понедельник, 29 апреля 2013 г.

Games

Games

Dust 514 launches May 14

Posted: 28 Apr 2013 10:54 PM PDT

PlayStation-exclusive MMO from Eve Online developer to launch on May 14.

 

Console MMO Dust 514 will launch on May 14, according to a status update from the game's official Twitter account.

The project was first unveiled at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in 2009, and will be CCP Games' first new title since 2003's Eve Online. Exclusive to the PlayStation 3, the game will be linked with the wider Eve Online universe.

The two games were officially connected on January 10 this year, and allowed players of both titles to interact with one another.

CEO Hilmar Veigar Petursson has described Dust 514 as a first-person shooter/real-time strategy hybrid that will take place on the planets within Eve Online.

Dust 514 will be free to play and utilises a micro-transaction model. For more information on the game, be sure to check out GameSpot's previous coverage.

Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot

"Dust 514 launches May 14" was posted by Zorine Te on Sun, 28 Apr 2013 22:54:31 -0700

Pr0lly talks about the LCS Mid Season Playoffs on Day 3

Posted: 28 Apr 2013 10:22 PM PDT

Travis chats with Pr0lly to find out his thoughts on the matches so far at the Mid Season Playoffs.

 

Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot

"Pr0lly talks about the LCS Mid Season Playoffs on Day 3" was posted by Erick Tay on Sun, 28 Apr 2013 22:22:53 -0700

Dan Dinh talks about Leading TSM Snapdragon to Victory

Posted: 28 Apr 2013 10:17 PM PDT

Travis chats with Dan Dinh about TSM Snapdragon's performance and his influences on them.

 

Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot

"Dan Dinh talks about Leading TSM Snapdragon to Victory" was posted by Erick Tay on Sun, 28 Apr 2013 22:17:29 -0700

Zuna talks Vulcun's Performance on Day 3 of the LCS Playoffs

Posted: 28 Apr 2013 10:13 PM PDT

Zuna and Travis talk about Vulcun's performance and recent success at the LCS Playoffs.

 

Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot

"Zuna talks Vulcun's Performance on Day 3 of the LCS Playoffs" was posted by Erick Tay on Sun, 28 Apr 2013 22:13:32 -0700

Call of Duty: Ghosts running on next-gen engine – Report

Posted: 28 Apr 2013 09:10 PM PDT

Next title in military shooter series to be built on next-generation game engine.

 

Last week, UK retailer Tesco prematurely announced the next game in Activision's Call of Duty franchise, Call of Duty: Ghosts.

As well as outing both the unrevealed game and what is believed to be the official box art, the merchant's product listing also claimed that the sequel will be "built on an entirely new story, setting, and cast, all powered by a next-generation Call of Duty engine".

The original listing, which has since been removed, detailed the game as being in development for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Mention of a next-generation engine and the game's expected early November ship date aligns with industry expectations of when the next Xbox and PlayStation 4 hardware are predicted to go on sale.

GameSpot contacted Activision for verification of the details in the retailer listing, but the company declined to comment, saying that "Activision does not comment on rumour or speculation".

Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot

"Call of Duty: Ghosts running on next-gen engine – Report" was posted by Dan Chiappini on Sun, 28 Apr 2013 21:10:26 -0700

Sensors, Vol. 13, Pages 5649-5670: Fast Nearly ML Estimation of Doppler Frequency in GNSS Signal Acquisition Process

Posted: 29 Apr 2013 12:00 AM PDT

It is known that signal acquisition in Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) field provides a rough maximum-likelihood (ML) estimate based on a peak search in a two-dimensional grid. In this paper, the theoretical mathematical expression of the cross-ambiguity function (CAF) is exploited to analyze the grid and improve the accuracy of the frequency estimate. Based on the simple equation derived from this mathematical expression of the CAF, a family of novel algorithms is proposed to refine the Doppler frequency estimate with respect to that provided by a conventional acquisition method. In an ideal scenario where there is no noise and other nuisances, the frequency estimation error can be theoretically reduced to zero. On the other hand, in the presence of noise, the new algorithm almost reaches the Cramer-Rao Lower Bound (CRLB) which is derived as benchmark. For comparison, a least-square (LS) method is proposed. It is shown that the proposed solution achieves the same performance of LS, but requires a dramatically reduced computational burden. An averaging method is proposed to mitigate the influence of noise, especially when signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is low. Finally, the influence of the grid resolution in the search space is analyzed in both time and frequency domains.

Sensors, Vol. 13, Pages 5630-5648: Garment Counting in a Textile Warehouse by Means of a Laser Imaging System

Posted: 29 Apr 2013 12:00 AM PDT

Textile logistic warehouses are highly automated mechanized places where control points are needed to count and validate the number of garments in each batch. This paper proposes and describes a low cost and small size automated system designed to count the number of garments by processing an image of the corresponding hanger hooks generated using an array of phototransistors sensors and a linear laser beam. The generated image is processed using computer vision techniques to infer the number of garment units. The system has been tested on two logistic warehouses with a mean error in the estimated number of hangers of 0.13%.

Sensors, Vol. 13, Pages 5614-5629: Inertial Sensor-Based Two Feet Motion Tracking for Gait Analysis

Posted: 29 Apr 2013 12:00 AM PDT

Two feet motion is estimated for gait analysis. An inertial sensor is attached on each shoe and an inertial navigation algorithm is used to estimate the movement of both feet. To correct inter-shoe position error, a camera is installed on the right shoe and infrared LEDs are installed on the left shoe. The proposed system gives key gait analysis parameters such as step length, stride length, foot angle and walking speed. Also it gives three dimensional trajectories of two feet for gait analysis.

Materials, Vol. 6, Pages 1566-1583: Comparison of Reactive and Non-Reactive Spark Plasma Sintering Routes for the Fabrication of Monolithic and Composite Ultra High Temperature Ceramics (UHTC) Materials

Posted: 29 Apr 2013 12:00 AM PDT

A wider utilization of ultra high temperature ceramics (UHTC) materials strongly depends on the availability of efficient techniques for their fabrication as dense bodies. Based on recent results reported in the literature, it is possible to state that Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) technology offers a useful contribution in this direction. Along these lines, the use of two different SPS-based processing routes for the preparation of massive UHTCs is examined in this work. One method, the so-called reactive SPS (R-SPS), consists of the synthesis and densification of the material in a single step. Alternatively, the ceramic powders are first synthesized by Self-propagating High-temperature Synthesis (SHS) and then sintered by SPS. The obtained results evidenced that R-SPS method is preferable for the preparation of dense monolithic products, while the sintering of SHS powders requires relatively milder conditions when considering binary composites. The different kinetic mechanisms involved during R-SPS of the monolithic and composite systems, i.e., combustion-like or gradual solid-diffusion, respectively, provides a possible explanation. An important role is also played by the SHS process, particularly for the preparation of composite powders, since stronger interfaces are established between the ceramic constituents formed in situ, thus favoring diffusion processes during the subsequent SPS step.

Toxins, Vol. 5, Pages 912-925: The Toxicological Impacts of the Fusarium Mycotoxin, Deoxynivalenol, in Poultry Flocks with Special Reference to Immunotoxicity

Posted: 29 Apr 2013 12:00 AM PDT

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a common Fusarium toxin in poultry feed. Chickens are more resistant to the adverse impacts of deoxynivalenol (DON) compared to other species. In general, the acute form of DON mycotoxicosis rarely occurs in poultry flocks under normal conditions. However, if diets contain low levels of DON (less than 5 mg DON/kg diet), lower productivity, impaired immunity and higher susceptibility to infectious diseases can occur. The molecular mechanism of action of DON has not been completely understood. A significant influence of DON in chickens is the impairment of immunological functions. It was known that low doses of DON elevated the serum IgA levels and affected both cell-mediated and humoral immunity in animals. DON is shown to suppress the antibody response to infectious bronchitis vaccine (IBV) and to Newcastle disease virus (NDV) in broilers (10 mg DON/kg feed) and laying hens (3.5 to 14 mg of DON/kg feed), respectively. Moreover, DON (10 mg DON/kg feed) decreased tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) in the plasma of broilers. DON can severely affect the immune system and, due to its negative impact on performance and productivity, can eventually result in high economic losses to poultry producers. The present review highlights the impacts of DON intoxication on cell mediated immunity, humoral immunity, gut immunity, immune organs and pro-inflammatory cytokines in chickens.

IJMS, Vol. 14, Pages 9487-9496: The Role of microRNA in Gastric Malignancy

Posted: 29 Apr 2013 12:00 AM PDT

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is the main cause of gastritis, gastro-duodenal ulcer, and gastric cancer. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs that function as endogenous silencers of numerous target genes. Many miRNA genes are expressed in a tissue-specific manner and play important roles in cell proliferation, apoptosis, and differentiation. Recent discoveries have shed new light on the involvement of miRNAs in gastric malignancy. However, at the same time, several miRNAs have been associated with opposing events, leading to reduced inflammation, inhibition of malignancy, and increased apoptosis of transformed cells. The regulation of miRNA expression could be a novel strategy in the chemoprevention of human gastric malignancy. In this article, the biological importance of miRNAs in gastric malignancy is summarized.

Toxins, Vol. 5, Pages 895-911: Structure, Function, and Biology of the Enterococcus faecalis Cytolysin

Posted: 29 Apr 2013 12:00 AM PDT

Enterococcus faecalis is a Gram-positive commensal member of the gut microbiota of a wide range of organisms. With the advent of antibiotic therapy, it has emerged as a multidrug resistant, hospital-acquired pathogen. Highly virulent strains of E. faecalis express a pore-forming exotoxin, called cytolysin, which lyses both bacterial and eukaryotic cells in response to quorum signals. Originally described in the 1930s, the cytolysin is a member of a large class of lanthionine-containing bacteriocins produced by Gram-positive bacteria. While the cytolysin shares some core features with other lantibiotics, it possesses unique characteristics as well. The current understanding of cytolysin biosynthesis, structure/function relationships, and contribution to the biology of E. faecalis are reviewed, and opportunities for using emerging technologies to advance this understanding are discussed.

Toxins, Vol. 5, Pages 884-894: Assessment of Aflatoxin Contamination of Maize, Peanut Meal and Poultry Feed Mixtures from Different Agroecological Zones in Cameroon

Posted: 29 Apr 2013 12:00 AM PDT

Mycotoxins affect poultry production by being present in the feed and directly causing a negative impact on bird performance. Carry-over rates of mycotoxins in animal products are, in general, small (except for aflatoxins in milk and eggs) therefore representing a small source of mycotoxins for humans. Mycotoxins present directly in human food represent a much higher risk. The contamination of poultry feed by aflatoxins was determined as a first assessment of this risk in Cameroon. A total of 201 samples of maize, peanut meal, broiler and layer feeds were collected directly at poultry farms, poultry production sites and poultry feed dealers in three agroecological zones (AEZs) of Cameroon and analyzed for moisture content and aflatoxin levels. The results indicate that the mean of the moisture content of maize (14.1%) was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than all other commodities (10.0%–12.7%). Approximately 9% of maize samples were positive for aflatoxin, with concentrations overall ranging from <2 to 42 µg/kg. Most of the samples of peanut meal (100%), broiler (93.3%) and layer feeds (83.0%) were positive with concentrations of positive samples ranging from 39 to 950 µg/kg for peanut meal, 2 to 52 µg/kg for broiler feed and 2 to 23 µg/kg for layer feed. The aflatoxin content of layer feed did not vary by AEZ, while the highest (16.8 µg/kg) and the lowest (8.2 µg/kg) aflatoxin content of broiler feed were respectively recorded in Western High Plateau and in Rainforest agroecological zones. These results suggest that peanut meal is likely to be a high risk feed, and further investigation is needed to guide promotion of safe feeds for poultry in Cameroon.

IJMS, Vol. 14, Pages 9475-9486: Oxidative Stress Mediates the Disruption of Airway Epithelial Tight Junctions through a TRPM2-PLCγ1-PKCα Signaling Pathway

Posted: 29 Apr 2013 12:00 AM PDT

Oxidative stress has been implicated as an important contributing factor in the pathogenesis of several pulmonary inflammatory diseases. Previous studies have indicated a relationship between oxidative stress and the attenuation of epithelial tight junctions (TJs). In Human Bronchial Epithelial-16 cells (16HBE), we demonstrated the degradation of zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1), and claudin-2 exhibited a great dependence on the activation of the transient receptor potential melastatin (TRPM) 2 channel, phospholipase Cγ1 (PLCγ1) and the protein kinase Cα (PKCα) signaling cascade.

Toxins, Vol. 5, Pages 865-883: An Ultrasensitive Electrochemiluminescent Immunoassay for Aflatoxin M1 in Milk, Based on Extraction by Magnetic Graphene and Detection by Antibody-Labeled CdTe Quantumn Dots-Carbon Nanotubes Nanocomposite

Posted: 29 Apr 2013 12:00 AM PDT

An ultrasensitive electrochemiluminescent immunoassay (ECLIA) for aflatoxins M1 (ATM1) in milk using magnetic Fe3O4-graphene oxides (Fe-GO) as the absorbent and antibody-labeled cadmium telluride quantum dots (CdTe QDs) as the signal tag is presented. Firstly, Fe3O4 nanoparticles were immobilized on GO to fabricate the magnetic nanocomposites, which were used as absorbent to ATM1. Secondly, aflatoxin M1 antibody (primary antibody, ATM1 Ab1), was attached to the surface of the CdTe QDs-carbon nanotubes nanocomposite to form the signal tag (ATM1 Ab1/CdTe-CNT). The above materials were characterized. The optimal experimental conditions were obtained. Thirdly, Fe-GO was employed for extraction of ATM1 in milk. Results indicated that it can adsorb ATM1 efficiently and selectively within a large extent of pH from 3.0 to 8.0. Adsorption processes reached 95% of the equilibrium within 10 min. Lastly, the ATM1 with a serial of concentrations absorbed on Fe-GO was conjugated with ATM1 Ab1/CdTe-CNT signal tag based on sandwich immunoassay. The immunocomplex can emit a strong ECL signal whose intensity depended linearly on the logarithm of ATM1 concentration from 1.0 to 1.0 × 105 pg/mL, with the detection limit (LOD) of 0.3 pg/mL (S/N = 3). The method was more sensitive for ATM1 detection compared to the ELISA method. Finally, ten samples of milk were tested based on the immunoassay. The method is fast and requires very little sample preparation, which was suitable for high-throughput screening of mycotoxins in food.

IJMS, Vol. 14, Pages 9459-9474: Improved Nutritive Quality and Salt Resistance in Transgenic Maize by Simultaneously Overexpression of a Natural Lysine-Rich Protein Gene, SBgLR, and an ERF Transcription Factor Gene, TSRF1

Posted: 29 Apr 2013 12:00 AM PDT

Maize (Zea mays L.), as one of the most important crops in the world, is deficient in lysine and tryptophan. Environmental conditions greatly impact plant growth, development and productivity. In this study, we used particle bombardment mediated co-transformation to obtain marker-free transgenic maize inbred X178 lines harboring a lysine-rich protein gene SBgLR from potato and an ethylene responsive factor (ERF) transcription factor gene, TSRF1, from tomato. Both of the target genes were successfully expressed and showed various expression levels in different transgenic lines. Analysis showed that the protein and lysine content in T1 transgenic maize seeds increased significantly. Compared to non-transformed maize, the protein and lysine content increased by 7.7% to 24.38% and 8.70% to 30.43%, respectively. Moreover, transgenic maize exhibited more tolerance to salt stress. When treated with 200 mM NaCl for 48 h, both non-transformed and transgenic plant leaves displayed wilting and losing green symptoms and dramatic increase of the free proline contents. However, the degree of control seedlings was much more serious than that of transgenic lines and much more increases of the free proline contents in the transgenic lines than that in the control seedlings were observed. Meanwhile, lower extent decreases of the chlorophyll contents were detected in the transgenic seedlings. Quantitative RT-PCR was performed to analyze the expression of ten stress-related genes, including stress responsive transcription factor genes, ZmMYB59 and ZmMYC1, proline synthesis related genes, ZmP5CS1 and ZmP5CS2, photosynthesis-related genes, ZmELIP, ZmPSI-N, ZmOEE, Zmrbcs and ZmPLAS, and one ABA biosynthesis related gene, ZmSDR. The results showed that with the exception of ZmP5CS1 and ZmP5CS2 in line 9–10 and 19–11, ZmMYC1 in line 19–11 and ZmSDR in line 19–11, the expression of other stress-related genes were inhibited in transgenic lines under normal conditions. After salt treatment, the expressions of the ten stress-related genes were significantly induced in both wild-type (WT) and transgenic lines. However, compared to WT, the increases of ZmP5CS1 in all these three transgenic lines and ZmP5CS2 in line 9–10 were less than WT plants. This study provides an effective approach of maize genetic engineering for improved nutritive quality and salt tolerance.

Pharmaceuticals, Vol. 6, Pages 659-680: FedExosomes: Engineering Therapeutic Biological Nanoparticles that Truly Deliver

Posted: 29 Apr 2013 12:00 AM PDT

Many aspects of intercellular communication are mediated through "sending" and "receiving" packets of information via the secretion and subsequent receptor-mediated detection of biomolecular species including cytokines, chemokines, and even metabolites. Recent evidence has now established a new modality of intercellular communication through which biomolecular species are exchanged between cells via extracellular lipid vesicles. A particularly important class of extracellular vesicles is exosomes, which is a term generally applied to biological nanovesicles ~30–200 nm in diameter. Exosomes form through invagination of endosomes to encapsulate cytoplasmic contents, and upon fusion of these multivesicular endosomes to the cell surface, exosomes are released to the extracellular space and transport mRNA, microRNA (miRNA) and proteins between cells. Importantly, exosome-mediated delivery of such cargo molecules results in functional modulation of the recipient cell, and such modulation is sufficiently potent to modulate disease processes in vivo. It is possible that such functional delivery of biomolecules indicates that exosomes utilize native mechanisms (e.g., for internalization and trafficking) that may be harnessed by using exosomes to deliver exogenous RNA for therapeutic applications. A complementary perspective is that understanding the mechanisms of exosome-mediated transport may provide opportunities for "reverse engineering" such mechanisms to improve the performance of synthetic delivery vehicles. In this review, we summarize recent progress in harnessing exosomes for therapeutic RNA delivery, discuss the potential for engineering exosomes to overcome delivery challenges and establish robust technology platforms, and describe both potential challenges and advantages of utilizing exosomes as RNA delivery vehicles.

IJMS, Vol. 14, Pages 9440-9458: Characterization of Rice NADPH Oxidase Genes and Their Expression under Various Environmental Conditions

Posted: 29 Apr 2013 12:00 AM PDT

Plasma membrane NADPH oxidases (Noxs) are key producers of reactive oxygen species under both normal and stress conditions in plants. We demonstrate that at least eleven genes in the genome of rice (Oryza sativa L.) were predicted to encode Nox proteins, including nine genes (OsNox1–9) that encode typical Noxs and two that encode ancient Nox forms (ferric reduction oxidase 1 and 7, OsFRO1 and OsFRO7). Phylogenetic analysis divided the Noxs from nine plant species into six subfamilies, with rice Nox genes distributed among subfamilies I to V. Gene expression analysis using semi-quantitative RT-PCR and real-time qRT-PCR indicated that the expression of rice Nox genes depends on organs and environmental conditions. Exogenous calcium strongly stimulated the expression of OsNox3, OsNox5, OsNox7, and OsNox8, but depressed the expression of OsFRO1. Drought stress substantially upregulated the expression of OsNox1–3, OsNox5, OsNox9, and OsFRO1, but downregulated OsNox6. High temperature upregulated OsNox5–9, but significantly downregulated OsNox1–3 and OsFRO1. NaCl treatment increased the expression of OsNox2, OsNox8, OsFRO1, and OsFRO7, but decreased that of OsNox1, OsNox3, OsNox5, and OsNox6. These results suggest that the expression profiles of rice Nox genes have unique stress-response characteristics, reflecting their related but distinct functions in response to different environmental stresses.

Pharmaceuticals, Vol. 6, Pages 650-658: Natural Products as a Source for New Anti-Inflammatory and Analgesic Compounds through the Inhibition of Purinergic P2X Receptors

Posted: 29 Apr 2013 12:00 AM PDT

Natural products have reemerged in traditional medicine as a potential source of new molecules or phytomedicines to help with health disorders. It has been established that members of the P2X subfamily, ATP-gated ion channels, are crucial to the inflammatory process and pain signalization. As such, several preclinical studies have demonstrated that P2X2R, P2X3R, P2X4R and P2X7R are promising pharmacological targets to control inflammatory and pain disorders. Several studies have indicated that natural products could be a good source of the new specific molecules needed for the treatment of diseases linked to inflammation and pain disorders through the regulation of these receptors. Herein, we discuss and give an overview of the applicability of natural products as a source to obtain P2X receptors (P2XR) selective antagonists for use in clinical treatment, which require further investigation.

IJMS, Vol. 14, Pages 9424-9439: Synthesis, Cytotoxicity, DNA Binding and Apoptosis of Rhein-Phosphonate Derivatives as Antitumor Agents

Posted: 29 Apr 2013 12:00 AM PDT

Several rhein-phosphonate derivatives (5a–c) were synthesized and evaluated for in vitro cytotoxicity against HepG-2, CNE, Spca-2, Hela and Hct-116 cell lines. Some compounds showed relatively high cytotoxicity. Especially compounds 5b exhibited the strongest cytotoxicity against HepG-2 and Spca-2 cells (IC50 was 8.82 and 9.01 µM), respectively. All the synthesized compounds exhibited low cytotoxicity against HUVEC cells. Further experiments proved that 5b could disturb the cell cycle in HepG-2 cells and induce apoptosis. In addition, the binding properties of a model conjugate 5b to DNA were investigated by methods (UV-Vis, fluorescence, CD spectroscopy). Results indicated that 5b showed moderate ability to interact ct-DNA.
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