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Splinter Cell: Conviction is the longest in a long line of stealth games and part of the popular Tom Clancy franchise. Previous entires in the Splinter Cell series such as the recent Splinter Cell: Double Agent have largely been about silently moving your way past enemies towards a specified objective. Conviction really looks to change up that formula, the gameplay, setting and plot now all lead you to finding more direct routes. No longer do you need to be afraid of confrontation. As you will see in this review you have many tools in your arsenal with which to take down the enemy and reach your goal.
Graphics & Presentation 8/10
For a game realeased a few years ago Conviction looks great. Lighting is used to great effect as described below and as such provides gentle illumination where needed. Shadows move realistically with your character. The sparks that appears as you fire weapons look good and explosions are effective too. Environments are carefully crafted and contain some inspiring set pieces. The environments are specifically laid out so as to give you multiple pathways to follow, different ways of approaching the sam situation. Lots of detail is included.
The menu system is effective, although perhaps a little cumbersome. I sometimes found it difficule to find exactly what I was looking for, for example the screen to customise uniforms and purchase them is hidden away from the main menu and you could look for awhile to find it before succeeding. While in no way does this effect the overall experience, it is a little silly. A game of this time shouldn't have such flaws.
Cutscenes are distinctly average in this game. Very little CGI is used. Preference instead is given to using in game graphics for cutscenes. While this does go some way towards providing a more seamless experience, I would really have liked to see some real CGI used in some of the more important moments of the game. I feel that this would have added something to the experience.
My biggest bugbear however is a couple of frame rate issues. I tend to expect just a little bit to much maybe but screen tearing and frame rate issues really bug me. They tended to occur when a fast moving object was moving or falling. A box held by a crane crashing on enemy heads for example. Certainly not game breaking - but annoying.
Sound/Speech 9/10
The sound quality is generally superb. Guns sound realistic, explosions are appropriately loud. In a game where stealth is so important you want silence done well. This is done su[erbly where music kicks in the moment your cover is blown or a firefight erupts. The music is forgettable, but this isn't necessarily a bad thing. Rather than being something all of its own it simply adds to the overall package to create a cohesive experience.
Voice acting in this game is done very well. Thinking back I cannot think of a single time where I felt the actual quality of the voice acting was poor.
Gameplay 10/10
This game really is good fun. Rather than getting frustrated at not being able to make it silently through an area the game generally allows you a lot of liberty in how you get things done. Want to sneak through an area carefully without alerting anyone? You can. Want to take everyone out with an assault rifle? You can. Want to work your way from enemy to enemy using non lethal takedowns? You can. There are certain areas where pre scripted events play out and restrict you to a certain type of play. Thankfully however these are few and far between.
The weapons in the game are all much of the same and a bit more variety would have been nice. The same with your gadgets. I won't say too much for risk of spoilers but I do feel like more variety in this way would have only added to the experience.
The game can be played in three different difficulties. I recommend playing on the Realistic setting for the best and most immersive experience. I didn't die very often on this setting but it certainly made me plan out my actions more carefully resulting in much more authentic play.
Plot 6/10
I won't say much here, except to say that it was predictable right the way through. I was nice seeing some old faces if you've played previous games and Sam is definitely painted more badass than he's ever been before. In general though this is your average terrorist story.
Lasting Appeal 9/10
The main games can be completed casually in 10 hours or so, but for the completionist this game has an awful lot to offer. A full co-op campaign that's very challenging on the Realistic setting. A variety of solo playing and split screen/live co-op single levels that focus on specific ways of playing. Weapons and uniforms to upgrade and a multitude of challenges to complete. Challenges to take out enemies in a certain fashion or escape a combat situation with a certain gadget or movement.
For the achievement hunter there's definitely a lot to do. Getting the full 1000G will take you a good 30 hours or so.
There is also some DLC for this game in the Insurgency pack. This expansion focuses on delivering more quality co-op action. Not having played this yet I cannot really comment much on it however anything that makes this game last a bit longer is good.
I recommend this game to anyone who wants a decent stealth game. There is a distinct lack of this genre in this generation of consoles and thankfully this entry gives a solid experience.
On Wednesday 25th December 2003 I finally received a Playstation 2 and the game that all of my friends were talking about. Final Fantasy X. On looking at the screenshot on the front of the case I knew that this was something special. I have always been a fan of the Final Fantasy games even from their humble days as games on the original Nintendo.
And from the recent array of Final Fantasy games on the Playstation I had a good idea of what to expect. But after just the first hour of play I was astounded. The game didn't just live up to my expectations, it surpassed them in every possible way. Everything about this game was outstanding from the off.
The story is very similar to previous Final Fantasy games. Normal guy has to save the world from seemingly unstoppable evil. However the complex plot that unfolds throughout the game make it a very memorable experience The plot revolves around a pro blitzball player named Tidus, a hot headed but decent guy who also happens to be the most celebrated blitzball player anywhere. During one of his games in the futuristic city of Zanarkand however a gigantic blob named "sin" comes out of the ocean and destroys the city. Along with his mysterious friend Auron, Tidus is absorbed into sin and thrust 1000 years into the future. In this strange new world called Spira Sin is still around and thanks to its frequent rampages the previously technological world has been set back many years. Tidus then meets the summoner Yuna (who summons creatures called aeons) and her Guardians Wakka, Lulu, and Kimahri. Later on in the story, Auron comes back onto the scene along with the Al-Bhed explorer Rikku. Together they aim to defeat Sin once and for all to save the land of Spira.
Another great part in this game is the way that the characters have been created, each with their own personalities. You feel for the characters in this game. You can feel their emotions and you share them. If they cry you feel like crying. If they laugh out loud you feel like doing just the same. Not only do the characters feel real, they look real. You want them to win. You want them to survive. Moreover the characters themselves are great creations. Unlike the characters in Final Fantasy IX, you feel that you can relate somewhat to the predicaments that they find themselves in. This makes you care for them a lot more than in previous games.
The graphics in this game are superb. Never before has a video game reached this kind of detail. In characters and background of the level alike. Released from the blockheaded characters of previous RPGs this game provides you with well proportioned characters that move just like you would expect real people to move. Not only that but the characters have actual facial expressions that show their emotions. Without the characters saying a word you can tell what their feeling. It is all in their looks. Also the characters look the same in battle scenes as they do in the adventuring sequences. This is a big improvement to older Final Fantasy games where it looked as though there were different people wearing their clothes. The background visuals are just as impressive with them looking for the most part very realistic. Often enemies can just run onto the screen without it fading out and you simply battle there and then. This makes it a lot more exiting than the battles in previous Final Fantasies. The fiends that you fight in this game also look a lot better than in previous games and are a lot more detailed.
The FMV clips throughout the game almost look as if they were taken from the Final Fantasy "The Spirits Within" movie. They really do look that good. The FMV sequences and the ingame graphics look so good that it sometimes becomes hard to see when FMV footage begins and ends. The whole world of Spira just looks and feels alive.
The sound in the game is better than in any Final Fantasy game I have ever seen. It creates atmosphere in the game that is hard to find in any other title available. The only incident where the music compares to that of Final Fantasy X has to be the Resident Evil series. But instead of creating a feeling of horror and despair you'll often find that the music changes along with the mood of the characters. Possibly my favourite track is right at the start when Tidus is introduced in Zanarkand playing in a Blitzball game. The techno music that is played here emphasises the technological world where Tidus lives and gives you a superb taster of the visual and audio experiences to come later in the game.
Possibly one downside is the questionable quality of the voice acting, but it's only a minor annoyance.
Despite the awe-inspiring visual and sound quality of the game the best feature is possibly the new method of character advancement that has been introduced in this instalment of the series. Gone are character levels and experience points and in its place is the extensive sphere grid. Each of the main characters in the game has his or hers own path on the grid and move along it to gain new abilities and to increase their attributes (strength, magic power etc). Although at the start your path may seem very limited, after a couple of hours playing the game you'll find that you are able to progress into other areas of the grid. This makes for very versatile characters that can learn everything. This however takes an extremely long time and is unnecessary apart from a couple of side quests. You are far better off strategically planning your route around the grid so that all of your characters have a varied range of abilities along with different strengths and weaknesses. This idea should appeal to all Final Fantasy veterans as it allows you to personally customise your characters to suit your needs.
Battling in this game is great. A million times better than in all the other final fantasy games put together. The battle scenes often flow seamlessly from the ingame graphics and the monsters are superbly well crafted. Characters can now be changed in battle which is a welcome addition at the start of the game when they all have different strengths. The summons of the game (now called aeons) also have a much bigger role n the game than they did previously. When summoned they now act as proper characters and can learn new techniques. You can then dismiss then when you want. Also they have their own overdrive (limit break) attacks that are usually devastating. Incidentally they are much better thought out in this game with you partaking in their execution instead of simply selecting them. In essence the battles in this game are better than in any other RPG available.
Another absolutely great part of this game is the different side quests it has to offer. These can all last a very long time and are fiendishly difficult. The game can have you capturing monsters to breed rarities in a monster arena, which can actually take 10 hours plus. There are various chocobo races to partake in and secret aeons to collect. Then there are butterflies to chase and 200 lightning bolts to dodge in a row (which took me many numbers of hours to complete) without missing a single one. However the biggest minigame, if it can actually be called that, is blitzball. A cross between rugby and water polo, it is a fast moving and brutal sport played by the many peoples of Spira. Rather than just letting it be a game that exists in the background of the game they have incorporated it fully into the game and it is just about the biggest game-within-a-game ever created. It has its own tournaments and leagues and the lives of all the inhabitants seem to revolve around the game. By winning multiple games you can get powerful overdrives and weapons for Wakka to use in battle. Blitzball is so well created and so detailed that with a little polish it could be sold as a full price game.
If you want 2 complete the game then it takes around 40-50 hours to complete. If however you want to get absolutely everything out of this game and doing everything that this game has to offer, then your looking at about 250+ hours. This game will not do any good to your social life, however good it is. There is so much to do in this game that if you like RPGs you'll never get bored of it, and will play it over and over again.
I really can't find anything wrong with this game and so I can only possibly give it 10/10.
Buy it.
Why wouldn't you?
Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix
Anyone who has played a past Harry Potter game, indeed any licensed game at all, will understand and appreciate that there's an awful lot of rubbish out there, with a few gems hidden here and there. This time around, I believe the game falls into the latter category.
Having played a few of the past Harry Potter games I can attest to the fact that they can sometimes drag and become boring but I actually found this one to be quite entertaining.
Just a note that this probably would not appeal to anyone who is not already a Harry Potter fan. The game takes place almost exclusively at Hogwarts where Harry is entering his fifth year as a student wizard. The plot I will not discuss here except that unfortunately the game doesn't really do it justice. Indeed if you do not already know the plot of the book behind this you are unlikely to be able to follow along with just the game alone. This is something that has been prevalent in EA's adaption of the Series and something which I fear is unlikely to change. If however you are a Harry Potter enthusiast this should not really be an issue as you will already to fairly familiar with the underlying story.
The gameplay here really does shine. You control Harry almost exclusively through the game within the ground and building of Hogwarts school, the size of which can sometimes be quite overwhelming. Navigation is handled expertly by the marauder's map making it easy for younger players to work out where to go. The first half of the game has harry recruiting the members of Dumbledore's army, performing tasks for each member to get them to join the cause. The second has Harry waging a campaign against Professor Umbridge.
As Harry levels so he unlocks new spells and unlocks secrets. For series enthusiasts there is motivation to level up to the highest level as there are a number of "making of" documentaries available. You level up by collecting experience points, gained by performing tasks within the castle, or casting spells on the various objects that surround the castle. In the entrance hall for instance mob up all the puddle through use of Wingardium Leviosa and gain some experience.
The highlight of this game comes with the spellcasting. You can make harry cast spells, both in combat and out through clever and original use of the analogue sticks. No button combinations need be memorised. It's all done through the use of the sticks. This is very intuitive and really does add to the enjoyment of the game.
The graphics are functional and look fine, occasional glitches happen on screen, but this is to be expected somewhat. You can also pass the time with a game of chess, or gobstones, providing new things to do within the Harry Potter universe.
One particular glitch that needs highlighting. I am a bit of an achievement whore and played through on the hardest difficulty for the related achievement. Unfortunately I found myself replaying it all again as it appears that this achievement does not unlock if the Autosave feature is active. Not a huge problem of course, but it could be somewhat annoying so best to be aware of it up front.
Overall a fairly enjoyable game, especially if you're a harry Potter fan. Not game of the year by any stretch but certainly the best Potter title to date.
This review is technically for the Xbox 360 version of the game. I did submit a product suggestion for it to be added, but this was declined with the reason that it's already included. At the time of this review, it is included.
Splinter Cell Conviction
For anyone who has played a previous Splinter Cell game and is expecting the same formula from Conviction, prepare to be surprised! Splinter Cell Conviction follows the story of the series' protagonist Sam Fisher. Following the death of his daughter he turns on his former agency 3rd Echelon. In this game Sam no longer plays the hunted, he is the hunter.
Previously in the Splinter Cell series the aim of the game was to basically sneak through areas populated by enemies without being seen. This time around it's slightly different. As the player no longer are you encouraged to avoid enemies at all costs. Now it's very much all about taking out as many enemies as you can while moving to the next area. The difference is subtle, yet it morphs the game and the atmosphere substantially. If make you feel powerful as a player.
Another new gameplay feature is that of light and dark. Essentially the way it works is that while you are hidden in the shadow, enemies are unable to spot you. The screen goes dark and they will walk right past you. In the light of course they will see you and pursue. If this sounds like an odd system, be assured that in practice it is very effective and makes for engaging gameplay.
The game looks brilliant with detailed textures and smooth pleasant animations present throughout. If you sneak up to an enemy and press the "take-down" button Sam will respond with one of dozens of different takedowns. Performing one of these moves grants you an execution move. This allows you to one shot a number of targets.
Despite all this the game never seems easy, and a gripping (if predictable) plot keeps you ploughing through. The main story is a fair length and should definitely be played on Realistic difficulty.
A number of secondary modes and a coop campaign extend the life of the game significantly. Earning 1000G on this game will take you a good 30 hours, likely more.
All in all I have thoroughly enjoyed Conviction and highly recommend it to my fellow 360 gamers. There's a lot to do and accomplish and always there are things to go back and enjoy again.
Following the departure of House's team at the end of Season 3 it was difficult to imagine what Season 4 would really look like. If was difficult to comprehend what direction House was heading in , and whether they could improve of the first brilliant three seasons. As it stands, I needn't have worried!
Hugh Laurie, back as Gregory House, master of mind-games, narcissistic wit and incredible diagnosing.
The season starts off with House trying to select a new team. Eventually he selects about 40 applicants and vetos them away X-Factor style. A true Simon Cowell impersonation House makes no allowance for anyone.
Finally selecting a new team the classic House setup returns with bizarre symptoms and even more bizarre results!
House seems to get better and better. The superb writing and the superb acting by Hugh Laurie really serve to draw you into the program, and despite House's somewhat unpleasant demeanor, you can't help but feel for him.
House Season 3
Following the explosive cliffhanger of Season 2, House enter's into a new chapter. Season 1 got me started, Season 2 made me fall in love, Season 3 has just gotten me hooked!!
Season 3 starts off with House seemingly being a completely new person. Due to being shot at the end of the previous season he was given Ketamine to attempt and fix his leg. He therefore starts the season running for the first time in years. He's happy, off the Vicodin, and he actually treats patients with a kind bedside manner. It just goes to show how much his disability affected him.
As you may guess though it doesn't last, and he's back to his usual self in no time.
Mid Season a new character is entered to be Houses nemesis. After an amusing episode involving a rectal thermometer Detective Tritter spends every waking moment trying to secure House behind bars.
As the season progresses we can see House pushing every pesron away from him, withdrawing more and more into himself. It creates though a perfect setup for the start of Season Four.
Along with his usual crack team of the caring Cameron, cool Aussie Chase, and ex-con Foreman House is back in a second series to confuse his coworkers, belittle his patients and ...shoot dead bodies.
Yes in this second series the complexity of the cases seem to ramp up a notch, and with them House's determination to see the job done and the case solved.
Dr House with his unconventional mind and narcissistic wit is back and he's better than ever. A lot of character development is based around House and his Ex-Wife. The sexual tension on the screen on occasion seems to leap out at you and this forms for a loose story arc for part of the season.
Despite each episode having the same basic premise, the complexity and intracicies of each character keep you coming back for more. Indeed, you don't find yourself watching to see a new case, a new sympton. The reason for coming back each time is to see House tear people apart with his words!! And even so you can't help but care for him each time the vulnerable side pokes out a little more.
When I first saw a House DVD in a shop I thought it would be another boring American drama/sitcom based around people living in a house...
...I was wrong.
House is undoubtedly one of the best programmes I've had the pleasure of watching. Starring Hugh Laurie as the infamous Gregory House, the team of top doctors take odd case after odd case. They take the kind of cases that other doctors can't solve. Dr House is a renowned diagnostician famed for being able to solve the cases other doctors cannot. He tends to do this in the most unethical, controversial and sometimes damn cruel ways possible. He has a tendency towards biting sarcasm and a cruel wit. Underneath however you get the picture of a lonely man, unable to deal properly with his disability.
And this is what makes House so gripping, not the cases, but the lead character. Every victory house has, feels like your own victory. You almost want to cheer whenever he gets it right, even if he does manage to insult every minority in the world during the course of the episode.
Season 1 does a good job of setting the scene, creating precedents for how the majority of the programmes episodes will be structured.
This really is one of the best programmes on television, and comes highly recommended.
If the Mayan calendar, and Roland Emmerich can be believed, we'll all be dead by the end of 2012. Emmerich's latest disaster epic includes crust destabilisation, a flood to rival noah's and ultimately...the end of the world. The film is very similar to The Day After Tomorrow, also directed by Emmerich. You cannot help but wonder whether he simply wasn't satisfied with the destruction he wroght in this previous epic.
There is no question that in this latest film, the action is bigger. The real question, is whether the answer is BETTER.
The film is long and honestly I did find myself losing interest at the halfway point. The special effects are unparalleled in the genre, but a drawn out plot with an unsatisfying ending meant that unfotunately I didn't enjoy it a great deal.
No real moral questions seem to be answered throughout this film. The only reason to watch this (and I do recommend you watch for this reason) is to see the world destroyed in the most visually amazing manner possible.
Your name is Alex Mercer. You have lost your memory. You wake in a morgue, and appear to possess untold power. The island of Manhattan has been overun with an infection, creating various 'zombie' like creatures forcing the island into a military quarantine.
The entire city is your playground. You can go anywhere, and unheap most any kind of destruction when you get there.
Prototype is a single-player sandbox game. throughout the game Alex will gain new abilities or ever increasing destructiveness. The main storyline will take around 10 hours to complete and is a good ride.
One of Alex's best abilities is his freerunning potential. Alex can run and jump and glide over any structure in the game, up buildings gliding round the city. He has the ability to sprout multiple weapons from his body.
The challenges in this game are like little minigames. "Kill X amount of enemies with X weapon" etc. Some of these are pretty straightforward. Some of them are VERY difficult and getting all platinum medals will require some patience. Where this game does fall down is its completeness. The city feels strangely empty. There are hundreds of citizens, but they all just seem to mill around with no purpose other than chop meat. It seems like they released the game as quickly as possible.
Overall the game is FUN. That's really the main draw of it. Running up a building, jumping on a helicopter, hijackign it, and using it to kill thousands of zombies is FUN!
Buffy returns in this new season having left school and is entering the exciting world of college life.
Central to this new series is the military led initiative. Much criticised by fans this is an organisation created by the government to do experiments on the various supernatural beasts that reside upon the hellmouth in Sunnydale. Introduced along with the initiative is the infamous Riley, Buffy's eventual new man. Riley was not liked much by fans. I think the main problem is that compared to Angel he's a bit boring, military garb notwithstanding.
A lot of changes take place to out main characters this time around:
-Willow becomes a witch, and gay
-Xander goes through a series of crazy jobs and hooks up with Anya, formerly demon Anyanka.
-Cordelia leaves for Angel and is never heard from again
-Oz similarly leaves midway, though pops up for cameo slots.
-Giles is no longer the librarian, as it was blown up and becomes somewhat redundant. We see less of him this time around.
One of the highlights in this series is the award winning Hush, an episode where Sunnydale lose their voices completely and the episode is almost all done via hand gestures.
This season is one that many do not like, due to all the changes. I however quite enjoyed it overall. The main letdown for me was the initiative and the anticlimactic Adam encounter.
The video quality seems to soar with this release however and the extras seem much better this time around.
Introduce one of our favourite "Big Bads" the Mayor. Buffy continues for her third year on the hellmouth having run away at the death of her lover Angel. Not quite so dark and disturbing this series focuses on the conflict between Buffy and the gang and The mayor. The Mayor is different from all baddies previous, he is actually very very likeable. Sporting a brilliant wit and sense of humour he is a popular character in Season 3.
Also introduced is rogue slayer Faith. Jealousy and envy play huge roles in this season, particularly between Buffy and Faith and the dynamic between them is fresh and interesting. The dynamic and relationship between Faith and The Mayor is also brilliant, if not somewhat creepy.
Spike also appears here and there along with Ethan Rayne to much applause. The final episode is one of the best seeing the end of school for the scoobies in more ways than one. I challenge anyone who's been to High School not to applaud at the final few episodes. I also very much enjoyed the prom episode. Finally seeing Buffy's work on the Hellmouth celebrated and recognised was brilliant. The exit of Angel at the end of this season was sad, although not unexpected and allowed the development of his own show to commence.
Overall a brilliant Season on par with Season 2 and the best one we see in awhile.
With the death of the Master at the end of season 1 the quality of the show improves tenfold. In what is perhaps my favourite season of all we see the introduction of some of our favourite all time characters Spike, Drusilla and of course Angel's alter ego, Angelus. While the Master was a very simple one dimensional character the baddies introduced here are anything but.
Introduced first are Spike and Drusilla. We see here the first pair of vampires on the show with apparent feeling, wants, emotions and desires. Spike indeed is particularly endearing and remains so throughout the show. Drusilla, Spike's lover is completely insane, prone to visions and psychotic tendencies she tends to lean towards the disturbing. Introduced finally is Angelus. This alter ego of Angel is perhaps the most famous "big bad" on the show. Capable of acts of unspeakable evil he manages to provoke a strong feeling of rage in the viewer. The episode Passion where a supporting character dies at his hand is particularly haunting.
Also introduced is Ethan Rayne, the old Pal of Giles from back in the day. This worshiper of Chaos provides much needed comedy moments in an otherwise dark season. We also see glimpses of the past of Giles when he was known as ripper. A far cry from the affable librarian we know today his violent tendencies come out a few times during this season, again particularly in Passion.The character of Oz is also brought into the series to much acclaim.
The DVD quality is great and the extras included good value.
Overall this is in my opinion the best season of Buffy there is, containing all the elements that make it the programme we know and love.
The Cult hit Buffy the Vampire Slayer starts here. Season 1 contains 12 episodes, half as much as later seasons. For anyone unfamiliar with the programme the idea is that in every generation one girl is chosen (The slayer) to combat the forces of darkness and evil. Buffy is the slayer. When released, Buffy brought with her a powerful ensemble of characters, Giles, Willow, Xander, and perhaps most importantly, Angel.
This series concentrates on The Master, and his protracted feud with the slayer and the "Scooby Gang". Compared to later seasons the show feels unpolished, following a very "Monster of the Week" type format. Some of the episodes are terribly thought out, "Teacher's Pet" for instance, and some of the baddies, especially the Master seem altogether too cliché.
Hidden among this however are signs and indications of the hit this show would become, and the relationships between the characters that we see developing here continue over the following seasons. Perhaps the best episode out the lot here is "Angel" where we first start to hear the story of the "Vampire with a soul".
The DVD quality is good for the age of the programme, though some of the special effects leave you wanting. There's a good selection of special features on the disc, and this is further improved in later seasons.
Standing alone, this Season would probably not be worth much, but as we know this is the start of an epic, and the following seasons make this opening even sweeter than it really should be.
Stargate 1 follows the adventures of a team of explorers that venture to other worlds through an device called a stargate, discovered in Egypt back in the Nineties.
Season 5 covers the fifth year of the Star gate programme and adventures that our favourite team undertake. In the past four seasons we have explored many world and civilisations with SG1 and this continues in Season 5.
one of the main changes is the format of the show. Where previous seasons were very "monster of the week" Season 5 takes a step away from that and allows multiple plotlines to actually devolop. Plots more ofter run between episodes crating a better atmosphere and encouraging the continuity of the show.
In this Season the Jaffa rebellion picks up and becomes more of a viable force. The confliction in Teal'c, to stay with SG1 or go home to Chulak is evident and a few episodes deal with this.
As in Season 4 there is little sign of the Asgard in the majority of this season, although the Tokra continue to pop up here and there. The greatest addition to the series this time round is the Goa'uld Anubis. This character seems altogether more evil that Apophis ever did and does well to revitalise what was becoming a repetitive story.
One disappointment is that Earth don't really seem to make any significant advances technologically in this season. The X program doesn't appear at all despite being hinted at in Season 5. Seaosn 6 however is another matter.
The boxset itself is of good quality. The quality of the recordings appear to have improved over time and this is evident in Season 5. The extras are once again sorley lacking and are the one downfall of this otherwise brilliant boxset.


text:
Legal Question in Family Law in Missouri
can the lawyer get copy of text message from cell phone company?
Asked on 9/03/13, 3:20 pm
1 Answer from Attorneys
Anthony Smith LawSmith
If you are a party to a law suit the lawyers for the other party can probably get your cell phone records through discovery IF it is relevant to the case. Your attorney will explain your options, should you choose to oppose the other party seeing your texts.
Good luck
Answered on 9/04/13, 3:32 am

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Complaint Review: MERCHANTS CREDIT GUIDE - ALYON TECHNOLOGIES
CHICAGO, Illinois
- Phone: 888-249-4134
- Web:
- Category: Collection Agency's
MERCHANTS CREDIT GUIDE AKA ALYON TECHNOLOGIES rip-off!. They are calling me about someone else's debt that is over 8 yrs old. CHICAGO Illinois
*Consumer Suggestion: Rip-Off Report Must Have Had a Gun to Their Head to post what they did! California AG is suing Alyon for $2+ million in damages
Merchants Credit Guide does not know when to quit! they say they are not calling me. But they sure are calling my phone number that is in my name only! They have already violated 3 virginia state law as to collections and harrasment.
I don't know what they are trying to pull but i will hire a lawyer if need be. I will not put up with being hassased in my house and work!
ASHLAND, Virginia
Does your business have a bad reputation?Corporate Advocacy Program™Fix it the right way.
Set the record straight:Arbitration Program
This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 08/27/2004 09:08 AM and is a permanent record located here: http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/merchants-credit-guide-alyon-technologies/chicago-illinois-60606/merchants-credit-guide-aka-alyon-technologies-rip-off-they-are-calling-me-about-someone-105686. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year. Ripoff Report has an exclusive license to this report. It may not be copied without the written permission of Ripoff Report. READ: Foreign websites steal our content
If you would like to see more Rip-off Reports on this company/individual, search here:
#1 Consumer Suggestion
Rip-Off Report Must Have Had a Gun to Their Head to post what they did! California AG is suing Alyon for $2+ million in damages
AUTHOR: Marco - (U.S.A.)
SUBMITTED: Tuesday, August 31, 2004POSTED: Tuesday, August 31, 2004
Since then, I have been very busy working with my attorney general for Californa in preparing a case that is going to court very soon. My AG is suing Alyon for $2+ million in damages on behalf of the citizens of California. I plan to be their star witness; I have letters, documents, copies of filed complaints etc. It seems that my AG Bill Lockyer is the only one who cares about we average citizens.
There was a similar incident that I located on the FTC website, a company using Madagascar just like Alyon has been using Barbados as a front for their egregious tactics.
This fight may not have been started if not for this wonderful website, as well as, the dedicated individuals who are managing it.
Unfortunately, and according to the ROR, this site has endured exhorbitant legal fees of several hundreds of thousands of dollars defending those of us who have been taken advantage of by Alyon and other unscrupulous businesses. Please send Rip-off Report money to help this battle!
It is a shame that the citizens of this country have to utilize a private party like this to go after crooks, something that the Federal Trade Commission and other law enforcement personnel are unwilling to do. I am appalled at the audacity of these government officials, especially the governor and AG from New Jersey.
Alyon is nothing more than thieves and crooks, preying on the less fortunate of our society. I have worked in the sales/customer service/collection industries and what I have witnessed would make everyone sick to their stomachs. I do not understand how people could be so greedy and heartless. I suppose America is the land of opportunity afterall.
This site provides an invaluable resource for venting against companies like Alyon and others, just read the multiple pages of complaints about the same businesses.
Since filing my report, I have monitored this site. What is alarming to me is the fact that many many more people have been taken advantage of by Alyon since I originally made my post. How many people, who don't understand the law, have paid millions to Alyon under this scam?
This is a scam of the worst kind, and I will do what is necessay to stop this company from causing any more harm to the public.
I predict, once my AG gets done with Alyon, there will be a domino affect across the nation. Every AG from every state in this country should be going after these crooks. Together we can send a very clear message that the people of this country will not stand for any more of these types of business practices.
As citizens, we can file our own small claims actions against Alyon. Filing a small claims suit is easier than anyone thinks, I have done it before, and I am preparing to take another crook to small claims. Yes, it is possible to fight these thieves, you just need to educate yourself. I recommend using "NOLO PRESS" they have a very large list of "how to" books for the common person in dealing with the law.
It is also a shame that Alyon has used its influence in various states to countersue unsuspecting individuals. This is a common practice of businesses. Their plan includes filing suits that seek to drain the resources of good companies like Rip-off Report in defending their rights against these crooks. We must all fight back, like David Horowitz used to say.
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3 Comments
erdaestremera Artist
I was wondering after I posted this, what I was feeling when I drew this. Why I drew it. What motivated me? I was extremely sad when I did it . Borderline, "jump" mood. I don't usually draw faces. I stick mostly to nature.
If anything. She represents that part of me that wants to love but is skeptical about doing so.
ha… u can love and hate that you're loving or you can not love and wish u were in love or perhaps u can think you're in love and question if it's real… moral of the story…fuckin find out for yourself
Nice Work,


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Matthew's music was familiar to me by way of the radio. Any prior awareness of him resulted from his name being in the air, so to speak. This is the same kind of familiarity I had had with William Parker; I had carried his name with me for nearly 25 years. Seeing him perform was like being in a dream come true. And so it was in regards to Matthew.
It was not long before I began to purchase Matthew's recordings, some of which I wrote about, beginning with DNA, which CD he recorded with William, by the way on Thirsty Ear Records. Not really paying attention to the label, the next Thirsty Ear record of Matthew's I acquired was NU-BOP. The sound of NU-BOP sent me reeling. I must have played it 100 times. It never tired me. Matthew had stepped into the electronics arena. At that point, I thought that that he might have been doing this to reach a wider audience for improvised music. I was actually sort of right as I found out later.
I had a chance to see Matthew perform again in Vermont in an intimate space where it was easy to introduce myself to the musicians. I wanted to ask Matt to autograph one of his recordings for me which he did before the concert. That in itself was exciting. It seemed that Matt knew who I was I guessed because he had seen articles that I had written about his performances and his recordings. Little did I know that at the break between sets, he would sit down next to me and have a conversation. In answer to some fairly general questions, he described his background a little, told me a couple of stories about the development of his music and I talked about my writing. The conclusion of the 20 minute exchange ended up with his complying with my request for Thirsty Ear send me review copies of some records. It had not been a week before Thirsty Ear began to send me review copies for the Blue Series. AMASSED by Spring Heel Jack was the first Blue Series CD I received. It was the first one I wrote about. And the CDs kept on coming... and I kept on writing.
The seriousness of, dedication to and coherence in the music that these recordings continually demonstrated incited my dropping a line to the contact at Thirsty Ear to say that I thought that this group of records was one of the most outstanding series I had ever heard. They affected me like a series of art works and in the back of my mind, the idea of a record "series" intrigued me.
Somewhere I read that Matthew Shipp curated the Blue series: that means he had everything to do with the selection of the artists who recorded each album. Matthew had donned another hat. A musician picking other musicians to record. It was as if he were selecting art works to hang in an endless exhibit. It was time to be official about asking to interview Matthew. Permission for a phone interview was granted. I talked with him on a Sunday. I was nervous.
According to Matthew, the Blue Series simply started in 1999 or 2000 with Matthew's solo acoustic piano recording, PASTORAL COMPOSURE. Since that time, when no agenda was mapped out for what would become the series, the series has changed and in essence has assumed a solidity which in the process of development has given it purpose: " to put a fresh face on improvisation", one that would suit the 21st century. Matthew analogizes the Blue Series venture to that of Manfred Eicher in the founding in 1969 of ECM records whose purpose was to emphasize, in the act of recording, the elegance of jazz, as if it were classical music. Matthew sees the focus of the Blue Series as the re-defining of the musical "logic" arising from the jazz recordings of the 90's especially those made by the musicians who have been recorded in the Blue Series. All of the musicians invited to record have been lifted out of their normal arenas to contribute to the shaping of "forward - looking vocabularies" that do not have the past as a substance. Matthew wants the series to contain music which explores and stresses the "compositional elements" of improvisation. This is an oxymoron; but if you know the series, you know that tightness is its signature.
Within the series, there is a stark inclusion of electronics, one that I noticed when I first listened to NU-BOP. When asked about this electronic influx, Matthew replied that one reason that the group, Spring Heel Jack, was chosen to record was to invest the series with the intermingling of jazz and electronics. This choice turned the tide of the series: the focus became one where an improvised music that is "lyrical "& yet "relevant" slashed through to cut the edge into the 21st century.
Matthew does not think that the Series is close-minded, rather just the opposite-- that it is open-ended and that he as curator will always be open to the changes in the environment both living and musical. He already believes that the recordings have mutated to accommodate changes in the musical environment: he cites hip-hop music as helping to "construct the modern landscape" from which the Blue Series can derive material. The Blue Series is intended to "transcend musical genres", to move away from cultural backdrops and make its own cycloramas. Matthew advocates the series as a "melting pot" for distilling all "colors and genres" into their essences, whereby each recording and the recordings collectively substantiate "a personality that has soul...by that, I mean", he said, " spirit." Sure, history is involved in the making of the music and it does not matter that it can be traced: the series is "comprehensive" for that very reason. The musicians come from all cultures on purpose.
All that matters is the "energy" that comes out of the music.
Matthew in his own right is a comprehensive guy. Matthew has always considered himself an abstract expressionist. He identifies with the way in which paint is "thrust" onto a canvas, using as exemplary painters, the quintessential abstract expressionists, Pollock and Rothko. Matthew sees painting as both a lyrical and kinetic gesture toward the making of literal "mine fields of information" where "harmony and colors vibrate". Improvised music can also offer an opportunity for the listener to "delve into the same kind of energy field". (Matthew saying this leads me to thinking that it is not a wonder that Matthew plays the way he does: ten-fingered chords, hard and hammered---- even his fingering of phrases and trills project singular thrusts.) Matthew notes also that improvised music is subject to numerous interpretations: you can either "get it or "not get it". What is important is that the door to interpretation is open. Matthew thinks of himself as "functioning as an artist" to construct that door. As the individual artist, Matthew wants to present "creative logics or abstractions that pave avenues into the music, to take painterly approaches to paint pictures of infinity" which become the products, i.e. the recordings. Matthew claims that "he does not exist" in these products. He lets the products go.
All that matters is the "energy" that comes out of the music.
The Blue Series is comprised of music that has great intellect. Matthew has cultivated a group of "like-minded" musicians: musicians who have recorded for a long time in different contexts. And Matthew sees that these musicians have become so entrenched with the positive nature of the idea that has become the Blue Series that they have used the recordings within the series as "points of reference". They have used the recordings as teachers, as means to expand their own language, to stretch their own voices, to re-invent themselves. "Theoretically", Matthew says, " this series could go on forever..." What will happen is that as the series continues, as new musicians are included, as larger steps outside of what exists are taken, the series will be re-invigorated. Pictures of infinity will be painted.
All that matters will be the "energy" that comes out of the music.
When I asked Matthew why the series is assigned a color description of "blue", he answered, "No reason." I made the remark, "Well, blue usually denotes a calmness." His reply was, "We need calm". For someone who does not mind contradicting himself, with these three words, he contradicted himself without knowing it. Although I am sure that he was referring to the calm we need in the world of unrest in which we exist now, April, 2003, I read his response as more specifically referring to the calm that paradoxically swaddles the listener in heavy, pulsating, enlivening, heart-grabbing, gripping music that is the Blue Series, itself, as well as the Blue Series Continuum to come.
All that matters is the "energy" that comes out of the music.
Thank you, Matt. Thank you.


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Living Rich
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm founda...Keep Reading


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FastPassCorp and Nilex AB have entered into an OEM agreement for FastPass technology.
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You are here: Home / Papers / OECD Working Papers on Public Governance / Assessing the Impact of Regulatory Management Systems
OECD Working Papers on Public Governance
- 1993-4351 (online)
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/19934351
Assessing the Impact of Regulatory Management Systems
Preliminary Statistical and Econometric Estimates
Click to Access:
- Author(s):
- Stéphane Jacobzone1, Faye Steiner, Erika Lopez Ponton2, Emmanuel Job1
- Author Affiliations
- 1: OECD, France
- 2: University of Paris I, France
- 17 May 2010
- Bibliographic information
- No.:
- 17
- Pages:
- 66
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/5kmfq1pch36h-en
This Working Paper presents preliminary analytical estimates using the 1998 and 2005 surveys of indicators of systems for the management of regulatory quality. Two broad dimensions are found in regulatory management systems using Factor Analysis, and Principal Component Analysis. The first reflects an integrated approach to ex ante assessment, with the use of tools such as formal consultation and regulatory impact analysis as well as institutions for regulatory oversight, training and capacity building. The second focuses on the stock of regulation, with administrative simplification, streamlining licences and permits, etc. These data are correlated with other available datasets on regulatory frameworks, including the OECD indicators of Product Market Regulations, subsets of the Doing business and Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI) from the World Bank and the Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) from the World Economic Forum. Finally, the report presents some preliminary regressions with reduced forms, including fixed and random effects, linking the indicators to macroeconomic indicators. The findings tend to support the view that improvements in regulatory management system quality yield significant economic benefits.


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NO reference picture used, my imagination.
Java Draw Created Aug 26, 2009 470 x 338px Unless noted Copyright 2009 blackbird666999.
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WoW!!! collection :D
This is absolutely amazing.
wow, you have a WILD imagination! =3
fantastic! (((5/5
beatiful 5h
mind blowing ,,,great 50000/100000
frogy gets amazed ..and amazed..and..what an imagination!!!!!just great draw.5hhhh
Your art is so amazing…I really like it!FAV


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I saw this one the net somewhere... i just had to draw it :D (this is MY drawing based on another persons drawing... please dont put any comments about its authenticity...)
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We recently demonstrated that muscle protein synthesis was stimulated to a similar extent in young and elderly subjects during a 3-h amino acid infusion. We sought to determine if a more practical bolus oral ingestion would also produce a similar response in young (34 ± 4 yr) and elderly (67 ± 2 yr) individuals. Arteriovenous blood samples and muscle biopsies were obtained during a primed (2.0 μmol/kg) constant infusion (0.05 μmol·kg-1·min-1) of l-[ring-2H5]phenylalanine. Muscle protein kinetics and mixed muscle fractional synthetic rate (FSR) were calculated before and after the bolus ingestion of 15 g of essential amino acids (EAA) in young (n = 6) and elderly (n = 7) subjects. After EAA ingestion, the rate of increase in femoral artery phenylalanine concentration was slower in elderly subjects but remained elevated for a longer period. EAA ingestion increased FSR in both age groups by ∼0.04%/h (P < 0.05). However, muscle intracellular (IC) phenylalanine concentration remained significantly higher in elderly subjects at the completion of the study (young: 115.6 ± 5.4 nmol/ml; elderly: 150.2 ± 19.4 nmol/ml). Correction for the free phenylalanine retained in the muscle IC pool resulted in similar net phenylalanine uptake values in the young and elderly. EAA ingestion increased plasma insulin levels in young (6.1 ± 1.2 to 21.3 ± 3.1 μIU/ml) but not in elderly subjects (3.0 ± 0.6 to 4.3 ± 0.4 μIU/ml). Despite differences in the time course of plasma phenylalanine kinetics and a greater residual IC phenylalanine concentration, amino acid supplementation acutely stimulated muscle protein synthesis in both young and elderly individuals.
- aging
- supplementation
- nutrition
- sarcopenia
aging is associated with a progressive loss of skeletal muscle tissue and functional capacity and is likely facilitated by a combination of factors, including the adoption of a more sedentary lifestyle and a less than optimal diet (17, 18, 34). Mechanistically, many of these changes can be linked to a preceding disruption in the regulation of muscle protein turnover. Specifically, the net loss of muscle with age is the result of a chronic imbalance between muscle protein synthesis and breakdown. It has been suggested that a decrease in basal muscle protein synthesis may contribute to the development of sarcopenia (3, 43, 50). However, in a study using measures of both muscle protein synthesis and breakdown, basal muscle protein kinetics were found to be similar in young and elderly men and could not explain the loss of muscle that occurs with age (42). It is possible that detecting age-related differences in postabsorptive protein metabolism is beyond the sensitivity limits of current technology. However, after ingestion of amino acids, the supply of the precursor elements necessary to stimulate protein synthesis can increase substantially, albeit transiently (30). Consequently, it is perhaps more likely that any age-related alteration in muscle protein synthesis and/or breakdown will be exaggerated during the period immediately after nutrient ingestion and may therefore be more readily detectable.
The anabolic stimulus afforded by a nutritional supplement is influenced by the type and composition of the amino acid-protein mixture ingested. In addition, a concomitant increase in plasma insulin during hyperaminoacidemia may also contribute to this anabolic effect in young individuals (49). The relationship between amino acid/carbohydrate ingestion, insulin release, and muscle protein synthesis in older populations is less clear (12, 21, 26). In a recent study, the anabolic response to an amino acid supplement given to elderly subjects was blunted by the addition of carbohydrate (40). In young populations, this combination elicited an anabolic response greater than achieved by amino acid supplementation alone. This compromised interaction between carbohydrates and amino acids may also partly explain why some dietary supplements fail to produce beneficial anabolic effects in the elderly (19). Consequently, it may be argued that dietary supplementation with essential amino acids (EAA) alone may provide a practical and more calorically efficient means of stimulating protein synthesis in older populations (46).
We recently reported that muscle protein synthesis was stimulated to a similar extent in young and elderly subjects after a 3-h intravenous infusion of mixed amino acids (38). In a similar study we found that, despite greater first-pass splanchnic extraction of amino acids in elderly subjects, ingestion of multiple small boluses of oral amino acids (2.2 g every 10 min for 3 h) increased muscle protein anabolism in both age groups (41). However, although the constant (∼3-h) delivery of intravenous (38) or oral amino acids (41) offers benefits in terms of steady-state modeling of amino acid kinetics, quantifying protein metabolism after a 2- to 3-h period of continuous nutrient delivery does not represent a realistic meal-like situation. The steady-state model also fails to account for potential age-related differences, such as the rate of digestion and gastric emptying (2, 25, 29). Moreover, if the efficacy of amino acid supplementation does change with age, it may be argued that such a change would be most pronounced and consequential during the period immediately after nutrient (amino acid) ingestion where large transient changes in plasma amino acid concentrations occur. For example, an arbitrary 10% impairment in net phenylalanine balance in postabsorptive subjects would translate to a change of <2 nmol Phe·min-1·100 ml leg vol-1, whereas a similar relative reduction in net phenylalanine balance 30 min after amino acid ingestion would be reflected by a more substantial change of ∼15 nmol Phe·min-1·100 ml leg vol-1.
The primary goal of the present study was to determine if a practical mode of amino acid administration (i.e., single 15-g bolus oral ingestion) could stimulate net muscle protein synthesis to a similar extent in young and elderly subjects.
Seven healthy elderly [3 male, 4 female, 67 ± 2 (SD) yr; 71 ± 5 kg; 169 ± 5 cm] and six healthy young [2 male, 4 female, 34 ± 4 (SD) yr; 63 ± 3 kg; 170 ± 3 cm] volunteers participated in this project (Table 1). Elderly volunteers were recruited through The Sealy Center on Aging Volunteers Registry of The University of Texas Medical Branch. All subjects gave informed, written consent according to the guidelines established by the Institutional Review Board at the University of Texas Medical Branch. Subject eligibility was assessed by a battery of medical screening tests, including a history and physical examination, electrocardiogram, blood count, plasma electrolytes, fasting blood glucose concentration, and liver and renal function tests. Exclusion criteria included the presence of a metabolically unstable medical condition, vascular disease, hypertension, or cardiac abnormality. Female subjects were not considered for inclusion if they were taking oral contraception or estrogen replacement therapy. All subjects were physically active and independent but were not athletically trained. Furthermore, because of the invasive nature of the study and the strict eligibility criteria, elderly volunteers were not representative of a population suffering from advanced sarcopenia. Rather, they represented a group of individuals whose current level of independence and activity would be compromised if a loss of muscle mass and function were to occur.
Experimental Protocol
The experimental protocol is depicted in Fig. 1. All isotope infusion studies were performed in The General Clinical Research Center (GCRC) at The University of Texas Medical Branch. Volunteers were instructed to maintain their normal diet during the weeks preceding the metabolic study but refrain from strenuous activity for at least 72 h before admission. Subjects were admitted to the GCRC the day before each study and were fasted for ∼12 h.
At ∼0600 the morning after admission, an 18-gauge polyethylene catheter (Insyte-W; Becton Dickinson, Sandy, UT) was inserted in an antecubital vein. Baseline blood samples were drawn for the analysis of background amino acid enrichment and concentration and insulin and glucose concentrations. A second 18-gauge polyethylene catheter was placed in the contralateral wrist for blood sampling for the spectrophotometric (λ = 805 nm) determination of leg plasma flow (22). A primed (2 μmol/kg) continuous (0.05 μmol·kg-1·min-1) infusion of l-[ring-2H5]phenylalanine was initiated and maintained for 8 h. At ∼0700, 3-Fr 8-cm polyethylene Cook catheters (Bloomington, IN) were inserted in the femoral artery and vein of one leg under local anesthesia. Arterial and venous blood samples were obtained at 10- to 20-min intervals before and after EAA ingestion for determination of amino acid kinetics and plasma concentrations of glucose and insulin. The femoral artery catheter was also used for indocyanine green (ICG) infusion (infusion rate = 0.5 mg/min). Blood flow was measured on three occasions, as depicted in Fig. 1. ICG was infused in the femoral artery for ∼20 min. Three 2-ml blood samples were drawn simultaneously from the femoral and wrist vein during the final 10 min of each ICG infusion period. Leg plasma flow was calculated from steady-state ICG concentrations and converted to leg blood flow using the hematocrit (8, 22). Values for each collection period were averaged and used to represent blood flow during 1) the postabsorptive period, 2) 0-120 min post-EAA drink, and 3) 120-210 min post-EAA drink.
Muscle biopsies (∼50 mg) were taken from the lateral portion of the vastus lateralis ∼10-15 cm above the knee with a 5-mm Bergstrom biopsy needle, as previously described (6). The final muscle biopsy was performed 3.5-4 h post-EAA ingestion. An insufficient amount of muscle tissue was obtained from one young female subject and was therefore not included in the data set.
The composition of the EAA drink approximated the distribution of amino acids required to increase the intracellular concentrations of EAA's in proportion to their respective contributions to the synthesis of muscle protein (Table 2). The model parameters used in this protocol are based on the assumption that there is an isotopic, but not necessarily a physiological, steady state (45). Consequently, based on our previous experience using a constant infusion of l-[ring-2H5]phenylalanine (0.05 μmol·kg-1·min-1), an additional 0.186 g of l-[ring-2H5]phenylalanine was added to the EAA drink to maintain the isotopic enrichment (tracer-to-tracee ratio) in the femoral artery at ∼0.08 (30). The amino acids were dissolved in 250 ml of a noncaloric, noncaffeinated soft drink and consumed as a bolus at 1100.
At the end of the protocol, all peripheral and femoral catheters were removed, and subjects were provided with a meal and monitored for a minimum of 2 h before discharge.
Analytical Methods
Blood. Femoral artery and vein blood samples were immediately mixed and precipitated in preweighed tubes containing a 15% sulfosalicyclic acid solution and an internal standard. The internal standard (100 μl/ml blood) contained 49.3 μmol/l l-[ring-13C6]phenylalanine. Samples were reweighed and centrifuged, and the supernatant was removed and frozen (-80°C) until analysis. Upon thawing, blood amino acids were extracted from 500 μl of supernatant by cation exchange chromatography (Dowex AG 50W-8X,100-200 mesh H+ form; Bio-Rad Laboratories, Richmond, CA) and dried under vacuum (Savant Instruments, Farmingdale, NY). Phenylalanine enrichments and concentrations were determined on the tert-butyldimethylsilyl derivative using GC-MS (HP model 5989; Hewlett-Packard, Palo Alto, CA) with electron impact ionization. Ions 336, 341, and 342 were monitored (31, 52). Plasma insulin concentrations were determined by RIA (Coat-A-Count; Diagnostic Products, Los Angeles, CA).
Muscle. Muscle biopsy samples from the vastus lateralis were immediately rinsed, blotted, and frozen in liquid nitrogen until analysis. Upon thawing, samples were weighed, and the protein was precipitated with 800 μl of 14% perchloroacetic acid. To measure intracellular phenylalanine concentration, an internal standard (2 μl/mg wet wt) containing 3 μmol/l l-[ring-13C6]phenylalanine was added. Approximately 1.5 ml of supernatant was collected after tissue homogenization and centrifugation and processed in the same manner as the supernatant from blood samples. Intracellular phenylalanine enrichment and concentrations were determined using the tert-butyldimethylsilyl derivative (7, 45). The remaining muscle pellet was washed and dried, and the proteins were hydrolyzed in 6 N HCl at 50°C for 24 h. The protein-bound l-[ring-2H5]phenylalanine enrichment was determined using GC-MS (HP model 5989; Hewlett-Packard) with electron impact ionization (13).
We employed the two-pool arteriovenous (a-v) model and calculated mixed-muscle fractional protein synthetic rate (FSR) via direct phenylalanine incorporation into muscle to examine amino acid kinetics in human skeletal muscle (45). Phenylalanine was selected to represent amino acid kinetics because it is neither produced nor metabolized in skeletal muscle. a-v Model parameters for phenylalanine were calculated as follows
where NB is net balance, Ca and Cv represent the phenylalanine concentrations in the femoral artery and vein, respectively. BF represents leg blood flow, as determined by the ICG dye dilution method (22), and Ea and Ev represent the phenylalanine enrichment (tracerto-tracee ratio) in the artery and vein, respectively. Ra represents an estimation of the amount of phenylalanine released from breakdown that appears in the plasma, and Rd represents an estimation of the rate of phenylalanine incorporation of plasma phenylalanine into muscle protein (45). These calculations do not include phenylalanine that is recycled and does not appear in the blood after breakdown. With the use of averaged postabsorptive net balance values as a baseline, area under the curve values were used to provide an estimation of net phenylalanine uptake after EAA ingestion. To reduce the variation attributable to differences in body size, the two-pool model parameters were calculated relative to leg volume. Leg volume was calculated using standard anthropometric techniques involving length and circumference measurements (23).
The FSR of mixed-muscle protein was calculated by measuring the incorporation of l-[ring-2H5]phenylalanine into protein, using the precursor-product model
where EP1 and EP2 are the enrichments of bound l-[ring-2H5]phenylalanine in two sequential muscle biopsies, t is the time interval between biopsies, and EM is the l-[ring-2H5]phenylalanine enrichment in the muscle intracellular pool (4). Postabsorptive FSR values were calculated using the average EM values from the first two biopsies. EM values from the final biopsy were used to calculate post-EAA ingestion FSR, as they reflected the most conservative estimate of FSR during this period. The amount of phenylalanine remaining in the muscle intracellular pool at the completion of the study period was calculated as follows (37)
where MIC residual represents the amount of phenylalanine remaining in the muscle intracellular pool, and MIC pre and MIC post represent the muscle intracellular phenylalanine concentration before and 3 h after EAA ingestion.
Statistical Analysis
Data are presented as means ± SE. Because of unequal variances between the periods before and after EAA ingestion, between-age group comparisons in the postabsorptive and post-EAA ingestion periods were performed independently. t-Tests with Bonferroni correction were used to compare postabsorptive data. After bolus ingestion of 15 g of EAA, within- and between-age group comparisons were performed using ANOVA with repeated measures. Differences were considered significant at P < 0.05.
Physical Characteristics
Physical characteristics are presented in Table 1. Older subjects had greater body weight (P = 0.04); however, there were no significant differences in body mass index, height, or leg volume.
Phenylalanine Enrichment and Concentration
Plasma l-[ring-2H5]phenylalanine enrichment in the femoral artery remained stable for the duration of the study but was marginally higher in elderly subjects despite the same d5-Phe infusion rate (Fig. 2). Average arterial enrichments over the entire infusion period were 7.7 ± 0.4% (young) vs. 8.8 ± 0.4% (elderly; P = 0.049). Femoral venous enrichments were 6.9 ± 0.4% (young) vs. 7.9 ± 0.4% (elderly; P = 0.09).
Arterial and venous phenylalanine concentration values are presented in Fig. 3. There were no age-related differences in a-v phenylalanine concentrations during the postabsorptive period (P ≥ 0.96). During the first 60 min after EAA ingestion, the arterial and venous concentration of phenylalanine increased more rapidly in young subjects. Plasma concentrations remained elevated for the duration of the study in both age groups. Arterial concentrations were higher in elderly subjects at 120 and 150 min after EAA ingestion (P ≤ 0.02).
Blood Flow
Leg blood flow was not affected by age or EAA ingestion (P ≥ 0.77). Blood flow values in young subjects were 3.0 ± 0.3 (postabsorptive), 3.2 ± 0.3 (0-120 min post-EAA), and 3.2 ± 0.4 (120-210 min post-EAA) ml·min-1·100 ml leg vol-1. Blood flow values in elderly subjects were 3.4 ± 0.5 (postabsorptive), 3.5 ± 0.5 (0-120 min post-EAA), and 3.1 ± 0.5 (120-210 min post-EAA) ml·min-1·100 ml leg vol-1.
Ra and Rd
Phenylalanine Ra values were not different in the postabsorptive state (young: 36.5 ± 5.7 vs. elderly: 35.2 ± 2.9 nmol Phe·min-1·100 ml leg vol-1; P = 0.92). Ra values did not change significantly after EAA ingestion (P = 0.65). Average post-EAA Ra values were similar in both age groups with values of 40.7 ± 8.4 (young) and 39.8 ± 6.6 (elderly) nmol Phe·min-1·100 ml leg vol-1 (P = 0.98).
During the postabsorptive period, there were no age-related differences in Rd (young: 20.9 ± 4.4 vs. elderly: 22.2 ± 2.1 nmol Phe·min-1·100 ml leg vol-1; P = 0.91). After EAA ingestion, Rd in the young group increased to be almost two times that of elderly subjects at 30 min post-EAA ingestion (young: 204.4 ± 18.2 vs. elderly: 111.4 ± 22.9 nmol Phe·min-1·100 ml leg vol-1; P = 0.001). Elderly subjects attained peak Rd values 60 min after EAA ingestion (young: 118.3 ± 11.2 vs. elderly: 172.7 ± 31.3 nmol Phe·min-1·100 ml leg vol-1; P = 0.04). Despite the slower rate of increase, Rd in the elderly subjects remained above postabsorptive levels for ∼120 min after EAA ingestion (P ≤ 0.04). In comparison, young subjects remained above postabsorptive levels for 60 min after EAA ingestion (P < 0.001).
Net Balance
No between-age group differences in net phenylalanine balance were identified during the postabsorptive period. Post-absorptive values were -15.6 ± 1.9 (young) and -13.0 ± 1.3 (elderly) nmol Phe·min-1·100 ml leg vol-1 (P = 0.94). Both age groups experienced a significant increase in net balance after ingestion of 15 g of EAA. However, the response in the older subjects was slower and remained positive for a greater period of time (Fig. 4). Calculation of net phenylalanine uptake (net balance area under the curve) during the cumulative 1-, 2-, and 3-h periods after EAA ingestion revealed higher values in the elderly group at all time points except 60 min. Values were 102.0 ± 6.0, 74.8 ± 8.8, and 58.4 ± 13.3 mg Phe/leg (young) and 94.2 ± 16.0, 155.3 ± 19.4 and 153.0 ± 21.7 mg Phe/leg (elderly), respectively.
Muscle Intracellular Concentrations and FSR
Postabsorptive muscle intracellular phenylalanine concentrations were similar in both age groups, with values of 70.8 ± 6.7 (young) vs. 68.8 ± 8.4 (elderly) nmol/min (P = 0.79). EAA ingestion increased muscle intracellular concentrations in both age groups with values of 115.6 ± 5.4 (young; P = 0.020) vs. 150.2 ± 19.4 (elderly) nmol/ml (P = 0.005). In relation to postabsorptive values, this post-EAA expansion of the muscle intracellular phenylalanine pool was significantly greater in elderly subjects, with increases of 86.2 ± 15.4 (elderly) vs. 44.8 ± 7.1 (young) nmol/ml (P = 0.025).
Postabsorptive FSR values were similar in each age group, with values of 0.064 ± 0.007%/h (young) and 0.056 ± 0.004%/h (elderly; P = 0.36). After EAA ingestion, FSR values increased significantly in both age groups, with values of 0.103 ± 0.011%/h (young) and 0.088 ± 0.011%/h (elderly). This increase was similar in both age groups (P = 0.35; Fig. 5).
After EAA ingestion, insulin levels increased significantly in the younger subjects (P < 0.001), returning to basal levels by 75 min. In contrast, there was no significant change in insulin concentrations in the elderly group (P = 0.58; Fig. 6). Although oral glucose tolerance tests were not performed, all subjects returned to normal fasting blood glucose concentrations (<115 mg/dl) during the initial medical screening.
Our data demonstrate that the bolus oral ingestion of 15 g EAA stimulated muscle protein anabolism and produced similar increases in mixed-muscle FSR in both elderly and young individuals. However, several age-related differences were identified. Elderly subjects did not experience an increase in plasma insulin concentration after EAA ingestion. They did, however, experience a slower, more sustained increase in plasma phenylalanine concentration and net phenylalanine balance after EAA ingestion. Furthermore, muscle intracellular phenylalanine concentration remained significantly higher in the elderly at the end of the study period, accounting for the prolonged period of positive net balance observed after EAA ingestion.
The hypothesis that muscle protein synthesis is downregulated with age remains controversial (3, 42-44, 51). In earlier studies, myofibrillar protein synthesis was reported to be slower in elderly individuals in the postabsorptive state (43) and after ingestion of multiple small boluses of a nutritionally mixed liquid meal replacement given every 30 min for several hours (44). However, consistent with previous research employing similar methodology, we found no differences in postabsorptive amino acid kinetics in the young and elderly (38, 40-42). Our data were also largely consistent with previous research demonstrating that protein synthesis was stimulated to a similar extent in young and elderly after a 3-h steady-state intravenous infusion (38) or ingestion of multiple small boluses of oral amino acids (41).
The novelty of the present study lies in the fact that we were able to characterize muscle protein kinetics in association with a realistic and practical method of ingesting an amino acid supplement. Furthermore, this was the first study to quantify mixed-muscle FSR and examine the time course of muscle protein anabolism after bolus oral EAA ingestion in the young and elderly. Although EAA supplementation improved FSR to a similar extent in young and elderly individuals, some differences were noted. The calculation of net phenylalanine balance, a reflection of the relationship between muscle protein synthesis and breakdown, revealed that elderly subjects responded more slowly to the EAA stimulus but remained in positive net balance for a longer period of time. The physiological significance of this response is unclear; however, it is important to clarify that FSR measures actual incorporation of phenylalanine in protein, whereas net phenylalanine uptake/net balance only translate to synthesis if there is subsequent uptake from the intracellular pool. Phenylalanine is an EAA that is neither synthesized nor metabolized in skeletal muscle. Consequently, the fate of exogenous phenylalanine can be broadly accounted for by a combination of two processes. Amino acids may leave the circulation, enter the muscle intracellular pool, and be incorporated into protein. Alternatively, amino acids may leave the plasma pool and transiently expand the intracellular pool before being released back in the circulation. By calculating net phenylalanine uptake over the post-EAA drink period (net balance area under the curve), it appears that, despite the slower initial response to EAA ingestion, the sustained increase in net phenylalanine balance in the elderly resulted in a substantially greater net uptake of phenylalanine (elderly: 153.0 ± 21.7 vs. young: 58.4 ± 13.3 mg Phe/leg). However, in the final muscle biopsy sample, the phenylalanine concentration in the intracellular pool was two times as high in the elderly (86.2 ± 15.4 nmol/ml above baseline) compared with their younger counterparts (44.8 ± 7.1 nmol/ml above baseline). On the basis of these muscle intracellular phenylalanine concentrations and taking into account that intracellular (∼30-40%), interstitial (∼16%), and lymph (∼2%) fluids comprise ∼53% of total body water (32), we can estimate that an additional 100 mg Phe/leg (elderly) and 30 mg Phe/leg (young) remained in the leg at the completion of the study (16). In the elderly group, this value represents a relatively large amount of phenylalanine that could ultimately be incorporated in protein or be released back in the circulation. However, the concentration gradient at the end of the study would appear to favor the release of phenylalanine from the muscle intracellular/interstitial pool in the blood of the elderly (intracellular: 150.2 ± 19.4 nmol/ml; femoral vein: 127.8 ± 9.0 nmol/ml; femoral artery; 112.1 ± 9.3 nmol/ml). In comparison, this gradient was much less pronounced in younger subjects (intracellular: 115.6 ± 5.4 nmol/ml; femoral vein: 119.0 ± 6.4 nmol/ml; femoral artery; 107.0 ± 5.4 nmol/ml). Consequently, if the majority of the remaining 100 mg Phe/leg in the elderly ultimately reenters the circulation, we can subtract this amount from the calculated net phenylalanine uptake value (153.0 ± 21.7 mg Phe/leg) to estimate the amount of phenylalanine taken up and used for protein synthesis. This revised value (∼53 mg Phe/leg) is much closer to net phenylalanine uptake values in the young group (58.4 ± 13.3 mg Phe/leg) and is also more consistent with the similar FSR values obtained in each age group. In future studies, measuring muscle intracellular and interstitial concentrations and calculating FSR over a longer period of time after EAA ingestion (i.e., >4 h) would clarify the fate of amino acids in the intracellular pool. Nonetheless, irrespective of the fate of the intracellular phenylalanine remaining in the muscle at the completion of the study, it appears that the elderly respond similarly and perhaps at least as well as their younger counterparts to EAA ingestion.
The temporal relationship between amino acid availability and protein synthesis may have also played a role in the differences observed in the current study. It is possible that elderly individuals may not be able to increase FSR in proportion to the increase in muscle intracellular phenylalanine concentrations, possibly because of lack of an insulin response to EAA ingestion. However, it has been suggested that the rate of muscle protein synthesis is primarily regulated by the change in the concentration of amino acids in the blood/interstitial fluid rather than muscle intracellular concentrations (9, 48). Furthermore, investigators have recently demonstrated that, whereas muscle protein synthesis (mitochondrial, myofibrillar, and sarcoplasmic protein) was acutely stimulated by increased amino acid availability, a sustained elevation in plasma amino acid concentrations via intravenous infusion could not maintain muscle protein synthesis in the young for longer than ∼2 h (10). Consequently, it may be argued that a prolonged elevation of plasma or interstitial amino acid concentrations may not necessarily correspond to a similar period of elevated muscle protein synthesis. Furthermore, the similar increase in FSR in the young and elderly groups supports the notion that there is a limited period of time, perhaps between 60 and 120 min after EAA ingestion, during which elevated plasma amino acid levels can stimulate protein synthesis. At some time point during continuous amino acid/nutrient ingestion, it is likely that muscle protein synthesis would return to basal levels despite continued increased precursor availability (10).
The present study was the first to demonstrate that the elderly experience a slower but more prolonged increase in plasma phenylalanine concentration after ingestion of 15 g of EAA. The initial slower rate of increase in plasma phenylalanine concentrations after ingestion of amino acids is consistent with a greater first-pass splanchnic clearance in elderly individuals (11, 41). In addition, there are several well-documented physiological changes in gastrointestinal structure and function accompanying the aging process that may have also contributed to the different concentration responses in young and elderly subjects. Notably, although there are no major changes in intestinal motility with age, gastric emptying of liquids is generally slower in older individuals (2, 25, 29). Consequently, in the context of the present study, it could be argued that a slower rate of release of the amino acid solution from the stomach is consistent with the slower yet prolonged increase in plasma phenylalanine concentration after EAA ingestion in the elderly.
Several methodological decisions are likely to have influenced some of the variables in the present study (27). However, as the major end points of the study are supported by both FSR and two-pool model data, it is unlikely that methodological factors altered the study's conclusion. One potential source of inaccuracy or variance in the present study may be attributable to the determination of leg volume via traditional anthropometric techniques (23). This error is likely to occur when the calculation of leg volume overestimates the amount of metabolically active lean muscle tissue in subjects with a greater leg fat percentage. Calculating lean leg mass via dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) would potentially provide a more accurate determination of leg volume. However, compared with techniques such as urinary creatinine output, DEXA may also overestimate lean body mass in older individuals (33, 35). Nevertheless, in the present study, several parameters remained unaffected by the determination of leg volume, including plasma phenylalanine concentrations, FSR, and insulin concentrations.
The decision to include both male and female subjects raises the issue of a gender effect. Leucine oxidation at rest (39) and after exercise (24) has been shown to be lower in women than in men. However, we have been unable to demonstrate a sex difference in the metabolism of any other amino acid, including phenylalanine, despite obvious differences in musculature and hormonal regulation (36). Furthermore, the magnitude of the stimulus afforded by amino acid ingestion is undoubtedly large compared with any possible gender effect. However, one readily apparent effect of choosing a cohort of male and female subjects is the difference in physical size. This experimental design examined the anabolic response to a bolus ingestion of 15 g of EAA. Consequently, for physically smaller subjects, 15 g of EAA would represent a proportionally greater nutrient intake. However, in lieu of any quantifiable difference in blood volume or muscle mass, we can only speculate that some of the variation within and between groups is attributable to body size. An alternative approach that may reduce some of the variability associated with different physical sizes would be to provide a supplement relative to each subject's lean body mass.
One of the most striking differences between age groups in the present study was the lack of an insulin response in the elderly after EAA ingestion. To the best of our knowledge, this response has not been reported previously. Although the role of insulin in the regulation of muscle protein metabolism remains the subject of much discussion, the complexity of insulin's action is readily apparent (1, 20, 49). The effects of age on insulin sensitivity and β-cell function are also controversial. Although a number of investigators have suggested that insulin sensitivity declines with age (15), the present study is consistent with reports suggesting that insulin sensitivity is maintained, whereas β-cell function is impaired with age in glucose-tolerant individuals (14). In circumstances in which exogenous amino acids are available, insulin has been shown to stimulate protein synthesis and reduce protein breakdown in several tissues, including skeletal muscle (5, 28, 47, 49). It is uncertain whether the failure of the EAA supplement to stimulate insulin secretion contributed to the slower rate of increase in plasma phenylalanine concentrations in the elderly. However, the similar magnitude of the changes in FSR and a-v model kinetics suggests that insulin plays only a permissive role in the regulation of protein metabolism. Furthermore, after EAA ingestion, the concomitantly elevated insulin levels in the young subjects produced no measurable increase in blood flow. Perhaps the role of insulin in the elderly could be more directly addressed by repeating the current study while mimicking insulin levels in the young via the use of an hyperinsulemiceuglycemic clamp.
The practical implications of this study are encouraging, suggesting that, like the young, elderly subjects may also derive benefits from ingestion of amino acids. It should be noted, however, that, because of the invasive nature of this study and the strict eligibility criteria, the elderly subjects may not be truly representative of the broader elderly population. Furthermore, in a previous study, a nutritionally mixed supplement given to a cohort of frail elderly (72-98 yr) over a 10-wk period failed to improve muscle cross-sectional area or function (19). Consequently, it remains to be seen if the acute stimulation of muscle protein synthesis by amino acid ingestion translates to an improvement in muscle mass and functional capacity after an extended period of supplementation.
In conclusion, although the influence of insulin and the time course of muscle protein anabolism after the bolus ingestion of EAA differs in young and elderly, EAA ingestion is nonetheless effective at acutely stimulating muscle protein synthesis in both age groups.
This project was supported by National Space Biomedical Research Institute Grant NPFR00205, National Aeronautics and Space Administration grant NAG9-1155 and National Institutes of Health (NIH) Grant 5 RO1 GM-57295. Studies were conducted on the General Clinical Research Center at The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and funded by NIH Grant M01 RR-00073.
We gratefully acknowledge Stephaine Blasé, Melissa Bailey, David Chinkes, Christopher Danesi, Dessa Gemar, Jariwala Gaurang, Guy Jones, and Anthony Obuseh for invaluable assistance with data analysis.
Current address for E. Volpi: Div. of Endocrinology and Diabetes, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033.
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.
- Copyright © 2004 by American Physiological Society


text: "The global economy is expected to make a hesitant and uneven recovery over the coming two years. Decisive policy action is needed to ensure that stalemate over fiscal policy in the United States and continuing euroarea instability do not plunge the world back into recession, according to the OECDs latest Economic Outlook. The world economy is far from being out of the woods, OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría said during the Economic Outlook launch in Paris. The US fiscal cliff, if it materialises, could tip an already weak economy into recession, while failure to solve the euro area crisis could lead to a major financial shock and global downturn. Governments must act decisively, using all the tools at their disposal to turn confidence around and boost growth and jobs, in the United States, in Europe, and elsewhere, Mr Gurría said (read the full speech)."


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Written on: 01/01/2012
I got this horn in college. I searched high and low, and decided on the exact specs I wanted: Paxman 20M, yellow brass, fixed bell, unlacquered. Then, a few weeks later, my horn prof had a friend selling one with those exact specs. I've had the horn for 15+ years, while I was a performance major, a dedicated amateur, a returning college student (for teacher certification), and now as a music teacher. I have done all sorts of gigs with it, and it has served me well. In college I was doing… Read Full Review
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This horn is an overpriced piece of junk. Tone quality is bright and narrow. Lower register is forced. Sticking with the Conn 8D… Read Full Review
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I like the Paxman 20M French Horn. It is shiny, and it is better than all other horns!… Read Full Review
Written on: 22/01/2011
Just being shiny is not particularly helpful; most of them are shiny! Fine to say it's better than other horns, but a serious review must include reasons why!
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(Science: virology) The ability of some phages to survive in a bacterium as a result of the integration of their dna into the host chromosome. The integrated dna is termed a prophage. A regulator gene produces a repressor protein that suppresses the lytic activity of the phage, but various environmental factors, such as ultraviolet irradiation may prevent synthesis of the repressor, leading to normal phage development and lysis of the bacterium. The best example of this is bacteriophage lambda.
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Java Draw Created Nov 29, 2012 1024 x 736px Unless noted Copyright 2012 sadlave.
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Dude your choice of colors is always awesome
the textures n colors here r sooo neat, reminds me of wood n stacks of books, i like it wow fav


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World Bank investment arm targets Russia
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MANHASSET, N.Y. -- The World Bank's investment arm is backing mid-sized companies in Russia with a $20 million investment in the Elbrus Capital Fund.
The International Finance Corp. (IFC) said it will focus investments through the Elbrus fund on small and medium-sized companies on the assumption they are best positioned to create jobs and deliver new services to Russia markets.
The Elbrus fund is targeting $500 million in total funding and will aim to gain controlling stakes in mid-cap growth Russian companies.
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IFC's financing and advisory services are intended to help companies improve corporate governance and become more competitive. Its investment portfolio in Russia totals $837 million.
IFC, the investment arm of the World Bank Group, provides financing to companies in developing countries. Its investments are expected to total more than $20 billion this year.