пятница, 23 ноября 2012 г.

Games

Games

IJMS, Vol. 13, Pages 15601-15639: Form Follows Function: Structural and Catalytic Variation in the Class A Flavoprotein Monooxygenases

Posted: 23 Nov 2012 12:00 AM PST

Flavoprotein monooxygenases (FPMOs) exhibit an array of mechanistic solutions to a common chemical objective; the monooxygenation of a target substrate. Each FPMO efficiently couples reduction of a flavin cofactor by NAD(P)H to oxygenation of the target substrate via a (hydro)peroxyflavin intermediate. This purpose of this review is to describe in detail the Class A flavoprotein hydroxylases (FPMO) in the context of the other FPMO classes (B–F). Both one and two component FPMOs are found in nature. Two-component enzymes require, in addition to the monooxygenase, the involvement of a reductase that first catalyzes the reduction of the flavin by NAD(P)H. The Class A and B FPMOs are single-component and manage to orchestrate the same net reaction within a single peptide. The Class A enzymes have, by some considerable margin, the most complete research record. These enzymes use choreographed movements of the flavin ring that facilitate access of the organic substrates to the active site, provide a means for interaction of NADPH with the flavin, offer a mechanism to sequester the dioxygen reduction chemistry from solvent and a means to release the product. The majority of the discrete catalytic events of the catalytic cycle can be observed directly in exquisite detail using spectrophotometric kinetic methods and many of the key mechanistic conclusions are further supported by structural data. This review attempts to compile each of the key observations made for both paradigm and newly discovered examples of Class A FPMOs into a complete catalytic description of one enzymatic turnover.

IJMS, Vol. 13, Pages 15588-15600: Elevated Levels of Lewis Y and Integrin α5β1 Correlate with Chemotherapeutic Drug Resistance in Epithelial Ovarian Carcinoma

Posted: 23 Nov 2012 12:00 AM PST

Objective: To measure Lewis y and integrin α5β1 expression in epithelial ovarian carcinoma and to correlate the levels of these molecules with ovarian carcinoma chemotherapy and prognosis. Methods: The study population included 34 ovarian carcinoma patients with chemotherapeutic drug-resistance, six partially drug-sensitive cases, and 52 drug-sensitive cases (92 total). Immunochemistry was used to determine expression of Lewis y antigen and integrin α5β1 in ovarian carcinoma tissues, and correlation of these molecules with chemotherapy resistance was further investigated, Multi-factor logistic regression analysis was applied to investigate: age, surgical stage, grade, subtype of patient cases, metastasis of lymph nodes, residual tumor size, expression levels of Lewis y antigen and integrin α5β1 correlation with ovarian carcinoma chemotherapy resistance. Results: The expression rates of Lewis y antigen and integrins α5 and β1 were significantly greater in the drug-resistant group (91.17%, 85.29%, 88.24%) than the partially sensitive (50.00%, 33.33%, 50.00%) or sensitive groups (61.54%, 57.69%, 55.77%). Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that surgical stage, residual tumor size, and expression of integrin α5 and Lewis y in ovarian carcinoma tissues were independent risk factors for chemotherapeutic drug resistance. Conclusions: Overexpression of Lewis y and integrin α5 are strong risk factors for chemotherapeutic drug resistance in ovarian carcinoma patients.

Sensors, Vol. 12, Pages 16262-16273: Pattern Recognition for Selective Odor Detection with Gas Sensor Arrays

Posted: 23 Nov 2012 12:00 AM PST

This paper presents a new pattern recognition approach for enhancing the selectivity of gas sensor arrays for clustering intelligent odor detection. The aim of this approach was to accurately classify an odor using pattern recognition in order to enhance the selectivity of gas sensor arrays. This was achieved using an odor monitoring system with a newly developed neural-genetic classification algorithm (NGCA). The system shows the enhancement in the sensitivity of the detected gas. Experiments showed that the proposed NGCA delivered better performance than the previous genetic algorithm (GA) and artificial neural networks (ANN) methods. We also used PCA for data visualization. Our proposed system can enhance the reproducibility, reliability, and selectivity of odor sensor output, so it is expected to be applicable to diverse environmental problems including air pollution, and monitor the air quality of clean-air required buildings such as a kindergartens and hospitals.

Resident Evil Revelations coming to Xbox 360 and PS3 (according to Korean ratings board)

Posted: 23 Nov 2012 02:33 AM PST

Capcom's 3DS exclusive Resident Evil Revelations could be coming to Xbox 360 and PS3, if an update to the Korean Game Rating Board site turns out to be

Sensors, Vol. 12, Pages 16250-16261: Bloom Filter-Based Advanced Traceback Scheme in Wireless Sensor Networks

Posted: 23 Nov 2012 12:00 AM PST

Many recent studies have focused on traceback schemes with the aim of finding the source of spoofed malicious packets and tracing the path of denial-of-service attacks. Although such schemes are academically well known, most exhibit some critical points in wireless sensor networks, which could become a significant issue as they are increasingly used for IP networks. This paper suggests an advanced traceback scheme based on existing Bloom filter methods. The proposed traceback scheme extends the basic Bloom filter design, enabling it to identify which entity added a given element, albeit with the incursion of false positives. However, our scheme allows only specific tracebacks, which can reduce the false positive rate of a node near a sink. Performance results show that the scheme can perform efficient tracebacks with very few false positives.

Sensors, Vol. 12, Pages 16228-16249: Track Detection in Railway Sidings Based on MEMS Gyroscope Sensors

Posted: 23 Nov 2012 12:00 AM PST

The paper presents a two-step technique for real-time track detection in single-track railway sidings using low-cost MEMS gyroscopes. The objective is to reliably know the path the train has taken in a switch, diverted or main road, immediately after the train head leaves the switch. The signal delivered by the gyroscope is first processed by an adaptive low-pass filter that rejects noise and converts the temporal turn rate data in degree/second units into spatial turn rate data in degree/meter. The conversion is based on the travelled distance taken from odometer data. The filter is implemented to achieve a speed-dependent cut-off frequency to maximize the signal-to-noise ratio. Although direct comparison of the filtered turn rate signal with a predetermined threshold is possible, the paper shows that better detection performance can be achieved by processing the turn rate signal with a filter matched to the rail switch curvature parameters. Implementation aspects of the track detector have been optimized for real-time operation. The detector has been tested with both simulated data and real data acquired in railway campaigns.

Molecules, Vol. 17, Pages 13937-13947: Evaluation of the Hepatoprotective Effects of Lantadene A, a Pentacyclic Triterpenoid of Lantana Plants against Acetaminophen-induced Liver Damage

Posted: 23 Nov 2012 12:00 AM PST

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the hepatoprotective activity of lantadene A against acetaminophen-induced liver toxicity in mice was studied. Activity was measured by monitoring the levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and bilirubin, along with histo-pathological analysis. Silymarin was used as positive control. A bimodal pattern of behavioural toxicity was exhibited by the lantadene A-treated group at the beginning of the treatment. However, treatment with lantadene A and silymarin resulted in an increase in the liver weight compared with the acetaminophen treated group. The results of the acetaminophen-induced liver toxicity experiments showed that mice treated with lantadene A (500 mg/kg) showed a significant decrease in the activity of ALT, AST and ALP and the level of bilirubin, which were all elevated in the acetaminophen treated group (p < 0.05). Histological studies supported the biochemical findings and a maximum improvement in the histoarchitecture was seen. The lantadene A-treated group showed remarkable protective effects against histopathological alterations, with comparable results to the silymarin treated group. The current study confirmed the hepatoprotective effects of lantadene A against the model hepatotoxicant acetaminophen, which is likely related to its potent antioxidative activity.

Molecules, Vol. 17, Pages 13923-13936: Subnanosecond Charge Recombination Dynamics in P3HT/PC61BM Films

Posted: 23 Nov 2012 12:00 AM PST

Ultrafast near-infrared absorption spectroscopy was used to investigate the influence of film morphology and excitation photon energy on the charge recombination (CR) dynamics in the initial nanosecond timescale in the P3HT/PC61BM blend films. With reference to the CS2-cast films, the solvent vapor annealed (SVA) ones show 2–3-fold improvement in hole mobility and more than 5-fold reduction in the polymer-localized trap states of holes. At Dt = 70 ps, the hole mobility (mh) and the bimolecular CR rate (gbi) of the SVA films are mh = 8.7 × 10−4 cm2×s−1×V−1 and gbi = 4.5 × 10−10 cm3×s−1, whereas at Dt = 1 ns they drop to 8.7 × 10−5 cm2×s−1×V−1 and 4.6 × 10−11 cm3×s−1, respectively. In addition, upon increasing the hole concentration, the hole mobility increases substantially faster under the above-gap photoexcitation than it does under the band-gap photoexcitation, irrespective of the film morphologies. The results point to the importance of utilizing the photogenerated free charges in the early timescales.

Molecules, Vol. 17, Pages 13917-13922: Isolation and Identification of the Phenolic Compounds from the Roots of Sanguisorba officinalis L. and Their Antioxidant Activities

Posted: 23 Nov 2012 12:00 AM PST

Four phenolic compounds were isolated from the roots of Sanguisorba officinalis L. by silica gel column chromatography and preparative HPLC. On the basis of chemical and spectroscopic methods, their structures were identified as methyl 4-O-β-D-glucopyranosy-5-hydroxy-3-methoxylbenzoate (1), 3,3′,4′-tri-O-methylellagic acid (2), fisetinidol-(4α-8)-catechin (3), and (+)-catechin (4). Compound 1 is a new phenolic glycoside and compounds 2 and 3 were isolated from the Sanguisorba genus for the first time. Compounds 1–4 were also assayed for their antioxidant activities using the DPPH free radical assay.

Molecules, Vol. 17, Pages 13910-13916: A New Prenylated Naphthoquinoid from the Aerial Parts of Clinopodium chinense (Benth.) O. Kuntze

Posted: 23 Nov 2012 12:00 AM PST

A new prenylated naphthoquinoid, named (3R,4aR,10bR)-3,10-dihydroxy-2,2-dimethyl-3,4,4a,10b-tetrahydro-2H-naphtho[1,2-b]-pyran-5H-6-one (1), was isolated from the aerial parts of Clinopodium chinense (Benth.) O. Kuntze, together with six known compounds: apigenin (2), luteolin (3), neoeriocitrin (4), naringenin (5), narirutin (6), and didymin (7). Neoeriocitrin was isolated for the first time from the species C. chinense. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods, including 1D, 2D (1H-1H-COSY, HSQC, HMBC and NOESY) NMR, HR-ESI-MS. The absolute configuration of 1 was determinated using the CD method. We highlight that the structure of 1 is characterized by a rarely seen prenylated naphthoquinoid framework.

Social Share: Black Friday Deals & More

Posted: 22 Nov 2012 09:26 PM PST

This week we share some deals around the internets, gaming bulletins, and more.

Get the full article at GameSpot

"Social Share: Black Friday Deals & More" was posted by Jody Robinson on Thu, 22 Nov 2012 21:26:13 -0800

Professor Layton vs. Ace Attorney detailed in new trailer

Posted: 22 Nov 2012 09:08 PM PST

Trailer for 3DS crossover title reveals more gameplay details; puzzles will be combined with signature Ace Attorney courtroom interrogations.

 

A new trailer for upcoming crossover title Professor Layton vs. Ace Attorney from Capcom and Level-5 has revealed more details about the gameplay.

Although the trailer is in Japanese, the gameplay footage makes it evident that the title will combine the defining elements from each of the two franchises.

Players will be required to investigate clues and solve different kinds of puzzles while playing as Professor Layton and Luke, while the other part of the game will require the same courtroom interrogations and clue matching that has defined the Ace Attorney series.

Players will alternate between Layton and Phoenix Wright.

According to CVG, the game's story will see Professor Layton and Phoenix Wright descend on the medieval town of Labyrinth City, where villain ruler Story Teller is able to create anything he wants simply by writing it down.

Professor Layton vs. Ace Attorney is due out in Japan on November 29 for the 3DS. There are currently no details about a Western release for the game.

[ Watch Video ]

Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot

"Professor Layton vs. Ace Attorney detailed in new trailer" was posted by Laura Parker on Thu, 22 Nov 2012 21:08:27 -0800

Molecules, Vol. 17, Pages 13891-13909: A Facile Synthesis of New Monoazo Disperse Dyes Derived from 4-Hydroxyphenylazopyrazole-5-amines: Evaluation of Microwave Assisted Dyeing Behavior

Posted: 23 Nov 2012 12:00 AM PST

A series of new monoazo disperse dyes containing pyrazolopyrimidine moieties was synthesized by coupling malononitrile or 3-aminocrotononitrile with 4-hydroxy- benzenediazonium chloride. Treatment of the resulting products with hydrazine hydrate yields the corresponding 4-arylazoaminopyrazoles, which then react with either 2,4-pentanedione and enaminonitriles or aryl-substituted enaminoketones to give the target pyrazolopyrimidine monoazo disperse dyes. Structural assignments of the dyes were made using both NMR spectroscopic and X-ray crystallographic methods. A high temperature dyeing method, by microwave irradiation, was employed with polyester fabrics. Most of the dyed fabrics tested displayed moderate light fastness and excellent washing and perspiration fastness levels.

Education Sciences, Vol. 2, Pages 208-217: Behind the Battle Lines of History as Politics: An International and Intergenerational Methodology for Testing the Social Identity Thesis of History Education

Posted: 23 Nov 2012 12:00 AM PST

This article critiques popular assumptions that underlie the ongoing politicisation of school history curriculum as an agent of social identity and behaviour. It raises some key research questions which need further investigation and suggests a potential methodology for establishing evidence-based understanding of the relationship between history education, historical consciousness, identity politics and civil discord. The proposed methodology is based on comparative research of the lived experience of history education and social disposition in two generations in three modern democratic nations each of which represent in their recent histories different models of social integration. The article suggests that without such evidence-based theorisation of the relationship between historical consciousness and social identity, the evolution of history curricula will remain vulnerable to the ongoing incursions of hostile but poorly conceived political rhetoric.

Biology, Vol. 1, Pages 736-765: Will Climate Change, Genetic and Demographic Variation or Rat Predation Pose the Greatest Risk for Persistence of an Altitudinally Distributed Island Endemic?

Posted: 23 Nov 2012 12:00 AM PST

Species endemic to mountains on oceanic islands are subject to a number of existing threats (in particular, invasive species) along with the impacts of a rapidly changing climate. The Lord Howe Island endemic palm Hedyscepe canterburyana is restricted to two mountains above 300 m altitude. Predation by the introduced Black Rat (Rattus rattus) is known to significantly reduce seedling recruitment. We examined the variation in Hedyscepe in terms of genetic variation, morphology, reproductive output and demographic structure, across an altitudinal gradient. We used demographic data to model population persistence under climate change predictions of upward range contraction incorporating long-term climatic records for Lord Howe Island. We also accounted for alternative levels of rat predation into the model to reflect management options for control. We found that Lord Howe Island is getting warmer and drier and quantified the degree of temperature change with altitude (0.9 °C per 100 m). For H. canterburyana, differences in development rates, population structure, reproductive output and population growth rate were identified between altitudes. In contrast, genetic variation was high and did not vary with altitude. There is no evidence of an upward range contraction as was predicted and recruitment was greatest at lower altitudes. Our models predicted slow population decline in the species and that the highest altitude populations are under greatest threat of extinction. Removal of rat predation would significantly enhance future persistence of this species.

Energies, Vol. 5, Pages 4941-4951: Influence of Pyrolysis Temperature on Rice Husk Char Characteristics and Its Tar Adsorption Capability

Posted: 23 Nov 2012 12:00 AM PST

A biomass waste, rice husk, was inspected by thermoanalytical investigation to evaluate its capability as an adsorbent medium for tar removal. The pyrolysis process has been applied to the rice husk material at different temperatures 600, 800 and 1000 °C with 20 °C/min heating rate, to investigate two topics: (1) influence of temperature on characterization of rice husk char and; (2) adsorption capability of rice husk char for tar removal. The results showed that subsequent to high temperature pyrolysis, rice husk char became a highly porous material, which was suitable as tar removal adsorbent with the ability to remove tar effectively. In addition, char characteristics and tar removal ability were significantly influenced by the pyrolysis temperature.

Energies, Vol. 5, Pages 4924-4940: Simulation of Synthesis Gas Production from Steam Oxygen Gasification of Colombian Coal Using Aspen Plus®

Posted: 23 Nov 2012 12:00 AM PST

A steady state simulation of syngas production from a Steam Oxygen Gasification process using commercial technologies was performed using Aspen Plus®. For the simulation, the average proximate and ultimate compositions of bituminous coal obtained from the Colombian Andean region were employed. The simulation was applied to conduct sensitivity analyses in the O2 to coal mass ratio, coal slurry concentration, WGS operating temperature and WGS steam to dry gas molar ratio (SDG) over the key parameters: syngas molar composition, overall CO conversion in the WGS reactors, H2 rich-syngas lower heating value (LHV) and thermal efficiency. The achieved information allows the selection of critical operating conditions leading to improve system efficiency and environmental performance. The results indicate that the oxygen to carbon ratio is a key variable as it affects significantly both the LHV and thermal efficiency. Nevertheless, the process becomes almost insensitive to SDG values higher than 2. Finally, a thermal efficiency of 62.6% can be reached. This result corresponds to a slurry solid concentration of 0.65, a WGS process SDG of 0.59, and a LTS reactor operating temperature of 473 K. With these fixed variables, a syngas with H2 molar composition of 92.2% and LHV of 12 MJ Nm−3 was attained.

Energies, Vol. 5, Pages 4892-4923: The Novel Application of Optimization and Charge Blended Energy Management Control for Component Downsizing within a Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle

Posted: 23 Nov 2012 12:00 AM PST

 The adoption of Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) is widely seen as an interim solution for the decarbonization of the transport sector. Within a PHEV, determining the required energy storage capacity of the battery remains one of the primary concerns for vehicle manufacturers and system integrators. This fact is particularly pertinent since the battery constitutes the largest contributor to vehicle mass. Furthermore, the financial cost associated with the procurement, design and integration of battery systems is often cited as one of the main barriers to vehicle commercialization. The ability to integrate the optimization of the energy management control system with the sizing of key PHEV powertrain components presents a significant area of research. Contained within this paper is an optimization study in which a charge blended strategy is used to facilitate the downsizing of the electrical machine, the internal combustion engine and the high voltage battery. An improved Equivalent Consumption Method has been used to manage the optimal power split within the powertrain as the PHEV traverses a range of different drivecycles. For a target CO2 value and drivecycle, results show that this approach can yield significant downsizing opportunities, with cost reductions on the order of 2%–9% being realizable.

Remote Sensing, Vol. 4, Pages 3689-3712: A Vegetation Index to Estimate Terrestrial Gross Primary Production Capacity for the Global Change Observation Mission-Climate (GCOM-C)/Second-Generation Global Imager (SGLI) Satellite Sensor

Posted: 23 Nov 2012 12:00 AM PST

To estimate global gross primary production (GPP), which is an important parameter for studies of vegetation productivity and the carbon cycle, satellite data are useful. In 2014, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) plans to launch the Global Change Observation Mission-Climate (GCOM-C) satellite carrying the second-generation global imager (SGLI). The data obtained will be used to estimate global GPP. The rate of photosynthesis depends on photosynthesis reduction and photosynthetic capacity, which is the maximum photosynthetic velocity at light saturation under adequate environmental conditions. Photosynthesis reduction is influenced by weather conditions, and photosynthetic capacity is influenced by chlorophyll and RuBisCo content. To develop the GPP estimation algorithm, we focus on photosynthetic capacity because chlorophyll content can be detected by optical sensors. We hypothesized that the maximum rate of low-stress GPP (called “GPP capacity”) is mainly dependent on the chlorophyll content that can be detected by a vegetation index (VI). The objective of this study was to select an appropriate VI with which to estimate global GPP capacity with the GCOM-C/SGLI. We analyzed reflectance data to select the VI that has the best linear correlation with chlorophyll content at the leaf scale and with GPP capacity at canopy and satellite scales. At the satellite scale, flux data of seven dominant plant functional types and reflectance data obtained by the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) were used because SGLI data were not available. The results indicated that the green chlorophyll index, CIgreen(ρNIR/ρgreen-1), had a strong linear correlation with chlorophyll content at the leaf scale (R2 = 0.87, p < 0.001) and with GPP capacity at the canopy (R2 = 0.78, p < 0.001) and satellite scales (R2 = 0.72, p < 0.01). Therefore, CIgreen is a robust and suitable vegetation index for estimating global GPP capacity.

Pharmaceuticals, Vol. 5, Pages 1265-1281:   Cell Penetrating Peptoids (CPPos): Synthesis of a Small Combinatorial Library by Using IRORI MiniKans

Posted: 23 Nov 2012 12:00 AM PST

Cell penetrating peptoids (CPPos) are potent mimics of the corresponding cell penetrating peptides (CPPs). The synthesis of diverse oligomeric libraries that display a variety of backbone scaffolds and side-chain appendages are a very promising source of novel CPPos, which can be used to either target different cellular organelles or even different tissues and organs. In this study we established the submonomer-based solid phase synthesis of a “proof of principle” peptoid library in IRORI MiniKans to expand the amount for phenotypic high throughput screens of CPPos. The library consisting of tetrameric peptoids [oligo(N-alkylglycines)] was established on Rink amide resin in a split and mix approach with hydrophilic and hydrophobic peptoid side chains. All CPPos of the presented library were labeled with rhodamine B to allow for the monitoring of cellular uptake by fluorescent confocal microscopy. Eventually, all the purified peptoids were subjected to live cell imaging to screen for CPPos with organelle specificity. While highly charged CPPos enter the cells by endocytosis with subsequent endosomal release, critical levels of lipophilicity allow other CPPos to specifically localize to mitochondria once a certain lipophilicity threshold is reached.
Автор: на

Комментариев нет:

Отправить комментарий

Подписаться на: Комментарии к сообщению (Atom)