Search for rare quark-annihilation decays, B --> Ds(*) Phi

We report on searches for B- --> Ds- Phi and B- --> Ds*- Phi. In the context of the Standard Model, these decays are expected to be highly suppressed since they proceed through annihilation of the b and u-bar quarks in the B- meson. Our results are based on 234 million Upsilon(4S) --> B Bbar decays collected with the BABAR detector at SLAC. We find no evidence for these decays, and we set Bayesian 90% confidence level upper limits on the branching fractions BF(B- --> Ds- Phi) Ds*- Phi)<1.2x10^(-5). These results are consistent with Standard Model expectations.Comment: 8 pages, 3 postscript figues, submitted to Phys. Rev. D (Rapid Communications

Expression and biological-clinical significance of hTR, hTERT and CKS2 in washing fluids of patients with bladder cancer

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>at present, pathogenesis of bladder cancer (BC) has not been fully elucidated. Aim of this study is to investigate the role of human telomerase RNA (<it>hTR</it>), human telomerase reverse transcriptase (<it>hTERT</it>) and CDC28 protein kinase regulatory subunit 2 (<it>CKS2</it>) in bladder carcinogenesis and their possible clinical significance;</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>the transcript levels of <it>hTR</it>, <it>hTERT </it>and <it>CKS2 </it>were quantified by Real time reverse transcriptase chain reaction in exfoliated cells from bladder washings of 36 patients with BC and 58 controls. The statistical significance of differences between BC bearing patients and control groups, in the general as well as in the stratified analysis (superficial or invasive BC), was assessed by Student's t test. Non parametric Receiver Operating Characteristics analysis (ROC) was performed to ascertain the accuracy of study variables to discriminate between BC and controls. The clinical value of concomitant examination of <it>hTR</it>, <it>hTERT </it>and <it>CKS2 </it>was evaluated by logistic regression analysis;</p> <p>Results</p> <p>a significant decrease in <it>hTR </it>and a significant increase in <it>hTERT </it>or <it>CKS2 </it>gene expression were found between BC bearing patients and controls, as well as in the subgroups analysis. The area under the curve (AUC) indicated an average discrimination power for the three genes, both in the general and subgroups analysis, when singularly considered. The ability to significantly discriminate between superficial and invasive BC was observed only for <it>hTR </it>transcript levels. A combined model including <it>hTR </it>and <it>CKS2 </it>was the best one in BC diagnosis;</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>our results, obtained from a sample set particularly rich of exfoliated cells, provide further molecular evidence on the involvement of <it>hTR, hTERT </it>and <it>CKS2 </it>gene expression in BC carcinogenesis. In particular, while <it>hTERT </it>and <it>CKS2 </it>gene expression seems to have a major involvement in the early stages of the disease, <it>hTR </it>gene expression, seems to be more involved in progression. In addition, our findings suggest that the studied genes have a clinical role in discriminating between BC and controls in the general as well as in the stratified analysis, when singularly considered. A combined model improved over the single marker BC diagnosis.</p

Measurement of the branching fraction ratios and CP asymmetries in B-→ D0 CP K-decays

We present a preliminary study of $B^- \to D^0_{CP} \pi^-$ and $B^- \to D^0_{CP} K^-$ decays, with the $D^0_{CP}$ reconstructed in the CP-odd eigenstates $K_s \pi^0$, $K_s \omega$, in the CP-even eigenstates $K^+ K^-$, $\pi^+ \pi^-$, and in the (non-CP) flavor eigenstate $K^\mp \pi^\pm$. Using a sample of about 382 million Y(4S) decays into BBbar pairs, collected with the BABAR detector operating at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy B Factory at SLAC, we measure the ratios of the branching fractions R_CP+- and the direct CP asymmetries A_CP+-. The results are: R_CP- = 0.81 \pm 0.10 (stat) \pm 0.05 (syst) R_CP+ = 1.07 \pm 0.10 (stat) \pm 0.04 (syst) A_CP- = -0.19 \pm 0.12 (stat) \pm 0.02 (syst) A_CP+ = 0.35 \pm 0.09 (stat) \pm 0.05 (syst

Observation of CP violation in B ->eta/K-0 decays

We present measurements of the time-dependent CP-violation parameters S and C in B-0 -> eta K-'(0) decays. The data sample corresponds to 384 x 10(6) B (B) over bar pairs produced by e(+)e(-) annihilation at the Upsilon(4S). The results are S = 0.58 +/- 0.10 +/- 0.03 and C = -0.16 +/- 0.07 +/- 0.03. We observe mixing-induced CP violation with a significance of 5.5 standard deviations in this b -> s penguin dominated mode

Dalitz plot analysis of the decay B±→K±K±K∓

We analyze the three-body charmless decay B-+/-->(KKK -/+)-K-+/--K-+/- using a sample of 226.0 +/- 2.5 million B (B) over bar pairs collected by the BABAR detector. We measure the total branching fraction and CP asymmetry to be B=(35.2 +/- 0.9 +/- 1.6)x10(-6) and A(CP)=(-1.7 +/- 2.6 +/- 1.5)%. We fit the Dalitz plot distribution using an isobar model and measure the magnitudes and phases of the decay coefficients. We find no evidence of CP violation for the individual components of the isobar model. The decay dynamics is dominated by the K+K- S-wave, for which we perform a partial-wave analysis in the region m(K+K-)< 2 GeV/c(2). Significant production of the f(0)(980) resonance, and of a spin zero state near 1.55 GeV/c(2) are required in the isobar model description of the data. The partial-wave analysis supports this observation.This work is supported by DOE and NSF (USA), NSERC (Canada), IHEP (China), CEA and CNRS-IN2P3 (France), BMBF and DFG (Germany), INFN (Italy), FOM (The Netherlands), NFR (Norway), MIST (Russia), and PPARC (United Kingdom). Individuals have received support from CONACyT (Mexico), Marie Curie EIF (European Union), the A. P. Sloan Foundation, the Research Corporation, and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation

Branching fraction measurements of B+->rho(+)gamma, B-0 ->rho(0)gamma, and B-0 ->omega gamma

We present a study of the decays B+->rho(+)gamma, B-0 ->rho(0)gamma, and B-0 ->omega gamma. The analysis is based on data containing 347x10(6) B (B) over bar events recorded with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric B factory. We measure the branching fractions B(B+->rho(+)gamma)=(1.10(-0.33)(+0.37)+/- 0.09)x10(-6) and B(B-0 ->rho(0)gamma)=(0.79(-0.20)(+0.22)+/- 0.06)x10(-6), and set a 90% C.L. upper limit B(B-0 ->omega gamma)(rho/omega)gamma)=(1.25(-0.24)(+0.25)+/- 0.09)x10(-6), from which we determine vertical bar V-td/V-ts vertical bar=0.200(-0.020)(+0.021)+/- 0.015, where the first uncertainty is experimental and the second is theoretical

Measurement of the CP asymmetry and branching fraction of B-0 ->rho K-0(0)

We present a measurement of the branching fraction and time-dependent CP asymmetry of B-0 -> POKO. The results are obtained from a data sample of 227 x 10(6) Y(4S) -> BB decays collected with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy B factory at Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. From a time-dependent maximum likelihood fit yielding 111 +/- 19 signal events, we find B(B-0 -> rho K-0(0)) = (4.9 +/- 0.8 +/- 0.9) x 10(-6), where the first error is statistical and the second systematic. We report the measurement of the CP parameters S-rho 0KS0 = 0.20 +/- 0.52 +/- 0.24 and C-rho 0KS0 = 0.64 +/- 0.41 +/- 0.20

Determinations of vertical bar V-ub vertical bar from inclusive semileptonic B decays with reduced model dependence

We report two novel determinations of vertical bar V-ub vertical bar with reduced model dependence, based on measurements of the mass distribution of the hadronic system in semileptonic B decays. 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 from Y(4S) -> B (B) over bar events. In one approach, we combine the inclusive (B) over bar -> X(u)l (v) over bar rate, integrated up to a maximum hadronic mass m(X) X-s gamma photon energy spectrum. We obtain vertical bar V-ub vertical bar = (4.43 +/- 0.38(stat) +/- 0.25(syst) +/- 0.29(theo)) x 10(-3). In another approach we measure the total (B) over bar -> X(u)l (v) over bar rate over the full phase space and find vertical bar V-ub vertical bar = 3.84 +/- 0.70(stat) +/- 0.30(syst) +/- 0.10(theo)) x 10(-3)

Observation of a Charmed Baryon Decaying to D0p at a Mass Near 2.94 GeV/c2

A search for charmed baryons decaying to D 0 p reveals two states: the Λ c ( 2880 ) + baryon and a previously unobserved state at a mass of [ 2939.8 ± 1.3 ( stat ) ± 1.0 ( syst ) ]     MeV / c 2 and with an intrinsic width of [ 17.5 ± 5.2 ( stat ) ± 5.9 ( syst ) ]     MeV . Consistent and significant signals are observed for the K − π + and K − π + π − π + decay modes of the D 0 in 287     fb − 1 annihilation data recorded by the BABAR detector at a center-of-mass energy of 10.58 GeV. There is no evidence in the D + p spectrum of doubly charged partners. The mass and intrinsic width of the Λ c ( 2880 ) + baryon and relative yield of the two baryons are also measured