text:
The Valsalva maneuver, a test frequently used to evaluate autonomic function, recruits discrete neural sites. The time courses of neural recruitment relative to accompanying cardiovascular and breathing patterns are unknown. We examined functional magnetic resonance imaging signal changes within the brain to repeated Valsalva maneuvers and correlated these changes with physiological trends. In 12 healthy subjects (age, 30–58 yr), a series of 25 volumes (20 gradient echo echo-planar image slices per volume) was collected using a 1.5-Tesla scanner during a 60-s baseline and 90-s challenge period consisting of three Valsalva maneuvers. Regions of interest were examined for signal intensity changes over baseline and challenge conditions in cardiorespiratory-related regions. In addition, whole brain correlations between signal intensity and heart rate and airway load pressure were performed on a voxel-by-voxel basis. Significant signal changes, correlated with the time course of load pressure and heart rate, emerged within multiple areas, including the amygdala and hippocampus, insular and lateral frontal cortices, dorsal pons, dorsal medulla, lentiform nucleus, and fastigial and dentate nuclei of the cerebellum. Signal intensities peaked early in the Valsalva maneuver within the hippocampus and amygdala, later within the dorsal medulla, pons and midbrain, and deep cerebellar nuclei, and last within the lentiform nuclei and the lateral prefrontal cortex. The ventral pontine signals increased during the challenge, but not in a fashion correlated to load pressure or heart rate. Sites showing little or no correlation included the vermis and medial prefrontal cortex. These data suggest an initiating component arising in rostral brain areas, a later contribution from cerebellar nuclei, basal ganglia, and lateral prefrontal cortex, and a role for the ventral pons in mediating longer term processes.
The Valsalva maneuver consists of a prolonged expiratory effort resulting in increased intrathoracic pressure, with concomitant decreased venous return and alterations in arterial pressure (AP) and heart rate (HR). To maintain homeostasis, changes in sympathetic and parasympathetic outflow emerge, and the contributions of each component have been defined in the accompanying physiological patterns (Levin 1966; Sandroni et al. 2000). The maneuver has been valuable for assessment of autonomic disturbance in a number of clinical syndromes, including diseases of the CNS (e.g., Parkinsons disease), neuropathies (diabetes) (Low 1996), and sleep disorders (obstructive sleep apnea) (Hanly et al. 1989; Naliboff et al. 1993; Netten et al. 1995).
Because the maneuver elicits a range of autonomic responses that may exhibit deficiencies in a number of conditions, it is important to determine the neural sites mediating these physiologic reactions. Examination of the time course of signal changes in these participating brain regions would assist understanding of the mechanisms integrating the responses to the challenge and aid in evaluation of the sympathetic or parasympathetic components of autonomic output. Determination of the multiple neural regions that take part in afferent, integrative, or efferent responses to the Valsalva maneuver requires procedures that are able to simultaneously examine diverse areas of the brain. We have previously (Harper et al. 2000) used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) procedures to examine the participation of certain brain areas that respond to the Valsalva effort and have shown that multiple sites, including cerebellar, cortical, and limbic regions, mediate aspects of the response to this challenge. Technical restrictions at that time precluded examination of signal changes in brain stem sites or temporal characteristics of signal intensity changes in relation to physiological variables. The advent of improved imaging procedures has provided a means to visualize signal changes over the entire brain, including medullary areas. Together with magnetic resonance (MR)–compatible electrophysiological recording equipment, the procedural developments allow examination of the time course of the signal intensity changes within defined regions of interest, and also allow evaluation of correlations of these signal changes with cardiovascular and respiratory patterns.
We examined the distribution and time course of extent of signal intensity changes in normal control subjects to Valsalva maneuvers and correlated signal change patterns to cardiovascular and respiratory patterns.
Twelve healthy subjects (11 male and 1 female; mean age, 47 ± 3 yr; range, 30–58 yr) participated in the study. No subjects exhibited a history of autonomic dysfunction and none were currently taking beta-blockers, alpha-agonists, vasodilators, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, or cholinergic-stimulating drugs. All procedures were carried out with the adequate understanding and written consent of the subjects, and the study was approved by the Institutional Review Board at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
Physiological recording
Subjects practiced the Valsalva maneuver three times outside the scanner for procedure familiarization. Each participant wore nose clips and breathed via a mouthpiece through a two-way nonrebreather respiratory valve (Hans Rudolph, Kansas City, MO). Two small airtight tubes were attached to the distal end of the mouthpiece. One tube was used to monitor end-tidal CO2 and the other was led outside the scanner room to a pressure transducer for monitoring of airway load pressure. An electrocardiogram (ECG) was obtained using standard MR-compatible surface electrodes and oxygen saturation was measured using a Nonin oximeter. The ECG and oximetry signals were fed to low noise amplifiers (Parker et al. 1999) and transferred outside the MR room via infrared devices (Harper et al. 2001). Thoracic wall movement was monitored using an air-filled bag placed against the thoracic wall and held in place using a cloth belt. A nondistensible tube attached to this bag was passed outside the scanner room to a pressure transducer. Arterial pressure readings were obtained immediately prior to and immediately following each scanning period. All physiological signals were digitized at 1 kHz. Respiratory and heart rates were calculated using a peak-detection algorithm.
MR imaging
Images were collected with a 1.5-Tesla MR scanner (General Electric Signa, Milwaukee, WI), and a standard head coil at the UCLA Center for the Health Sciences. Foam pads were placed on either side of the head and masking tape applied to the forehead to minimize head movement. Gradient echo echo-planar imaging–sensitive blood oxygen level–dependent (BOLD) contrast (Kwong et al. 1992;Ogawa et al. 1990) was used to identify brain areas in which blood flow and/or metabolism activated in accordance with the challenge. BOLD fMRI signal changes have been shown to correlate with local field potentials and reflect input and intracortical processing that occurs within a given area (Logothetis et al. 2001). A time series of 25 echo-planar image volumes [time to repetition (TR) = 6 s per volume, time to echo = 60 ms, flip angle = 90°, field of view = 30 × 30 cm, no interslice gap, voxel size = 2.3 × 2.3 × 5.0 mm thick], composed of 20 oblique sections, was acquired continuously during a 150-s period. The scanning period was divided into an initial 60-s baseline (10 volumes) followed by a 90-s challenge period (15 volumes).
During the challenge, three Valsalva maneuvers were performed. Subjects were instructed to exhale strongly into the mouthpiece for a period of 18 s (3 volumes). The expiratory limb of the breathing circuit was fitted with a flow resistor during this period. This resistor had a very small opening that allowed a slow air leak, ensuring that the patient had an open glottis and an accurate measure of intrathoracic pressure was obtained. Following this 18-s period, the flow resistor was removed and the subject breathed freely for 18 s. The Valsalva maneuver was then repeated twice more for a total of three trials. During the three maneuvers, subjects were required to maintain a mean load pressure (LP) above 30 mmHg. A series of T1-weighted anatomical images (time to repetition = 500 ms, time to echo = 9 ms, field of view = 30 × 30 cm, no interslice gap, voxel size = 1.2 × 1.6 × 5.0 mm thick) was collected at the same levels as the functional images.
Data analysis
Image analysis was performed with MedX (Sensor Systems, Sterling, VA) and SPM99 software (Friston et al. 1995). Following removal of the first volume to account for scanner saturation, image volumes were corrected for slice timing and motion-corrected. Images were then spatially normalized so that image volumes of all subjects were in the same three-dimensional (3D) space. This spatial normalization was carefully refined to ensure that, in particular, brain stem sites were located in the same 3D space in all subjects. Spatially normalized images were Gaussian smoothed (full-width at half maximum = 8 mm). To evaluate whether global signal changes produced by the Valsalva maneuver varied across different regions of the brain, overall raw signal intensities for individual slices, averaged across all subjects, were calculated at each time point (Fig. 1 A). The percent of total brain signal intensity at each time point for individual slices was calculated and plotted over time (Fig. 1 B). Since the small decrease in global signal intensity was spread uniformly across the brain, images were intensity normalized so that the signal intensity of each slice remained constant.
Using the nonsmoothed, functional images, regions of interest (ROI) were selected using anatomical landmarks (Fig.2). The medulla, dorsal pons, deep cerebellar nuclei, cerebellar vermis, dorsal midbrain, amygdala, hippocampus, and insular cortex were chosen on the basis of closely defined relationships. The striatum was selected for its role in motor control, and the frontal cortex for its participation in motor expression. The ventral pons and midbrain were chosen as control sites. These ROIs were then overlaid onto the intensity normalized and smoothed images, and a single mean signal intensity value for each region of interest was calculated. The percent changes of these values, relative to baseline at each time point, were calculated, and these values were then averaged over all subjects. The mean ± SE values at each time point were then subjected to a repeated measures ANOVA analysis, which accounts for multiple comparisons within subjects, and a probability value of P < 0.01 was used to establish statistical significance. Since we calculated mean signal intensity for each ROI and did not correlate individual voxel signal patterns with an a priori sequence of physiological changes, small volume correction was not performed. Cross-correlations were calculated between signal intensity change and both LP and HR. Maximum temporal resolution was limited by the TR of 6 s, giving three data points for each Valsalva maneuver per subject.
Using points of maximal correlation of signal intensity change with LP, a conjunction analysis, using a fixed effects model, was performed on a voxel-by-voxel basis between mean LP and signal intensity across all subjects. Significant voxels, corrected for multiple comparisons, (Resel corrected P < 0.01) were color-coded for significance and overlaid onto spatially normalized mean T1-weighted anatomical brain slices and rendered onto the surface of the brain. These significant voxels were initially overlaid onto a mean functional image to ensure that any nonlinear distortions did not affect the location of these significant regions when overlaid onto the anatomical image sets. The conjunction analysis identifies regions significantly activated in every subject of the study and with 99% confidence that at least one-half the population would show this effect (Friston et al. 1999).
Valsalva ratios (VR) for each subject were calculated (maximum R-R interval divided by the minimum R-R interval) for each of the three maneuvers. This ratio was used to establish that those physiologic values were within normal limits. Correlations of VR with age and LP with age were calculated to evaluate age as a confounding factor.
Subjects showed a mean blood pressure of 93 ± 3 mmHg (systolic = 128 ± 4 mmHg; diastolic = 79 ± 2 mmHg) prior to onset of the maneuver. Prior to the challenge period, mean resting respiratory rate was 10 ± 1 bpm. During each Valsalva maneuver, subjects exerted a mean airway LP of 39 ± 3 mmHg (Fig. 3 A). Approximately 7 s after the beginning of each effort, HR began to increase from a baseline value of 62 ± 3 bpm. Heart rate continued to increase during the effort, reaching a peak 3.4 ± 0.3 s after the completion of each Valsalva maneuver (mean max = 88 ± 5 bpm). This peak was followed by a rapid decrease below baseline (nadir = 53 ± 3 bpm), and a slow return toward baseline during the remainder of the 18-s recovery period. VR values ranged from 1.3 to 3.6 (mean = 2.1 ± 0.2); values for the three trials for all 12 subjects as a function of age are plotted in Fig.3 B. The decline in VR as a function of increasing age was revealed by a significant correlation between age and VR (Pearson'sr = 0.75, df = 34, P < 0.01). This significant correlation did not result from changes in LP with increasing age (Pearson's r = 0.22, df=34, P > 0.2; Fig. 3 C).
fMRI signal changes
During each Valsalva maneuver, minor global signal intensity changes were distributed evenly throughout the entire brain and were removed by intensity normalization (Fig. 1).
Brain stem
Brain regions in which fMRI signal intensity was significantly correlated to LP with a lag-time of 5 s are shown in Figs. 4 and5. Significant increases in signal intensity emerged within the dorsal medulla, the midline medulla, the dorsal pons, and the dorsal and ventral midbrain, reaching mean maxima of 2.0 ± 0.8%, 3.1 ± 1.5%, 3.3 ± 0.9%, 2.0 ± 0.8%, and 1.6 ± 0.5%, respectively (Fig.6). The signal intensity increases of all these areas began shortly after the onset of the Valsalva maneuver, reached maxima approximately 14 s after the start of each Valsalva period, and declined in the intervening rest periods (Fig.7 A). In contrast, the signal intensity within the ventral pons increased gradually over the entire three-trial challenge period and was not correlated to either LP or HR.
The Valsalva maneuvers evoked significant increases in signal intensity within the cerebellum, which were correlated to HR and LP. These signal intensity increases, which were limited to the fastigial (mean max = 2.1 ± 0.7%) and dentate nuclei (mean max = 1.7 ± 0.5%), peaked on average 15 s after the start of each Valsalva maneuver, and returned to baseline during the rest periods. No significant change in signal occurred in other cerebellar structures.
Rostral sites
Within limbic structures, significant increases in signal intensity developed immediately following the onset of each Valsalva maneuver in the amygdala (mean max: 1.2 ± 0.7%) and hippocampus (mean max: 1.2 ± 0.5%; Fig. 6). These regions reached maxima shortly after the onset of each Valsalva maneuver (amygdala: 5.4 ± 1.6 s; hippocampus: 5.5 ± 1.8 s); afterward, they rapidly returned to baseline levels.
In basal ganglia and cortex, significant increases in signal intensity occurred in the lentiform nucleus (mean max: 0.9 ± 0.4%) and the insular cortex (mean max: 1.3 ± 0.4%; Figs. 4-6). As was the case with brain stem structures, the signal in the insular cortex began to increase early and peaked 14 ± 1 s after onset of each Valsalva effort. The rendered view of the cerebral cortex in Fig. 5shows significant activation of a discrete region in the lateral prefrontal cortex (mean max: 2.4 ± 0.6%). Although signal intensity within the lentiform and lateral prefrontal cortex began to increase at approximately the same time as brain stem structures, they were last of all structures to peak, reaching maxima approximately 21 s after onset of the Valsalva effort (Figs. 7 and8).
Time onset
Cross-correlations of neural signal changes with the LP and HR values, during the first Valsalva maneuver, were calculated and plotted (Fig. 7 B). The morphology of cross-correlation plots for each ROI relative to LP and HR were similar, but the maximum cross-correlations of most structures showed an approximate 6-s delay in the HR peak with respect to LP. Signal maxima in the hippocampus and amygdala occurred earliest, followed by signal intensity peaks in the brain stem, cerebellum, and insular cortex. Later peaks occurred within the lentiform nucleus and the lateral prefrontal cortex (Fig.7 A). A summary of the mean HR, LP, O2saturation, and global and regional signal intensity traces is shown in Fig. 8. The regional changes in signal intensity are divided into three broad groups: short, medium, and long latency to peak.
The HR response to the Valsalva maneuver was consistent with previous reports for subjects with no autonomic dysfunction (Ravits 1997). At onset of strain, the increased intrathoracic pressure compresses the great vessels, resulting in a transient increase in arterial pressure (AP). As increased thoracic pressures continues, venous return decreases, reducing AP to or below baseline levels. In an attempt to offset this fall in AP, the autonomic nervous system is recruited, evoking an initial withdrawal of vagal tone and a later increase in sympathetic drive resulting in increasing HR. Finally, as the strain is released, a transient fall in AP below baseline occurs, followed by an overshoot of AP above baseline and HR below baseline.
The Valsalva maneuver has been standardized at a load pressure of 40 mmHg for a minimum of 15 s. We set a protocol that required subjects to initiate and maintain load pressures of 30–50 mmHg for ≥15 s. All subjects were able to meet this criterion and exhibited normal HR response to the Valsalva maneuver. All subjects produced mean VRs within normal limits (Baldwa and Ewing 1977;Levin 1966).
The Valsalva maneuver has been used as a test of cerebral autoregulatory capacity. In healthy individuals, middle cerebral artery flow declines during the middle stages of the Valsalva maneuver but is quickly restored to baseline levels prior to the restoration of AP, indicative of appropriate autoregulatory functioning. These changes in flow are significantly smaller in the supine position than during standing (Pott et al. 2000; Tiecks et al. 1996). We observed a small overall decrease in global signal intensity during each Valsalva maneuver, likely resulting from changes in perfusion pressure as well as from alterations in arterial CO2. However, photic stimulation evokes regional signal intensity changes in the primary visual cortex even during extremely large changes in overall cerebral perfusion induced by changes in inspired CO2; the responses to photic stimulation are superimposed on the large increase in overall global signal intensity (Corfield et al. 2001; Kemna and Posse 2001; Li et al. 2000). Further, following intensity normalization, which removes global signal intensity changes, the signal intensity changes in the visual cortex were similar to those found during photic stimulation in the absence of increased CO2. Although the magnitude and timing of these changes differ slightly from those found without CO2, the overall pattern and direction remain unchanged. The normalization procedure, together with the findings that areas immediately adjacent to recruited sites showed different patterns of signal intensity response, including no signal intensity change, suggests that the signal changes reported in this study result from differential recruitment of brain sites and not from global changes in cerebral blood flow.
Motion artifact is an issue of concern for all studies employingfMRI. To avoid motion artifact, we placed foam pads on either side of the head and secured the forehead of each subject to the scanner using tape. In addition, before scanning, each subject was trained to perform the maneuver while concentrating on keeping his/her head stationary. The success of these procedures was evident by the finding that at no time did any subject's head move more than 1 mm in any direction. Despite the absence of gross movement, motion-correction was performed on the image sets of all subjects. These corrections, combined with the highly localized and varying nature of the signal intensity changes, provide confidence that the signal changes observed during the Valsalva maneuver resulted from recruitment of neural structures, and not as a result of movement artifact.
The hemodynamic response varies in timing, amplitude, and pattern across brain regions. The central tendency of the response, however, is reproducible to within a second within any single brain site (Aguirre et al. 1998; Henson et al. 2002;Huettel and McCarthy 2001; Miezin et al. 2000), and some studies show no systematic difference in hemodynamic differences between the cortex and brain stem (Backes and van Dijk 2002). Sequential trial presentations can modify the hemodynamic response of subsequent trials (Huettel and McCarthy 2001; Miezin et al. 2000). To avoid this interaction, we measured the time to peak only to the first Valsalva maneuver. The 6-s scan interval in this study limits the resolution of this time to peak measurement. We therefore restricted our description to three broad groups—short, medium, and long latency to peak. The short latency group peaks at approximately 6 s, the medium latency at approximately 14 s, and the long latency group at approximately 21 s. The Valsalva maneuver results in a defined sequence of physiologic events including onset of a respiratory effort, a parasympathetic withdrawal and a subsequent sympathetic outflow increase. This physiologic sequence occurs over a period of ≥30 s, a period sufficiently long that recruitment of structures can be assessed despite a coarse sampling resolution. The timing of signal change over this prolonged period may give insights into contributions of particular areas to physiologic patterns. These large differences in timing suggest that any small hemodynamic timing differences that may occur between different brain regions would not significantly affect the relative order of the short, medium, and late latency to peak groups.
Short latency to peak
Regions in which signal intensity peaked at the onset of the Valsalva maneuver are likely to be involved in mediating the initiation of the respiratory effort or a preparatory component of the challenge. Taking into account a general hemodynamic delay of 5 s, the signal intensity in the amygdala peaked at approximately the onset of the Valsalva effort and slightly later in the hippocampus, both returning to baseline shortly thereafter (Figs. 6-8). Immediately prior to each Valsalva maneuver, subjects inspired deeply to ensure adequate air supply for the 18-s effort. The early onset of the hippocampal response suggests a role in mediating this initial inspiratory effort, an expected finding considering the demonstration of close interactions of breathing patterns and hippocampal single cell discharge (Frysinger and Harper 1989), electroencephalographic activity (Whishaw and Schallert 1977), electrical stimulation (Ruit and Neafsey 1988), and optical imaging findings (Poe et al. 1996). Collectively, this evidence suggests that the hippocampus participates in aspects of breathing control and is associated with initiation of the sequence of respiratory events accompanying the Valsalva maneuver.
The central nucleus of the amygdala projects heavily to the parabrachial pons, nucleus of the solitary tract, and the periambigual region (Hopkins and Holstege 1978), sites which contribute significantly to respiratory phase-switching or other aspects of autonomic control. Single pulse electrical stimulation of the amygdala central nucleus results in a switch to inspiration (Harper et al. 1984); thus the amygdala may also be participating, with the hippocampus, in the initial inspiratory effort required for the Valsalva maneuver. Structures within the amygdala mediate aspects of affect, and in particular, anxiety (Buchel and Dolan 2000; Lang et al. 2000). The confined space of the MR scanner, combined with the extreme effort required to perform the Valsalva maneuver, often lead to a mild feeling of anxiety, particularly during the first trial. The initial increase and subsequent decrease in signal intensity may reflect this feeling. We do not, however, have an independent measure showing such a decline in anxiety level.
Medium latency to peak
Regions exhibiting a delayed onset and gradual increase in signal intensity, a pattern similar to the HR response, are likely to represent those areas mediating the decrease in cardiac parasympathetic and increase in cardiac sympathetic drive. The medial medulla, dorsal medulla, dorsal pons, midbrain, and insular cortex all exhibited this response pattern, with the greatest magnitude in signal intensity change occurring in the dorsal pons (Figs. 6 and 8). The parabrachial complex, which lies within the dorsolateral aspect of the pons, sends direct projections to medullary sites that contain both respiratory and cardiovascular motor neurons [the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) and the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM)] (Herbert et al. 1990). On activation, the parabrachial complex can evoke increases in sympathetic activity and HR (Chamberlin and Saper 1992) and alter the functioning of the baroreceptor reflex (Saleh and Connell 1997).
The NTS, which lies within the dorsal medulla, exhibited substantial signal increases with the challenge. The NTS is the primary termination site of afferents arising from almost all cardiovascular receptors, and on activation, can elicit profound changes in AP and HR. The NTS alters sympathetic cardiac outflow via projections to the RVLM, either directly or via the caudal ventrolateral medulla, and can modify parasympathetic cardiac outflow via direct projections to the vagal cardiac preganglionics near the nucleus ambiguus (Dampney 1994). Despite the close interconnectivity, increased NTS signal intensity did not alter ventrolateral medullary activity, a surprising outcome. The lack of significant signal intensity change may have been the product of the multiplicity of neuronal types in the ventrolateral medulla, which contains cells that both increase sympathetic and decrease parasympathetic outflow to the heart. The relatively poor spatial resolution of the fMRI technique may not allow sufficient resolution to differentiate discrete subsets of neurons. Localization within a region must await higher-resolution mapping.
The midline medulla (medullary raphe nuclei) plays a significant role in cardiac and respiratory control. Chemical activation of this region results in marked AP and HR changes, alters respiratory patterning and enhances phrenic nerve discharge (Bernard 1998;Haxhiu et al. 1998; Henderson et al. 1998). The increased signal intensity in the midline raphe during the Valsalva maneuver may represent compensatory responses to alter AP or may reflect action to increase phrenic nerve discharge and thus maintain the greatly enhanced respiratory effort.
The late onset, gradual rise in signal intensity in the insular cortex is consistent with previous work of King et al. (1999). Both animal and human studies show that the insular cortex plays a role in autonomic function, as indicated by electrical stimulation, stroke, lesion, and fMRI data (Corfield et al. 1995;Oppenheimer 1994). Strokes localized to insular cortex result in a great number of cardiovascular complications and increased mortality due to autonomic imbalance compared with strokes located in other cortical regions (Oppenheimer et al. 1996;Tokgozoglu et al. 1999). Previous PET studies reveal significant activation in insular cortex during air hunger (Banzett et al. 2000; Liotti et al. 2001;Peiffer et al. 2001), a feeling subjects in this study experienced, by self-report, toward the end of each Valsalva maneuver. In addition to a role in the autonomic component of the Valsalva maneuver, the insular cortex may also be involved in dyspnea. Unlike the dorsal pons, the ventral pons did not show a correlation with the HR or LP; instead, signal intensity increased over time and remained elevated in the inter-trial gap (Fig. 6). This action may represent an overall arousal to the challenge.
As was the case in brain stem regions, deep cerebellar nuclei began to increase signal intensity early in the Valsalva maneuver; intensity remained significantly increased until after completion of each Valsalva effort. A cough bears many resemblances to the respiratory pattern of the Valsalva maneuver, with an initial deep inspiration followed by expiration against a closed glottis. Studies in the cat have revealed that lesions encompassing the rostral interpositis nucleus, a deep cerebellar nucleus, attenuate coughing (Xu and Frazier 1997). During active expiration, PET studies also show significant increases in activation in the cerebellum (Ramsay et al. 1993). The cerebellar nuclei may act in a compensatory or "error correction" mode, mediating both somatomotor and AP components of the Valsalva response. Cerebellar structures play a significant role in somatomotor control of respiration; cerebellar damage can result in impaired breathing when coordination with other body movements is necessary, even if breathing at rest is normal (Ebert and Hefter 2001). The active somatomotor efforts required for the Valsalva challenge may require participation of cerebellar structures, particularly the dentate nuclei. Arterial pressure manipulations, such as cold pressor challenges or mental stressor tasks that have an absence of motoric action, show recruitment of cerebellar sites, especially the deep cerebellar nuclei (Critchley et al. 2000; Harper et al. 2000). The fastigial nucleus appears to play a significant role in compensating for extremes in AP; fastigial nuclei lesions result in a failure to restore AP during hypovolemia or endotoxic shock in animals, resulting in death (Lutherer et al. 1983). Patients presenting with multiple system atrophy, of which cerebellar pathology is a feature, or olivepontocerebellar degeneration, show central autonomic dysfunction (Chokroverty 1984;Smith et al. 1996). We speculate that the dentate and fastigial nuclei participate in regulatory roles for breathing and AP control, respectively, and that deficits in capability to develop LP or appropriate HR responses to the Valsalva maneuver may involve these cerebellar nuclei.
Long latency to peak
A discrete region of the lateral prefrontal cortex, corresponding to the supplementary motor area of the upper airway, and the lentiform nucleus, another motor region, showed significant increases in signal intensity during each Valsalva maneuver, with long latency to peak (Fig. 8). The supplementary motor area of the upper airway, on the left side, is known as Broca's area. This region is involved in motor aspects of speech, involving complex interactions of upper airway muscle action. This region is also consistently activated during swallowing (Mosier et al. 1999), a task also integrating upper airway muscle activity. Given that this region is activated during the entire maneuver and has a signal intensity peak at the completion of each maneuver, we suggest that it is involved in mediating muscle control of the upper airway during the challenge.
The Valsalva maneuver recruits neural structures throughout the rostrocaudal extent of the brain. Early recruitment occurs within limbic structures, which may help initiate the maneuver. Slightly delayed, gradual increases were found in the dorsal brain stem, insular cortex, and cerebellum, and likely represent regions involved in increasing sympathetic and decreasing parasympathetic cardiac drive. Structures showing maximal increases in signal even later include regions of the basal ganglia and supplementary motor cortex. The findings emphasize the distributed nature of a relatively simple challenge, and suggest that participation of discrete brain sites can be partitioned by consideration of timing of signal changes.
We thank C. Valderama for technical assistance.
This research was supported by National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Grant HL-60296.
Address for reprint requests: R.M. Harper, Dept. of Neurobiology, Univ. of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1763 (E-mail:rharper{at}ucla.edu).
- Copyright © 2002 The American Physiological Society


text:
I'm still not entirely sure why William Friedkin's latest, "Killer Joe" has been slapped with an NC-17. Nothing I've seen from the trailers, and now these three clips, would seem to indicate it's any more deserving of the rating than, well, 99% of the Rated R movies out there. According to the MPAA, the film got hit with the NC-17 rating for "graphic aberrant content involving violence and sexuality, and a scene of brutality". "Aberrant"? Huh. Anyways, check out three new clips from the movie below.
When 22-year-old Chris finds himself in debt to a drug lord, he hires a hit man to dispatch his mother, whose $50,000 life insurance policy benefits his sister Dottie. Chris finds Joe Cooper, a creepy, crazy Dallas cop who moonlights as a contract killer. When Chris can't pay Joe upfront, Joe sets his sight on Dottie as collateral for the job. The contract killer and his hostage develop an unusual bond. Like from a modern-day, twisted fairy tale, "Killer Joe" Cooper becomes the prince to Dottie's Cinderella.
"Killer Joe" stars Matthew McConaughey, Emile Hirsch, Thomas Haden Church, Juno Temple, Gina Gershon, and opens in (very) limited release July 27, 2012, since most theaters don't show NC-17 films.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
श्रमिकों किराया कैसे अपने स्वयं के वेतन का भुगतान करेंगे
Whether you know it or not, you need to hire workers that will pay their own salaries if your business is to move forward and become a mature company. You may not know it yourself, but you contribute one way or the other to paying yourself when you work as an employee with another employer – everything you do in your office or workplace contributes to company-generated revenue which is used to pay you. (अधिक…)


text:
Warpia's Easy Dock is now available for purchase online, and like any notebook docking station it lets you use an external monitor, keyboard, mouse, and speakers when you're at your desktop, while enjoying the convenience of a notebook when you're on the go. The advantage here, though, is that the Easy Dock is wireless, so it's especially fast to set up.
You can use the Easy Dock to connect to a 15- to 21-inch monitor, with resolutions up to 1,400 by 1,050 or 1,440 by 900 (widescreen). You can also stream HD video up to 720p. It works with Windows and Mac PCs, and is plug-and-play: Attach the USB dongle to your notebook and you can instantly transmit a signal. The Easy Dock is available for $149.99 at Amazon.com or Best Buy.


text: Listen to selected recent sermons from St. John's United Church of Christ. We invite you if able to join us this Sunday morning for worship! (Due to technical difficulties with the church recording device, some weeks the sermons are not available, including January 1 & November 5. 2017 – we are sorry for the inconvenience.)


text:
One of the state's fastest competitors in track, Mitchell County's Justin Scott had an impressive showing at the Georgia state track meet in Jefferson back in May. In the 200 meter race, Scott ran...
Premium Content
Subscribe today to read the full article and get everything Rivals has to offer.
- Member-only message boards
- Exclusive highlights and recruiting interviews
- Exclusive coverage of Rivals Camp Series
- Breaking recruiting news


text:
> Career Resources
> Interviews > Industry Updates > Property / Construction
Hong Kong construction industry ready for keener talent competition
Large-scale construction ventures in parts of the Middle East, Southeast Asia and mainland China have lured many qualified Hong Kong professionals in the building and construction industry to overseas positions.
However, the Hong Kong government's plans to boost the local economy by investing millions of dollars in huge civil works projects is expected to substantially increase the demand for engineers, architects and project managers.
"Although the recent recession in the Hong Kong construction and property market caused an exodus of local talent to places like Macau and Dubai, the government's new scheme should lead to increased recruitment at home, enabling Hong Kong to retain its talented professionals," says Mok Kwok-ho, director and chief engineer, Hip Hing Construction Co Ltd.
Stable workforce
Ahead of the launch of major infrastructure projects like the Sha Tin-Central MTR extension line, big contractors are currently reviewing their human resources policies to ensure they have sufficient qualified staff on board.
Hip Hing, part of NWS Holdings Limited, which operates a diversified range of businesses in Hong Kong, Macau and the mainland, is recruiting employees for a number of positions, including project managers, site agents, planning engineers and building services engineers.
The company believes that in order to compete with other recruiters it is important to understand what quality employees are looking for in terms of job security, remuneration packages, learning environment and career development.
"Hip Hing's active participation in Macau, the mainland and other Asian countries means that the company can depend on major international projects to help us ride out industry ups and downs in Hong Kong. As we progressively extend our scope of professional services in Dubai and prepare for more local projects, one of our current challenges is to maintain a stable and competent workforce," Mr Mok stresses.
Staff development paramount
Hip Hing has developed a system to help its employees develop the necessary skills to excel in their careers and to groom future leaders for the fast-growing company.
"We regularly ask our project managers to identify potential candidates for promotion. Senior management then assess these candidates to determine the type of training they need," Mr Mok points out.
In one case, it was found that an engineer who performed excellently in civil structure required more experience in cost controlling. The company then facilitated a lateral movement which allowed this engineer to take a position where he could benefit from daily exposure to this part of the job.
In another example, an annual performance review indicated that a certain member of staff demonstrated superior leadership and administration skills and was assistant project manager material. However, an in-depth conversation with the employee revealed that he was not ready to take up management responsibility at that point. He was therefore provided with an opportunity to hone his technical capabilities.
"We are open to discussion about individual career development with all our team members. We believe it is important to listen to our staff, as two-way communication helps to create a happy working environment," Mr Mok adds.
He reflects on an incident where a member of staff who had been offered a better paid job elsewhere approached him for career advice. As a result of this openness, Mr Mok was able to have a closer look at the market and at possible ways to retain the employee.
Alongside the company's existing initiatives to attract, retain and develop people, Hip Hing continuously reviews its talent management policies. The company is currently looking at reinstating a mentoring system which is common within the industry.
Rising standards
In a bid to keep up with increasing industry standards, Hip Hing intends to invest in rising overall staff qualification levels throughout the company.
Employees who do not possess accreditation from higher education institutions are encouraged to embark on extramural programmes to attain professional qualifications.
The company also has a number of positions for fresh graduates in disciplines such as quantity surveying, building technology, structural engineering, building services engineering and project coordinators.
Hip Hing participates in the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers' Graduates Scheme A training programme. The institute sets standards for the training and admission of engineers, and the programme provides registered trainees with the opportunity to integrate theoretical knowledge with the practical skills required to apply that knowledge through hands-on experience and activities.
This "learning by experience" methodology helps trainees to enhance their academic studies through real-life application.
Free Subscription


text:
Log in to copy items to your own lists.
The Longest Day (1962)
The events of D-Day, told on a grand scale from both the Allied and German points of view. (178 mins.)
Director: Ken Annakin, Andrew Marton
Stars: John Wayne, Robert Ryan, Richard Burton, Henry Fonda
Cross of Iron (1977)
A German commander places a squad in extreme danger after its Sergeant refuses to lie for him. (132 mins.)
Director: Sam Peckinpah
Stars: James Coburn, Maximilian Schell, James Mason, David Warner
Summer of '42 (1971)
During his summer vacation on Nantucket Island in 1942, a youth eagerly awaiting his first sexual encounter finds himself developing an innocent love for a young woman awaiting news on her soldier husband's fate in WWII. (103 mins.)
Director: Robert Mulligan
Stars: Jennifer O'Neill, Gary Grimes, Jerry Houser, Oliver Conant
Islands in the Stream (1977)
An isolated sculptor is visited by his three sons just before the start of WWII. (104 mins.)
Director: Franklin J. Schaffner
One Against the Wind (1991 TV Movie)
Mary Lindell works for the French Red Cross in Occupied France during World War II and helps allied... (96 mins.)
Director: Larry Elikann
Stars: Judy Davis, Sam Neill, Anthony Higgins, Christien Anholt
Jenny's War (1985 TV Series)
This fact-based story follows a woman who launches a rescue of her Royal Air Force pilot son, who was shot down over Germany in 1941. Getting no help from the underground, she sets up her own rescue mission. (198 mins.)
Director: Steve Gethers
Stars: Dyan Cannon, Elke Sommer, Robert Hardy, Patrick Ryecart
A Bridge Too Far (1977)
Operation Market Garden, September 1944: The Allies attempt to capture several strategically important bridges in the Netherlands in the hope of breaking the German lines. However, mismanagement and poor planning result in its failure. (175 mins.)
Director: Richard Attenborough
Stars: Sean Connery, Ryan O'Neal, Michael Caine, Laurence Olivier
633 Squadron (1964)
An RAF squadron is assigned to knock out a German rocket fuel factory in Norway. The factory supplies fuel for the Nazi effort to launch rockets on England during D-Day. (102 mins.)
Director: Walter E. Grauman
Battle of Britain (1969)
In 1940, the British Royal Air Force fights a desperate battle to prevent the Luftwaffe from gaining air superiority over the English Channel as a prelude to a possible Axis invasion of the UK. (132 mins.)
Director: Guy Hamilton
Stars: Michael Caine, Trevor Howard, Harry Andrews, Curd Jürgens
Hanna's War (1988)
During WW2 Hanna Szenes, a Hungarian Jew living in British Palestine, volunteers to go behind enemy lines to rescue Jews from deportation to death camps. (148 mins.)
Director: Menahem Golan
The Big Red One (1980)
The story of a sergeant and the inner core members of his unit as they try to serve in and survive World War II. (113 mins.)
Director: Samuel Fuller
Stars: Lee Marvin, Mark Hamill, Robert Carradine, Bobby Di Cicco
Schindler's List (1993)
In German-occupied Poland during World War II, Oskar Schindler gradually becomes concerned for his Jewish workforce after witnessing their persecution by the Nazi Germans. (195 mins.)
Director: Steven Spielberg
Stars: Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Kingsley, Caroline Goodall
Good Evening, Mr. Wallenberg (1990)
Swedish national Raoul Wallenberg, newcomer to politics and international machinations, travels to German-occupied... (118 mins.)
Director: Kjell Grede
Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
In 1948, an American court in occupied Germany tries four Nazi judges for war crimes. (186 mins.)
Director: Stanley Kramer
Kelly's Heroes (1970)
A group of U.S. soldiers sneaks across enemy lines to get their hands on a secret stash of Nazi treasure. (144 mins.)
Director: Brian G. Hutton
The Winds of War (1983 Mini-Series)
The trials of the Henry and Jastrow families in the early years of World War II. (883 mins.)
Hitler: The Last Ten Days (1973)
A dramatization based on eye witness accounts of Hitler's final days in an underground bunker, his military henchmen, and his stormy relationship with Eva Braun. (106 mins.)
Director: Ennio De Concini
Stars: Alec Guinness, Simon Ward, Adolfo Celi, Diane Cilento
Go for Broke! (1951)
The story of Japanese-American soldiers who fought in Europe during World War II. (92 mins.)
Director: Robert Pirosh
Stars: Van Johnson, Lane Nakano, George Miki, Akira Fukunaga
Battleground (1949)
A squad of the 101st Airborne Division copes with being trapped in the besieged city of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge. (118 mins.)
Director: William A. Wellman
Stars: Van Johnson, John Hodiak, Ricardo Montalban, George Murphy
Patton (1970)
The World War II phase of the career of the controversial American general, George S. Patton. (172 mins.)
Director: Franklin J. Schaffner
Hanover Street (1979)
Margaret is a nurse in England during WW2, and married to a secret agent. Things get complicated when she falls for David, an American pilot. (109 mins.)
Director: Peter Hyams
Yanks (1979)
During WWII, the United States set up army bases in Great Britain as part of the war effort. Against their proper sensibilities... (138 mins.)
Director: John Schlesinger
The Thousand Plane Raid (1969)
A U.S. Air Force colonel convinces the Allies during World War II that a daylight bombing raid of Germany will bring a quick end to the war. (93 mins.)
Director: Boris Sagal
The Mediterranean in Flames (1970)
In 1941 the Germans invaded in Greece and two childhood friends, one a Greek naval officer and the other German is forced to fight each other and collide in battle, each defending his homeland. (102 mins.)
Director: Dimis Dadiras
Stars: Kostas Prekas, Kostas Karras, Olga Politou, Sofia Roubou
The Last Warrior (1989)
The biggest Japanese destroyer "Yamato" is badly damaged in a battle and shall be repaired at a small... (94 mins.)
Director: Martin Wragge
Casablanca (1942)
In Casablanca in December 1941, a cynical American expatriate encounters a former lover, with unforeseen complications. (102 mins.)
Director: Michael Curtiz
The Bridge (1959)
In 1945, Germany is being overrun, and nobody is left to fight but teenagers. (103 mins.)
Director: Bernhard Wicki
Breakthrough (1950)
An American infantry unit, from its pre-invasion training to combat in Europe. (91 mins.)
Director: Lewis Seiler
Stars: David Brian, John Agar, Frank Lovejoy, William Campbell
Breakthrough (1979)
In 1944 a German sergeant gets involved in an anti-Hitler conspiracy, and saves the life of an American colonel. (111 mins.)
Director: Andrew V. McLaglen
Stars: Richard Burton, Rod Steiger, Helmut Griem, Klaus Löwitsch
Dragon Seed (1944)
The lives of a small Chinese village are turned Upside down when the Japanese invade it. And heroic young Chinese woman leads her fellow villagers in an uprising against Japanese Invaders. (148 mins.)
Director: Harold S. Bucquet, Jack Conway
Sailor of the King (1953)
In 1940, Canadian sailor Andrew Brown is prisoner on a battle damaged German raider and he plans to delay the raider's at-sea repairs until a British naval task-force can destroy it. (83 mins.)
Director: Roy Boulting
Stars: Jeffrey Hunter, Michael Rennie, Wendy Hiller, Bernard Lee
Pursuit of the Graf Spee (1956)
A true WW2 story: the British Navy must find and destroy a powerful German warship. (119 mins.)
Director: Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger
Stars: John Gregson, Anthony Quayle, Peter Finch, Ian Hunter
Sink the Bismarck! (1960)
The World War II story of the British Navy's effort to defeat Nazi Germany's most powerful warship. (97 mins.)
Director: Lewis Gilbert
Stars: Kenneth More, Dana Wynter, Carl Möhner, Laurence Naismith
The Enemy Below (1957)
During World War II, an American destroyer meets a German U-Boat. Both captains are experts, and so begins a deadly game of cat-and-mouse. (98 mins.)
Director: Dick Powell
Das Boot (1981)
The claustrophobic world of a WWII German U-boat; boredom, filth, and sheer terror. (149 mins.)
Director: Wolfgang Petersen
Das Boot (1985 Mini-Series)
A World War II German U-Boat crew have a terrifying patrol mission in the early days of the war. (293 mins.)
Director: Wolfgang Petersen
Force of Arms (1951)
During World War II in Italy, an American sergeant and WAC lieutenant take time out for romance. (99 mins.)
Director: Michael Curtiz
Stars: William Holden, Nancy Olson, Frank Lovejoy, Gene Evans
Raid on Rommel (1971)
In 1942 Libya, a German-speaking British Intelligence officer uses former British POWs, some dressed in German uniforms, to fulfill a secret sabotage mission inside German-captured Tobruk. (99 mins.)
Director: Henry Hathaway
The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel (1951)
The story of the final years of the respected World War II German general, Erwin Rommel. (88 mins.)
Director: Henry Hathaway
Stars: James Mason, Cedric Hardwicke, Jessica Tandy, Luther Adler
The Desert Rats (1953)
Richard Burton plays a Scottish Army officer put in charge of a disparate band of ANZAC troops on the perimeter of Tobruk with the German Army doing their best to dislodge them. (88 mins.)
Director: Robert Wise
Stars: Richard Burton, James Mason, Robert Newton, Robert Douglas
Red Ball Express (1952)
Story of the military truck drivers who kept the Allied armies supplied in Europe during WW2. (83 mins.)
Director: Budd Boetticher
Stars: Jeff Chandler, Alex Nicol, Charles Drake, Judith Braun
Where Eagles Dare (1968)
Allied agents stage a daring raid on a castle where the Nazis are holding an American General prisoner... but that's not all that's really going on. (158 mins.)
Director: Brian G. Hutton
Stars: Richard Burton, Clint Eastwood, Mary Ure, Patrick Wymark
The Heroes of Telemark (1965)
Norwegian resistance tries to stop German efforts to produce an atomic bomb component during World War II. (131 mins.)
Director: Anthony Mann
The Cockleshell Heroes (1955)
During WW2, German ships are "safely" docked upriver at Bordeaux, but the British send a team of kayakers to attack them. (97 mins.)
Director: José Ferrer
Stars: José Ferrer, Trevor Howard, Dora Bryan, Victor Maddern
Glorious 39 (2009)
The adopted daughter of a privileged British politician uncovers a family secret in the weeks leading up to World War II. (129 mins.)
Director: Stephen Poliakoff
Stars: Romola Garai, Eddie Redmayne, Juno Temple, Toby Regbo
Odette (1950)
This is the story of a brave woman who volunteered to join SOE (Special Operations Executive) during WWII... (124 mins.)
Director: Herbert Wilcox
Stars: Anna Neagle, Trevor Howard, Marius Goring, Peter Ustinov
Female Agents (2008)
In 1944, in London, Lieutenant Pierre Desfontaines assigns his sister Louise Desfontaines to convince... (117 mins.)
Director: Jean-Paul Salomé
Brother's War (2009)
The story is set in the latter days of World War 2, against the backdrop of fierce combat on the eastern front... (100 mins.)
Director: Jerry Buteyn
The Fallen (2004)
The story of ordinary men during WWII as seen from three different points of View. (112 mins.)
Director: Ari Taub
Stars: Daniel Asher, Brian Bancale, C.J. Barkus, Maurizio Benazzo
A Walk in the Sun (1945)
During WWII, a platoon of American soldiers trudge through the Italian countryside in search of a bridge they have been ordered to blow up, encountering danger and destruction along the way. (117 mins.)
Director: Lewis Milestone
Stars: Dana Andrews, Richard Conte, George Tyne, John Ireland
Silent Night (2002 TV Movie)
Fact-based World War II story set on Christmas Eve, 1944, finds a German Mother and her son seeking refuge in a cabin on the war front... (100 mins.)
Director: Rodney Gibbons
Away All Boats (1956)
The story of a U.S. naval ship and its crew in the Pacific, 1943-1945. (114 mins.)
Director: Joseph Pevney
Stars: Jeff Chandler, George Nader, Lex Barker, Julie Adams
Target for Tonight (1941 Documentary)
The planning and implementation of an RAF night raid on Germany in World War II, concentrating on a low level mission by a Wellington bomber on an oil storage facility by the Rhine. (48 mins.)
Director: Harry Watt
The 25th Hour (1967)
In WW2, a Romanian Gentile peasant is denounced by the village gendarme and sent to a concentration camp for Jews where, due to an error, he's drafted into the SS. (130 mins.)
Director: Henri Verneuil
En dag i oktober (1991)
This story, based on fact, is about the movement of Danish Jews out of Denmark to neutral Sweden in the 1940's... (97 mins.)
Director: Kenneth Madsen
Stars: D.B. Sweeney, Kelly Wolf, Tovah Feldshuh, Daniel Benzali
The Counterfeit Traitor (1962)
Blacklisted in modern day WW2, a Swedish oil trader opts to assist British Allies, by means of infiltrating and surveying Nazi Germany. (140 mins.)
Director: George Seaton
Stars: William Holden, Lilli Palmer, Hugh Griffith, Carl Raddatz
The Counterfeiters (2007)
The story of the Operation Bernhard, the largest counterfeiting operation in history, carried out by Germany during WWII. (98 mins.)
Director: Stefan Ruzowitzky
Night Train to Munich (1940)
When Germany invades Czechoslovakia, the German and the British intelligence services try to capture Czech scientist Axel Bomasch, inventor of a new type of armor-plating. (95 mins.)
Director: Carol Reed
49th Parallel (1941)
A World War II U-boat crew are stranded in northern Canada. To avoid internment, they must make their way to the border and get into the still-neutral USA. (123 mins.)
Director: Michael Powell
Arnhem: The Story of an Escape (1976 TV Movie)
Director: Clive Rees
Theirs Is the Glory (1946 Documentary)
A re-enactment of the Battle of Arnhem during the Second World War which was later lavishly remade as A Bridge Too Far. (82 mins.)
Director: B.D. Hurst
Hitler: The Rise of Evil (2003 Mini-Series)
A unique slant, profiling the life of Adolf Hitler as a child and his rise through the ranks of the National German Workers' Party prior to World War II. (130 mins.)
Director: Christian Duguay
Defiance (2008)
Jewish brothers in Nazi-occupied Eastern Europe escape into the Belarussian forests, where they join Russian resistance fighters, and endeavor to build a village, in order to protect themselves and about one thousand Jewish non-combatants. (137 mins.)
Director: Edward Zwick
Stars: Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, Jamie Bell, Alexa Davalos
Speer und er (2005 Mini-Series)
A reassessment of the role Albert Speer played in the Third Reich. Speer, who was ultimately convicted... (270 mins.)
Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959)
A French actress filming an anti-war film in Hiroshima has an affair with a married Japanese architect as they share their differing perspectives on war. (90 mins.)
Director: Alain Resnais
Stars: Emmanuelle Riva, Eiji Okada, Stella Dassas, Pierre Barbaud
Army of Shadows (1969)
An account of underground resistance fighters in Nazi-occupied France. (145 mins.)
Director: Jean-Pierre Melville
Triple Cross (1966)
Loosely based on a true story, Christopher Plummer plays British bank robber Eddie Chapman who finds himself caught between the warring parties in WW2... (140 mins.)
Director: Terence Young
Conspiracy (2001 TV Movie)
A dramatic recreation of the Wannsee Conference where the Nazi Final Solution phase of the Holocaust was devised. (96 mins.)
Director: Frank Pierson
Stars: Kenneth Branagh, Clare Bullus, Stanley Tucci, Simon Markey
The Aryan Couple (2004)
A WWII Drama about a German/Jewish industrialist who, in order to ensure his family's safe passage out of Germany, is forced to hand over his business to the Nazis. (120 mins.)
Director: John Daly
Swing Kids (1993)
A close-knit group of young kids in Nazi Germany listen to banned swing music from the US. Soon dancing... (112 mins.)
Director: Thomas Carter
Before the Fall (2004)
In 1942, Friedrich Weimer's boxing skills get him an appointment to a National Political Academy (NaPolA) - high schools that produce Nazi elite... (117 mins.)
Director: Dennis Gansel
Black Book (2006)
In the Nazi-occupied Netherlands during World War II, a Jewish singer infiltrates the regional Gestapo headquarters for the Dutch resistance. (145 mins.)
Director: Paul Verhoeven
Oorlogswinter (2008)
In the Nazi-occupied Netherlands, a teenage boy gets involved in the Dutch Resistance after coming to the aid of a wounded RAF pilot. (103 mins.)
Director: Martin Koolhoven
The Blockhouse (1973)
During D-day several people become trapped while hiding in a bunker, when heavy shelling collapses it. They have plenty of food and water so they decide to wait for rescuers. And so they wait year, after year, after year. (93 mins.)
Director: Clive Rees
The Man Who Never Was (1956)
True story of a British attempt to trick the enemy into weakening Sicily's defenses before the 1943 attack, using a dead man with faked papers. (103 mins.)
Director: Ronald Neame
Soldier of Orange (1977)
During WW2, Dutch students join the resistance movement against the German occupation of the Netherlands. (155 mins.)
Director: Paul Verhoeven
Stars: Rutger Hauer, Jeroen Krabbé, Susan Penhaligon, Edward Fox
Iron Cross (2009)
Joseph, a retired New York police officer, played by the late Roy Scheider, travels to Nuremberg to... (130 mins.)
Director: Joshua Newton
The Master Race (1944)
When allied troops liberate a small battle-scarred Belgium town in 1944 the American and British commanders... (95 mins.)
Director: Herbert J. Biberman
Stars: George Coulouris, Stanley Ridges, Osa Massen, Carl Esmond
Destination Tokyo (1943)
In order to provide information for the first air raid over Tokyo, a U.S. submarine sneaks into Tokyo Bay and places a spy team ashore. (135 mins.)
Director: Delmer Daves
Stars: Cary Grant, John Garfield, Alan Hale, John Ridgely
Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944)
In the wake of Pearl Harbor, a young lieutenant leaves his expectant wife to volunteer for a secret bombing mission which will take the war to the Japanese homeland. (138 mins.)
Director: Mervyn LeRoy
Stars: Spencer Tracy, Van Johnson, Robert Walker, Tim Murdock
Run Silent Run Deep (1958)
A U.S. sub commander, obsessed with sinking a certain Japanese ship, butts heads with his first officer and crew. (93 mins.)
Director: Robert Wise
Stars: Clark Gable, Burt Lancaster, Jack Warden, Brad Dexter
Torpedo Run (1958)
A submarine commander is forced to blow up a Japanese ship with prisoners. (98 mins.)
Director: Joseph Pevney
Stars: Glenn Ford, Ernest Borgnine, Diane Brewster, Dean Jones
Four Jills in a Jeep (1944)
Reenactments of actual USO experiences of its female stars entertaining troops overseas. (89 mins.)
Director: William A. Seiter
Stars: Kay Francis, Carole Landis, Martha Raye, Mitzi Mayfair
For the Boys (1991)
With the help of the singer and dancer Dixie Leonhard US-Entertainer Eddie Sparks wants to bring some fun to the soldiers during World War II... (138 mins.)
Director: Mark Rydell
Stars: Bette Midler, James Caan, George Segal, Patrick O'Neal
Escape from Sobibor (1987 TV Movie)
During WWII, the death camp at Treblinka had an escape, causing the Commandant at a similar camp in... (143 mins.)
Director: Jack Gold
Stars: Alan Arkin, Joanna Pacula, Rutger Hauer, Hartmut Becker
We Dive at Dawn (1943)
All leave is canceled so that a British submarine can be sent after a new German warship. They chase it so far that they have no fuel to get home. (98 mins.)
Director: Anthony Asquith
Stars: John Mills, Louis Bradfield, Ronald Millar, Jack Watling
The Statement (2003)
Tale of a former Nazi executioner who becomes a target of hit men and Police investigators. (120 mins.)
Director: Norman Jewison
Stars: Michael Caine, Tilda Swinton, Alan Bates, Jeremy Northam
Charlotte Gray (2001)
A young Scottish woman joins the French Resistance during World War II to rescue her Royal Air Force boyfriend who is lost in France. (121 mins.)
Director: Gillian Armstrong
Ghetto (2006)
In 1942, in Vilnius, the Nazi annihilate 55,000 Jews and squeeze the 15,000 survivors in a seven blocks ghetto... (110 mins.)
Director: Audrius Juzenas
A Woman in Berlin (2008)
A woman tries to survive the invasion of Berlin by the Soviet troops during the last days of World War II. (131 mins.)
Director: Max Färberböck
Stars: Nina Hoss, Evgeniy Sidikhin, Irm Hermann, Rüdiger Vogler
Dresden (2006 TV Movie)
A romance between a British pilot hiding in Germany and a German nurse is shown on the background of massive allied bombing of Dresden towards the end of World War 2. (176 mins.)
Director: Roland Suso Richter
Background to Danger (1943)
A German spy ring plans to publicize a false rumor that Russia, who is fighting Germany, plans to invade neutral Turkey in order to ally them with the Nazis. (80 mins.)
Director: Raoul Walsh
Desperate Journey (1942)
When the crew of a downed British bomber escape from their Nazi captors with Top Secret intelligence, they make a desperate journey to get out of Germany alive. (107 mins.)
Director: Raoul Walsh
Stars: Errol Flynn, Ronald Reagan, Nancy Coleman, Raymond Massey
Son of Lassie (1945)
Laddie (Son of Lassie !) and his master are trapped in Norway during WW2 - has he inherited his mothers famous courage ? (102 mins.)
Director: S. Sylvan Simon
Stars: Peter Lawford, Donald Crisp, June Lockhart, Nigel Bruce
Courage of Lassie (1946)
Bill's separated from his litter, making friends with the wild creatures until he's found and adopted by young Kathie... (92 mins.)
Director: Fred M. Wilcox
Stars: Elizabeth Taylor, Frank Morgan, Tom Drake, Selena Royle
They Were Not Divided (1950)
The film begins in a WW II training depot of a British Guards armoured regiment where recruits from... (102 mins.)
Director: Terence Young
Bitter Victory (1957)
A commander receives a citation for an attack on Rommel's headquarters, which is actually undeserved as the commander is unfit for his job. On top of that, unbeknownst to him, his wife is having an affair with one of his officers. (102 mins.)
Director: Nicholas Ray
Enigma (2001)
A young genius frantically races against time to crack an enemy code and solve the mystery surrounding the woman he loves. (119 mins.)
Director: Michael Apted
Eye of the Needle (1981)
A ruthless German spy, trying to get out of Britain with vital information about D-Day, must spend time with a young woman and her crippled husband. (112 mins.)
Director: Richard Marquand
The Key to Rebecca (1985 TV Movie)
In Cairo during World War II, a German agent tries to infiltrate the British command to lay the groundwork for Erwin Rommel's conquest of Egypt. (194 mins.)
Director: David Hemmings
Stars: Cliff Robertson, David Soul, Season Hubley, Lina Raymond


text:
My Nonprofit Reviews
means of hope
Review for Family Justice Center of Hillsborough County Inc, Tampa, FL, USA
The Family Justice Center of Tampa Bay Florida, has a committee called VOICES. This Committee is organized by "Survivors of Domestic Violence". I am currently Co-Chair of this amazing committee and proud of it. I am a homocide survivor, who also lost her 2 teenagers due to the same homocide incident in 2004. Since then, I am passionate to share my experience in the goal of improving the domestic violence laws in the state of Florida. The sharing of my journey gives me "healing" and I hope to give my community awereness and hope to make the necessary changes in their lives. I have witnessed the wonderful oppourtnities that the Family Justice Center gives to people, who otherwise feel "alone" and "helpless". In today's economy I pray that this organization survives for the much needed help it gives our state of Florida. Let's help keep the Family Justice Center's doors open.
More Feedback
Would you volunteer for this group again?
For the time you spent, how much of an impact did you feel your work or activity had?
Did the organization use your time wisely?
Very Well
Would you recommend this group to a friend?
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?


text:
Google Voice data now available from Takeout
Google takes the ownership of your data very seriously. If you've ever taken the the time to read Google's general privacy statement, you'll know they have no problem admitting what kinds of data they obtain and exactly how they use it. The same can be said for all of Google's services. Google also ... Read More »


text:
Richmond gets the television reality show treatment in an episode of ABC-TV's "Secret Millionaire," scheduled for broadcast locally at 8 p.m. Aug. 18 on KGO Channel 7.
The show sent Deb Johnston, a businesswoman from Richmond, Va., to Richmond, Calif. for the episode, and charged her with finding deserving community organizations to assist.
Her visit included examinations of NIAD Art Center, a studio and program for adult artists with developmental and other disabilities; the nonprofit group Self-Sustaining Communities, which has urban farms to help people feed and provide for themselves; and Reach Fellowship, which conducts outreach to assist women out of incarceration get their lives on track.
Johnston lived for a week on $32 to experience firsthand how the destitute have to subsist and doesn't reveal her true identity until the end of her stay, when she decides on awarding funding to the organizations.
NEW MASQUERS SHOW: Irish playwright Martin McDonagh goes mining for comedy in an unlikely source with "The Lieutenant of Inishmore," the next production at the Masquers Playhouse in Point Richmond, opening Aug. 23.
The black comedy, billed as "a commentary on the violence of our world," centers on an Irish revolutionary who is set off by the death of his beloved pet. The Masquers warns that the play, which it describes as "brutal and bloody, shocking and horrifying, and ultimately hysterical," is not suitable for family audiences.
John Maio directs a cast that includes Alan Coyne, Cherie Girard-Brodigan, Avi Jacobson, Dan Kurtz, Jesse MacKinnon, Damien Seperi and David Stein.
Shows are at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through Sept, 28, with 2 p.m. Sunday matinees on Sept. 8, 15 and 22 at the intimate Masquers theater at 105 Park Place, across from the Hotel Mac in Point Richmond. For tickets or more details, visit www.masquers.org or call 510-232-4031.
WINNING ESSAYS: Two students from Olinda Elementary School in Richmond submitted winning essays on immigration in the annual Celebrate America Creative Writing Contest and were set to be featured Aug. 13 at a naturalization ceremony being held by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services for some 1,200 new citizens.
The top local winner on the theme "Why I am Glad America is a Nation of Immigrants" was entered by Olinda fifth-grader Justin Thai, an El Sobrante resident who interviewed his mother about his family's immigration history.
According to the contest publicity, "He is an avid swimmer, a competitor on the East Bay Silver Dolphins team for the last three years, and would like to coach swimmers as a career."
An Olinda fifth-grade classmate, Zakaria Fares, also of El Sobrante, was named second runner-up in the competition. Fares is a Boy Scout and avid soccer player who would like to become an inventor or lawyer.
The first runner-up award went to Zachary Adler, a fifth-grader at Ocean View Elementary School in Albany, who authored a poem about the hardships faced by some immigrants. Adler is active in Little League Baseball, plays trombone in the school band and is on the student council.
The local version of the national contest is sponsored by the Northern California Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and the American Immigration Council.
The naturalization ceremony was set to be held at the Paramount Theatre in Oakland.
WEST COUNTY NOTES: Richmond resident Zolina Zizi was a member of the Ketchikan Indian Community relay team that finished in third place in the Pennock Island Challenge, an annual 8.4-mile race held Aug. 4 in Alaska. The swim event in the cold Alaskan water is a fundraiser for the American Diabetes Association. The Native American and Alaska native ethnicity has the highest rate of diabetes in the United States.
Zizi, an American Indian, represented PATHSTAR (www.pathstar.org), an organization that promotes healthy nutrition and lifestyles in native populations.
Her activism includes competing in the annual PATHSTAR Alcatraz Swim Week and campaigning for the 2012 soda tax measure in Richmond.
The store says this is a ticketed event, meaning the purchase of a copy of the book is required to receive a ticket for the autograph line.
Details: 510-524-0087.
Certified instructors will lead games, safety drills, skills building and a neighborhood ride, and children will receive a blinking red light for their bike.
"Parents and kids must attend together and bring their own functional bikes and helmets," says the EBBC, which asks families to register at www.ebbc.org/node/10806.
The outing will be led by El Cerrito resident and retired East Bay Regional Park District naturalist Alan Kaplan, who will discuss the many shoreline birds that gather at the park. If you ever went on the many walks Kaplan led during his days at Tilden Regional Park, you know he is an entertaining and informative guide.
Participants are advised to bring a flashlight and binoculars. To RSVP send an email to firstname.lastname@example.com or call 510-665-3538.
Contact Chris Treadway at 510-262-2784 or email@example.com. Follow him at Twitter.com/christreadway. Stay up-to-date on West Contra Costa news at IBABuzz.com/westcounty.


text:
Wowie!! Sears is having an incredible sale right now with items marked at $1.99!
Plus, you will get free shipping when you buy 5 qualifying items.
Women's Plus
Intimates – starting at 99 cents
Handbags and Accessories
And, Go through Ebates and earn 4% cash back and a $5 Sign up bonus if you are new! Sign up/in here, type Sears in the search bar and click shop now!
If you buy 5 items for $10 – and are new to Ebates and get the $5 sgin up bonus, that's like getting 5 items for $5!!Follow Us On: Mojo's Facebook , Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest and catch all our deals!


text:
Dreamboard: An Advanced Theme Manager for iPhone
Winterboard is one of my favorite jailbreak hack and the primary reason I still jailbreak my iPhone. I know many of you also love Winterboard that lets you theme your iPhone with beautiful icons, background, keyboard, etc. It's a great hack to make your device stand out from others.
By combining with other cydia hacks such as iBlank, five icon dock, five column springboard, you can completely revamp the iPhone's interface and even make it look like a HTC Android device.
Drawback of Winterboard
However, if you have followed our guide to install HTC theme on your jailbroken iPhone, you know it's not very straightforward and take you considerable amount of time to configure the theme. You have to install various hacks, perform some manual editing and move icons around to make the theme work.
Okay, you have configured a great theme and make your iPhone look like Android. But what if you want to fallback to the original iPhone home screen or switch to other themes? You probably need to go through the same procedures again.
As a normal iPhone user, you probably don't want to go through all these complex procedures in order to setup a theme, even it's stunning. Ideally, you can switch between themes with just a few taps.
Dreamboard Lets You Easily Switch Between Themes
Here comes the Dreamboard that targets tor bring advanced theming to ordinary users without any complex configuration. It's an advanced theme manager for jailbroken iPhone. Once installed, you take control of Springboard and are able to change themes with a couple of taps. Before you read on, take a minute to watch the video demo and see how easy you can turn your iPhone into a HTC-like device.
[youtube id=DpIBuB1e7Xw]
Cool, right? Dreamboard makes it very easy to switch between themes in just a few seconds. No complicate procedures, no need to install other cydia hack. Just launch Dreamboard, tap on the preferred theme and that's it! To switch back to the original theme, launch Dreamboard again and select the default theme.
How To Install Dreamboard
Dreamboard is now available on cydia for $2.99. Presently, it supports iPhone running iOS 4.2.1 or up.
To install the theme manager, just search "Dreamboard" on cydia to locate the hack and tap "Purchase" to get it. The installation process is very straightforward and you don't need to do any configuration to make it work.
Download Dreamboard Theme
Dreamboard comes with a default theme called Endroid which is a HTC-like theme as you have seen in the demo. If you want to install other themes, simply launch Cydia and tap "Sections". Scroll down and locate "Themes (Dreamboard)". Tap on it and Cydia will show you all the available Dreamboard themes.
Unlike Winterboard, most of the Dreamboard themes are not free. The price of these themes range from $1 to $3. All of them offers a few screenshots for preview purpose. Once you purchase and install the theme, it'll automatically appear in Dreamboard and you can just tap on it to switch the theme.
Here are two of the amazing Dreamboard themes:
If you love iPhone Theme…
You have to give Dreamboard a shot if you love theming your iPhone and show off to your friend. Though it's a paid hack, it makes theming a lot simpler on jailbroken iPhone. It's so easy to turn your iPhone into a HTC Android device or Window Phone. It saves me so much time and makes theming so fun.
So far I love Dreamboard. It's impressive and worth the money. What do you think about Dreamboard? As always, feel free to leave us comment and share your thought.
Simon Ng
Founder, developer and chief blogger of simonblog.com


text:
Which Zoo Animal Is the Cutest
Pick the Cuter Zoo Baby For a Chance to Win!
I can think of a couple new faces I'd like to add to this faceoff (Carlo and Azuza, for starters). While I coo away at these new cuties, check out all the familiar zoo babies that are still as cute as ever. From itty bitty bears to birds too tiny to fly, try to pick a favorite in the Which Baby Animal Is Cuter? game. Need I mention, every time you play you're eligible to win big? We'll be giving away a $500 grand prize every month — you must be logged in, and you'll be entered once each time you play. (Check out the official rules here.) What are you waiting for? Get started!


text:
Intellectual Property Lawyers and Law Firms in Woonsocket, RI
Intellectual Property Lawyers
Adler Pollock & Sheehan P.C.
Business-Oriented, Full-Service Law Firm in Providence, RI(401) 274-7200
Adler Pollock & Sheehan P.C. (AP&S) is located in Providence, Rhode Island and represents local, national, and international clients in a wide range of complex legal matters. Practice areas encompass business and corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, environmental law, government...
Law Firm's Overview
Brown Rudnick LLP
International Law Firm(401) 276-2600
Brown Rudnick is a full-service, international law firm. From offices in the United States and Europe, our 200 attorneys practice across integrated areas of law and provide clients with a breadth and depth of expertise uniquely suited to their individual legal needs.
In 1948,...
Law Firm's Overview
Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP
Full-Service National Law Firm(401) 751-0842
Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP was founded in 1934 and is headquartered in Chicago. We have offices in 12 states: Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island and Wisconsin.
At Hinshaw, we value long-term client...
Law Firm's Overview
Morrison Mahoney LLP
Litigation, Transactional, Business and Industry Law Firm(401) 331-4660
Morrison Mahoney LLP, for more than 60 years, has been committed to servicing its clients' needs and working with its clients to achieve desired goals and objectives. With 160 attorneys and nine offices throughout the Northeast, Morrison Mahoney LLP is recognized as one of the leading...
Law Firm's Overview
Nixon Peabody LLP
Comprehensive Legal Services to Individuals and Organizations(401) 454-1000
Nixon Peabody LLP is one of the largest multi-practice law firms in the United States, with offices in 14 cities on the east and west coasts and more than 600 attorneys working in 15 major practice areas. Their size, diversity, and state-of-the-art technical resources enable them...
Law Firm's Overview
Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP
Litigation, Tax, Corporate, Trusts & Estates, Regulatory, Business(401) 278-4700
Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP is premised upon a commitment to deliver sound judgment to our clients on their most difficult and important matters. Clients turn to our world-class teams of lawyers because we listen attentively and provide them with straightforward answers – not merely...
Law Firm's Overview
Edwards Angell Palmer & DodgeProvidence, RI - Law Firm near Woonsocket
Full Array of Legal Services Worldwide(401) 274-9200
Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge is a firm of more than 520 lawyers with nine offices in the United States and a representative office in London offering a full array of legal services to clients worldwide.; Known for forging close relationships with our clients, we have aligned our core areas of...
Fitch Law Partners LLPProvidence, RI - Law Firm near Woonsocket
Boston Litigation Lawyers(401) 521-6500
Fitch Law Partners LLP is a business litigation law firm serving clients in and around Boston, Massachusetts, as well as Suffolk, Middlesex, Nantucket, Norfolk, Plymouth, Bristol, Berkshire, Hampden, Essex, Hampshire, Dukes, Worcester, Franklin and Barnstable Counties and throughout New England. We...
Hinckley, Allen & SnyderProvidence, RI - Law Firm near Woonsocket(401) 274-2000
High quality, timely and responsive legal service with an ongoing dedication to close, personal client attention has defined Hinckley, Allen & Snyder's practice for nearly a century. ; They are a regional law firm with over 100 lawyers based in three full-service offices in Boston, Providence and...
Law Office of Bernard P. HealyPawtucket, RI - Law Firm near Woonsocket
Rhode Island Personal Injury, Employee Rights, Workers' Compensation Lawyer(401) 721-2260
Largest Workers Compensation Settlement in RI History. ; I have compelled insurers to pay many times their offers up to 3 times their policy limits.; Attorney Bernard P. Healy has 35 years of experience and knowledge and in the legal world, knowledge is power.; You don't have to be rich to have...


text:
Arkansas Living June 2011 : Page-12
BY S HEILA Y OUNT Dr. David Lipschitz Health Care Revolutionary Photos by Gary Bean T 12 hree years ago, Dr. David, the renowned geriatrician, reached a mile-stone once considered a true sign of aging. "The geriatrician has become geriatric," he wrote in his 2009 book, "Dr. David's First Health Book of More (Not Less)," as the then 65-year-old Little Rock-based physician acknowledged that he had received his Medicare card and his fi rst Social Security check. But for Dr. David Lipschitz, being "geriatric" is far from a bad thing. "We are not old, we are fabulous," the now 68-year-old Lipschitz says in his lilting South African accent during an interview at his offi ce at the Longevity Center at St. Vincent. "And that's the thing. We need to look at ourselves and think, 'Man, aren't we great?'" With the fervor of an evangelist, Lipschitz has long been spreading the message that one can age in a healthy way. Today, he continues to carry that message and to develop what he calls a "new model" for health care as executive director of the Longevity Center at St. Vincent in Little Rock. But his title falls far short in describing the true scope of his work. In addition to being a hospital administrator, he is a practicing physician, author of books and syndicated newspaper columns, as well as a much in demand speaker who regularly appears on television and radio programs. Through these various channels, he always carries his positive view of aging, which is delivered with his trademark sense of humor. But his enthusiasm is tempered with warnings. Baby boomers are becoming "geriatric" and will test that system like never before. Doctors order too many tests  , 585$/$5.$16$6/,9,1* JUNE 2011
Dr. David Lipschitz Health Care Revolutionary
Sheila Yount
THree years ago, Dr. David, the renowned geriatrician, reached a milestone once considered a true sign of aging.
Read the full article at http://onlinedigitalpubs.com/article/Dr.+David+Lipschitz+Health+Care+Revolutionary/738102/70780/article.html.
Publication List


text:
|diyAudio Store
|Today's Posts
|Mark Forums Read
|Digital Line Level DACs, Digital Crossovers, Equalizers, etc.
Please consider donating to help us continue to serve you.
Ads on/off / Custom Title / More PMs / More album space / Advanced printing & mass image saving
|Thread Tools
|Search this Thread
|24th April 2012, 05:42 PM
diyAudio Member
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Virginia
None of those do "high end 5.1" like you said in title. DolbyDigital and DTS are lossy formats, good enough for movies (as I already said 55dB SNR is not high end). And those are the only ones you can use over SPDIF or USB1.1 - maily because of bandwidth limits.
As for the uncompressed multichannel PCM... you don't have a source for that (unless you record it yourself). All the hi-res multich sources are "packed" in some kind of container.
Last edited by SoNic_real_one; 24th April 2012 at 05:46 PM.
|24th April 2012, 05:55 PM
diyAudio Member
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Chicago
Blu-ray.com - Blu-ray FAQ
As you can see in this link, there are multiple lossless surround sound formats used for movies. Yes Dolby digital and dts are lossy, so what? This isn't 2006, who is still concerned about DVD level audio? On top of that, since when did the source/Dac/output stop mattering just because we are talking about movies? Mp3 is a lossy format but it still sounds much better on my saphire 2i2 then on my motherboard's stock outputs.
|25th April 2012, 12:30 AM
diyAudio Member
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Virginia
Bluray will not output Hi-Res sound over nothing else but HDMI. Copycrap issues...
Same with SACD or DVD-A, except here you have the DenonLinkIII alternative to your receiver.
DTS/DD will be just fine trough your receiver, it won't need nothing else "high end" - because their SNR is limited at 55dB.
Last edited by SoNic_real_one; 25th April 2012 at 12:34 AM.
|25th April 2012, 04:09 AM
diyAudio Member
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Chicago
Here are some ways you can rip the audio from blu ray to your HTPC.
Computer Audiophile - Guide To Ripping DVD and Blu-ray Audio Using The Dark Side Of The Moon Immersion Box Set
The new Blu-Ray/HD-DVD/DVD Ripping Guide for Media Streamers | AVForums.com - UK Online
Backup/copy Blu-ray movie with lossless audio
There are also ways to rip the audio, compress to flac and then join with a movie if you really wanted to.
The fact is that the receiver is going to become more niche as HTPCs grow. They currently only do 2 things that you can't do easily with a PC. Multiple inputs and video switching. If you are using an HTPC as your source, which can be done for everything but game consoles, then all you are really using your receiver for is to amplify your system. Yes, you can use it for digital audio decoding but you can do that in a HTPC as well. If someone were to develop a soundcard for HTPC that had as little as 2 hdmi inputs and had a high end 5.1-7.1 output, the receiver would be on it's way out. Unfortunately, I am not at the skill level to make such a thing, I am just able to see the demand for one.
|25th April 2012, 06:42 AM
diyAudio Member
I think you have it backwards. HTPCs are and were niche, and will be replaced by other boxes, "smart" TV's, gaming consoles, etc. Very few people have the technical knowledge and patience to deal with an HTPC and those are probably going to be the only users going forward (still).
The best way to do this is probably buy a middle of the road Japanese receiver and tap the I2S at the pins of the DACs and do whatever you want with it.
Or, find a sound card with 8ch analog outputs and do the same thing.
Last edited by chris719; 25th April 2012 at 06:44 AM.
|25th April 2012, 06:57 AM
diyAudio Member
Quite - I already have a 'smart' TV where the Android system is built within - a 46-inch tablet if you will (although without multi-touch). These are a much more cost-effective solution than an HTPC plus a panel or projector. It only needs Google to get Android USB audio support sorted out now...
In the meantime I'm just in the midst of thinking how to mod a very cheap ($16) surround-sound decoder board to have half-decent DACs (i.e. not S-D)
'The total potential here must be nothing less than astronomical.'
'Nothing less. The number 10 raised almost literally to the power of infinity.'
|25th April 2012, 07:12 AM
diyAudio Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Brisbane, Australia
I've been using a HTPC for 5+ years. I understand what you're suggesting but its a usability nightmare. Switching the inputs through the PC, sounds good in theory but how does the software layer control it? It's not as simple as back in the day taking a composite video signal input thats for sure! You'll be stuck with proprietary software to control input switching and even then I'm not sure they'll be able to pipe an encoded hdmi stream through a pc, decode it and play it back. I think copy protection and hardware for that will be a nightmare.
You really have to go to a lot of effort to DIY something that will perform better than the receivers mentioned already.
Can you elaborate on what you mean when you say:
|25th April 2012, 11:24 AM
diyAudio Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
You could make something yourself if a USB interface is enough.
- EXA USB interface, 6 Channel A-synchronous I2S
- 6 Channel Twistedpear ESS Dac, incl volume remote
With the advanced drivers of the EXA you could do delay and level settings to get the 5.1 right. Even VST plugins are possible to do advanced eq'ing.
the only downside is that USB is the only input source.
|6th May 2012, 11:34 PM
diyAudio Member
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Chicago
When I say high end 5.1-7.1 output, I mean something that is on par with the DIY stereo USB DACs that have been replacing CD players over the past few years. Quality clock, output design, dac, caps etc. is what I would look for. Even if it was on par with some of the gigaworks dacs and needed some mods, I would be happy.
Now that the raspberry PI is out, you could make a high end stereo/surround system for a song. Hell if the RPI had PCI I would just buy another xonar ST + daughter board and call it a day.
The 3805 is good but it is not on par with the xonar ST or even the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 I have come to love for stereo + speaker testing.
|7th May 2012, 02:50 AM
diyAudio Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Vancouver Island
If you only play content on the PC, which isn't unreasonable, then just invest in a PCI sound card that has good DACs (or can be modified). Or one with multichannel S/PDIF outputs, which can then drive separate DACs. There were or are some computer speaker systems that accepted 3 S/PDIF streams, and some Creative cards brought those signals out to the back panel via 3.5mm sockets or a mini-DIN connector.
M-Audio cards cost more, but one that I looked at included unambiguous bass management settings in the driver.
|Thread Tools
|Search this Thread
|Similar Threads
|Thread Starter
|Last Post
|Will a modern budget DAC beat a high end 1990's DAC?
|Digital Source
|9th July 2011 09:24 PM
|Opinions on DIY DAC vs outdated high-end DD/DTS processor
|Digital Line Level
|27th April 2010 08:31 PM
|Ultra High-End DAC designs for DIY?
|Digital Line Level
|27th February 2009 07:54 PM
|High-end DAC designs?
|Digital Source
|27th October 2008 05:17 PM
|New To Site?
|Need Help?


text:
May 9, 2016
Ranieri coach of the season – in Italy
Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri has been voted coach of the season – in Italy.
Ranieri picked up the Enzo Bearzot award after leading the 5,000/1 outsiders to the Premier League title.
"I still haven't realised what we've done," said the Italian in Rome on Monday. "We started off trying to avoid relegation and you saw what happened."
Bearzot was Italy's 1982 World-Cup winning coach who died in 2010 with the award being set up the following year in his honour.
"I never met Bearzot but I've been told by people that they see his spirit in me and that fills me with pride," said Ranieri, who was chosen by a jury composed of representatives of major Italian sports newspapers.


text: TAYLOR, Deighton (Date: 28 April 1898) ~ ONE OF THE OLDEST RESIDENTS OF PAULDING PASSES AWAY - Mr. Deighton Taylor was born December 19, 1817, died April 21, 1898, aged 80 years, 4 months and 2 days. He came to Van Wert county in 1853 and was married to Elizabeth Bennett in Feb. 1855. To this union were born six children, two of whom are dead, and four still living. He moved with his family from Van Wert county in 1873 to where he resided till death relieved him of his sufferings. He was an earnest believer in the Christian faith. He united with the church at the age of 17 and has always lived true to his principles. He leaves a wife an four children and a large number of relatives and friends to mourn their loss. Funeral services at the home Sunday afternoon and interrment in Live Oak cemetery.


text:
I mentioned skydrive a while back, well over on the SkyDrive blog they're celebrating. Now available in 38 countries the space limit has gone up to 5GB. The link for presentations on the side of this blog already uses SkyDrive... I'll must come up with some more uses 🙂
Technorati Tags: Windows Live,Skydrive


text:
10 days Osaka - Kyoto - Tokyo
Hello all,
I am planning a 10 days trip to Japan this May and want to avoid buying a 14-day pass if possible. Can anyone advice my itinerary below?
17/05 - Arrive Osaka at 840am 18/05 - Travel within Osaka 19/05 - Osaka to Kyoto 20/05 - Travel within Kyoto 21/05 - Travel within Kyoto 22/05 - Kyoto to Tokyo 23/05 - Travel within Tokyo 24/05 - Travel within Tokyo 25/05 - Travel within Tokyo 26/05 - Travel within Tokyo >Haneda airport
Should I cut my trip to 1 day stay in Kyoto and extend my Osaka or Tokyo trip?
What option will save me more money?
I never travel Japan and hope to make use every single time and money.
Could be very much appreciated if someone can give me more information.
Thank you :)
Hi Doris,
The JR Pass offers the best value when you travel across the country. Travel within cities and between Kyoto - Osaka is not very expansive. In addition your longer distance travel is limited to a one way ticket Kyoto - Tokyo which would not cover for the price of a JR Pass, therefor I would recommend buying normal tickets as you travel.
Here are some budget tickets which you could consider for your arrival and travel to Osaka.
Hope this helps!
Thank you Daniel :)
Hi everyone,
I'm looking to arrange a trip for two to Japan from 17th-26th May this year. I'm looking to spend £1500 in total (exc flights & hotel).
History, culture and cuisine are what we are looking to see and do.
Bearing in mind the timescale, costs and that we speak no Japanese, how achievable and difficult is the below itinerary?
17/05 - Reach Osaka (Umeda Sky Building >Osaka Castle> Shinsaibashi> Minami(Namba))
Is there anything else you may recommend, or any advice you can give, it would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
Hi Again,
I think it looks great! A bit packed but certainly not too much! I could give you some extra places to visit but I would not see where to fit them in time wise. What you could swap out is Tokyo Skytree and maybe drop by Akihabara instead. You will visit Tokyo Tower and the Skytree is that interesting expect that you is somewhat higher. Akihabara is pure Japanese culture be is contemporary - it's a unique experience by itself - even if you're not really into Anime/Gadgets or Tech. Just visiting Yodobashi for it's enormous size is fun, or maybe trying out a maidcafe.
Make the most of your trip!
Order your Japan Rail Pass Online
Starting from $257.00 for 7 days of unlimited Japan Rail travel
Please note: we are only able to handle order related enquiries via our online direct support. Commercial advertising is prohibited as per our website terms.


text:
Artist description:
I know its not perfect but I put alot of work in this.I think I speak for all of us when I say thats all you need to draw the perfect picture.
Java Draw Created Dec 05, 2009 470 x 338px Unless noted Copyright 2009 drawmaster40.
We encourage you to submit a comment and let the artist know what you think of this drawing. Please log in or join to post a comment.
Post a comment
Award: So much effort. Liked: Captured the festivity of the picture, i like that ina a pic x. Tips: Perfect the lines a bit more and keep em strong!
the face is really good! i luvs the grinch ^.^
it is? oh well, gave it a 5 anyways..


text:
|Home > Yisrael
♂ Yisrael
What does Yisrael mean?
Yisrael as a name for boys has its root in Hebrew. Yisrael is a variant form of Israel (Hebrew): possibly "God perseveres, contends".
ASSOCIATED WITH -ael
VariationsCREATIVE FORMS
Yisrael Isaias (Y.I.), ..
How popular is Yisrael?
Yisrael is a rare first name for males but a very popular surname for both adults and children (#68172 out of 150436, Top 45%). (2000 U.S. DEMOGRAPHICS)
Which version is better?
The only prominent related form of Yisrael (OUTSIDE TOP 2000) listed in the Top 2000 is Israel (#240 A YEAR AGO). Adoption of this form of Yisrael was widespread among parents a decade ago (ADOPTION OF 0.1%) and is almost as widespread today (ADOPTION 0.1%, 12% LESS). (2015 BIRTH STATISTICS)
Similar Names
Yisrael is pronounced similarly to Azrael and Israel▲. Other suggested similar-sounding names are Airel, Airyel, Asael, Ismael▲, Micael, Michael▼, Mikael, Yael, Yishai, Ysmael, Ysmail (see Ishmael) and Ysmal. These names tend to be more frequently used than Yisrael.


text:
TORONTO – Milos Kocic hopes to continue being a first-choice goalkeeper next year, if not with Toronto FC, then somewhere else.
"I want to play football, that's what I love to do and I want to do it somewhere where I can be No. 1," Kocic said.
A season-ending training injury on March 23 to incumbent Stefan Frei, Toronto's starter since 2009, thrust Kocic into the No. 1 role for most of the 2012 campaign.
But with Frei making a strong recovery from a fractured left fibula and torn ankle ligaments, the reality is that Kocic and Freddy Hall could be left to compete for a backup role for next year.
WATCH: Kocic's year-end interview
Kocic makes it clear that he feels that head coach Paul Mariner prefers Frei as the No. 1 'keeper.
KOEVERMANS: Toronto were better under Mariner
"I think Paul favors Stefan," Kocic said. "He said it, that Stef is injured, that Stef needs to come back and he's No. 1."
But Kocic said he will continue to work at trying to maintain the starting role as long as he is with the club.
"I'm going to give my best to be No. 1 here," the 27-year-old Serb said last week at the club's season-ending media conference, "and if my best is not good enough for Toronto, then I will find another club where I can fight for the No. 1 spot."
Kocic made a good showing near the end of the 2011 season after Frei was injured. The two were said to be competing for No. 1 season entering training camp in 2012.
But Frei's injury earlier this year left the job for Kocic, who had been a backup with Toronto since 2010. He made 27 league starts in 2012 after making only seven starts in 2011.
Hall, who was signed in late July, started seven league games, most of them after Kocic became father of triplets in September with one of the infants requiring extra time in hospital.
"I'm definitely coming back much stronger," Kocic said. "I had a rough couple of months with my family. I'll show everybody next year, I'm definitely going to challenge whoever is up for this job as the No. 1 goalkeeper in Toronto. I'm not going to give up my No.1 spot so easy."
Larry Millson covers Toronto FC for MLSsoccer.com.


text:
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Athlete Update from Colin Cares
A few weeks ago, the stage profiles for the Breck Epic looked innocent
enough. Now however, with the start fast approaching and some pre-rides
under my belt, the reality of what those squiggly profile lines indicate
is beginning to set in. I got some sage advice about recovery from
Amanda, which seems to be one of the biggest factors in a stage race like
this. In that respect, I should be in good hands since Hammer Nutrition
will be present providing valuable product and information. Today, I've
been getting my bike dialed and set-up with fresh Small Block 8 tires,
which I've found to be super reliable, both in terms of handling
characteristics and being tough to cut or burp. Still, having confidence
in my equipment only assuages my fears so much…I still have to do the
My participation in this race was actually thrown into jeopardy yesterday
when I reported for jury duty and was selected to a jury for a case that
was expected to last through next week. I had to stand up in front of the
judge, lawyers, and 60 other prospective jurors and describe my situation.
The judge seemed quite skeptical that I was professional mountain bike
racer and was unsympathetic, to say the least. After quite a bit of
pointed questioning, I was finally dismissed and practically ran out of
the courtroom before he could change his mind.
With a little luck finding internet access in Breckenridge, I'll post
daily race reports for those that want to follow my progress. No matter
how much I suffer, it will still be better than jury duty.
Posted by Kenda Mountain Bike Team at 4:19 AM