Super heavy nuclei provide opportunities to study nuclear structure near three simultaneous limits: in charge Z, spin I and excitation energy E∗. These nuclei exist only because of a fission barrier, created by shell effects. It is therefore important to determine the fission barrier and its spin dependence Bf(I), which gives information on the shell energy Eshell(I). Theoretical calculations predict different fission barrier heights from Bf(I = 0) = 6.8 MeV for a macro-microscopic model to 8.7 MeV for Density Functional Theory calculations using the Gogny or Skyrme interactions. Hence, a measurement of Bf provides a test for theories.To investigate the fission barrier, an established method is to measure the rise of fission with excitation energy, characterized by the ratio of decay widths Γfission/Γtotal, using transfer reactions. However, for heavy elements such as 254No, there is no suitable target for a transfer reaction. We therefore rely on the complementary decay widths ratio Γγ/Γfission and its spin dependence, deduced from the entry distribution (I, E∗).Measurements of the gamma-ray multiplicity and total energy for 254No have been performed with beam energies of 219 and 223 MeV in the reaction 208Pb(48Ca,2n) at ATLAS (Argonne Tandem Linac Accelerator System). The 254No gamma rays were detected using the Gammasphere array as a calorimeter - as well as the usual high resolution γ-ray detector. Coincidences with evaporation residues at the Fragment Mass Analyzer focal plane separated 254No gamma rays from those from fission fragments, which are > 10^6 more intense. From this measurement, the entry distribution - i.e. the initial distribution of I and E∗ - is constructed. Each point (I,E∗) of the entry distribution is a point where gamma decay wins over fission and, therefore, gives information on the fission barrier.The measured entry distributions show an increase in the maximum spin and excitation energy from 219 to 223 MeV of beam energy. The distributions show a saturation of E∗ for high spins. The saturation is attributed to the fact that, as E∗ increases above the saddle, Γfission rapidly dominates. The resulting truncation of the entry distribution at high E∗ allows a determination of the fission barrier height.The experimental entry distributions are also compared with entry distributions calculated with decay cascade codes which take into account the full nucleus formation process, including the capture process and the subsequent survival probability as a function of E∗ and I. We used the KEWPIE2 and NRV codes to simulate the entry distribution.

Les caractéristiques des distributions des produits de fission sont le résultat des propriétés dynamiques et quantiques du processus de déformation du noyau fissionnant. Ces distributions représentent également un intérêt pour la conception de nouveaux réacteurs nucléaires ou pour l'incinération de déchets radioactifs. Jusqu'à présent, notre compréhension de la fission nucléaire reste limitée du fait de restrictions expérimentales. En particulier, les rendements des produits de fission lourds sont difficiles à obtenir avec précision. Dans cette thèse, une technique expérimentale innovante est présentée. Elle repose sur l'utilisation de la cinématique inverse couplée à l'usage d'un spectromètre, dans laquelle un faisceau d'238U à 6 ou 24 A MeV est envoyé sur des cibles légères. Différents actinides, de l'238U au 250Cf, sont produits par réactions de transfert ou de fusion, avec des énergies d'excitation allant d'une dizaine à quelques centaines de MeV selon la réaction et l'énergie du faisceau. Les fragments issus de la fission de ces actinides sont détectés par le spectromètre VAMOS ou le séparateur LISE. Les rendements isotopiques des produits de fission sont entièrement mesurés pour différents systèmes fissionnants. L'excès de neutrons des fragments est utilisé pour caractériser les distributions isotopiques. Son évolution avec l'énergie d'excitation nous procure des informations probantes sur le mécanisme de formation du noyau composé et sa désexcitation. L'excès de neutrons nous renseigne également sur le nombre de neutrons évaporés par les fragments. Le rôle des effets de couches proton et neutron dans la formation des fragments de fission est également discuté.

In this thesis, the application of electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) to the analysis of intact proteins is demonstrated. In papers I and II, the use of ESI-MS for the analysis of noncovalent protein-ligand complexes were discussed. In addition, the interfacing of liquid chromatography (LC) with ESI-MS and the development of an LC-ESI-MS method were demonstrated in paper III for the quality control of recombinant proteins. Furthermore, this method was applied in paper IV for the analysis of covalent glycosyl-enzyme intermediates. The monitoring of noncovalent complexes by ESI-MS is well established. However, the varying characteristic of ESI-MS data, especially in the analysis of noncovalent complexes can make the quantification of such complexes troublesome. In paper I, it was demonstrated how the variation in the position of the ESI-emitter and the initial droplet size of the electrosprayed droplets, together with different partitioning of a protein and its ligand in these droplets, can be the cause of such varying characteristics. Furthermore, it was shown that the partitioning can be of electrostatic and/or hydrophobic/hydrophilic origin. Thus it was demonstrated that if the ligand is more hydrophobic and thereby more surface active relative to the protein, decreasing the droplet size or increasing the distance between the electrospray emitter and the sampling orifice will lead to more efficient sampling of the droplet bulk where the ligand concentration is low. This results in a favoured sampling of free protein relative to the protein ligand complex. The opposite was shown to occur if the ligand is more hydrophilic than the protein. In paper II, Ribonuclease A (RNAse) was used as a model for enzymes acting on polymeric substrates with different chain lengths. Nano-ESI-MS was applied to monitor the noncovalent interactions between RNAse and different target ligands. Among the single building blocks of RNA, including ribose, the bases adenine, guanine, cytosine and uracil, and phosphate, only phosphate was observed to interact at multiple RNAse sites at a higher cone voltage. Furthermore, monobasic singlestranded deoxycytidylic acid oligomers (dCx) of different lengths (X=6, 9 and 12), and RNAse were analysed with nano-ESI-MS. The deoxycytidylic acid with 12 nucleotides was observed with the highest complex to free protein ratio, hence indicating the strongest interaction. Finally, collision induced dissociation of the noncovalent RNAseA-dC6 complex resulted in dissociation of covalently bound cytosine from the nucleotide backbone rather than break up of the noncovalent complex, illustrating the cooperative effect of multiple noncovalent interactions. In paper III an LC-ESI-MS method was presented capable of analysing proteins 10-100 kDa in size, from salt-containing liquid samples. The proteins included human protein fragments for the largescale production of antibodies and human protein targets for structural determination, expressed in E. coli. Also, glycosylated proteins expressed in Pichia pastoris were analysed. The method provides fast chromatography, is robust and makes use of cheap desalting/trap columns. In addition it was used with optimised reduction and alkylation protocols in order to minimize protein aggregation of denatured and incorrectly folded proteins containing cysteins, which otherwise form adducts by disulfide bond formation. Furthermore, the method was used in paper IV for the quantification of covalent proteinligand intermediates formed enzymatically between PttXET16-34, a xyloglucan endo-transglycosylase (XET) from hybrid aspen, and the synthetic substrates GalGXXXGGG and GalXXXGXXXG designed in order to function as donor substrates only. Thus covalent GalG-enzyme and GalGXXXG-enzyme complexes were detected. Moreover, establishing of a pseudo equilibrium for the formation of the covalent GalGXXXG-enzyme complex enabled quantification of the saccharide and enzyme constituents of this equilibrium and determination of the free energy of formation (∆G0). The high mass resolution of the TOF-MS allowed unambiguous assessment of the covalent nature of the glycosyl-enzyme complexes. Morover, the formation of noncovalent complexes between excess substrate and protein, which can deteriorate MS-signal and increase spectrum complexity, was efficiently avoided by the chromatographic step, which separated the saccharide content from the protein content. / QC 20100913

Syfte: Syftet med denna uppsats är att undersöka hur moderbolagets aktiekurs reagerar, därmed påvisa eventuell onormal avkastning när ett moderbolag beslutar sig för och sedan avyttrar en del av ett dotterbolag till börsen (Equity Carve‐Out). Delsyftet är att undersöka sambandet mellan onormalavkastning i storleken på avyttrade andelar samt beskriva de motiv som anges och analysera detta mot storleken på avknoppad andel. Metod: Undersökningen är en eventstudie med en kvantitativ ansats. Empirin består av sekundärdata i form av börskurser och index. Teori: Eventstudien bygger på hypotesen om effektiva marknader, teorin om asymmetrisk information, agent teori samt teorin om avknoppningsfördelar. Empiri: Eventstudien bygger på 25 Equity Carve‐Outs genomförda mellan åren 1991‐2007 och behandlar aktieutvecklingen dels vid beslut och dels vid genomförandet av en avknoppning, detta relateras sedan till tidigare forskning. Resultat ECO mellan åren 1991 och 2007 har generellt medfört svagt positiva priseffekter vid beslutet om avknoppning och positiva priseffekter vid avyttringen. En ECO motsäger sig inte den effektiva marknadshypotesen i dess halvstarka form. Det finns inget samband i marknadsreaktionen beroende på storleken i avyttrad andel. Angivna motiv skiljer sig generellt inte beroende på hur stor andel som avyttras. / Purpose: The aim of this bachelor thesis paper is to investigate parent company stock market reactions to decision and sale of a subsidiary through an Equity Carve‐Out. A secondary purpose is to investigate the correlation between the abnormal returns and the amount of stocks sold in a subsidiary and describe the motives associated whit the sale, and relate those motives to the amount of stocks sold in the subsidiary. Methodology: An event study with a quantitative approach based on empirics consisting of abnormal returns, calculated based on the adjusted market model. Theoretical perspectives: This study is based on the efficient market hypothesis, asymmetric information hypothesis, agency theory and divestiture gains hypothesis. Empirical foundation: The study is based on 25 Equity Carve‐Outs during the period 1991‐2007 on the Swedish stock exchange. Conclusion <ul type="disc">Equity Carve‐Outs between 1991 and 2007 have generated slightly positive price effects at the time of decision and increasingly positive price effects at the time of the sale. An Equity Carve‐Out does not contradict the efficient market theory. There is no immediate correlation between the market reaction and the size in the subsidiary retained. Parent company motives do not differ depending on the size in the subsidiary retained.

<p>Homeostatic maintenance of cellular mitochondria requires a dynamic balance between fission and fusion, and disruptions in this balance have been implicated in multiple pathological conditions, including Charcot-Marie-Tooth, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's diseases. Whereas deregulated fission and fusion can be detrimental to health and survival, controlled changes in morphology are important for processes like cellular division and apoptosis. Specifically, regulated mitochondrial fission occurs closely with cytochrome c release during apoptosis and upon entry into mitosis during the cell cycle. Using cell culture-based assays, microscopy, and fly genetics, we examine how changes in the mitochondrial network are mediated at the molecular level during apoptosis and the cell cycle. </p> <p>First, we report that the fly protein Reaper induces mitochondrial fragmentation in mammalian cells, likely through inhibition of the mitochondrial fusion protein Mfn2. Reaper colocalizes with and binds to Mfn2 and its fly orthologue dMFN, and the colocalization of the two proteins is necessary for Reaper-induced mitochondrial fission. Moreover, the overexpression of dMFN inhibits Reaper-induced killing both in vitro and in vivo.</p> <p>Our data and work in a number of experimental systems demonstrate a requirement for mitochondrial fragmentation during apoptosis that is conserved from worms to flies to mammals. Our findings indicate that Reaper may function to inactivate mitochondrial metabolic function and/or to facilitate mitochondrial elimination during apoptosis. </p> <p>Secondly, we characterize Drp1 degradation by the APC/C during mitotic exit and interphase. We provide evidence that APC/CCdh1-mediated degradation of Drp1 underlies both the morphological changes that occur during progression through the cell cycle and changes in mitochondrial metabolism during interphase. Inhibition of Cdh1-mediated Drp1 ubiquitylation and proteasomal degradation during interphase prevents the normal regrowth of mitochondrial networks after mitosis, prevents cyclin E accumulation, and alters the profile of lipid-derived metabolites. Our findings describe a novel role for APC/CCdh1-mediated Drp1 degradation in cell cycle-dependent changes in mitochondrial morphology and metabolic function and suggest that the APC/CCdh1complex may regulate the distinct bioenergetic needs of a growing cell during synthetic phases of the cell cycle.</p> / Dissertation

A new nanodosimetry-based cell survival model for mixed high- and low-LET radiations has been developed. The new model employs three dosimetry quantities and three biological quantities. The three dosimetry quantities are related to energy depositions at two nanometer scales, 5nm and 25nm. The three biological quantities are related to lesion production and interaction probabilities, and lesion repair rate. The model assumes that the lesions created at the two nanometer scales are directly or indirectly responsible for cell death depending on the lesions interaction and repair rate. The cell survival fraction derived from the new model can be expressed by the familiar dose-dependent linear quadratic formula. The coefficients alpha and beta are based on the three nanodosimetry quantities and the three biological quantities. Validation of the new model has been performed both by using published data and by the experimental data obtained. Published cell survival curves for V-79 Chinese hamster cells irradiated with various LET of radiations were used for validation. The new model was applied to radiation therapy by irradiating V-79 cells with mixed fission neutron and gamma-rays. The results show that the new model has been successfully used in a mixed n+g field to predict the synergistic effect between neutron and gamma-ray lesions and the RBE for fission neutrons.

A scaled direct energy conversion device was built to convert kinetic energy of singly ionized helium ions into an electric potential by the process of direct conversion. The experiments in this paper aimed to achieve higher potentials and higher efficiencies than ever before. The predicted maximum potential that could be produced by the 150 kV accelerator at the Texas A&M Ion Beam Lab was 150 kV, which was achieved with 92% collection efficiency. Also, an investigation into factors affecting collection efficiency was made. It was concluded that charge was being lost due to charge exchange occurring near the surface of the target which caused positive target atoms to be ejected from the face and accelerated away. Introducing a wire mesh near the face of the target with an electric potential, positive or negative, which aimed to control secondary ion emissions, did not have an effect on the collection efficiency of the system. Also, it was found that the gas pressure inside the chamber did not have an effect on the collection efficiency. The goal of achieving higher electric potentials and higher efficiencies than previous direct conversion work was met.

A series of fuel cycle simulations were performed using CEA's reactor physics code ERANOS 2.0 to analyze the transmutation performance of the Subcritical Advanced Burner Reactor (SABR). SABR is a fusion-fission hybrid reactor that combines the leading sodium cooled fast reactor technology with the leading tokamak plasma technology based on ITER physics. Two general fuel cycles were considered for the SABR system. The first fuel cycle is one in which all of the transuranics from light water reactors are burned in SABR. The second fuel cycle is a minor actinide burning fuel cycle in which all of the minor actinides and some of the plutonium produced in light water reactors are burned in SABR, with the excess plutonium being set aside for starting up fast reactors in the future. The minor actinide burning fuel cycle is being considered in European Scenario Studies. The fuel cycles were evaluated on the basis of TRU/MA transmutation rate, power profile, accumulated radiation damage, and decay heat to the repository. Each of the fuel cycles are compared against each other, and the minor actinide burning fuel cycles are compared against the EFIT transmutation system, and a low conversion ratio fast reactor.

Uranium (U) exhibits a high temperature body-centered cubic (b.c.c.) allotrope that is often stabilized by alloying with transition metals such as Zr, Mo, and Nb for technological applications. One such application involves U-Zr as nuclear fuel, where radiation damage and diffusion (processes heavily dependent on point defects) are of vital importance. Metallic nuclear fuels swell under fission conditions, creating fission product gases such as helium, xenon and krypton. Several systems of U are examined within a density functional theory framework utilizing projector augmented wave pseudopotentials. Two separate generalized gradient approximations of the exchange-correlation are used to calculate defect properties and are compared. The bulk modulus, the lattice constant, and the Birch-Murnaghan equation of state for the defect free b.c.c. uranium allotrope are calculated. Defect parameters calculated include energies of formation of vacancies in the α and γ allotropes, as well as self-interstitials, Zr, He, Xe and Kr interstitial and substitutional defects. The results for vacancies agree very well with experimental and previous computational studies. The most probable self-interstitial site in γ-U is the <110> dumbbell and the most probable defect location for dilute Zr in γ-U is the substitutional site. The most likely position for Xe and Kr atoms in uranium is the substitutional site. Helium atoms are likely to be found in a wide variety of defect positions due to the comparable formation energies of all defect configurations analyzed.

1. A quantitive understanding of the nucleosynthesis process requires the knowledge of the production rates, the masses and the ?-decay characteristics of exotic neutron-rich nu- clei. Nuclear fission is a suitable method of producing such nuclei with masses from 60 - 150. Neutron-rich nuclei close to the r-process path can be produced via photo-fission at the Rossendorf superconducting linear accelerator of high brilliance and low emittance (ELBE) or by means of nuclear reactions at relativistic energies (for example at GSI). If the fission prod- ucts are identified and also their charge numbers are obtained, it will be principally possible to investigate their structure by means of beta-gamma spectroscopy. 2. For the purpose of fission-fragment detection a double time-of-flight (TOF) spectrometer has been developed. The key component of the TOF spectrometer is a TOF detector consisting of multichannel-plate (MCP) detectors with a position-sensitive readout, a foil for secondary electron (SE) production and an electrostatic mirror. The fission fragments are detected by measuring the SEs impinging on the position-sensitive anode after emission from the foil, ac- celeration and deflection by the electrostatic mirror. 3. In the first part of the work, special attention is paid to the relevant methods of building a spectrometer of such type. The functionality of the different detector components is proven in detail. A unique method for the determination of the SE foil thickness with ?-particles is pre- sented. Values for the mirror transmission and scattering are deduced. A dedicated SIMION 3D simulation showed that introducing serpentine like wires with pitch distance of 1 mm is capable of providing transparency of more than 90% without significant impact on the time resolution. 4. Since the performance of the MCP detectors is crucial, optimised schemes for their high- voltage supplies have been implemented successfully. Further enhancement of the setup was achieved by introducing surface-mount device (SMD) elements for signal decoupling, positioned close to the detector surface. Thus, we succeeded in avoiding signal deterioration coming from the additional capacitances and inductivities caused by extra cable lengths. Because the MCP signal decoupling takes place by means of rings with not well-defined impedance, impedance- matching problems arise, causing signal ringing and distortion. An approach towards solving this problem was to build a special fast, wide-band transimpedance amplifier. Using its circuit mounted close to the detectors, a significant reduction of the signal ringing was observed while maintaining the rise time of the detector signal. In order to process the multichannel-plate de- tector signals optimally, a new state-of-the-art constant-fraction discriminator (CFD) based on the amplitude and rise time compensated (ARC) technique with very low threshold capabilities and optimised walk properties has been developed and incorporated into the setup. 5. In our first laboratory test measurements conducted with an ?-particle source, we demonstrated ability of the setup to resolve pattern images placed directly in front of the MCP detector or reflected by the electrostatic mirror. The obtained position resolution for the second case is in the order of 2 mm. We showed that the detection efficiency of the system for ions like He is less than 30 %. This is mainly due to the low number of the electrons liberated from the SE foil. In a setup consisting of two mirror MCP detectors, we could successfully observe the TOF spectrum of a mixed (226Ra, 222Rn, 210Po, 218Po, 214Po) ?-source and found a good agreement with a SRIM simulation. 6. Measurements performed at the FZ Dresden-Rossendorf 5 MV tandem accelerator en- abled us to learn more about the response of the TOF detectors to various beams of heavy ions. The first in-beam experiments clearly showed that the applied setup consisting of two mirror detectors is capable of resolving different 35Cl beam charge states. In a combination with the specially designed wide-band amplifier and dedicated CFDs based on the ARC technique, we managed to achieve an in-beam time resolution of 170 ps per TOF detector. Measurements with ions of Z &amp;gt; 30 resulted in detection efficiencies of greater than 90%. At foil accelerating potentials approximately two times larger than the mirror deflection voltage, most of the SEs gain enough energy to pass through the electrostatic mirror without being deflected towards the MCP surface. Thus, an abrupt drop of the efficiency curve was observed - the “transparent” mode of the mirror. 7. Properties of electrons ejected from thin foils from heavy ions have been also investigated. From the MCP pulse-height-distribution spectra, a number for the forward-emitted SEs ejected by 35Cl beam was deduced. A method for obtaining widths of the SE energy distributions from the drop of the efficiency curve for various ions has been proposed. Assuming that the efficiency curve as a function of the accelerating voltage follows an error function, its standard deviation gives the standard deviation of the SE energy distribution. Another method based on the TOF technique for reconstructing the secondary electron velocity and energy distribution was also invented. It was found that the resulting mean SE velocity closely approaches the one of the beam ions. This phenomenon was attributed to the so-called “convoy” electrons. 8. The obtained position resolution for beams like 35Cl, 79Br and 107Ag at stable detection efficiency was better than 1.8 mm. It was demonstrated that with increasing the foil accelerat- ing voltage, the position resolution improves due to the minimised SE angular spread. Such a mode of operation was favoured until the mirror “semi-transparency” regime was reached, after which increasing further the accelerating potential could lead to a position resolution worsen- ing. An explanation of the fact could be the deterioration of the anode timing signals or some defocusing effects arising from the mirror wires field at high accelerating voltages. 9. Testing photo-fission experiments were performed at the bremsstrahlung facility at the ELBE accelerator. For the first time a spectrometer of this kind was successfully employed for bremsstrahlung-induced photo-fission measurements. The setup consisted of two mirror detectors (first arm) and a 80 mm diameter MCP detector (second arm) with a 238U target positioned in between. TOF measurements with two bremsstrahlung end-point energies of 12.9 and 16.0 MeV were carried out. A clear cut separation of the TOF peaks for the medium- mass and heavy fission fragments was observed. At these experimental test runs, we did not aim at one-by-one fission fragment mass resolution, since this may be the purpose of a more specific experiment utilising a much thinner fissile source than the one applied here (minimum straggling of the fragments inside the target is required) and considerably better statistics. It was possible to estimate the photo-fission production rate for the two measuring cases and to compare the obtained results with data from other measurements.