Evidence for a regulatory role of Cullin-RING E3 ubiquitin ligase 7 in insulin signalling

Dysfunctional regulation of signalling pathways downstream of the insulin receptor plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. In this study we report both in vitro and in vivo experimental evidence for a role of Cullin-RING E3 ubiquitin ligase 7 (CRL7) in the regulation of insulin signalling and glucose homeostasis. We show that Cul7−/− mouse embryonic fibroblasts displayed enhanced AKT and Erk MAP kinase phosphorylation upon insulin stimulation. Depletion of CUL7 by RNA interference in C2C12 myotubes led to increased activation of insulin signalling pathways and cellular glucose uptake, as well as a reduced capacity of these cells to execute insulin-induced degradation of insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS1). In vivo, heterozygosity of either Cul7 or Fbxw8, both key components of CRL7, resulted in elevated PI3 kinase / AKT activation in skeletal muscle tissue upon insulin stimulation when compared to wild-type controls. Finally, Cul7+/− or Fbxw8+/− mice exhibited enhanced insulin sensitivity and plasma glucose clearance. Collectively, our findings point to a yet unrecognized role of CRL7 in insulin-mediated control of glucose homeostasis by restraining PI3 kinase / AKT activities in skeletal muscle cells

Financial Self-Help Associations among Far West Nepalese Labor Migrants in Delhi, India

Labor migration to India is the most important source of income for people in Far West Nepal. To better understand the effects of labor migration, a research analyzing why and how migrants invest their money in financial self-help organizations was undertaken. Fieldwork was conducted in the communities of origin in Nepal and migrant communities in India. Based on the study, the paper provides an overview of the existing financial self-help associations, their strengths and weaknesses, accessibility and possibilities of benefits and losses for the migrants and their families. The major conclusion is that migration helps to improve income or security but can also undermine a household's financial situation by perpetuating debt and dependency

Particle image velocimetry (PIV) in food powders during vacuum-steam-vacuum (VSV) treatment

Fluidization of solid particles has become the state of the art technique, facilitating powder handling and processing. The case of non–stationary fluidization during a Vacuum–Steam–Vacuum (VSV) treatment of conventional milk powder was investigated. Thereby, the food material is fluidized in a free fall under partial vacuum conditions. Microbiological decontamination is achieved through a short injection of saturated steam in counterflow. Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and Digital Image Analysis (DIA) were used for quantification and characterization of solid motion in the highly dynamic system. The non–invasive analysis revealed three distinct flow domains, which were the free fall in partial vacuum, a transient and intermediate floating state showing turbulent mixing and the final collapse of floating state due to progressed particle agglomeration. Important insight of the process were obtained. Qualitative behavior of the underlying physics of the VSV process was well characterized using the results from PIV and DIA. The gained knowledge is applicable for various powder fluidization operations involving non–stationary conditions as well as non–uniform spatial distribution of solid particles