| 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. |
- Beck, R., et al.
(author)
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GPSDTN : Predictive velocity-enabled delay-tolerant networks for arctic research and sustainability
- 2007
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In: Second International Conference on Internet Monitoring and Protection (ICIMP 2007). - Los Alamitos, Calif : IEEE Computer Society Press. - 9780769529110
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A Delay-Tolerant Network (DTN) is a necessity for communication nodes that may need to wait for long periods to form networks. The IETF Delay Tolerant Network Research Group is developing protocols to enable such networks for a broad variety of Earth and interplanetary applications. The Arctic would benefit from a predictive velocity-enabled version of DTN that would facilitate communications between sparse, ephemeral, often mobile and extremely power-limited nodes. We propose to augment DTN with power-aware, buffer-aware location- and time-based predictive routing for ad-hoc meshes to create networks that are inherently location and time (velocity) aware at the network level to support climate research, emergency services and rural education in the Arctic. On Earth, the primary source of location and universal time information for networks is the Global Positioning System (GPS). We refer to this Arctic velocity-enabled Delay-Tolerant Network protocol as "GPSDTN" accordingly. This paper describes our requirements analysis and general implementation strategy for GPSDTN to support Arctic research and sustainability efforts
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| 3. |
- Purcell, Shaun M., et al.
(author)
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Common polygenic variation contributes to risk of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder
- 2009
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In: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 460:7256, s. 748-752
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder with a lifetime risk of about 1%, characterized by hallucinations, delusions and cognitive deficits, with heritability estimated at up to 80%(1,2). We performed a genome-wide association study of 3,322 European individuals with schizophrenia and 3,587 controls. Here we show, using two analytic approaches, the extent to which common genetic variation underlies the risk of schizophrenia. First, we implicate the major histocompatibility complex. Second, we provide molecular genetic evidence for a substantial polygenic component to the risk of schizophrenia involving thousands of common alleles of very small effect. We show that this component also contributes to the risk of bipolar disorder, but not to several non-psychiatric diseases.
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| 4. |
- Aksentijevich, Ivona, et al.
(author)
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An Autoinflammatory Disease with Deficiency of the Interleukin-1-Receptor Antagonist
- 2009
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In: New England Journal of Medicine. - 0028-4793. ; 360:23, s. 2426-2437
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND Autoinflammatory diseases manifest inflammation without evidence of infection, high-titer autoantibodies, or autoreactive T cells. We report a disorder caused by mutations of IL1RN, which encodes the interleukin-1-receptor antagonist, with prominent involvement of skin and bone. METHODS We studied nine children from six families who had neonatal onset of sterile multifocal osteomyelitis, periostitis, and pustulosis. Response to empirical treatment with the recombinant interleukin-1-receptor antagonist anakinra in the first patient prompted us to test for the presence of mutations and changes in proteins and their function in interleukin-1-pathway genes including IL1RN. RESULTS We identified homozygous mutations of IL1RN in nine affected children, from one family from Newfoundland, Canada, three families from the Netherlands, and one consanguineous family from Lebanon. A nonconsanguineous patient from Puerto Rico was homozygous for a genomic deletion that includes IL1RN and five other interleukin-1-family members. At least three of the mutations are founder mutations; heterozygous carriers were asymptomatic, with no cytokine abnormalities in vitro. The IL1RN mutations resulted in a truncated protein that is not secreted, thereby rendering cells hyperresponsive to interleukin-1 beta stimulation. Patients treated with anakinra responded rapidly. CONCLUSIONS We propose the term deficiency of the interleukin-1-receptor antagonist, or DIRA, to denote this autosomal recessive autoinflammatory disease caused by mutations affecting IL1RN. The absence of interleukin-1-receptor antagonist allows unopposed action of interleukin-1, resulting in life-threatening systemic inflammation with skin and bone involvement. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00059748.)
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| 5. |
- Bath, Philip M W, et al.
(author)
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Tinzaparin in acute ischaemic stroke (TAIST) : A randomised aspirin-controlled trial
- 2001
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In: The Lancet. - 0140-6736 .- 1474-547X. ; 358:9283, s. 702-710
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Low-molecular-weight heparins and heparinoids are superior to unfractionated heparin in the prevention and treatment of venous thromboembolism, but their safety and efficacy in acute ischaemic stroke are inadequately defined. Methods: This randomised, double-blind, aspirin-controlled trial tested the safety and efficacy of treatment with high-dose tinzaparin (175 anti-Xa IU/kg daily, 487 patients), medium-dose tinzaparin (100 anti-Xa IU/kg daily, 508 patients), or aspirin (300 mg daily, 491 patients) started within 48 h of acute ischaemic stroke and given for up to 10 days. Primary intracerebral haemorrhage was excluded by computed tomography. Outcome was assessed, with treatment allocation concealed, by the modified Rankin scale at 6 months (independence [scores 0-2] vs dependence or death [scores 3-6]). Findings: Of 1486 randomised patients, two did not receive treatment and 46 were lost to follow-up. The proportions independent at 6 months were similar in the groups assigned high-dose tinzaparin (194/468 [41.5%]), medium-dose tinzaparin (206/486 [42.4%]), or aspirin (205/482 [42.5%]). There was no difference in effect in any predefined subgroup, including patients with presumed cardioembolic stroke. Other outcome measures were similar between the treatment groups (disability, case-fatality, and neurological deterioration rates). During the in-hospital treatment period no patient assigned high-dose tinzaparin developed a symptomatic deep-vein thrombosis compared with nine assigned aspirin. Conversely, seven patients assigned high-dose tinzaparin developed symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage compared with one in the aspirin group. Interpretation: Treatment with tinzaparin, at high or medium dose, within 48 h of acute ischaemic stroke did not improve functional outcome compared with aspirin. Although high-dose tinzaparin was superior in preventing deep-vein thrombosis, it was associated with a higher rate of symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage.
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| 6. |
- Bennitz, Anders, et al.
(author)
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External prestressing of RC T-beams with CFRP tendons
- 2009
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In: Proceedings of the 9th International Symposium on Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Reinforcement for Concrete Structures. - Adeleide : University of Adelaide. - 9780980675504
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)
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| 7. |
- Bennitz, Anders, et al.
(author)
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Failure modes of prestressed CFRP rods in a wedge anchored set-up
- 2009
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In: Advanced Composites in Construction (ACIC) 2009 Conference Proceedings. - : ACIC. ; , s. 104-114
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In the process of developing a new wedge anchorage to anchor prestressed CFRP rods, five different anchorage designs were manufactured. These designs have led to a constantly increased ultimate failure load of the prestressing system and an eventual load level above 95% of the ultimate failure load of the rod was achieved. If 100% efficiency is achieved the anchorage does not reduce the capacity of the system, but failure is then governed by the capacity of the rod itself, which is considered favourable and required by several guidelines. In the process seven different failure modes were identified: soft slip, power slip, cutting of fibres, crushing of rod, bending of fibres, frontal overload and intermediate rupture. In this paper the failure modes are discussed further. The failures are documented with explanatory figures and their backgrounds are found in the theory. Suggestions are given on how these failures can be avoided in theory and practice. From the experiences gained in the project, it is concluded that it is a challenging task to create a fully mechanical anchorage for CFRP tendons and that the failure margins are small between a successful and an unsuccesful anchorage system.
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
- Counsell, G., et al.
(author)
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Tritium retention in next step devices and the requirements for mitigation and removal techniques
- 2006
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In: Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion. - 0741-3335 .- 1361-6587. ; 48:12B, s. B189-B199
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)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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| 10. |
- Dreber Almenberg, Anna, et al.
(author)
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Do more expensive wines taste better? : evidence from a large sample of blind tastings
- 2008
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In: Journal of Wine Economics. - : Cambridge University Press (CUP): HSS Journals - No Cambridge Open. - 1931-4361 .- 1931-4361. ; 3:1, s. 1-9
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Individuals who are unaware of the price do not derive more enjoyment from more expensive wine. In a sample of more than 6,000 blind tastings, we find that the correlation between price and overall rating is small and negative, suggesting that individuals on average enjoy more expensive wines slightly less. For individuals with wine training, however, we find indications of a non-negative relationship between price and enjoyment. Our results are robust to the inclusion of individual fixed effects, and are not driven by outliers: when omitting the top and bottom deciles of the price distribution, our qualitative results are strengthened, and the statistical significance is improved further. These findings suggest that non-expert wine consumers should not anticipate greater enjoyment of the intrinsic qualities of a wine simply because it is expensive or is appreciated by experts.
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