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Sustainability, Vol. 3, Pages 1742-1772: Crop Breeding for Low Input Agriculture: A Sustainable Response to Feed a Growing World Population
IJMS, Vol. 12, Pages 6566-6596: The Potential of Antimicrobial Peptides as Biocides
Materials, Vol. 4, Pages 1747-1762: Mechanical Properties of Titanium Nitride Nanocomposites Produced by Chemical Precursor Synthesis Followed by High-P,T Treatment
cf/x alpha home 2.0.1 - Assemble multiple images into new compositions.. (Demo)
Materials, Vol. 4, Pages 1728-1746: Chitin-Methacrylate: Preparation, Characterization and Hydrogel Formation
IJMS, Vol. 12, Pages 6544-6565: ATP-Dependent Chromatin Remodeling Factors and Their Roles in Affecting Nucleosome Fiber Composition
Materials, Vol. 4, Pages 1705-1727: Polyacylurethanes as Novel Degradable Cell Carrier Materials for Tissue Engineering
IJMS, Vol. 12, Pages 6529-6543: Hepatoprotective and Antioxidant Effects of Licorice Extract against CCl4-Induced Oxidative Damage in Rats
Dutch online rights group Bits of Freedom fundraiser
Forza Motorsport 4 Review
Nintendo unveils new Ice White 3DS color
Forza Motorsport 4 - Z Day Gameplay Movie
Forza Motorsport 4 - Video Review
Forza Motorsport 4 - Cos Play Gameplay Movie
Forza Motorsport 4 - Lambo Paint Trade Gameplay Movie
Forza Motorsport 4 - Review Teaser Footage
Forza Motorsport 4 - Chevy Race Gameplay Movie
Forza Motorsport 4 - Race Day Gameplay Movie
Forza Motorsport 4 - Italian Stallion Gameplay Movie
Marvelous AQL unleashes No More Heroes on smartphones

Sustainability, Vol. 3, Pages 1742-1772: Crop Breeding for Low Input Agriculture: A Sustainable Response to Feed a Growing World Population

Posted: 06 Oct 2011 12:00 AM PDT

World population is projected to reach its maximum (~10 billion people) by the year 2050. This 45% increase of the current world population (approaching seven billion people) will boost the demand for food and raw materials. However, we live in a historical moment when supply of phosphate, water, and oil are at their peaks. Modern agriculture is fundamentally based on varieties bred for high performance under high input systems (fertilizers, water, oil, pesticides), which generally do not perform well under low-input situations. We propose a shift of research goals and plant breeding objectives from high-performance agriculture at high-energy input to those with an improved rationalization between yield and energy input. Crop breeding programs that are more focused on nutrient economy and local environmental fitness will help reduce energy demands for crop production while still providing adequate amounts of high quality food as global resources decline and population is projected to increase.

IJMS, Vol. 12, Pages 6566-6596: The Potential of Antimicrobial Peptides as Biocides

Posted: 06 Oct 2011 12:00 AM PDT

Antimicrobial peptides constitute a diverse class of naturally occurring antimicrobial molecules which have activity against a wide range of pathogenic microorganisms. Antimicrobial peptides are exciting leads in the development of novel biocidal agents at a time when classical antibiotics are under intense pressure from emerging resistance, and the global industry in antibiotic research and development stagnates. This review will examine the potential of antimicrobial peptides, both natural and synthetic, as novel biocidal agents in the battle against multi-drug resistant pathogen infections.

Materials, Vol. 4, Pages 1747-1762: Mechanical Properties of Titanium Nitride Nanocomposites Produced by Chemical Precursor Synthesis Followed by High-P,T Treatment

Posted: 06 Oct 2011 12:00 AM PDT

We investigated the high-P,T annealing and mechanical properties of nanocomposite materials with a highly nitrided bulk composition close to Ti3N4. Amorphous solids were precipitated from solution by ammonolysis of metal dialkylamide precursors followed by heating at 400–700 °C in flowing NH3 to produce reddish-brown amorphous/nanocrystalline materials. The precursors were then densified at 2 GPa and 200–700 °C to form monolithic ceramics. There was no evidence for N2 loss during the high-P,T treatment. Micro- and nanoindentation experiments indicate hardness values between 4–20 GPa for loads ranging between 0.005–3 N. Young's modulus values were measured to lie in the range 200–650 GPa. Palmqvist cracks determined from microindentation experiments indicate fracture toughness values between 2–4 MPa·m1/2 similar to Si3N4, SiC and Al2O3. Significant variations in the hardness may be associated with the distribution of amorphous/crystalline regions and the very fine grained nature (~3 nm grain sizes) of the crystalline component in these materials.

cf/x alpha home 2.0.1 - Assemble multiple images into new compositions.. (Demo)

Posted: 06 Oct 2011 03:01 AM PDT

cf/x alpha home provides an� easy-to-use interface, complex real-time transparency, non-destructive editing� and� powerful export capabilities. It is based on the same advanced composition engine as cf/x alpha.

cf/x alpha and alpha home greatly� simplify the process of assembling multiple images into a new composition,� enable you to quickly� create stunning compositions out of individual images and� export the result to many different file formats or to social web sites.

The 'home' version is tailored to the needs� of the casual� user who wants the same powerful composition features, but does� not require the more advanced image processing capabilities of the� standard version.

Version 2.0.1

Major Update: free to all registered users.

This update add major new functionality to all aspects of alpha home. Be prepared for foolishly happy grins, bouts of joy -- and please secure your jaw lest it drops too far.
cf/x alpha home 2.0 can read all alpha home 1.x documents (but writes 2.x version documents only) Warning To OSX 10.5 Users: To use most of alpha home's features, you must run OSX version 10.6 ("Snow Leopard") or above. alpha home 2.0 has legacy OS support (it runs on 10.5 and PPC-based Macs), but many of alpha home's new features may render incorrectly. For our old-school users we keep the last 1.x version around to download from our support pages (look for 'Legacy Support'). New Features cf/x alpha home 2.0 represents more than 15 months of constant improvements based on feedback from all our users around the world: professional photographers, designers and artists alike. These enhancements dramatically improve the way you work and have fun with alpha - which is no surprise because it was you who suggested them. The free 2.0 update is our way to say 'thanks!' to all of you - and here's what 2.0 has in store for you: Interface Improvements - numerical read-out for all sliders - Zoom (from 25% to 400%) - a new 'Object' tab in the composition panel - New tool palette to create objects New Functionality - Template Manager and Prefab Templates: alpha home comes with over 50 ready-to-go professionally designed templates that make short work of routine designs. Better yet, you can convert your own designs into templates at the touch of a button. Please note that some templates require alpha (standard) to render correctly. - Objects: alpha has gained new 'killer' functionality in the form of smart objects. These objects mostly behave like images in earlier versions of alpha, except much more so. alpha home comes with a limited subset that include • Smart Images: The image objects of old have gained interactive functionality and now can receive new images via drag & drop - without forgetting any f/x, blend or property assigned to them. • Smart Text: Text objects that behave just like images - you can add f/x to them, add blends, and alter properties. Furthermore, they support 'wildcard' autotext for real-time updates like output date, image name etc. • Geometric Objects: A host of different objects that you now can create in-App with almost limitless variety. alpha home includes frames and panels. - New Blends Of course we have added new blends to alpha. Only two have made the cut, but these two stand out because they are of the 'Special' blend category: Perspective project and Photo Curl. Use the Photo Curl on text, and you'll see what we mean. Try that in any other app. - Updated Documentation: We updated the whole documentation. All 400+ pages. For you, we have included a 'Version 2' section to quickly get you started, and of course beefed up the tutorial/recipe section. Other stuff There's a lot of other stuff that has been going on under the hood. Stability enhancements. Compatibility enhancements (Mac OS X 10.7 Lion anyone?). Most of it is arcane, and, honestly, by the time you read this you could already have downloaded and tried it out for yourself. Go head - make your day!
Enjoy

Mac OS X 10.6 or later

Download Now

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Materials, Vol. 4, Pages 1728-1746: Chitin-Methacrylate: Preparation, Characterization and Hydrogel Formation

Posted: 06 Oct 2011 12:00 AM PDT

Chitin-methacrylate (CM) was prepared by the reaction of methacrylic acid on chitin in 5% LiCl/DMAc in the presence of N,N'-dicyclocarbodiimide and dimethylaminopyridine. The resultant chitin-methacrylate product was isolated in 61% yield and was found to be readily water-soluble. The derivative was found to be a mixture of methacrylate and methacrylic-dimethylaminopyridine complex substituents at the C-6 position in approximately equal amounts. In order to evaluate the activity of the methacrylate double bond, a chitin-methacrylate water solution was photo-crosslinked in the presence of Irgacure 2959 photo-initiator to generate CM-hydrogel. The CM-hydrogel was evaluated for its biodegradability characteristics by enzymatic degradation with lysozyme solutions of varying concentrations. Completely water-soluble products were obtained within 48 h. In vitro cytotoxicity assays of the CM-hydrogel and its extract against three cell lines, NCTC clone 929, IMR-90 and MG-63, indicated the hydrogel was non-cytotoxic with cells able to adhere and proliferate well on the hydrogel.

IJMS, Vol. 12, Pages 6544-6565: ATP-Dependent Chromatin Remodeling Factors and Their Roles in Affecting Nucleosome Fiber Composition

Posted: 06 Oct 2011 12:00 AM PDT

ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling factors of the SNF2 family are key components of the cellular machineries that shape and regulate chromatin structure and function. Members of this group of proteins have broad and heterogeneous functions ranging from controlling gene activity, facilitating DNA damage repair, promoting homologous recombination to maintaining genomic stability. Several chromatin remodeling factors are critical components of nucleosome assembly processes, and recent reports have identified specific functions of distinct chromatin remodeling factors in the assembly of variant histones into chromatin. In this review we will discuss the specific roles of ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling factors in determining nucleosome composition and, thus, chromatin fiber properties.

Materials, Vol. 4, Pages 1705-1727: Polyacylurethanes as Novel Degradable Cell Carrier Materials for Tissue Engineering

Posted: 06 Oct 2011 12:00 AM PDT

Polycaprolactone (PCL) polyester and segmented aliphatic polyester urethanes based on PCL soft segment have been thoroughly investigated as biodegradable scaffolds for tissue engineering. Although proven beneficial as long term implants, these materials degrade very slowly and are therefore not suitable in applications in which scaffold support is needed for a shorter time. A recently developed class of polyacylurethanes (PAUs) is expected to fulfill such requirements. Our aim was to assess in vitro the degradation of PAUs and evaluate their suitability as temporary scaffold materials to support soft tissue repair. With both a mass loss of 2.5–3.0% and a decrease in molar mass of approx. 35% over a period of 80 days, PAUs were shown to degrade via both bulk and surface erosion mechanisms. Fourier Transform Infra Red (FTIR) spectroscopy was successfully applied to study the extent of PAUs microphase separation during in vitro degradation. The microphase separated morphology of PAU1000 (molar mass of the oligocaprolactone soft segment = 1000 g/mol) provided this polymer with mechano-physical characteristics that would render it a suitable material for constructs and devices. PAU1000 exhibited excellent haemocompatibility in vitro. In addition, PAU1000 supported both adhesion and proliferation of vascular endothelial cells and this could be further enhanced by pre-coating of PAU1000 with fibronectin (Fn). The contact angle of PAU1000 decreased both with in vitro degradation and by incubation in biological fluids. In endothelial cell culture medium the contact angle reached 60°, which is optimal for cell adhesion. Taken together, these results support the application of PAU1000 in the field of soft tissue repair as a temporary degradable scaffold.

IJMS, Vol. 12, Pages 6529-6543: Hepatoprotective and Antioxidant Effects of Licorice Extract against CCl4-Induced Oxidative Damage in Rats

Posted: 06 Oct 2011 12:00 AM PDT

Licorice has been used in Chinese folk medicine for the treatment of various disorders. Licorice has the biological capabilities of detoxication, antioxidation, and antiinfection. In this study, we evaluated the antihepatotoxic effect of licorice aqueous extract (LE) on the carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver injury in a rat model. Hepatic damage, as reveled by histology and the increased activities of serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities, and decreased levels of serum total protein (TP), albumin (Alb) and globulin (G) were induced in rats by an administration of CCl4 at 3 mL/kg b.w. (1:1 in groundnut oil). Licorice extract significantly inhibited the elevated AST, ALP and ALT activities and the decreased TP, Alb and G levels caused by CCl4 intoxication. It also enhanced liver super oxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), glutathione reductase (GR), Glutathione S-transferase (GST) activities and glutathione (GSH) level, reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) level. Licorice extract still markedly reverses the increased liver hydroxyproline and serum TNF-α levels induced by CCl4 intoxication. The data of this study support a chemopreventive potential of licorice extract against liver oxidative injury.

Dutch online rights group Bits of Freedom fundraiser

Posted: 06 Oct 2011 02:29 AM PDT

Ot sez, "Dutch digital rights organisation Bits of Freedom is raising money to ensure it can continue defending online freedom in the coming years. Bits of Freedom fights for an open Internet which is accessible to all, where people can share information and where private communication remains private. As a result of Bits of Freedom's work, The Netherlands is the first country in Europe to launch a net neutrality law. If you think that Bits of Freedom is doing important stuff, you can support our work today at our campaign page. Thank you!"

They've got my support!

Do your bit! « Bits of Freedom

(Thanks, Ot!)

Forza Motorsport 4 Review

Posted: 06 Oct 2011 01:37 AM PDT

Forza Motorsport 4 refines and improves upon its predecessor in a number of ways, but also feels just a little too familiar.

Score: 8.5 / great

Get the full article at GameSpot

"Forza Motorsport 4 Review" was posted by Justin Calvert on Thu, 06 Oct 2011 01:37:35 -0700

Nintendo unveils new Ice White 3DS color

Posted: 06 Oct 2011 12:16 AM PDT

New color to be out this November in Japan; company also announces new Wii bundle featuring pink Wiimote Plus.

With Nintendo having a wide color palettes for the many versions of the DS, it's only natural for them to continue that tradition with the system's successor, the 3DS. The company recently announced that it will be releasing a 3DS with a new Ice White color variant in Japan.

Japan stores will experience a 3DS whiteout soon.

The new paint job will be out on November 3 in Japan and will carry a pricetag of 15,000 yen ($196). The color coordination will be similar to the stylings of the Aqua Blue, Cosmos Black, and Red Flame versions. The Misty Pink 3DS will be out on October 20 in Japan.

On a related note, the company will be selling a new Wii bundle featuring a new pink Wiimote Plus and a copy of Wii Party. The bundle consists of either a white or black Wii, and a matching Wiimote Plus and Nunchuck device in addition to the aforementioned remote. The bundle will be available in Japanese stores in late November and will cost gamers 20,000 yen ($261).

Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot

"Nintendo unveils new Ice White 3DS color" was posted by Jonathan Leo Toyad on Thu, 06 Oct 2011 00:16:41 -0700

Forza Motorsport 4 - Z Day Gameplay Movie