Improved W boson mass measurement with the D0 detector

We have measured the W boson mass using the D0 detector and a data sample of 82 pb^-1 from the Tevatron collider. This measurement used W -> e nu decays, where the electron is close to a boundary of a central electromagnetic calorimeter module. Such 'edge' electrons have not been used in any previous D0 analysis, and represent a 14% increase in the W boson sample size. For these electrons, new response and resolution parameters are determined, and revised backgrounds and underlying event energy flow measurements are made. When the current measurement is combined with previous D0 W boson mass measurements, we obtain M_W = 80.483 +/- 0.084 GeV. The 8% improvement from the previous D0 measurement is primarily due to the improved determination of the response parameters for non-edge electrons using the sample of Z bosons with non-edge and edge electrons.Comment: submitted to Phys. Rev. D; 20 pages, 18 figures, 9 table

Limits on Anomalous WWgamma and WWZ Couplings from WW/WZ->enujj Production

Limits on anomalous WWgamma and WWZ couplings are presented from a study of WW/WZ->enujj events in ppbar collisions at sqrt{s}=1.8 TeV. Results from the analysis of data collected using the D0 detector during the 1993-1995 Tevatron collider run at Fermilab are combined with those of an earlier study from the 1992-1993 run. A fit to the transverse momentum spectrum of the W boson yields direct limits on anomalous WWgamma and WWZ couplings. With the assumption that the WWgamma and WWZ couplings are equal, we obtain -0.34< lambda < 0.36 (with Delta kappa=0) and -0.43< Delta kappa < 0.59 (with lambda=0) at the 95 confidence level for a form-factor scale Lambda=2.0 TeV.Comment: 37 pages, 13 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.

A Multiplex Assay for the Diagnosis of Mucopolysaccharidoses and Mucolipidoses

Contains fulltext : 154679.PDF (publisher's version ) (Open Access)INTRODUCTION: Diagnosis of the mucopolysaccharidoses (MPSs) generally relies on an initial analysis of total glycosaminoglycan (GAG) excretion in urine. Often the dimethylmethylene blue dye-binding (DMB) assay is used, although false-negative results have been reported. We report a multiplexed diagnostic test with a high sensitivity for all MPSs and with the potential to identify patients with I-cell disease (ML II) and mucolipidosis III (ML III). METHODS: Urine samples of 100 treatment naive MPS patients were collected and analyzed by the conventional DMB assay and a multiplex assay based on enzymatic digestion of heparan sulfate (HS), dermatan sulfate (DS) and keratan sulfate (KS) followed by quantification by LC-MS/MS. Specificity was calculated by analyzing urine samples from a cohort of 39 patients suspected for an inborn error of metabolism, including MPSs. RESULTS: The MPS cohort consisted of 18 MPS I, 16 MPS II, 34 MPS III, 10 MPS IVA, 3 MPS IVB, 17 MPS VI and 2 MPS VII patients. All 100 patients were identified by the LC-MS/MS assay with typical patterns of elevation of HS, DS and KS, respectively (sensitivity 100%). DMB analysis of the urine was found to be in the normal range in 10 of the 100 patients (sensitivity 90%). Three out of the 39 patients were identified as false-positive, resulting in a specificity of the LS-MS/MS assay of 92%. For the DMB this was 97%. All three patients with MLII/MLIII had elevated GAGs in the LC-MS/MS assay while the DMB test was normal in 2 of them. CONCLUSION: The multiplex LC-MS/MS assay provides a robust and very sensitive assay for the diagnosis of the complete spectrum of MPSs and has the potential to identify MPS related disorders such as MLII/MLIII. Its performance is superior to that of the conventional DMB assay

Een procedureel rechtvaardiger arbitragesysteem als remedie tegen kwetsende spreekkoren in voetbalstadions.

In dit experiment stond de relatie tussen rechtvaardigheid en verbale agressie jegens voetbalscheidsrechters centraal. De respondenten (N = 48 mannen; allen in meer of' mindere mate supporter van SC Heerenveen) kregen een digitaal videofragment uit een wedstrijd van SC Heerenveen te zien waarbij sprake was van een voor SC Heerenveen nadelige beslissing die correct (distributieve rechtvaardigheid) of incorrect (distributieve onrechtvaardigheid) was. Het effect van distributieve (on)rechtvaardigheid op verbale agressie werd onder drie verschillende condities van procedurele rechtvaardigheid onderzocht: het thans vigerende arbitragesysteen, het thans vigerende arbitragesysteem met een herhaling, en een nieuw, procedureel rechtvaardiger arbitragesysteem waarin de scheidsrechter gebruik maakte van videobeelden voordat hij een definitieve beslissing nam. Overeenkomistig de verwachtingen lieten de resultaten zien dat in het huidige systeem, een correcte maar voor SC Heerenveen nadelige arbitrale beslissing relatief veel verbale agressie opriep, maar alleen bij toeschouwers die zich sterk identificeerden met SC Heerenveen. Dit resultaat suggereert dat verbale agressie in voetbalstadions kan worden beteugeld door invoering van het nieuwe, procedureel rechtvaardiger arbitragesysteem