247 research outputs found
In silico and in vitro analysis of quorum quenching active phytochemicals from the ethanolic extract of medicinal plants against quorum sensing mediated virulence factors of Acinetobacter baumannii
Inhibition of quorum sensing called quorum quenching (QQ) is now extensively utilized in the prevention of bacterial infections. In the present study, in silico and in vitro analysis of quorum quenching (QQ) or anti-Quorum sensing (QS) activity of ethanolic extract of medicinal plants against QS mediated virulence factors of human pathogenic bacteria Acinetobacter baumannii has been investigated. The effect of plant extracts on QS by acyl homoserine lactone (AHL) has been carried out by quantification of secreted AHL by high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). Measurement of QQ activity was determined by maximum inhibition of virulence factors and AHL production which was recorded in E. globules and A. indica extracts. In silico analysis was studied with possible bioactive compounds in the ethanolic extract of respective plant material that were characterized by gas chromatography equipped with mass spectroscopy (GCMS) against the enzyme responsible for the production of signaling molecule which mediates QS AHL synthase. Distinct reduction of all the QS-mediated virulence factors was recorded in the E. globules and A. indica. Among the different bioactive compounds, the ethanolic leaf extract of E. globules of GCMS analyzed compound, Hexadeconoic acid, 1-(hydroxymethyl), 1, 2-ethannediyl ester interacted with 1KZF protein (AHL synthase) and showed binding energy of −11.2 kcal/mol to MET 42 and TYR 54. Phytochemicals mediated inhibition of AHL synthase activity which was responsible for AHL production would suggest the possible utilization of plant extracts as an antibacterial agent to fight against disease-causing pathogenic bacteria
Radiative corrections to the Casimir force and effective field theories
Radiative corrections to the Casimir force between two parallel plates are
considered in both scalar field theory of one massless and one massive field
and in QED. Full calculations are contrasted with calculations based on
employing ``boundary-free'' effective field theories. The difference between
two previous results on QED radiative corrections to the Casimir force between
two parallel plates is clarified and the low-energy effective field theory for
the Casimir effect in QED is constructed.Comment: 17 pages, revte
New constraints for non-Newtonian gravity in nanometer range from the improved precision measurement of the Casimir force
We obtain constraints on non-Newtonian gravity following from the improved
precision measurement of the Casimir force by means of atomic force microscope.
The hypothetical force is calculated in experimental configuration (a sphere
above a disk both covered by two metallic layers). The strengthenings of
constraints up to 4 times comparing the previous experiment and up to 560 times
comparing the Casimir force measurements between dielectrics are obtained in
the interaction range 5.9 nmnm. Recent speculations about
the presence of some unexplained attractive force in the considered experiment
are shown to be unjustified.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figur
Experimental procedures for precision measurements of the Casimir force with an Atomic Force Microscope
Experimental methods and procedures required for precision measurements of
the Casimir force are presented. In particular, the best practices for
obtaining stable cantilevers, calibration of the cantilever, correction of
thermal and mechanical drift, measuring the contact separation, sphere radius
and the roughness are discussed.Comment: 14 pages, 7 figure
Casimir Energy for Spherical boundaries
Calculations of the Casimir energy for spherical geometries which are based
on integrations of the stress tensor are critically examined. It is shown that
despite their apparent agreement with numerical results obtained from mode
summation methods, they contain a number of serious errors. Specifically, these
include (1) an improper application of the stress tensor to spherical
boundaries, (2) the neglect of pole terms in contour integrations, and (3) the
imposition of inappropriate boundary conditions upon the relevant propagators.
A calculation which is based on the stress tensor and which avoids such
problems is shown to be possible. It is, however, equivalent to the mode
summation method and does not therefore constitute an independent calculation
of the Casimir energy.Comment: Revtex, 7 pages, Appendix added providing details of failure of
stress tensor metho
Rigorous approach to the comparison between experiment and theory in Casimir force measurements
In most experiments on the Casimir force the comparison between measurement
data and theory was done using the concept of the root-mean-square deviation, a
procedure that has been criticized in literature. Here we propose a special
statistical analysis which should be performed separately for the experimental
data and for the results of the theoretical computations. In so doing, the
random, systematic, and total experimental errors are found as functions of
separation, taking into account the distribution laws for each error at 95%
confidence. Independently, all theoretical errors are combined to obtain the
total theoretical error at the same confidence. Finally, the confidence
interval for the differences between theoretical and experimental values is
obtained as a function of separation. This rigorous approach is applied to two
recent experiments on the Casimir effect.Comment: 10 pages, iopart.cls is used, to appear in J. Phys. A (special issue:
Proceedings of QFEXT05, Barcelona, Sept. 5-9, 2005
Stiction, Adhesion Energy and the Casimir Effect in Micromechanical Systems
We measure the adhesion energy of gold using a micromachined doubly-clamped
beam. The stress and stiffness of the beam are characterized by measuring the
spectrum of mechanical vibrations and the deflection due to an external force.
To determine the adhesion energy we induce stiction between the beam and a
nearby surface by capillary forces. Subsequent analysis yields a value J/m that is a factor of approximately six smaller than predicted
by idealized theory. This discrepancy may be resolved with revised models that
include surface roughness and the effect of adsorbed monolayers intervening
between the contacting surfaces in these mesoscopic structures.Comment: RevTex, 4 pages, 4 eps figure
- …