First measurement of the rate for the inclusive radiative penguin decay b-->s gamma

Transcriptional Regulation of X-Box-binding Protein One (XBP1) by Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 4α (HNF4Α) Is Vital to Beta-cell Function

The transcription factor, X-box-binding protein-1 (XBP1), controls the development and maintenance of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in multiple secretory cell lineages. We show here that Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 4α (HNF4α) directly induces XBP1 expression. Mutations in HNF4α cause Mature-Onset Diabetes of the Young I (MODYI), a subset of diabetes characterized by diminished GSIS. In mouse models, cell lines, and ex vivo islets, using dominant negative and human- disease-allele point mutants or knock-out and knockdown models, we show that disruption of HNF4α caused decreased expression of XBP1 and reduced cellular ER networks. GSIS depends on ER Ca(2+) signaling; we show that diminished XBP1 and/or HNF4α in β-cells led to impaired ER Ca(2+) homeostasis. Restoring XBP1 expression was sufficient to completely rescue GSIS in HNF4α-deficient β-cells. Our findings uncover a transcriptional relationship between HNF4α and Xbp1 with potentially broader implications about MODYI and the importance of transcription factor signaling in the regulation of secretion.

Measurement of the branching fraction and photon energy moments of B-->Xs gamma and A(CP)(B --> X(s+d gamma))

The photon spectrum in B-->Xs gamma decay, where Xs is any strange hadronic state, is studied using a data sample of 88.5 x 10(6) e+ e- --> Upsilon(4S) --> BB decays collected by the BABAR experiment at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. The partial branching fraction, DeltaB(B --> Xs gamma) = (3.67+/-0.29(stat)+/-0.34(syst)+/-0.29(model)) x 10(-4), the first moment <E gamma> = 2.288+/-0.025+/-0.017+/-0.015 GeV, and the second moment E2(gamma) = 0.0328+/-0.0040+/-0.0023+/-0.0036 GeV2 are measured for the photon energy range 1.9 GeV < E gamma < 2.7 GeV. They are also measured for narrower E gamma ranges. The moments are then fit to recent theoretical calculations to extract the heavy quark expansion parameters m(b) and mu2(pi) and to extrapolate the partial branching fraction to E gamma > 1.6 GeV. In addition, the direct CP asymmetry A(CP)(B-->X(s+d gamma) is measured to be -0.110+/-0.115(stat)+/-0.017(syst).

Radiative B meson decays into kpigamma and kpipigamma final states

We report observations of radiative B meson decays into the K+pi(-)gamma and K+pi(-)pi(+)gamma final states. In the B0-->K+pi(-)gamma channel, we present evidence for decays via an intermediate tensor meson state with a branching fraction of B(B0-->K(*)(2)(1430)(0)gamma)=[1.3+/-0.5(stat)+/-0.1(syst)]x10(-5). We measure the branching fraction B(B+-->K+pi(-)pi(+)gamma)=[2.4+/-0.5(stat) +0.4-0.2(syst)]x10(-5), in which the B+-->K(*0)pi(+)gamma and B+-->K+rho(0)gamma channels dominate. The analysis is based on a data set of 29.4 fb(-1) recorded by the Belle experiment at the KEKB collider.

Search for the rare decays B-->Kl(+)l(-) and B-->K(*)l(+)l(-)

We present results from a search for the flavor-changing neutral current decays B-->Kl(+)l(-) and B-->K(*)l(+)l(-), where l(+)l(-) is either an e(+)e(-) or mu(+)mu(-) pair. The data sample comprises 22.7 x 10(6) Upsilon(4S)-->B(-)B decays collected with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II B Factory. We obtain the 90% C.L. upper limits B(B-->Kl(+)l(-))<0.51 x 10(-6) and B(B-->K(*)l(+)l(-))<3.1 x 10(-6), close to standard model predictions for these branching fractions. We have also obtained limits on the lepton-family-violating decays B-->Ke+/-mu(-/+) and B-->K(*)e(+/-)mu(-/+).

Direct search for charged higgs bosons in decays of top quarks

We present a search for charged Higgs bosons in decays of pair-produced top quarks in pp collisions at sqrt[s] = 1.8 TeV recorded by the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron collider. With no evidence for signal, we exclude most regions of the ( M(H+/-),tan(beta)) parameter space where the decay t--> H(+)b has a branching fraction >0.36 and B(H+/--->tau(nu)(tau)) is large.

Observation of the decay B --> Kl+l-

We report a search for the flavor-changing neutral current decay B-->K(*)l+l- using a 29.1 fb(-1) data sample accumulated at the Upsilon(4S) resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB e+e- storage ring. We observe the decay process B-->Kl+l-(l = e, mu), for the first time, with a branching fraction of B(B-->Kl+l-) = (0.75(+0.25)(-0.21)+/-0.09)x10(-6).

Correlation of B(s) --> mu(+)mu(-) and (g - 2)(mu) in minimal supergravity

We analyze the decay mode B(s)-->mu(+)mu(-) in minimal supergravity (mSUGRA). We find that the recently measured excess in (g-2)(mu), if interpreted within mSUGRA, is correlated with a substantial enhancement of the branching ratio Beta(B(s)-->mu(+)mu(-)): if (g-2)(mu) exceeds the standard model prediction by 4 x 10(-9), Beta(B(s)-->mu(+)mu(-)) is larger by a factor of 10-100 and within reach of Run-II of the Tevatron. Thus the search for B(s)-->mu(+)mu(-) is a stringent test of the GUT scale relations of mSUGRA. An observation of B(s)-->mu(+)mu(-) at the Tevatron implies a mass of the lightest SUSY Higgs boson below 120 GeV. B(s)-->mu(+)mu(-) can also significantly probe SO(10) SUSY GUT models.

Branching fraction and photon energy spectrum for b --> s gamma

We have measured the branching fraction and photon energy spectrum for the radiative penguin process b-->s gamma. We find Beta(b-->s gamma) = (3.21+/-0.43+/-0.27(+0.18)(-0.10))x10(-4), where the errors are statistical, systematic, and from theory corrections. We obtain first and second moments of the photon energy spectrum above 2.0 GeV, <E( gamma)> = 2.346+/-0.032+/-0.011 GeV, and <E(2)(gamma)>-<E(gamma)>(2) = 0.0226+/-0.0066+/-0.0020 GeV(2), where the errors are statistical and systematic. From the first moment, we obtain (in the modified minimal subtraction renormalization scheme, to order 1/M(3)(B) and beta(0)alpha(2)(s)) the heavy quark effective theory parameter Lambda = 0.35+/-0.08+/-0.10 GeV.

Bounds on the CP asymmetry in b --> sgamma decays

We have measured the CP asymmetry A(CP) identical with[gamma(b-->sgamma)-gammab-->sgamma)]/[gamma(b-->sgamma)+gamma(b-->sgamma)] to be A(CP) = (-0.079+/-0.108+/-0.022) (1.0+/-0.030), implying that, at 90% confidence level, A(CP) lies between -0.27 and +0.10. These limits rule out some extreme non-standard-model predictions, but are consistent with most, as well as with the standard model.

Implications of muon anomalous magnetic moment for supersymmetric dark matter

The anomalous magnetic moment of the muon has recently been measured to be in conflict with the standard model prediction with an excess of 2.6sigma. Taking the excess at face value as a measurement of the supersymmetric contribution, we find that at 95% confidence level it imposes an upper bound of 500 GeV on the neutralino mass and forbids Higgsinos as being the bulk of cold dark matter. Other implications for the astrophysical detection of neutralinos include an accessible minimum direct detection rate, lower bounds on the indirect detection rate of neutrinos from the Sun and the Earth, and a suppression of the intensity of gamma ray lines from neutralino annihilations in the galactic halo.

Pathways to rare baryonic B decays

We point out new ways to search for charmless baryonic B decays and suggest that enhanced baryon production is favored by reduced energy release on the baryon side. Thus B-->eta(')+baryon pairs might be larger than Kpi/pipi modes; the argument may be extended to B-->gamma+X(s), and perhaps to lnu+X(u). Guess estimates give some branching ratios in the 10(-3)- 10(-6) range, with confidence gained from the recent observation of B-->D(*)pn, D(*)pppi not far below D(*)pi and D(*)rho rates. Observation of modes proposed here would help clarify the dynamics of weak decays involving baryons, while the self-analyzing prowess of Lambda decay can be helpful in CP- and T-violation studies.

Search for B --> tau(nu) and B --> K(nu)nu

We report results of a search for B-->tau(nu) in a sample of 9.7 x 10(6) charged B meson decays. We exclusively reconstruct the companion B decay to suppress background. We set an upper limit on the branching fraction B(B-->tau(nu))<8.4 x 10(-4) at 90% confidence level. We also establish B(B+/--->K+/-nu(nu))<2.4 x 10(-4) at 90% confidence level.

Search for the decay &Bmacr;(0)-->D(*0)gamma

We report results of a search for the rare radiative decay &Bmacr;(0)-->D(*0)gamma. Using 9.66x10(6) B&Bmacr; meson pairs collected with the CLEO detector at the Cornell Electron Storage Ring, we set an upper limit on the branching ratio for this decay of 5.0x10(-5) at 90% C.L. This provides evidence that the anomalous enhancement is absent in W-exchange processes and that weak radiative B decays are dominated by the short-distance b-->sgamma mechanism in the standard model.

Measurement of the helicity of W bosons in top quark decays

We use the transverse momentum spectrum of leptons in the decay chain t-->bW with W-->lnu to measure the helicity of the W bosons in the top quark rest frame. Our measurement uses a t&tmacr; sample isolated in 106+/-4 pb(-1) of data collected in p&pmacr; collisions at sqrt[s] = 1.8 TeV with the CDF detector at the Fermilab Tevatron. Assuming a standard V-A weak decay, we find that the fraction of W's with zero helicity in the top rest frame is F0 = 0.91+/-0. 37(stat)+/-0.13(syst), consistent with the standard model prediction of F0 = 0.70 for a top mass of 175 GeV/c(2).