Comment on ‘Generalized Heisenberg algebra coherent states for power-law potentials’ [Phys. Lett. A 375 (3) (2011) 298]

We argue that the statistical features of generalized coherent states for power-law potentials based on Heisenberg algebra, presented in a recent paper by Berrada et al. (2011) [1] are incorrect.     

Isotope separation via atom optics in the Bragg regime

We study the resonant interaction of a beam of mono-velocity two-level atoms with a standing-wave light field in the Bragg regime. The atomic beam consists of two different isotopes, and the density is sufficiently small so that at most one atom is inside the cavity at a time. The momentum transfer between the atoms and photons in the process significantly effects the center-of-mass motion of the atoms, thus separating the isotopes in different directions.     

Recurrence Tracking Microscope: Nanoscanning Via Bose–Einstein Condensation

A recurrence tracking microscope works on quantum recurrence phenomena of the wave packet and probes nanostructures on a surface. The important advantage of condensed atoms over cold atoms is the very small distribution size due to the atom–atom interactions. We report a more precise measurement of the quantum revival time. For small nonlinear interatomic interactions, there is a small change in quantum revival times; however, as the interaction becomes stronger, we find visible changes in the revival time. The change in the initial height of the nanoparticles is due to the variation in the revival times at different positions of the cantilever.     

Mixed Convective Viscoelastic Nanofluid Flow Past a Porous Media with Soret-Dufour Effects

The present study is carried out to see the thermal-diffusion (Dufour) and diffusion-thermo (Soret) effects on the mixed convection boundary layer flow of viscoelastic nanofluid flow over a vertical stretching surface in a porous medium. Optimal homotopy analysis method (OHAM) is best candidate to handle highly nonlinear system of differ-ential equations obtained from boundary layer partial differential equations via appropriate transformations. Graphical illustrations depicting different physical arising parameters against velocity, temperature and concentration distributions with required discussion have also been added. Numerically calculated values of skin friction coefficient, local Nusselt and Sherwood numbers are given in the form of table and well argued. It is found that nanofluid velocity increases with increase in mixed convective and viscoelastic parameters but it decreases with the increasing values of porosity parameter. Also, it is observed that Dufour number has opposite behavior on temperature and concentration profiles.     

Phase Dependent Mechanosensitivity in Cardiomyocytes

Cardiomyocytes are mechanosensitive. In the functioning heart, discrete sets of cardiac oscillators maintain stable relative phase dynamics and mechanical coupling between each other through the elastic tissue. A few questions that remains elusive to date are, how strong is the coupling and how tunable is their dynamics, whether this coupling is phase dependent, and if so, at what phase of cardiac dynamics is the coupling most dominant. In other words, at which phase of its dynamics a cardiac cell is most sensitive to forces and deformations induced by its neighbors. Here we address these questions by culturing rat cardiomyocytes on a stretchable substrate. We apply cyclic stretch on the substrate with a range of frequencies in the vicinity of the intrinsic beating frequency of the cell cluster. We find that the cell cluster can synchronize its dynamics with that of the substrate within 25% of its intrinsic frequency in less than a minute. However, it takes much longer time to return to its intrinsic frequency after removal of substrate stretch. With increasing substrate frequency, the cluster tends to catch up, and beats with a range of frequencies between the intrinsic and the applied with wide variation in relative phases. This allows us to measure phase dependent mechano-sensitivity of the cardiac cluster to the periodic deformation of the substrate that is critical to produce stable relative phase dynamics. We find that cardiac cells are most mechano sensitive when they are at 1/2 of their phase. This phase dependence might be mediated by the ion channels active at this phase of the dynamics. This study identifies a functional output of sub-second scale mechanotransduction with the potential to enhance or reinforce cardiac contractile dynamics.

     

Risedronate and Methotrexate Are High-Affinity Inhibitors of New Delhi Metallo-β-Lactamase-1 (NDM-1): A Drug Repurposing Approach

Bacteria expressing New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase-1 (NDM-1) can hydrolyze β-lactam antibiotics (penicillins, cephalosporins, and carbapenems) and, thus, mediate multidrug resistance. The worldwide dissemination of NDM-1 poses a serious threat to public health, imposing a huge economic burden in the development of new antibiotics. Thus, there is an urgent need for the identification of novel NDM-1 inhibitors from a pool of already-known drug molecules. Here, we screened a library of FDA-approved drugs to identify novel non-β-lactam ring-containing inhibitors of NDM-1 by applying computational as well as in vitro experimental approaches. Different steps of high-throughput virtual screening, molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulation, and enzyme kinetics were performed to identify risedronate and methotrexate as the inhibitors with the most potential. The molecular mechanics/generalized Born surface area (MM/GBSA) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations showed that both of the compounds (risedronate and methotrexate) formed a stable complex with NDM-1. Furthermore, analyses of the binding pose revealed that risedronate formed two hydrogen bonds and three electrostatic interactions with the catalytic residues of NDM-1. Similarly, methotrexate formed four hydrogen bonds and one electrostatic interaction with NDM-1’s active site residues. The docking scores of risedronate and methotrexate for NDM-1 were –10.543 kcal mol⁻¹ and −10.189 kcal mol⁻¹, respectively. Steady-state enzyme kinetics in the presence of risedronate and methotrexate showed a decreased catalytic efficiency (i.e., kcat/Km) of NDM-1 on various antibiotics, owing to poor catalytic proficiency and affinity. The results were further validated by determining the MICs of imipenem and meropenem in the presence of risedronate and methotrexate. The IC₅₀ values of the identified inhibitors were in the micromolar range. The findings of this study should be helpful in further characterizing the potential of risedronate and methotrexate to treat bacterial infections.     

An Integrated Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) Model for Studying Significant Factors Associated with Frequent Lane Changing

Frequent lane changes cause serious traffic safety concerns, which involve fatalities and serious injuries. This phenomenon is affected by several significant factors related to road safety. The detection and classification of significant factors affecting lane changing could help reduce frequent lane changing risk. The principal objective of this research is to estimate and prioritize the nominated crucial criteria and sub-criteria based on participants’ answers on a designated questionnaire survey. In doing so, this paper constructs a hierarchical lane-change model based on the concept of the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) with two levels of the most concerning attributes. Accordingly, the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) procedure was applied utilizing fuzzy scale to evaluate precisely the most influential factors affecting lane changing, which will decrease uncertainty in the evaluation process. Based on the final measured weights for level 1, FAHP model estimation results revealed that the most influential variable affecting lane-changing is ‘traffic characteristics’. In contrast, compared to other specified factors, ‘light conditions’ was found to be the least critical factor related to driver lane-change maneuvers. For level 2, the FAHP model results showed ‘traffic volume’ as the most critical factor influencing the lane changes operations, followed by ‘speed’. The objectivity of the model was supported by sensitivity analyses that examined a range for weights’ values and those corresponding to alternative values. Based on the evaluated results, stakeholders can determine strategic policy by considering and placing more emphasis on the highlighted risk factors associated with lane changing to improve road safety. In conclusion, the finding provides the usefulness of the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process to review lane-changing risks for road safety.     

Determination of lead in tooth-pastes by electrothermal atomic-absorption spectrophotometry with platform atomization

Electrothermal atomic-absorption spectrometry is used for the determination of lead in tooth-pastes, by means of the graphite platform/matrix-modification technique. The method is easy to apply, has limited interferences and is more precise than conventional flame AAS. The working concentration range is up to 100 mug/1. The method is characterized by a detection limit of 0.08 mug/1. and a precision of +/-1.9 % for the sample solutions. For the tooth-pastes, the detection limit is between 1.1 and 5.4 ng/g and the precision in the range 1.8-10%.     

Solid film versus solution-phase charge-recombination dynamics of exTTF-bridge-C60 dyads

The charge-recombination dynamics of two exTTF-C60 dyads (exTTF = 9,10-bis(1,3-dithiol-2-ylidene)-9,10-dihydroanthracene), observed after photoinduced charge separation, are compared in solution and in the solid state. The dyads differ only in the degree of conjugation of the bridge between the donor (exTTF) and the acceptor (C60) moieties. In solution, photoexcitation of the nonconjugated dyad C60-BN-exTTF (1) (BN = 1,1'-binaphthyl) shows slower charge-recombination dynamics compared with the conjugated dyad C60-TVB-exTTF (2) (TVB = bisthienylvinylenebenzene) (lifetimes of 24 and 0.6 micros, respectively), consistent with the expected stronger electronic coupling in the conjugated dyad. However, in solid films, the dynamics are remarkably different, with dyad 2 showing slower recombination dynamics than 1. For dyad 1, recombination dynamics for the solid films are observed to be tenfold faster than in solution, with this acceleration attributed to enhanced electronic coupling between the geminate radical pair in the solid film. In contrast, for dyad 2, the recombination dynamics in the solid film exhibit a lifetime of 7 micros, tenfold slower than that observed for this dyad in solution. These slow recombination dynamics are assigned to the dissociation of the initially formed geminate radical pair to free carriers. Subsequent trapping of the free carriers at film defects results in the observed slow recombination dynamics. It is thus apparent that consideration of solution-phase recombination data is of only limited value in predicting the solid-film behaviour. These results are discussed with reference to the development of organic solar cells based upon molecular donor-acceptor structures.     

A supramolecular approach to lithium ion solvation at nanostructured dye sensitised inorganic/organic heterojunctions

A novel arylamine based hole transporting material (HTM) with tetraethylene glycol (TEG) side groups is reported. Lithium ions solubilised by the TEG groups are employed to modulate interfacial electron transfer reactions at a dye sensitised TiO2/HTM interface.