Heating Effects of Desi Ghee Using Raman Spectroscopy.

Raman spectroscopy as a fast and nondestructive technique has been used to investigate heating effects on Desi ghee during frying/cooking of food for the first time. A temperature in the range of 140-180℃ has been investigated within which Desi ghee can be used safely for cooking/frying without much alteration of its natural molecular composition. In addition, heating effects in case of reuse, heating for different times, and cooking inside pressure cookers are also presented. An excitation laser at 785 nm has been used to obtain Raman spectra and the range of 540-1800 cm-1 is found to contain prominent spectral bands. Prominent variations have been observed in the Raman bands of 560-770 cm-1, 790-1160 cm-1, and 1180-1285 cm-1 with the rise in temperature. The spectral variations have been verified using classifier principal component analysis. It has been found that Desi ghee can be reused if heated below 180℃ and it can be heated up to 30 min without any appreciable molecular changes if a controlled heating can be managed.

Insulin receptor substrates-5 and -6 are poor substrates for the insulin receptor.

Insulin receptor substrates (IRS)-5 and -6 are two recently identified members of the IRS family. We investigated their roles as insulin receptor substrates and compared them with Src-homology-2-containing (Shc) protein, a well-established substrate. Bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) experiments showed no interaction between the receptor and IRS-5, while interaction with IRS-6 was not enhanced by insulin. By contrast, Shc showed an insulin-induced BRET response, as did a truncated form of IRS-1 (1-262). While Shc was heavily phosphorylated after stimulation of the insulin receptor, IRS-5 and -6 showed very weak phosphorylation levels. These results suggest that, although these two adaptors have previously been proposed as substrates for the insulin receptor, they are poor substrates for the insulin receptor. This calls into question their relevance to insulin signalling.

DOK4/IRS-5 expression is altered in clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

The insulin-receptor substrate family plays important roles in cellular growth, signaling, and survival. We have previously shown the dysregulation of the IGF-axis in clear cell renal cell carcinoma. In this manuscript, we examine the expression of the insulin receptor substrate family in clear cell RCC, and demonstrate that the expression of 2 members of this family are significantly altered in tumors. The most striking finding is that expression of the new IRS family member IRS-5 is significantly upregulated in 90% of examined clear cell RCCs. Studies on this gene has shown that it is regulated through chromatin remodeling in kidney cells.

Immediate and delayed effects of E-cadherin inhibition on gene regulation and cell motility in human epidermoid carcinoma cells.

The invasion suppressor protein, E-cadherin, plays a central role in epithelial cell-cell adhesion. Loss of E-cadherin expression or function in various tumors of epithelial origin is associated with a more invasive phenotype. In this study, by expressing a dominant-negative mutant of E-cadherin (Ec1WVM) in A431 cells, we demonstrated that specific inhibition of E-cadherin-dependent cell-cell adhesion led to the genetic reprogramming of tumor cells. In particular, prolonged inhibition of cell-cell adhesion activated expression of vimentin and repressed cytokeratins, suggesting that the effects of Ec1WVM can be classified as epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Both short-term and prolonged expression of Ec1WVM resulted in morphological transformation and increased cell migration though to different extents. Short-term expression of Ec1WVM up-regulated two AP-1 family members, c-jun and fra-1, but was insufficient to induce complete mesenchymal transition. AP-1 activity induced by the short-term expression of Ec1WVM was required for transcriptional up-regulation of AP-1 family members and down-regulation of two other Ec1WVM-responsive genes, S100A4 and igfbp-3. Using a dominant-negative mutant of c-Jun (TAM67) and RNA interference-mediated silencing of c-Jun and Fra-1, we demonstrated that AP-1 was required for cell motility stimulated by the expression of Ec1WVM. In contrast, Ec1WVM-mediated changes in cell morphology were AP-1-independent. Our data suggest that mesenchymal transition induced by prolonged functional inhibition of E-cadherin is a slow and gradual process. At the initial step of this process, Ec1WVM triggers a positive autoregulatory mechanism that increases AP-1 activity. Activated AP-1 in turn contributes to Ec1WVM-mediated effects on gene expression and tumor cell motility. These data provide novel insight into the tumor suppressor function of E-cadherin.

When can patients blow their nose and fly after treatment for fractures of zygomatic complex: the need for a consensus.

PURPOSE: To determine current professional advice to patients about refraining from nose blowing and air travel following treatment of zygomatic fractures. METHODS: A postal questionnaire was sent to 261 consultant oral and maxillofacial surgeons (OMFS) in the UK. They were asked about advice given to patients regarding length of time to refrain from nose blowing and air travel following treatment of zygomatic fractures. RESULTS: A total of 184 (71%) replies were received. Advice regarding the length of time to refrain from nose blowing and air travel ranged from no advice to 8 weeks. About 90% of respondents based their advice on common sense and traditional practice. CONCLUSIONS: Advice given to the patients following the treatment of zygomatic fractures varies widely. Most consultants based their advice on traditional practice and common sense. In the absence of widely accepted guidelines, there is a need for an agreement among clinicians on advice given to the patients.

Dermoid, teratoma or choristoma? A rare lesion of the tongue in an adult.

The nomenclature of developmental lesions in the tongue is confusing. We present a rare case in an adult and describe the clinical and histopathological features. Terminology of these lesions is also discussed.

Descriptive terminology of the mandible.

There is a considerable anomaly in the use of descriptive terms relating to the mandible. This ambiguity poses a potential risk of misinterpretation of patient's records and publications. Recommendations are made to improve clarity and avoid confusion.

Management of epistaxis in the oral and maxillofacial surgery setting: An update on current practice.

Epistaxis is a common and, in most cases, benign event. Although most nosebleeds resolve spontaneously, some may be profuse and life-threatening. Severe or recurrent epistaxis can be a challenging management problem. In otolaryngologic practice, it is the most commonly seen emergency. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons will also encounter this clinical problem in varied settings. It is our aim to present an update on the contemporary management of epistaxis in maxillofacial practice. The etiology and relevant surgical anatomy are discussed. This is followed by an update on current treatment regimens in different scenarios. A stepwise algorithm for the management of epistaxis is presented.

The ability of Fos family members to produce phenotypic changes in epithelioid cells is not directly linked to their transactivation potentials.

Numerous studies have revealed distinct functions of Fos proteins in different mouse tissues and cell lines. Here, we perform a direct comparison of the features of exogenous c-Fos, Fra-1 and Fra-2 proteins expressed in murine tumor cells of epithelial origin, CSML0. Although transactivation potential of c-Fos is much stronger than that of Fra-1 and Fra-2, all three proteins are capable of modulating transcription of target genes. Moreover, there is a certain degree of specificity in the induction of the transcription of AP-1-responsive genes by different Fos proteins. For instance, c-Fos and Fra-1 but not Fra-2 activated genes of the urokinase system. Additionally, not only a strong transcriptional activator c-Fos, but also Fra-1 induced morphological alterations in CSML0 cells. N-terminal domain of Fra-1 was required for this function. On the other hand, Fra-2 failed to change morphology of CSML0 cells. We therefore conclude that c-Fos, Fra-1 and Fra-2 differently activate transcription of target genes and induce morphological changes in epithelioid carcinoma cells in a manner not directly linked to their transactivation potentials.