Study of Black Holes with the ATLAS detector at the LHC

We evaluate the potential of the ATLAS detector for discovering black holes produced at the LHC, as predicted in models with large extra dimensions where quantum gravity is at the TeV scale. We assume that black holes decay by Hawking evaporation to all Standard Model particles democratically. We comment on the possibility to estimate the Planck scale.Comment: 27 page

Development of active icosahedron and its application to virtual clay modeling

We have developed an active link mechanism for physical man-machine interaction. We report an active icosahedron consisting of intelligent cylinders and its application to virtual clay modeling. Intelligent pneumatic cylinders are newly developed to realize active link mechanisms. This cylinder aims at a novel cylinder in which various sensors and control devices are built. Active link mechanisms are highly integrated and enhanced by intelligent cylinders. A control system is built for the active icosahedron. In the control system, a key element is a control program implementing drawing of a virtual model on display and controlling of active links. Virtual clays are deformed by the program based on the apex positions converted from cylinder lengths. The active icosahedron realized dynamic interaction with virtual objects in PC, showing the potential of the devices as a haptic interface.</p

Study on Anticancer Activity of Extracts of Sponges Collected from Biak Water, Indonesia

Indonesia is center of biodiversity where marine sponges are abundant. a source of bioactive compounds with various pharmaceutical properties such as anticancer, antifungal, antibacterial, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, and anti-malarial. In a continuation of a search for biologically active molecules from marine organisms we investigated the potency of marine sponges as anticancer. A total of 106 sponge specimens were collected between 3-40 m depths by SCUBA diving in Biak waters during August 2005. The specimens were extracted with methanol to provided crude extracts. The methanolic extracts were tested against NBT-T2 cell line. The assay result showed that 8.5 %, 29.2 % and 46.2 % of the extract have activity against the cell line at 0.1, 1.0 and 10.0 g/mL. While, a 16.0 % of the extract did not showed activity against the cell line

Drell-Yan Production of Z' in the Three-Site Higgsless Model at the LHC

In the Higgsless models, there are extra gauge bosons which keep the perturbative unitarity of a longitudinally polarized gauge boson. The three-site Higgsless model is a minimal Higgsless model and contains three extra gauge bosons, $W^{\prime \pm}$ and Z'. In this paper, we report the discovery potential of the Z' gauge boson via Drell-Yan production with Z'(mass=380, 500, 600 GeV) $\rightarrow WW \rightarrow \ell\nu qq$ ($\ell=e$, $\mu$) at the LHC ($\sqrt{s}$=14 TeV).Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures included. References revise

Light Higgs Discovery Potential with ATLAS, Measurements of Couplings and Impact on Model Discrimination

A light (mass between 114 and ~200 GeV) Standard Model Higgs boson is favored by precise measurements of electroweak radiative corrections. A light Higgs boson is also expected in Supersymmetric models. This talk reviews the ATLAS discovery potential of a light Higgs boson, with emphasis on the vector boson fusion production modes, which allows a better background rejection. Once discovered, Higgs boson couplings to heavy quarks, taus and vector bosons can be studied by measuring the rate of events in various production and decay channels. The accuracy of these studies is described and the impact on the discrimination between Standard Model and Supersymmetric models is shown

Perceptions of caregivers about health and nutritional problems and feeding practices of infants: a qualitative study on exclusive breast-feeding in Kwale, Kenya

BACKGROUND: Despite the significant positive effect of exclusive breast-feeding on child health, only 32% of children under 6 months old were exclusively breast-fed in Kenya in 2008. The aim of this study was to explore perceptions and feeding practices of caregivers of children under 6 months old with special attention to the caregivers’ indigenous knowledge, perceptions about the health and nutritional problems of their infants, and care-seeking behaviors that affect feeding practices. METHODS: The study was exploratory and used an inductive approach. In all, 32 key informants, including mothers, mothers-in-law, and traditional healers, were interviewed in-depth. The number of participants in free-listing of perceived health problems of babies, in ranking of the perceived severity of these health problems, and in free-listing of food and drink given to children under 6 months old were 29, 28, and 32, respectively. Additionally, 28 babies under 6 months old were observed at home with regard to feeding practices. Data obtained using these methods were triangulated to formulate an ethnomedical explanatory model for mothers who do not practice exclusive breast-feeding. RESULTS: The informants stated that various types of food, drink, and medicine were given to infants under 6 months old. Direct observation also confirmed that 2- to 3-month-old babies were given porridge, water, juice, herbal medicine, and over-the-counter medicine. Mothers’ perceptions of insufficient breast milk production and a lack of proper knowledge about the value of breast milk were identified in key informant interviews, free-listing, and ranking as important factors associating with the use of food and drink other than breast milk; in addition, perceived ill health of babies appears to be associated with suboptimal practice of exclusive breast-feeding. Caregivers used various folk and popular medicines from the drugstore, their own backyard or garden, and traditional healers so that the mother or child would not be exposed to perceived risks during the vulnerable period after birth. CONCLUSIONS: Mothers should be advised during their antenatal and postnatal care about exclusive breast-feeding. This should be done not as a single vertical message, but in relation to their concerns about the health and nutritional problems of their babies

An Acetylenic Alkaloid from the Calcareous Sponge Leucetta sp.

A new acetylenic alkaloid was isolated from the sponge Leucetta sp. The structure was established by analyzing spectroscopic data. The alkaloid showed cytotoxicity IC50 2.5 μg/mL against NBT-T2 cells

Cyclic Peroxide Acids and a new fatty acid from Okinawan Sponge Plakortis sp.

Bioassay-guided fractionation of a cytotoxic extract of an Okinawan sponge Plakortis sp. resulted in the isolation of a known cyclic peroxide methyl ester ( 1a) along with two new cyclic peroxide acids (1b and 2b) and a new aliphatic fatty acid (3).Compound 2b was confirmed to be an isomer of 1b by NMR and MS. Moreover, careful comparison of the spectroscopic data of 2b with that of peroxyplakoric acid A1 methyl ester (2a) suggested that compound 2b was identical with 2a. Treatment of 2b with TMS diazomethane yielded a compound identical with 2a with respect to NMR and MS. This data confirmed that the cyclic peroxidases 1b and 2b occurred naturally. Additionally, the structure of 3 was confirmed by 1D and 2D NMR experiments. A plausible biosynthetic pathway has been proposed that rationalizes transformations in the ring-opening of the cyclic peroxide. Compound 1a was evaluated to have IC50 8.7 µg/mL against NBT-T2 cells while compound 3 was inactive. This result suggested that the cyclic peroxide moiety could be responsible for the cytotoxicity of the sponge constituents

Two New Cytotoxic Candidaspongiolides from An Indonesian Sponge

Marine sponges have been recognized as potentially rich sources of various bioactive molecules. In our continuing search for new secondary metabolites from Indonesian marine invertebrates, we collected a sponge, whose extract showed cytotoxicity against cultured cells at 0.1 μg/mL. Purification of the extract yielded two new macrolides 2 and 3 along with known candida spongiolide (1). The structures for compounds 2 and 3 were elucidated by spectral analysis (1H,13C,COSY,HMQC, HMBC) and by comparison of their NMR data with those of 1. Compounds 2 and 3 exhibited a little more potent cytotoxicity (IC 4.7 and 19 ng/mL) than that (IC5037 ng/mL) of candida spongiolide (1) against NBT-T2 cell