Glucose regulated protein 78/immunoglobulin binding protein (GRP78/BiP) is an ER chaperone protein and master regulator of the unfolded protein response (UPR). The response of GRP78 to overt pharmacologically induced ER stress is well established, whereas the modulation of GRP78 to physiologic changes is less characterized. In this study, we examined the regulation of GRP78 in response to reduced IGF-1 growth factor signaling, a common consequence of calorie restriction (CR). ER chaperone protein expression was quantified in cell lysates prepared from the livers of calorie restricted (CR) and ad libitum fed mice, as well as MEFs grown in normal medium or serum starved. The requirement of IGF-1 signaling on GRP78 expression was studied using MEFs with IGF-1 receptor overexpression (R+) or deletion (R−), and the regulatory mechanism was examined using mTORC1 and PI3K inhibitors, as well as R− cells with knockdown of transcription factor FOXO1 compared to shRNA control. We observed a 40% reduction in GRP78 protein expression in CR mice and in serum-starved MEF cells. R− cells had drastically reduced AKT phosphorylation and exhibited lower levels of ER chaperones, in particular 80% less GRP78. Despite an 80% reduction in GRP78 expression, R− cells were not under chronic ER stress, but were fully capable of activating the unfolded protein response (UPR). Neither forced expression of FOXO1-AAA nor knockdown of FOXO1 in R− cells affected GRP78 expression. In conclusion, we report that IGF-1 receptor signaling regulates GRP78 expression via the PI3K/AKT/mTORC1 axis independent of the canonical UPR and FOXO1.

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Sexuality, more so than other subject areas, magnifies the embodied nature of teaching and learning as well as conspicuously silences open dialogue given its taboo status in many religious and theological contexts. Yet, student learning about sexuality that incorporates knowledge of and about religion, in particular, may greatly improve the public discourse about sexuality through our students as responsible citizens and as leaders in their chosen professions. To bridge this gap, through a year-long collaboration, a group of professors and instructors with expertise and experience teaching sexuality and religion in a variety of disciplines and diverse institutional and religious contexts developed, tested, and refined classroom teaching strategies to shift from a content-based "subject matter"to an embodied learning experience, resulting in perspective transformation as a primary student-learning outcome. Findings in the form of "guiding questions," encourage instructors to attend to contextual, experiential, and performative aspects of the classroom environment. shame, guilt, power, and freedom. Sexuality has been at the heart of the U.S. culture wars for nearly half a century. Public debate about sexuality has reached a fever pitch in U.S. legal discourse, and divisions over sexuality are reshaping the religious landscape. Cross-cultural comparisons reveal a wide array of morals and practices, and rates of childhood and adult sexual abuse are staggering.2 Yet, open dialogue about sexuality is conspicuously silenced in many religious and theological contexts. How do we overcome this aversion in order to teach effectively, responsibly, and openly about sexuality and religion?As sexuality increasingly becomes an expected part of the explicit curriculum in religious and theological studies, classroom instructors need the knowledge and skills to handle this topic effectively -regardless of their specific research expertise. Faculty in both religious studies and theological school contexts need additional training and resources. Instructors need heightened awareness, tried and tested pedagogical strategies, and collegial support to help navigate institutional constraints, respond to student needs, model reflective awareness of sexuality and embodiment, and create space for the learner's personal and contextual discernment. For sexuality and embodiment to become an intentional part of the student's classroom learning experience in religious studies and theological education rather than a conspicuous silence, we need to integrate classroom instruction more effectively with everyday realities (Ott, 2012, 13;Stephens & Jung, 2015). Even in classrooms with a more descriptive orientation, the embodied nature of religious thought and practice are ignored at the risk of distorting the subject matter. Sexuality is no longer an optional curriculum in religious studies and theological education.This article begins with theoretical reflections on embodied learning designed to promote self-awareness and increased levels...

How do we deal with our own sexuality as teachers and as learners in the classroom? As a seminary professor in a mainline Christian context, I find that discussing sexuality increases student discomfort levels by threatening to raise questions about the connections between morality, behavior, and bodies of those in the roomquestions we have been culturally trained to avoid. In order to decrease discomfort, many instructors approach sexuality only as content-based subject matter. Particularly for ministry students, this approach can be a disservice to their discernment process and preparation for future ministry contexts, especially for those in turmoil regarding sexuality-related issues. By explicitly engaging how personal experience and cultural contexts shape our sexuality, pedagogical models can promote critical self-reflection and seek perspective transformation, not values change, as a resource for professional sexual ethics training in ministry.

Religious traditions affirm that sexuality isGod's life-giving and life-fulfilling gift. Every member of the clergy will be called upon to address the sexuality needs of the people they serve, yet only a handful of seminaries in the United States are actively preparing their students to assume this important role. In Phase I, 36 U.S. seminaries participated in a survey of the sexuality education of religious professionals and clergy. Phase I results pointed to an overwhelming need for improvement in the sexuality education provided to seminarians and the overall sexual health of the seminaries. Phase II included further assessment of three seminaries and technical assistance provided by the Religious Institute. Preliminary results from Phase II indicate improvement toward greater sexual health and responsibility at each seminary. Research and technical assistance is ongoing at these and other seminaries.Clergy and other religious professionals have a unique opportunity and responsibility to guide congregations and communities through any number of sexuality-related concerns. Religious traditions teach that sexuality is a sacred part of life, developed in connection with, and informed by, belief systems and practices of faith. In turn, congregants and others in the community rely on clergy as a source of counseling and guidance when it comes to questions of sexuality. Many perceive religious professionals and clergy,