четверг, 31 мая 2012 г.

Games

Games


Pimp Your Screen 1.2 - Custom desktop wallpaper.. (Commercial)

Posted: 31 May 2012 03:52 AM PDT



Pimp Your Screen , the best-selling and award-winning app for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad comes to the Mac!

Pimp Your Screen is here to customize the look of your desktop by giving you an exclusive selection of specially designed background images and wallpapers arranged in categories. Choose from a variety of minimalistic images, abstract backgrounds and truly unique wallpapers that will bring even more beauty to your Mac.

Pimp Your Screen is a true pleasure to use due to its neat interface and well thought out design. Finding a wallpaper of your choice has never been so fun and easy!

Features:

  • Exclusive content designed specially for your Mac.
  • Supports all available resolutions.
  • Different categories to let you find a wallpaper of your choice more easily.
  • Preview your background image before saving.
  • Popular, Favorite and New tabs,
  • Regular content updates.
  • Share on Twitter or email.
  • Rate the images you enjoy most and add them to your Favorites.
Bring more color and beauty into your daily life. It's time to Pimp Your Screen!

We add new eye candies daily. Just click on "New" to see the updates.



Version 1.2:
  • Now supports Mac OS X 10.7.4.
  • Multiple display support.
  • Issues with automatic wallpaper change are now fixed.
  • Improved Twitter integration.
  • Performance and stability improvements.
  • New wallpapers added, there's always something new and special holiday goodies to check out.
Thank you for comments submitted by email. We appreciate your feedback and are constantly working on making the app better.

  • Mac OS X 10.7.4 or later
  • 64-bit processor


Download Now

DragonDisk 1.02 - File manager for the Amazon S3 service.. (Free)

Posted: 31 May 2012 03:41 AM PDT



DragonDisk is a file manager for the Amazon S3 Service. DragonDisk has lots of useful features and an intuitive graphical user interface. Features include multiple windows, copy / move between Amazon S3 accounts, a fast multi-threaded HTTP/HTTPS engine, folders synchronization, drag and drop; rename files and folders, filename filters, BiTorrent, time limited, and signed URLs, files integrity control, a metadata editor, ACL inheritance, encryption, compression, detailed operations logs; external buckets; CNAMEs; Reduced Redundancy Storage; and support for versioning.

Version 1.02:
  • Fixed : All dates are now displayed in local time.
  • Fixed : The state of some buttons are not updated correctly.
  • New : Support for Constant Cloud Storage.
  • New : Support for GreenQloud.
  • Added : Better support for Nifty Cloud Storage.


  • Mac OS X 10.5 or later
  • 64-bit processor
  • Amazon S3 account


Download Now

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LED Message Board 1.0.0 - Create LED text and animated messages.. (Free)

Posted: 31 May 2012 03:36 AM PDT



LED Message Board was designed to work with the USB device from Dream Cheeky of the same name. The software can work with multiple LED Message Boards or on its own without the hardware. You can turn your Mac monitor into a giant 7 x 21 LED Message Board. You can display text messages, animated sequences that the program allows you to also create, or other images that you might have prepared. You can alter the speed and direction of display.

  • Mac OS X 10.7 or later
  • LED Message Board USB device


Download Now

PlayStation 4 side-steps PSP Go-shaped landmine as Sony decides against download-only games

Posted: 31 May 2012 03:45 AM PDT

Sources have told the Wall Street Journal that Sony was considering having PS4 be a download-only machine. But there's a 'but'...

Nutrients, Vol. 4, Pages 436-448: Neonatal Phosphate Nutrition Alters in Vivo and in Vitro Satellite Cell Activity in Pigs

Posted: 31 May 2012 12:00 AM PDT

Satellite cell activity is necessary for postnatal skeletal muscle growth. Severe phosphate (PO4) deficiency can alter satellite cell activity, however the role of neonatal PO4 nutrition on satellite cell biology remains obscure. Twenty-one piglets (1 day of age, 1.8 ± 0.2 kg BW) were pair-fed liquid diets that were either PO4 adequate (0.9% total P), supra-adequate (1.2% total P) in PO4 requirement or deficient (0.7% total P) in PO4 content for 12 days. Body weight was recorded daily and blood samples collected every 6 days. At day 12, pigs were orally dosed with BrdU and 12 h later, satellite cells were isolated. Satellite cells were also cultured in vitro for 7 days to determine if PO4 nutrition alters their ability to proceed through their myogenic lineage. Dietary PO4 deficiency resulted in reduced (P < 0.05) sera PO4 and parathyroid hormone (PTH) concentrations, while supra-adequate dietary PO4 improved (P < 0.05) feed conversion efficiency as compared to the PO4 adequate group. In vivo satellite cell proliferation was reduced (P < 0.05) among the PO4 deficient pigs, and these cells had altered in vitro expression of markers of myogenic progression. Further work to better understand early nutritional programming of satellite cells and the potential benefits of emphasizing early PO4 nutrition for future lean growth potential is warranted.

Applied Sciences, Vol. 2, Pages 535-548: High Performance Shape Memory Polyurethane Synthesized with High Molecular Weight Polyol as the Soft Segment

Posted: 31 May 2012 12:00 AM PDT

Shape memory polyurethanes (SMPUs) are typically synthesized using polyols of low molecular weight (MW~2,000 g/mol) as it is believed that the high density of cross-links in these low molecular weight polyols are essential for high mechanical strength and good shape memory effect. In this study, polyethylene glycol (PEG-6000) with MW ~6000 g/mol as the soft segment and diisocyanate as the hard segment were used to synthesize SMPUs, and the results were compared with the SMPUs with polycaprolactone PCL-2000. The study revealed that although the PEG-6000-based SMPUs have lower maximum elongations at break (425%) and recovery stresses than those of PCL-based SMPUs, they have much better recovery ratios (up to 98%) and shape fixity (up to 95%), hence better shape memory effect. Furthermore, PEG-based SMPUs showed a much shorter actuation time of < 10 s for up to 90% shape recovery compared to typical actuation times of tens of seconds to a few minutes for common SMPUs, demonstrated their great potential for applications in microsystems and other engineering components.

Posterino 2.6 - Create posters, calendars and postcards.. (Demo)

Posted: 31 May 2012 03:06 AM PDT



Posterino offers enhanced customization and flexibility including a variety of new stylish templates featuring grids of identical or odd sized image boxes. You can customize the size and shape of these boxes at any time. And with a single click, the application will automatically fill those boxes with random images drawn from the photos you uploaded. If you prefer to manually select images, you can simply drag and drop images into the template.

Sharing your photos is quick and simple as well. You can directly upload your completed collages to your Flickr account from inside the app and export photos to iPhoto and your email. Posterino 2 also lets you create and send custom e-cards with your very own stamps and postmarks.

Posterino 2 lets you:

  • Easily customize the layout of your images: grid, irregular, random
  • Easily change the number of images in a document
  • Alter the frame you use for your images
  • Tailor the image filter (black & white, sepia, sharpening etc.) to your needs
  • Enjoy new themed templates: A "western" theme automatically transforms all images into sepia. A "Black & White" theme makes all images B&W.
  • Integrate Posterino 2 with the latest versions of iPhoto, Aperture and Lightroom
  • Export to disk, as an e-mail, to iPhoto, to Flickr and as your desktop background
  • More easily customize your printing
  • Gain more fine grained control of your document with a new inspector
  • View your document in full-screen mode
Because of its ease and compatibility with Apple iLife suite, Posterino 2 is the ideal app for creating beautiful photo collages whether you’re a casual user or photography professional. The only limit is your imagination.

Version 2.6:
  • Posterino now supports export of documents with transparent background.
  • Added support for export documents as PNG image file.
  • The built-in image browser now supports Adobe Lightroom 4.
  • Solved a performance problem that could lead to a significant large processing time (beach ball of death), if a larger number of images is dragged from the image picker to the document canvas.
  • Fixed a problem with the "Snap to Guides" feature, that could lead to wrong alignment when the feature is toggled on/off via the ALT key.
  • You can't accidentally remove a text layer from a text object any more.
  • Improved Italian language support.
  • Hide the inspector when Posterino enters the version browser.
  • Updated online help contents and switched off remote updates.


  • Mac OS X 10.6.6 or later
  • 64-bit processor


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Tough exercises will improve your play

Posted: 31 May 2012 03:17 AM PDT

When It Happens Panel Get involved: send your photos, videos, news & views by texting 'OXFORD NEWS' to 80360 or email The chess problem this week comes without a solution since it is the starter problem of the 2012-13 Winton Capital British Chess Solving Championship.

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

Molecules, Vol. 17, Pages 6672-6683: Edible Flowers—A New Promising Source of Mineral Elements in Human Nutrition

Posted: 31 May 2012 12:00 AM PDT

On a global scale, people are demanding more attractive and tasty food. Both the quality of foodstuffs and aesthetic aspects contribute to the appearance of consumed meals. The attraction and appeal of individual dishes could be enhanced by edible flowers. New information concerning the composition and nutritional value of edible flowers is also important and represents a sufficient reason for their consumption. The aim of this study is to contribute to the popularization of some selected edible flowers of ornamental plants involving altogether 12 species. The flowers were used to determine their antioxidant capacity, which fluctuated between 4.21 and 6.96 g of ascorbic acid equivalents (AAE)/kg of fresh mass (FM). Correlation coefficients between antioxidant capacity and the contents of total phenolics and flavonoids were r2 = 0.9705 and r2 = 0.7861, respectively. Moreover, the results were supplemented with new data about the mineral composition of edible flowers (mostly, not found in the available literature). The highest levels of mineral elements were observed in the flowers of species Chrysanthemum, Dianthus or Viola. The most abundant element was potassium, the content of which ranged from 1,842.61 to 3,964.84 mg/kg of FM.

Antibodies, Vol. 1, Pages 70-87: Immunocytokines

Posted: 31 May 2012 12:00 AM PDT

A number of cytokines have shown beneficial effects in preclinical animal models of cancer and chronic inflammatory diseases. However, cytokine treatment is often associated with severe side effects, which prevent the administration of clinically relevant doses in humans. Immunocytokines are a novel class of biopharmaceuticals, consisting of a cytokine moiety fused to monoclonal antibodies or to an antibody fragment, which selectively accumulate at the disease site and thereby enhance the therapeutic effects of cytokines. This review surveys the recent preclinical and clinical advances in the field, with a special focus on the impact of antibody formats, target antigen and cytokine moieties on the therapeutic performance in vivo. We also discuss emerging data about the possibility to combine immunocytokines with other pharmacological agents.

Biology, Vol. 1, Pages 81-93: Higher Desolvation Energy Reduces Molecular Recognition in Multi-Drug Resistant HIV-1 Protease

Posted: 31 May 2012 12:00 AM PDT

Designing HIV-1 protease inhibitors that overcome drug-resistance is still a challenging task. In this study, four clinical isolates of multi-drug resistant HIV-1 proteases that exhibit resistance to all the US FDA-approved HIV-1 protease inhibitors and also reduce the substrate recognition ability were examined. A multi-drug resistant HIV-1 protease isolate, MDR 769, was co-crystallized with the p2/NC substrate and the mutated CA/p2 substrate, CA/p2 P1'F. Both substrates display different levels of molecular recognition by the wild-type and multi-drug resistant HIV-1 protease. From the crystal structures, only limited differences can be identified between the wild-type and multi-drug resistant protease. Therefore, a wild-type HIV-1 protease and four multi-drug resistant HIV-1 proteases in complex with the two peptides were modeled based on the crystal structures and examined during a 10 ns-molecular dynamics simulation. The simulation results reveal that the multi-drug resistant HIV-1 proteases require higher desolvation energy to form complexes with the peptides. This result suggests that the desolvation of the HIV-1 protease active site is an important step of protease-ligand complex formation as well as drug resistance. Therefore, desolvation energy could be considered as a parameter in the evaluation of future HIV-1 protease inhibitor candidates.

Geosciences, Vol. 2, Pages 130-146: Evolving Phytoplankton Stoichiometry Fueled Diversification of the Marine Biosphere

Posted: 31 May 2012 12:00 AM PDT

The availability of nutrients and the quantity and quality of food at the base of food webs have largely been ignored in discussions of the Phanerozoic record of biodiversity. We examine the role of nutrient availability and phytoplankton stoichiometry (the relative proportions of inorganic nutrients to carbon) in the diversification of the marine biosphere. Nutrient availability and phytoplankton stoichiometry played a critical role in the initial diversification of the marine biosphere during the Neoproterozoic. Initial biosphere expansion during this time resulted in the massive sequestration of nutrients into biomass which, along with the geologically slow input of nutrients from land, set the stage for severe nutrient limitation and relatively constant marine biodiversity during the rest of the Paleozoic. Given the slow nutrient inputs from land and low recycling rates, the growth of early-to-middle Paleozoic metazoans remained limited by their having to expend energy to first "burn off" (respire) excess carbon in food before the associated nutrients could be utilized for growth and reproduction; the relative equilibrium in marine biodiversity during the Paleozoic therefore appears to be real. Limited nutrient availability and the consequent nutrient imbalance may have delayed the appearance of more advanced carnivores until the Permo-Carboniferous, when widespread orogeny, falling sea level, the spread of forests, greater weathering rates, enhanced ocean circulation, oxygenation, and upwelling all combined to increase nutrient availability. During the Meso-Cenozoic, rising oxygen levels, the continued nutrient input from land, and, especially, increasing rates of bioturbation, enhanced nutrient availability, increasing the nutrient content of phytoplankton that fueled the diversification of the Modern Fauna.

Molecules, Vol. 17, Pages 6658-6671: Application of Paramagnetic NMR-Validated Molecular Dynamics Simulation to the Analysis of a Conformational Ensemble of a Branched Oligosaccharide

Posted: 31 May 2012 12:00 AM PDT

Oligosaccharides of biological importance often exhibit branched covalent structures and dynamic conformational multiplicities. Here we report the application of a method that we developed, which combined molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and lanthanide-assisted paramagnetic NMR spectroscopy, to evaluate the dynamic conformational ensemble of a branched oligosaccharide. A lanthanide-chelating tag was attached to the reducing end of the branched tetrasaccharide of GM2 ganglioside to observe pseudocontact shifts as the source of long distance information for validating the conformational ensemble derived from MD simulations. By inspecting the results, the conformational space of the GM2 tetrasaccharide was compared with that of its nonbranched derivative, the GM3 trisaccharide.

Ukelele 2.2 - Unicode keyboard layout editor.. (Free)

Posted: 31 May 2012 02:12 AM PDT



Ukelele is a Unicode keyboard layout editor for the XML-format keyboard layout files in OS X (".keylayout" files). It provides a graphical interface to the layout files with support for drag-and-drop character assignments, creation of dead keys, and assignment of multi-character strings.

By the way, the name of this software is intentionally misspelled. Call it a case of 'artistic license'.

Version 2.2:

  • By saving a keyboard layout in a bundle, it will become compatible with the "press and hold" mechanism for entering diacritics, introduced in Mac OS X 10.7. For this purpose, an "intended language" can be supplied (default is the system language), which will determine which possibilities are offered in the pop-up. However, such bundles may not work with Mac OS X 10.4 and earlier.
  • Change the colour themes to allow more choices. For each category of key (normal, dead key, selected) and state (up or down), the gradient type, colours and text colour can be set individually.
  • Automatically repair missing key maps when opening a keyboard layout, putting empty key maps with only the special keys defined.
  • Detect and repair an invalid keyboard ID when opening a keyboard layout, automatically generating a valid keyboard ID for the script specified in the keyboard layout.
  • Open files now remember the colour theme, keyboard type and zoom level after quitting Ukelele and restarting, as long as files are automatically reopened (Mac OS X 10.7 and later).
  • When editing output of a special key, there is now a button to insert the standard output automatically.
  • Updated the manual extensively to reflect recent changes and newer versions of Mac OS X.


Mac OS X 10.4 or later

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USBMate 1.0 - Clean and secure your USB flash drive. . (Commercial)

Posted: 31 May 2012 01:58 AM PDT



USBMate is an app which optimizes and accelerates the operation of USB Flash drives, external hard disks and Flash memory cards. Use USBMate every time before ejecting your USB Flash drive and:
  • Its contents will be clean and optimized, without useless junk. All temporary files left by Mac OS X 10.6/10.7 or Windows (.DS_Store, .Trashes, .Spotlight-V100, Thumbs.db, etc.) will be erased.
  • It will be made secure thanks to the built in anti-virus!
  • Every time USBMate is launched, the anti-virus automatically checks and purges the USB Flash drive's contents of all AutoRun viruses!
  • All you have to do is launch the app before ejecting the USB Flash drive: A few seconds later, it will be optimized, clean and secure!
Remember: Mac OS X 10.6/10.7 and Windows put temporary files and other junk in your USB Flash drive every time you use it. Launch USBMate each time before ejecting a USB Flash drive, and it will stay clean and secure! That's because only USBMate has a full-featured anti-virus program!

When you erase files from a USB Flash drive, they're only moved to the trash. The data itself isn't erased. Use USBMate and see how much free space is really left in your USB Flash drive.

It's one of the most practical utility apps to use every day with Mac OS X 10.6/10.7.



  • Mac OS X 10.6 or later
  • 64-bit processor


Download Now

DrumSpillage 1.6.0 - Multi-model drum synth plug-in.. (Demo)

Posted: 31 May 2012 02:20 AM PDT



DrumSpillage is a pro-quality model based drum synth plugin for Mac OS X. DrumSpillage employs a diverse palette of technologies including elements of physical and analog modeling, additive, subtractive and FM synthesis techniques to create its drum sounds.

DrumSpillage is compatible with a wide range of AudioUnit plugin hosts (see below). Pro features like multiple outputs, extensive automation capabilities, native 64-bit support and the new pad freeze and sample export features (in v1.2+) result in an instrument that is perfectly at ease in the modern studio environment.



Version 1.6.0:

Features:

  • Added 'MIDI Keyboard Mode' to easily play drum pads across the entire MIDI range.

Changes:

  • New user interface design, layout and organisation.
  • Improved interface skin reduces eye fatigue.
  • X/Y controller area increased.
  • Right-click X/Y controller to assign parameters.
  • Improved tooltip support.



  • Mac OS X 10.5 or later
  • 64-bit processor
  • Cocoa compatible AudioUnit plugin host e.g. Apple Logic Pro (7.23+), Ableton Live (8.0.5+), PreSonus Studio One (1.6+), Digital Performer (6.0+), Reaper (3.1+), Numerology (2.0+), Renoise (2.1+), AudioMulch (2.1+), N.I. Maschine (1.6+ 64bit only)


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Sensors, Vol. 12, Pages 7451-7467: Intelligent Emergency Stop Algorithm for a Manipulator Using a New Regression Method

Posted: 31 May 2012 12:00 AM PDT

In working environments with large manipulators, accidental collisions can cause severe personal injuries and can seriously damage manipulators, necessitating the development of an emergency stop algorithm to prevent such occurrences. In this paper, we propose an emergency stop system for the efficient and safe operation of a manipulator by applying an intelligent emergency stop algorithm. Our proposed intelligent algorithm considers the direction of motion of the manipulator. In addition, using a new regression method, the algorithm includes a decision step that determines whether a detected object is a collision-causing obstacle or a part of the manipulator. We apply our emergency stop system to a two-link manipulator and assess the performance of our intelligent emergency stop algorithm as compared with other models.

Sensors, Vol. 12, Pages 7438-7450: Aquatic Acoustic Metrics Interface Utility for Underwater Sound Monitoring and Analysis

Posted: 31 May 2012 12:00 AM PDT

Fishes and marine mammals may suffer a range of potential effects from exposure to intense underwater sound generated by anthropogenic activities such as pile driving, shipping, sonars, and underwater blasting. Several underwater sound recording (USR) devices have been built to acquire samples of the underwater sound generated by anthropogenic activities. Software becomes indispensable for processing and analyzing the audio files recorded by these USRs. In this paper, we provide a detailed description of a new software package, the Aquatic Acoustic Metrics Interface (AAMI), specifically designed for analysis of underwater sound recordings to provide data in metrics that facilitate evaluation of the potential impacts of the sound on aquatic animals. In addition to the basic functions, such as loading and editing audio files recorded by USRs and batch processing of sound files, the software utilizes recording system calibration data to compute important parameters in physical units. The software also facilitates comparison of the noise sound sample metrics with biological measures such as audiograms of the sensitivity of aquatic animals to the sound, integrating various components into a single analytical frame. The features of the AAMI software are discussed, and several case studies are presented to illustrate its functionality.

Sensors, Vol. 12, Pages 7423-7437: A Urinary Bcl-2 Surface Acoustic Wave Biosensor for Early Ovarian Cancer Detection

Posted: 31 May 2012 12:00 AM PDT

In this study, the design, fabrication, surface functionalization and experimental characterization of an ultrasonic MEMS biosensor for urinary anti-apoptotic protein B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) detection with sub ng/mL sensitivity is presented. It was previously shown that urinary Bcl-2 levels are reliably elevated during early and late stages of ovarian cancer. Our biosensor uses shear horizontal (SH) surface acoustic waves (SAWs) on surface functionalized ST-cut Quartz to quantify the mass loading change by protein adhesion to the delay path. SH-SAWs were generated and received by a pair of micro-fabricated interdigital transducers (IDTs) separated by a judiciously designed delay path. The delay path was surface-functionalized with monoclonal antibodies, ODMS, Protein A/G and Pluronic F127 for optimal Bcl-2 capture with minimal non-specific adsorption. Bcl-2 concentrations were quantified by the resulting resonance frequency shift detected by a custom designed resonator circuit. The target sensitivity for diagnosis and identifying the stage of ovarian cancer was successfully achieved with demonstrated Bcl-2 detection capability of 500 pg/mL. It was also shown that resonance frequency shift increases linearly with increasing Bcl-2 concentration.

Sensors, Vol. 12, Pages 7410-7422: A Kernel Gabor-Based Weighted Region Covariance Matrix for Face Recognition

Posted: 31 May 2012 12:00 AM PDT

This paper proposes a novel image region descriptor for face recognition, named kernel Gabor-based weighted region covariance matrix (KGWRCM). As different parts are different effectual in characterizing and recognizing faces, we construct a weighting matrix by computing the similarity of each pixel within a face sample to emphasize features. We then incorporate the weighting matrices into a region covariance matrix, named weighted region covariance matrix (WRCM), to obtain the discriminative features of faces for recognition. Finally, to further preserve discriminative features in higher dimensional space, we develop the kernel Gabor-based weighted region covariance matrix (KGWRCM). Experimental results show that the KGWRCM outperforms other algorithms including the kernel Gabor-based region covariance matrix (KGCRM).

среда, 30 мая 2012 г.

Games

Games


Sensors, Vol. 12, Pages 7318-7325: A Hybrid LPG/CFBG for Highly Sensitive Refractive Index Measurements

Posted: 30 May 2012 12:00 AM PDT

A simple and high sensitive method employing a hybrid long period grating (LPG)/chirped fiber Bragg grating (CFBG) for refractive index (RI) measurements is proposed and investigated experimentally. The wide wavelength range of backward cladding modes are excited through the coupling and recoupling between LPG and CFBG. Experimental results indicate that the recoupled cladding modes between LPG and CFBG and core mode are modulated by the surrounding RI and highly sensitive RI measurements can be achieved by simply measuring the reflected intensity changes of the recoupled cladding modes and core mode.

Sensors, Vol. 12, Pages 7299-7317: The Camera Itself as a Calibration Pattern: A Novel Self-Calibration Method for Non-Central Catadioptric Cameras

Posted: 30 May 2012 12:00 AM PDT

A novel and practical self-calibration method for misaligned non-central catadioptric cameras is proposed in this paper. Without the aid of any special calibration patterns in the scene, the developed method is able to automatically estimate the pose parameters of the mirror with respect to the perspective camera. First it uses the ellipse corresponding to the mirror boundary in the image to compute the possible solutions for mirror postures. With two pose candidates, thereafter we propose a novel selection method to find the correct solution by using the image of the lens boundary. The whole calibration process is automatic and convenient to carry out since nothing more than a single image acquired from the catadioptric camera is needed. Experimental results both on synthesized and real images prove our success.

Sensors, Vol. 12, Pages 7259-7298: Single Molecule Electronics and Devices

Posted: 30 May 2012 12:00 AM PDT

The manufacture of integrated circuits with single-molecule building blocks is a goal of molecular electronics. While research in the past has been limited to bulk experiments on self-assembled monolayers, advances in technology have now enabled us to fabricate single-molecule junctions. This has led to significant progress in understanding electron transport in molecular systems at the single-molecule level and the concomitant emergence of new device concepts. Here, we review recent developments in this field. We summarize the methods currently used to form metal-molecule-metal structures and some single-molecule techniques essential for characterizing molecular junctions such as inelastic electron tunnelling spectroscopy. We then highlight several important achievements, including demonstration of single-molecule diodes, transistors, and switches that make use of electrical, photo, and mechanical stimulation to control the electron transport. We also discuss intriguing issues to be addressed further in the future such as heat and thermoelectric transport in an individual molecule.

Sensors, Vol. 12, Pages 7207-7258: Gas Sensors Based on One Dimensional Nanostructured Metal-Oxides: A Review

Posted: 30 May 2012 12:00 AM PDT

Recently one dimensional (1-D) nanostructured metal-oxides have attracted much attention because of their potential applications in gas sensors. 1-D nanostructured metal-oxides provide high surface to volume ratio, while maintaining good chemical and thermal stabilities with minimal power consumption and low weight. In recent years, various processing routes have been developed for the synthesis of 1-D nanostructured metal-oxides such as hydrothermal, ultrasonic irradiation, electrospinning, anodization, sol-gel, molten-salt, carbothermal reduction, solid-state chemical reaction, thermal evaporation, vapor-phase transport, aerosol, RF sputtering, molecular beam epitaxy, chemical vapor deposition, gas-phase assisted nanocarving, UV lithography and dry plasma etching. A variety of sensor fabrication processing routes have also been developed. Depending on the materials, morphology and fabrication process the performance of the sensor towards a specific gas shows a varying degree of success. This article reviews and evaluates the performance of 1-D nanostructured metal-oxide gas sensors based on ZnO, SnO2, TiO2, In2O3, WOx, AgVO3, CdO, MoO3, CuO, TeO2 and Fe2O3. Advantages and disadvantages of each sensor are summarized, along with the associated sensing mechanism. Finally, the article concludes with some future directions of research.

Super Mega Worm Vs Santa - Screenshots

Posted: 30 May 2012 03:46 AM PDT

Features:
- 15 Action Packed Levels
- Final Showdown Vs. Santa!
- Over 15 New Items to Eat and Destroy
- 3 New Super Abilities
- 2 Chaotic Game Modes
- GameCenter Leaderboards and Achievements
- Universal App (Supports all iOS devices.)

Fluid Football - Screenshots

Posted: 30 May 2012 03:41 AM PDT

Each Fluid Football level recreates the pivotal moment of a match - throw-ins, penalties and corner kicks that set the stage for sensational goals. You have complete tactical freedom - string together passes, outpace defenders, set up pinpoint crosses - if you can do it on the field you can do it in Fluid Football.

Defender Chronicles II: Heroes of Athelia - Screenshots

Posted: 30 May 2012 03:31 AM PDT

Returning to the glorious days of epic battle, players will take on the role of one of four unique heroes, each with their own unique abilities, and combine forces with Empire troops to survive endless waves of enemies. Masterful tacticians will collect artifacts to assist them on their quest to uphold the land and guide troops to effectively defeat deadly hordes to restore peace to the land

• Enroll to Be a Hero: Players can choose from four playable heroes, each with six distinct skills and eight unique abilities, to garrison the Empire in a variety of ways. Both heroes from the previous Defender Chronicles, the General (warrior) and Melwen (mage), will make their return, alongside newcomers Lovell (archer), the Athelian princess, and Elwyn (priest), the previous king of Athelia.

• Lead the Battalion: With up to 24 different unit types for players to command, Athelia defenders will enlist recruits, upgrade their ranks, and employ their troops to defeat enemies.

• Be Adventurous: With five different game modes and five difficulty levels available, Defender Chronicles II will challenge even the most veteran strategist while providing plenty of reasons to continue playing.

• Get Digging Already: Players can search for and collect hundreds of new artifacts to assist them in unlocking new levels, upgrades, and other features!

• Enhanced Gaming Experience: With all new graphics, comics, soundtracks, and voice-overs, Defender Chronicles II updates the series and aims to provide rookies and fans alike with a refreshed and polished look.

• Start Socializing: Game Center support means players will have the chance to topple their friends on the leaderboards. Defenders can also issue challenges in-game via email.

• ...

Renaissance Heroes - Screenshots

Posted: 30 May 2012 03:37 AM PDT

The game combines classic multiplayer action with unparalleled visual realism powered by the Unreal Engine 3 technology to deliver the fun of fast-action shooters to a new generation of gamers. Renaissance Heroes invites players of all skill levels to experience the adrenaline-pumping action coupled with easy accessibility in a completely free to play environment later this year.

Time Mysteries: The Ancient Spectres CE 1.0 - Hidden objects, puzzles, and time travel.. (Demo)

Posted: 30 May 2012 02:16 AM PDT



Time Mysteries: The Ancient Spectres CE is a challenging Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure game! Stop the evil witch Viviana and save Esther's family! With her heritage on the line, it's up to Esther to discover the history of the ancient Ambroses and explore time itself. Go on an incredible adventure and change events in the past to solve an incredible mystery in Time Mysteries: The Ancient Spectres Collector's Edition!

Features:

  • Save Esther's family.
  • Explore time itself.
  • Defeat the evil witch Viviana!


Mac OS X 10.5 or later

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CheatSheet 1.0.1 - Discover application shortcuts. . (Free)

Posted: 30 May 2012 01:54 AM PDT



Just hold the ⌘-Key a bit longer to get a list of all active short cuts of the current application. It's as simple as that.

Version 1.0.1:
  • Improved: The sheet is no longer triggered when holding other modifier keys.
  • Improved: When using multiple screens, the sheet shows on the screen that shows the cursor.


  • Mac OS X 10.7 or later
  • 64-bit processor


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BetterZip 2.3 - Archive inspection tool.. (Shareware)

Posted: 30 May 2012 02:08 AM PDT



BetterZip lets you quickly inspect archives without first extracting their contents.
  • Extract Only Files You Really Need: If you only need a few files or folders from a larger archive, you don't have to extract the whole thing. Simply drag the files you need from the BetterZip window to any Finder window or the desktop.
  • Open Archives Without Extracting: Not only can BetterZip open archives without first extracting them but you can also search for a file using the iTunes-like interface. BetterZip can open and extract archives with the most common formats: ZIP, SIT, TAR, XAR, GZip, BZip2, RAR, 7-Zip, CPIO, ARJ, LZH/LHA, JAR, WAR, CAB, ISO, CHM, RPM, DEB, NSIS, BIN, HQX.
  • Create Archives: Simply drag files and folders from your hard drives, disks, or network places into your new zip file. You no longer have to copy all the files into a temporary folder first. The supported formats are ZIP, TAR, GZip and BZip2 compressed TAR, XAR, 7-ZIP, and RAR (using the external RAR commandline tool). Large archives can also be split.
  • Protect Your Data: BetterZip can protect your data with a password and create WinZip compatible AES-256 encrypted archives. 7-zip and rar archives can also be protected.
  • Update Archives: Add new or updated files to existing archives. Remove any file or folder from an archive, or even move files around inside the archive as if it were a normal folder.
  • Make Archives Compatible: Strip Mac specific files and resource forks from archives for best compatibility with systems like Windows or Linux.


Version 2.3:

New features

  • You can now change the preview font and switch line wrapping in the preview on/off.
  • Added Czech and Brazilian Portuguese localizations.
  • BetterZip is now signed with my Apple Developer ID which lets it run with Gatekeeper. Because of this, you will have to allow BetterZip to use its own passwords. It will ask you for each password, but only once if you click "Always allow".
Enhancements:
  • Enhanced the replace file panel when updating multiple files in an archive at the same time.
  • You can now reorder the list of presets in the preferences with drag-and-drop.
  • Display service and default (toolbar) markers in the presets lists.
  • Added a setting in Preferences > Advanced to control which Growl notifications to issue (only needed for Growl 1.2 users).
  • Handle incorrectly named tgz and tbz archives more gracefully.
  • Click on dock icon will once again open a new window, if no windows are open and the "new window" option is set in preferences.
  • Updated the included 7-zip commandline tool to the latest version (9.20).
Bug fixes:
  • The BetterZip services were not translated correctly for some languages.
  • Fixed a possible crash when setting a new master password for the password manager.
  • Fixed the misleading error message when trying to extract or save to a read-only folder.
  • The Favorites sidebar's background had drawing errors when BetterZip was in the background.
  • Creating a new folder inside a tar archive wouldn't work under certain conditions.
  • In rare cases parts of multi-part rar archvies were not deleted correctly after extraction.
  • Fixed a possible crash after using the PDF preview on Mac OS X 10.7.4.
  • Fixed a possible crash when trying to print an archive from the Finder (printing is not supported, but cmd+o and cmd+p are neighbors on the keyboard).



  • Mac OS X 10.6.6 or later
  • 64-bit processor


Download Now

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Magicka: The Other Side of the Coin - Screenshots

Posted: 30 May 2012 03:14 AM PDT

Main Features:
- Play as Alucart the Vampire and his henchmen, the Necromancers
- New environment of beautiful Elven architecture
- 1 Challenge map, playing as necromancers
- Necromancer introduced to PvP
- Custom objectives and achievements
- Innovative and dynamic spellcasting system with thousands of possible combinations
- Up to four player co-op in all game modes as well as single player option
- Experience the parody and satire of a cliché fantasy world

PERSONA 4 GOLDEN - Screenshots

Posted: 30 May 2012 02:55 AM PDT

Persona 4 Golden for PlayStation Vita offers an enhanced and expanded portable version of the highly acclaimed original.  Visuals have been beautifully remastered to take advantage of the PS Vita's crisp, vibrant 5" OLED display.  The game's aural presentation is better than ever, with 1.5 times the voiced dialogue of the original release.  A new online dungeon rescue feature allows users to call on other players for assistance when they are about to die in the TV world.  Persona 4 Golden is also overflowing with new content: new Personas to collect; new story events along with an all-new character; stunning new anime cutscenes, which include a new opening animation with a new song from master composer Shoji Meguro; a host of fan suggested tweaks and changes, and much more!  Persona 4 Golden is far more than just a handheld version of an all-time classic: it's the best way to experience it yet!

Sensors, Vol. 12, Pages 7169-7206: On-Chip Cellomics Assay Enabling Algebraic and Geometric Understanding of Epigenetic Information in Cellular Networks of Living Systems. 1. Temporal Aspects of Epigenetic Information in Bacteria

Posted: 30 May 2012 12:00 AM PDT

A series of studies aimed at developing methods and systems of analyzing epigenetic information in cells and in cell networks, as well as that of genetic information, was examined to expand our understanding of how living systems are determined. Because cells are minimum units reflecting epigenetic information, which is considered to map the history of a parallel-processing recurrent network of biochemical reactions, their behaviors cannot be explained by considering only conventional DNA information-processing events. The role of epigenetic information on cells, which complements their genetic information, was inferred by comparing predictions from genetic information with cell behaviour observed under conditions chosen to reveal adaptation processes, population effects and community effects. A system of analyzing epigenetic information was developed starting from the twin complementary viewpoints of cell regulation as an "algebraic" system (emphasis on temporal aspects) and as a "geometric" system (emphasis on spatial aspects). Exploiting the combination of latest microfabrication technology and measurement technologies, which we call on-chip cellomics assay, we can control and re-construct the environments and interaction of cells from "algebraic" and "geometric" viewpoints. In this review, temporal viewpoint of epigenetic information, a part of the series of single-cell-based "algebraic" and "geometric" studies of celluler systems in our research groups, are summerized and reported. The knowlege acquired from this study may lead to the use of cells that fully control practical applications like cell-based drug screening and the regeneration of organs.

Life, Vol. 2, Pages 215-228: Flexible Enantioselectivity of Tryptophanase Attributable to Benzene Ring in Heterocyclic Moiety of D-Tryptophan

Posted: 30 May 2012 12:00 AM PDT

The invariance principle of enzyme enantioselectivity must be absolute because it is absolutely essential to the homochiral biological world. Most enzymes are strictly enantioselective, and tryptophanase is one of the enzymes with extreme absolute enantioselectivity for L-tryptophan. Contrary to conventional knowledge about the principle, tryptophanase becomes flexible to catalyze D-tryptophan in the presence of diammonium hydrogenphosphate. Since D-amino acids are ordinarily inert or function as inhibitors even though they are bound to the active site, the inhibition behavior of D-tryptophan and several inhibitors involved in this process was examined in terms of kinetics to explain the reason for this flexible enantioselectivity in the presence of diammonium hydrogenphosphate. Diammonium hydrogenphosphate gave tryptophanase a small conformational change so that D-tryptophan could work as a substrate. As opposed to other D-amino acids, D-tryptophan is a very bulky amino acid with a benzene ring in its heterocyclic moiety, and so we suggest that this structural feature makes the catalysis of D-tryptophan degradation possible, consequently leading to the flexible enantioselectivity. The present results not only help to understand the mechanism of enzyme enantioselectivity, but also shed light on the origin of homochirality.

Geosciences, Vol. 2, Pages 109-129: Squalicorax Chips a Tooth: A Consequence of Feeding-Related Behavior from the Lowermost Navesink Formation (Late Cretaceous: Campanian-Maastrichtian) of Monmouth County, New Jersey, USA

Posted: 30 May 2012 12:00 AM PDT

Chipped and broken functional teeth are common in modern sharks with serrated tooth shape. Tooth damage consists of splintering, cracking, and flaking near the cusp apex where the enameloid is broken and exposes the osteodentine and orthodentine. Such damage is generally viewed as the result of forces applied during feeding as the cusp apex impacts the skeletal anatomy of prey. Damage seen in serrated functional teeth from sharks Squalicorax kaupi [1] and Squalicorax pristodontus [1] from the late Cretaceous lowermost Navesink Formation of New Jersey resembles that occurring in modern sharks and suggests similar feeding behavior. Tumbling experiments using serrated modern and fossil functional shark teeth, including those of Squalicorax, show that teeth are polished, not cracked or broken, by post-mortem abrasion in lowermost Navesink sediment. This provides further evidence that chipped and broken Squalicorax teeth are feeding-related and not taphonomic in origin. Evolution of rapid tooth replacement in large sharks such as Squalicorax ensured maximum functionality after feeding-related tooth damage occurred. Serrated teeth and rapid tooth replacement in the large sharks of the Mesozoic and Cenozoic afforded them competitive advantages that helped them to achieve their place as apex predators in today's ocean.

App Tamer 1.3 - Save CPU time and battery life from idle applications.. (Shareware)

Posted: 30 May 2012 01:40 AM PDT



App Tamer tames applications that are chewing up excessive CPU time and battery life on your Mac. Its unique "AutoStop" feature will stop an application when you switch away from it, and then automatically restart it when you click back to it.

App Tamer includes an attractive and clear user interface for managing your running applications. It shows the average percentage of your processor(s) being used by each app, and graphically displays a history of CPU usage. You can easily enable AutoStop for any application, as well as change its processing priority in OS X.



Version 1.3:
  • You can now set up App Tamer to only use AutoStop when your battery charge is below a certain percentage. Doing this will minimize battery drain when you are not plugged in, speed recharge time when you are plugged in, and will otherwise keep AutoStop turned off.
  • App Tamer now offers several AppleScript commands that let you to turn AutoStop on and off in your AppleScripts, as well as wake a stopped application.
  • A problem has been fixed that could cause helper applications for your web browser to get stuck, sometimes freezing the browser.
  • On some machines, disabling AutoStop for a specified number of minutes didn't work - it would always turn back on after 5 minutes. This has been fixed.


Mac OS X 10.5 or later

Download Now

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Runaway With The Circus 1.0 - Hidden objects, puzzles, and the thrill of the 1930's.. (Shareware)

Posted: 30 May 2012 01:49 AM PDT



Runaway with the Circus , a gorgeous love story set in 1930's France, will take you back in time on an unforgettable journey of love, struggle, hope and determination. Join Mathilde, a beautiful young woman left destitute by the Scarlet Fever, as she becomes caught up in the colourful, character-filled world of the travelling circus. Watch as she fights her way up the circus ranks, as the circus characters become her family and as she steals the heart of the handsome animal trainer. Sumptuous illustrations, spectacular costumes and an endearing love story will transport you to the elegance and style of the 1930's. Come join the circus!

Features:

  • An endearing love story to be swept along by
  • Sumptuous illustrations perfectly capture the elegance of the 1930's.
  • Gorgeous 1930's videos transport you to the character and fun of the times.
  • A fantastic soundtrack of 1930's era music.
  • Amazing attention to detail in the circus scenes and costumes that capture the 1930's spirit.
  • Traditional Hidden Object game with fun puzzles.


Mac OS X 10.6 or later

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Novus Scan 1.0.2 - Check documents for plagiarism.. (Commercial)

Posted: 30 May 2012 01:31 AM PDT



Novus Scan helps prevent plagiarism. Create a document database of all your reference and research materials. Scan your new documents as you create them and Novus Scan will compare them to all the documents in its database. Make sure all your work is original.

Novus Scan works completely offline, so you can be sure that your documents won't be uploaded to the internet and you won't violate intellectual property agreements. You can build a database of documents, whether its your own previously written work, reference materials used in research, or term papers from classes that you're teaching. Novus Scan is a great tool for freelance writers, enabling you to prevent accidental self plagiarism and find text that you've accidentally used for another client's project. If you're a teacher, Novus Scan will help you compare term papers and other student assignments. For students, put your reference and research documents into Novus Scan's database and then scan your document to ensure that you haven't accidentally copied any text from other sources.

The free version allows you to create a database of up to 20 documents and the full version allows an unlimited number of documents. The full version also features a report generator that enables you to prepare printed or PDF format reports of any copied text that you've found.

Features:

  • Import documents in popular formats, including Word, PDF and html.
  • The scanning engine spots matching phrases at least 8 words long.
  • Print or save a report that shows the copied text with references to the source documents.


Version 1.0.2: Release notes were unavailable when this listing was updated.

  • Mac OS X 10.7 or later
  • 64-bit processor


Download Now

Xbox 360 reaches 67 million lifetime-to-date sales

Posted: 30 May 2012 12:20 AM PDT

Publisher says Xbox 360 accounts for a 47 percent share of the current-generation console market; 19 million Kinect units sold.

 

Microsoft has announced its Xbox 360 console has achieved life-to-date sales of 67 million units.

Posting on the official Microsoft blog, chief marketing officer of Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Division Yusuf Mehdi revealed the 360 has generated more than $56 billion at retail since the console was launched in 2005.

According to the publisher, the 360 accounts for a 47 percent share of the current-generation console market. Microsoft also revealed Kinect for Xbox 360 has reached 19 million units sold to date, while Xbox Live has hit 40 million subscribers. According to Mehdi, Xbox Live subscribers now spend an average of 84 hours per month on the console.

Microsoft also published a graph detailing NPD data showing US console hardware sales; in the graphic, PS3 and Xbox 360 sales are shown to increase, while Nintendo Wii sales are shown to decrease.

The publisher also outlined its plans to use the launch of Windows 8 to help the Xbox 360 become a "premium entertainment service" and grow the console's reach to "hundreds of millions of people worldwide."

In March, Microsoft revealed it would not be announcing any new hardware at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in June. It has, however, been suggested that the next Xbox is currently in development under the code name Durango.

For more on the next Xbox, check out GameSpot's rumor roundup concerning the new hardware from Microsoft.

Microsoft's E3 press conference will commence Monday, June 4, at 9.30 a.m. PDT.

Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot


"Xbox 360 reaches 67 million lifetime-to-date sales" was posted by Laura Parker on Wed, 30 May 2012 00:20:39 -0700

вторник, 29 мая 2012 г.

Games

Games


DVDFab Video Converter 8.1.8.5 - Convert video to other file formats.. (Shareware)

Posted: 29 May 2012 03:32 AM PDT



DVDFab Video Converter converts source video file on your Mac to next generation consoles like PS3 and mobile devices like iPod, PSP, ZUNE, cell phone, etc.

Features Highlight:

  • Reads most popular video formats from Internet, digital camcorders, capture cards, etc. No external codecs needed.
  • More than 10 Video Converter modes available: Generic, iPod, iPhone, iPad, PSP, ZUNE, NDS, PS3, Apple TV, Cell Phone, PVP and PDA. More supported devices can be added manually.
  • Generic: Convert to MPEG-4/DivX/XviD/H.264 AVI/MP4 file playable on Mac, also on other devices which are not listed in navigation bar.
  • iPod/iPhone/iPad: Convert to MPEG-4/H.264 MP4 file playable on iPod, iPod touch, iPhone, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S and iPad 2.
  • PSP: Convert to MPEG-4/H.264 MP4 file playable on Sony PSP.
  • ZUNE: Convert to WMV file playable on Microsoft ZUNE.
  • NDS: Convert to DPG file playable on Nintendo DS.
  • PS3: Convert to MPEG-4/H.264 MP4 file playable on Sony Play Station 3.
  • Convert to specific format supported by Apple TV, Cell Phone, PVP and PDA.
  • Convert to MPEG-4/DivX/XviD/H.264 AVI/MP4/MKV file, or WMV/FLV/3GP file.
  • Extract audio to MP3/MP4/WMA/WAV/AC3/DTS with Audio Only output type.
  • Constantly updated to support more formats and mobile devices.
  • Crop automatically to remove black bars on many widescreen movies.
  • Crop manually to adjust play region on devices.
  • Resize output from Letterbox to Pan&Scan.
  • Supports the newest NVIDIA CUDA, multi-core CPUs and batch conversion to speed up conversion.
  • Supports full high definition video up to 1080p.
  • Supports both NTSC and PAL video format.
  • Preview video file like real player.
  • Added support for Intel Quick Sync as H.264 decoder and encoder.


Version 8.1.8.5:
  • Fix: A 502.12.7 problem when converting with avi.xvid.audiocopy profiles.
  • Fix: A 504.00.12 problem when converting with most of mkv and mp4 profiles.
  • Fix: A freeze problem when converting with audio.copy profiles.


  • Mac OS X 10.6 or later


Download Now

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

DVDFab File Transfer 8.1.8.5 - Transfer converted files to portable media device.. (Demo)

Posted: 29 May 2012 03:16 AM PDT



DVDFab File Transfer is a handy and easy to use tool for you to remove converted files on your Mac to devices such as iPod or PSP. More devices will be supported in the future. When DVD/Blu-ray/File to iPod and DVD/File to PSP conversion of DVDFab is finished, the DVDFab File Transfer will be activated automatically. It supports batch transfer to save time, and it is very fast.

Features

  • Transfer converted files to devices.
  • Currently support iPod or PSP.
  • Enable you to set the order of converted files.
  • Support batch transfer.
  • Constantly updated to support more devices.
  • Transferring progress can be viewed.
  • Multiple UI languages for you to choose.


Version 8.1.8.5: Release notes were unavailable when this listing was updated.

  • Mac OS X 10.6 or later


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DVDFab DVD Creator 8.1.8.5 - Create DVDs from any video file.. (Shareware)

Posted: 29 May 2012 03:24 AM PDT



DVDFab DVD Creator, the powerful Mac DVD Creator and DVD burner software, has the full capability to convert all sorts of video files into standard studio level DVD discs. The created DVD discs play on any built-in DVD optical drive that comes with any Mac products and standalone DVD players. That's to say, you can freely create your own DVDs out of all kinds of video files you downloaded, from your camcorder, iPod Touch, iPad, whatever!

DVD Creator for Mac not only produces DVD discs from video files to play on standalone DVD player, but also creates standard DVD movie folders onto HDD for playing back with media players like DVDFab Media Player or burn to blank disc at any latter time convenience to you.

Multi-threading, multi-core processing are implemented, so you don't need to worry about the speed, as it is super fast.

Version 8.1.8.5: Release notes were unavailable when this listing was updated.

Mac OS X 10.6 or later

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Innocent pick-up truck dies horribly 17 times over to demonstrate CryEngine 3 - but it was totally worth it

Posted: 29 May 2012 12:00 AM PDT

You've probably never seen simulated car crashes this good, and if you have, they almost certainly won't have been this smooth. CryEngine 3 can do them though, as you play, at one hundred frames every second. Mummy...

IJERPH, Vol. 9, Pages 2045-2056: Molecular Detection and Drug Resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex from Cattle at a Dairy Farm in the Nkonkobe Region of South Africa: A Pilot Study

Posted: 29 May 2012 12:00 AM PDT

Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) causes tuberculosis (TB) in humans and animals. We investigated the presence of MTBC in cattle milk and its drug resistance using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Two hundred samples (100 mL each) were obtained from a dairy farm in the Nkonkobe region of South Africa. The samples were processed using the modified Petroff method. DNA was isolated using a Zymo Bacterial DNA kit and amplified using Seeplex® MTB Nested ACE assay. The Genotype® Mycobacterium tuberculosis-multidrug resistantplus (MTBDRplus) assay was used to perform drug susceptibility and detection of mutations conferring resistance to isoniazid (INH) and rifampicin (RIF). Eleven samples tested positive for MTBC DNA using the Seeplex® MTB Nested ACE assay. The Genotype® MTBDRplus assay showed that 10/11 samples were resistant to both INH and RIF i.e., multi-drug resistant (MDR). The most and least frequent rpoB mutations detected in RIF resistant samples were H526Y (9/10) and D516V (2/10) respectively. None of the INH resistant samples harbored mutations in the katG gene. However, all of them harbored the T8A mutation in the inhA gene. These results have clinical and epidemiological significance and calls for further studies and necessary actions to delineate the situation.

Molecules, Vol. 17, Pages 6465-6480: Influence of Chemical Extraction Conditions on the Physicochemical and Functional Properties of Polysaccharide Gum from Durian (Durio zibethinus) Seed

Posted: 29 May 2012 12:00 AM PDT

Durian seed is an agricultural biomass waste of durian fruit. It can be a natural plant source of non-starch polysaccharide gum with potential functional properties. The main goal of the present study was to investigate the effect of chemical extraction variables (i.e., the decolouring time, soaking temperature and soaking time) on the physicochemical properties of durian seed gum. The physicochemical and functional properties of chemically-extracted durian seed gum were assessed by determining the particle size and distribution, solubility and the water- and oil-holding capacity (WHC and OHC). The present work revealed that the soaking time should be considered as the most critical extraction variable affecting the physicochemical properties of crude durian seed gum.

Molecules, Vol. 17, Pages 6449-6464: The Coumarin Psoralidin Enhances Anticancer Effect of Tumor Necrosis Factor-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand (TRAIL)

Posted: 29 May 2012 12:00 AM PDT

Coumarins are a very common type of secondary plant metabolites with a broad spectrum of biological activities. Psoralidin is a naturally occurring furanocoumarin isolated from Psoralea corylifolia possessing anticancer and chemopreventive properties. Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) triggers apoptosis in cancer cells with no toxicity toward normal tissues. Endogenous TRAIL plays an important role in immune surveillance and defence against cancer cells. Coumarins can modulate TRAIL-mediated apoptosis in cancer cells. We examined the cytotoxic and apoptotic activities of psoralidin in combination with TRAIL on HeLa cancer cells. The cytotoxicity was measured by MTT and LDH assays. The apoptosis was detected using annexin V-FITC staining and mitochondrial membrane potential was evaluated using DePsipher staining by fluorescence microscopy. Death receptor (TRAIL-R1/DR4 and TRAIL-R2/DR5) expression was analyzed using flow cytometry. Psoralidin enhanced TRAIL-induced apoptosis in HeLa cells through increased expression of TRAIL-R2 death receptor and depolarization of mitochondrial membrane potential. Our study indicated that psoralidin augmented the anticancer effects of TRAIL and confirmed a potential use of coumarins in cancer chemoprevention.

Molecules, Vol. 17, Pages 6434-6448: Synthesis, Spectroscopy, Thermal Analysis, Magnetic Properties and Biological Activity Studies of Co(II) and Co(II) Complexes with Schiff Base Dye Ligands

Posted: 29 May 2012 12:00 AM PDT

Three azo group-containing Schiff base ligands, namely 1-{3-[(3-hydroxy-propylimino)methyl]-4-hydroxyphenylazo}-4-nitrobenzene (2a), 1-{3-[(3-hydroxypropyl-imino)methyl]-4-hydroxyphenylazo}-2-chloro-4-nitrobenzene (2b) and 1-{3-[(3-hydroxy-propylimino)methyl]-4-hydroxyphenylazo}-4-chloro-3-nitrobenzene (2c) were prepared. The ligands were characterized by elemental analysis, FTIR spectroscopy, UV-Vis spectroscopy, 13C- and 1H-NMR spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. Next the corresponding copper(II) and cobalt(II) metal complexes were synthesized and characterized by the physicochemical and spectroscopic methods of elemental analysis, FTIR spectroscopy, UV-Vis spectroscopy, magnetic moment measurements, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and (DSC). The room temperature effective magnetic moments of complexes are 1.45, 1.56, 1.62, 2.16, 2.26 and 2.80 B.M. for complexes 3a, 3b, 3c, 4a 4b, and 4c, respectively, indicating that the complexes are paramagnetic with considerable electronic communication between the two metal centers.

Molecules, Vol. 17, Pages 6424-6433: Two New Diterpenoids from the Buds of Wikstroemia chamaedaphne

Posted: 29 May 2012 12:00 AM PDT

Two new diterpenoids, wikstroelide Q (1) and prostratin Q (5), together with three known diterpenoids, pimelea factors P2 (2), P3 (3), and prostratin (4), and five known lignans, (+)-epipioresinol (6), (+)-isolariciresinol (7), (−)-lariciresinol (8), (+)-epi-sesaminone (9), and prestegane B (10), were isolated from the buds of Wikstroemia chamaedaphne Meissn. Their structures were elucidated by a combination of spectroscopic analyses. Compounds 1–10 were evaluated for their cytotoxicities against HL-60, SMMC-7721, A549, MCF-7, SW480, and BEAS-2B cell lines in vitro.

DVDFab Blu-ray Copy 8.1.8.5 - Backup your Blu-ray discs.. (Shareware)

Posted: 29 May 2012 03:05 AM PDT



DVDFab Blu-ray Copy is the first full-featured Blu-ray copy software for Mac OS X, which is powerful enough to remove all Blu-ray copy protections and copy any Blu-ray to any Blu-ray/DVD/AVCHD disc or to your Mac with just a few clicks.This powerful Blu-ray copy for Mac has 4 copy modes and multiple settings, so you are free to customize and personalize your own Blu-ray according to your specific needs. It works fast, and the output images and audio quality are fantastic . Our server-side technology means your product can be updated between releases with the latest protection removal fixe in real time.

Version 8.1.8.5:
  • New: Updated server to support new BD+ protection.
  • New: Added support for new Java-based protection.
  • Fix: A black screen playback problem when copying "Full Disc".
  • Fix: A problem that some special discs cannot be opened.
  • Fix: A problem that some BDAV discs cannot be opened.


  • Mac OS X 10.6 or later
  • Blu-ray drive


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DVDFab Blu-ray to DVD Converter 8.1.8.5 - Convert Blu-ray discs to DVD.. (Shareware)

Posted: 29 May 2012 03:12 AM PDT



DVDFab Blu-ray to DVD Converter ... Ever imagined playing your Blu-ray movies just on your DVD player, with the least damage of the original image and sound quality? Want to find just one tool to easily manage it without any aid from any other software?

Luckily we have DVDFab Blu-ray to DVD Converter for Mac now.DVDFab Blu-ray to DVD Converter for Mac definitely is the most powerful software in the world which can decrypt then convert any Blu-ray to DVD-Video disc for playback with DVD player or DVD player software with no third party's help. This will bring something new to the movie life of many Blu-ray fans.

Happy user experience is ensured by its powerful capacities, blazing fast speed, outstanding quality, easy-to-use interface, and some other flexibilities and conveniences.

Version 8.1.8.5: Release notes were unavailable when this listing was updated.

  • Mac OS X 10.6 or later
  • Blu-ray and DVD drive


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Southern Highlands Honors Heroes on Memorial Day

Posted: 29 May 2012 02:11 AM PDT

From morning ceremonies to nighttime fireworks, America celebrated Memorial Day.

Molecules, Vol. 17, Pages 6415-6423: Observation of 1,3-Diketones Formation in the Reaction of Bulky Acyl Chlorides with Methyllithium

Posted: 29 May 2012 12:00 AM PDT

The formation of 1,3-diketones was observed in the reactions of bulky acyl chlorides with methyllithium. The reaction products depend on the steric hindrance around the carbonyl group of the acyl chloride and the electronic effect of the group(s) linked to the carbonyl. When the steric hindrance around the carbonyl group of the acyl chloride is big enough, the 1,3-diketone is the only product. In the case of the moderate hindrance around the carbonyl group of the acyl chloride, a moderate yield of 1,3-diketone is obtained and some tertiary alcohol is generated. When there is no steric hindrance around the carbonyl group of the acyl chloride, the tertiary alcohol is the only product. When the steric hindrance around the carbonyl group is moderate and an electron-donating group is connected to the carbonyl of the acyl chloride, all three products—ketone, 1,3-diketone and tertiary alcohol—can be isolated from the reaction mixture after long reaction times.

Sensors, Vol. 12, Pages 7157-7168: A Sub-ppm Acetone Gas Sensor for Diabetes Detection Using 10 nm Thick Ultrathin InN FETs

Posted: 29 May 2012 12:00 AM PDT

An indium nitride (InN) gas sensor of 10 nm in thickness has achieved detection limit of 0.4 ppm acetone. The sensor has a size of 1 mm by 2.5 mm, while its sensing area is 0.25 mm by 2 mm. Detection of such a low acetone concentration in exhaled breath could enable early diagnosis of diabetes for portable physiological applications. The ultrathin InN epilayer extensively enhances sensing sensitivity due to its strong electron accumulation on roughly 5–10 nm deep layers from the surface. Platinum as catalyst can increase output current signals by 2.5-fold (94 vs. 37.5 μA) as well as reduce response time by 8.4-fold (150 vs. 1,260 s) in comparison with bare InN. More, the effect of 3% oxygen consumption due to breath inhalation and exhalation on 2.4 ppm acetone gas detection was investigated, indicating that such an acetone concentration can be analyzed in air.

Sensors, Vol. 12, Pages 7126-7156: Advancements in Transmitters and Sensors for Biological Tissue Imaging in Magnetic Induction Tomography

Posted: 29 May 2012 12:00 AM PDT

Magnetic Induction Tomography (MIT), which is also known as Electromagnetic Tomography (EMT) or Mutual Inductance Tomography, is among the imaging modalities of interest to many researchers around the world. This noninvasive modality applies an electromagnetic field and is sensitive to all three passive electromagnetic properties of a material that are conductivity, permittivity and permeability. MIT is categorized under the passive imaging family with an electrodeless technique through the use of excitation coils to induce an electromagnetic field in the material, which is then measured at the receiving side by sensors. The aim of this review is to discuss the challenges of the MIT technique and summarize the recent advancements in the transmitters and sensors, with a focus on applications in biological tissue imaging. It is hoped that this review will provide some valuable information on the MIT for those who have interest in this modality. The need of this knowledge may speed up the process of adopted of MIT as a medical imaging technology.

Sensors, Vol. 12, Pages 7109-7125: Personal Pervasive Environments: Practice and Experience

Posted: 29 May 2012 12:00 AM PDT

In this paper we present our experience designing and developing two different systems to enable personal pervasive computing environments, Plan B and the Octopus. These systems were fully implemented and have been used on a daily basis for years. Both are based on synthetic (virtual) file system interfaces and provide mechanisms to adapt to changes in the context and reconfigure the system to support pervasive applications. We also present the main differences between them, focusing on architectural and reconfiguration aspects. Finally, we analyze the pitfalls and successes of both systems and review the lessons we learned while designing, developing, and using them.

Sensors, Vol. 12, Pages 7095-7108: Passive Fluidic Chip Composed of Integrated Vertical Capillary Tubes Developed for On-Site SPR Immunoassay Analysis Targeting Real Samples

Posted: 29 May 2012 12:00 AM PDT

We have successfully developed a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) measurement system for the on-site immunoassay of real samples. The system is composed of a portable SPR instrument (290 mm(W) x 160 mm(D) x 120 mm(H)) and a microfluidic immunoassay chip (16 mm(W) x 16 mm(D) x 4 mm(H)) that needs no external pump system. An integrated vertical capillary tube functions as a large volume (150 μL ) passive pump and a waste reservoir that has sufficient capacity for several refill operations. An immunoassay was carried out that employed the direct injection of a buffer and a test sample in sequence into a microfluidic chip that included 9 antibody bands and 10 reference reagent bands immobilized in the flow channel. By subtracting a reliable averaged reference sensorgram from the antibody, we effectively reduced the influence of the non-specific binding, and then our chip successfully detected the specific binding of spiked IgG in non-homogeneous milk. IgG is a model antigen that is certain not to be present in non-homogeneous milk, and non-homogeneous milk is a model of real sample that includes many interfering foreign substances that induce non-specific binding. The direct injection of a real sample with no pretreatment enabled us to complete the entire immunoassay in several minutes. This ease of operation and short measuring time are acceptable for on-site agricultural, environmentaland medical testing.

Sensors, Vol. 12, Pages 7080-7094: Quartz Crystal Microbalance Aptasensor for Sensitive Detection of Mercury(II) Based on Signal Amplification with Gold Nanoparticles

Posted: 29 May 2012 12:00 AM PDT

We show that a short mercury-specific aptamer (MSA) along with gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs) can be used to determine Hg(II) ion by a combination of a QCM-based sensor and a flow system. The MSA binds specifically to Hg(II), and the Au-NPs can amplify the signal to enhance sensitivity. Specifically, the short thiolated MSAs are immobilized on the surface of the QCM as the capture probe, and the MSAs are linked to the Au-NPs as the linking probe. The two components can form a sandwich structure of the T-Hg(II)-T type in the presence of Hg(II) ions. This leads to change in the mass on the QCM and a change in the resonance frequency. Hg(II) can be determined with a detection limit of 0.24 ± 0.06 nM which is better by three orders of magnitude than previous methods. The sensor can be regenerated by disrupting the T-Hg(II)-T base pairs with a solution of cysteine.

DVDFab HD Decrypter 8.1.8.5 - Make backup copies of your DVDs and BluRay discs.. (Free)

Posted: 29 May 2012 02:19 AM PDT



DVDFab HD Decrypter is a simple version of DVDFab DVD Copy for Mac and DVDFab Blu-ray Copy for Mac which can remove all the DVD protections, part of Blu-ray protections, and copy the DVD/Blu-ray onto your Mac. It is a component of the DVDFab applications that is always free. With its various settings and options to edit, you will definitely get a fantastic output. In addition, the copying speed is very fast and the quality is wonderful.
  • Remove DVD/Blu-ray protections
  • Copy DVD/Blu-ray onto your Mac
  • Free of cost


Version 8.1.8.5: release notes were unavailable when the listing was updated.

Mac OS X 10.6 or later

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DVDFab Blu-ray 3D Ripper 8.1.8.5 - Rip 3D Blu-rays.. (Shareware)

Posted: 29 May 2012 02:43 AM PDT



DVDFab Blu-ray 3D Ripper is definitely the first software in the world which can independently convert Blu-ray 3D to 3D video files like AVI, MP4, WMV, MKV for playback on 3D display device. Especially, it supports the current popular side-by-side format. The 3D type can be left/right or top/bottom.

Features

  • Blu-ray 3D Ripper for Mac helps you remove all known AACS copy protections, BD+ copy protections including newest 3D BD+, region code, BD-Live, UOPs, MKB V25, so any Blu-ray 3D content can be accessed.
  • Blu-ray 3D content can be ripped to various video files like AVI, MP4, WMV, and MKV, still with 3D effect retained.
  • The output 3D video can be played using certain software player like Stereoscopic Player and NVIDIA 3D Vision Video Player, and can also be transferred to 3D display or 3D TV for playback.
  • Blu-ray 3D Ripper for Mac supports side-by-side 3D format -- a popular format for 3D content's transmission, which has been already used by some cable TV providers.
  • The 3D type is usually in left/right format, but for some devices, it is required to be top/bottom. Take this into consideration, Blu-ray 3D Ripper for Mac supports both left/right and top/bottom for the output.
  • The video frame size can be 100%, or if you desire for a higher coding speed, you can use 50% for normal output picture size while still enjoy fantastic viewing experience with negligible loss.
  • The original Blu-ray 3D in 1080p can be output just in the same definition, or converted to 720p video, the choice is yours.
  • Blu-ray 3D Ripper for Mac completely supports H.264 MVC standard, and the included decoder is specially offered by DVDFab. A convenience for users!
  • You are capable of editing and customizing with absolute freedom, and happy to use with fast speed and many conveniences.


Version 8.1.8.5:
  • Added support that forced subtitle information will be shown if detected when converting.


  • Mac OS X 10.6 or later


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