mTORC1-independent Raptor prevents hepatic steatosis by stabilizing PHLPP2

Mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1), defined by the presence of Raptor, is an evolutionarily conserved and nutrient-sensitive regulator of cellular growth and other metabolic processes. To date, all known functions of Raptor involve its scaffolding mTOR kinase with substrate. Here we report that mTORC1-independent (‘free’) Raptor negatively regulates hepatic Akt activity and lipogenesis. Free Raptor levels in liver decline with age and in obesity; restoration of free Raptor levels reduces liver triglyceride content, through reduced β-TrCP-mediated degradation of the Akt phosphatase, PHLPP2. Commensurately, forced PHLPP2 expression ameliorates hepatic steatosis in diet-induced obese mice. These data suggest that the balance of free and mTORC1-associated Raptor governs hepatic lipid accumulation, and uncover the potentially therapeutic role of PHLPP2 activators in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

The TAOS Project Stellar Variability I. Detection of Low-Amplitude delta Scuti Stars

We analyzed data accumulated during 2005 and 2006 by the Taiwan-American Occultation Survey (TAOS) in order to detect short-period variable stars (periods of <~ 1 hour) such as delta Scuti. TAOS is designed for the detection of stellar occultation by small-size Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs) and is operating four 50cm telescopes at an effective cadence of 5Hz. The four telescopes simultaneously monitor the same patch of the sky in order to reduce false positives. To detect short-period variables, we used the Fast Fourier Transform algorithm (FFT) inasmuch as the data points in TAOS light-curves are evenly spaced. Using FFT, we found 41 short-period variables with amplitudes smaller than a few hundredths of a magnitude and periods of about an hour, which suggest that they are low-amplitude delta Scuti stars (LADS). The light-curves of TAOS delta Scuti stars are accessible online at the Time Series Center website (http://timemachine.iic.harvard.edu)Comment: Accepted for publication in A

Augmentation of keratinized tissue at tooth and implant sites by using autogenous grafts and collagen-based soft-tissue substitutes

AIM To investigate the effect of three treatment modalities on the gain of keratinized tissue (KT) at tooth and implant sites in dogs. MATERIALS AND METHODS In five dogs, the distal roots of the mandibular second, third and fourth premolars were extracted, while the mesial roots were maintained. After 2 months of healing, implants were placed with KT excision. After another 2 months of healing, free gingival grafts, collagen-based matrices and apically positioned flap only were applied. The height of KT was measured during implant placement, immediately before soft-tissue grafting and after 10, 30 and 60 days. RESULTS Two months after KT excision, spontaneous KT regrowth was greater at tooth sites than at implant sites (median, 2.0 mm vs. 1.1 mm). The outcomes of soft-tissue grafting at implant sites favoured the free gingival graft treatment, with a greater final median height (5.0-5.5 mm) and increase in KT (4.0-4.2 mm). Locations of the recipient sites significantly influenced KT regeneration at both tooth and implant sites. CONCLUSIONS At implant sites, the free gingival graft treatment led to higher KT regeneration. At tooth sites, however, the differences between the three treatment modalities seemed clinically irrelevant

A Spectro-photometric Search for Galaxy Clusters in SDSS

Recent large-scale galaxy spectroscopic surveys, such as the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), enable us to execute a systematic, relatively-unbiased search for galaxy clusters. Such surveys make it possible to measure the 3-d distribution of galaxies but are hampered by the incompleteness problem due to fiber collisions. In this study we aim to develop a density measuring technique that alleviates the problem and derives densities more accurately by adding additional cluster member galaxies that follow optical color-magnitude relations for the given redshift. The new density measured with both spectroscopic and photometric data shows a good agreement with apparent information on cluster images and is supported by follow-up observations. By adopting this new method, a total of 924 $robust$ galaxy clusters are found from the SDSS DR5 database in the redshift range $0.05<z<0.1$, of which 212 are new. Local maximum-density galaxies successfully represent cluster centers. We provide the cluster catalogue including a number of cluster parameters.Comment: Web-page address has been revised and minor corrections are don

Survey for Transiting Extrasolar Planets in Stellar Systems. II. Spectrophotometry and Metallicities of Open Clusters

We present metallicity estimates for seven open clusters based on spectrophotometric indices from moderate-resolution spectroscopy. Observations of field giants of known metallicity provide a correlation between the spectroscopic indices and the metallicity of open cluster giants. We use \chi^2 analysis to fit the relation of spectrophotometric indices to metallicity in field giants. The resulting function allows an estimate of the target-cluster giants' metallicities with an error in the method of \pm0.08 dex. We derive the following metallicities for the seven open clusters: NGC 1245, [m/H]=-0.14\pm0.04; NGC 2099, [m/H]=+0.05\pm0.05; NGC 2324, [m/H]=-0.06\pm0.04; NGC 2539, [m/H]=-0.04\pm0.03; NGC 2682 (M67), [m/H]=-0.05\pm0.02; NGC 6705, [m/H]=+0.14\pm0.08; NGC 6819, [m/H]=-0.07\pm0.12. These metallicity estimates will be useful in planning future extra-solar planet transit searches since planets may form more readily in metal-rich environments.Comment: 38 pages, including 12 figures. Accepted for publication in A

Search for CP violation in tau -> K^0_S pi nu_tau decays at Belle

We report on a search for CP violation in tau -> K^0_S pi nu_tau decays using a data sample of 699 fb^{-1} collected in the Belle experiment at the KEKB electron-positron asymmetric-energy collider. The CP asymmetry is measured in four bins of the invariant mass of the K^0_S pi system and found to be compatible with zero with a precision of O(10^{-3}) in each mass bin. Limits for the CP violation parameter Im(eta_S) are given at a 90 % confidence level. These limits are |Im(eta_S)|<0.026 or better, depending on the parameterization used to describe the hadronic form factors and improve upon previous limits by one order of magnitude

Time-dependent CP Asymmetries in B0→KS0ρ0γB^0\to K^0_S\rho^0\gamma Decays

We report the first measurement of CP-violation parameters in B^0 -> K_S^0\rho^0\gamma decays based on 657 million B\bar B pairs collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy collider. We measure the time-dependent CP violating parameter S_{K_S^0\rho^0\gamma}= 0.11 +/- 0.33(stat.)^{+0.05}_{-0.09}(syst.). We also obtain the effective direct CP violating parameter A_eff=0.05 +/- 0.18(stat.) +/- 0.06(syst.) for m_{K_S\pi^+\pi^-}<1.8 GeV/c^2 and 0.6 GeV/c^2<m_{\pi^+\pi^-}<0.9 GeV/c^2.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, to be submitted to PR

Search for B→πℓ+ℓ−B \to \pi \ell^+\ell^- Decays at Belle

We present a search for the B-> pi e^+ e^- and B-> pi \mu^+ \mu^- decays, with a data sample of 657 million BBbar pairs collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB $e^+e^-$ collider. Signal events are reconstructed from a charged or a neutral pion candidate and a pair of oppositely charged electrons or muons. No significant signal is observed and we set the upper limit on the isospin-averaged branching fraction BF(B -> \pi \ell^+\ell^-) < 6.2x10^-8 at the 90% confidence level.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, accepted by PRD(RC

Observation of B+ -> Dbar*0 tau+ nu_tau and Evidence for B+ -> Dbar^0 tau+ nu_tau at Belle

We present measurements of B+ -> Dbar*0 tau+ nu_tau and B+ -> Dbar^0 tau+ nu_tau decays in a data sample of 657 x 10^6 BBbar pairs collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e+e- collider. We find 446^{+58}_{-56} events of the decay B+ -> Dbar*0 tau+ nu_tau with a significance of 8.1 standard deviations, and 146^{+42}_{-41} events of the decay B+ -> Dbar0 tau+ nu_tau with a significance of 3.5 standard deviations. The latter signal provides the first evidence for this decay mode. The measured branching fractions are B(B+ -> Dbar*0 tau+ nu_tau)=(2.12^{+0.28}_{-0.27} (stat) +- 0.29 (syst)) % and B(B+ -> Dbar0 tau+ nu_tau)=(0.77 +- 0.22 (stat) +- 0.12 (syst)) %.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

Evidence of time-dependent CP violation in the decay B0 to D*+D*-

We report a measurement of the CP-odd fraction and the time-dependent CP violation in B0 to D*+D*- decays, using 657.10^6 BBbar events collected at the Upsilon(4S) resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e+e- collider. We measure a CP-odd fraction of Rperp=0.125+/-0.043(stat)+/-0.023(syst). From the distributions of the proper-time intervals between a B0to D*+D*- decay and the other B meson in the event, we obtain evidence of CP violation with measured parameters AD*+D*-=0.15+/-0.13(stat)+/-0.04(syst) and SD*+D*-=-0.96+/-0.25(stat)-0.16+0.13(syst).Comment: Published in PR