Abstract: Methods of modulating insulin secretion and treating metabolic disorders by modulating the expression or activity of Sirt4 are provided.

Abstract: A method for determining the residual stress in an unsupported region of a thin film. The method includes the steps of (a) optically exciting the film with a spatially and temporally varying optical excitation field to launch counter-propagating acoustic modes along at least one wavevector; (b) diffracting a portion of an optical probe field off the excited acoustic modes to generate a time-dependent signal field at the excitation wavevector; (c) detecting the signal field to generate a time-dependent, light-induced signal; (d) analyzing the light-induced signal to determine the frequencies of the acoustic modes; (e) partially determining the dispersion of at least one mode; and, (f) comparing the measured dispersion to that calculated using a mathematical model to allow the residual stress properties of the unsupported region of the film to be determined.