Measurement of semileptonic B decays into orbitally excited charmed mesons.

We present a study of B decays into semileptonic final states containing charged and neutral D1(2420) and D_{2};{*}(2460). The analysis is based on a data sample of 208 fb;{-1} collected at the Upsilon(4S) resonance with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy B factory at SLAC. With a simultaneous fit to four different decay chains, the semileptonic branching fractions are extracted from measurements of the mass difference Deltam=m(D;{**})-m(D) distributions.

Effect of kappa-opioid receptor agonists U69593, U50488H, spiradoline and salvinorin A on cocaine-induced drug-seeking in rats.

Our previous work indicated that pretreatment with the selective kappa-opioid receptor (KOPr) agonist, U69593, attenuated the ability of priming injections of cocaine to reinstate extinguished cocaine-seeking behavior. The present study expanded these initial tests to include other traditional KOPr agonists, U50488H, spiradoline (SPR), and salvinorin A (Sal A), an active constituent of the plant Salvia divinorum. Following acquisition and stabilization of cocaine self-administration, cocaine-produced drug-seeking was measured.

The Pandinus imperator haemolymph lipoprotein, an unusual phosphatidylserine carrying lipoprotein.

The haemolymph lipoprotein of the scorpion, Pandinus imperator was isolated and characterised. Contrary to the lipoproteins of insects and the discoidal HDL-lipoproteins of a crayfish and polychaete, the Pandinus lipoprotein consists of three instead of two apoproteins (apoPiLp I = 230 kDa, apoPiLp II = 130 kDa and apoPiLp III = 120 kDa). The apolipoproteins are arranged in varying stoichiometries as judged by cross-linking experiments.

Improved insulin sensitivity after weight loss and exercise training is mediated by a reduction in plasma fatty acid mobilization, not enhanced oxidative capacity.

Obesity is characterized by excessive rates of plasma fatty acid mobilization and uptake, which play a key role in mediating insulin resistance. While weight loss via diet-only or a diet + exercise program clearly improves insulin sensitivity, the precise mechanisms modulating this improvement are not completely understood. The purpose of the present study was to determine the role of the reduced fatty acid mobilization and uptake after weight loss in obese women who were randomly assigned to lifestyle interventions of either weight loss without exercise (WL) (n = 7) or a weight loss + exercise program (WL + EX) (n = 10).

Novel liver-specific TORC2 siRNA corrects hyperglycemia in rodent models of type 2 diabetes.

The transcription factor TORC2 [transducer of regulated cAMP-responsive element-binding protein (CREB) activity 2] is a major regulator of hepatic gluconeogenesis and is increased in hyperglycemic rodent models. Because chronic hyperglycemia and increased hepatic glucose production, via increased gluconeogenesis, is a key feature of type 2 diabetes, an effective in vivo method to efficiently knock down TORC2 could provide a potential therapy for treating hyperglycemia and type 2 diabetes. To assess this, primary mouse hepatocytes, high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice, and Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats were treated with a siRNA against TORC2 (siTORC2), which was delivered via a novel lipid nanoparticle system, or control siRNA (siCON).

A novel pathway of insulin sensitivity in chromogranin A null mice: a crucial role for pancreastatin in glucose homeostasis.

Chromogranin A (CHGA/Chga), a proprotein, widely distributed in endocrine and neuroendocrine tissues (not expressed in muscle, liver, and adipose tissues), generates at least four bioactive peptides. One of those peptides, pancreastatin (PST), has been reported to interfere with insulin action. We generated a Chga knock-out (KO) mouse by the targeted deletion of the Chga gene in neuroendocrine tissues.

Dissociation between vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 and blood vessel density in the caudate nucleus after chronic hydrocephalus.

Chronic hydrocephalus (CH) is characterized by the presence of ventricular enlargement, decreased cerebral blood flow (CBF), and brain tissue oxygen delivery. Although the underlying pathophysiological role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is not clear, ischemic-hypoxic events in CH are known to trigger its release. Previously, we have shown increased VEGF receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) and blood vessel density (BVd) in the hippocampus after CH.

Search for second-class currents in tau;{-} --> omegapi;{-}nu_{tau}.

We report an analysis of tau;{-} decaying into omegapi;{-}nu_{tau} with omega --> pi;{+}pi;{-}pi;{0} using a data sample containing nearly 320 x 10;{6}tau pairs collected with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II B-Factory. We find no evidence for second-class currents, and we set an upper limit of 0.69% at 90% confidence level for the fraction of second-class currents in this decay mode.

Improved limits on lepton-flavor-violating tau decays to lphi, lrho, lK, and lK.

We search for the neutrinoless, lepton-flavor-violating tau decays tau- -->l-}V0, where l is an electron or muon and V0 is a vector meson reconstructed as phi-->K+K-, rho-->pi+pi-, K-->K+pi-, K[over ]-->K-pi+. The analysis has been performed using 451 fb-1 of data collected at an e+e- center-of-mass energy near 10.58 GeV with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II storage rings.

Surgical removal of occluder devices: complications and pitfalls.

Interventional closures of atrial septal defects (ASDs) and paravalvular leaks represent attractive treatment options to prevent surgical procedures. Nevertheless, a small number of complications or pitfalls remain after interventional closure of ASDs or paravalvular leaks that require surgical therapy. We report on 3 cases in which surgery was necessary after attempts to close a paravalvular leak.

Lipoprotein mediated lipid uptake in oocytes of polychaetes (Annelida).

The uptake of the 1,1'-dioctadecyl-3,3,3',3'-tetramethylindocarbocyanine perchlorate (DiI)-labeled sex-unspecific Nereis lipoprotein was investigated in oocytes of the nereidid polychaetes Nereis virens and Platynereis dumerilii. The fluorescence label was first observed in endocytic vesicles (<1 microm diameter), which later fused to larger vesicles (2-3 microm); these were finally incorporated into existing unlabeled yolk granules (5-6 microm). In Platynereis oocytes, the fusion of endocytic vesicles was delayed in oocytes at their final stage of development compared with those at an early stage of development.

Measurement of B-->Xgamma decays and determination of |Vtd/Vts|.

Using a sample of 383 x 10;{6} BB[over ] events collected by the BABAR experiment, we measure sums of seven exclusive final states B-->X_{d(s)}gamma, where X_{d}(X_{s}) is a nonstrange (strange) charmless hadronic system in the mass range 0.6-1.8 GeV/c;{2}.

Role of tripeptidyl peptidase II in the processing of Listeria monocytogenes-derived MHC class I-presented antigenic peptides.

The effective control of the infection of mice with the facultatively intracellular bacterium Listeria monocytogenes requires CD8 T cells which recognize bacterial antigenic peptides presented in the context of host MHC class I molecules. It is generally accepted that bacterial antigens are processed by the proteasome, a proteolytic cytoplasmic multiprotein complex. We observed that presentation of the L.

The Carboxy-Terminal Modulator Protein (CTMP) regulates mitochondrial dynamics.

Background: Mitochondria are central to the metabolism of cells and participate in many regulatory and signaling events. They are looked upon as dynamic tubular networks. We showed recently that the Carboxy-Terminal Modulator Protein (CTMP) is a mitochondrial protein that may be released into the cytosol under apoptotic conditions.

Direct CP, lepton flavor, and isospin asymmetries in the decays B-->K(*)l+l-.

We measure branching fractions and integrated rate asymmetries for the rare decays B-->K(*)l+l-, where l+l- is either e+e- or micro+micro-, using a sample of 384x10(6) BB events collected with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II e+e- collider. We find no evidence for direct CP or lepton-flavor asymmetries. However, for dilepton masses below the J/psi resonance, we find evidence for unexpectedly large isospin asymmetries in both B-->Kl+l- and B-->K*l+l- which differ, respectively, by 3.

Improved measurement of B+ --> rho+ rho0 and determination of the quark-mixing phase angle alpha.

We present improved measurements of the branching fraction B, the longitudinal polarization fraction f{L}, and the direct CP asymmetry A{CP} in the B meson decay channel B;{+}-->rho;{+}rho;{0}. The data sample was collected with the BABAR detector at SLAC. The results are B(B;{+}-->rho;{+}rho;{0})=(23.

Evidence for X(3872)-->psi(2S)gamma in B(+/-)-->X(3872)K(+/-) decays and a study of B-->cc[over ]gammaK.

In a search for B-->cc[over ]gammaK decays with the BABAR detector, where cc[over ] includes J/psi and psi(2S), and K includes K(+/-), K(S)(0), and K(*)(892), we find evidence for X(3872)-->J/psigamma and X(3872)-->psi(2S)gamma with 3.6sigma and 3.5sigma significance, respectively.

A stable six-coordinate intermediate in ammonia-dinitrogen exchange at Schrock's molybdenum catalyst.

In this work, we investigate the mechanism of the ammonia-dinitrogen exchange reaction, which is the decisive step to close the catalytic cycle of Schrock's dinitrogen reduction sequence under ambient conditions. We identify several viable pathways for the approach of dinitrogen to the five-coordinate molybdenum center of the ammonia complex by means of first-principles molecular-dynamics simulations. These exploratory simulations are then complemented by rigorous quantum-chemical structure optimizations.

Measurement of the e;{+}e;{-}-->bb[over ] Cross Section between sqrt[s]=10.54 and 11.20 GeV.

We report e;{+}e;{-}-->bb[over ] cross section measurements by the BABAR experiment performed during an energy scan in the range of 10.54 to 11.20 GeV at the SLAC PEP-II e;{+}e;{-} collider.

Discovery of imidazo[1,2-b]thiazole derivatives as novel SIRT1 activators.

A series of imidazo[1,2-b]thiazole derivatives is shown to activate the NAD(+)-dependent deacetylase SIRT1, a potential new therapeutic target to treat various metabolic disorders. This series of compounds was derived from a high throughput screening hit bearing an oxazolopyridine core. Water-solubilizing groups could be installed conveniently at either the C-2 or C-3 position of the imidazo[1,2-b]thiazole ring.

Carboxy-Terminal Modulator Protein (CTMP) is a mitochondrial protein that sensitizes cells to apoptosis.

The Carboxy-Terminal Modulator Protein (CTMP) protein was identified as a PKB inhibitor that binds to its hydrophobic motif. Here, we report mitochondrial localization of endogenous and exogenous CTMP. CTMP exhibits a dual sub-mitochondrial localization as a membrane-bound pool and a free pool of mature CTMP in the inter-membrane space.

Ligands for dinitrogen fixation at Schrock-type catalysts.

Catalytic dinitrogen reduction with the Schrock complex is still hampered by low turn-over numbers that are likely to result from a degradation of the chelate ligand. In this work, we investigate modifications of the original HIPTN(3)N ligand applied by Schrock and co-workers in catalytic reduction of dinitrogen with density functional methods. We focus on ligands that are substituted in the para position of the central phenyl ring of the terphenyl moieties and on a ligand where the bridging nitrogen is exchanged by phosphorus.