113 research outputs found
High energy photon interactions at the LHC
Experimental prospects for studying high-energy photon-photon and
photon-proton interactions at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) are
discussed. Cross sections are calculated for many electroweak and beyond the
Standard Model processes. Selection strategies based on photon interaction
tagging techniques are studied. Assuming a typical LHC multipurpose detector,
various signals and their irreducible backgrounds are presented after applying
acceptance cuts. Prospects are discussed for the Higgs boson search, detection
of supersymmetric particles and of anomalous quartic gauge couplings, as well
as for the top quark physics.Comment: 17 pages, 16 tables and 14 figure
Hector, a fast simulator for the transport of particles in beamlines
Computing the trajectories of particles in generic beamlines is an important
ingredient of experimental particle physics, in particular regarding near-beam
detectors. A new tool, Hector, has been built for such calculations, using the
transfer matrix approach and energy corrections. The limiting aperture effects
are also taken into account. As an illustration, the tool was used to simulate
the LHC beamlines, in particular around the high luminosity interaction points
(IPs), and validated with results of the Mad-X simulator. The LHC beam
profiles, trajectories and beta functions are presented. Assuming certain
forward proton detector scenarios around the IP5, acceptance plots, irradiation
doses and chromaticity grids are produced. Furthermore, the reconstruction of
proton kinematic variables at the IP (energy and angle) is studied as well as
the impact of the misalignment of beamline elements.Comment: 40 pages, 20 figures; added references, corrected typos ; submitted
to JINS
Significado do ponto de inflexão inferior da curva pressão-volume em pacientes com insuficiência respiratória aguda: avaliação por tomografia computadorizada
OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to assess lung morphology in patients with acute lung injury according to the presence or the absence of a lower inflection point on the lung pressure-volume curve and to compare the effects of positive endexpiratory pressure (PEEP).MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eight patients with and six without a lower inflection point (LIP) underwent a computed tomography performed at zero end-expiratory pressure (ZEEP) and at two levels of PEEP: PEEP1 = LIP + 2 cmH2O e PEEP2 = LIP + 7 cmH2O, or PEEP1 = 10 cmH2O and PEEP2 = 15 cmH2O in the absence of LIP and, based on the analysis of the lung density histograms, the gas-tissue ratio and the lung areas volumes were calculated (nonaerated, poorly aerated, normally aerated and overdistended volumes).RESULTS: In the ZEEP condition, patients with and without LIP presented similar total lung volume, volume of gas, and volume of tissue, although the percentage ofnormally aerated lung was lower and the percentage of poorly aerated lung was greater in patients with LIP than in patients without it. Lung density histograms ofpatients with LIP showed an unimodal distribution with a peak at 7 Housenfield units (HU), while histograms of patients without LIP had a bimodal distribution, with a first peak at -727 HU, and a second at 27 HU. Lung compliances were lower in patients with LIP whereas all other cardiorespiratory parameters were similar in the two groups. In both groups, PEEP induced an alveolar recruitment that was associated with lung overdistension only in patients without LIP.CONCLUSIONS: The evaluation of the pressure-volume curve in patients with acute lung injury allows us to divide them into two groups according to the presence or absence of LIP. This division is associated with the differences in lung morphology and in the responses to PEEP application in terms of alveolar recruitment andoverdistention, the latter being defined as the occurrence of pulmonary parenchyma under -900 HU. In patients with LIP, gas and tissue are more homogeneously distributed within the lungs and increasing levels of PEEP result in additional alveolarrecruitment without lung overdistention. In patients without LIP, normally aerated areas coexist with nonareted lung areas and increasing levels of PEEP result in lung overdistention rather than in additional alveolar recruitment.OBJETIVO: O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar, através de tomografia computadorizada, a morfologia pulmonar em pacientes com lesão pulmonar aguda de acordo com a presença ou ausência de ponto de inflexão inferior (Pinf) nas curvas pressão-volume e comparar os efeitos da pressão expiratória final positiva (PEEP).MATERIAIS E MÉTODOS: Oito pacientes com e seis sem Pinf foram submetidos a tomografias computadorizadas realizadas em zero de pressão expiratória final positiva(ZEEP) e em dois nÃveis de PEEP: PEEP1 = Pinf+2 cmH2O e PEEP2 = Pinf+7 cmH2O, ou PEEP1 = 10 cmH2O e PEEP2 = 15 cmH2O na ausência de Pinf e, a partir da análise dos histogramas de densidade pulmonares, foram calculados a razão gás-tecido e os volumes pulmonares regionais (volumes não-aerado, pobremente aerado, normalmente aerado e hiperdistendido).RESULTADOS: Os pacientes com e sem Pinf apresentaram, em ZEEP, valores similares de volume pulmonar total e volume de gás e tecido, mas a porcentagem de pulmão normalmente ventilado foi menor e a de pulmão pobremente ventilado maior em pacientes com Pinf do que em pacientes sem Pinf. Os histogramas de densidade pulmonares de pacientes com Pinf mostraram uma distribuição unimodal com um pico em 7 unidades Hounsfield (UH), enquanto os pacientes sem Pinf tinham uma distribuição bimodal com um primeiro pico em -727 UH e um segundo em 27 UH. A complacência do sistema respiratório era menor em pacientes com Pinf, enquanto todos os outros parâmetros cardiorrespiratórios eram similares nosdois grupos. Em ambos os grupos, PEEP induziu recrutamento alveolar, o qual foi associado à hiperdistensão pulmonar apenas nos pacientes sem Pinf.CONCLUSÕES: A avaliação das curvas pressão-volume em portadores de lesão pulmonar aguda permite dividi-los em dois grupos, de acordo com a presença ouausência de ponto de inflexão inferior. Esta divisão associa-se com diferenças na morfologia pulmonar e nas respostas à aplicação de PEEP em termos de recrutamento alveolar e hiperdistensão, definindo-se esta última como a ocorrência de parênquima pulmonar abaixo de -900 UH. Em pacientes com Pinf, gás e tecido estão mais homogeneamente distribuÃdos no interior dos pulmões, e nÃveis crescentes de PEEP resultam em recrutamento alveolar adicional sem hiperdistensão. Em pacientes sem Pinf, regiões pulmonares normalmente ventiladas coexistem com regiões não-ventiladas, e a aplicação de PEEP, embora cause recrutamento, acarretatambém hiperdistensão, que aumenta com nÃveis crescentes de PEEP
THE TOOLS AND MONTE CARLO WORKING GROUP Summary Report from the Les Houches 2009 Workshop on TeV Colliders
This is the summary and introduction to the proceedings contributions for the
Les Houches 2009 "Tools and Monte Carlo" working group.Comment: 144 Pages. Workshop site
http://wwwlapp.in2p3.fr/conferences/LesHouches/Houches2009/ . Conveners were
Butterworth, Maltoni, Moortgat, Richardson, Schumann and Skand
Krüppel-Like Factor 6 Expression Changes during Trophoblast Syncytialization and Transactivates ßhCG and PSG Placental Genes
BACKGROUND: Krüppel-like factor-6 (KLF6) is a widely expressed member of the Sp1/KLF family of transcriptional regulators involved in differentiation, cell cycle control and proliferation in several cell systems. Even though the highest expression level of KLF6 has been detected in human and mice placenta, its function in trophoblast physiology is still unknown. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Herein, we explored KLF6 expression and sub-cellular distribution in human trophoblast cells differentiating into the syncytial pathway, and its role in the regulation of genes associated with placental development and pregnancy maintenance. Confocal immunofluorescence microscopy demonstrated that KLF6 is expressed throughout human cytotrophoblast differentiation showing no evident modifications in its nuclear and cytoplasmic localization pattern. KLF6 transcript and protein peaked early during the syncytialization process as determined by qRT-PCR and western blot assays. Overexpression of KLF6 in trophoblast-derived JEG-3 cells showed a preferential nuclear signal correlating with enhanced expression of human β-chorionic gonadotropin (βhCG) and pregnancy-specific glycoprotein (PSG) genes. Moreover, KLF6 transactivated βhCG5, PSG5 and PSG3 gene promoters. Deletion of KLF6 Zn-finger DNA binding domain or mutation of the consensus KLF6 binding site abolished transactivation of the PSG5 promoter. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Results are consistent with KLF6 playing a role as transcriptional regulator of relevant genes for placental differentiation and physiology such as βhCG and PSG, in agreement with an early and transient increase of KLF6 expression during trophoblast syncytialization
Prospects for Diffractive and Forward Physics at the LHC
The CMS and TOTEM experiments intend to carry out a joint diffractive/forward physics program with an unprecedented rapidity coverage. The present document outlines some aspects of such a physics program, which spans from the investigation of the low-x structure of the proton to the diffractive production of a SM or MSSM Higgs boson
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