1. |
- Schael, S, et al.
(författare)
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Precision electroweak measurements on the Z resonance
- 2006
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Ingår i: Physics Reports. - : Elsevier BV. - 0370-1573 .- 1873-6270. ; 427:5-6, s. 257-454
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- We report on the final electroweak measurements performed with data taken at the Z resonance by the experiments operating at the electron-positron colliders SLC and LEP. The data consist of 17 million Z decays accumulated by the ALEPH, DELPHI, L3 and OPAL experiments at LEP, and 600 thousand Z decays by the SLID experiment using a polarised beam at SLC. The measurements include cross-sections, forward-backward asymmetries and polarised asymmetries. The mass and width of the Z boson, m(Z) and Gamma(Z), and its couplings to fermions, for example the p parameter and the effective electroweak mixing angle for leptons, are precisely measured: m(Z) = 91.1875 +/- 0.0021 GeV, Gamma(Z) = 2.4952 +/- 0.0023 GeV, rho(l) = 1.0050 +/- 0.0010, sin(2)theta(eff)(lept) = 0.23153 +/- 0.00016. The number of light neutrino species is determined to be 2.9840 +/- 0.0082, in agreement with the three observed generations of fundamental fermions. The results are compared to the predictions of the Standard Model (SM). At the Z-pole, electroweak radiative corrections beyond the running of the QED and QCD coupling constants are observed with a significance of five standard deviations, and in agreement with the Standard Model. Of the many Z-pole measurements, the forward-backward asymmetry in b-quark production shows the largest difference with respect to its SM expectation, at the level of 2.8 standard deviations. Through radiative corrections evaluated in the framework of the Standard Model, the Z-pole data are also used to predict the mass of the top quark, m(t) = 173(+10)(+13) GeV, and the mass of the W boson, m(W) = 80.363 +/- 0.032 GeV. These indirect constraints are compared to the direct measurements, providing a stringent test of the SM. Using in addition the direct measurements of m(t) and m(W), the mass of the as yet unobserved SM Higgs boson is predicted with a relative uncertainty of about 50% and found to be less than 285 GeV at 95% confidence level. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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2. |
- Alonderis, A, et al.
(författare)
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Medico-legal implications of sleep apnoea syndrome: Driving license regulations in Europe.
- 2008
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Ingår i: Sleep medicine. - : Elsevier BV. - 1389-9457 .- 1878-5506. ; 9:4, s. 362-75
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Sleep apnoea syndrome (SAS), one of the main medical causes of excessive daytime sleepiness, has been shown to be a risk factor for traffic accidents. Treating SAS results in a normalized rate of traffic accidents. As part of the COST Action B-26, we looked at driving license regulations, and especially at its medical aspects in the European region. METHODS: We obtained data from Transport Authorities in 25 countries (Austria, AT; Belgium, BE; Czech Republic, CZ; Denmark, DK; Estonia, EE; Finland, FI; France, FR; Germany, DE; Greece, GR; Hungary, HU; Ireland, IE; Italy, IT; Lithuania, LT; Luxembourg, LU; Malta, MT; Netherlands, NL; Norway, EC; Poland, PL; Portugal, PT; Slovakia, SK; Slovenia, SI; Spain, ES; Sweden, SE; Switzerland, CH; United Kingdom, UK). RESULTS: Driving license regulations date from 1997 onwards. Excessive daytime sleepiness is mentioned in nine, whereas sleep apnoea syndrome is mentioned in 10 countries. A patient with untreated sleep apnoea is always considered unfit to drive. To recover the driving capacity, seven countries rely on a physician's medical certificate based on symptom control and compliance with therapy, whereas in two countries it is up to the patient to decide (on his doctor's advice) to drive again. Only FR requires a normalized electroencephalography (EEG)-based Maintenance of Wakefulness Test for professional drivers. Rare conditions (e.g., narcolepsy) are considered a driving safety risk more frequently than sleep apnoea syndrome. CONCLUSION: Despite the available scientific evidence, most countries in Europe do not include sleep apnoea syndrome or excessive daytime sleepiness among the specific medical conditions to be considered when judging whether or not a person is fit to drive. A unified European Directive seems desirable.
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3. |
- Flanagan, K. T., et al.
(författare)
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Nuclear Spins and Magnetic Moments of Cu-71,Cu-73,Cu-75 : Inversion of pi 2p(3/2) and pi 1f(5/2) Levels in Cu-75
- 2009
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Ingår i: Physical Review Letters. - 0031-9007 .- 1079-7114. ; 103:14, s. 142501-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We report the first confirmation of the predicted inversion between the pi 2p(3/2) and pi 1f(5/2) nuclear states in the nu g(9/2) midshell. This was achieved at the ISOLDE facility, by using a combination of in-source laser spectroscopy and collinear laser spectroscopy on the ground states of Cu-71,Cu-73,Cu-75, which measured the nuclear spin and magnetic moments. The obtained values are mu(Cu-71)=+2.2747(8)mu(N), mu(Cu-73)=+1.7426(8)mu(N), and mu(Cu-75)=+1.0062(13)mu(N) corresponding to spins I=3/2 for Cu-71,Cu-73 and I=5/2 for Cu-75. The results are in fair agreement with large-scale shell-model calculations.
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4. |
- Pitts, R. A., et al.
(författare)
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Material erosion and migration in tokamaks
- 2005
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Ingår i: Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion. - 0741-3335 .- 1361-6587. ; 47, s. B303-B322
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The issue of first wall and divertor target lifetime represents one of the greatest challenges facing the successful demonstration of integrated tokamak burning plasma operation, even in the case of the planned next step device, ITER, which will run at a relatively low duty cycle in comparison to future fusion power plants. Material erosion by continuous or transient plasma ion and neutral impact, the susbsequent transport of the released impurities through and by the plasma and their deposition and/or eventual re-erosion constitute the process of migration. Its importance is now recognized by a concerted research effort throughout the international tokamak community, comprising a wide variety of devices with differing plasma configurations, sizes and plasmafacing component material. No single device, however, operates with the first wall material mix currently envisaged for ITER, and all are far from the ITER energy throughput and divertor particle fluxes and fluences. This paper aims to review the basic components of material erosion and migration in tokamaks, illustrating each by way of examples from current research and attempting to place them in the context of the next step device. Plans for testing an ITER-like first wall material mix on the JET tokamak will also be briefly outlined.
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5. |
- Basu, Samar, et al.
(författare)
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Time course and attenuation of ischaemia-reperfusion induced oxidative injury by propofol in human renal transplantation
- 2007
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Ingår i: Redox report. - 1351-0002 .- 1743-2928. ; 12:4, s. 195-202
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Ischaemia-reperfusion injury resulting from interruption and restoration of blood flow might be related to free radical mediated oxidative stress and inflammation, and subsequently to post-surgery related complications. We studied the impact of renal transplantation on oxidative stress and inflammation by measuring F2-isoprostanes and prostaglandin F2α, respectively, during transplantation and post-surgery. Additionally, due to earlier observations, two dissimilar anaesthetic agents (thiopentone and propofol) were compared to determine their antioxidative capacity rather than their anaesthetic properties. Blood samples were collected before, post-intubation, immediately, 30, 60,120, 240 min, and 12 and 24 h after reperfusion. Oxidative stress and inflammatory response were detected by measuring 8-iso-PGF2α (a major F2-isoprostane and a biomarker of oxidative stress) and 15-keto-dihydro-PGF2α (a major metabolite of PGF2α and a biomarker of COX-mediated inflammatory response), respectively. Reperfusion of the transplanted graft significantly increased plasma levels of 8-iso-PGF2α. PGF2α metabolite levels, although elevated, did not reach statistical significance. In addition, significantly lower levels of 8-iso-PGF2a were observed in the propofol group compared to the thiopentone group. Together, these findings underline an augmented oxidative stress activity following an inflammatory response after human renal transplantation. Furthermore, propofol a well-known anaesthetic, counteracted oxidative stress by lowering the formation of a major F2-isoprostane.
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6. |
- Counsell, G., et al.
(författare)
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Tritium retention in next step devices and the requirements for mitigation and removal techniques
- 2006
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Ingår i: Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion. - 0741-3335 .- 1361-6587. ; 48:12B, s. B189-B199
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Mechanisms underlying the retention of fuel species in tokamaks with carbon plasma-facing components are presented, together with estimates for the corresponding retention of tritium in ITER. The consequential requirement for new and improved schemes to reduce the tritium inventory is highlighted and the results of ongoing studies into a range of techniques are presented, together with estimates of the tritium removal rate in ITER in each case. Finally, an approach involving the integration of many tritium removal techniques into the ITER operational schedule is proposed as a means to extend the period of operations before major intervention is required.
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7. |
- Krieger, K., et al.
(författare)
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Be wall sources and migration in L-mode discharges after Be evaporation in the JET tokamak
- 2009
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Ingår i: Journal of Nuclear Materials. - : Elsevier BV. - 0022-3115 .- 1873-4820. ; 390-91, s. 110-114
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- First wall material erosion and migration after fresh Be evaporation in the JET tokamak were studied in a series of consecutive identical L-mode discharges. The evolution of Be and C wall and divertor sources towards steady state conditions after deposition of a finite amount of Be at the carbon first wall of JET by the beryllium evaporation procedure provides a data set for benchmarking impurity transport simulations. Furthermore the experiment serves as a reference case for comparison of Be erosion to that of the planned ITER-like wall experiment with mainly Be plasma facing components (PFCs) in the main chamber. The experimental results confirm the migration pattern obtained by campaign integrated accounting of impurity sources and sinks, which is characterised by the main chamber wall and outer divertor as erosion dominated zones and migration of eroded material predominantly to the inner divertor where the material is finally deposited at the target plates.
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8. |
- Litnovsky, Andrey, et al.
(författare)
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Carbon transport, deposition and fuel accumulation in castellated structures exposed in TEXTOR
- 2007
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Ingår i: Journal of Nuclear Materials. - : Elsevier BV. - 0022-3115 .- 1873-4820. ; 367, s. 1481-1486
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In order to maintain the thermo-mechanical durability of ITER it is proposed to castellate the interior surface of the first wall and divertor by splitting them into small-size cells [W. Daener et a]., Fusion Eng. Des. 61&62 (2002) 61]. A concern is the accumulation of fuel in the gaps of the castellation. In TEXTOR, molybdenum limiters were exposed in the scrape-off layer (SOL) plasma to assess fuel accumulation. The first limiter was exposed under deposition-dominated conditions. Carbon deposits were formed both on top surfaces and in the gaps. About 0.12% of the impinging D-fluence was found in the gaps. Another castellated limiter was exposed under erosion-dominated conditions. Deposited layers were found only on the plasma shadowed areas of the gaps. A significant amount of molybdenum from the limiter was found intermixed in the deposit. The gaps contained similar to 0.03% of the impinging D-fluence. Modeling was performed to simulate carbon transport into the gaps.
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