Crystallization of Arthrobacter sp. strain 1C N-(1-D-carboxyethyl)-L-norvaline dehydrogenase and its complex with NAD+

The novel NAD+-linked opine dehydrogenase from a soil isolate Arthrobacter sp. strain 1C belongs to an enzyme superfamily whose members exhibit quite diverse substrate specificites. Crystals of this opine dehydrogenase, obtained in the presence or absence of co-factor and substrates, have been shown to diffract to beyond 1.8 ? resolution. X-ray precession photographs have established that the crystals belong to space group P21212, with cell parameters a = 104.9, b = 80.0, c = 45.5 ? and a single subunit in the asymmetric unit. The elucidation of the three-dimensional structure of this enzyme will provide a structural framework for this novel class of dehydrogenases to enable a comparison to be made with other enzyme families and also as the basis for mutagenesis experiments directed towards the production of natural and synthetic opine-type compounds containing two chiral centres.     

Observation of an excited charm baryon Omega c* decaying to Omega c0gamma

We report the first observation of an excited singly charmed baryon Omega c* (css) in the radiative decay Omega c0gamma, where the Omega c0 baryon is reconstructed in the decays to the final states Omega(-)pi+, Omega(-)pi+pi0, Omega(-)pi+pi(-)pi+, and Xi(-)K(-)pi+pi+. This analysis is performed using a data set of 230.7 fb(-1) collected by the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy B factory at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. The mass difference between the Omega c* and the Omega c0 baryons is measured to be 70.8+/-1.0(stat)+/-1.1(syst) MeV/c2. We also measure the ratio of inclusive production cross sections of Omega c* and Omega c0 in e+e(-) annihilation.     

Observation of B(+)-->phiphiK(+) and evidence for B(0)-->phiphiK(0) below eta(c) threshold

We report measurements of the decays B(+)-->phiphiK(+) and B(0)-->phiphiK(0) using a sample of 231 x 10(6) BB pairs collected with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy B factory at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. The branching fractions are measured to be B(B(+)-->phiphiK(+))=(7.5+/-1.0(stat)+/-0.7(syst)) x 10(-6) and B(B(0)-->phiphiK(0))=(4.1(-1.4)(+1.7)(stat)+/-0.4(syst)) x 10(-6) for a phiphi invariant mass below 2.85 GeV/c(2).     

Observation of B-->eta'K* and evidence for B+-->eta'rho+

We present an observation of B-->eta'K*. The data sample corresponds to 232x10(6) BB[over ] pairs collected with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy B factory at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. We measure the branching fractions (in units of 10(-6)) B(B(0)-->eta'K*0)=3.8+/-1.1+/-0.5 and B(B+-->eta'K*+)=4.9(1.7)(+1.9)+/-0.8, where the first error is statistical and the second systematic. A simultaneous fit results in the observation of B-->eta'K* with B(B-->eta'K*)=4.1(-0.9)(+1.0)+/-0.5. We also search for B-->eta'rho and eta'f(0)(980)(f(0)-->pi+pi-) with results and 90% confidence level upper limits B(B+-->eta'rho+)=8.7(-2.8-1.3)(+3.1+2.3) (<14), B(B(0)-->eta'rho0)<3.7, and B(B(0)-->eta'f(0)(980)(f(0)-->pi+pi-))<1.5. Charge asymmetries in the channels with significant yields are consistent with zero.     

A unified treatment of electromagnetic decays,electroproduction, and pair production in e+e− annihilation for hadrons of arbitrary spin

We gather together in a unified notation formulas for electromagnetic decay rates of resonances and cross sections for electroproduction and e⁺e^? annihilation for all those processes which can be expressed in terms of matrix elements of the electromagnetic current between single particle (or resonant) helicity states. We show in complete generality how to decompose such helicity matrix elements into form factors which are free of all kinematic singularities and constraints simultaneously at both physical thresholds, and relate them to the familiar multipole moments and to some others which have been used in data analysis. Tables are given of the form factor decomposition of the helicity matrix elements for many cases of actual and potential practical interest.     

Measurement of the B-->pi l nu branching fraction and determination of absolute value of V(ub) with tagged B mesons

We report a measurement of the B-->pi l nu branching fraction based on 211 fb(-1) of data collected with the BABAR detector. We use samples of B0 and B+ mesons tagged by a second B meson reconstructed in a semileptonic or hadronic decay and combine the results assuming isospin symmetry to obtain B(B(0)-->pi- l+ nu) = (1.33+/-0.17stat+/-0.11syst) x 10(-4). We determine the magnitude of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix element absolute value V(ub) by combining the partial branching fractions measured in ranges of the momentum transfer squared and theoretical calculations of the form factor. Using a recent lattice QCD calculation, we find absolute value V(ub) = (4.5+/-0.5stat+/-0.3syst(+0.7) -0.5FF x 10(-3), where the last error is due to the normalization of the form factor.