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Paine's Kedric Taylor calmly toed the free-throw line with one final opportunity to seal a win for the Lions.
Taylor made one free throw with 2 seconds left to give Paine a 68-67 win over LeMoyne-Owen on Thursday at HEAL Complex.
With the game tied at 67, Paine inbounded the ball with 8 seconds left. Taylor received a pass and fought to get off a shot in the closing seconds, resulting in a foul.
The junior point guard missed the first free throw attempt but made the second.
"It was a little nerve-wracking after the first one, but I stuck with it," Taylor said. "I stayed confident and it went down."
He finished with a game-high 21 points and six assists.
"He played like a captain," Paine coach Jimmy Link said. "He has played well the past two games. He gave us what we needed tonight."
Sean Morgan added 16 points for the Lions, who won their second in a row after losing four consecutive contests.
Paine (6-6, 2-1 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) jumped to a 10-4 lead and held the advantage throughout the first half. Efficient shooting (50 percent from the field) helped push the Lions' lead as large as 11.
LeMoyne-Owen (3-7, 1-2) bounced back by shooting 57 percent in the second half and led by as many as six with 8:35 to go.
After two free throws, Paine got the ball back on a turnover with 32 seconds left and kept it for the next 30. LeMoyne-Owen attempted a halfcourt shot as time expired, but it fell short.
"Free throws definitely made a difference in the game, and we limited turnovers," Link said. "They got off to a quick run in the second half, but we stayed with them."


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World Bank: Palestinian Economic Growth Stunted by 'Closure Regime'
World Bank commends PA for its institution-building efforts but voices concerns over limited economic growth in both Gaza and the West Bank.
The World Bank on Wednesday commended the Palestinian Authority for its institution-building efforts, but voiced concern over limited economic growth in Palestinian-run areas in both Gaza and the West Bank.
"Rebuilding the Palestinian economy's productive capacity is a priority," Mariam J. Sherman, World Bank Country Director for the West Bank and Gaza told donors, in presenting her report on the matter.
"While we commend the solid performance of Palestinian institutions, we are concerned about the prospect for continued economic growth," said Sherman.
Sherman called on Israel, the PA and the donor community to work toward a more sustainable economic system in Palestinian territories, but blamed "the closure regime" as "the most substantial obstacle to Palestinian economic viability."
The report was presented to the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC), a forum of donors to the Palestinian Authority (PA), set to meet in Brussels on April 13.
The authors of the report examined the performance of existing Palestinian institutions and well as the formation of new ones, stating that "if the PA maintains its performance in institution-building and delivery of public services, it is well-positioned for the establishment of a state at any point in the near future."
The PA institutions faired well in multiple areas, with the report praising the improvement in their financial institutions, noting that both the education and health systems in the West Bank and Gaza are highly developed.
Although the report stated that "significant reforms still lie ahead for the PA", institutions in both the Hamas-run strip and Fatah's West Bank compared favorably to both countries in the region as well as throughout the world.
Despite this marked progress in institution building, the World Bank's assessment for the sustainability of economic growth in the West Bank and Gaza is considerably less optimistic. According to the report, the 9.3 percent growth for 2010 "reflects recovery from the very low base reached during the second intifada, is still mainly confined to the non-tradable sector and is primarily donor-driven."
The report cited foreign aid as the main reason that many Palestinians, particularly in Gaza, do not fall below the poverty line, with what the report calls a "staggering" 71 percent of the population having received some form of social assistance in 2009.
In Gaza, 37.4 percent of its population is unemployed.
The report said that both Gaza and the West Bank are in need of a "vibrant" private sector if it is to pull itself out of this economic slump toward sustainability, condemning Israel for preventing this development.
The report argued that that the emergence of such a private sector is unlikely "while Israeli restrictions on access to natural resources and markets remain in place, and as long as investors are deterred by the increased cost of business associated with the closure regime."
In spite of this obstacle to economic progress, the World Bank report urged the PA to continue working to create a viable infrastructure to enable "private sector growth when the Palestinian state is established". The report called on the Palestinian leadership to adopt "a coherent trade strategy" and create "an appropriate border management and customs system."
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subset: commoncrawl


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This spectacular vegetarian café boasts amazing views over the Stockholm skyline - you can pick out nearly all the major landmarks, together with the cruise ships and tourist boats shuttling in and out of the harbour. The café offers a buffet menu at lunch and in the evening, and you can opt for just a main course or include one of the delicious fruit pies. It really is worth the short trudge up the hill from Slussen.
Area Stockholm
Transport T-bana Slussen/bus 2, 3, 53, 76, 96.
Telephone 643 94 80
Open Sept-May 11am-9pm daily. June-Aug 11am-11pm daily.


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Andersons mark 25 years of growing
TOWN OF MARTELL -- Finding Anderson Plant Farm can be a challenge for people not used to traveling country roads, but the owners say those who love gardening will be glad they came.
Lori and Mark Anderson have nicknamed their rural sales building -- actually three greenhouses built as one -- "The Gardener's Destination."
As they kick off their 25th year in the nursery business, the Andersons invite customers to an open house and tropical party 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, April 28 and 29. The open house will feature leis, tropical drinks and drawings for prizes.
"People kept just basically coming in here and wanting to buy from us," said Lori of the Anderson's decision a few years back to add retail sales to their booming wholesale nursery business.
"I thought if we do it, I want to do it nice," she said. "We really have good product. We always have."
Plants grown in the Anderson's 17 greenhouses stock the sales building. The store offers pottery, hanging baskets, fountains and other garden features. Shrubs, trees, annuals and perennials are moved into the selling area as they become ready for sale.
The aisles are kept wide enough for two carts to give shoppers room to stroll through, said Lori. And the coffee's always on.
For years the Andersons, their family and employees grew plants to sell to independent garden centers, who in turn sold to the public. While they heard second-hand compliments, the Andersons rarely witnessed the pleasure customers found in the plants they bought.
"Now we get to see them be happy," said Lori.
Mark is originally from Hastings, Minn., and Lori, whose maiden name is Huppert, is from Prescott.
Mark started working at Sargent's Nursery in Rochester, Minn., at 19. He and Lori met at the University of Minnesota-Waseca, where he was a horticulture student and she was studying veterinary medicine.
"We were having our first baby and we decided we wanted to go home," said Lori of the couple's decision to move to Prescott. They planted shade trees in rural Prescott and in 1982 opened Ashbough Nursery, selling trees and shrubs out of their home.
A year later they built a greenhouse on Orin Road and moved their gardening center there. Four years later, the owner needed their leased property to build his grocery store.
The Andersons bought wooded and open land in rural Baldwin and began to build their business and home from the ground up.
The three greenhouses from Prescott were torn down and rebuilt on the new property. The Andersons, now with five children, moved into a mobile home.
"When we moved out here, we were pretty tight," said Lori, recalling moving her growing family into the mobile home.
Mark, who had worked in construction for Lori's uncle, promised to build the family's house once the business was established.
In the early 1990s the family moved into their new house. By that time, the Andersons had six children and eight greenhouses. For the first decade at their new location, the couple sold their plants only to other garden centers and at the Minneapolis and St. Paul farmers' markets.
Construction on the store began in the fall of 2004. The Andersons, their children and faithful friends laid the entire 38,000-brick paver floor.
In early spring 2005, the Andersons began heavily advertising their first open house with no idea how many customers they would attract.
Lori remembers the day well. It was April 21, and it was snowing.
As the clock inched toward opening time, they watched the empty road, and Lori nearly gave up hope.
Then just minutes before 10 a.m., they looked out to a surprising sight.
"There was a stream of cars lights coming down the road," said Lori. "Mark said, 'Field of Dreams.'"
Lori said the customers descended on the store like a family reunion.
"I thought no one would come, and it was so packed."
Apart from family, the Anderson staff now includes two employees who are certified nurserymen. The family itself has grown to 10 children, five of whom are at home and two others who will return from college soon to help at the nursery during the summer.
Lori said the stock in the store is constantly changing as new plants are shifted from the greenhouses into the shop.
While the Andersons don't move plants into the store until they're in peak condition, having the greenhouses so close is a definite advantage, said Lori.
"If we have three flats of purple petunias in there, and you want 10, we can go out and get you seven more."
How to get there
Address: W5415 890th Ave. (also Harmony Road)
From Hwy. 29:
Take Hwy. 29 east out of River Falls for 10 miles. Take a left on County Road Y for 1.5 miles. Take a right on County Road Y for half a mile. Cross the Rush River and take immediate right on 4th Avenue W. Go a half mile and take right on 540th Street.
From I-94
At the Baldwin exit take Hwy. 63 south for five miles. Take a right on Harmony Road. Go one mile and take a left on 540th Street.
(Phone number: 715-684-4622. Directions also available at www.andersonplantfarm.com.)


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A. C. Guyton pioneered major advances in understanding cardiovascular equilibrium. He superimposed venous return curves on cardiac output curves to reveal their intersection at the one level of right atrial pressure (Pra) and flow simultaneously consistent with independent properties of the heart and vasculature. He showed how this point would change with altered properties of the heart (e.g., contractility, sensitivity to preload) and/or of the vasculature (e.g., resistance, total volume). In such graphical representations of negative feedback between two subdivisions of a system, one input/output relationship is necessarily plotted backward, i.e., with the input variable on the y-axis (here, the venous return curve). Unfortunately, this format encourages mistaken ideas about the role of Pra as a "back pressure," such as the assertion that elevating Pra to the level of mean systemic pressure would stop venous return. These concepts are reexamined through review of the original experiments on venous return, presentation of a hypothetical alternative way for obtaining the same data, and analysis of a simple model.
- cardiac output
- cardiovascular equilibrium
- mean systemic pressure
- peripheral vasculature
- vascular function curves
we owe to a. c. guyton and co-workers major steps toward the understanding of the mechanical coupling between the heart and peripheral vasculature. Their experimental data, described graphically as "venous return curves" (Fig. 1) revealed how right atrial pressure (Pra) varied in relation to the rate of flow through the peripheral vasculature (2, 5, 6). Guyton went on (2) to combine this new information with extant information about the relationship between Pra and cardiac output. He pointed out that the dependence of cardiac output on Pra and the functional relationship shown in a venous return curve together dictate an equilibrium in the intact system at a specific Pra and cardiac output. He illustrated the equilibrium graphically as the point of intersection of the appropriate cardiac output curve with the appropriate venous return curve, each appropriate in the sense of representing specified states of the heart and vasculature, respectively. He also focused on the pressure recorded with zero flow through the vasculature, defined as mean systemic pressure (Pms), and saw Pms as manifesting the total volume contained within the peripheral vasculature in relation to the elastic properties of the complex container comprised by the peripheral vasculature.
The value of this approach to studying the cardiovascular system cannot be overestimated; the work of Guyton and his co-workers set the stage for the intervening decades of progressive expansion of knowledge about control of cardiac output (12). Yet some have misinterpreted features of venous return curves as applicable to analysis of the dynamics of venous return. Indeed, venous return implies a dynamic context. We would not need this separate term except for those situations in which cardiac output and venous return temporarily differ. In fact, Guyton et al. did not record venous return in dynamic states. They emphasized that their data were all taken from steady states (5).
Therefore, a physical model based on the sloped segment of venous return curves cannot apply to dynamic states. In that model, since taught to three generations of medical students, venous return is driven through a fixed hydraulic resistor connected between a pressure source fixed at Pms and an independently variable "back pressure" Pra. Clinicians and physiologists discuss venous return dynamics in these terms; the extreme example being the statement that elevation of Pra to Pms would stop venous return. This practice of taking the components of the model as having actual counterparts in the vasculature confuses a mathematical abstraction with reality.
In the hope of clarifying this issue, this article begins with a review of how venous return curves were obtained, followed by a brief discussion of features of the curves. Then, alternative ways of recording the relationship between Pra and venous return are discussed, including a hypothetical one. In this "thought" experiment, the experimental preparation differs slightly from the one employed by Guyton et al. to make it, perhaps, easier to see the consequence of maintaining fixed blood volume and to illustrate dynamic vs. steady-state conditions. Finally, the issue of mathematical abstraction vs. reality is discussed in terms of a simple physical model.
How venous return curves were obtained.
Guyton and his colleagues obtained the data for their venous return curves through the ingenious use of a Starling resistor to manipulate Pra without altering the amount of volume circulating in the peripheral vasculature. Their preparation, illustrated schematically in Fig.2, is described in various papers; for a detailed description, see the 1957 paper (5).
Venous return was conveyed from a cannula in the right atrium (outflow via the tricuspid valve was occluded) to the suction line of a pump via a Starling resistor. The tubing connections between the resistor and the cannula and the resistor and the pump were flexible so that the resistor could be moved up and down. A blood reservoir was connected to this external plumbing but the connection was shut off during data acquisition so that the volume of blood contained within the peripheral vasculature remained constant for all the data points of a given venous return curve.
The outflow from the pump was routed to the pulmonary artery. The authors emphasized that the left ventricle faithfully pumped out cardiac output at exactly the rate that flow was pumped into the pulmonary artery.
Their data on venous return were obtained from a single flowmeter on the outflow side of the pump. They had no way of discriminating between cardiac output and venous return. They were justified in describing their flow data as venous return only in that cardiac output and venous return were identical for every data point recorded.
The Starling resistor functioned as a variable resistance in the connection between the right atrial cannula and the inflow port of the pump. This device was essentially a short length of large-bore, thin-walled, flaccid rubber tubing. Resistance to flow of a Starling resistor depends on its intramural pressure profile. When intramural pressure is well above atmospheric pressure all along the length of the resistor, the tubing is distended and offers little resistance to flow. However, if intramural pressure falls below atmospheric pressure, the tubing is compressed rather than distended, and resistance to flow is greatly increased.
When the conditions of flow and pressure profile are such that a Starling resistor is in a partial state of collapse, i.e., distended at the upstream end and compressed at the downstream end, one can conclude that intramural pressure is equal to atmospheric pressure just upstream of the point where narrowing begins. Guyton et al. (5) employed this indication to set the level at which pressure in the tubing system equaled atmospheric pressure.
To alter Pra, they adjusted the height of the Starling resistor relative to heart level, keeping the resistor in a state of partial collapse. Pra was therefore established by the length of the hydrostatic column between the level of the resistor and the level of the atrium; Pra was subatmospheric if the resistor were positioned below heart level, and vice versa.
Note in Fig. 1 that flow was highest at low Pra. The authors emphasized that Pra was kept at −8 mmHg or lower most of the time to promote as much venous return as possible (5) to forestall deterioration of the preparation. Data were recorded at the end of brief periods (8–10 s) during which the Starling resistor was elevated to obtain desired levels of Pra. Before and after these periods, which were just long enough for flow and pressures to reach a new steady state (in their terms, after "an equilibrium rate of flow had been established"; Ref. 5), the resistor was positioned below heart level to return to the starting subatmospheric Pra.
Necessity of changes in pump output.
As shown in Fig. 1, blood flow through the vasculature fell during the periods of elevated Pra. Therefore, we know unequivocally that the outflow rate from the pump was reduced during these periods, because the flowmeter was on the pump outflow line.
What changed pump output is not clear in the 1957 paper (5). Elsewhere, descriptions of the same experiments specifically mention that the operators adjusted pump output. One paper refers to adjustment of pump output to maintain pressure at the pump end of the Starling resistor within a specific range of subatmospheric pressures (4). Another refers to controlling Pra "by increasing or decreasing the minute capacity of the pump" (2). These can be interpreted (see p. 744 in Levy's critical review; Ref. 8) to mean that the operators manually adjusted the pump after each elevation of the Starling resistor to obtain the desired state of partial collapse of the resistor tubing. However, it is conceivable that the throttling action of the Starling resistor determined pump output.
Note that the pump consisted of a series of closely spaced mechanical fingers, side by side, that pressed on a length of flexible tubing in succession to create a kind of peristaltic action. Its output would have depended on the rate of sequencing of the fingers and also on how completely the tubing filled between compressions. Pump output would have been reduced if high resistance of the Starling resistor resulted in pressures in the supply line of the pump so low that the tubing would fail to fill during the fill cycle.
Obligatory redistributions of volume associated with altered Pra and flow.
Why the Starling resistor would at least temporarily have greater resistance to flow and why pump output had to fall after elevation of Pra can be better understood through consideration of the change in distribution of the blood volume necessarily associated with change in Pra.
With the Starling resistor placed well below heart level (solid lines for peripheral vasculature and connections to Starling resistor in Fig.2), the great veins close to the right atrium were not fully distended, i.e., the volume contained within this segment of the vascular container was relatively low because the transmural pressures were low.
One segment having less volume means that the reciprocal amount of blood has been transferred to other segments. Accordingly, the solid lines suggest that, with less of the total blood volume in the vessels near the right atrium, more of it is upstream.
The dashed lines suggest the distribution of volume when the Starling resistor was positioned above heart level, when higher pressures in the vicinity of the right atrium obligated greater distention of the affected vessels, which was made possible through transfer of volume from upstream segments of the vasculature.
These different distributions of volume are necessarily associated with different rates of flow. For example, when Pra was increased and blood accumulated within the central conduit veins to distend them sufficiently to bring pressures into equilibrium with the new Pra, the volume that accumulated had to come from compliant segments of the vasculature upstream. For that to happen, pressures in those upstream segments had to fall. In order for pressure in upstream segments to fall, pump rate had to fall, allowing a decline in pressure in the aorta and throughout the segments upstream of those that became relatively distended after the increase in Pra.
This conclusion depends on the constraint that total volume contained within the peripheral vasculature remained constant. Other necessary restrictions include that regional compliances did not change, that flow was not redistributed among the parallel organ vasculatures, and that no other energy sources (muscle pumping, respiratory pumping) were coupled into the vasculature.
Note the consequence for the Starling resistor of the volume dynamic initiated when it was elevated from the level that kept Pra subatmospheric during the rest periods. During the subsequent moments of diversion of venous return to distention of the large veins, the rate of inflow into the resistor would have been correspondingly reduced. Meanwhile, the rate of outflow was initially, at least, still at the high level set by the pump during the preceding rest period. Thus volume within the resistor tubing itself would have been reduced, increasing the tendency to collapse and obstruct flow with the consequence of reducing pressure in the inflow line of the pump. Collapse and perhaps fluttering of the resistor tubing would have been visual evidence of the need to adjust pump output. Alternatively, these changes in the Starling resistor might have sufficiently restricted inflow to the pump to reduce output to the level commensurate with the new level of Pra.
What the sloped segment of classical venous return curves tells us.
It makes no difference to the arguments of this paper whether pump output was adjusted manually or throttled by the Starling resistor. What matters is recognition that steady-state Pra and the rate at which blood passes through the peripheral vasculature are locked in a functional relationship. For each height of the Starling resistor, pump output had to settle at the cardiac output that would create the distribution of volume and pressure that would allow Pra to stabilize at the new level dictated by the height of the hydrostatic column.
Zero intercept of the sloped segment: Pms.
The point at which the linear sloped segment intercepts zero flow is defined as Pms. For critical review of this concept and of mean circulatory pressures related to the volume of the entire cardiovascular system as opposed to that of the isolated vasculature, see Rothe (9, 10).
Horizontal segment.
Guyton et al. (5) found that the Starling resistor could be positioned arbitrarily far below heart level with no change in flow, giving the series of data points for subatmospheric Pra (Fig. 1) at nearly constant flow described here as the horizontal segment of a venous return curve. This was interpreted as the consequence of partial venous collapse, i.e., the great veins functioned as Starling resistors and isolated upstream pressures from influence of progressively more negative Pra.
ALTERNATIVE WAYS OF ACQUIRING DATA ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN Pra AND VENOUS RETURN
The relationship between Pra and steady-state flow through the vasculature discovered by Guyton and his co-workers has been reproduced in independent laboratories and with different methodologies (1,7, 8).
Matthew Levy's vascular function curves.
In particular, Matthew Levy (8) published data from experiments with a right-heart bypass preparation identical to that employed in the Guyton laboratory except that the Starling resistor was omitted. He set pump output at particular levels and recorded Pra.
Over the range of pump output from zero through maximal, he observed a progressive decline of Pra. He was not able to record a wide range of subatmospheric Pra at the upper limit of cardiac output because, without a Starling resistor to create ever more negative Pra, he could only drive Pra down to the level associated with the maximal level of output.
Because Levy manually adjusted flow, it was natural to see Pra as the dependent variable and plot it on the y-axis, the format Levy referred to as a "vascular function curve." With this point of view, the natural focus falls on the steady-state cardiac output pumped through the vasculature as the determinant of Pra.
A "thought" experiment.
What goes on in the collection of data for a venous return curve can perhaps be understood more clearly if we imagine using a preparation nearly identical to that employed by Guyton et al. (Fig. 2). In this hypothetical preparation (Fig. 3), the tubing conveying the venous return is allowed to overflow into a reservoir rather than connecting to a Starling resistor. The pump that forces flow through the peripheral vasculature is supplied from this reservoir rather than from the outflow of the Starling resistor. Further imagine that the peripheral vasculature under study is the one characterized by the venous return curve illustrated in Fig. 1.
The objective is to reproduce the data of Fig. 1. Because a given venous return curve is associated with a specific fixed volume, this requires setting the volume contained within the vasculature to the same level as in the original experiment, call it Vo. To do this, the hypothetical experiment begins with the open end of the venous return tubing positioned at a height above heart level that corresponds to a hydrostatic pressure of 6.5 mmHg at the right atrium, equal to Pms in the original experiment. We turn on the pump to obtain a cardiac output in the normal range, wait for equilibration between cardiac output and venous return, and then shut off the pump. Venous outflow continues briefly and comes to a stop with the venous return tubing full to the brim. Now, Pra is 6.5 mmHg and pressure is equilibrated with Pra everywhere throughout the vasculature. This is Pms.
With Pms at 6.5 mmHg, the same zero-flow pressure illustrated in Fig.1, we know that the intravascular blood volume is at Vo.
Next set the pump at, say, 1 l/min. Almost immediately, venous return begins to spill out of the tubing at an increasing rate until it steadies at 1 l/min. Pra remains at 6.5 mmHg, set by the so-far unchanged height of the end of the tubing (Fig.4).
We now have a steady-state data point for pressure and flow (1 l/min, 6.5 mmHg), but it does not belong on the venous return curve we have set out to obtain; volume is now greater than Vo. Why? Because elevated pressures in each vascular segment obligate proportional volume increases. Before starting the pump, the pressure profile around the vascular circuit was flat, equal everywhere to 6.5 mmHg. When flow was forced through the vasculature, it caused elevated pressures that ranged from a maximum in the aorta (Pao) down to 6.5 mmHg in the right atrium (Fig. 4). The increase in total intravascular volume above Vo would have been apparent as the accumulation over time of the difference between the outputs of the two flowmeters (shaded areaA in Fig. 4) or, more simply, by the reciprocal decrease in volume of the supply reservoir.
To get rid of the excess volume, we lower the tubing end bit by bit (pump rate is still set at 1 l/min). With each decrement in Pra, the rate at which flow spills out of the tube temporarily rises before it stabilizes again at 1 l/min. That temporary excess of venous return occurs because of the volume that leaves segments of the vasculature as they passively recoil to equilibrate with the new reduced distending pressures. With no change in total peripheral resistance and fixed flow, the difference (Pao − Pra) is fixed, so, ignoring effects of vessel diameters on resistance, pressure falls by the same amount over the entire profile, as illustrated in Fig. 4. When all of the excess volume has been removed, Pra is necessarily at 4 mmHg, the pressure associated with Vo and a steady-state flow of 1 l/min in Fig.1.
Successive upward adjustments of pump output and subsequent searches (incremental lowering of the tubing end) for the level of Pra that brings systemic volume back to Vo would map out the identical relationship between Pra and flow shown in the sloped segment of the venous return curve in Fig. 1.
The phenomenon that causes the horizontal segment of a venous return curve can also be explored. In the sequential progression of upward adjustments of pump output followed by lowering the tubing to bring volume back to Vo, the tubing would eventually be set to a level below the heart at which negative pressures in the large conduit veins immediately upstream of the right atrium causes them to collapse partially. Any further reduction of Pra has no influence on the pressure profile upstream; it only causes further collapse. With no transient increase in venous return due to passive volume removal, no change in pump output is necessary to correct volume back to Vo, no matter how much we lower Pra.
The hypothetical experiment could equally well have been carried out with a sequence of changes in Pra and subsequent adjustments of flow to reestablish volume at Vo. Either way obtains the same pressure-flow relationship (Fig. 1) determined by the physical properties of this particular vasculature at Vo because of the immutable functional relationship between flow and Pra. Figure5 illustrates the dynamics associated with an elevation of Pra. As the tubing end is raised, volume accumulates during the temporary disparity between cardiac output and venous return (shaded area A); downward adjustment of pump output is necessary to restore volume to Vo. Only in this rather backward sense is venous return determined by Pra. Clearly, it is the pump that causes the steady-state pressure profile.
In these sequential steady states with volume at Vo, the greater the flow, the steeper the overall pressure profile (Fig. 5) because the pressure gradients along the resistive elements of the vasculature in the areflexive preparation must increase with flow. In the redistribution of Vo with each increase of flow, pressure increases in arterial segments are much greater than the decreases in Pra and venous system because the arterial segments are less compliant. Therefore, the point in the pressure profile where pressure equals Pms moves further upstream. Clearly, Pms does not have a physical counterpart as a fixed pressure reservoir at the upstream end of a fixed resistance to venous return.
Venous return curves are not about venous return as distinct from cardiac output.
To sum up, this paper offers absolutely no dispute against the validity of the obligatory relationship between steady-state flow through the vasculature and Pra under conditions of fixed systemic volume discovered by Guyton et al. (5). What it disputes is the idea that "venous return" curves describe venous return as distinct from cardiac output.
That they do not is revealed by study of the original papers. The authors clearly point out that data were obtained in steady states. The graphical presentations of the data could as legitimately have been named something like "dependence of pressure at the outflow of the peripheral vasculature on cardiac output," although it might not then have seemed natural to have Pra on the x-axis.
Unfortunately, selection of the term venous return curve and of the format of the graphic evokes the misleading idea that, in the vascular subdivision of the cardiovascular system, Pra somehow determines venous return. It is true that a given level of Pra, over the range of the sloped segment, is necessarily associated with the corresponding level of flow, but it is not the cause, it is the effect. The thought experiment described above reveals that it is no more possible to turn around the drive and response sides of this relationship than it is to make the relationship between preload and cardiac output operate in reverse.
Nonetheless, the approach pioneered by Guyton (2) of superimposing venous return curves on cardiac output curves is a convenient way to look at the negative feedback interaction between the major subdivisions of the cardiovascular system (Fig.6).
Utility of plots of the Pra-cardiac output relationship in descriptions of the negative feedback interaction between the heart and the vasculature.
Cardiac output curves, as applied by Guyton (2), describe the influence of preload, expressed as Pra, on cardiac output under conditions of fixed heart rate, afterload, and contractility. Just as different venous return curves are plotted for different levels of systemic volume or different vasomotor states, families of cardiac output curves are used to illustrate influence of altered contractility or afterload.
Cardiac output curve data are obtained in the open-loop configuration, i.e., Pra is controlled independent of how the pressures in the vasculature are affected by the resultant cardiac output. So are venous return curve data, i.e., they describe the isolated vasculature, independent of any consequences of altered Pra on cardiac function. Putting these two functional relationships together should enable description of the closed-loop, steady-state equilibrium point of the intact cardiovascular system (Fig. 6). This was the advance contributed by Guyton's technique of superimposing cardiac output curves and venous return curves (Fig. 7). He made it easy to visualize consequences of changes in cardiac function or of properties of the systemic vasculature for equilibrium cardiac output and Pra (2).
An equally meaningful graphical approach would be to overlay cardiac output curves on plots of vascular function in the format of Levy's vascular function curves (8), illustrated in Fig.8. To do that, the cardiac output curves must be plotted with cardiac output on the x-axis. That will look backward to many, since the idea that it is preload that influences cardiac function, not vice versa, is ingrained.
But plotting the relationship in the vasculature between Pra and cardiac output in the format of a venous return curve is no less backward. Whenever two systems interact in a negative feedback connection, like the interaction between the heart and the vasculature illustrated schematically in Fig. 6, a graphical illustration that overlays their separate open-loop input-output properties necessarily shows one plotted backward.
Models of the vasculature that predict the sloped segment.
This paper does not dispute that the linear approximation of the sloped segment of a venous return curve for a particular volume is the pressure-flow relationship that would occur if venous return were driven by a fixed Pms and variable Pra, respectively, at the upstream and downstream ends of a fixed resistance. What it disputes is taking this model as having real counterparts. This misconception arises from a mathematical abstraction; the sloped segment appears this way because of the redistribution of a fixed total volume within the vasculature at different flow rates, not because there is a reservoir with pressure fixed at Pms.
Guyton and his co-workers certainly did not propose a two-pressure, one resistor arrangement as a model of the peripheral vasculature. They worked with networks of resistances and capacitances (6) intended to approximate properties of anatomically identifiable segments of the peripheral vasculature. From these, they derived quantitative solutions that adequately explained the sloped segment of venous return curves.
Indeed, they showed that the apparent resistance indicated by the slope did not correspond to a physical resistance of any particular segment of the vasculature. In terms of the model, it could be identified as a composite of resistance and capacitance properties of the entire circuit. For example, in chapter 13 of his 1963 monograph (3), Guyton specifically describes the apparent resistance as a combination of arterial resistance (Ra) and arterial and venous capacitances of the system as well as venous resistance (Rv). Elsewhere, the term "venous impedance" was used (6).
For simulations that come closer to the accurate prediction of the dynamics of the peripheral vasculature, including the consequences of regional vasomotor adjustments, more complex representations of properties of the vasculature are necessary [see, for example, Tsitlik et al. (15)]. But simple models like the one used by Guyton et al. (6) and the one Levy used in his critical review (8) suffice to show what underlies the obligatory decline in Pra with the increase in flow revealed in venous return curves.
A simple model adequate for prediction of sloped segment data.
Models are not attractive if their components cannot be recognized as having counterparts in the system to be described. The model illustrated in Fig. 9 is perhaps the simplest possible first approximation of peripheral vascular mechanics. It is not offered as a new model for vascular dynamics, only for illustration of points about the significance of Pms − Pra that seems apparent in a venous return curve.
Overall vascular compliance is divided into three compartments in the belief that the flow-dependent distribution of volume is not adequately explained by reciprocal transfer between one arterial compartment and one venous compartment [especially in situations where arterial pressure (Pa) is kept constant]. One of the venous compartments corresponds roughly to the venular segments of the organ microvasculatures, the other to the major collecting veins. For an introduction to this view of properties of the venous system, see Rowell (11).
In the mechanical representation of the model in Fig. 9, the relative size of the peripheral venous system is drawn to suggest the high distensibility of the venular segments of the venous system compared with lower compliances of the other compartments. The segments between the compliant compartments represent the hydraulic resistances of the arterial and venous systems.
Flow is pumped into the circuit and removed from the downstream end at identical rates, in accord with the finding of Guyton et al. (5) that changes in pulmonary volume were negligible when pump output changed. Venous return is the flow passing through the venous resistor. In this model, it differs from pump output (cardiac output) for the brief periods during which pressures and volumes in the compliant compartments readjust after changes in pump rate.
The schematic in the lower section of Fig. 9 shows an arrangement of electrical components analogous to the mechanical model. The analogous relationships are electrical current as blood flow, electrical resistance as hydraulic resistance, voltage as pressure, electrical capacitance as compliance, and charge as volume. Total charge in the system, the sum of the voltage × capacitance products for each compartment, represents the total volume contained within the vasculature, taken as 6,000 ml. Values chosen for arterial capacitance, peripheral venous capacitance, and central venous capacitance were taken, respectively, as 5, 80, and 15% of a total vascular capacitance estimated for a 70 kg human as 175 ml/mmHg. Values chosen for the resistors between compartments were 20 and 0.87 mmHg · l−1 · min, respectively, for Ra and Rv.
As an aside, capacitors do not accurately represent compliant vascular compartments that contain volume at zero distending pressure, i.e., rest or unstressed volume. However, Pms can be modeled through initial conditions of charge stored in the circuit. For network elements that represent the complex, nonlinear properties of compliant segments of the vasculature, see Tsitlik et al. (15).
The circuit is driven by a pure current source. It removes current from the right atrial end at exactly the same rate that it forces current into the arterial end.
With the current (blood flow) set at zero, voltages (pressures) equilibrate, i.e., Pa = peripheral venous pressure (Ppv) = Pra, at a level that depends on the total charge (representing fixed system volume) set as an initial condition. Charge distributes among the capacitors in proportion to their capacitance. This uniform voltage and distribution of charge is the analog of the zero-flow situation in which Pms is seen. References to analogous quantities, henceforth, will be in terms of blood flow, pressures, and volume.
At any other level of blood flow, the development of pressure gradients causes increased volume in the arterial capacitor matched by an equal decrease in the total volume in the venous capacitors. This volume distributes between the two venous capacitors according to the pressure profile set by flow rate. Changes in flow change the differences between Pa and Ppv and Ppv and Pra, dictating progressive decreases in Pra with progressive increases in flow.
The electrical circuit is readily analyzed with the aid of computer simulation. For particular values of compliance and resistance chosen to represent a 70-kg human, Pra is predicted to vary with flow as shown in Figs. 10 and11. Figure 10 shows the details of how Pra changes in time after each adjustment in flow. Figure 11 shows the pressure-flow relationship plotted with Pra on the vertical axis (Levy's vascular function curve format; Ref. 8). Data from the simulation, plotted as a solid line, closely agree with data points taken from the venous return curve of Fig. 1.
Note that Pa necessarily rises in proportion to flow in this model with fixed Ra as it did in reality in the experiments of Guyton et al. (5) with areflexive dogs and in the experiment described by Levy (8). The volume in the arterial compartment increases progressively with cardiac output; calculated values of Pa for flow rates of 1 and 5 l/min are 26 and 102 mmHg, respectively. Both venous compartments supply volume that moves to the arterial compartment, declining from the volume each held with pressure at Pms. The relationships between compartment volumes and flow are illustrated in Fig. 12. The increase in arterial volume with flow reflects the progressive increase in Pa with each increment in flow; decreases in the volumes of the two venous compartments accompany decreases in pressure and combine to equal the reciprocal decrease in volume.
An interesting variation appears if the model is revised to allow for adjustment of the arterial resistor so that Pa remains constant, as if perfectly controlled via the baroreflex. Simulations were repeated for flow levels below 5 l/min (but not to zero, in deference to the impossibility of maintaining Pa when flow approaches zero) with Ra values selected to put Pa at 102 mmHg, the same as the 5 l/min pressure in the fixed Ra simulation. Dashed lines in Figs. 11 and 12 join the predicted data points. Note that the slope (apparent resistance) of the Pra-flow relationship differs (solid vs. dashed line in Fig. 11) and that extrapolation of the dashed line in Fig. 11 would underestimate Pms.
In the simulations with Pa held constant over a range of cardiac output, volume in the arterial compartment does not change (Fig. 12). Consequently, for the lower flow levels, the combined volume of the venous compartments is relatively low. The net result is lower pressures in each compartment.
Something like the difference illustrated by the separation of the solid and dashed lines in Figs. 11 and 12 must occur in reality. Yet Guyton et al. made a point of close correspondence between curves obtained regardless of whether the animal had intact reflexes (5). This issue is unresolved.
What the math tells us about the apparent role of Pms in the sloped segment.
The highly simplified model of Fig. 9 is sufficient to reveal the obligatory relationship between Pra and cardiac output seen in the sloped segment of experimentally obtained venous return or vascular function curves. It predicts a flow-pressure relationship consistent with the idea that flow in the sloped segment is driven by Pms − Pra through a fixed resistance. We can see why by manipulating the equations that describe the circuit, beginning with the relationship between total blood volume (V) and the pressure-capacitance products for each compartment where V is total blood volume, Ca is the arterial capacitance, Cpv is the peripheral venous capacitance, and Ccv is the central venous capacitance. This is combined with expressions for Pa and Ppv in terms of steady-state flow and pressure differences with respect to Pra where F is steady-state flow. This can be put in the form where Req is equivalent resistance, by incorporating the definition of Pms In this formulation, Req is indeed the negative reciprocal of the slope in a plot of flow vs. Pra, and we see the flow indeed follows the relationship to Pra and Pms seen in the sloped segment of a venous return curve. But Req is not equal to the Rv in the circuit. Rather This expression for Req is similar to the impedance to venous return derived by Guyton et al. (6). Like a Thevenin equivalent in electrical circuit theory, it does not correspond to an actual resistance. It is a composite of the actual physical components of the network. Note that Req can approximate the value of Rv, the representation of venous system hydraulic resistance, if arterial system capacitance is close to zero and if the compliance of the peripheral venous system is much larger than that of the central venous system. That does not justify regarding flow as driven by a fixed pressure, Pms, at the upstream end of Rv. Doing so overlooks the simple fact that the pump is the energy source that forces flow through the vasculature and establishes a different profile from aortic down to Pra for each level of flow.
It is true that the three-capacitor, two-resistance model analyzed here inadequately represents the real vasculature. It is far more inadequate to consider dynamics of venous return in terms of a variable Pra opposing a fixed Pms. That amounts to representing the vasculature by a two-compartment, one-resistor model with components selected merely because they are mathematically consistent with the slope and intercept of the sloped segment.
Note that, although a three-compartment model adequately predicts the sloped segment of venous return curves, it does not consider energy sources other than the pump, particularly the pumping action of respiratory and skeletal muscles. It is, therefore, useless for explaining the radical alteration of the relationship between cardiac output and Pra in exercise, when an important share of the total mechanical energy expended in forcing flow through the vasculature comes from the pumping action of skeletal muscle contractions. Of interest in this regard are recent studies in which investigators took on the daunting objective of recording Pra in an intact animal in relation to cardiac output during exercise (13, 14). These studies revealed that a reciprocal relationship between total flow and Pra is still seen when cardiac output is changed at a fixed level of exercise.
Guyton et al. (2, 5, 6) solved the problem of how to study the relationship between the steady-state rate of blood flow through the peripheral vasculature and Pra without the complication of changes in total intravascular volume. They presented their data in the format of venous return curves (Fig. 1), with Pra on the horizontal axis.
Alternative ways of obtaining the flow-Pra relationship (8) as well as a thought experiment presented here reveal the fallacy of taking their findings to say that Pra governs venous return through the hydraulic resistance of the venous system as a back pressure acting against Pms on the other end of the resistance. In the original experiments, it was the reduction of output that enabled Pra to come into equilibrium with the levels set by elevating their Starling resistor. What venous return curves really show is the steady-state relationship between the rate at which blood flows through the vasculature and Pra plotted backward, i.e., with the independent variable on the y-axis.
Cardiovascular equilibrium occurs through the negative feedback interaction between the subdivisions of the system: increasing Pra increases cardiac output in the cardiac part; increasing cardiac output reduces Pra in the vascular part (Fig. 6). Guyton introduced the technique of superimposing plots of these open-loop relationships to reveal the one point simultaneously consistent with both of them and, therefore, the point of equilibrium cardiac output and Pra. In this graphical technique, one relationship is necessarily plotted backward (Figs. 7 and 8).
During brief periods when venous return and cardiac output are not identical, but total vascular volume is fixed, the difference is made up by reciprocal exchange of volume between compliant compartments. (In a broader view than the focus in this paper, these include the pulmonary vasculature and chambers of the heart.) We can describe such transients by reasoning how the pressure profile changes when flow changes and how volume is thereby redistributed or, in a more advanced view, how pressure profiles in the parallel organ vasculatures change when cardiac output changes with Pa kept constant. We can alternatively take a quantitative approach with the aid of simple models like the one in Fig. 9 or more sophisticated ones with a better description of the components and their interconnections (15).
The equations that describe the steady-state behavior of simple models can be manipulated into a form showing flow equal to (Pms − Pra)/Req, which is consistent with the proportional relationship seen in the sloped segment of a venous return curve. However, the apparent resistance, Req, is a composite of all the resistances and capacitors of the model, Pms does not remain constant at the upstream end of one of the resistors, and the expression does not apply to situations in which it is meaningful to speak of venous return as distinct from cardiac output.
Allowance of the formality that steady-state venous return can be described as proportional to Pms − Pra to suggest that this two-pressure, one-resistance model has some correspondence to the actual dynamics of venous return is worse than an oversimplification. Such an allowance overlooks the fact that it is the cardiac pump (together, in the real world, with the pumping action of skeletal and respiratory muscles) that supplies the mechanical energy that creates the pressure profile through the vasculature.
The author thanks medical and graduate students whose confusion motivated probing this subject. The author also thanks Dr. Loring Rowell, Dr. Eric Feigl, and Alan Scher for many hours of discussion and editorial criticism, Dr. Matthew Levy for critical reading and encouragement, and Drs. Keith Richmond, Jonathan David Tune, and Mark Gorman for dissections of early drafts.
Address for reprint requests and other correspondence: G. L. Brengelmann, Box 357290, Dept. of Physiology and Biophysics, Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 (E-mail:brengelm{at}u.washington.edu).
The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. The article must therefore be hereby marked "advertisement" in accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.
First published October 18, 2002;10.1152/japplphysiol.00868.2002
- Copyright © 2003 the American Physiological Society


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- Lifting rings
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CODIPRO's swivel lifting rings can also be used for lashing purposes if they are engraved with the WTL (Working Traction Limit) or LC (lashing capacity) expressed in decanewtons (daN).
In compliance with Standard EN 1677-1, their safety coefficient is equal to 2 when used for lashing operations.
Like the lifting rings, lashing rings are supplied alongside a declaration of compliance and instructions for use.


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delete this;
Lobster Thermidor aux crevettes with a Mornay sauce, served in a Provençale manner with shallots and aubergines, garnished with truffle pate, brandy and a fried egg on top and Spam - Monty Python Spam Sketch
John Isaiah Carmona wrote:Do I need to subscribe in a premium account?
Pete O'Hanlon wrote:There is no such person as Chris Maunder.
peterchen wrote:Already installed.
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peterchen wrote:Outlook 2013 does not work anymore with Exchange 2003
peterchen wrote:Except for the shoutcaps ribbon titles, I like the new UI. (It's still ribbony,
but with less of a crazy pointilist vibe).
Dalek Dave wrote:annual subscription slavery.
Dalek Dave wrote:Buying something and owning it is what I like
Dalek Dave wrote:I do not like the UI
Dalek Dave wrote:I would not put sensitive business data in the cloud
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Dalek Dave wrote:I would not put sensitive business data in the cloud.
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This product is no longer available.
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Flamingo Love Hooked Pillow
The one thing that is always present in their home is love. The second thing that is also usually there is a wacky sense of humor and a love of random cuteness. That's why this pillow will fit right in.


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The Disgusting Price of Stability
The surprise national unity pact will cost the taxpayer about NIS 15 million to NIS 20 million.
The surprise national unity pact will cost the taxpayer about NIS 15 million to NIS 20 million, which will go to provide an office, bureau, car, staff and much more for the chairman of Kadima and new vice prime minister, Shaul Mofaz.
But this is small change compared to the estimated NIS 2 billion cost of an election, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu no doubt considers the cost of keeping Kadima a pittance in return for a 94-MK coalition, largest in Israeli history.
This money is also an extremely good investment if it keeps various smaller parties from extorting more funds from the state in return for their support for various laws and moves by the government.
Nonetheless, the money for Mofaz is still a waste of public funds: instead of reducing the bloated 29-member cabinet, it will only grow. A broad coalition, while certainly good for stability and Netanyahu's job security, still makes for many expensive and unnecessary jobs - and much public disgust.
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Thought I should share some news:
As of this minute, the first draft is done. I feel like throwing confetti or kissing a sailor, but I'll contain my enthusiasm and leave that to the readers. No publication date is set, however the book is scheduled to go to the editor in April.
I decided to go ahead and pencil this book in with the editor in June of 2013. See my WIP page. Eventually, I'll think up a title for this book, but I also want to let it marinate and decide if I'm going to go ahead and make this a series. There's potential for it to go that route and if so, I'll need to come up with a series name.
I usually hit up my betas to make sure they're available when it gets near that time, but now I have two books lined up which need their review, so hopefully they are up for the task. If not, I may have to find replacements. It's hard work, so please don't send inquiries so you can get an early read. I expect the betas to complete a detailed questionnaire, in addition to spotting an editorial issues, and the beta read is as clean as it gets. But it is NOT the final version. Two more revisions occur after this: Mine and then the editor's.
I will accept serious inquiries with detailed information about yourself, your skills, any experience, etc. Something I can put into my backup plan folder.
I've been getting lots of inquiries about the books in paperback, and just a reminder I'm doing one at a time. I'm trying to manage all of the different tasks that I'm doing. The book is formatted, but I have to redesign the entire full cover, so that takes a weekend. I'm also waiting for my third proof of "Sterling". The interior is perfect, but the printed copies have a dark cover. The first two were perfect but for whatever reason, the third was ridiculous. I've been told that the printing company that handles these books are unpredictable, and that sometimes batches come out super dark. Sigh. I truly hope this isn't the case, but regardless I would hope that readers still enjoy the story. I'm just super picky, because I designed the covers myself and I take pride in what goes inside as well as outside.
Is it wrong that I'm praying the streets are iced over tonight? It's thunder-snowing as I speak (making this my very first White Christmas). I have to go back to work tomorrow which is why I didn't go out of town (Had I gone, I'd be trapped in an Arkansas blizzard). I have a feeling that ice or not, I'll be going in. The last time I did that, I fell on my back and almost broke my elbow, but my company stays open no matter what.
Meteors could be colliding with earth, creating cataclysmic tsunamis and super-volcanoes right before the aliens landed and exterminated the human race....
But they'd still expect me to show up.


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AliPlast Insoles - 6 Pair
Pack of 12
Product Overview
AliMed AliPlast Insoles - 6 Pair
AliPlast Uncovered Insoles (bottom layer in graphic) provide pressure relief for the entire plantar surface. They dynamically mold to the heel and met heads, acting as a soft tissue supplement, and providing a surprising degree of comfort. They also serve as a base for posting and modifications. In two or three days of wear, the AliPlast will compress to delineate the high-pressure areas. You can increase their accommodating effectiveness by adding a second insole if shoe size permits.
AliPlast Covered Insoles (top layer in graphic) are similar to uncovered AliPlast insoles, but are slightly thicker and have a leather-like vinyl cover for more durability. 5/32" thick. Large only. 6 pr/pk.
Place Your Order Here
AliMed AliPlast Insoles - 6 Pair
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- Last login about 4 years ago
Join Couchsurfing to see Lisa's full profile. It's free!
About Me
make my way to Paris! ;)
Seven months abroad (France :) ) made me even more tolerant and open minded. Studying french and geography is the best reason for travelling, especially to France ;)
I can adapt to others and i'm not complicated.
Futhermore I'm honest, looking positive at life, always looking forward.
listening to music, make and meet friends, spend time in nature, ...
- traveling
- music
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One Amazing Thing I've Done
driving along Highway 101, westcoast USA - great feeling!
la dyne du Pilat in november - it was quite hot!
Countries I've Visited
France, United Kingdom, United States
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France, Germany


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System ICs to return to growth in Q3, iSuppli says
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SAN FRANCISCOThe market for system ICsincluding application specific ICs (ASICs), application-specific standard products and programmable logic devicesis poised to return to sequential growth in the third quarter after watching its revenue fall by nearly one third over the past six months, according to market research firm iSuppli Corp.
Global "core silicon" revenue is set to rise to $19 billion in the third quarter, up 8.3 percent from $17.6 billion in the second quarter, the firm projected. This will mark the first sequential rise since the third quarter of 2008, iSuppli (El Segundo, Calif.) said.
But the firm projects that the core silicon market will not return to year-over-year growth until the first quarter of 2010. After a 24.2 percent decline in 2009, revenue will bounce back to double-digit growth in 2010, with a 10.1 percent increase for the year, iSuppli predicted.
The core silicon chip market is defined by iSuppli as the key chips that implement the specific, individual functionality in an electronic system. This includes, for example, the IC that makes a DVD player a DVD player and not some other type of system, according to the firm.
Jordan Selburn, a principal analyst at iSuppli, said through a statement that the current downturn is fundamentally different than any previous semiconductor cycle.
"This cycle is driven by forces external to the chip industry, primarily the global economy, that are impacting both business and consumer spending," Selburn said. "It's unclear even to economic experts and financial czars when the various bailouts and reductions in interest rates will turn the global economy around."
According to Selburn, while some electronic product markets such as desktop PCs and 1G and 2G mobile handsets are expected to suffer a decline in unit shipments from 2008 to 2009, otherssuch as 3G wireless phones, netbook PCs and set-top boxesare still expected to grow despite the recession.
"These markets alone will be enough to keep the core silicon market moving down the tracks toward an expected expansion in 2010," Selburn said.
According to Selburn's projections, second quarter core silicon revenue will fall to $17.6 billion, a decline of 34 percent from $26.6 billion in the third quarter of 2008, marking the bottom in the current downturn.
Selburn's latest report on the core silicon market is available for sale by iSuppli through the company's website.
Earlier Tuesday (May 5) market research firm The Information Network said signs are pointing to a global recovery in the IC sector, but vendors of semiconductor manufacturing equipment are unlikely to experience an upswing before at least August.


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Nike On Fire Eau De Toilette Review
Hello Ladies,
Next month being the month of Valentine's Day, I am sure many of you must have started thinking of ways to make the day special for you and your partner and the top most item in your list must be the gift for your special someone. I know at times it is really difficult to decide a gift for guys as like us they don't love makeup, handbags or dresses. So, I feel the best and safest gift to give your guy is a perfume, that's something every guy loves to wear and when you will tell him that you want him to smell like that perfume, then he will wear it for sure. So, today, I am reviewing one such perfume for you all which can be a good gift for your guy and won't be heavy on your pockets too, girls on budget are you listening?
Rs. 950 for 150 ml.
My Experience with Nike On Fire Eau De Toilette:
This perfume was part of the gifts I gave my husband on last Valentine's Day. He already owns many perfumes but mostly ends up wearing only one which is kept outside. So, I was not very keen on buying something expensive if it is going to sit in the cupboard later. I was looking for a good perfume within 2K price range and that is when I saw this one. They have many different variants of EDT from Nike like: Blue Wave, Green Storm, Out of Control, Wood Blast, Party Zoom, No Limits, etc. Out of them, I liked Fire the most, as this one is a very crisp masculine scent. It is all in all a musky fragrance, with little citrus top note. It creates very se*y smell with the warmth of human body.
It also has extremely good lasting power. It lasts for really long, for 8 hours and more at a stretch. Whenever my husband wears this on his shirts or T-shirts, the smell remains on the cloth until next wash. In his words "this is a musky, warm smell which lasts me all day long and fetches me compliments too." However, the glass bottle is a bit bulky, which makes it not a travel friendly option. At home, I don't keep this bottle on dresser as this bottle is big, which is why it is not used so much.
On the whole, this is a lovely smell with wonderful staying power and for the quantity one gets for this price makes it a good deal. Although the smell is not very different from other musky smells, still nice enough to get noticed. It is a good choice for college goers with tight budget and for people looking for more staying power.
Pros of Nike On Fire Eau De Toilette:
- Strong musky fragrance.
- Lasts really long.
- Does not stain cloths, and the smell lasts till next wash.
- Does not irritate skin.
- Not expensive.
- Easily available.
Cons of Nike On Fire Eau De Toilette:
- Bulky glass bottle packing.
Final Verdict on Nike On Fire Eau De Toilette:
I will recommend this perfume to all the guys who love musky smell, want it to last long and want it all within a budget, and to all the girls looking for a nice gift for their guy.
IMBB Rating:
Will I Repurchase Final verdict on Nike men on fire EDT?
May be yes, to gift some friends or relatives.
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Best Perfume for Men : Ask IMBB
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Lacoste Joy of Pink Eau de Toilette
Davidoff Cool Water Woman Eau De Toilette
Ralph By Ralph Lauren Eau de Toilette
Flower by Kenzo Eau de Toilette
Annick Goutal Petite Cherie Eau de Toilette
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Nina Ricci L'eau du Temps Eau De Toilette


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Hello all, I looked into this because we intended to have a release note for the changes to the champion loot.
We did modify the gold and bloodstone dust coming from champion bags, and a release note will be added shortly.
What I can tell you is that we made a mistake, this one fell through the cracks and I'm truly sorry. I've promised before that we won't make stealthy economic changes without notes and I mean to stick to that promise.
Thank you all for pointing out the error, we will be more vigilant in the future.
Good luck in your adventures.
Source: https://forum-en.gui...e/2#post3132609
Another thing not mentioned is you no longer only get Exotic Bags if you are level 80, instead you get varying Rarities of bags as if you weren't level 80. This is a pretty signifcant nerf and I wouldn't be surpised if Champion Trains suddenly became empty.


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Hotels in Snowshoe, West Virginia
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Best hotels in Snowshoe
Snowshoe overviewSnowshoe is a luxury getaway surrounded by picturesque views of mountains. You'll enjoy outdoor areas for bungee jumping and camping. Spend a relaxing day at Shavers Lake and Monongahela National Forest when the weather is nice. Make it a point to see sights like Snowshoe Mountain and Ball Hooter. A family-friendly area, Snowshoe also has something for everyone.
Where to stay in SnowshoeWhether you're planning to stay for a night or for the week, the area around Snowshoe has accommodations to fit every need. Search for hotels in Snowshoe with Hotels.com by checking our online map. Our maps display the areas and neighborhoods around all Snowshoe hotels so you can see how close you are from landmarks and attractions, and then refine your search within the larger area. The best Snowshoe hotel deals are here with our lowest price guarantee.
How to get to SnowshoeFly in to Parkersburg, WV (PKB-Mid-Ohio Valley Regional), 100.4 mi (161.6 km) from downtown Snowshoe.
What to see around SnowshoeOutdoorsy fun is on hand such as camping, skiing, and snowboarding, along with attractions such as:
- • Snowshoe Mountain
- • Ball Hooter
- • Split Rock Pools
- • Cass Scenic Railroad
- • Shavers Lake
- • Monongahela National Forest
- • Hawthorne Valley Golf Course
- • Raven Golf Club
- • Mount Airy Gallery of Fine Arts
- • Cass Railroad Museum
- • Pocahontas County Historical Society Museum
When to visit SnowshoeWondering what time of year to travel, or what clothes to pack? Here are seasonal norms to help you with your planning:
Seasonal temperature averages
- January-March: 58°F day, 20°F night
- April-June: 82°F day, 34°F night
- July-September: 83°F day, 45°F night
- October-December: 69°F day, 21°F night
- January-March: 10.71 inches
- April-June: 11.54 inches
- July-September: 11.30 inches
- October-December: 10.04 inches


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I hardly know what to make of Il Dio di Vin', the most curious and confounding restaurant I've encountered in almost a year of weekly reviewing. I can't decide if the mock-grotto decor is slightly grim or engagingly daffy. I don't know whether the food is good or bad (probably it's both). I can't recommend it with confidence, but a couple of the dishes I've sampled here continue to haunt me.
What I do know is this: Il Dio di Vin's mozzarella in carroza, a demanding affair to bring off, is the best in town; the house wines are exemplary; the ricotta cake and cannoli are cause for celebration; and I've never eaten so much garlic in my life. Even a braggart who swears that there's no such thing as too much garlic is liable to meet his or her match in this dimly lit, supremely aromatic room.
Just try to walk in here without smiling at the corny pink cove lighting, the Spanish moss trailing from the moldings and the bumpy, sculpted white surfaces that are meant to suggest a cave. A classical statue presides over a back corner; wax-shrouded Chianti bottles (remember those?) shed puddles of light at each table. The effect is at once fantastical and bare bones, ineffably weird yet somehow comforting.
The menu is a funny maze of Sicilian dialect, full of jaunty locutions such as "pull' 'n vin'" (which translates as chicken in a spicy red-wine stew). Even the restaurant's name, Il Dio di Vin', is informally rendered: that final apostrophe makes "vin" short for the Italian "vino" rather than some errant French stray. Being guided through this very ethnic document by a pleasant, decidedly non-Italian manager/headwaiter who has the mien of a displaced petroleum engineer makes the experience even curiouser.
But he knows his directions, at least when he points diners toward that mozzarella in carroza: my serving was splendid stuff, reminiscent of some ethereal French toast, the sauteed bread puffed high and light, the mild cheese more of a suggestion than an earthbound layer. Its lemon tinged olive-oil sauce was both graceful and strangely compelling, thanks to the merest hint of anchovy. A first course of stuffed clams ("vongole stuffat'," in Il Dio di Vin' speak) suffered by comparison, its clams regrettably shriveled in their shells, its sauce an almost yummy bread-crumb sludge with a truly maniacal garlic content.
I've had some encouraging pastas here -- good enough to mitigate some of the expensive clunkers I've run into farther down on the menu. Noodles here are straightforward things in the classic spaghetti shape, cooked precisely al dente and tossed with an authentic array of Southern Italian sauces. Pasta with an abundance of lemony, sauteed mushrooms, tiny bits of garlic and just enough red pepper for background was quietly spectacular; this perfectly calibrated dish put me in mind of the pastas at the hallowed Mosca's, on New Orleans' funky west bank. I didn't even miss the mint that the menu had promised, but which was nowhere in evidence. There was so much I took the excess home; damned if it wasn't even better the next day.
Another night's pasta du jour bore an unusual, lemony saute of zucchini on top; it made me want to return for the pasta with beans, the pasta scarpata with sausage and vegetables, the pasta with tomato sauce and wild mushrooms. Even a not entirely successful dish of spaghetti with tomato sauce and so-called "little cheeseballs" -- actually golf ball-sized lumps of earthbound fried mozzarella -- came with a marinara so sprightly that I'd go back for it in a minute.
Unfortunately, the seafood and meat sections of the menu spelled trouble ... in Sicilian dialect, of course. Scampi stuffat' proved to be too busy for their own good, the butterflied shellfish stuffed with a decent-enough crabmeat mixture and glossed with a faintly winy, light-brown sauce that had been almost imperceptibly tinged with tomato. The effect was too much of too much.
A piece of grilled wahoo (the fish of the evening one night) proved stiff as a board; its Sicilian cimiciurri sauce -- the grandmother of the Argentine version -- was so harshly, bitterly garlicked that its parsley and olive oil faded into oblivion. A tough bistecc' a Trojani, cooked medium instead of the requested rare, sported a ton of garlic and nary a hit of the mint promised as part of its "ancient recipe." At least there was compensation in the form of fine sauteed spinach (with more garlic, naturally) and appealing potatoes roasted with rosemary and red pepper.
Of the restaurant's lobster fra diavolo, which Il Dio di Vin' touts as the best in town, I am afraid I bring no good news. Fished from a cloudy tank in the front of the dining room, this creature was sacrificed in vain: it emerged tough of tail and smothered in an array of overcooked shrimp, clams and mussels that could not be rescued by a sea of spicy tomato sauce. Only the claws emerged unscathed. Again, too much of too much -- and too cooked and too expensive (at $26.95) to boot. I wish I had been advised that it was enough for two people. More to the point, I wish I had been told not to order it at all.
Oh, well. Just when you despair of Il Dio di Vin', the kitchen presents you with something so endearing that it lights that old Chianti-bottle-candle of hope in your heart. A small plate of delicate, deftly pan-fried zucchini in the lightest mantle of crumbs, perhaps. Or a simple side dish of pasta. Or some unexpectedly wonderful broccoli Milanese -- whole tree trunks of the vegetable, rolled in bread crumbs zapped with parmesan, garlic and pepper, the flavors jumping right out at you. There's so much of it you can take some home and eat it as picnic food, like cold fried chicken -- only better.
The reasonably priced house wines at about 13 bucks a carafe could teach a thing or two to 95 percent of the restaurants in Houston. The Frescobaldi Chianti and a mellower Montepulciano are particularly civilized.
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So are the desserts. Ricotta cake turns out to be cheesecake of a higher form, delicate and crumbly instead of heavy and slick. Crisp tubes of cannoli filled with ricotta cream and pistachios are so fresh and obviously handmade as to run rings around most of the other local versions; until I tried these, I had despaired of finding cannoli worth eating. There's a sweetly innocent cassata, too, its spongy angel cake filled with a suggestion of ricotta and topped with smooth chocolate cream.
The bottom line? Stick to pastas, vegetables, house wines and desserts and you're liable to do fine here; people with a perverse appreciation for grotto effects will feel deliciously at home. Garlic-heads will finally have to put their money where their mouth is. Mozzarella in carroza fans will find a new benchmark. Beyond that, you takes your chances; it's as tricky to draw a firm conclusion as it is to find this idiosyncratic spot, which is tucked back on the service road on I-10 just west of the Loop, outlined in red neon, a dim white cave in the night.
Il Dio di Vin', 7625 Katy Freeway, 681-7070.
Il Dio di Vin':
mozzarella in carroza, $5.75;
potatoes with red pepper and rosemary, $3.95;
ricotta cake $3.95.


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My Type of Music: Nelly, Kings Of Leon, TV On The Radio, B.B. King,
It's time for another look at recent album covers. These are all records released in the second half of September.
With its dream-like tableau the cover for Who Killed Amanda Palmer, the debut album for the Dresdan Dolls singer Amanda Palmer reeks of surrealism. I think Freud would have had a field day analysing this one. Regarding the type, listen very carefully, I shall say zis only once: Futura Condensed is not a typeface. Not.
To say the cover for Joan Osborne's previous album didn't really float my boat is a slight understatement. But Little Wild One is a step back in the right direction, despite the presence of cover-wide Trajan for the artist's name. There is a lot happening in that image, with weird colouring, bizarre light flares and a sumptuous Polaroid-style frame. The script is Nick Cooke's gorgeous brush script Gizmo, a choice option for emulating Far-Eastern cursive calligraphy.
The Way I See It by R&B singer Raphael Saadiq beautifully mimics the ground-breaking album covers for Blue Note Records in the '50s and '60s (as you can see in the fantastic gallery Frederik Berlaen sent me). It all looks looks perfect – the black-and-white photograph printed on a flat colour with the type reversed in white – except that the extended Helvetica is an anachronism. Neue Helvetica 33 Thin Extended was only introduced in 1983 as part of the reworked family which saw heights and widths harmonized throughout the complete series. Already by the '70s Blue Note had moved on to a quite different style of album cover design, so by the time the type was available the look of the covers was quite different. To match this design Trade Gothic Extended should have been used. Basic Commercial or Venus would also be a possibility were it not that I don't recall the latter being used on Blue Note album covers.
On Brass Knuckles – his long-delayed fifth album – Nelly is almost literally and figuratively caught with his pants down. The strict geometric square lettering is BD Billding by BuroDestruct (thanks, Sander), which is reminiscent of Hounslow. It looks great, it's just a shame about the derivative cover image.
It looks like the seventies are back with their hyper-realistic airbrushed album covers. At least the four examples below may hint at the emergence of a trend.
Only the modern car model betrays that Nights Out by British electronic artist Metronomy is a recent album. The spaced out Gill Sans capitals suit the style of the cover illustration and propel the album cover about 30 years back in time.
The cover for Exit 13, the last album on LL Cool J's contract with Def Jam, appropriates the signature style of surrealist album covers in the 70s and 80s. I guess somebody thought that a giant microphone smashing into the highway was a striking image. One that doesn't make sense. The highway sign is a typographic mishmash – the artist's name in Univers Ultra Condensed, the album title… MS Trebuchet?, and only the bottom line in the correct typeface: Interstate Condensed.
Me And Armini by Icelandic singer Emiliana Torrini tricks our senses and plays with our perception. The cover in trompe l'œil is a photograph of the singer attached on a piece of paper with the album title in typewriter text, but both the picture and the picture of the picture are in fact illustrations. If you happen to need a typewriter font – the best just got better with the baffling FF Trixie HD.
For me Ladyhawke, the self-titled debut album for the New Zealander artist Pip Brown has the nicest one of the four album covers. Although the illustration still is very realistic, the colouring and the unfinished quality make it the most interesting and beautiful one. The hand drawn sans caps complement the design perfectly.
Feed The Animals by Girl Talk has a peculiar image on its cover. The burning letters conjure up disturbing images of the Ku-Klux-Klan in action. It's a shame the designer chickened out and didn't add the album title to the design. What a cop-out. :/
I'm not sure if the mistake in the cover painting for The Hawk Is Howling by Scottish post rockers Mogwai is intentional, but as far as I know this is not a hawk but a bald eagle.
Or am I completely missing the point? Apparently – not being an American – I didn't realize the bald eagle represented the United States of America, and the album title refers to "war hawks", the name given to warmongers or people otherwise given to advocating war. This mixed metaphor is a subtle dig at the belligerent nature of the current American foreign policy (thank you Eric Hague for explaining this). The very narrow sans is Alternate Gothic No.1.
Only By The Night by Kings Of Leon has a great looking cover. Mirroring the image and overprinting the copies in black and red on a plain white background make it look like a Rorschach inkblot test. The fun part is that this time there really is an image to be discovered in the symmetrical pattern. The understated centred type in Überform, a tech looking monospaced sans by Bionic Systems (thanks, Marre), is the perfect complement, and the underscores and single guillemets provide the finishing touch.
Hey, another Rorschach-like album cover design for Lunglight by The Shaky Hands. It's as if there's been something in the air lately. This cover looks a lot more sinister than the previous one by the way. As it's completely painted and lettered by hand there's no type to point out.
I can't help but be reminded of Tibor Kalman's fantastic vernacular inspired designs when I see Dear Science by TV On The Radio. The mismatched plastic letters with an upside down "N" and distorted "E" make this image strongly resemble a design he did for Restaurant Floret in Manhattan (I couldn't find the image on the internet). Here as well you'd think the type was set by a highly motivated amateur with limited skills. The slightly awkward script is probably a free- or shareware font but nonetheless it works.
More awkwardness on Motion To Rejoin by indie rock outfit Brightblack Morning Light. Again an amateurish-looking script with excessively loopy bits, which I wouldn't have minded seeing replaced by Soda Script. Although at first sight the image is pedestrian it starts to reveal half-hidden details which make it more interesting. Check for example the German military aircraft wing markings in the feathers.
Heavenly Bender by Sam Champion has a colourful hand drawn album cover. The amateurish mix of collage and felt pen colouring lends it a certain charm. In fact I think the slightly leftfield concept of rendering by hand Verdana, one of the penultimate computer fonts, is quite endearing. It makes it look a bit like those vintage sans faces for use in very small sizes, like Doric, Sans No. 1, Spartan Classified, or Geometric 212.
Another very colourful cover can be found on Now Or Heaven by The Broken West. The design looks a bit like a poor man's version of Radiohead's In Rainbows. Thanks to the much more pronounced colours it's nice eye candy, but the execution is a less strong. Whereas In Rainbows uses a non-descript grotesque, the band name on Now Or Heaven is set in Braggadocio, the lesser known cousin of Futura Black. And the album title is the regular Futura.
The cover image for the self-titled debut full-length album for British trio Friendly Fires is a very nice metaphor. "Friendly fire" is a rather cynical euphemism for "weapons fire, such as artillery or aerial bombardment, from one's own forces; – used mostly when troops do damage or cause casualties among their own forces". The image is surprisingly delicate in its brutality, as the bullet crashing the mirror symbolises hurting oneself. Equally delicate are the Art Deco-flavoured light sans caps of Neutraface.
The album cover for One Kind Favor by B.B. King may look very mainstream, yet it is a classy composition that suits the blues legend. The rich greys and deep shadows lend the photograph a beautiful intensity, and the text tastefully set in Agency caps is nicely integrated in the image.
Yuck! Slime & Reason by British rapper Roots Manuva has a gross cover image. Nevertheless I can see the humour in the weirdness. Plus it fits the atmosphere the artist conjures up in his music.
Once in a while you come across an image that manages to perfectly depict a concept, or in this case interpret an album title. I don't really know why, but somewhere in the back of my head I feel that the photograph on House With No Home by folk band Horse Feathers is just… right. No need for type or any other additional element. Beautiful and captivating.
This is a tricky one. Is using a paper collage for T.I.'s new album called Paper Trail too obvious a solution? The album cover indeed is self-referential, but at what point does it cross the line and become too much so? I think this design stays on the right side of the divide. It is beautifully executed, with lots of attention to detail without being too slick. The little intentional "mistakes" in the interpretation of the portrait and the rich texture give the artwork an extra dimension, and even the fairly pedestrian typography in Basic Commercial can't detract from the fact that this one's a winner. Good job.
9 Comments:
kings of leon also released an alternate version of the above cover, for the uk release. you can find it here.
it's not near as good, though
ok, "The understated centred type in a tech looking monospaced sans at the top is the perfect complement"….. but which type is??? somebody knows?
je talking about the kings of leon cover!
Re: "The Hawk is Howling," in the states, we sometime refer to warmongers or people otherwise given to advocating war as "war hawks." The bald eagle is, of course, our national bird. Mixed metaphors, to be sure, but maybe even that is a subtle dig at us.
Yes, of course! Didn't see that one coming. Quite clevah… :)
The font used for the Kings Of Leon cover is Überform, by Bionic Systems.
Odd, I was just reading about the Tibor Kalman piece he did at the greasy spoon-esq diner, turned inexpensive french restaurant in '86. Two quotes by him in the essay really stood out to me:
In response to coming up with his signage that took 2 months – "If we weren't trained designers, it would have taken less time".
And, "The difference between something really wonderful and really horrible is very close".
I was very much inspired by Tibor Kalman, maybe even more by what I read about him than by what I saw about his work.
The Nelly font is BD Billding by BuroDestruct.
All right, this is great! We'll nail them all in the end. Good one; Sander, I know of BuroDestruct but not enough of their fonts it seems. ;)
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The FontFeed is a daily dispatch of recommended fonts, typography techniques, and inspirational examples of digital type at work in the real world. Eat up.


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God uses a clay pot such as I am
Unbelievers will go to eternal hell
Joseph O'Brien 11 a.m., Nov. 22
No Hope, No Future left me unsatisfied, plain as that. A few steps behind the Arctic Monkeys, the Kooks, and Franz Ferdinand, the Good Shoes seem to have not yet developed a signature sound. The bass player, Will Church, is the anchor to this sprout of a band. He is their third and hopefully last bass player in the past three years. There is some impressive bass playing on this album, which gets bogged down by the mediocre vocals and drums.
With the exception of "Under Control," which is passably danceable, this album is full of short blasé pub songs that blow their wad in the first 20 seconds. You think they are going to pick up at some point, but they stay on their stool and barely move. Lazy bastards.
Track 3, "I Know," isn't even a song as much as it a rant about blind faith set to music. There is nothing catchy here.
The diamond in the rough is the final track, "City by the Sea." While most of the songs seem to be watered down yawners, this one actually has substance. It's a quiet, regretful tune about promises made to a lost love. It's the longest track at 4:15 and the only one where singer Rhys Jones isn't trying to impress you. The result, ironically, is impressive.


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SAN FRANCISCO — The goal of the San Francisco defense was to get Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson off the playground.
That was the term some of the San Francisco defenders used to describe the improvisational jaunts Wilson takes once plays start to break down.
So often in his two seasons, Wilson has been most dangerous when forced to scramble to buy second chances.
"He can make a play out of nothing," said San Francisco safety Donte Whitner. "So when he starts to scramble, his guys understand what playground football is."
In the 19-17 loss to San Francisco, Wilson finished hitting 15 of 25 passes for 199 yards, his 81.9 passer rating the lowest in five games.
Whitner explained how the Niners had scouted his play when things break down.
"The guys that go deep come back for the ball; the guys who are short, go deep," Whitner said. "We did a good job of containing him today and we did a good job of taking away that playground football from them, and that's why we came away with the win."
Wilson has led nine game-winning drives in his two seasons. It looked as if he had another one secured as the Hawks made it down into San Francisco territory and faced first down at the Niners 15. Two short runs preceded an incomplete pass on third down to leave the Hawks to settle for a field goal rather than a touchdown.
San Francisco then drove downfield to take the lead with a short field goal.
The third-down route to Jermaine Kearse was well covered, and Wilson felt he needed to be cautious.
He needed to "try to make the smart decision, to not force anything," he said. "We have a field goal and it will give us the lead, so that was kind of the decision there."
Nine Seahawks penalties disrupted the play, Wilson said.
Wilson had a humbling game in San Francisco as a rookie, completing just nine passes. "I think since I was here last time I've learned so much, and I'm so much more composed."
With an 11-2 record, the Seahawks are still in control of their division, and have four more games to earn homefield advantage.
"This may be a good time to let us get back to work and let us continue to focus," Wilson said, considering the loss a reminder. "All our goals are still in front of us. We've got a tough challenge next week going to New York, so we know that will be a good game and we're excited about that.
"We're still I great position," he added. "And we still need to be positive. Obviously, this loss really hurts, but at the same time, we want to keep moving on and look forward to the next opportunity."


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The iconic British cookers have struck a ripe market in France and Belgium, where steady growth is likely to see sales volumes maintain the 4pc rise seen in the half year to June 30, he said.
He added that the company fills a market niche in France where existing range cooker brands carry higher price tags than Aga products.
"We are mindful that the continental market is difficult but so far we have been able to keep that progressing," he said.
"It's important that when we're seeing nil-nil draws at home, that we are winning our away game."
The Leamington-based company's success in Europe is also partly due to its modern electric-operated models, which have lower running costs and are better-suited to the continent where electricity makes up more of the power supply mix.
"Keeping the product relevant to the evolving way people live their lives is important, and I think we're on the right track," said Mr McGrath.