Search for lepton-flavor violation in the decay tau- --> l- l+ l-.

A search for the lepton-flavor-violating decay of the tau into three charged leptons has been performed using 91.5 fb(-1) of data collected at an e(+)e(-)center-of-mass energy around 10.58 GeV with the BABAR detector at the SLAC storage ring PEP-II.

Measurements of the mass and width of the eta(c) meson and of an eta(c)(2S) candidate.

The mass m(eta(c)) and total width Gamma(eta(c))(tot) of the eta(c) meson have been measured in two-photon interactions at the SLAC e(+)e(-) asymmetric B Factory with the BABAR detector. With a sample of approximately 2500 reconstructed eta(c)-->K(0)(S)K+/-pi(-/+) decays in 88 fb(-1) of data, the results are m(eta(c))=2982.5+/-1.

Measurement of the branching fraction and polarization for the decay B--->D*0K*-.

We present a study of the decay B--->D(*0)K(*-) based on a sample of 86 x 10(6) Upsilon(4S)-->BBmacr; decays collected with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy B Factory at SLAC. We measure the branching fraction B(B--->D(*0)K(*-))=(8.3+/-1.

Neuronal networks: dissection one channel at a time.

Researchers working on neuronal networks are increasingly taking advantage of the ability to overexpress particular molecular components such as channels. What hope do such studies hold for understanding neuronal phenotype and its role in network function?

Measurement of the inclusive charmless semileptonic branching ratio of B mesons and determination of |V ub|.

We report a measurement of the inclusive charmless semileptonic branching fraction of B mesons in a sample of 89 x 10(6) (-)BB events recorded with the BABAR detector at the Upsilon(4S) resonance. Events are selected by fully reconstructing the decay of one B meson and identifying a charged lepton from the decay of the other B meson. The number of signal events is extracted from the mass distribution of the hadronic system accompanying the lepton and is used to determine the ratio of branching fractions B((-)B-->X(u)lnu;)/B((-)B-->Xlnu;)=[2.

Observation of B0-->omega K0, B+-->eta pi+, and B+-->eta K+ and study of related decays.

We present measurements of branching fractions and charge asymmetries for seven B-meson decays with an eta, eta', or omega meson in the final state. The data sample corresponds to 89x10(6) BB pairs produced from e(+)e(-) annihilation at the Upsilon(4S) resonance. We measure the following branching fractions in units of 10(-6): B(B+-->eta pi(+))=5.

A multiconductance silicon neuron with biologically matched dynamics.

We have designed, fabricated, and tested an analog integrated-circuit architecture to implement the conductance-based dynamics that model the electrical activity of neurons. The dynamics of this architecture are in accordance with the Hodgkin-Huxley formalism, a widely exploited, biophysically plausible model of the dynamics of living neurons. Furthermore the architecture is modular and compact in size so that we can implement networks of silicon neurons, each of desired complexity, on a single integrated circuit.

Measurements of branching fractions and CP-violating asymmetries in B0-->rho(+/-)h(-/+) decays.

We present measurements of branching fractions and CP-violating asymmetries in B0-->rho(+/-)pi(-/+) and B0-->rho-K+ decays. The results are obtained from a data sample of 88.9 x 10(6) Upsilon(4S)-->BB decays collected with the BABAR detector at the SLAC PEP-II asymmetric-energy B Factory.

Evidence for the rare decay B-->K*l+l- and measurement of the B-->Kl+l- branching fraction.

We present evidence for the flavor-changing neutral current decay B-->K*l+l- and a measurement of the branching fraction for the related process B-->K l+l-, where l+l- is either an epsilon+epsilon- or a mu+mu- pair. These decays are highly suppressed in the standard model, and they are sensitive to contributions from new particles in the intermediate state. The data sample comprises 123 x 10(6) Upsilon(4S)-->B(-)B decays collected with the BABAR detector at the SLAC PEP-II epsilon+epsilon- storage ring.

Observation of a significant excess of pi0pi0 events in B meson decays.

We present a study of the decay B0-->pi(0)pi(0) based on a sample of 124 x 10(6) BB pairs recorded by the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy B Factory at SLAC. We observe 46+/-13+/-3 events, where the first error is statistical and the second is systematic, corresponding to a significance of 4.2 standard deviations including systematic uncertainties.

Rates, polarizations, and asymmetries in charmless vector-vector B meson decays.

With a sample of approximately 89 x 10(6) B(-)B pairs collected with the BABAR detector, we perform a search for B meson decays into pairs of charmless vector mesons (phi, rho, and K*). We measure the branching fractions, determine the degree of longitudinal polarization, and search for CP violation asymmetries in the processes B+-->phiK(*+), B0-->phiK(*0), B+-->rho(0)K(*+), and B+-->rho(0)rho(+). We also set an upper limit on the branching fraction for the decay B0-->rho(0)rho(0).

Quantitative analysis of 2-furfural and 5-methylfurfural in different Italian vinegars by headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry using isotope dilution.

A new method was developed for the determination of 2-furfural (2-F) and 5-methylfurfural (5-MF), two products of Maillard reaction in vinegar, with head-space solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A divinylbenzene (DVB)/carboxen (CAR)/polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) fibre was used and SPME conditions were optimised, studying ionic strength effect, temperature effect and adsorption time. Both analytes were determined by calibration established on 2-furfural-d4 (2-F-d4).

Detailed model of intersegmental coordination in the timing network of the leech heartbeat central pattern generator.

To address the general problem of intersegmental coordination of oscillatory neuronal networks, we have studied the leech heartbeat central pattern generator. The core of this pattern generator is a timing network that consists of two segmental oscillators, each of which comprises two identified, reciprocally inhibitory oscillator interneurons. Intersegmental coordination between the segmental oscillators is mediated by synaptic interactions between the oscillator interneurons and identified coordinating interneurons.

Limits on D0-macro D0 mixing and CP violation from the ratio of lifetimes for decay to K-pi+, K-K+, and pi- pi+.

We present a measurement of D0-macro D0 mixing parameters using the ratios of lifetimes extracted from samples of D0 mesons decaying to K-pi(+), K-K+, and pi(-)pi(+). Using 91 fb(-1) of data collected by the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy B Factory, we obtain a value Y=[0.8+/-0.

Measurement of time-dependent CP asymmetries and the CP-odd fraction in the decay B0-->D(*+)D(*-).

We present a measurement of time-dependent CP asymmetries and an updated determination of the CP-odd fraction in the decay B0-->D(*+)D(*-) using a data sample of 88x10(6)BB pairs collected by the BABAR detector at the PEP-II B Factory at SLAC. We determine the CP-odd fraction to be 0.063+/-0.

Interference study of the chi c0(13P0) in the reaction -pp-->pi0pi0.

Fermilab experiment E835 has observed (-)pp annihilation production of the charmonium state chi(c0) and its subsequent decay into pi(0)pi(0). Although the resonant amplitude is an order of magnitude smaller than that of the nonresonant continuum production of pi(0)pi(0), an enhanced interference signal is evident. A partial wave expansion is used to extract physics parameters.

Electrodiagnostic evidence of phrenic nerve demyelination in Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease 1A.

Objective: To determine whether neurophysiologic findings correlate to clinical respiratory signs or spirometric abnormalities in patients with hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy type 1 (Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease).

Design: A total of 11 patients with hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy type 1A, genetically identified, (age range, 10-58 yr) were included and studied by physical pulmonary examination, chest radiography, respiratory function tests, and bilateral transcutaneous phrenic nerve conduction.

Results: No patient complained of respiratory symptoms or revealed abnormal spirometric or maximal respiratory pressure data, despite a phrenic nerve conduction significantly slower (P < 0.

Heartbeat control in leeches. I. Constriction pattern and neural modulation of blood pressure in intact animals.

Two tubular hearts propel blood through the closed circulatory system of the medicinal leech. The hearts are myogenic but are driven by a centrally generated motor pattern that controls heart rate and intersegmental coordination. In two consecutive papers, we address the question of how the motor pattern is translated into the pattern of diastole and systole of leech hearts.

Heartbeat control in leeches. II. Fictive motor pattern.

The rhythmic beating of the tube-like hearts in the medicinal leech is driven and coordinated by rhythmic activity in segmental heart motor neurons. The motor neurons are controlled by rhythmic inhibitory input from a network of heart interneurons that compose the heartbeat central pattern generator. In the preceding paper, we described the constriction pattern of the hearts in quiescent intact animals and showed that one heart constricts in a rear-to-front wave (peristaltic coordination mode), while the other heart constricts in near unison over its length (synchronous coordination mode) and that they regularly switch coordination modes.

Observation of a narrow meson state decaying to D(+)(s)pi(0) at a mass of 2.32 GeV/c(2).

We have observed a narrow state near 2.32 GeV/c(2) in the inclusive D(+)(s)pi(0) invariant mass distribution from e(+)e(-) annihilation data at energies near 10.6 GeV.

Contrast-enhanced three-dimensional magnetic resonance angiography of atherosclerotic internal carotid stenosis as the noninvasive imaging modality in revascularization decision making.

Background And Purpose: In patients with severe internal carotid artery stenoses, thromboendarterectomy significantly reduces both ischemic stroke and the risk of more ischemic attacks. Digital subtraction angiography (DSA) is the accepted preoperative test to determine whether a high-grade stenosis is present and requires surgical therapy. However, DSA has a procedural risk of stroke between 0.

Modulation of spike-mediated synaptic transmission by presynaptic background Ca2+ in leech heart interneurons.

At the core of the rhythmically active leech heartbeat central pattern generator are pairs of mutually inhibitory interneurons. Synaptic transmission between these interneurons consists of spike-mediated and graded components, both of which wax and wane on a cycle-by-cycle basis. Low-threshold Ca2+ currents gate the graded component.

Contrast-enhanced three-dimensional MR angiography of neck vessels: does dephasing effect alter diagnostic accuracy?

The aim of this study was to evaluate diagnostic accuracy of contrast-enhanced MRA (CEMRA) compared with digital subtraction angiography (DSA) in studying neck vessels of 48 patients. In three groups of patients, we used three MRA protocols differing for voxel size to assess if intravoxel dephasing effects could modify accuracy of CEMRA. Accuracy and correlation with DSA results were calculated in all patients and separately in the three groups.

Behavioral choices: how neuronal networks make decisions.

To survive, animals must constantly make behavioral choices. The analysis of simple, almost binary, behavioral choices in invertebrate animals with restricted nervous systems is beginning to yield insight into how neuronal networks make such decisions.