M_T2-assisted on-shell reconstruction of missing momenta and its application to spin measurement at the LHC

We propose a scheme to assign a 4-momentum to each WIMP in new physics event producing a pair of mother particles each of which decays to an invisible weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) plus some visible particle(s). The transverse components are given by the value that determines the event variable M_T2, while the longitudinal component is determined by the on-shell condition on the mother particle. Although it does not give the true WIMP momentum in general, this M_T2-assisted on-shell reconstruction of missing momenta provides kinematic variables well correlated to the true WIMP momentum, and thus can be useful for an experimental determination of new particle properties. We apply this scheme to some processes to measure the mother particle spin, and find that spin determination is possible even without a good knowledge of the new particle masses.Comment: 11 pages, 10 figures, typos are corrected, figures are replace

Surface Modification of Magnesium and its Alloys Using Anodization for Orthopedic Implant Application

Magnesium (Mg) as a biodegradable implant brings a revolution in medical field application, especially in bone implant and stent application. Biodegradability of Mg has attracted attentions of researchers to avoid secondary surgery to remove the implant materials after healing process. Various advantages of Mg make it suitable for medical application such as density, good mechanical properties and biodegradation. However, Mg biodegradability must be controlled to meet tissue-healing period of time because of the high degradation in a physiological environment. Fast corrosion and high alkalinity due to hydrogen release induce tissue inflammation, which limits its clinical applications. Many techniques are applied to the Mg surface to improve surface biocompatibility and control its biodegradability. This chapter focuses on anodization of Mg and its alloys to improve corrosion resistance and biocompatibility for orthopedic application. Mg coating with thin film apatite could enhance the biocompatibility and increase osseointegration formation in the bone fracture side. Evaluation of the required anodized film discussed in the chapter such as chemical composition, biodegradability and biocompatibility

Measuring the top quark mass with m_T2 at the LHC

We investigate the possibility to measure the top quark mass using the collider variable $m_{T2}$ at the LHC experiment. Monte Carlo studies of $m_{T2}$ are performed with the events corresponding to the dilepton decays of $t\bar{t}$ produced at the LHC with 10 $fb^{-1}$ integrated luminosity. Our analysis suggests that the top quark mass can be determined by the $m_{T2}$ variable alone with a good precision at the level of 1 GeV.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figure

Anti-Inflammatory Activity of the Methanol Extract of Moutan Cortex in LPS-Activated Raw264.7 Cells

Moutan Cortex (MCE) has been used in traditional medicine to remove heat from the blood, promote blood circulation and alleviate blood stasis. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of MCE on regulatory mechanisms of cytokines and nitric oxide (NO) involved in immunological activity of Raw264.7 cells. Cells were pretreated with methanolic extracts of MCE, and further cultured for an appropriate time after lipopolyssacharide (LPS) addition. During the entire experimental period, 0.1 and 0.3 mg ml−1 of MCE had no cytotoxicity. In these concentrations, MCE inhibited the production of NO and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), the expression of inducible NO synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and phosphorylated inhibitor of κBα (p-IκBα), and the activation of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB). MCE also reduced the concentration of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the Raw264.7 cells that were activated by LPS. These results demonstrate that MCE has anti-inflammatory effects through the inhibition of iNOS and COX-2 expression by suppressing the phosphorylation of I-κBα and the activation of NF-κB