sitting around in your sweaty running clothes post-Sunday-Long-Run. Suddenly a vibrating noise cuts through the end-of-weekend-dread: you've received a text message from a good buddy saying "Let's hit up Sunday School."

You may be like me and first grimace at the memory of waking up way too early on a Sunday morning to go to CCD class...then you remember that your friend is referring to Sunday School at Tria Wine & Cheese Bar. Immediately you hop in the shower and get giddy for some 'last call' Sunday evening fun. The work week suddenly feels far away again!

Ok, I may have used "you" here, but really this situation describes a common Sunday evening situation for me. If you have yet to experience Sunday School at Tria, please get yourself there next weekend! Honestly, Tria is fun any night of the week. It specializes in unique wine, cheese and beer pairings. The menu changes often, so there are always a plethora of choices. On top of the wine and cheese, they do also have entrees, but be prepared to spend the buckaroos. I wouldn't recommend coming here for dinner, though the fare is exceptional (I love the truffled poached egg with fontina cheese and the nutella panini). The real deal here is the wine and cheese pairings (all cheeses come paired with some culinary delight like honey, fruit, nuts, and bread).

Sunday nights are particularly great at Tria because of Sunday School. The House picks an interesting wine, cheese, and beer and sells it at half price. This means you can try a wine or cheese that you wouldn't normally venture. Awesome!

Last night the selection was not disappointing (copied from website):

WINE: Cahors, Château Les Hauts D’Aglan, '05 (Soturac, France)
We absolutely love Argentine Malbec, but the grape didn’t just fall from the sky and plant itself in South America. Everybody’s got a story, huh? This rich, tannic, midnight-colored grape now flourishing in the New World hails comes from a sleepy valley region in southwest France surrounding the River Lot. The Malbec grape dominates the Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) region of Cahors, but the French call it Côt, Côt Noir or Auxerrois. In the Middle Ages is was called the Black Wine of France for its intense, opaque inky hue. Today’s robust version contains 10% Merlot, no oak and the skilled touch of a very talented female winemaker. This black beauty was aged for 18 months in the tank allowing the dark and delicious fruit flavors to coalesce and the tannins to gracefully refine. When you’re feeling a little lost in the big New World, head back to the source for a glass of the real deal.
Regular Price $10 glass Sunday School Price $5 glass

This was good. I'm not a Merlot fan, but the 10% was well balanced (and mostly overpowered) by the other flavors. I'll admit that the after-taste was not pleasant--as per usual with merlot. On my way home 30 minutes later I had to pop some gum in my mouth to disperse the bitterness. The best wines I've had leave the palate well-balanced for hours.

CHEESE: Quiejo Toledo (Torres Vedras, Portugal · Cow, Goat & Sheep-P)
This firm little puck of mixed milk is bursting with flavor. The exterior is rubbed with a spicy smoked paprika of the piquant variety. They slowly smoke the paprika over the course of two weeks before grinding it into a fine paste and rubbing it on the cheese. The powder is rich, moist and brightly hued, so be forewarned of orange fingers. The handcrafted pieces are aged for 3-4 months and can become quite dense. During the aging process the distinct flavors of three different milks marry, but manage to maintain their individual qualities. The acidic kick of the goat’s milk is balanced by the beefy texture of the cow’s milk. The fatty sheep’s milk provides a gamy punch of flavor and texture. The complexity of this cheese is complimented by an accompaniment of legendary Piedmontese Millefiori (thousand flower) honey for a touch of sweetness. A little bit of this bold cheese goes a long and delicious way.
Regular Price $8½ Sunday School Price $4

Love, love, love cheese and honey pairings (where appropriate of course). Very tasty, but watch out for the delayed kick of spice.

I also had a Chevre d'Argental which was paired with a blueberry compote. I preferred this to the Quiejo, but that's only because I prefer the creamy sweetness of the chevre to the spiciness of the Quiejo.

http://www.triacafe.com/sunday_school/

18th & Sansom Streets • 215.972.TRIA

Washington Square West • 12th & Spruce Streets • 215.629.9200

Back To The Future at Colby

Last weekend I went up to Colby College to meet up with an old professor of mine and to catch part of a track meet on the new facility. I hadn't been back to Colby since graduation five years ago.

I went up to campus spontaneously--not really processing what it would be like to be back at my alma mater and in the middle of nowhere Maine; and in a blur--trying to reach my destination as quickly as possible. As I finally reached Waterville and was trying to recall how to navigate the roads to campus, I noticed some small differences. I was shocked to come off the highway and not find the WALMART, but some other large store called Mardens. What happened? In Waterville, Walmart used to be the center of shopping unless you wanted to high tail it to Augusta to the more upscale Old Navy or Barnes & Nobles....What Colby student didn't easily waste $50 when you only went in to buy, for example, a $3 notebook? What happened there?

Anyways, I passed the Mardens and remembered to take a left at the first light. This road leads directly to campus. I am glad to report that nothing has changed here. Still lonely, narrow, and filled with potholes. So many TREES! All of a sudden, there's a bend in the road and, VOILA, a clearing in the trees gives way to a breathtaking view of the Pond, Miller Library, Bob's, the Athletic Center, and the various sport fields.

I parked next to the pond, stepped out of the car and almost died of shock. It was sooooo gorgeous! Dumbstruck, speechless, overpowered...these are a few words to describe the wonder I felt at being back at Colby. Sure, I had a picture in my head of the picturesque campus and I knew that it was beautiful, but seeing it was a different matter. I uttered the following two statements about every other minute: "I used to live here??" "Oh my God, sooo Gorgeous!"

You also have to remember that I've been living in Philly for the past five years. As much as I love Philly, I still have to run 2.37 miles to experience any semblance of Nature and trees.

I waited at Bob's to meet up with my old advisor, mentor, and friend: Professor Jim Webb. As I waited for him there--in a place that I'd waited for him countless times before--I felt as though no time had passed. Not true, of course. I've had many experiences since last I saw him that have taken me on a different path than the one I had envisioned at Colby years ago. I had no idea back then that I'd love biochem, signal transduction and would want to apply to MD/PhD programs. I hadn't even expected to run multiple marathons or become a group exercise instructor.

Life takes us in interesting directions; directions that can't be predicted. Along the way we discover new aspects of ourselves. In this process we sometimes forget our old goals, opinions, and feelings until we are somehow reminded of what used to be important to us. At these junctures, maybe you decide that these feelings are no longer a part of you. Other times, like for me at Colby, you decide it's important to remember those feelings and incorporate it into your present goals.

As a parting gift, P. Webb gave me a copy of his new book, Humanity's Burden: A Global History of Malaria. I started reading it and was transported back to Colby again when I was his research assistant and he my advisor for my Senior Scholar's project; both of us working on mosquito research. Last weekend, we "jokingly" said that someday we would do a collaboration. I hope we do! I want to keep alive my ties to Colby. I feel very proud to be a Colby grad and have been sporting my "Colby Track & Field" hat all week.

Continuity gives us roots; change gives us branches, letting us stretch and grow and reach new heights. ~Pauline R. Kezer

Letter from Bro

Here's the letter I received via email today from President Bro Adams regarding the incident at Colby last Sunday am. I've been getting updates all week about the incident and it still seems unclear what happened and why. On Monday, I received reports saying that a kid got so drunk someone had to call EMS. Some other kid interfered with the treatment. He reacted in a verbal then physical way. Security and police were called in and the kids were arrested. That story seemed straightforward enough. By Tuesday there were reports saying that the kids were treated forcefully and unfairly and perhaps this has something to do with race. Five days later it still seems pretty unclear... Let me know what you think.

Dear Colby Alumni,

I have received hundreds of e-mails and voice messages in response to my communications with all of you regarding the events of April 12. I cannot respond to each message individually in the thoughtful and timely manner they all deserve, so I hope you will understand my resorting again to e-mail in order to provide an update. Some common questions and concerns emerged in many of your messages.

Chief among them were:
-requests for specific information about the April 12 events and Colby’s response to them;
-expressions of shock regarding the video that shows Colby Security officers restraining two students;
-questions about a possible racial element to Colby’s and local law enforcement’s handling of the situation;
-how Colby will proceed in investigating the events of April 12.

At a forum on campus last night, I reiterated to members of the on-campus community that I find the video deeply disturbing. I understand why, in the absence of other information, students and others would respond to the video with expressions of anger and fear. The host of emotions called forth by images of security officers restraining students is complex, and the complexity deepens because the officers are white and the students are of color.

While I acknowledge the power of those images, I also recognize that the video depicts only a very brief portion of the time in which the Colby personnel, students, and law enforcement officers interacted. A full and complete understanding of the facts and circumstances of that morning is required if we are to have any hope of addressing productively the many concerns raised. As I did in my last message to you, I underscore my feeling that we must not rush to judgment in the absence of that complete understanding, even while I acknowledge the many requests that Colby act quickly. We do not yet know whether any of the events was motivated by racial considerations. We do not yet know whether the methods used constitute excessive force.I understand that these are questions that demand answers and that the pace of our investigation and the scarcity of detail surrounding it are clearly of concern to many of you. So I will share with you what I have told students about how the investigation has been mounted and how it will proceed.

Beginning early on Sunday morning, Associate Dean of Students Paul Johnston, Coordinator of Multicultural Programs Joseph Atkins and Richard Nale from Colby’s Human Resources Department have been conducting interviews with witnesses. They were selected to conduct Colby’s initial investigation because of their knowledge of Colby policies and federal laws surrounding student privacy issues and employment regulations and because each is experienced in gathering information immediately following an event. Experience, not only at Colby but in other settings, suggests that the sooner such interviews are conducted, the more complete and accurate a picture of events will emerge. Paul, Joe, and Richard have been unable to interview all potential witnesses because some have not responded to requests from them, but they hope to conclude this phase of the investigation shortly, joined by Director of Equal Employment Opportunity Cora Clukey as we make the transition into the next phase.

At the forum last night, students asked whether it would be helpful for Colby administrators to receive information germane to the investigation from students who were not present – for example, from students who have had interactions with Security that they believe may be exemplars. Vice President Doug Terp and I agreed that the wider scope could indeed be helpful and encouraged those who wanted to talk to us, to Dean Jim Terhune or anyone on his staff, or to the investigators to do so.

Since Monday, I have worked to identify a person unconnected with the College who will evaluate the facts and provide an independent determination of what happened. This independent investigator will have the full cooperation of the College administration and will conduct his or her inquiry as he or she chooses. I cannot provide details now of how or when the conclusions of that investigation will be shared, but I hope to have more to say about this soon.I will continue to keep you informed as to the progress of the investigation and Colby’s response to these events. In the meantime, the College also is maintaining a Web page that contains, in addition to our communications about the matter, links to the media coverage of which we are aware. The address of that site is: www.colby.edu/april12incident. By tomorrow, we hope, a complete video of last night’s forum also will be posted on the site.

I am grateful to all of you who have engaged in these discussions. As difficult as it is to hear and to read some of the more negative criticism, my sense of the power of the Colby bond has been deepened by the thoughtfulness of your comments and your clear commitment to making this College stronger in every way.

William D. Adams
President

Fling It: Spin Profile #12

This weekend is Spring Fling at Penn. Since 1973, Spring Fling has been the ultimate student festival at Penn. Thousands of students descend onto the Quad, Hill Field, College Green, and Wynn Commons to dance, eat, party, and enjoy a day full of surprises. Each Spring Fling consists of a Carnival with games and events, a Concert hosting the hippest new bands, and the Quad Concerts, which showcase some of the hottest local bands and performers.

This year, the big show features GUSTER and Akon. I am a huge GUSTER fan [hence the capital letters] and cannot wait for the show tonight! I've been listening to Guster since the 7th grade. Way back then, they were students at Tufts and living in Somerville. I've been to countless concerts. Their beats never get old.

In honor of the concert I will be hosting an all Guster and Akon spin class tomorrow. Ok, honestly it is mostly Guster with a few Akon songs thrown in. The other day I was going through my iTunes library and throwing Guster songs into the playlist. After choosing all my "favorite" Guster songs, I went back to inspect the playlist. I found that I had 2.5 hours worth of Guster tracks with about 10 minutes of Akon. Whoops. Don't think anyone will be interested in spinning for 3 hours.

So, after much pruning and ripping out of my heart, I came up with the following spin profile. Along with bopping along to the awesome beats, we will be working on endurance and stamina. Each position and pace will be held for two songs.

1. Window by Guster (3:35)/Warm Up
2. Manifest Destiny by Guster (3:02)/Warm Up Mix

3. Right Now (Na Na Na) by Akon (4:01)/Jumps
4. Medicine by Guster (3:57)/Jumps

5. Amsterdam by Guster (3:37)/RUN
6. Center of Attention by Guster (4:07)/RUN

7. Beautiful by Akon (5:13)/CLIMB
8. Demons by Guster (4:26)/CLIMB

9. Sweetest Girl by Wyclef Jean ft Akon (4:30)/Cadence + FR SPRINTS on chorus
10. Barrel of A Gun by Guster (3:12)/Cadence + FR SPRINTS on chorus

11. Shake Down by Akon (3:52)/JUMPS
12. We Takin' Over by DJ Khaled ft Akon (4:30)/JUMPS

13. The Captain by Guster (3:26)/SPRINTS with Resistance
14. Airport Song by Guster (3:32)/SPRINTS with Resistance

15. Don't Matter by Akon (4:53)/Cadence + Cool Down
16. Parachute by Guster (5:12)/Cool Down

Songs I Sing In The Shower: Spin Profile #11

The other day I was in spin class and I was feeling pretty disconnected to some of the songs. Most notably the songs that I threw in from the top 40 that I either don't like or haven't listened to enough to be excited about. I used these songs because I knew my participants would really like them. Sometimes it's tough to find that balance between what I think the participants will like versus what I like.

This profile focuses songs that I like to sing in the shower. Read: songs that I really enjoy bopping along to. Let's breathe some life into the spin room!

This is geared for a 45 min class (most of mine are an hour-long).

1. If Today Was Your Last Day by Nickelback/Warm Up

2. River of Dreams by Billy Joel/Inc every 30 sec (FR ==> 8) + Jump Mix

3. Janie's Got A Gun by Aerosmith/Seated Climb 8 ==> 10

4. That was a crazy game of poker by O.A.R./Lots of tempo changes: mix of climbing + running + sprinting/FR ==> 10

5. Rockin' Down The Highway by The Doobie Brothers/Cadence @ FR or 6

6. 5000 Ones by Drama/Jump Mix @ 6 or 7

7. Fool In The Rain by Led Zeppelin/Standing Climb @ 8; mid-song Sprint; back to climb + inc. to 10

8. Jessie's Girl by Rick Springfield/Verse = Cadence; Chorus = RUN @ 6

9. Hook by Blues Traveler/FR ==> 10; Climb Mix; add in some pick ups

10. Always by Bon Jovi/Cool Down + Stretches (This is my favorite shower song!!)

Start The Fire! Spin Profile #10

Today's spin profile features two long hills, the second being a little longer and harder than the first.

Visualize the hill as: Increase and plateau; Increase and Pleateau; Descend (x2).
Flat road in between the two hills (song 8). Active Recovery! Keep it fast.

On the "increase" songs:
-Mix up standing/seated climb--the second hill will probably feature more time standing out in position 3.
-I may throw in some sprints--especially on song 11. Depends on how people are looking.

"HOLD" songs:
-standing/pos 3 = great time/way to work the glutes.


1. Don't You (Forget About Me) by Simple Minds (4:21)/WU
2. Let's Twist Again by Chubby Checker (2:18)/Run
3. Magic Dance by David Bowie (5:11)/ WU Mix

4. Country Grammar by Nelly (4:47)/Inc/60 sec: FR ==> 8
5. Can You Tell Me by Ra Ra Riot (2:43)/Run @ 8
6. Sweetest Girl by Wyclef (3:59)/Inc/60 sec 8 ==> 9 or 1o
7. All I Need by Radiohead (3:49)/HOLD @ 9 or 10
*At end of last song, bring resistance down quick to FR*

8. Airport Song by Guster (3:32)/Cadence @ FR
Ride it out!

9. Living On A Prayer by Bon Jovi (4:09)/Inc/60 sec: FR ==> 8
10. Run! by Gnarls Barkley (2:49)/Run @ 8
11. Dirt Off Your Android by Jadiohead (3:34)/Inc/60 sec 8 ==> 9 or 10
12. Stand By Me by Ben E. King (2:58)/HOLD @ 9 or 10
13. F**k You by Lily Allen (3:43)/SLOW descent- decr./30 sec: 9 or 10 ==> 6 or FR
14. Live and Let Die by Paul McCartney (3:13)/Mix Standing pos 2 + 3 (chorus, verse, interlude)
15. We Didn't Start The Fire by Billy Joel (4:48)/Cadence + Sprints (seated and standing/pos 2)

16. My Girl by The Temptations (2:44)/Cool Down
17. Every Rose Has Its Thorn by Poison (4:23)/CD + Stretches

3x3: Spin Profile #8

This profile features 3 hills (up and down) separated by short, one-minute sprints (all out!). On the third song of each hill, goal is to come down the hill slowly. By end of song, be back at flat road (or at 6 for an extra challenge) to sprint for a one minute interval.

As always. three song warm up.
1. Oye Mi Canto by N.O.R.E, Big Mato, Nina Skyy, Gem Star, Daddy Yankee (4:01)/WU
2. Bad Moon Rising by CCR (2:20)/RUN
3. Boom Boom Pow by Black Eyed Peas (4:12)/Warm up mix

4. Bittersweet Symphony by The Verve (6:01)/Inc. Every 30 sec
5. No Diggity by Black Street (5:05)/Modified Jumps
6. Kiss Me Thru The Phone by Soulja Boy Tell 'Em (3:13)/Decrease Every 60 sec

7. Buffy The Vampire Slayer by Knightsbridge (1:02)/SPRINT

8. I Love College by Asher Roth (4:01)/Inc. Every 30 sec
9. Sugar by Flo Rida ft Wynter (4:13)/Modified Jumps
10. Shoop y Salt N' Pepper (4:09)/Decrease Every 60 sec

11. Mythbusters by The TV Theme Players (1:05)/SPRINT

12. Creep by Radiohead (3:57)/Inc. Every 30 sec
13.Waterfalls by TLC (4:40)/Modified Jumps
14. Traveling Man by Bob Seger (4:55)/2 min at top; decrease for min to 6; RUN to finish

15. Ride Wit Me by Nelly (4:52)/Cool Down
16. Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye by Steam (4:10)/Stretches

The Spy Who 'Burned' Me: Spin Profile #7

Another themed class! Woo-hoo!

Point break-down:
1 - Artist
1 - Song Title
1 - Origin (some have multiple)
3 - Theme (= Spy Songs)

1. James Bond Theme Remix by Moby (3:23)
2. Secret Agent Man by Johnny Rivers (3:07)/Secret Agent Man TV Show, Ace Ventura
3. Live & Let Die by Paul McCartney & Wings (3:13)/Bond
4. Pink Panther Theme by Henrey Mancini & Chris Mancini (2:37)
5. Die Another Day by Madonna (4:38)/Bond
6. Goldeneye by Tina Turner (4:46)/Bond
7. It's The Hard Knock Life by Dr. Evil (1:44)/Austin Powers
8. Short Skirt/Long Jacket by Cake (3:24)/Chuck TV Show
9. Mission Impossible Theme Remix by Top Secret (5:37)
10. Main Title by Michael Giacchino (0:28)/ALIAS
11. Decode by Paramore (4:22)/Twilight--ok not a spy flick, but Decode = spy themed so it's ok
12. The World Is Not Enough by Garbage (3:58)/Bond
13. James Bond Theme by John Barry Orchestra (1:48)/Dr. No