Showing 371 - 380 of 733 Items
Observation of B0 decay to two charmless mesons
Date: 1993-01-01
Creator: M. Battle, J. Ernst, H. Kroha, Y. Kwon, S., Roberts, K. Sparks, E. H. Thorndike, C. H. Wang, J. Dominick, S. Sanghera, V. Shelkov, T. Skwarnicki, R. Stroynowski, I. Volobouev, P. Zadorozhny, M. Artuso, D. He, M. Goldberg, N. Horwitz, R. Kennett, G. C. Moneti, F. Muheim, Y. Mukhin, S. Playfer, Y. Rozen, S. Stone, M. Thulasidas, G. Vasseur, G. Zhu, J. Bartelt, S. E. Csorna
Access: Open access
- We report results from a search for the decays B0→π+π-, B0→K+π-, and B0→K+K-. We find 90% confidence level upper limits on the branching fractions, Bππ<2.9×10-5, BKπ<2.6×10-5, and BKK<0.7×10-5. While there is no statistically significant signal in the individual modes, the sum of Bππ and BKπ exceeds zero with a significance of more than 4 standard deviations, indicating that we have observed charmless hadronic B decays. © 1993 The American Physical Society.
Molecular characterization of putative neuropeptide, amine, diffusible gas and small molecule transmitter biosynthetic enzymes in the eyestalk ganglia of the American lobster, Homarus americanus
Date: 2018-12-01
Creator: Andrew E. Christie, Meredith E. Stanhope, Helen I. Gandler, Tess J. Lameyer, Micah G., Pascual, Devlin N. Shea, Andy Yu, Patsy S. Dickinson, J. Joe Hull
Access: Open access
- The American lobster, Homarus americanus, is a model for investigating the neuromodulatory control of physiology and behavior. Prior studies have shown that multiple classes of chemicals serve as locally released/circulating neuromodulators/neurotransmitters in this species. Interestingly, while many neuroactive compounds are known from Homarus, little work has focused on identifying/characterizing the enzymes responsible for their biosynthesis, despite the fact that these enzymes are key components for regulating neuromodulation/neurotransmission. Here, an eyestalk ganglia-specific transcriptome was mined for transcripts encoding enzymes involved in neuropeptide, amine, diffusible gas and small molecule transmitter biosynthesis. Using known Drosophila melanogaster proteins as templates, transcripts encoding putative Homarus homologs of peptide precursor processing (signal peptide peptidase, prohormone processing protease and carboxypeptidase) and immature peptide modifying (glutaminyl cyclase, tyrosylprotein sulfotransferase, protein disulfide isomerase, peptidylglycine-α-hydroxylating monooxygenase and peptidyl-α-hydroxyglycine-α-amidating lyase) enzymes were identified in the eyestalk assembly. Similarly, transcripts encoding full complements of the enzymes responsible for dopamine [tryptophan-phenylalanine hydroxylase (TPH), tyrosine hydroxylase and DOPA decarboxylase (DDC)], octopamine (TPH, tyrosine decarboxylase and tyramine β-hydroxylase), serotonin (TPH or tryptophan hydroxylase and DDC) and histamine (histidine decarboxylase) biosynthesis were identified from the eyestalk ganglia, as were those responsible for the generation of the gases nitric oxide (nitric oxide synthase) and carbon monoxide (heme oxygenase), and the small molecule transmitters acetylcholine (choline acetyltransferase), glutamate (glutaminase) and GABA (glutamic acid decarboxylase). The presence and identity of the transcriptome-derived transcripts were confirmed using RT-PCR. The data presented here provide a foundation for future gene-based studies of neuromodulatory control at the level of neurotransmitter/modulator biosynthesis in Homarus.
Lepton asymmetry measurements in B̄→D*l-ν̄l and implications for V-A and the form factors
Date: 1993-01-01
Creator: S. Sanghera, T. Skwarnicki, R. Stroynowski, M. Artuso, M., Goldberg, N. Horwitz, R. Kennett, G. C. Moneti, F. Muheim, S. Playfer, Y. Rozen, P. Rubin, S. Stone, M. Thulasidas, W. M. Yao, G. Zhu, A. V. Barnes, J. Bartelt, S. E. Csorna, Z. Egyed, V. Jain, P. Sheldon, D. S. Akerib, B. Barish, M. Chadha, D. F. Cowen, G. Eigen, J. S. Miller, J. Urheim, A. J. Weinstein, D. Acosta
Access: Open access
- We present a measurement of the lepton decay asymmetry Afb in the reaction B̄→D*l-ν̄l using data collected with the CLEO II detector at the Cornell Electron Storage Ring (CESR). The value of Afb confirms that the chirality of the weak interaction is predominantly left-handed in b→c transitions as expected in the standard model, if it is assumed that the lepton current is also left-handed. Using Afb and the previously determined branching ratio, q2 distribution, and D* polarization, we obtain the first measurement of the form-factor ratios that are used to describe this semileptonic decay. © 1993 The American Physical Society.
Isospin mass splittings from precision measurements of D*-D mass differences
Date: 1992-01-01
Creator: D. Bortoletto, D. N. Brown, J. Dominick, R. L. Mcilwain, T., Miao, D. H. Miller, M. Modesitt, S. F. Schaffner, E. I. Shibata, I. P.J. Shipsey, M. Battle, J. Ernst, H. Kroha, S. Roberts, K. Sparks, E. H. Thorndike, C. H. Wang, S. Sanghera, T. Skwarnicki, R. Stroynowski, M. Artuso, M. Goldberg, N. Horwitz, R. Kennett, G. C. Moneti, F. Muheim, S. Playfer, Y. Rozen, P. Rubin, S. Stone, M. Thulasidas
Access: Open access
- Using the decay modes, D*+→D+π0 and D*0→D0π0, we have measured the D*+-D+ and D*0-D0 mass differences to be 140±0.08±0.06 and 142.12±0.05±0.05 MeV, respectively. Combining these measurements with the Particle Data Group average for the D*+-D0 mass difference, we obtain isospin mass splittings for D*+-Dusp*0 and D+-D0 of 3.32±0.08±0.05 and 4.80±0.10 ±0.06 MeV. We discuss the implications of these measurements for models of isospin mass differences and model-dependent estimates of fD. © 1992 The American Physical Society.
The pyloric neural circuit of the herbivorous crab Pugettia producta shows limited sensitivity to several neuromodulators that elicit robust effects in more opportunistically feeding decapods
Date: 2008-05-01
Creator: Patsy S. Dickinson, Elizabeth A. Stemmler, Andrew E. Christie
Access: Open access
- Modulation of neural circuits in the crustacean stomatogastric nervous system (STNS) allows flexibility in the movements of the foregut musculature. The extensive repertoire of such resulting motor patterns in dietary generalists is hypothesized to permit these animals to process varied foods. The foregut and STNS of Pugettia producta are similar to those of other decapods, but its diet is more uniform, consisting primarily of kelp. We investigated the distribution of highly conserved neuromodulators in the stomatogastric ganglion (STG) and neuroendocrine organs of Pugettia, and documented their effects on its pyloric rhythm. Using immunohistochemistry, we found that the distributions of Cancer borealis tachykinin-related peptide I (CabTRP I), crustacean cardioactive peptide (CCAP), proctolin, red pigment concentrating hormone (RPCH) and tyrosine hydroxylase (dopamine) were similar to those of other decapods. For all peptides except proctolin, the isoforms responsible for the immunoreactivity were confirmed by mass spectrometry to be the authentic peptides. Only two modulators had physiological effects on the pyloric circuit similar to those seen in other species. In non-rhythmic preparations, proctolin and the muscarinic acetylcholine agonist oxotremorine consistently initiated a full pyloric rhythm. Dopamine usually activated a pyloric rhythm, but this pattern was highly variable. In only about 25% of preparations, RPCH activated a pyloric rhythm similar to that seen in other species. CCAP and CabTRP I had no effect on the pyloric rhythm. Thus, whereas Pugettia possesses all the neuromodulators investigated, its pyloric rhythm, when compared with other decapods, appears less sensitive to many of them, perhaps because of its limited diet.
Animal-to-animal variability in the phasing of the crustacean cardiac motor pattern: An experimental and computational analysis
Date: 2013-01-01
Creator: Alex H. Williams, Molly A. Kwiatkowski, Adam L. Mortimer, Eve Marder, Mary Lou, Zeeman, Patsy S. Dickinson
Access: Open access
- The cardiac ganglion (CG) of Homarus americanus is a central pattern generator that consists of two oscillatory groups of neurons: "small cells" (SCs) and "large cells" (LCs). We have shown that SCs and LCs begin their bursts nearly simultaneously but end their bursts at variable phases. This variability contrasts with many other central pattern generator systems in which phase is well maintained. To determine both the consequences of this variability and how CG phasing is controlled, we modeled the CG as a pair of Morris-Lecar oscillators coupled by electrical and excitatory synapses and constructed a database of 15,000 simulated networks using random parameter sets. These simulations, like our experimental results, displayed variable phase relationships, with the bursts beginning together but ending at variable phases. The model suggests that the variable phasing of the pattern has important implications for the functional role of the excitatory synapses. In networks in which the two oscillators had similar duty cycles, the excitatory coupling functioned to increase cycle frequency. In networks with disparate duty cycles, it functioned to decrease network frequency. Overall, we suggest that the phasing of the CG may vary without compromising appropriate motor output and that this variability may critically determine how the network behaves in response to manipulations. © 2013 the American Physiological Society.
Effects of differential rotation on the maximum mass of neutron stars
Date: 2003-01-01
Creator: N.D. Lyford, T.W. Baumgarte, S.L. Shapiro
Access: Open access
Mass spectrometric identification of pEGFYSQRYamide: A crustacean peptide hormone possessing a vertebrate neuropeptide Y (NPY)-like carboxy-terminus
Date: 2007-05-15
Creator: Elizabeth A. Stemmler, Emily A. Bruns, Noah P. Gardner, Patsy S. Dickinson, Andrew E., Christie
Access: Open access
- In invertebrates, peptides possessing the carboxy (C)-terminal motif -RXRFamide have been proposed as the homologs of vertebrate neuropeptide Y (NPY). Using matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry, in combination with sustained off-resonance irradiation collision-induced dissociation and chemical and enzymatic reactions, we have identified the peptide pEGFYSQRYamide from the neuroendocrine pericardial organ (PO) of the crab Pugettia producta. This peptide is likely the same as that previously reported, but misidentified, as PAFYSQRYamide in several earlier reports (e.g. [Li, L., Kelley, W.P., Billimoria, C.P., Christie, A.E., Pulver, S.R., Sweedler, J.V., Marder, E. 2003. Mass spectrometric investigation of the neuropeptide complement and release in the pericardial organs of the crab, Cancer borealis. J. Neurochem. 87, 642-656; Fu, Q., Kutz, K.K., Schmidt, J.J., Hsu, Y.W., Messinger, D.I., Cain, S.D., de la Iglesia, H.O., Christie, A.E., Li, L. 2005. Hormone complement of the Cancer productus sinus gland and pericardial organ: an anatomical and mass spectrometric investigation. J. Comp. Neurol. 493, 607-626.]). The -QRYamide motif contained in pEGFYSQRYamide is identical to that present in many vertebrate members of the NPY superfamily. Mass spectrometric analysis conducted on the POs of several other decapods showed that pEGFYSQRYamide is present in three other brachyurans (Cancer borealis, Cancer irroratus and Cancer productus) as well as in one species from another decapod infraorder (Lithodes maja, an anomuran). Thus, our findings show that at least some invertebrates possess NPY-like peptides in addition to those exhibiting an -RXRFamide C-terminus, and raise the question as to whether the invertebrate -QRYamides are functionally and/or evolutionarily related to the NPY superfamily. © 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
General relativistic binary merger simulations and short gamma-ray bursts
Date: 2006-01-01
Creator: J.A. Faber, T.W. Baumgarte, S.L. Shapiro, K. Taniguchi
Access: Open access
Recent decreases in fossil-fuel emissions of ethane and methane derived from firn air
Date: 2011-08-11
Creator: Murat Aydin, Kristal R. Verhulst, Eric S. Saltzman, Mark O. Battle, Stephen A., Montzka, Donald R. Blake, Qi Tang, Michael J. Prather
Access: Open access
- Methane and ethane are the most abundant hydrocarbons in the atmosphere and they affect both atmospheric chemistry and climate. Both gases are emitted from fossil fuels and biomass burning, whereas methane (CH 4) alone has large sources from wetlands, agriculture, landfills and waste water. Here we use measurements in firn (perennial snowpack) air from Greenland and Antarctica to reconstruct the atmospheric variability of ethane (C 2H 6) during the twentieth century. Ethane levels rose from early in the century until the 1980s, when the trend reversed, with a period of decline over the next 20 years. We find that this variability was primarily driven by changes in ethane emissions from fossil fuels; these emissions peaked in the 1960s and 1970s at 14-16 teragrams per year (1 Tg = 10 12 g) and dropped to 8-10 Tg yr -1 by the turn of the century. The reduction in fossil-fuel sources is probably related to changes in light hydrocarbon emissions associated with petroleum production and use. The ethane-based fossil-fuel emission history is strikingly different from bottom-up estimates of methane emissions from fossil-fuel use, and implies that the fossil-fuel source of methane started to decline in the 1980s and probably caused the late twentieth century slow-down in the growth rate of atmospheric methane. © 2011 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.