Marker genes for circulating tumour cells predict survival in metastasized breast cancer patients

We investigated the prognostic significance of circulating breast cancer cells in peripheral blood detected by quantitative RT-PCR of marker genes in patients with advanced breast cancer. Blood samples from 94 breast cancer patients with metastatic disease (M1) were examined for circulating tumour cells by studying the mRNA expression of CK19, p1B, PS2 and EGP2 by real-time PCR. Using a score function, developed for predicting circulating tumour cells by quadratic discriminant analysis (QDA), the four expression levels were combined into a single discriminant value. Tumour cells were present in 24 out of 94 (31%) of the patients. In 77% (72 out of 94) of the patients distant metastatic disease was localised in the bone. In 36% (26 out of 72) of the patients with bone metastases at the time of blood sampling, a positive QDA for the four genes was found, in contrast to only 14% (three out of 22) without bone involvement. Overall survival rates by Kaplan-Meier revealed no prognostic effect for the presence of bone metastases (P=0.93). However, patients with a positive QDA value did have a progression-free survival at 1 year of 3% and overall survival at 2 years of 17%, against 22 and 36% for patients with a negative QDA value (P=0.015 and 0.0053, respectively). Breast cancer patients with metastatic disease have a significantly worse progression-free and overall survival when circulating tumour cells can be detected in their peripheral bloo

Higher-order multipole amplitudes in charmonium radiative transitions

Using 24 million $\psi' \equiv \psi(2S)$ decays in CLEO-c, we have searched for higher multipole admixtures in electric-dipole-dominated radiative transitions in charmonia. We find good agreement between our data and theoretical predictions for magnetic quadrupole (M2) amplitudes in the transitions $\psi' \to \gamma \chi_{c1,2}$ and $\chi_{c1,2} \to \gamma J/\psi$, in striking contrast to some previous measurements. Let $b_2^J$ and $a_2^J$ denote the normalized M2 amplitudes in the respective aforementioned decays, where the superscript $J$ refers to the angular momentum of the $\chi_{cJ}$. By performing unbinned maximum likelihood fits to full five-parameter angular distributions, we determine the ratios $a_2^{J=1}/a_2^{J=2} = 0.67^{+0.19}_{-0.13}$ and $a_2^{J=1}/b_2^{J=1} = -2.27^{+0.57}_{-0.99}$, where the theoretical predictions are independent of the charmed quark magnetic moment and are $a_2^{J=1}/a_2^{J=2} = 0.676 \pm 0.071$ and $a_2^{J=1}/b_2^{J=1} = -2.27 \pm 0.16$.Comment: 32 pages, 7 figures, acceptance updat

A Pair of Dopamine Neurons Target the D1-Like Dopamine Receptor DopR in the Central Complex to Promote Ethanol-Stimulated Locomotion in Drosophila

Dopamine is a mediator of the stimulant properties of drugs of abuse, including ethanol, in mammals and in the fruit fly Drosophila. The neural substrates for the stimulant actions of ethanol in flies are not known. We show that a subset of dopamine neurons and their targets, through the action of the D1-like dopamine receptor DopR, promote locomotor activation in response to acute ethanol exposure. A bilateral pair of dopaminergic neurons in the fly brain mediates the enhanced locomotor activity induced by ethanol exposure, and promotes locomotion when directly activated. These neurons project to the central complex ellipsoid body, a structure implicated in regulating motor behaviors. Ellipsoid body neurons are required for ethanol-induced locomotor activity and they express DopR. Elimination of DopR blunts the locomotor activating effects of ethanol, and this behavior can be restored by selective expression of DopR in the ellipsoid body. These data tie the activity of defined dopamine neurons to D1-like DopR-expressing neurons to form a neural circuit that governs acute responding to ethanol

Dalitz Plot Analysis of Ds to K+K-pi+

We perform a Dalitz plot analysis of the decay Ds to K+K-pi+ with the CLEO-c data set of 586/pb of e+e- collisions accumulated at sqrt(s) = 4.17 GeV. This corresponds to about 0.57 million D_s+D_s(*)- pairs from which we select 14400 candidates with a background of roughly 15%. In contrast to previous measurements we find good agreement with our data only by including an additional f_0(1370)pi+ contribution. We measure the magnitude, phase, and fit fraction of K*(892) K+, phi(1020)pi+, K0*(1430)K+, f_0(980)pi+, f_0(1710)pi+, and f_0(1370)pi+ contributions and limit the possible contributions of other KK and Kpi resonances that could appear in this decay.Comment: 21 Pages,available through http://www.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLNS/, submitted to PR

Search for D0 to p e- and D0 to pbar e+

Using data recorded by CLEO-c detector at CESR, we search for simultaneous baryon and lepton number violating decays of the D^0 meson, specifically, D^0 --> p-bar e^+, D^0-bar --> p-bar e^+, D^0 --> p e^- and D^0-bar --> p e^-. We set the following branching fraction upper limits: D^0 --> p-bar e^+ (D^0-bar --> p-bar e^+) p e^- (D^0-bar --> p e^-) < 1.2 * 10^{-5}, both at 90% confidence level.Comment: 10 pages, available through http://www.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLNS/, submitted to PRD. Comments: changed abstract, added reference for section 1, vertical axis in Fig.5 changed (starts from 1.5 rather than 2.0), fixed typo

Charmonium decays to gamma pi0, gamma eta, and gamma eta'

Using data acquired with the CLEO-c detector at the CESR e+e- collider, we measure branching fractions for J/psi, psi(2S), and psi(3770) decays to gamma pi0, gamma eta, and gamma eta'. Defining R_n = B[ psi(nS)-->gamma eta ]/B[ psi(nS)-->gamma eta' ], we obtain R_1 = (21.1 +- 0.9)% and, unexpectedly, an order of magnitude smaller limit, R_2 < 1.8% at 90% C.L. We also use J/psi-->gamma eta' events to determine branching fractions of improved precision for the five most copious eta' decay modes.Comment: 14 pages, available through http://www.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLNS/, published in Physical Review

Precision Measurement of the Mass of the h_c(1P1) State of Charmonium

A precision measurement of the mass of the h_c(1P1) state of charmonium has been made using a sample of 24.5 million psi(2S) events produced in e+e- annihilation at CESR. The reaction used was psi(2S) -> pi0 h_c, pi0 -> gamma gamma, h_c -> gamma eta_c, and the reaction products were detected in the CLEO-c detector. Data have been analyzed both for the inclusive reaction and for the exclusive reactions in which eta_c decays are reconstructed in fifteen hadronic decay channels. Consistent results are obtained in the two analyses. The averaged results of the present measurements are M(h_c)=3525.28+-0.19 (stat)+-0.12(syst) MeV, and B(psi(2S) -> pi0 h_c)xB(h_c -> gamma eta_c)= (4.19+-0.32+-0.45)x10^-4. Using the 3PJ centroid mass, Delta M_hf(1P)= - M(h_c) = +0.02+-0.19+-0.13 MeV.Comment: 9 pages, available through http://www.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLNS/, submitted to PR

Precision Measurement of B(D+ -> mu+ nu) and the Pseudoscalar Decay Constant fD+

We measure the branching ratio of the purely leptonic decay of the D+ meson with unprecedented precision as B(D+ -> mu+ nu) = (3.82 +/- 0.32 +/- 0.09)x10^(-4), using 818/pb of data taken on the psi(3770) resonance with the CLEO-c detector at the CESR collider. We use this determination to derive a value for the pseudoscalar decay constant fD+, combining with measurements of the D+ lifetime and assuming |Vcd| = |Vus|. We find fD+ = (205.8 +/- 8.5 +/- 2.5) MeV. The decay rate asymmetry [B(D+ -> mu+ nu)-B(D- -> mu- nu)]/[B(D+ -> mu+ nu)+B(D- -> mu- nu)] = 0.08 +/- 0.08, consistent with no CP violation. We also set 90% confidence level upper limits on B(D+ -> tau+ nu) < 1.2x10^(-3) and B(D+ -> e+ nu) < 8.8x10^(-6).Comment: 24 pages, 11 figures and 6 tables, v2 replaced some figure vertical axis scales, v3 corrections from PRD revie

Measurement of the Absolute Branching Fraction of D_s^+ --> tau^+ nu_tau Decay

Using a sample of tagged D_s decays collected near the D^*_s D_s peak production energy in e+e- collisions with the CLEO-c detector, we study the leptonic decay D^+_s to tau^+ nu_tau via the decay channel tau^+ to e^+ nu_e bar{nu}_tau. We measure B(D^+_s to tau^+ nu_tau) = (6.17 +- 0.71 +- 0.34) %, where the first error is statistical and the second systematic. Combining this result with our measurements of D^+_s to mu^+ nu_mu and D^+_s to tau^+ nu_tau (via tau^+ to pi^+ bar{nu}_tau), we determine f_{D_s} = (274 +- 10 +- 5) MeV.Comment: 9 pages, postscript also available through http://www.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLNS/2007/, revise