2-Aminobenzothiazoles Inhibit Virulence Gene Expression and Block Polymyxin Resistance in Salmonella enterica

One promising strategy to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria is to develop compounds that block bacterial defenses against antibacterial conditions produced by the innate immune system. Salmonella enterica, which causes food-borne gastroenteritis and typhoid fever, requires histidine kinases (HKs) to resist innate immune defenses such as cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAMPs). Herein, we report that 2-aminobenzothiazoles block histidine kinase-dependent phenotypes in Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium. We found that 2-aminobenzothiazoles inhibited growth under low Mg²⁺, a stressful condition that requires histidine kinase-mediated responses, and decreased expression of the virulence genes pagC and pagK. Furthermore, we discovered that 2-aminobenzothiazoles weaken Salmonella’s resistance to polymyxin B and polymyxin E, which are last-line antibiotics and models for host defense CAMPs. These findings raise the possibilities that 2-aminobenzothiazoles can block HK-mediated bacterial defenses and can be used in combination with polymyxins to treat infections caused by Salmonella.     

A new method for estimating of evapotranspiration and surface soil moisture from optical and thermal infrared measurements: the simplified triangle

Earth Observation (EO) provides a promising approach towards deriving accurate spatiotemporal estimates of key parameters characterizing land surface interactions, such as latent (LE) and sensible (H) heat fluxes as well as soil moisture content. This paper proposes a very simple method to implement, yet reliable to calculate evapotranspiration fraction (EF) and surface moisture availability (M_o) from remotely sensed imagery of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and surface radiometric temperature (T_ir). The method is unique in that it derives all of its information solely from these two images. As such, it does not depend on knowing ancillary surface or atmospheric parameters, nor does it require the use of a land surface model. The procedure for computing spatiotemporal estimates of these important land surface parameters is outlined herein stepwise for practical application by the user. Moreover, as the newly developed scheme is not tied to any particular sensor, it can also be implemented with technologically advanced EO sensors launched recently or planned to be launched such as Landsat 8 and Sentinel 3. The latter offers a number of key advantages in terms of future implementation of the method and wider use for research and practical applications alike.     

Systems and Virtualization Management: Standards and the Cloud. A report on SVM 2013

Hosted by the Distributed Management Task Force (DMTF) and collocated with the International Conference on Network and Service Management, SVM 2013 was the seventh International DMTF Academic Alliance Workshop on Systems and Virtualization Management (SVM). SVM 2013 was held in Zurich, Switzerland on October 18, 2013. Featuring seven presentations surrounding cloud, OpenSAF, open standards, and CIM, SVM 2013 also included a joint poster session with another workshop, an invited talk by a guest speaker, a keynote speech given by the DMTF President, Jeff Hilland, and closed with an informal interactive group discussion.     

Finite element study of the effect of material properties on reaction forces produced by solitary wave propagation in granular chains

The response of a granular chain to impulse loading was investigated as a function of material properties. Using COMSOL Multiphysics, the elastic modulus and density of the grains were varied while the piston and force sensor properties remained fixed. The result of solitary wave propagation through the granular chain was recorded at the force sensor as a series of reaction force waves. It was found that wave velocity and amplitude increased with elastic modulus. Increasing density caused a decrease in wave velocity and an increase in amplitude. In addition, higher density granular chains exhibited a decrease in the number of waves in their respective reaction force wave trains. LS-DYNA was then used to explore the response of a variety of ceramic and metallic granular chains. Density, elastic modulus, and Poisson’s ratio were all set to representative values for the respective material. It was found that solitary wave development and decay occurred at different rates for different materials. In addition, the kinetic energy decay of the impactor was slower for glass compared with tungsten. Finally, it was shown that a single reaction force wave with no train could be produced by impacting a high density, high modulus chain such as tungsten with a glass piston, which has relatively low density and elastic modulus. Increasing impact velocity for this case resulted in a single high-amplitude wave with no train.     

Friction stir scribe welding technique for dissimilar joining of aluminium and galvanised steel

Friction stir scribe technology, a derivative of friction stir welding, was applied for the dissimilar lap welding of an aluminium alloy and galvanised mild steel sheets. During the process, the rotating tool with a cobalt steel scribe first penetrated the top material – aluminium – and then the scribe cuts the bottom material – steel. The steel was displaced into the upper material to produce a characteristic hook feature. Lap welds were shear tested, and their fracture paths were studied. Welding parameters affected the welding features, including hook height, which turned out to be highly related to fracture position. Therefore, in this paper, the relationships among welding parameters, hook height, joint strength and fracture position are presented. In addition, the influence of zinc coating on joint strength was also studied.     

Rebuttal re: "Confirmatory bias and the persistent influence of discredited data in interpreting the stress-cancer link: Commentary on Michael et al. (2009)".

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 30(4) of Health Psychology (see record 2011-13978-001). The letter was missing the doi. The correct doi is 10.1037/a0022737. The online version of this article has been corrected.] Responds to the comments by J. C. Coyne and C. Johansen (see record 2011-09497-016) on the current author's original article, "Influence of stressors on breast cancer incidence in the Women's Health Initiative" (see record 2009-03297-001). Coyne and Johansen (2011) took issue with the study conducted by the current authors' group (Michael et al., 2009), which analyzed the interaction between stressful life events and social support on breast cancer risk among 83,334 postmenopausal women enrolled in the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI). While the current authors agree with the Coyne and Johansen that too often null results are difficult to publish due to confirmatory bias that privileges results that support an alternative hypothesis, they strongly disagree with the assertion that their group selectively reported findings, inaccurately reported findings, or provided selective and uncritical reference to the existing literature. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)