Connectome-driven neural inventory of a complete visual system

Vision provides animals with detailed information about their surroundings, conveying diverse features such as color, form, and movement across the visual scene. Computing these parallel spatial features requires a large and diverse network of neurons, such that in animals as distant as flies and humans, visual regions comprise half the brain's volume. These visual brain regions often reveal remarkable structure-function relationships, with neurons organized along spatial maps with shapes that directly relate to their roles in visual processing. To unravel the stunning diversity of a complex visual system, a careful mapping of the neural architecture matched to tools for targeted exploration of that circuitry is essential. Here, we report a new connectome of the right optic lobe from a male Drosophila central nervous system FIB-SEM volume and a comprehensive inventory of the fly's visual neurons. We developed a computational framework to quantify the anatomy of visual neurons, establishing a basis for interpreting how their shapes relate to spatial vision. By integrating this analysis with connectivity information, neurotransmitter identity, and expert curation, we classified the ~53,000 neurons into 727 types, about half of which are systematically described and named for the first time. Finally, we share an extensive collection of split-GAL4 lines matched to our neuron type catalog. Together, this comprehensive set of tools and data unlock new possibilities for systematic investigations of vision in Drosophila, a foundation for a deeper understanding of sensory processing.

Search for Evidence of Baryogenesis and Dark Matter in B^{+}→ψ_{D}+p Decays at BABAR

A new dark sector antibaryon, denoted ψ_{D}, could be produced in decays of B mesons. This Letter presents a search for B^{+}→ψ_{D}+p (and the charge conjugate) decays in e^{+}e^{-} annihilations at 10.58 GeV, using data collected in the BABAR experiment. Data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 398  fb^{-1} are analyzed. No evidence for a signal is observed. Branching fraction upper limits in the range from 10^{-7}-10^{-5} are obtained at 90% confidence level for masses of 1.0 Collapse

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Orellanine: From Fungal Origin to a Potential Future Cancer Treatment

Fungal metabolites represent an underutilized resource in the development of novel anticancer drugs. This review will focus on the promising fungal nephrotoxin orellanine, found in mushrooms including Cortinarius orellanus (Fools webcap). Emphasis will be placed on its historical significance, structural features, and associated toxicomechanics. Chromatographic methods for analysis of the compound and its metabolites, its synthesis, and chemotherapeutic potential are also discussed. Although orellanine's exceptional selectivity for proximal tubular cells is well documented, the mechanics of its toxicity in kidney tissue remains disputed. Here, the most commonly proposed hypotheses are detailed in the context of the molecule's structure, the symptoms seen following ingestion, and its characteristic prolonged latency period. Chromatographic analysis of orellanine and its related substances remains challenging, while biological evaluation of the compound is complicated by uncertainty regarding the role of active metabolites. This has limited efforts to structurally refine the molecule; despite numerous established methods for its synthesis, there is minimal published material on how orellanine's structure might be optimized for therapeutic use. Despite these obstacles, orellanine has generated promising data in preclinical studies of metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma, leading to the early 2022 announcement of phase I/II trials in humans.

MR Imaging-Based In Vivo Macrophage Imaging to Monitor Immune Response after Radiofrequency Ablation of the Liver

PURPOSE

To establish molecular magnetic resonance (MR) imaging instruments for in vivo characterization of the immune response to hepatic radiofrequency (RF) ablation using cell-specific immunoprobes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Seventy-two C57BL/6 wild-type mice underwent standardized hepatic RF ablation (70 °C for 5 minutes) to generate a coagulation area measuring 6-7 mm in diameter. CD68+ macrophage periablational infiltration was characterized with immunohistochemistry 24 hours, 72 hours, 7 days, and 14 days after ablation (n = 24). Twenty-one mice were subjected to a dose-escalation study with either 10, 15, 30, or 60 mg/kg of rhodamine-labeled superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) or 2.4, 1.2, or 0.6 mg/kg of gadolinium-160 (160Gd)-labeled CD68 antibody for assessment of the optimal in vivo dose of contrast agent. MR imaging experiments included 9 mice, each receiving 10-mg/kg SPIONs to visualize phagocytes using T2∗-weighted imaging in a horizontal-bore 9.4-T MR imaging scanner, 160Gd-CD68 for T1-weighted MR imaging of macrophages, or 0.1-mmol/kg intravenous gadoterate (control group). Radiological-pathological correlation included Prussian blue staining, rhodamine immunofluorescence, imaging mass cytometry, and immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

RF ablation-induced periablational infiltration (206.92 μm ± 12.2) of CD68+ macrophages peaked at 7 days after ablation (P < .01) compared with the untreated lobe. T2∗-weighted MR imaging with SPION contrast demonstrated curvilinear T2∗ signal in the transitional zone (TZ) (186 μm ± 16.9), corresponsing to Iron Prussian blue staining. T1-weighted MR imaging with 160Gd-CD68 antibody showed curvilinear signal in the TZ (164 μm ± 3.6) corresponding to imaging mass cytometry.

CONCLUSIONS

Both SPION-enhanced T2∗-weighted and 160Gd-enhanced T1-weighted MR imaging allow for in vivo monitoring of macrophages after RF ablation, demonstrating the feasibility of this model to investigate local immune responses.

Fluorescently-tagged magnetic protein nanoparticles for high-resolution optical and ultra-high field magnetic resonance dual-modal cerebral angiography

Extremely small paramagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (FeMNPs) (<5 nm) can enhance positive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast by shortening the longitudinal relaxation time of water (T₁), but these nanoparticles experience rapid renal clearance. Here, magnetic protein nanoparticles (MPNPs) are synthesized from protein-conjugated citric acid coated FeMNPs (c-FeMNPs) without loss of the T₁ MRI properties and tagged with fluorescent dye (f-MPNPs) for optical cerebrovascular imaging. The c-FeMNPs shows average size 3.8 ± 0.7 nm with T₁ relaxivity (r₁) of 1.86 mM^-1 s^-1 and transverse/longitudinal relaxivity ratio (r₂/r₁) of 2.53 at 11.7 T. The f-MPNPs show a higher r₁ value of 2.18 mM^-1 s^-1 and r₂/r₁ ratio of 2.88 at 11.7 T, which generates excellent positive MRI contrast. In vivo cerebral angiography with f-MPNPs enables detailed microvascular contrast enhancement for differentiation of major blood vessels of murine brain, which corresponds well with whole brain three-dimensional time-of-flight MRI angiograms (17 min imaging time with 60 ms repetition time and 40 μm isotropic voxels). The real-time fluorescence angiography enables unambiguous detection of brain capillaries with diameter < 40 μm. Biodistribution examination revealed that f-MPNPs were safely cleared by the organs like the liver, spleen, and kidneys within a day after injection. Blood biochemical assays demonstrated no risk of iron overload in both rats and mice. With hybrid neuroimaging technologies (e.g., MRI-optical) on the rise, f-MPNPs built on this platform can generate exciting neuroscience applications.

High-resolution pH imaging using ratiometric chemical exchange saturation transfer combined with biosensor imaging of redundant deviation in shifts featuring paramagnetic DOTA-tetraglycinate agents

Chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) and biosensor imaging of redundant deviation in shifts (BIRDS) methods differ respectively by detecting exchangeable and nonexchangeable proton signals by magnetic resonance. Because CEST contrast depends on both temperature and pH, simultaneous CEST and BIRDS imaging can be employed to separate these contributions. Here, we test if high-resolution pH imaging in vivo is possible with ratiometric CEST calibrated for temperature variations measured by BIRDS. Thulium- and europium-based DOTA-tetraglycinate agents, TmDOTA-(gly)₄^- and EuDOTA-(gly)₄^- , were used for high-resolution pH mapping in vitro and in vivo, using BIRDS for temperature adjustments needed for a more accurate ratiometric CEST approach. Although neither agent showed pH dependence with BIRDS in vitro in the pH range 6 to 8, each one's temperature sensitivity was enhanced when mixed because of increased redundancy. By contrast, the CEST signal of each agent was affected by the presence of the other agent in vitro. However, pH could be measured more accurately when temperature from BIRDS was detected. These in vitro calibrations with TmDOTA-(gly)₄^- and EuDOTA-(gly)₄^- enabled high-resolution pH imaging of glioblastoma in rat brains. It was concluded that temperature mapping with BIRDS can calibrate the ratiometric CEST signal from a cocktail of TmDOTA-(gly)₄^- and EuDOTA-(gly)₄^- agents to provide temperature-independent absolute pH imaging in vivo.

Comparison of metabolic and immunologic responses to transarterial chemoembolization with different chemoembolic regimens in a rabbit VX2 liver tumor model

OBJECTIVES

The goal of this study was to investigate the effects of TACE using Lipiodol, Oncozene™ drug-eluting embolics (DEEs), or LUMI™-DEEs alone, or combined with bicarbonate on the metabolic and immunological tumor microenvironment in a rabbit VX2 tumor model.

METHODS

VX2 liver tumor-bearing rabbits were assigned to five groups. MRI and extracellular pH (pHe) mapping using Biosensor Imaging of Redundant Deviation in Shifts (BIRDS) were performed before and after intra-arterial therapy with conventional TACE (cTACE), DEE-TACE with Idarubicin-eluting Oncozene™-DEEs, or Doxorubicin-eluting LUMI™-DEEs, each with or without prior bicarbonate infusion, and in untreated rabbits or treated with intra-arterial bicarbonate only. Imaging results were validated with immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining of cell viability (PCNA, TUNEL) and immune response (HLA-DR, CD3). Statistical analysis was performed using Mann-Whitney U test.

RESULTS

pHe mapping revealed that combining cTACE with prior bicarbonate infusion significantly increased tumor pHe compared to control (p = 0.0175) and cTACE alone (p = 0.0025). IHC staining revealed peritumoral accumulation of HLA-DR+ antigen-presenting cells and CD3 + T-lymphocytes in controls. cTACE-treated tumors showed reduced immune infiltration, which was restored through combination with bicarbonate. DEE-TACE with Oncozene™-DEEs induced moderate intratumoral and marked peritumoral infiltration, which was slightly reduced with bicarbonate. Addition of bicarbonate prior to LUMI™-beads enhanced peritumoral immune cell infiltration compared to LUMI™-beads alone and resulted in the strongest intratumoral immune cell infiltration across all treated groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The choice of chemoembolic regimen for TACE strongly affects post-treatment TME pHe and the ability of immune cells to accumulate and infiltrate the tumor tissue.

KEY POINTS

• Combining conventional transarterial chemotherapy with prior bicarbonate infusion increases the pHe towards a more physiological value (p = 0.0025). • Peritumoral infiltration and intratumoral accumulation patterns of antigen-presenting cells and T-lymphocytes after transarterial chemotherapy were dependent on the choice of the chemoembolic regimen. • Combination of intra-arterial treatment with Doxorubicin-eluting LUMI™-beads and bicarbonate infusion resulted in the strongest intratumoral presence of immune cells (positivity index of 0.47 for HLADR+-cells and 0.62 for CD3+-cells).

Selective delivery of clinically approved tubulin binding agents through covalent conjugation to an active targeting moiety

Abstract:

The efficacy and tolerability of tubulin binding agents are hampered by their low specificity for cancer cells, like most clinically used anticancer agents. To improve specificity, tubulin binding agents have been covalently conjugated to agents which target cancer cells to give actively targeted drug conjugates. These conjugates are designed to increase uptake of the drug by cancer cells, while having limited uptake by normal cells thereby improving efficacy and tolerability. Approaches used include attachment to small molecules, polysaccharides, peptides, proteins and antibodies that exploit the overexpression of receptors for these substances. Antibody targeted strategies have been the most successful to date with six such examples having gained clinical approval. Many other conjugate types, especially those targeting the folate receptor, have shown promising efficacy and toxicity profiles in pre-clinical models and in early-stage clinical studies. Presented herein is a discussion of the success or otherwise of the recent strategies used to form these actively targeted conjugates.

Search for an Axionlike Particle in B Meson Decays

Axionlike particles (ALPs) are predicted in many extensions of the standard model, and their masses can naturally be well below the electroweak scale. In the presence of couplings to electroweak bosons, these particles could be emitted in flavor-changing B meson decays. We report herein a search for an ALP, a, in the reaction B^{±}→K^{±}a, a→γγ using data collected by the BABAR experiment at SLAC. No significant signal is observed, and 90% confidence level upper limits on the ALP coupling to electroweak bosons are derived as a function of ALP mass, improving current constraints by several orders of magnitude in the range 0.175  GeV<m_{a}<4.78  GeV.

Search for Lepton Flavor Violation in ϒ(3S)→e^{±}μ^{∓}

We report on the first search for electron-muon lepton flavor violation (LFV) in the decay of a b quark and b antiquark bound state. We look for the LFV decay ϒ(3S)→e^{±}μ^{∓} in a sample of 118 million ϒ(3S) mesons from 27  fb^{-1} of data collected with the BABAR detector at the SLAC PEP-II e^{+}e^{-} collider operating with a 10.36 GeV center-of-mass energy. No evidence for a signal is found, and we set a limit on the branching fraction B[ϒ(3S)→e^{±}μ^{∓}]<3.6×10^{-7} at 90% C. L. This result can be interpreted as a limit Λ_{NP}/g_{NP}^{2}>80  TeV on the energy scale Λ_{NP} divided by the coupling-squared g_{NP}^{2} of relevant new physics (NP).

Hybridization of green synthesized silver nanoparticles with poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate and their biomedical applications

In the present research, a rapid, simple and efficient green method is used for the incorporation of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) into poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate (PEGMA) to create biocatalysts with excellent properties for pharmaceutical purpose. In the first phase, Caralluma tuberculata capped AgNPs (Ca-AgNPs) were prepared using green synthetic approach and in the second phase Caralluma tuberculata capped AgNPs were hybridized with poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate to form PEGMA-AgNPs. Both the virgin (naked or uncapped) and polymer-capped materials were characterized spectroscopically and their results were compared. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed no new peak after the capping procedure, showing that only physical interactions takes place during capping. After PEGMA capping, the spectra of the AgNPs red shifted (from 450 nm to 520 nm) and the overall particle size of AgNPs increased. Catalytic activity of the nanoparticles and hybrid system were tested by choosing the catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) as a model reaction. Both synthesized NPs and polymer capped NPs exhibits catalytic activity for the reduction of 4-NP to 4-aminophenol. The polymer hybrid exhibits remarkable antiproliferative, antioxidant, cytotoxic, antidiabetic and antileishmanial activities.

Search for Darkonium in e^{+}e^{-} Collisions

Collider searches for dark sectors, new particles interacting only feebly with ordinary matter, have largely focused on identifying signatures of new mediators, leaving much of dark sector structures unexplored. In particular, the existence of dark matter bound states (darkonia) remains to be investigated. This possibility could arise in a simple model in which a dark photon (A^{'}) is light enough to generate an attractive force between dark fermions. We report herein a search for a J^{PC}=1^{--} darkonium state, the ϒ_{D}, produced in the reaction e^{+}e^{-}→γϒ_{D}, ϒ_{D}→A^{'}A^{'}A^{'}, where the dark photons subsequently decay into pairs of leptons or pions, using 514  fb^{-1} of data collected with the BABAR detector. No significant signal is observed, and we set bounds on the γ-A^{'} kinetic mixing as a function of the dark sector coupling constant for 0.001<m_{A^{'}}<3.16  GeV and 0.05<m_{ϒ_{D}}<9.5  GeV.

Extracellular pH Mapping as Therapeutic Readout of Drug Delivery in Glioblastoma

An acidic extracellular space is a hallmark of the tumor microenvironment. Acidosis has been postulated to promote the aggressive and invasive characteristics of tumors and also inhibit the therapeutic response, particularly in the context of novel immunotherapies. Therefore, methods to quantitatively measure the extracellular pH (pH_e) are needed. Here we describe a magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) technique termed Biosensor Imaging of Redundant Deviation in Shifts (BIRDS), which uses the pH-dependent chemical shifts of nonexchangeable protons of lanthanide-based contrast agents to generate quantitative spatial pH_e maps. We assess this method in the context of evaluating the acidic pH_e and therapeutic response in glioblastoma in rodents, where normalization of the pH_e upon therapy can serve as a quantitative readout of successful drug delivery to the tumor.

Imaging Hallmarks of the Tumor Microenvironment in Glioblastoma Progression

Glioblastoma progression involves multifaceted changes in vascularity, cellularity, and metabolism. Capturing such complexities of the tumor niche, from the tumor core to the periphery, by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) methods has translational impact. In human-derived glioblastoma models (U87, U251) we made simultaneous and longitudinal measurements of tumor perfusion (F_p), permeability (K^trans), and volume fractions of extracellular (v_e) and blood (v_p) spaces from dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) MRI, cellularity from apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) MRI, and extracellular pH (pH_e) from an MRSI method called Biosensor Imaging of Redundant Deviation in Shifts (BIRDS). Spatiotemporal patterns of these parameters during tumorigenesis were unique for each tumor. While U87 tumors grew faster, F_p, K^trans, and v_p increased with tumor growth in both tumors but these trends were more pronounced for U251 tumors. Perfused regions between tumor periphery and core with U87 tumors exhibited higher F_p, but K^trans of U251 tumors remained lowest at the tumor margin, suggesting primitive vascularization. Tumor growth was uncorrelated with v_e, ADC, and pH_e. U87 tumors showed correlated regions of reduced v_e and lower ADC (higher cellularity), suggesting ongoing proliferation. U251 tumors revealed that the tumor core had higher v_e and elevated ADC (lower cellularity), suggesting necrosis development. The entire tumor was uniformly acidic (pH_e 6.1-6.8) early and throughout progression, but U251 tumors were more acidic, suggesting lower aerobic glycolysis in U87 tumors. Characterizing these cancer hallmarks with DCE-MRI, ADC-MRI, and BIRDS-MRSI will be useful for exploring tumorigenesis as well as timely therapies targeted to specific vascular and metabolic aspects of the tumor microenvironment.

Imaging the transmembrane and transendothelial sodium gradients in gliomas

Under normal conditions, high sodium (Na⁺) in extracellular (Na⁺_e) and blood (Na⁺_b) compartments and low Na⁺ in intracellular milieu (Na⁺_i) produce strong transmembrane (ΔNa⁺_mem) and weak transendothelial (ΔNa⁺_end) gradients respectively, and these manifest the cell membrane potential (V_m) as well as blood–brain barrier (BBB) integrity. We developed a sodium (²³Na) magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) method using an intravenously-administered paramagnetic polyanionic agent to measure ΔNa⁺_mem and ΔNa⁺_end. In vitro ²³Na-MRSI established that the ²³Na signal is intensely shifted by the agent compared to other biological factors (e.g., pH and temperature). In vivo ²³Na-MRSI showed Na⁺_i remained unshifted and Na⁺_b was more shifted than Na⁺_e, and these together revealed weakened ΔNa⁺_mem and enhanced ΔNa⁺_end in rat gliomas (vs. normal tissue). Compared to normal tissue, RG2 and U87 tumors maintained weakened ΔNa⁺_mem (i.e., depolarized V_m) implying an aggressive state for proliferation, whereas RG2 tumors displayed elevated ∆Na⁺_end suggesting altered BBB integrity. We anticipate that ²³Na-MRSI will allow biomedical explorations of perturbed Na⁺ homeostasis in vivo.

Evaluating Tourniquet Efficacy Comparing Exsanguination Techniques for the Upper Extremity

Tourniquets have been used in the medical setting for centuries and have become the gold standard when preparing patients for surgery, particularly in orthopaedic surgery. Upper extremity tourniquet use improves intraoperative visibility and identification of anatomy. It also decreases blood loss intraoperatively and improves the safety of orthopaedic procedures. Despite the widespread use of tourniquets and differing methods of limb exsanguination, little research has been done quantifying its efficacy. The purpose of this study was to compare gravity exsanguination to Esmarch exsanguination of the upper extremity prior to tourniquet inflation in a large patient sample. A plethysmographic method based on water displacement served as a surrogate for the blood volume exsanguinated. Control measurements of water displacement were obtained from both upper extremities without tourniquet inflation. Water displacement was then measured with both gravity and Esmarch exsanguination techniques. Gender, handedness, height, weight, body mass index, and age were recorded for volunteers and used as covariates. Change in mean water displacement from control (un-exsanguinated) arm and gravity alone measurement was 37.2 ml. Change in mean water displacement between control arm and mean Esmarch measurement was 56.3 ml. Exsanguination using Esmarch compared to gravity alone resulted in a 51.2% increase in blood removal. Only age had a significant interaction effect for the Esmarch method. Analysis revealed that age accounted for 21.4% of all variance in blood exsanguinated using the Esmarch method when compared to the control group. The Esmarch technique was more efficacious for all demographics measured, but most efficacious in subjects who were older than 40 years. This data reaffirms that gravity exsanguination is more efficacious than no tourniquet use at all, and that the Esmarch technique is more efficacious than gravity. To our knowledge, this study is the most robust of its kind to critically and objectively compare upper extremity exsanguination methods and overall tourniquet use by age and supports the common practice of Esmarch exsanguination in orthopaedic extremity surgery.

Development of Professional Attributes through Integration of Science and Practice at First-Year Pharmacy Level

The design, implementation and evaluation of a year 1 pharmacy-integrated learning component, using the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) analgesic ladder as a scaffold for case-based learning, is described. A novel aspect of the integrated component is the mapping of the cases to the national Core Competency Framework (CCF) for Pharmacists in Ireland and to the school’s own cross-cutting curricular integration themes. The integrated cases were student led and delivered through peer-to-peer teaching for 68 first-year pharmacy students. The integrated cases mapped strongly to three of the CCF’s domains, namely, personal skills, organisation and management skills and supply of medicines. With regard to the school’s curricular integrative themes, the cases mapped strongly to the curricular integration themes of professionalism and communications; medicines sourcing, production and use; and safe and rational use of medicines. Highlights from an anonymous online student survey were the recognition by students of the importance of core science knowledge for practice, the enabling of integrated learning and the suitability of the integrated component for entry-level. While a majority of students were found to favour individual work over group work, future iterations will need to consider a greater degree of group work with a view to reducing the volume of content and time required to complete the cases.

Precision Measurement of the Ratio B(ϒ(3S)→τ^{+}τ^{-})/B(ϒ(3S)→μ^{+}μ^{-})

We report on a precision measurement of the ratio R_{τμ}^{ϒ(3S)}=B(ϒ(3S)→τ^{+}τ^{-})/B(ϒ(3S)→μ^{+}μ^{-}) using data collected with the BABAR detector at the SLAC PEP-II e^{+}e^{-} collider. The measurement is based on a 28  fb^{-1} data sample collected at a center-of-mass energy of 10.355 GeV corresponding to a sample of 122 million ϒ(3S) mesons. The ratio is measured to be R_{τμ}^{ϒ(3S)}=0.966±0.008_{stat}±0.014_{syst} and is in agreement with the standard model prediction of 0.9948 within 2 standard deviations. The uncertainty in R_{τμ}^{ϒ(3S)} is almost an order of magnitude smaller than the only previous measurement.

Search for a Dark Leptophilic Scalar in e^{+}e^{-} Collisions

Many scenarios of physics beyond the standard model predict the existence of new gauge singlets, which might be substantially lighter than the weak scale. The experimental constraints on additional scalars with masses in the MeV to GeV range could be significantly weakened if they interact predominantly with leptons rather than quarks. At an e^{+}e^{-} collider, such a leptophilic scalar (ϕ_{L}) would be produced predominantly through radiation from a τ lepton. We report herein a search for e^{+}e^{-}→τ^{+}τ^{-}ϕ_{L}, ϕ_{L}→ℓ^{+}ℓ^{-} (ℓ=e, μ) using data collected by the BABAR experiment at SLAC. No significant signal is observed, and we set limits on the ϕ_{L} coupling to leptons in the range 0.04<m_{ϕ_{L}}<7.0  GeV. These bounds significantly improve upon the current constraints, excluding almost entirely the parameter space favored by the observed discrepancy in the muon anomalous magnetic moment below 4 GeV at 90% confidence level.

A connectome and analysis of the adult Drosophila central brain

The neural circuits responsible for animal behavior remain largely unknown. We summarize new methods and present the circuitry of a large fraction of the brain of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. Improved methods include new procedures to prepare, image, align, segment, find synapses in, and proofread such large data sets. We define cell types, refine computational compartments, and provide an exhaustive atlas of cell examples and types, many of them novel. We provide detailed circuits consisting of neurons and their chemical synapses for most of the central brain. We make the data public and simplify access, reducing the effort needed to answer circuit questions, and provide procedures linking the neurons defined by our analysis with genetic reagents. Biologically, we examine distributions of connection strengths, neural motifs on different scales, electrical consequences of compartmentalization, and evidence that maximizing packing density is an important criterion in the evolution of the fly's brain.

Idarubicin-Loaded ONCOZENE Drug-Eluting Bead Chemoembolization in a Rabbit Liver Tumor Model: Investigating Safety, Therapeutic Efficacy, and Effects on Tumor Microenvironment

PURPOSE

To investigate toxicity, efficacy, and microenvironmental effects of idarubicin-loaded 40-μm and 100-μm drug-eluting embolic (DEE) transarterial chemoembolization in a rabbit liver tumor model.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Twelve male New Zealand White rabbits with orthotopically implanted VX2 liver tumors were assigned to DEE chemoembolization with 40-μm (n = 5) or 100-μm (n = 4) ONCOZENE microspheres or no treatment (control; n = 3). At 24-72 hours postprocedurally, multiparametric magnetic resonance (MR) imaging including dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE), diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), and biosensor imaging of redundant deviation in shifts (BIRDS) was performed to assess extracellular pH (pHe), followed by immediate euthanasia. Laboratory parameters and histopathologic ex vivo analysis included fluorescence confocal microscopy and immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

DCE MR imaging demonstrated a similar degree of devascularization of embolized tumors for both microsphere sizes (mean arterial enhancement, 8% ± 12 vs 36% ± 51 in controls; P = .07). Similarly, DWI showed postprocedural increases in diffusion across the entire lesion (apparent diffusion coefficient, 1.89 × 10^-3 mm²/s ± 0.18 vs 2.34 × 10^-3 mm²/s ± 0.18 in liver; P = .002). BIRDS demonstrated profound tumor acidosis at baseline (mean pHe, 6.79 ± 0.08 in tumor vs 7.13 ± 0.08 in liver; P = .02) and after chemoembolization (6.8 ± 0.06 in tumor vs 7.1 ± 0.04 in liver; P = .007). Laboratory and ex vivo analyses showed central tumor core penetration and greater increase in liver enzymes for 40-μm vs 100-μm microspheres. Inhibition of cell proliferation, intratumoral hypoxia, and limited idarubicin elution were equally observed with both sphere sizes.

CONCLUSIONS

Noninvasive multiparametric MR imaging visualized chemoembolic effects in tumor and tumor microenvironment following DEE chemoembolization. Devascularization, increased hypoxia, coagulative necrosis, tumor acidosis, and limited idarubicin elution suggest ischemia as the predominant therapeutic mechanism. Substantial size-dependent differences indicate greater toxicity with the smaller microsphere diameter.

Measurements of the Absolute Branching Fractions of B^{±}→K^{±}X_{cc[over ¯]}

A study of the two-body decays B^{±}→X_{cc[over ¯]}K^{±}, where X_{cc[over ¯]} refers to one charmonium state, is reported by the BABAR Collaboration using a data sample of 424  fb^{-1}. The absolute determination of branching fractions for these decays are significantly improved compared to previous BABAR measurements. Evidence is found for the decay B^{+}→X(3872)K^{+} at the 3σ level. The absolute branching fraction B[B^{+}→X(3872)K^{+}]=[2.1±0.6(stat)±0.3(syst)]×10^{-4} is measured for the first time. It follows that B[X(3872)→J/ψπ^{+}π^{-}]=(4.1±1.3)%, supporting the hypothesis of a molecular component for this resonance.

Search for Rare or Forbidden Decays of the D^{0} Meson

We present a search for nine lepton-number-violating and three lepton-flavor-violating neutral charm decays of the type D^{0}→h^{'-}h^{-}ℓ^{'+}ℓ^{+} and D^{0}→h^{'-}h^{+}ℓ^{'±}ℓ^{∓}, where h and h^{'} represent a K or π meson and ℓ and ℓ^{'} an electron or muon. The analysis is based on 468  fb^{-1} of e^{+}e^{-} annihilation data collected at or close to the ϒ(4S) resonance with the BABAR detector at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. No significant signal is observed for any of the twelve modes, and we establish 90% confidence level upper limits on the branching fractions in the range (1.0-30.6)×10^{-7}. The limits are between 1 and 3 orders of magnitude more stringent than previous measurements.

Meeting compliance under Medicare and Medicaid emergency preparedness Final Rule requirements

Nursing home residents experience death and injury at a disproportionately higher rate than other populations during and after a disaster. This paper addresses the complex chronic conditions of vulnerable residents that will become even more challenging due to compounding effects from continued disasters and rapid population aging. In 2016, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) established national emergency preparedness requirements for long-term care (LTC) and skilled nursing (SN) facilities. The problems facing nursing facilities created by an increasing population to serve, present a challenge to meeting the highest level of requirements and responsibilities for healthcare preparedness. This paper argues that nursing facility personnel are required to participate in an unfamiliar culture of operational processes, using terminology foreign to their profession, in an environment requiring planning and decision-making skills using organisational concepts they most likely have never experienced. Furthermore, unlike hospitals, LTC and SN facility staff have not had extensive access to standardised training to meet the current requirements. The paper concludes that this environment adversely affects emergency managers and unnecessarily increases their planning and operational burden.

Extracellular pH mapping of liver cancer on a clinical 3T MRI scanner

PURPOSE

To demonstrate feasibility of developing a noninvasive extracellular pH (pH_e ) mapping method on a clinical MRI scanner for molecular imaging of liver cancer.

METHODS

In vivo pH_e mapping has been demonstrated on preclinical scanners (e.g., 9.4T, 11.7T) with Biosensor Imaging of Redundant Deviation in Shifts (BIRDS), where the pH_e readout by 3D chemical shift imaging (CSI) depends on hyperfine shifts emanating from paramagnetic macrocyclic chelates like TmDOTP^5- which upon extravasation from blood resides in the extracellular space. We implemented BIRDS-based pH_e mapping on a clinical 3T Siemens scanner, where typically diamagnetic ¹ H signals are detected using millisecond-long radiofrequency (RF) pulses, and ¹ H shifts span over ±10 ppm with long transverse (T₂ , 10² ms) and longitudinal (T₁ , 10³ ms) relaxation times. We modified this 3D-CSI method for ultra-fast acquisition with microsecond-long RF pulses, because even at 3T the paramagnetic ¹ H shifts of TmDOTP^5- have millisecond-long T₂ and T₁ and ultra-wide chemical shifts (±200 ppm) as previously observed in ultra-high magnetic fields.

RESULTS

We validated BIRDS-based pH in vitro with a pH electrode. We measured pH_e in a rabbit model for liver cancer using VX2 tumors, which are highly vascularized and hyperglycolytic. Compared to intratumoral pH_e (6.8 ± 0.1; P < 10^-9 ) and tumor's edge pH_e (6.9 ± 0.1; P < 10^-7 ), liver parenchyma pH_e was significantly higher (7.2 ± 0.1). Tumor localization was confirmed with histopathological markers of necrosis (hematoxylin and eosin), glucose uptake (glucose transporter 1), and tissue acidosis (lysosome-associated membrane protein 2).

CONCLUSION

This work demonstrates feasibility and potential clinical translatability of high-resolution pH_e mapping to monitor tumor aggressiveness and therapeutic outcome, all to improve personalized cancer treatment planning.

Molecular Imaging of Extracellular Tumor pH to Reveal Effects of Locoregional Therapy on Liver Cancer Microenvironment

PURPOSE

To establish magnetic resonance (MR)-based molecular imaging paradigms for the noninvasive monitoring of extracellular pH (pH_e) as a functional surrogate biomarker for metabolic changes induced by locoregional therapy of liver cancer.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

Thirty-two VX2 tumor-bearing New Zealand white rabbits underwent longitudinal imaging on clinical 3T-MRI and CT scanners before and up to 2 weeks after complete conventional transarterial chemoembolization (cTACE) using ethiodized oil (lipiodol) and doxorubicin. MR-spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) was employed for pH_e mapping. Multiparametric MRI and CT were performed to quantify tumor enhancement, diffusion, and lipiodol coverage of the tumor posttherapy. In addition, incomplete cTACE with reduced chemoembolic doses was applied to mimic undertreatment and exploit pH_e mapping to detect viable tumor residuals. Imaging findings were correlated with histopathologic markers indicative of metabolic state (HIF-1α, GLUT-1, and LAMP-2) and viability (proliferating cell nuclear antigen and terminal deoxynucleotidyl-transferase dUTP nick-end labeling).

RESULTS

Untreated VX2 tumors demonstrated a significantly lower pH_e (6.80 ± 0.09) than liver parenchyma (7.19 ± 0.03, P < 0.001). Upregulation of HIF-1α, GLUT-1, and LAMP-2 confirmed a hyperglycolytic tumor phenotype and acidosis. A gradual tumor pH_e increase toward normalization similar to parenchyma was revealed within 2 weeks after complete cTACE, which correlated with decreasing detectability of metabolic markers. In contrast, pH_e mapping after incomplete cTACE indicated both acidic viable residuals and increased tumor pH_e of treated regions. Multimodal imaging revealed durable tumor devascularization immediately after complete cTACE, gradually increasing necrosis, and sustained lipiodol coverage of the tumor.

CONCLUSIONS

MRSI-based pH_e mapping can serve as a longitudinal monitoring tool for viable tumors. As most liver tumors are hyperglycolytic creating microenvironmental acidosis, therapy-induced normalization of tumor pH_e may be used as a functional biomarker for positive therapeutic outcome.

Extraction of form Factors from a Four-Dimensional Angular Analysis of B[over ¯]→D^{*}ℓ^{-}ν[over ¯]_{ℓ}

An angular analysis of the decay B[over ¯]→D^{*}ℓ^{-}ν[over ¯]_{ℓ}, ℓ∈{e,μ}, is reported using the full e^{+}e^{-} collision data set collected by the BABAR experiment at the ϒ(4S) resonance. One B meson from the ϒ(4S)→BB[over ¯] decay is fully reconstructed in a hadronic decay mode, which constrains the kinematics and provides a determination of the neutrino momentum vector. The kinematics of the semileptonic decay is described by the dilepton mass squared, q^{2}, and three angles. The first unbinned fit to the full four-dimensional decay rate in the standard model is performed in the so-called Boyd-Grinstein-Lebed approach, which employs a generic q^{2} parametrization of the underlying form factors based on crossing symmetry, analyticity, and QCD dispersion relations for the amplitudes. A fit using the more model-dependent Caprini-Lellouch-Neubert (CLN) approach is performed as well. Our form factor shapes show deviations from previous fits based on the CLN parametrization. The latest form factors also provide an updated prediction for the branching fraction ratio R(D^{*})≡B(B[over ¯]→D^{*}τ^{-}ν[over ¯]_{τ})/B(B[over ¯]→D^{*}ℓ^{-}ν[over ¯]_{ℓ})=0.253±0.005. Finally, using the well-measured branching fraction for the B[over ¯]→D^{*}ℓ^{-}ν[over ¯]_{ℓ} decay, a value of |V_{cb}|=(38.36±0.90)×10^{-3} is obtained that is consistent with the current world average for exclusive B[over ¯]→D^{(*)}ℓ^{-}ν[over ¯]_{ℓ} decays and remains in tension with the determination from inclusive semileptonic B decays to final states with charm.

Design and Implementation of an Integrated Competency-Focused Pharmacy Programme: A Case Report

This paper describes the design and implementation of elements of an integrated competency-focused pharmacy programme in the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (SoPPS), Trinity College Dublin (TCD), Ireland. Following a national review of pharmacy education and training in Ireland in 2010, and subsequent publication of legislation in 2014, the School has implemented a five-year integrated programme of pharmacy education and training, leading to the award of a Master's degree in Pharmacy (M. Pharm.). Curricular integration has been achieved by underpinning the new programme with a national competency framework for pharmacists and through the utilisation of curricular integration themes. Programme integration also encompasses embedded experiential learning placements in Years 2, 4 and 5 of the five-year programme. The new five-year integrated pharmacy programme, which commenced in 2015, replaced the 4 + 1 model of education and training where a four-year Bachelor's degree was followed by a one-year internship, which was a distinct and separate element of the students' training.

Dynamic Thermal Mapping of Localized Therapeutic Hypothermia in the Brain

Although whole body cooling is used widely to provide therapeutic hypothermia for the brain, there are undesirable clinical side effects. Selective brain cooling may allow for rapid and controllable neuroprotection while mitigating these undesirable side effects. We evaluated an innovative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cooling platform that utilizes chilled saline pumped through surgically implanted intraventricular catheters to induce hypothermia. Magnetic resonance thermal imaging of the healthy sheep brain (n = 4) at 7.0T provided dynamic temperature measurements from the whole brain. Global brain temperature was 38.5 ± 0.8°C at baseline (body temperature of 39.2 ± 0.4°C), and decreased by 3.1 ± 0.3°C over ∼30 min of cooling (p < 0.0001). Significant cooling was achieved in all defined regions across both the ipsilateral and contralateral hemispheres relative to catheter placement. On cooling cessation, global brain temperature increased by 3.1 ± 0.2°C over ∼20 min (p < 0.0001). Rapid and synchronized temperature fall/rise on cooling onset/offset was observed reproducibly with rates ranging from 0.06-0.21°C/min, where rewarming was faster than cooling (p < 0.0001) signifying the importance of thermoregulation in the brain. Although core regions (including the subcortex, midbrain, olfactory tract, temporal lobe, occipital lobe, and parahippocampal cortex) had slightly warmer (∼0.2°C) baseline temperatures, after cooling, temperatures reached the same level as the non-core regions (35.6 ± 0.2°C), indicating the cooling effectiveness of the CSF-based cooling device. In summary, CSF-based intraventricular cooling reliably reduces temperature in all identified brain regions to levels known to be neuroprotective, while maintaining overall systemic normothermia. Dynamic thermal mapping provides high spatiotemporal temperature measurements that can aid in optimizing selective neuroprotective protocols.

Observation of the Decay D^{0}→K^{-}π^{+}e^{+}e^{-}

We report the observation of the rare charm decay D^{0}→K^{-}π^{+}e^{+}e^{-}, based on 468  fb^{-1} of e^{+}e^{-} annihilation data collected at or close to the center-of-mass energy of the ϒ(4S) resonance with the BABAR detector at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. We find the branching fraction in the invariant mass range 0.675<m(e^{+}e^{-})<0.875  GeV/c^{2} of the electron-positron pair to be B(D^{0}→K^{-}π^{+}e^{+}e^{-})=(4.0±0.5±0.2±0.1)×10^{-6}, where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second systematic, and the third due to the uncertainty in the branching fraction of the decay D^{0}→K^{-}π^{+}π^{+}π^{-} used as a normalization mode. The significance of the observation corresponds to 9.7 standard deviations including systematic uncertainties. This result is consistent with the recently reported D^{0}→K^{-}π^{+}μ^{+}μ^{-} branching fraction, measured in the same invariant mass range, and with the value expected in the standard model. In a set of regions of m(e^{+}e^{-}), where long-distance effects are potentially small, we determine a 90% confidence level upper limit on the branching fraction B(D^{0}→K^{-}π^{+}e^{+}e^{-})<3.1×10^{-6}.

Search for a Stable Six-Quark State at BABAR

Recent investigations have suggested that the six-quark combination uuddss could be a deeply bound state (S) that has eluded detection so far, and a potential dark matter candidate. We report the first search for a stable, doubly strange six-quark state in ϒ→SΛ[over ¯]Λ[over ¯] decays based on a sample of 90×10^{6}ϒ(2S) and 110×10^{6}ϒ(3S) decays collected by the BABAR experiment. No signal is observed, and 90% confidence level limits on the combined ϒ(2S,3S)→SΛ[over ¯]Λ[over ¯] branching fraction in the range (1.2-1.4)×10^{-7} are derived for m_{S}<2.05  GeV. These bounds set stringent limits on the existence of such exotic particles.

First Evidence for cos2β>0 and Resolution of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa Quark-Mixing Unitarity Triangle Ambiguity

We present first evidence that the cosine of the CP-violating weak phase 2β is positive, and hence exclude trigonometric multifold solutions of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) Unitarity Triangle using a time-dependent Dalitz plot analysis of B^{0}→D^{(*)}h^{0} with D→K_{S}^{0}π^{+}π^{-} decays, where h^{0}∈{π^{0},η,ω} denotes a light unflavored and neutral hadron. The measurement is performed combining the final data sets of the BABAR and Belle experiments collected at the ϒ(4S) resonance at the asymmetric-energy B factories PEP-II at SLAC and KEKB at KEK, respectively. The data samples contain (471±3)×10^{6}BB[over ¯] pairs recorded by the BABAR detector and (772±11)×10^{6}BB[over ¯] pairs recorded by the Belle detector. The results of the measurement are sin2β=0.80±0.14(stat)±0.06(syst)±0.03(model) and cos2β=0.91±0.22(stat)±0.09(syst)±0.07(model). The result for the direct measurement of the angle β of the CKM Unitarity Triangle is β=[22.5±4.4(stat)±1.2(syst)±0.6(model)]°. The measurement assumes no direct CP violation in B^{0}→D^{(*)}h^{0} decays. The quoted model uncertainties are due to the composition of the D^{0}→K_{S}^{0}π^{+}π^{-} decay amplitude model, which is newly established by performing a Dalitz plot amplitude analysis using a high-statistics e^{+}e^{-}→cc[over ¯] data sample. CP violation is observed in B^{0}→D^{(*)}h^{0} decays at the level of 5.1 standard deviations. The significance for cos2β>0 is 3.7 standard deviations. The trigonometric multifold solution π/2-β=(68.1±0.7)° is excluded at the level of 7.3 standard deviations. The measurement resolves an ambiguity in the determination of the apex of the CKM Unitarity Triangle.

Measurement of the D^{*}(2010)^{+}-D^{+} Mass Difference

We measure the mass difference, Δm_{+}, between the D^{*}(2010)^{+} and the D^{+} using the decay chain D^{*}(2010)^{+}→D^{+}π^{0} with D^{+}→K^{-}π^{+}π^{+}. The data were recorded with the BABAR detector at center-of-mass energies at and near the ϒ(4S) resonance, and correspond to an integrated luminosity of approximately 468  fb^{-1}. We measure Δm_{+}=(140 601.0±6.8[stat]±12.9[syst])  keV. We combine this result with a previous BABAR measurement of Δm_{0}≡m(D^{*}(2010)^{+})-m(D^{0}) to obtain Δm_{D}=m(D^{+})-m(D^{0})=(4824.9±6.8[stat]±12.9[syst])  keV. These results are compatible with and approximately five times more precise than the Particle Data Group averages.

Search for Invisible Decays of a Dark Photon Produced in e^{+}e^{-} Collisions at BaBar

We search for single-photon events in 53  fb^{-1} of e^{+}e^{-} collision data collected with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II B-Factory. We look for events with a single high-energy photon and a large missing momentum and energy, consistent with production of a spin-1 particle A^{'} through the process e^{+}e^{-}→γA^{'}; A^{'}→invisible. Such particles, referred to as "dark photons," are motivated by theories applying a U(1) gauge symmetry to dark matter. We find no evidence for such processes and set 90% confidence level upper limits on the coupling strength of A^{'} to e^{+}e^{-} in the mass range m_{A^{'}}≤8  GeV. In particular, our limits exclude the values of the A^{'} coupling suggested by the dark-photon interpretation of the muon (g-2)_{μ} anomaly, as well as a broad range of parameters for the dark-sector models.

More surprises in the global greenhouse: Human health impacts from recent toxic marine aerosol formations, due to centennial alterations of world-wide coastal food webs

Reductions of zooplankton biomasses and grazing pressures were observed during overfishing-induced trophic cascades and concurrent oil spills at global scales. Recent phytoplankton increments followed, once Fe-, P-, and N-nutrient limitations of commensal diazotrophs and dinoflagellates were also eliminated by respective human desertification, deforestation, and eutrophication during climate changes. Si-limitation of diatoms instead ensued during these last anthropogenic perturbations of agricultural effluents and sewage loadings. Consequently, ~15% of total world-wide annual asthma trigger responses, i.e. amounting to ~45 million adjacent humans during 2004, resulted from brevetoxin and palytoxin poisons in aerosol forms of western boundary current origins. They were denoted by greater global harmful algal bloom [HAB] abundances and breathing attacks among sea-side children during prior decadal surveys of asthma prevalence, compiled here in ten paired shelf ecosystems of western and eutrophied boundary currents. Since 1965, such inferred onshore fluxes of aerosolized DOC poisons of HABs may have served as additional wind-borne organic carriers of toxic marine MeHg, phthalate, and DDT/DDE vectors, traced by radio-iodine isotopes to potentially elicit carcinomas. During these exchanges, as much as 40% of mercury poisonings may instead have been effected by inhalation of collateral HAB-carried marine neurotoxic aerosols of MeHg, not just from eating marine fish. Health impacts in some areas were additional asthma and pneumonia episodes, as well as endocrine disruptions among the same adjacent humans, with known large local rates of thyroid cancers, physician-diagnosed pulmonary problems, and ubiquitous high indices of mercury in hair, pesticides in breast milk, and phthalates in urine.

Search for B^{+}→K^{+}τ^{+}τ^{-} at the BaBar Experiment

We search for the rare flavor-changing neutral current process B^{+}→K^{+}τ^{+}τ^{-} using data from the BABAR experiment. The data sample, collected at the center-of-mass energy of the ϒ(4S) resonance, corresponds to a total integrated luminosity of 424  fb^{-1} and to 471×10^{6}  BB[over ¯] pairs. We reconstruct one B meson, produced in the ϒ(4S)→B^{+}B^{-} decay, in one of many hadronic decay modes and search for activity compatible with a B^{+}→K^{+}τ^{+}τ^{-} decay in the rest of the event. Each τ lepton is required to decay leptonically into an electron or muon and neutrinos. Comparing the expected number of background events with the data sample after applying the selection criteria, we do not find evidence for a signal. The resulting upper limit, at the 90% confidence level, is B(B^{+}→K^{+}τ^{+}τ^{-})<2.25×10^{-3}.

Observation of B→D(*) π^(+)π^(-)ℓ^(-)ν Decays in e^(+)e^(-) Collisions at the Υ(4S) Resonance

We report on measurements of the decays of B¯ mesons into the semileptonic final states B¯→D^(*)π^(+)π^(-)ℓ^(-)ν¯, where D^(*) represents a D or D^(*) meson and ℓ^(-) is an electron or a muon. These measurements are based on 471×10^(6) BB ¯ pairs recorded with the BABAR detector at the SLAC asymmetric B factory PEP-II. We determine the branching fraction ratios R_{π^{+}π^{-}}^{(*)}=B(B[over ¯]→D^{(*)}π^{+}π^{-}ℓ^{-}ν[over ¯])/B(B[over ¯]→D^{(*)}ℓ^{-}ν[over ¯]) using events in which the second B meson is fully reconstructed. We find R_{π^{+}π^{-}}=0.067±0.010±0.008 and R_{π^{+}π^{-}}^{*}=0.019±0.005±0.004, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. Based on these results and assuming isospin invariance, we estimate that B[over ¯]→D^{(*)}ππℓ^{-}ν[over ¯] decays, where π denotes either a π^{±} and π^{0} meson, account for up to half the difference between the measured inclusive semileptonic branching fraction to charm hadrons and the corresponding sum of previously measured exclusive branching fractions.

First Observation of CP Violation in B[over ¯]^{0}→D_{CP}^{(*)}h^{0} Decays by a Combined Time-Dependent Analysis of BABAR and Belle Data

We report a measurement of the time-dependent CP asymmetry of B[over ¯]^{0}→D_{CP}^{(*)}h^{0} decays, where the light neutral hadron h^{0} is a π^{0}, η, or ω meson, and the neutral D meson is reconstructed in the CP eigenstates K^{+}K^{-}, K_{S}^{0}π^{0}, or K_{S}^{0}ω. The measurement is performed combining the final data samples collected at the ϒ(4S) resonance by the BABAR and Belle experiments at the asymmetric-energy B factories PEP-II at SLAC and KEKB at KEK, respectively. The data samples contain (471±3)×10^{6} BB[over ¯] pairs recorded by the BABAR detector and (772±11)×10^{6} BB[over ¯] pairs recorded by the Belle detector. We measure the CP asymmetry parameters -η_{f}S=+0.66±0.10(stat)±0.06(syst) and C=-0.02±0.07(stat)±0.03(syst). These results correspond to the first observation of CP violation in B[over ¯]^{0}→D_{CP}^{(*)}h^{0} decays. The hypothesis of no mixing-induced CP violation is excluded in these decays at the level of 5.4 standard deviations.

Search for Long-Lived Particles in e+ e- Collisions

We present a search for a neutral, long-lived particle L that is produced in e+ e- collisions and decays at a significant distance from the e+ e- interaction point into various flavor combinations of two oppositely charged tracks. The analysis uses an e+ e- data sample with a luminosity of 489.1  fb(-1) collected by the BABAR detector at the ϒ(4S), ϒ(3S), and ϒ(2S) resonances and just below the ϒ(4S). Fitting the two-track mass distribution in search of a signal peak, we do not observe a significant signal, and set 90% confidence level upper limits on the product of the L production cross section, branching fraction, and reconstruction efficiency for six possible two-body L decay modes as a function of the L mass. The efficiency is given for each final state as a function of the mass, lifetime, and transverse momentum of the candidate, allowing application of the upper limits to any production model. In addition, upper limits are provided on the branching fraction B(B→XsL), where Xs is a strange hadronic system.

Study of CP asymmetry in B^{0}-B[over ¯]^{0} mixing with inclusive dilepton events

We present a measurement of the asymmetry A_{CP} between same-sign inclusive dilepton samples ℓ^{+}ℓ^{+} and ℓ^{-}ℓ^{-} (ℓ=e, μ) from semileptonic B decays in ϒ(4S)→BB[over ¯] events, using the complete data set recorded by the BABAR experiment near the ϒ(4S) resonance, corresponding to 471×10^{6} BB[over ¯] pairs. The asymmetry A_{CP} allows comparison between the mixing probabilities P(B[over ¯]^{0}→B^{0}) and P(B^{0}→B[over ¯]^{0}), and therefore probes CP and T violation. The result, A_{CP}=[-3.9±3.5(stat)±1.9(syst)]×10^{-3}, is consistent with the standard model expectation.

Community resilience assessment and literature analysis

Earlier and current disaster-related research emphasised the sociological/behavioural perspective. This led to a significant amount of literature devoted to descriptive context of natural, man-made and technological disasters and sequelae. This paper considers a next step involving a more expanded approach in research methodology. The phases include: (1) the development of a comprehensive database of ideas provided by authors of scholarly and scientific papers; (2) the development of computer-supported algorithms to prepare an array of scenarios representing relationships, gaps and inconsistencies in existing knowledge; (3) a process for evaluating the scenarios to determine a feasible and interesting next research strategy or programmatic action that will provide enhanced description of the problems as well as possible insights to their correction by interventions. The intent is to develop interventions as an essential component for better prevention, mitigation, rehabilitation, reconstruction and problem-solving affected by disaster events. To illustrate this approach, community resilience, a relatively new and important idea was studied. The phrase was used to describe relationships and omissions. The ideas associated with this central idea were considered in the building of a new instrument for evaluation of community vulnerability and readiness. This methodology addresses the time constraints realised by practitioners and investigators. The methods should eliminate tedious, clerical functions and focus on the intellectual functions representing optimal use of human energy.

Search for a dark photon in e(+)e(-) collisions at BABAR

Dark sectors charged under a new Abelian interaction have recently received much attention in the context of dark matter models. These models introduce a light new mediator, the so-called dark photon (A^{'}), connecting the dark sector to the standard model. We present a search for a dark photon in the reaction e^{+}e^{-}→γA^{'}, A^{'}→e^{+}e^{-}, μ^{+}μ^{-} using 514  fb^{-1} of data collected with the BABAR detector. We observe no statistically significant deviations from the standard model predictions, and we set 90% confidence level upper limits on the mixing strength between the photon and dark photon at the level of 10^{-4}-10^{-3} for dark photon masses in the range 0.02-10.2  GeV. We further constrain the range of the parameter space favored by interpretations of the discrepancy between the calculated and measured anomalous magnetic moment of the muon.

Twenty-first century mast cell stabilizers

Mast cell stabilizing drugs inhibit the release of allergic mediators from mast cells and are used clinically to prevent allergic reactions to common allergens. Despite the relative success of the most commonly prescribed mast cell stabilizer, disodium cromoglycate, in use for the preventative treatment of bronchial asthma, allergic conjunctivitis and vernal keratoconjunctivitis, there still remains an urgent need to design new substances that are less expensive and require less frequent dosing schedules. In this regard, recent developments towards the discovery of the next generation of mast cell stabilizing drugs has included studies on substances isolated from natural sources, biological, newly synthesized compounds and drugs licensed for other indications. The diversity of natural products evaluated range from simple phenols, alkaloids, terpenes to simple amino acids. While in some cases their precise mode of action remains unknown it has nevertheless sparked interest in the development of synthetic derivatives with improved pharmacological properties. Within the purely synthetic class of inhibitors, particular attention has been devoted to the inhibition of important signalling molecules including spleen TK and JAK3. The statin class of cholesterol-lowering drugs as well as nilotinib, a TK inhibitor, are just some examples of clinically used drugs that have been evaluated for their anti-allergic properties. Here, we examine each approach under investigation, summarize the test data generated and offer suggestions for further preclinical evaluation before their therapeutic potential can be realized.

The heterogeneity of ventral tegmental area neurons: Projection functions in a mood-related context

The ventral tegmental area (VTA) in the brain's reward circuitry is composed of a heterogeneous population of dopamine, GABA, and glutamate neurons that play important roles in mediating mood-related functions including depression. These neurons project to different brain regions, including the nucleus accumbens (NAc), the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and the amygdala. The functional understanding of these projection pathways has been improved since the extensive use of advanced techniques such as viral-mediated gene transfer, cell-type-specific neurophysiology and circuit-probing optogenetics. In this article, we will discuss the recent progress in understanding these VTA projection-specific functions, focusing on mood-related disorders.

Part Two: Evaluation of N-methylbupropion as a Potential Bupropion Prodrug

N-methylbupropion was selected as a potential prodrug from our in vitro screening of analogues of bupropion described in the preceding paper. This study describes in vivo pharmacokinetics of N-methylbupropion in the guinea-pig animal model, which is reported to best predict human metabolism of bupropion. The suitability of the guinea pig was established by studying N-demethylation of N-methylbupropion using S9 liver fractions. An LC-MS method was developed and validated to measure N-methylbupropion, bupropion and their metabolites in plasma and brain tissue. In separate studies, the prodrug was delivered by intraperitoneal injection (IP) to assess hepatic metabolism and then by oral gavage (PO) to assess the contribution from intestinal enzymes. Bupropion was administered in parallel. The pharmacokinetic profile of bupropion and N-methylbupropion were not comparable when dosed by intraperitoneal injection but when dosed orally, N-methylbupropion showed a comparable bupropion and metabolite PK plasma profile to bupropion. Plasma and brain levels of N-methylbupropion show that it is extensively metabolized to bupropion and its metabolites, and N-methyl-threo-hydrobupropion. This data coupled to the reduced DAT and NET system in vitro activity described in paper 1 would suggest that the N-methyl derivative of bupropion may have potential as an oral prodrug of bupropion in humans.

Synthesis, screening and pharmacokinetic evaluation of potential prodrugs of bupropion. Part one: in vitro development

In general, prodrugs are developed to circumvent deficiencies associated with the absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion or toxicological (ADMET) profile associated with the active drug. In our study, we select bupropion, a drug with broad pharmacology incorporating dopaminergic, noradrenergic, nicotinic and cytokine modulation properties, but which is rapidly metabolized in vivo. We exploited its carbonyl and secondary amine functionality to facilitate the synthesis of bioprecursor prodrug forms with the sole objective of identifying analogues with enhanced properties over bupropion. A range of analogues were synthesized, ranging from N-methyl, N-benzyl, oximes, enol acetate and ether forms to examples where both functional groups were utilized to form oxadiazine, oxadiazinone, oxazolone and acetylated derivatives. We then developed an in vitro metabolic screen to simulate the human oral delivery route for these analogues. The selection of media in the screens contained a variety of pH, enzymatic and co-factor systems which mimic metabolic in vivo environments that drugs encounter when delivered orally. By coupling our in vitro screening tool to a selective hyphenated technique such as LC-MS, we were able to quickly select potential prodrugs for further in vitro and in vivo development. From the data generated, the N-alkylated bupropion analogues were shown to have the highest potential to act as bioprecursor prodrugs of bupropion.

Measurement of the D*(2010)+ meson width and the D*(2010)+ - D0 mass difference

We measure the mass difference Δm0 between the D*(2010)+ and the D0 and the natural linewidth Γ of the transition D*(2010)+ → D0π+. The data were recorded with the BABAR detector at center-of-mass energies at and near the Υ(4S) resonance, and correspond to an integrated luminosity of approximately 477  fb(-1). The D0 is reconstructed in the decay modes D0 → K- π+ and D0 → K- π+ π- π+. For the decay mode D0 → K- π+ we obtain Γ = (83.4±1.7±1.5)  keV and Δm0 = (145425.6±0.6±1.7)  keV, [corrected] where the quoted errors are statistical and systematic, respectively. For the D0 → K- π+ π- π+ mode we obtain Γ = (83.2±1.5±2.6)  keV and Δm0 = (145426.6±0.5±1.9)  keV. [corrected] The combined measurements yield Γ = (83.3±1.2±1.4)  keV and Δm0 = (145425.9±0.4±1.7)  keV; the width is a factor of approximately 12 times more precise than the previous value, while the mass difference is a factor of approximately 6 times more precise.