| 1. |
- Abelev, Betty, et al.
(författare)
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Long-range angular correlations on the near and away side in p-Pb collisions at root S-NN=5.02 TeV
- 2013
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Ingår i: Physics Letters. Section B: Nuclear, Elementary Particle and High-Energy Physics. - : Elsevier BV. - 0370-2693. ; 719:1-3, s. 29-41
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Angular correlations between charged trigger and associated particles are measured by the ALICE detector in p-Pb collisions at a nucleon-nucleon centre-of-mass energy of 5.02 TeV for transverse momentum ranges within 0.5 < P-T,P-assoc < P-T,P-trig < 4 GeV/c. The correlations are measured over two units of pseudorapidity and full azimuthal angle in different intervals of event multiplicity, and expressed as associated yield per trigger particle. Two long-range ridge-like structures, one on the near side and one on the away side, are observed when the per-trigger yield obtained in low-multiplicity events is subtracted from the one in high-multiplicity events. The excess on the near-side is qualitatively similar to that recently reported by the CMS Collaboration, while the excess on the away-side is reported for the first time. The two-ridge structure projected onto azimuthal angle is quantified with the second and third Fourier coefficients as well as by near-side and away-side yields and widths. The yields on the near side and on the away side are equal within the uncertainties for all studied event multiplicity and p(T) bins, and the widths show no significant evolution with event multiplicity or p(T). These findings suggest that the near-side ridge is accompanied by an essentially identical away-side ridge. (c) 2013 CERN. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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| 2. |
- Abelev, Betty, et al.
(författare)
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Measurement of prompt J/psi and beauty hadron production cross sections at mid-rapidity in pp collisions at root s=7 TeV
- 2012
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Ingår i: Journal of High Energy Physics. - 1029-8479. ; :11
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The ALICE experiment at the LHC has studied J/psi production at mid-rapidity in pp collisions at root s = 7 TeV through its electron pair decay on a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity L-int = 5.6 nb(-1). The fraction of J/psi from the decay of long-lived beauty hadrons was determined for J/psi candidates with transverse momentum p(t) > 1,3 GeV/c and rapidity vertical bar y vertical bar < 0.9. The cross section for prompt J/psi mesons, i.e. directly produced J/psi and prompt decays of heavier charmonium states such as the psi(2S) and chi(c) resonances, is sigma(prompt J/psi) (p(t) > 1.3 GeV/c, vertical bar y vertical bar < 0.9) = 8.3 +/- 0.8(stat.) +/- 1.1 (syst.)(-1.4)(+1.5) (syst. pol.) mu b. The cross section for the production of b-hadrons decaying to J/psi with p(t) > 1.3 GeV/c and vertical bar y vertical bar < 0.9 is a sigma(J/psi <- hB) (p(t) > 1.3 GeV/c, vertical bar y vertical bar < 0.9) = 1.46 +/- 0.38 (stat.)(-0.32)(+0.26) (syst.) mu b. The results are compared to QCD model predictions. The shape of the p(t) and y distributions of b-quarks predicted by perturbative QCD model calculations are used to extrapolate the measured cross section to derive the b (b) over bar pair total cross section and d sigma/dy at mid-rapidity.
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| 3. |
- Abelev, Betty, et al.
(författare)
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Underlying Event measurements in pp collisions at root s=0.9 and 7 TeV with the ALICE experiment at the LHC
- 2012
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Ingår i: Journal of High Energy Physics. - 1029-8479. ; :7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We present measurements of Underlying Event observables in pp collisions at root s = 0 : 9 and 7 TeV. The analysis is performed as a function of the highest charged-particle transverse momentum p(T),L-T in the event. Different regions are defined with respect to the azimuthal direction of the leading (highest transverse momentum) track: Toward, Transverse and Away. The Toward and Away regions collect the fragmentation products of the hardest partonic interaction. The Transverse region is expected to be most sensitive to the Underlying Event activity. The study is performed with charged particles above three different p(T) thresholds: 0.15, 0.5 and 1.0 GeV/c. In the Transverse region we observe an increase in the multiplicity of a factor 2-3 between the lower and higher collision energies, depending on the track p(T) threshold considered. Data are compared to PYTHIA 6.4, PYTHIA 8.1 and PHOJET. On average, all models considered underestimate the multiplicity and summed p(T) in the Transverse region by about 10-30%.
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| 4. |
- Martinez-Alvarez, Concepcion, et al.
(författare)
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Injection and adhesion palatoplasty : a preliminary study in a canine model
- 2013
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Ingår i: Journal of Surgical Research. - : Elsevier BV. - 0022-4804 .- 1095-8673. ; 183:2, s. 654-662
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Raising mucoperiosteal flaps in traditional palatoplasty impairs mid-facial growth. Hyaluronic acid-based hydrogels have been successfully tested for minimally invasive craniofacial bone generation in vivo as carriers of bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2). We aimed to develop a novel flapless technique for cleft palate repair by injecting a BMP-2 containing hydrogel. Material and methods: Dog pups with congenital cleft palate were either non-treated (n = 4) or treated with two-flap palatoplasty (n = 6) or with the proposed injection/adhesion technique (n = 5). The experimental approach was to inject a hyaluronic acid-based hydrogel containing hydroxyapatite and BMP-2 subperiosteally at the cleft palate margins of pups aged six weeks. At week ten, a thin strip of the medial edge mucosa was removed and the margins were closed directly. Occlusal photographs and computed tomography (CT) scans were obtained up to week 20. Results: Four weeks after the gel injection the cleft palate margins had reached the midline and engineered bone had enlarged the palatal bones. Removal of the medial edge mucosa and suturing allowed complete closure of the cleft. Compared to traditional palatoplasty, the injection/adhesion technique was easier, and the post-surgical recovery was faster. CT on week 20 revealed some overlapping or "bending" of palatal shelves in the two-flap repair group, which was not observed in the experimental nor control groups. Conclusion: A minimally invasive technique for cleft palate repair upon injectable scaffolds in a dog model of congenital cleft palate is feasible. Results suggest better growth of palatal bones. This represents an attractive clinical alternative to traditional palatoplasty for cleft palate patients.
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| 5. |
- Gonzalez Garcia, Manuel Cruz, 1969-
(författare)
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The role of leptin in endothelial dysfunction and cardiovascular disease
- 2013
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Objective: Obesity has become the leading cause of mortality worldwide; however, the fundamental pathophysiology underlying this association remains unclear. The discovery of adipokines, i.e., cytokines produced by adipose cells (adipocytes), revealed that adipose tissue is a highly endocrine organ, thus opening new lines of investigation. The prototypical adipokine leptin increases in obesity, and leptin receptors are found in vascular cells. However, results are contradictory regarding the role of leptin in vascular and endothelial functions. Leptin has been shown to elicit vasodilatation, but has also been linked with atherosclerotic and thrombotic disease. The main aim of the present thesis was to study the association of circulating levels of leptin with markers of endothelial function, and to analyze the effects of leptin infusion in vivo on vasomotor function and endogenous fibrinolysis.Material: Four associative studies and two interventional studies were conducted. The former included DISARM (studies 1 and 2), the PIVUS study (study 3), and the Scottish post-infarction study (study 4). The DISARM studies and study 4, respectively, recruited 20 men and 83 men and women with stable ischemic heart disease. Study 3 included a random sample of 1016 subjects (54% women, 70 years old) living in the community of Uppsala, Sweden. For the interventional studies (studies 5 and 6), 10 healthy men were recruited for each study.Methods: In all studies, endothelial function was estimated based on forearm blood flow (FBF) as measured by strain-gauge venous occlusion plethysmography, at rest or during infusion of vasodilators. In study 3, additional measurement techniques were used, such as brachial ultrasound flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and the aortic augmentation index (AoAIx) by tonometry in the radial artery. Fibrinolytic status was estimated based on basal and stimulated levels of tissue plasminogen activator antigen (t-PA), and by assessment of the endothelial release of t-PA (net t-PA release). Plasma leptin levels were measured by radioimmunoassay. In the associative studies, endothelial function and fibrinolytic status were related to circulating plasma leptin levels. In the experimental studies, exogenous leptin was administered in the brachial artery and endothelial function was assessed by strain-gauge plethysmographyResults: In elderly men and women, leptin was independently associated with decreased endothelial-dependent and -independent vasodilatation, reflecting disturbed endothelial function in resistance vessels. This association was attenuated after adjustment for BMI, and when analyzed among subjects with high plasma leptin levels. FMD (a measure of endothelial function in conduit vessels) was not associated with leptin. Exogenous leptin infusion did not alter vasomotor tone, but the endothelium-dependent and -independent vasodilatation was impaired during concomitant infusion of leptin and vasodilators. Infused leptin in the forearm did not affect blood pressure or pulse rate. Chronic hyperleptinemia, but not acutely induced hyperleptinemia, was associated with release of endothelial tissue plasminogen activator (net t-PA).Conclusions: In humans, leptin was associated with impaired vasodilatation. However, this relationship was blunted after adjustment for BMI, suggesting that leptin could be the mediator between obesity and impaired vascular function. Furthermore, the observed lack of association in hyperleptinemic subjects may reflect a state of leptin resistance. The experimental result showing attenuated vascular reactivity following leptin infusion is in accordance with the results of the associative studies. The augmented net t-PA release in patients with chronic hyperleptinemia may indicate a state of “vascular activation,” which was not observed in healthy endothelium during a short period of leptin infusion. This thesis addresses several controversial issues regarding the action of leptin on vascular tissue in humans. The final results indicate that the in vivo action of leptin on vascularity is complex and mediated by several mechanisms. Our findings suggest that leptin is an important mediator between obesity and endothelial dysfunction, and should stimulate further investigation of this matter.
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