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- 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. |
- Fauconnier, J, et al.
(author)
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Effects of palmitate on Ca(2+) handling in adult control and ob/ob cardiomyocytes: impact of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species
- 2007
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In: Diabetes. - : American Diabetes Association. - 0012-1797 .- 1939-327X. ; 56:4, s. 1136-1142
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Obesity and insulin resistance are associated with enhanced fatty acid utilization, which may play a central role in diabetic cardiomyopathy. We now assess the effect of the saturated fatty acid palmitate (1.2 mmol/l) on Ca2+ handling, cell shortening, and mitochondrial production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in freshly isolated ventricular cardiomyocytes from normal (wild-type) and obese, insulin-resistant ob/ob mice. Cardiomyocytes were electrically stimulated at 1 Hz, and the signal of fluorescent indicators was measured with confocal microscopy. Palmitate decreased the amplitude of cytosolic Ca2+ transients (measured with fluo-3), the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ load, and cell shortening by ∼20% in wild-type cardiomyocytes; these decreases were prevented by the general antioxidant N-acetylcysteine. In contrast, palmitate accelerated Ca2+ transients and increased cell shortening in ob/ob cardiomyocytes. Application of palmitate rapidly dissipated the mitochondrial membrane potential (measured with tetra-methyl rhodamine-ethyl ester) and increased the mitochondrial ROS production (measured with MitoSOX Red) in wild-type but not in ob/ob cardiomyocytes. In conclusion, increased saturated fatty acid levels impair cellular Ca2+ handling and contraction in a ROS-dependent manner in normal cardiomyocytes. Conversely, high fatty acid levels may be vital to sustain cardiac Ca2+ handling and contraction in obesity and insulin-resistant conditions.
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| 5. |
- Zhang, SJ, et al.
(author)
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Cross bridges account for only 20% of total ATP consumption during submaximal isometric contraction in mouse fast-twitch skeletal muscle
- 2006
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In: American journal of physiology. Cell physiology. - : American Physiological Society. - 0363-6143 .- 1522-1563. ; 291:1, s. C147-C154
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- It is generally believed that cross bridges account for >50% of the total ATP consumed by skeletal muscle during contraction. We investigated the effect of N-benzyl- p-toluene sulfonamide (BTS), an inhibitor of myosin ATPase, on muscle force production and energy metabolism under near-physiological conditions (50-Hz stimulation frequency at 30°C results in 35% of maximal force). Extensor digitorum longus muscles from mice were isolated and stimulated to perform continuous isometric tetanic contractions. Metabolites of energy metabolism were analyzed with fluorometric techniques. ATP turnover was estimated from the changes in phosphocreatine (PCr), ATP, and lactate (−2ΔATP − ΔPCr + [1.5Δlactate]). During contractions (2–10 s), BTS decreased force production to ∼5% of control. Under these conditions, BTS inhibited ATP turnover by only 18–25%. ATP turnover decreased markedly and similarly with and without BTS as the duration of contraction progressed. In conclusion, cross bridges (i.e., actomyosin ATPase) account for only a small fraction (∼20%) of the ATP consumption during contraction in mouse fast-twitch skeletal muscle under near-physiological conditions, suggesting that ion pumping is the major energy-consuming process.
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