среда, 26 июня 2013 г.

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IJGI, Vol. 2, Pages 553-576: Multi-Source Data Processing Middleware for Land Monitoring within a Web-Based Spatial Data Infrastructure for Siberia

Posted: 26 Jun 2013 12:00 AM PDT

Land monitoring is a key issue in Earth system sciences to study environmental changes. To generate knowledge about change, e.g., to decrease uncertaincy in the results and build confidence in land change monitoring, multiple information sources are needed. Earth observation (EO) satellites and in situ measurements are available for operational monitoring of the land surface. As the availability of well-prepared geospatial time-series data for environmental research is limited, user-dependent processing steps with respect to the data source and formats pose additional challenges. In most cases, it is possible to support science with spatial data infrastructures (SDI) and services to provide such data in a processed format. A data processing middleware is proposed as a technical solution to improve interdisciplinary research using multi-source time-series data and standardized data acquisition, pre-processing, updating and analyses. This solution is being implemented within the Siberian Earth System Science Cluster (SIB-ESS-C), which combines various sources of EO data, climate data and analytical tools. The development of this SDI is based on the definition of automated and on-demand tools for data searching, ordering and processing, implemented along with standard-compliant web services. These tools, consisting of a user-friendly download, analysis and interpretation infrastructure, are available within SIB-ESS-C for operational use.

IJERPH, Vol. 10, Pages 2621-2642: Perspectives to Performance of Environment and Health Assessments and Models—From Outputs to Outcomes?

Posted: 26 Jun 2013 12:00 AM PDT

The calls for knowledge-based policy and policy-relevant research invoke a need to evaluate and manage environment and health assessments and models according to their societal outcomes. This review explores how well the existing approaches to assessment and model performance serve this need. The perspectives to assessment and model performance in the scientific literature can be called: (1) quality assurance/control, (2) uncertainty analysis, (3) technical assessment of models, (4) effectiveness and (5) other perspectives, according to what is primarily seen to constitute the goodness of assessments and models. The categorization is not strict and methods, tools and frameworks in different perspectives may overlap. However, altogether it seems that most approaches to assessment and model performance are relatively narrow in their scope. The focus in most approaches is on the outputs and making of assessments and models. Practical application of the outputs and the consequential outcomes are often left unaddressed. It appears that more comprehensive approaches that combine the essential characteristics of different perspectives are needed. This necessitates a better account of the mechanisms of collective knowledge creation and the relations between knowledge and practical action. Some new approaches to assessment, modeling and their evaluation and management span the chain from knowledge creation to societal outcomes, but the complexity of evaluating societal outcomes remains a challenge.

Future Internet, Vol. 5, Pages 301-3016: Virtual Relationship Violence and Perspectives on Punishment: Do Gender or Nationality Matter?

Posted: 26 Jun 2013 12:00 AM PDT

Given the increasingly popular use of socially interactive technology (SIT), it is believed that the way in which individuals communicate and experience relationships has drastically been changing. For those who partake in this electronic world, damaging behaviors akin to those found in the real world have emerged. Yet, we know little about the extent of these behaviors in the context of romantic relationships, especially from a gender or cultural standpoint. Research on dating violence generally indicates that women experience in-person victimization at higher rates than men, although some research has called this into question. It also suggests that some national groups experience higher rates of violence than others. However, research is almost non-existent when it comes to exploring violence in the digital world. This study investigated gender and nationality in (1) the nature and extent of socially interactive intimate violence, and (2) perceptions of the seriousness of virtual relationship violence. Using a sample of students from the United States and Poland, findings revealed that socially interactive technology may serve as a new avenue for aggressing against partners, as virtual relationship violence was not uncommon and reflected some patterns present in the real world. Some unexpected patterns also emerged. The results of this research signal a possible transferability of covert intimate violence and highlight ways in which inequalities may exist in our virtual worlds.

Entropy, Vol. 15, Pages 2548-2569: Relating Deformation and Thermodynamics: An Opportunity for Rethinking Basic Concepts of Continuum Mechanics

Posted: 26 Jun 2013 12:00 AM PDT

In order to treat deformation as one of the processes taking place in an irreversible thermodynamic transformation, two main conditions must be satisfied: (1) strain and stress should be defined in such a way that the modification of the symmetry of these tensorial quantities reflects that of the structure of the actual material of which the deforming ideal continuum is the counterpart; and (2) the unique decomposition of the above tensors into the algebraic sum of an isotropic and an anisotropic part with different physical meanings should be recognized. The first condition allows the distinction of the energy balance in irrotational and rotational deformations; the second allows the description of a thermodynamic transformation involving deformation as a function of both process quantities, whose values depend on the specific transition, or path, between two equilibrium states, and of state quantities, which describe equilibrium states of a system quantitatively. One of the main conclusions that can be drawn is that, dealing with deformable materials, the quantities that must appear in thermodynamic equations cannot be tensorial quantities, such as the stress tensor and the infinitesimal or finite strain tensor usually considered in continuum mechanics (or, even worse, their components). The appropriate quantities should be invariants involved by the strain and stress tensors here defined. Another important conclusion is that, from a thermodynamic point of view, the consideration of the measurable volume change occurring in an isothermal deformation does not itself give any meaningful information.

Behavioral Sciences, Vol. 3, Pages 316-329: The Impact of Precaution and Practice on the Performance of a Risky Motor Task

Posted: 26 Jun 2013 12:00 AM PDT

The association between threat perception and motor execution, mediated by evolved precaution systems, often results in ritual-like behavior, including many idiosyncratic acts that seem irrelevant to the task at hand. This study tested the hypothesis that threat-detection during performance of a risky motor task would result in idiosyncratic activity that is not necessary for task completion. We asked biology students to follow a particular set of instructions in mixing three solutions labeled "bio-hazardous" and then repeat this operation with "non-hazardous" substances (or vice versa). We observed a longer duration of the overall performance, a greater repertoire of acts, longer maximal act duration, and longer mean duration of acts in the "risky" task when it was performed before the "non-risky" task. Some, but not all, of these differences were eliminated when a "non-risky" task preceded the "risky" one. The increased performance of idiosyncratic unnecessary activity is in accordance with the working hypothesis of the present study: ritualized idiosyncratic activities are performed in response to a real or illusionary threat, as a means to alleviate anxiety.

IJMS, Vol. 14, Pages 13329-13345: Involvement of Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 Up-Regulation in Bradykinin Promotes Cell Motility in Human Prostate Cancers

Posted: 26 Jun 2013 12:00 AM PDT

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed malignancy in men and shows a predilection for metastasis to distant organs. Bradykinin (BK) is an inflammatory mediator and has recently been shown to mediate tumor growth and metastasis. The adhesion molecule intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) plays a critical role during tumor metastasis. The aim of this study was to examine whether BK promotes prostate cancer cell migration via ICAM-1 expression. The motility of cancer cells was increased following BK treatment. Stimulation of prostate cancer cells with BK induced mRNA and protein expression of ICAM-1. Transfection of cells with ICAM-1 small interfering RNA reduced BK-increased cell migration. Pretreatment of prostate cancer cells with B2 receptor, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), Akt, and activator protein 1 (AP-1) inhibitors or mutants abolished BK-promoted migration and ICAM-1 expression. In addition, treatment with a B2 receptor, PI3K, or Akt inhibitor also reduced BK-mediated AP-1 activation. Our results indicate that BK enhances the migration of prostate cancer cells by increasing ICAM-1 expression through a signal transduction pathway that involves the B2 receptor, PI3K, Akt, and AP-1. Thus, BK represents a promising new target for treating prostate cancer metastasis.

IJMS, Vol. 14, Pages 13307-13328: The Intertwining of Transposable Elements and Non-Coding RNAs

Posted: 26 Jun 2013 12:00 AM PDT

Growing evidence shows a close association of transposable elements (TE) with non-coding RNAs (ncRNA), and a significant number of small ncRNAs originate from TEs. Further, ncRNAs linked with TE sequences participate in a wide-range of regulatory functions. Alu elements in particular are critical players in gene regulation and molecular pathways. Alu sequences embedded in both long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA) and mRNAs form the basis of targeted mRNA decay via short imperfect base-pairing. Imperfect pairing is prominent in most ncRNA/target RNA interactions and found throughout all biological kingdoms. The piRNA-Piwi complex is multifunctional, but plays a major role in protection against invasion by transposons. This is an RNA-based genetic immune system similar to the one found in prokaryotes, the CRISPR system. Thousands of long intergenic non-coding RNAs (lincRNAs) are associated with endogenous retrovirus LTR transposable elements in human cells. These TEs can provide regulatory signals for lincRNA genes. A surprisingly large number of long circular ncRNAs have been discovered in human fibroblasts. These serve as "sponges" for miRNAs. Alu sequences, encoded in introns that flank exons are proposed to participate in RNA circularization via Alu/Alu base-pairing. Diseases are increasingly found to have a TE/ncRNA etiology. A single point mutation in a SINE/Alu sequence in a human long non-coding RNA leads to brainstem atrophy and death. On the other hand, genomic clusters of repeat sequences as well as lncRNAs function in epigenetic regulation. Some clusters are unstable, which can lead to formation of diseases such as facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy. The future may hold more surprises regarding diseases associated with ncRNAs andTEs.

IJMS, Vol. 14, Pages 13282-13306: NS3 Protease from Hepatitis C Virus: Biophysical Studies on an Intrinsically Disordered Protein Domain

Posted: 26 Jun 2013 12:00 AM PDT

The nonstructural protein 3 (NS3) from the hepatitis C virus (HCV) is responsible for processing the non-structural region of the viral precursor polyprotein in infected hepatic cells. NS3 protease activity, located at the N-terminal domain, is a zinc-dependent serine protease. A zinc ion, required for the hydrolytic activity, has been considered as a structural metal ion essential for the structural integrity of the protein. In addition, NS3 interacts with another cofactor, NS4A, an accessory viral protein that induces a conformational change enhancing the hydrolytic activity. Biophysical studies on the isolated protease domain, whose behavior is similar to that of the full-length protein (e.g., catalytic activity, allosteric mechanism and susceptibility to inhibitors), suggest that a considerable global conformational change in the protein is coupled to zinc binding. Zinc binding to NS3 protease can be considered as a folding event, an extreme case of induced-fit binding. Therefore, NS3 protease is an intrinsically (partially) disordered protein with a complex conformational landscape due to its inherent plasticity and to the interaction with its different effectors. Here we summarize the results from a detailed biophysical characterization of this enzyme and present new experimental data.

IJMS, Vol. 14, Pages 13266-13281: CD44 Is Associated with the Aggressive Phenotype of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma through Redox Regulation

Posted: 26 Jun 2013 12:00 AM PDT

Recent studies have shown that cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) within a tumor have the capacity for self-renewal and differentiation, and are associated with an aggressive phenotype and therapeutic resistance. Studies have also associated tumor progression with alterations in the levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). In this study, we cultured nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) CSCs in conditions that allowed sphere formation. The resulting sphere cells displayed stemness properties, characteristics of the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), and increased expression of the CSC surface marker CD44. We further evaluated the association between CD44 expression and EMT marker expression, and any correlation with redox status, in these CSCs. We showed that the EMT in sphere cells is associated with the upregulation of CD44 expression and increased ROS generation, which might promote NPC aggressiveness. We also identified the coexpression of CD44 with the EMT marker N-cadherin in sphere cells, and downregulated CD44 expression after the addition of the antioxidant N-acetyl cysteine. Our results indicate that CD44 plays a role in the EMT phenotype of CSCs in NPC, and suggest its involvement in EMT-associated ROS production. These findings might facilitate the development of a novel therapy for the prevention of NPC recurrence and metastasis.

IJMS, Vol. 14, Pages 13241-13265: Comparison of Membrane Targeting Strategies for the Accumulation of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus p24 Protein in Transgenic Tobacco

Posted: 26 Jun 2013 12:00 AM PDT

Membrane anchorage was tested as a strategy to accumulate recombinant proteins in transgenic plants. Transmembrane domains of different lengths and topology were fused to the cytosolic HIV antigen p24, to promote endoplasmic reticulum (ER) residence or traffic to distal compartments of the secretory pathway in transgenic tobacco. Fusions to a domain of the maize seed storage protein γ-zein were also expressed, as a reference strategy that leads to very high stability via the formation of large polymers in the ER lumen. Although all the membrane anchored constructs were less stable compared to the zein fusions, residence at the ER membrane either as a type I fusion (where the p24 sequence is luminal) or a tail-anchored fusion (where the p24 sequence is cytosolic) resulted in much higher stability than delivery to the plasma membrane or intermediate traffic compartments. Delivery to the tonoplast was never observed. The inclusion of a thrombin cleavage site allowed for the quantitative in vitro recovery of p24 from all constructs. These results point to the ER as suitable compartment for the accumulation of membrane-anchored recombinant proteins in plants.

IJMS, Vol. 14, Pages 13231-13240: Up-Regulation of microRNA* Strands by Their Target Transcripts

Posted: 26 Jun 2013 12:00 AM PDT

During microRNA (miRNA) biogenesis, one strand of a 21–23 nucleotide RNA duplex is preferentially selected for entry into an RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC). The other strand, known as the miRNA* species, is typically thought to be degraded. Previous studies have provided miRNA* selection models, but it remains unclear how the dominance of one arm arises during the biogenesis of miRNA. Using miRNA sponge-like methods, we cloned four tandem target sequences (artificial target) of miR-7b* and then measured miR-7b* expression levels after transfection of the artificial target. miR-7b* levels were found to significantly increase after transfection of the artificial target. We postulate that the abundance of target transcripts drives miRNA arm selection.

IJMS, Vol. 14, Pages 13213-13230: Toll-Like Receptor and Accessory Molecule mRNA Expression in Humans and Mice as Well as in Murine Autoimmunity, Transient Inflammation, and Progressive Fibrosis

Posted: 26 Jun 2013 12:00 AM PDT

The cell type-, organ-, and species-specific expression of the Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are well described, but little is known about the respective expression profiles of their accessory molecules. We therefore determined the mRNA expression levels of LBP, MD2, CD36, CD14, granulin, HMGB1, LL37, GRP94, UNC93b1, TRIL, PRAT4A, AP3B1, AEP and the respective TLRs in human and mouse solid organs. Humans and mice displayed significant differences between their respective mRNA expression patterns of these factors. In addition, the expression profiles in transient tissue inflammation upon renal ischemia-reperfusion injury, in spleens and kidneys from mice with lupus-like systemic autoimmunity, and in progressive tissue fibrosis upon unilateral ureteral obstruction were studied. Several TLR co-factors were specifically regulated during the different phases of these disease entities, suggesting a functional involvement in the disease process. Thus, the organ- and species-specific expression patterns need to be considered in the design and interpretation of studies related to TLR-mediated innate immunity, which seems to be involved in the tissue injury phase, in the phase of tissue regeneration, and in progressive tissue remodelling.

Gran Turismo 6 demo coming 2 July

Posted: 26 Jun 2013 02:23 AM PDT

Sony has confirmed that PS3 owners will be able to download a demo of Gran Turismo 6 as of 2 July. It's free on

Jaksta Music Miner 1.0.9 - Capture MP3s from the Web. (Shareware)

Posted: 26 Jun 2013 02:08 AM PDT



Jaksta Music Miner for Mac captures and tags MP3s from popular audio and video Web sites, automatically. Just open Jaksta Music Miner, play a song or video, and the MP3 is created, usually up to 10x faster than real time. Adding the MP3 to iTunes happens with the click of one button. Jaksta Music Miner supports Grooveshark, Last.FM, YouTube, Jango, and more. Jaksta Music Miner is great for discovering new music or enjoying your music offline.

Version 1.0.9:
  • Fixed issues with YouTube videos
  • Misc. bug fixes and improvements


  • OS X 10.7 or later



More information

Download Now

Subtitles Wizard 1.1.3 - Download free and open source subtitles. (Commercial)

Posted: 26 Jun 2013 01:56 AM PDT



Subtitles Wizard will help you by making it easier to download free and open source subtitles from opensubtitles.org.

Just drag and drop a movie that you own in the application, and if anyone have made a free subtitles for it, in the language of your choice, you will get it!

Version 1.1.3:

  • Want to download subtitles automatically? Go to www.subtitleswizard.com.


OS X 10.6 or later


More information

Download Now

Deadpool - Now Playing

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 08:28 PM PDT

Tom and Shaun dive into the raunchy world of Deadpool in this episode of Now Playing.

 

Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot

"Deadpool - Now Playing" was posted by Dan Mihoerck on Tue, 25 Jun 2013 20:28:59 -0700

IJMS, Vol. 14, Pages 13194-13212: Reinvestigation of the Oxidative Folding Pathways of Hen Egg White Lysozyme: Switching of the Major Pathways by Temperature Control

Posted: 26 Jun 2013 12:00 AM PDT

It has been well established that in the oxidative folding of hen egg white lysozyme (HEL), which has four SS linkages in the native state (N), three des intermediates, i.e., des[76–94], des[64–80], and des [6–127], are populated at 20 °C and N is dominantly formed by the oxidation of des[64–80] and des[6–127]. To elucidate the temperature effects, the oxidative folding pathways of HEL were reinvestigated at 5–45 °C in the presence of 2 M urea at pH 8.0 by using a selenoxide reagent, DHSox. When reduced HEL was reacted with 1–4 equivalents of DHSox, 1S, 2S, 3S, and 4S intermediate ensembles with 1–4 SS linkages, respectively, were produced within 1 min. After the oxidation, 3S was slowly converted to the des intermediates with formation of the native structures through SS rearrangement. At 5 °C, des[76–94] was populated in the largest amount, but the oxidation to N was slower than that of des[64–80] and des[6–127]. At 35 °C, on the other hand, des[64–80] and des[6–127] were no longer stable, and only des[76–94] was populated. The results suggested that the major folding pathways of HEL can be switched from one to the other by temperature control.

IJMS, Vol. 14, Pages 13171-13193: Alleviation of Osmotic Stress Effects by Exogenous Application of Salicylic or Abscisic Acid on Wheat Seedlings

Posted: 26 Jun 2013 12:00 AM PDT

The aim of the study was to assess the role of salicylic acid (SA) and abscisic acid (ABA) in osmotic stress tolerance of wheat seedlings. This was accomplished by determining the impact of the acids applied exogenously on seedlings grown under osmotic stress in hydroponics. The investigation was unique in its comprehensiveness, examining changes under osmotic stress and other conditions, and testing a number of parameters simultaneously. In both drought susceptible (SQ1) and drought resistant (CS) wheat cultivars, significant physiological and biochemical changes were observed upon the addition of SA (0.05 mM) or ABA (0.1 μM) to solutions containing half-strength Hoagland medium and PEG 6000 (−0.75 MPa). The most noticeable result of supplementing SA or ABA to the medium (PEG + SA and PEG + ABA) was a decrease in the length of leaves and roots in both cultivars. While PEG treatment reduced gas exchange parameters, chlorophyll content in CS, and osmotic potential, and conversely, increased lipid peroxidation, soluble carbohydrates in SQ1, proline content in both cultivars and total antioxidants activity in SQ1, PEG + SA or PEG + ABA did not change the values of these parameters. Furthermore, PEG caused a two-fold increase of endogenous ABA content in SQ1 and a four-fold increase in CS. PEG + ABA increased endogenous ABA only in SQ1, whereas PEG + SA caused a greater increase of ABA content in both cultivars compared to PEG. In PEG-treated plants growing until the harvest, a greater decrease of yield components was observed in SQ1 than in CS. PEG + SA, and particularly PEG + ABA, caused a greater increase of these yield parameters in CS compared to SQ1. In conclusion, SA and ABA ameliorate, particularly in the tolerant wheat cultivar, the harmful effects and after effects of osmotic stress induced by PEG in hydroponics through better osmotic adjustment achieved by an increase in proline and carbohydrate content as well as by an increase in antioxidant activity.

IJMS, Vol. 14, Pages 13154-13170: Comparison of Cellular Uptake and Inflammatory Response via Toll-Like Receptor 4 to Lipopolysaccharide and Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles

Posted: 26 Jun 2013 12:00 AM PDT

The innate immune response is the earliest cellular response to infectious agents and mediates the interactions between microbes and cells. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play an important role in these interactions. We have already shown that TLRs are involved with the uptake of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) and promote inflammatory responses. In this paper, we compared role of cellular uptake and inflammatory response via TLR 4 to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and TiO2 NPs. In the case of LPS, LPS binds to LPS binding protein (LBP) and CD 14, and then this complex binds to TLR 4. In the case of TiO2 NPs, the necessity of LBP and CD 14 to induce the inflammatory response and for uptake by cells was investigated using over-expression, antibody blocking, and siRNA knockdown experiments. Our results suggested that for cellular uptake of TiO2 NPs, TLR 4 did not form a complex with LBP and CD 14. In the TiO2 NP-mediated inflammatory response, TLR 4 acted as the signaling receptor without protein complex of LPS, LBP and CD 14. The results suggested that character of TiO2 NPs might be similar to the complex of LPS, LBP and CD 14. These results are important for development of safer nanomaterials.

Animals, Vol. 3, Pages 574-583: Livestock Production in the UK in the 21st Century: A Perfect Storm Averted?

Posted: 26 Jun 2013 12:00 AM PDT

There is a school of thought that future demand for meat and other farm animal products is unsustainable for several reasons, including greenhouse gas emissions, especially from ruminants; standards of farm animal health and welfare, especially when farm animals are kept intensively; efficiency of conversion by livestock of solar energy into (human) food, particularly by pigs and poultry; water availability and usage for all types of agricultural production, including livestock; and human health and consumption of meat, eggs and milk. Demand for meat is forecast to rise as a result of global population growth and increasing affluence. These issues buttress an impending perfect storm of food shortages, scarce water and insufficient energy, which is likely to coincide with global population reaching about 9 billion people in 2030 (pace Beddington). This paper examines global demand for animal products, the narrative of 'sustainable intensification' and the implications of each for the future of farm animal welfare. In the UK, we suggest that, though non-ruminant farming may become unsustainable, ruminant agriculture will continue to prosper because cows, sheep and goats utilize grass and other herbage that cannot be consumed directly by humans, especially on land that is unsuitable for other purposes. However, the demand for meat and other livestock-based food is often for pork, eggs and chicken from grain-fed pigs and poultry. The consequences of such a perfect storm are beginning to be incorporated in long-term business planning by retailers and others. Nevertheless, marketing sustainable animal produce will require considerable innovation and flair in public and private policies if marketing messages are to be optimized and consumer behaviour modified.
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