| 1. |
- Schael, S, et al.
(author)
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Precision electroweak measurements on the Z resonance
- 2006
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In: Physics Reports. - : Elsevier BV. - 0370-1573 .- 1873-6270. ; 427:5-6, s. 257-454
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Research review (peer-reviewed)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. |
- Papadopoulos, FC, et al.
(author)
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Prevalence and correlates of depression in late life : a population based study from a rural Greek town
- 2005
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In: International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. - : Wiley. - 0885-6230 .- 1099-1166. ; 20:4, s. 350-357
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BackgroundDepression in late life is common and has serious consequences on function, medical co-morbidity, quality of life, and use of medical services.ObjectiveTo estimate the age- and gender-specific prevalence of depression among people over 60 years of age, and to examine correlates of depression, in particular the relationship between depression and cognitive impairment.MethodFrom a total of 965 inhabitants, aged over 60 years, in Velestino, a rural town in central Greece, 608 were accessible and constituted the target population. During a five-month period in 2000, a trained health visitor interviewed all study participants. The interview covered socio-demographic characteristics, medical history, and administration of the 15-question Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) and the Mini Mental Scale Examination instrument (MMSE).ResultsThe prevalence of mild or more severe depression (GDS≥7) was 27%, while the prevalence of moderate to severe depression (GDS≥11) was 12%. Increasing age, female gender, lower education, and being currently unmarried were associated with higher risk of depression in univariate regression models, but these associations disappeared after controlling for cognitive function, except for the association with marital status. Cognitive impairment was strongly associated with increased risk for depression. The co-morbid presence of digestive, neurological and heart conditions was also associated with increased risk for depression, while cancer was not.ConclusionIn a rural Greek area, the prevalence of depression in late life is high. Depression was more common among unmarried individuals, those with significant cognitive impairment, and in association with specific medical conditions.
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| 3. |
- Spyridopoulos, Themistoklis N., et al.
(author)
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Low adiponectin levels are associated with renal cell carcinoma : A case-control study
- 2007
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In: International Journal of Cancer. - : Wiley. - 0020-7136 .- 1097-0215. ; 120:7, s. 1573-1578
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Adiponectin is a novel endogenous insulin sensitizer, secreted by mature adipocytes. Circulating levels of adiponectin are inversely associated with obesity and insulin resistance. Because obesity is a risk factor for renal cell carcinoma (RCC), we hypothesized that low adiponectin levels are associated with RCC. To evaluate this hypothesis, we conducted a case- control study of 70 patients with histologically confirmed RCC and 280 healthy controls matched by gender, age and county of residence. Study subjects were interviewed and blood samples were collected during a 32-month period in Athens, Greece. Serum adiponectin levels were statistically, significantly and inversely associated with RCC when compared with controls (OR = 0.76, p = 0.05) and this association remained practically unchanged after controlling for BMI; the introduction of waist to hip ratio along with adiponectin in the multiple logistic regression analysis model rendered the association between adiponectin and RCC risk insignificant, indicating that altered levels of adiponectin may mediate the effect of central or intra-abdominal obesity on RCC. Prospective studies as well as studies exploring underlying mechanisms are needed to fully explore the role of adiponectin in predicting future risk of RCC in humans.
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| 4. |
- Stone, D. H., et al.
(author)
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Intentional injury mortality in the European Union : how many more lives could be saved?
- 2006
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In: Injury Prevention. - : BMJ. - 1353-8047 .- 1475-5785. ; 12:5, s. 327-332
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: To explore the scope for reducing the number of intentional injury deaths, hypothesizing that all European Union (EU) countries are able to match the experience of the country with the lowest mortality rate for intentional injuries. DESIGN: Intentional injury mortality data for the three last available years and denominator population estimates were obtained from the World Health Organisation mortality database for the 22 EU countries with more than one million population. To estimate the potential saving of lives, the yearly average age adjusted injury mortality rates were calculated. This issue done for children (0-14), adults (15-64), and elderly people (65 and over), both including and excluding deaths from undetermined cause. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Number of lives that might potentially be saved if all EU member states matched the lowest intentional injury rate reported by an EU member state. RESULTS: Over 73% of all intentional injury deaths could have been avoided if all EU countries matched the country with the lowest intentional injury mortality rate. EU member states would have suffered about 600 fewer intentional injury deaths in children, about 40 000 fewer adult deaths, and over 14 000 fewer intentional injury deaths in the elderly. This amounts to over 55 000 lives in a single year. CONCLUSIONS: Many lives lost through injury might be saved if all countries were to achieve the lowest intentional injury mortality rates reported in the EU. How this theoretical observation might be translated into practice needs to be further explored as the international variation in intentional injury mortality rates in the EU results from a range of factors.
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