Datasets:
anhtunguyen98
/
LLM-SWP

Dataset card Data Studio Files Community
1
text
stringlengths
1
146k
"All Scottish donors, who contact us via RSPCA fundraising campaigns, are directed to the Scottish SPCA so that they can donate to them if they so wish." The Scottish SPCA changed its logo in 2005 to make a clearer distinction between itself and the RSPCA in an attempt to prevent legacies being left to its English equivalent by mistake when the Scottish charity was intended.
See also Humane society Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) Eurogroup for Animals represents organisations such as the RSPCA at the European Union level Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (links to other SPCA organizations worldwide) Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Hong Kong) — formerly Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Hong Kong) from 1903 to 1997 Animal welfare in the United Kingdom Animal ethics Animal rights Cruelty to animals Bibliography Antony Brown, Who Cares For Animals: 150 years of the RSPCA (London: Heinemann, 1974). Li Chien-hui, "A Union of Christianity, Humanity, and Philanthropy: The Christian Tradition and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Nineteenth-Century England," Society and Animals 8/3 (2000): 265–285.
Edward G. Fairholme and Wellesley Pain, A Century of Work For Animals: The History of the RSPCA, 1824–1934 (London: John Murray, 1934). Lori Gruen, Ethics and Animals: An Introduction (Cambridge UK: Cambridge University Press, 2011). Hilda Kean, Animal Rights: Political and Social Change in Britain since 1800 (London: Reaktion Books, 2000). Shevawn Lynam, Humanity Dick Martin 'King of Connemara' 1754–1834 (Dublin: Lilliput Press, 1989). Vaughan Monamy, Animal Experimentation: A Guide to the Issues (Cambridge UK; New York:Cambridge University Press, 2000). Arthur W. Moss, Valiant Crusade: The History of the RSPCA (London: Cassell, 1961). Harriet Ritvo, The Animal Estate: The English and Other Creatures in the Victorian Age (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1987).
Richard D. Ryder, Animal Revolution: Changing Attitudes Towards Speciesism Rev Ed (Oxford; New York: Berg, 2000). Kathryn Shevelow, For The Love of Animals: The Rise of the Animal Protection Movement (New York: Henry Holt, 2008). References External links RSPCA England/Wales Guidance on the Operation of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 RSPCA Inspector Career advice Freedom Food the RSPCA's farm assurance scheme RSPCA Brighton Video clips RSPCA YouTube channel Category:Animal charities based in the United Kingdom Category:Organizations established in 1824 Category:Organisations based in West Sussex Category:Organisations based in the United Kingdom with royal patronage Category:Royal charities of the United Kingdom Category:1824 establishments in the United Kingdom
Gyrinal is an organic chemical compound  - an unsaturated ketoaldehyde - with the formula C14H18O3, obtained from the whirligig beetle (the water boatman, Gyrinus natator). It is a powerful antiseptic and fish and mammal toxin, and thus used as a defensive compound. Typically the beetles contain approx. 80 microgram of the compound. The LD50 of the compound is approx. 45 mg/kg in mice. References Category:Fatty aldehydes Category:Enones Category:Sesquiterpenes Category:Alkene derivatives
Lean Hog is a type of hog (pork) that can be easily traded in mercantile and option exchanges. This type of hog is the source of the majority of the pork meat in the US. Lean Hog futures and options are traded on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME). The contracts are for 40,000 pounds of Lean Hogs, and call for cash settlement based on the lean hog index. The lean hog index is a two-day weighted average of cash markets. References CME Lean Hog contract specifications Category:Pork Category:Commodity markets
Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, abbreviated as DHEA sulfate or DHEA-S, also known as androstenolone sulfate, is an endogenous androstane steroid that is produced by the adrenal cortex. It is the 3β-sulfate ester and a metabolite of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) that circulates in far greater relative concentrations. The steroid is hormonally inert and is instead an important neurosteroid and neurotrophin. Biological activity Neurosteroid activity Similarly to other conjugated steroids, DHEA-S is devoid of hormonal activity, lacking affinity for the steroid hormone receptors. However, DHEA-S retains activity as a neurosteroid and neurotrophin. It has been found to act as a positive allosteric modulator of the NMDA receptor (50 nM–1 μM), negative allosteric modulator of the GABAA and glycine receptors, and weak agonist of the sigma-1 receptor (Kd > 50 μM).
In addition, DHEA-S has been found to directly bind to and activate the TrkA and p75NTR – receptors of neurotrophins like nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) – with high affinity (around 5 nM). Hormonal activity Although DHEA-S itself is hormonally inert, it has been thought that it can be converted back into DHEA, which is weakly androgenic and estrogenic, and that DHEA in turn can be transformed into more potent androgens like testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) as well as estrogens like estradiol. As such, it has been thought that DHEA-S is a prohormone with the potential for androgenic and estrogenic effects.
However, a 2005 study found that DHEA could be converted into DHEA-S but found no evidence of conversion of DHEA-S into DHEA. Other activity DHEA-S has also been found to inhibit the TRPV1 and TRPC5 transient receptor potential channels and to inhibit the P2X receptor. Biochemistry Biosynthesis DHEA and DHEA-S are produced in the zona reticularis of the adrenal cortex under the control of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). DHEA is synthesized from cholesterol via the enzymes cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme (CYP11A1; P450scc) and 17α-hydroxylase/17,20-lyase (CYP17A1), with pregnenolone and 17α-hydroxypregnenolone as intermediates. Then, DHEA-S is formed by sulfation of DHEA at the C3β position via the sulfotransferase enzymes SULT2A1 and to a lesser extent SULT1E1.
Whereas DHEA is derived mostly from the adrenal cortex but is also secreted to a lesser extent by the gonads (10%), DHEA-S is almost exclusively produced and secreted by the adrenal cortex, with 95 to 100% originating from the adrenal cortex in women. Approximately 10 to 15 mg of DHEA-S is secreted by the adrenal cortex per day in young adults. Distribution Unlike DHEA, which is weakly bound to albumin, DHEA-S is strongly bound to albumin (i.e., with very high affinity), and this is the reason for its much longer comparative terminal half-life. In contrast to DHEA, DHEA-S is not bound to any extent to sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG).
Whereas DHEA easily crosses the blood–brain barrier into the central nervous system, DHEA-S poorly crosses the blood–brain barrier. Metabolism DHEA-S can be converted back into DHEA via steroid sulfatase (STS). In premenopausal women, 40 to 75% of circulating testosterone is derived from peripheral metabolism of DHEA-S, and in postmenopausal women, over 90% of estrogens, mainly estrone, are derived from peripheral metabolism of DHEA-S. A study found that administration of exogenous DHEA-S in women who were pregnant increased circulating levels of estrone and estradiol. DHEA-S serves as a depot for potent androgens like testosterone and dihydrotestosterone in prostate cancer, which fuel the growth of this cancer.
The elimination half-life of DHEA-S is 7 to 10 hours, which is far longer than that of DHEA, which has an elimination half-life of only 15 to 30 minutes. Elimination DHEA-S is excreted in the urine via the kidneys. Levels DHEA and DHEA-S are the most abundant circulating steroids in the body. Plasma levels of DHEA-S are 100 or more times higher than those of DHEA, 5 to 10 times higher than those of cortisol, 100 to 500 times those of testosterone, and 1,000 to 10,000 times higher than those of estradiol. Levels of DHEA and DHEA-S vary throughout life.
They remain low during childhood until adrenarche around 6 to 8 years of age, at which point they markedly increase, eventually peaking at around 20 to 30 years of age. From the third decade of life on, DHEA and DHEA-S levels gradually decrease. By the age of 70, levels of DHEA and DHEA-S are 20 to 30% lower than those of young adults, and in people more than 80 years of age, DHEA and DHEA-S levels can reach 80 to 90% lower than those of younger individuals. DHEA-S levels are higher in men than in women. Reference ranges Medical use Deficiency The Endocrine Society recommends against the therapeutic use of DHEA-S in both healthy women and those with adrenal insufficiency, as its role is not clear from studies performed so far.
The routine use of DHEA-S and other androgens is discouraged in the treatment of women with low androgen levels due to hypopituitarism, adrenal insufficiency, menopause due to ovarian surgery, glucocorticoid use, or other conditions associated with low androgen levels; this is because there are limited data supporting improvement in signs and symptoms with therapy and no long-term studies of risk. In otherwise elderly women, in whom an age-related fall of DHEA-S may be associated with menopausal symptoms and reduced libido, DHEA-S supplementation cannot currently be said to improve outcomes. Childbirth As the sodium salt, prasterone sodium sulfate, DHEA-S is used as a pharmaceutical drug in Japan in the treatment of insufficient cervical ripening and cervical dilation during childbirth.
Diagnostic use DHEA-S levels above 1890 μM/L or 700 to 800 μg/dL are highly suggestive of adrenal dysfunction because DHEA-S is made by the adrenal glands and also synthesized in the brain. The presence of DHEA-S is therefore used to rule out ovarian or testicular origin of excess androgen. Women with hirsutism commonly present with mildly elevated DHEA-S levels. Common etiologies for hirsutism include ovarian dysfunction (polycystic ovary syndrome) and adrenal dysfunction (congenital adrenal hyperplasia, cushing's syndrome, androgen secreting tumors); 90% of these cases are caused by PCOS or are idiopathic in nature. However, severely increased DHEA-S levels (>700 μg/dL) necessitate further workup and are almost stem from benign or malignant adrenal alterations.
Chemistry DHEA-S, also known as androst-5-en-3β-ol-17-one 3β-sulfate, is a naturally occurring androstane steroid and the C3β sulfate ester of DHEA. References Category:Androgen esters Category:Androgens and anabolic steroids Category:Androstanes Category:GABAA receptor negative allosteric modulators Category:Glycine receptor antagonists Category:Human metabolites Category:Neurosteroids Category:NMDA receptor agonists Category:Pregnane X receptor agonists Category:Sigma agonists Category:Sulfate esters
The cGAS–STING pathway is a component of the innate immune system that functions to detect the presence of cytosolic DNA and, in response, trigger expression of inflammatory genes that can lead to senescence or to the activation of defense mechanisms. DNA is normally found in the nucleus of the cell. Localization of DNA to the cytosol is associated with tumorigenesis, viral infection, and invasion by some intracellular bacteria. The cGAS – STING pathway acts to detect cytosolic DNA and induce an immune response. Upon binding DNA, the protein cyclic GMP-AMP Synthase (cGAS) triggers reaction of GTP and ATP to form cyclic GMP-AMP (cGAMP).
cGAMP binds to Stimulator of Interferon Genes (STING) which triggers phosphorylation of IRF3 via TBK1. IRF3 can then go to the nucleus to trigger transcription of inflammatory genes. This pathway plays a critical role in mediating immune defense against double-stranded DNA viruses. The innate immune system relies on germline encoded pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) to recognize distinct pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). Upon recognition of a PAMP, PRRs generate signal cascades leading to transcription of genes associated with the immune response. Because all pathogens utilize nucleic acid to propagate, DNA and RNA can be recognized by PRRs to trigger immune activation.
In normal cells, DNA is confined to the nucleus or mitochondria. The presence of DNA in the cytosol is indicative of cellular damage or infection and leads to activation of genes associated with the immune response. One way cytosolic DNA is sensed is via the cGAS/STING pathway, specifically by the cyclic-GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS). Upon DNA recognition, cGAS dimerizes and stimulates the formation of cyclic-GMP-AMP (cGAMP). cGAMP then binds directly to stimulator of interferon genes (STING) which triggers phosphorylation/activation of the transcription factor IRF3 via TBK1. IRF3 is able to enter the nucleus to promote transcription of inflammatory genes, such as IFN-β.
Cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) Structure cGAS is a 522 amino acid protein and a member of the nucleotidyltransferase family. N-terminal residues 1-212 are necessary to bind dsDNA. This region may contain two different DNA binding domains. C-terminal residues 213-522 contain part of the nucleotidyltransferase (NTase) motif and a Mab21 domain and are highly conserved in cGAS from zebrafish to humans. These regions are necessary to form the catalytic pocket for the cGAS substrates: GTP and ATP, and to perform the necessary cyclization reaction. Function cGAS is found at the plasma membrane and is responsible for detecting cytosolic double stranded DNA, normally found in the cell nucleus, in order to stimulate production of IFN-β.
Upon directly binding cytosolic DNA, cGAS forms dimers to catalyze production of 2’3’-cGAMP from ATP and GTP. cGAMP then acts a second messenger, binding to STING, to trigger activation of the transcription factor IRF3. IRF3 leads to transcription of type-1 IFN-β. cGAS is unable to produce 2’3’-cGAMP in the presence of RNA. Discovery Prior to the discovery of cGAS, it was known that interferon beta was produced in the presence of cytosolic dsDNA and that STING-deficient cells were unable to produce interferon in the presence of dsDNA. Through biochemical fractionation of cell extracts and quantitative mass spectrometry, Sun, et al.
identified cGAS as the DNA-sensing protein able to trigger interferon beta by synthesizing the second messenger, 2’3’-cGAMP. This activity is dependent on cytosolic DNA. Enzymatic activity cGAS catalyzes formation of cGAMP in the presence of dsDNA. cGAS directly binds dsDNA via positively charged amino acid residues interacting with the negatively charged DNA phosphate backbone. Mutations in the positively charged residues completely abrogate DNA binding and subsequent interferon production through STING. Upon binding dsDNA, cGAS dimerizes and undergoes conformational changes that open up a catalytic nucleotide binding pocket, allowing GTP and ATP to enter. Here they are stabilized through base stacking, hydrogen bonds, and divalent cations in order to catalyze phosphodiester bond formation to produce the cyclic dinucleotide cGAMP.
Cyclic GMP-AMP (cGAMP) Structure Cyclic GMP-AMP (cGAMP) is a cyclic dinucleotide (CDN) and the first to be found in metazoans. Other CDNs (c-di-GMP and c-di-AMP) are commonly found in bacteria, archaea, and protozoa. As the name suggests, cGAMP is cyclic molecule composed of one Adenine monophosphate (AMP) and one Guanine monophosphate (GMP) connected by two phosphodiester bonds. However, cGAMP differs from other CDNs in that it contains a unique phosphodiester bonds between the 2’ OH of GMP and the 5’ phosphate of AMP. The other bond is between the 3’ OH of AMP and the 5’ phosphate of GMP. The unique 2’-5’ phosphodiester bond may be advantageous because it is less susceptible to degradation caused by 3’-5’ phosphodiesterases.
Other advantages of the unique 2’-5’ linkage may be that cGAMP is able to bind multiple allelic variants of STING found in the human population, while other CDNs, composed of only 3’-5’ linkages, are not. Discovery cGAMP was discovered by James Chen and colleagues by collecting cytoplasmic extracts from cells transfected with different types of DNA. Cellular extracts were assayed for STING activation by detecting activated IRF3 dimers. Using affinity purification chromatography, the STING activating substance was purified and mass spectrometry was used to identify the substance as cyclic-GMP-AMP (cGAMP). Chemically synthesized cGAMP was shown to trigger IRF3 activation and IFN-β production.
cGAMP was found to be much more potent than other cyclic di-nucleotides (c-di-GMP and c-di-AMP). cGAMP was shown to definitively bind STING by using radiolabeled cGAMP cross-linked to STING. Adding in unlabeled cGAMP, c-di-GMP, or c-di-AMP was found to compete with radio-labeled cGAMP, suggesting that CDN binding sites overlap. It was later shown that cGAMP has a unique 2’-5’ phosphodiester bond, which differs from conventional 3’-5’ linked CDNs and that this bond may explain some of the unique signaling properties of cGAMP. Stimulator of Interferon Genes (STING) STING is an endoplasmic reticulum resident protein and has been shown to directly bind to a variety of different cyclic-di-nucleotides.
Expression STING is expressed broadly in numerous tissue types, of both immune and non-immune origin. STING was identified in murine embryonic fibroblasts, and is required for the type 1 interferon response in both immune and non-immune cells. Structure STING is a 378 amino acid protein. Its N-terminal region (residues 1-154) contains four trans-membrane domains. Its C-terminal domain contains the dimerization domain, the cyclic dinucleotide interaction domain, as well as a domain responsible for interacting and activating TBK1. Upon binding of 2’-3’ cGAMP, STING undergoes a significant conformational change (approximately 20 Angstrom inward rotation) that encloses cGAMP. Function Upon binding of 2’-3’ cGAMP (and other bacterial CDNs), STING activates TBK1 to phosphorylate downstream transcription factors IRF3, which induces the type 1 IFN response, and STAT6, which induces chemokines such as CCL2 and CCL20 independently of IRF3.
STING is also thought to activate the NF-κB transcription factor through the activity of the IκB kinase (IKK), though the mechanism of NF-κB activation downstream of STING remains to be determined. The signaling pathways activated by STING combine to induce an innate immune response to cells with ectopic DNA in the cytosol. Loss of STING activity inhibits the ability of mouse embryonic fibroblasts to fight against infection by certain viruses, and more generally, is required for the type 1 IFN response to introduced cytosolic DNA. STING’s general role as an adapter molecule in the cytosolic DNA-type 1 IFN response across cell types has been suggested to function through dendritic cells (DCs).
DCs link the innate immune system with the adaptive immune system through phagocytosis and MHC presentation of foreign antigen. The type 1 IFN response initiated by DCs, perhaps through recognition of phagocytosed DNA, has an important co-stimulatory effect. This has recently led to speculation that 2’-3’ cGAMP could be used as a more efficient and direct adjuvant than DNA to induce immune responses. Allelic Variation Naturally occurring variations in human STING (hSTING) have been found at amino acid position 232 (R232 and H232). H232 variants have diminished type 1 IFN responses and mutation at this position to alanine abrogates the response to bacterial CDNs.
Substitutions enhancing ligand binding were also found. G230A substitutions were shown to increase hSTING signaling upon c-di-GMP binding. This residue is found on the lid of the binding pocket, possibly increasing c-di-GMP binding ability. Biological Importance of the cGAS-STING pathway Role in viral response The cGAS-cGAMP-STING pathway is able to generate interferon beta in response to cytosolic DNA. It was shown that DNA viruses, such as HSV-1, are able to trigger cGAMP production and subsequent activation of interferon beta via STING . RNA viruses, such as VSV or Sendai virus, are unable to trigger interferon via cGAS-STING. cGAS or STING defective mice are unable to produce interferon in response to HSV-1 infection which eventually leads to death, while mice with normal cGAS and STING function are able to recover.
Retroviruses, such as HIV-1, were also shown to activate IFN via the cGAS/STING pathway. In these studies, inhibitors of retroviral reverse transcription abrogated IFN production, suggesting that it is the viral cDNA which is activating cGAS. Role in tumor surveillance The cGAS/STING pathway also has a role in tumor surveillance. In response to cellular stress, such as DNA damage, cells will upregulate NKG2D ligands so that they may be recognized and destroyed by Natural Killer (NK) and T cells. In many tumor cells, the DNA damage response is constitutively active, leading to the accumulation of cytoplasmic DNA. This activates the cGAS/STING pathway leading to activation of IRF3.
It was shown in lymphoma cells that the NKG2D ligand, Rae1, was upregulated in a STING/IRF3 dependent manner. Transfection of DNA into these cells also triggered Rae1 expression that was dependent on STING. In this model, the transcription factor IRF3, via cGAS/STING, upregulates stress-induced ligands, such as Rae1, in tumor cells, so as to aid in NK-mediated tumor clearance Role in autoimmune disease Cytoplasmic DNA, due to viral infection, can lead to activation of interferon beta to help clear the infection. However, chronic activation of STING, due to host DNA in the cytosol, can also activate the cGAS/STING pathway, leading to autoimmune disorders.
An example of this occurs in Aicardi–Goutières syndrome (AGS). Mutations in the 3’ repair exonuclease, TREX1, cause endogenous retroelements to accumulate in the cytosol, which can lead to cGAS/STING activation, resulting in IFN production. Excessive IFN production leads to an over-active immune system, resulting in AGS and other immune disorders. In mice, it was found that autoimmune symptoms associated with TREX1 deficiency were relieved by cGAS, STING, or IRF3 knockout, implying the importance of aberrant DNA sensing in autoimmune disorders. Role in cellular senescence It has been shown that the depletion of cGAS and STING in mouse embryonic fibroblasts and in primary human fibroblasts denies senescence and SASP (Senescent Associated Secreted Proteins) establishment.
Therapeutic role DNA has been shown to be a potent adjuvant to boost the immune response to antigens encoded by vaccines. cGAMP, through IRF3 activation of STING, stimulates transcription of interferon. This makes cGAMP a potential vaccine adjuvant capable of boosting inflammatory responses. Studies have shown that vaccines encoded with the chicken antigen, ovalbumin (OVA), in conjunction with cGAMP, were able to activate antigen-specific T and B cells in a STING-dependent manner in vivo. When stimulated with OVA peptide, the T cells from mice vaccinated with OVA + cGAMP were shown to have elevated IFN-g and IL-2 when compared to animals receiving only OVA.
Furthermore, the enhanced stability of cGAMP, due to the unique 2’-5’ phosphodiester bond, may make it a preferred adjuvant to DNA for in vivo applications. References Category:DNA Category:Immune system
The Shadow is a 1994 American superhero film from Universal Pictures, produced by Martin Bregman, Willi Bear, and Michael Scott Bregman, directed by Russell Mulcahy, that stars Alec Baldwin. The film co-stars John Lone, Penelope Ann Miller, Ian McKellen, Jonathan Winters, Peter Boyle, and Tim Curry. It is based on the pulp fiction character of the same name created in 1931 by Walter B. Gibson. The film was released to theaters on July 1, 1994 and received mixed reviews. Critics found the villain, screenplay, and storyline lacking, but praised the film's direction, acting, special effects, visual style, action sequences, and its music score by Jerry Goldsmith.
Plot In Tibet, following the First World War, American Lamont Cranston, succumbing to his dark instincts, sets himself up as a warlord and opium kingpin under the alias of Yin-Ko (said to mean "Dark Eagle" in a Mandarin Chinese dialect). He is abducted by servants of the Tulku, a holy man who exhibits otherworldly powers and knows Cranston's identity. He offers Cranston a chance to redeem himself and become a force for good. Cranston refuses but is silenced by the Phurba, a mystical, sentient, flying, three-edged dagger. Ultimately, Cranston remains a student under the Tulku for seven years. In addition to undergoing rigorous physical training, he learns how to hypnotize others, read their minds, and bend their perceptions so that he cannot be seen, except for his shadow.
Returning to New York City, Cranston resumes his former life as a wealthy playboy, while secretly operating as the Shadow, a vigilante who terrorizes the city's underworld. He recruits some of the people he saves from criminals to act as his agents, providing him with information and specialist knowledge. Cranston's secret identity is endangered upon meeting Margo Lane, a socialite who is also telepathic. Shiwan Khan, the Tulku's rogue protégé and a murderer whose powers apparently surpass Cranston's, wakes up inside the sarcophagus that once held his ancestor, the Mongol Empire founder Genghis Khan, retrieved from his unmarked burial site.
He uses hypnosis to make a security guard shoot himself in the head after the guard refuses to join Khan's army. Khan plans to fulfill his ancestor's goal of world domination. He offers Cranston an alliance, but Cranston refuses. Cranston acquires a rare coin from Khan and learns that it is made of a metal called "bronzium" (an impure form of uranium) that theoretically can generate an atomic explosion. He also learns that Reinhardt, Margo's father, a scientist working on building an atomic device for the Department of War, has disappeared. Cranston deduces that Khan needs Reinhardt and his invention to complete an atomic bomb.
Shiwan Khan hypnotizes Margo and commands her to kill the Shadow. She goes to Cranston's home, but after trying to kill him, Cranston breaks Khan's hypnotic hold on her. Because she was ordered to kill the Shadow and instinctively went to Cranston's home, she now realizes that he is the Shadow. After Reinhardt's assistant Farley Claymore allies with Khan, Cranston prepares to rescue Margo's father but is thwarted by Khan's henchmen. The Shadow finally discovers Khan's location: The luxurious Hotel Monolith, a building in the middle of the city that Khan has rendered forgotten and invisible to everyone. Knowing Reinhardt has completed the bomb under hypnotic control, the Shadow enters the hotel for a final showdown with Khan.
The Shadow fights his way through the building and hypnotically influences Claymore to jump from a balcony to his death after Claymore attempts to kill him. Finding Khan, he is subdued by the Phurba. The Shadow realizes that only a peaceful mind can truly control the mystical dagger, and he finally seizes it. The Shadow launches it into Khan's torso, creating a lapse in Khan's hypnotic control that frees Reinhardt and restores the hotel's public visibility. The Shadow pursues Khan into the bowels of the building, while Margo and Reinhardt disarm the bomb. The Shadow defeats Khan by telekinetically hurling a broken shard of mirror glass into Khan's frontal lobe.
A confused Khan awakes in the padded cell of a mental hospital and discovers that his powers are gone. One of the doctors (also an agent of The Shadow) tells Khan that they were able to save his life by removing a part of his brain "that nobody uses", which in reality controlled Khan's psychic abilities. Soon after, Cranston and Margo begin a serious relationship and join forces to fight the criminal underworld.
Cast Alec Baldwin as Lamont Cranston / The Shadow John Lone as Shiwan Khan, a descendant of Genghis Khan Penelope Ann Miller as Margo Lane Peter Boyle as Moses "Moe" Shrevnitz Ian McKellen as Dr. Reinhardt Lane Tim Curry as Farley Claymore Jonathan Winters as Wainwright Barth Sab Shimono as Dr. Roy Tam Andre Gregory as Burbank James Hong as Li Peng Joseph Maher as Isaac Newboldt Max Wright as Berger Ethan Phillips as Nelson Frank Welker as the voice of Phurba Production Producer Martin Bregman bought the rights to The Shadow in 1982. Screenwriter David Koepp had listened to The Shadow radio show as a child when CBS radio re-ran it on Sunday nights.
He was hired in 1990 to write a new draft and was able to find the right tone that the studio liked. Bregman remembers, "Some of them were light, some of them were darker, and others were supposedly funnier – which they weren't. It just didn’t work." Koepp's script relied predominantly on the pulp novels while taking the overall tone from the radio show with the actual plot originated by Koepp himself in consultation with Bregman. In an attempt to differentiate The Shadow from other superhero films of the time, Koepp "focused on the copy line, 'Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?'
and wondered how [the Shadow] knew what evil lurks in the hearts of men. And I decided that perhaps it was because he was uncomfortably familiar with the evil in his own heart." For Koepp, the film then became "a story of guilt and atonement". He picked Shiwan Khan as the film’s villain because "he was bold and he knew what he was doing – he wanted to conquer the world. That was very simple, maybe a little ambitious, but he knew exactly what he wanted." He had always been a fan of Alec Baldwin and wrote the script with him in mind: "He has the eyes and the voice; he had so much of what I pictured Cranston being."
Koepp also sat in on rehearsals and incorporated a lot of the actor’s humor into the script. The film was shot on the Universal backlot in Hollywood on five soundstages over sixty days with a five-day mini-unit tour of location shooting, and a week lost when an earthquake destroyed the Hall of Mirrors set. Mulcahy said, "There are a lot of FX in this film, but it's not a FX film. It's a character/story-driven film. The FX are part of the story." Soundtrack The film's original score was composed by Jerry Goldsmith. He used his (at the time) signature music style for big orchestra, supported by a prominent percussion section, and musical effects with the help of instruments, especially synthesizers.
Among the leitmotifs of his score are a romantically dark, yet lush heroic melodical main theme for the protagonist, which is accompanied by several secondary themes. For the antagonist, rather than a fully developed theme, Goldsmith used a musical effect in horns and synthesizers imitating a howling sound, a technique that would later echo in his scores for The Edge and The Ghost and the Darkness. Camille Saint-Saëns's 1872 composition "Le Rouet d'Omphale" ("Omphale's Spinning Wheel"), which introduced the radio show, is not used in the film's score. For the album and end credits, Jim Steinman composed the pop-song "Original Sin" performed by Taylor Dayne, originally appearing on the album Original Sin by the group Pandora's Box.
Diane Warren also composed a period-style big-band piece, "Some Kind of Mystery", performed by Sinoa during the film's night club scene. Original album The Arista Records label released a soundtrack album in 1994. The soundtrack featured selections from Goldsmith's score and the songs from the film, "Original Sin" in two different versions. Track listing 'The Shadow Knows', 1994 - Alec Baldwin (0:08) Original Sin (Theme from The Shadow) - Taylor Dayne (6:27) The Poppy Fields (Main Title) (3:16) Some Kind of Mystery (Warren) - Sinoa (3:48) The Sanctum (3:33) Who Are You? (4:02) Chest Pains (3:26) The Knife (3:05) The Hotel (5:53) The Tank (4:08) Frontal Lobotomy (2:28) Original Sin (Theme from The Shadow) Film Mix - Taylor Dayne (5:02) 'Who Knows What Evil Lurks in the Hearts of Men?'
- Orson Welles (from The Shadow Radio Show, 1937) (0:29) Complete score release In 2012, Intrada released a 2-CD package that features the world premiere of the entire soundtrack composed by Jerry Goldsmith and among other bonus tracks also the complete original album cut on the second disc. Track listing CD one The Poppy Fields (3:41) The Clouded Mind (6:43) I'll Be There (3:55) No Shadow (0:33) Secrets (3:08) Don't Open It! (4:15) Do You Believe? (2:24) The Sanctum (3:34) Who Are You?
(4:46) The Code (0:59) The Call (2:36) No Thought (1:19) Chest Pains (3:27) A Mission (2:35) Nice Tie (2:49) The Knife (3:06) What I Know (4:48) The Jumper (1:21) The Tank (4:06) Total Time = 60:09 CD two The Dream (1:59) Get Dr. Lane (1:05) The Hotel (5:55) Fight Like a Man (4:13) The Mirrors (4:58) The Mirrors (Alternate Version) (4:04) Frontal Lobotomy (2:30) Wild Drums (0:19) [Source music] Dinner Source (Dennis Dreith) (1:06) [Source music] Bart's Bounce (Dennis Dreith) (2:06) [Original album] 'The Shadow Knows', 1994 - Alec Baldwin (0:08) [Original album] Original Sin (Theme from The Shadow) - Taylor Dane (6:27) [Original album] The Poppy Fields (Main Title) (3:16) [Original album] Some Kind of Mystery (Warren) - Sinoa (3:48) [Original album] The Sanctum (3:33) [Original album] Who Are You?
(4:02) [Original album] Chest Pains (3:26) [Original album] The Knife (3:05) [Original album] The Hotel (5:53) [Original album] The Tank (4:08) [Original album] Frontal Lobotomy (2:28) [Original album] Original Sin (Theme from The Shadow) Film Mix - Taylor Dane (5:02) [Original album] 'Who Knows What Evil Lurks in the Hearts of Men?' - Orson Welles (from The Shadow Radio Show, 1937) (0:29) Total Time = 74:56 Reception Box office The film was meant to be a summer blockbuster and the starting point for a new film franchise with toy, game, and clothing lines. The film suffered from competition for its target audience with, among others, The Lion King (earlier during its run) and The Mask (later on), and it was ultimately a financial disappointment.
The film started off strongly, debuting at No. 2, but failed to sustain any momentum, and grossed $32 million domestically, with a worldwide total of $48 million against a budget of $40 million. The planned franchise never materialized. Critical response On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 35% based on reviews from 48 critics. The website's consensus states: "Bringing a classic pulp character to the big screen, The Shadow features impressive visual effects, but the story ultimately fails to strike a memorable chord." Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade "B" on scale of A to F. Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a grade "D".
Gleiberman wrote: "The trouble with setting a special-effects fantasy in the low-tech ’20s is that unless the American-kitsch elements are injected with something approaching Steven Spielberg's speedy bravado, we become all too aware that the actors are simply standing around B-movie sets spouting cardboard dialogue." Michael Wilmington of the Chicago Tribune wrote: "The Shadow shows what can happen when you overdress pulp. You wind up with something gorgeous and suffocated, bejeweled trash floundering in its own oversplendid stuffings." Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film 3 out of 4 stars, and wrote: "If you respond to film noir, if you like dark streets and women with scarlet lips and big fast cars with running boards, the look of this movie will work some kind of magic."
Entertainment Weekly placed the film on its "21 Worst Comic-Book Movies Ever" list. The film has developed a cult following in subsequent years, a result of its video success on VHS, DVD, and Blu-ray, much like three other 1990s pulp/comic adaptations, Dick Tracy, The Rocketeer and The Phantom. In other media Novelization James Luceno wrote the novelization which went deeper into the events of the film and included many nods to the Shadow radio show and the original pulp magazines, most significantly alluding to the fact that The Shadow's true identity was Kent Allard and that 'Lamont Cranston' was just another identity he assumed when needed.
Video game A video game version of The Shadow for the Super NES was developed to tie in with the 1994 film, but was never released despite being completed due to the film's disappointing gross. ROM files of the game were later leaked onto the internet. Pinball game Midway (under the Bally label) released a Shadow-themed pinball machine in 1994. Brian Eddy of Attack From Mars and Medieval Madness fame designed the game. It was his first pinball game design, and it was moderately successful. Dan Forden composed original music for the game.
References External links Category:1994 films Category:American films Category:English-language films Category:1990s action films Category:1990s superhero films Category:American mystery films Category:American neo-noir films Category:The Shadow films Category:Films based on radio series Category:Films set in the 1930s Category:Films set in New York City Category:Films directed by Russell Mulcahy Category:Universal Pictures films Category:American vigilante films Category:Films about atonement Category:Films about nuclear war and weapons Category:Films with screenplays by David Koepp Category:Films scored by Jerry Goldsmith Category:Films about telepathy Category:Films featuring hypnosis Category:Fiction about invisibility Category:Films adapted into video games Category:1990s vigilante films
The generalized Hough transform (GHT), introduced by Dana H. Ballard in 1981, is the modification of the Hough transform using the principle of template matching. The Hough transform was initially developed to detect analytically defined shapes (e.g., line, circle, ellipse etc.). In these cases, we have knowledge of the shape and aim to find out its location and orientation in the image. This modification enables the Hough transform to be used to detect an arbitrary object described with its model. The problem of finding the object (described with a model) in an image can be solved by finding the model's position in the image.
With the generalized Hough transform, the problem of finding the model's position is transformed to a problem of finding the transformation's parameter that maps the model into the image. Given the value of the transformation's parameter, the position of the model in the image can be determined. The original implementation of the GHT used edge information to define a mapping from orientation of an edge point to a reference point of the shape. In the case of a binary image where pixels can be either black or white, every black pixel of the image can be a black pixel of the desired pattern thus creating a locus of reference points in the Hough space.
Every pixel of the image votes for its corresponding reference points. The maximum points of the Hough space indicate possible reference points of the pattern in the image. This maximum can be found by scanning the Hough space or by solving a relaxed set of equations, each of them corresponding to a black pixel. History Merlin and Farber showed how to use a Hough algorithm when the desired curves could not be described analytically. It was a precursor to Ballard's algorithm that was restricted to translation and did not account for rotation and scale changes. The Merlin-Farber algorithm is impractical for real image data as in an image with many edge pixels, it finds many false positives due to repetitive pixel arrangements.
Theory of generalized Hough transform To generalize the Hough algorithm to non-analytic curves, Ballard defines the following parameters for a generalized shape: a={y,s,θ} where y is a reference origin for the shape, θ is its orientation, and s = (sx, sy) describes two orthogonal scale factors. An algorithm can compute the best set of parameters for a given shape from edge pixel data. These parameters do not have equal status. The reference origin location, y, is described in terms of a template table called the R table of possible edge pixel orientations. The computation of the additional parameters s and θ is then accomplished by straightforward transformations to this table.
The key generalization to arbitrary shapes is the use of directional information. Given any shape and a fixed reference point on it, instead of a parametric curve, the information provided by the boundary pixels is stored in the form of the R-table in the transform stage. For every edge point on the test image, the properties of the point are looked up on the R-table and reference point is retrieved and the appropriate cell in a matrix called the Accumulator matrix is incremented. The cell with maximum ‘votes’ in the Accumulator matrix can be a possible point of existence of fixed reference of the object in the test image.
Building the R-table Choose a reference point y for the shape (typically chosen inside the shape). For each boundary point x, compute ɸ(x), the gradient direction and r = y – x as shown in the image. Store r as a function of ɸ. Notice that each index of ɸ may have many values of r. One can either store the co-ordinate differences between the fixed reference and the edge point ((xc – xij),( yc - yij)) or as the radial distance and the angle between them (rij , αij) . Having done this for each point, the R-table will fully represent the template object.
Also, since the generation phase is invertible, we may use it to localise object occurrences at other places in the image. Object localization For each edge pixel x in the image, find the gradient ɸ and increment all the corresponding points x+r in the accumulator array A (initialized to a maximum size of the image) where r is a table entry indexed by ɸ, i.e., r(ɸ). These entry points give us each possible position for the reference point. Although some bogus points may be calculated, given that the object exists in the image, a maximum will occur at the reference point.
Maxima in A correspond to possible instances of the shape. Generalization of scale and orientation For a fixed orientation of shape, the accumulator array was two-dimensional in the reference point co-ordinates. To search for shapes of arbitrary orientation θ and scale s, these two parameters are added to the shape description. The accumulator array now consists of four dimensions corresponding to the parameters (y, s, θ). The R-table can also be used to increment this larger dimensional space since different orientations and scales correspond to easily computed transformations of the table. Denote a particular R-table for a shape S by R(ɸ).
Simple transformations to this table will allow it to detect scaled or rotated instances of the same shape. For example, if the shape is scaled by s and this transformation is denoted by Ts. then Ts[R(ɸ)] = sR(ɸ) i.e., all the vectors are scaled by s. Also, if the object is rotated by θ and this transformation is denoted by Tθ, then Tθ[R(ɸ)] = Rot{R[(ɸ-θ)mod2π],θ} i.e., all the indices are incremented by – θ modulo 2π, the appropriate vectors r are found, and then they are rotated by θ. Another property which will be useful in describing the composition of generalized Hough transforms is the change of reference point.
If we want to choose a new reference point ỹ such that y-ỹ = z then the modification to the R-table is given by R(ɸ)+ z, i.e. z is added to each vector in the table. Alternate way using pairs of edges A pair of edge pixels can be used to reduce the parameter space. Using the R-table and the properties as described above, each edge pixel defines a surface in the four-dimensional accumulator space of a = (y, s, θ). Two edge pixels at different orientations describe the same surface rotated by the same amount with respect to θ.
If these two surfaces intersect, points where they intersect will correspond to possible parameters a for the shape. Thus it is theoretically possible to use the two points in image space to reduce the locus in parameter space to a single point. However, the difficulties of finding the intersection points of the two surfaces in parameter space will make this approach unfeasible for most cases. Composite shapes If the shape S has a composite structure consisting of subparts S1, S2, .. SN and the reference points for the shapes S, S1, S2, .. SN are y, y1, y2, .. yn, respectively, then for a scaling factor s and orientation θ, the generalized Hough transform Rs(ɸ) is given by .
The concern with this transform is that the choice of reference can greatly affect the accuracy. To overcome this, Ballard has suggested smoothing the resultant accumulator with a composite smoothing template. The composite smoothing template H(y) is given as a composite convolution of individual smoothing templates of the sub-shapes. . Then the improved Accumulator is given by As = A*H and the maxima in As corresponds to possible instances of the shape. Spatial decomposition Observing that the global Hough transform can be obtained by the summation of local Hough transforms of disjoint sub-region, Heather and Yang proposed a method which involves the recursive subdivision of the image into sub-images, each with their own parameter space, and organized in a quadtree structure.
It results in improved efficiency in finding endpoints of line segments and improved robustness and reliability in extracting lines in noisy situations, at a slightly increased cost of memory. Implementation The implementation uses the following equations: Combining the above equations we have: Constructing the R-table (0) Convert the sample shape image into an edge image using any edge detecting algorithm like Canny edge detector (1) Pick a reference point (e.g., (xc, yc)) (2) Draw a line from the reference point to the boundary (3) Compute ɸ (4) Store the reference point (xc, yc) as a function of ɸ in R(ɸ) table.
Detection: (0) Convert the sample shape image into an edge image using any edge detecting algorithm like Canny edge detector. (1) Initialize the Accumulator table: A[xcmin. . . xcmax][ycmin. . . ycmax] (2) For each edge point (x, y) (2.1) Using the gradient angle ɸ, retrieve from the R-table all the (α, r) values indexed under ɸ. (2.2) For each (α,r), compute the candidate reference points: xc = x + r cos(α) yc = y + r sin(α) (2.3) Increase counters (voting): ++A([[xc]][yc]) (3) Possible locations of the object contour are given by local maxima in A[xc][yc].
If A[xc][yc] > T, then the object contour is located at (xc, yc) General case: Suppose the object has undergone some rotation ϴ and uniform scaling s: (x’, y’) --> (x’’, y’’) x" = (x’cos(ϴ) – y’sin(ϴ))s y" = (x’sin(ϴ) + y’cos(ϴ))s Replacing x’ by x" and y’ by y": xc = x – x" or xc = x - (x’cos(ϴ) – y’sin(ϴ))s yc = y – y" or yc = y - (x’sin(ϴ) + y’cos(ϴ))s (1) Initialize the Accumulator table: A[xcmin. . . xcmax][ycmin. . . ycmax][qmin . . .qmax][smin . . .
smax] (2) For each edge point (x, y) (2.1) Using its gradient angle ɸ, retrieve all the (α, r) values from the R-table (2.2) For each (α, r), compute the candidate reference points: x' = r cos(α) y’ = r sin(α) for(ϴ = ϴmin; ϴ ≤ ϴmax; ϴ++) for(s = smin; s ≤ smax; s++) xc = x - (x’cos(ϴ) – y’sin(ϴ))s yc = y - (x’sin(ϴ) + y’cos(ϴ))s ++(A[xc][yc][ϴ][s]) (3) Possible locations of the object contour are given by local maxima in A[xc][yc][ϴ][s] If A[xc][yc][ϴ][s] > T, then the object contour is located at (xc, yc), has undergone a rotation ϴ, and has been scaled by s. Advantages and disadvantages Advantages It is robust to partial or slightly deformed shapes (i.e., robust to recognition under occlusion).
It is robust to the presence of additional structures in the image. It is tolerant to noise. It can find multiple occurrences of a shape during the same processing pass. Disadvantages It has substantial computational and storage requirements which become acute when object orientation and scale have to be considered. Related work Ballard suggested using orientation information of the edge decreasing the cost of the computation. Many efficient GHT techniques have been suggested such as the SC-GHT (Using slope and curvature as local properties).
Davis and Yam also suggested an extension of Merlin's work for orientation and scale invariant matching which complement's Ballard's work but does not include Ballard's utilization of edge-slope information and composite structures See also Hough transform Randomized Hough transform Radon Transform Template matching Outline of object recognition References External links OpenCV implementation of generalized Hough transform http://docs.opencv.org/master/dc/d46/classcv_1_1GeneralizedHoughBallard.html Tutorial and implementation of generalized Hough transforms http://www.itriacasa.it/generalized-hough-transform/default.html Practical Generalized Hough transform implementation http://www.irit.fr/~Julien.Pinquier/Docs/Hough_transform.html FPGA implementation of generalized Hough transforms, IEEE Digital Library http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/login.jsp?tp=&arnumber=5382047&url=http%3A%2F%2Fieeexplore.ieee.org%2Fxpls%2Fabs_all.jsp%3Farnumber%3D5382047 MATLAB implementation of generalized Hough transform http://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/44166-generalized-hough-transform Category:Image processing
King's Highway 416, commonly referred to as Highway 416 and as the Veterans Memorial Highway, is a 400-series highway in the Canadian province of Ontario that connects the Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 417) in Ottawa with Highway 401 between Brockville and Cornwall. The freeway acts as an important trade corridor from Interstate 81 between New York and Eastern Ontario via Highway 401, as well as the fastest link between Ottawa and Toronto. Highway 416 passes through a largely rural area, except near its northern terminus where it enters the suburbs of Ottawa. The freeway also serves several communities along its length, notably Spencerville and Kemptville.
Highway 416 had two distinct construction phases. Highway 416 "North" was the segment starting from an interchange at Highway 417 and bypassing the original route of Highway 16 into Ottawa (now Prince of Wales Drive) along a new right-of-way. Highway 416 "South" was the twinning of of Highway 16 New—a two-lane expressway constructed throughout the 1970s and finished in 1983 that bypassed the original highway—and the construction of a new interchange with Highway 401. Sections of both opened throughout the late 1990s. Highway 416 was commemorated as the Veterans Memorial Highway on the 54th anniversary of D-Day in 1998. The final link was officially opened by a World War I veteran and local officials on September 23, 1999.
Route description Highway 416 begins at an interchange with Highway 401, branching to the north near the community of Johnstown in the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville. This interchange only provides access to and from the west of Highway 401, but immediately north of it, a second interchange with the remaining section of Highway 16 provides access from Johnstown and to a parclo interchange with both directions of Highway 401, as well as to the Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge crossing to Ogdensburg, New York. Proceeding north, the two carriageways of the freeway are separated by a forested median. The route is surrounded by thick forests for the next .
As it passes beneath Leeds and Grenville County Road 44, the original routing of Highway 16 (the Prescott Highway) south of Spencerville, it exits the forest and enters farm fields. The route travels to the east of the community, access to which is provided by an interchange at County Road 21, and crosses a swamp and the South Nation River. Highway 416 crosses under the Prescott Highway a second time; to the north, the two remain roughly parallel but separated as they pass through a mix of farmland and forest. South of the community of Kemptville, the Prescott Highway crosses the route a third time, with an interchange connecting the two highways.
The freeway curves to the northeast, bypassing Kemptville and featuring an interchange with County Road 43 (formerly Highway 43). It crosses the line of the old Bytown and Prescott Railway, then curves to the northwest, providing an interchange with River Road. At the southeast corner of the River Road interchange is the Veterans Commemorative Park, dedicated in 2000 by the Royal Canadian Legion. It crosses the Rideau River and enters the City of Ottawa. Aside from the first couple of kilometres north of the Rideau River, the majority of the freeway cuts through swaths of farmland which fill the Ottawa Valley.
The median also becomes narrower. The freeway encounters an interchange with Dilworth Road and thereafter with Roger Stevens Drive, the latter providing access to North Gower. Continuing north of Manotick through fields, Highway 416 is crossed by the Prescott Highway for the fourth and final time as that road turns northeast and travels into downtown Ottawa as Prince of Wales Drive. Shortly thereafter is an interchange with Brophy Drive / Bankfield Road; the latter provides access to the Prescott Highway / Prince of Wales Drive. Approaching urban Ottawa, the route passes alongside a large quarry, then jogs to the west along an S-curve, crossing the Jock River in the process.
After this, an interchange with Fallowfield Road provides access to the suburb of Barrhaven which occupies portions of the land immediately east of the freeway. The route jogs back to the east along a second S-curve and passes through an aesthetically designed bridge while traveling alongside the Stony Swamp. The final section of Highway 416 travels parallel to Cedarview Road, which was relocated for the freeway. The Stony Swamp lies west of the route while farmland lies to the east. At the northern end of the swamp is an interchange with West Hunt Club Road. The freeway continues through a section of greenspace before descending gently into a trench.
It passes beneath Bruin Road and the Ottawa Central Railway while traveling alongside Lynwood Village in Bells Corners. The highway is crossed by Baseline Road and Richmond Road; the former provides an onramp to southbound Highway 416. The freeway ends at a large interchange with the Trans-Canada Highway, Highway 417 (Exit 131), just south of the Lakeview and Bayshore communities on the Ottawa River; downtown Ottawa is to the east and Kanata is to the west. Design features The Stony Swamp overpass at the southern entrance to Ottawa is a pre-tensioned concrete arch; the design, which allows the structure to cross the entire right of way with a single span, won the 1996 Award of Excellence from the Portland Cement Association.
The bridge acts as a gateway to the National Capital Region and is the longest rigid frame bridge in Ontario with a span. In the same vicinity, the freeway sinks below ground level in a trench; groundwater-retaining walls were installed to prevent the lowering of the water table in adjacent wetlands, therefore mitigating damage to them. At the Jock River, southwest of Barrhaven, deposits of sensitive leda clay presented a challenge in designing the crossing for the freeway as well as the Canadian National Railway overpass to the north. It was feared that the weight of these structures could destabilize the clay deposits beneath and lead to landslides.
In place of the standard heavier aggregate, lighter blast furnace slag, at half the weight, was substituted. Sloped rock cuts line the side of the freeway in numerous locations. With the intent of reducing the severity of collisions against those cuts, the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO) tested out numerous alternatives to strike a cost-to-benefit balance. The standard slope used by the MTO is vertical, offset from the edge of the pavement by . The study concluded that although an initially higher investment would be required, the 2:1 sloped cut with grass overlaid produced the best results. History Highway 16 New In 1966, the Department of Highways (DHO), predecessor to today's MTO, published the Eastern Ontario Highway Planning Study, identifying the need for a controlled-access highway between Ottawa and Highway 401.
Highway 16, which passes over the geologically subdued St. Lawrence Lowlands, was selected over Highway 15, which crosses the undulating Canadian Shield to the west, as the ideal route for the new link. Highway 16 was one of the first roads taken over by the expanding Department of Public Highways in 1918. The important corridor between the Trans-provincial Highway (Highway 2) and Ottawa was known as the Prescott Highway. In 1925, the road was given a numerical designation to supplement the name. This highway served the low traffic volumes of the day, but as the number of vehicles increased over the first half of the 20th century, issues arose with the numerous private driveways along the route.
To overcome this issue of abutting properties long-established on the old Highway 16 corridor, the DHO began purchasing a new right-of-way between Highway 401 and Century Road by late 1967 for a two-lane bypass of the original alignment, avoiding all the built-up areas that the original Highway 16 encountered. This route was designed to easily accommodate the eventual upgrade to a freeway when traffic volumes necessitated. Construction of the super two, dubbed Highway 16 New, took place between 1969 and 1983. The Spencerville Bypass opened by 1971, connecting with the old highway in the south near Crowder Road and in the north near Ventnor Road.
By the end of 1973, the new highway was completed from immediately north of Highway 401 through Leeds and Grenville United Counties and into Ottawa–Carleton. This included a bypass around Kemptville and a new structure over the Rideau River. The new highway ended at Dilworth Road (Regional Road 13). For nearly a decade, no new construction took place. Then, during the summer of 1982, the MTO awarded a contract to construct the route north from Dilworth Road towards Manotick, bypassing North Gower and extending the route as far north as Roger Stevens Drive (Regional Road 6), including a structure over Stevens Creek.
Following completion of this first contract, a second contract was awarded for the remaining distance north to Century Road (Regional Road 8). The project was completed in 1983, merging into the original route of Highway 16 northeast of the present Prince of Wales Drive overpass. With the completion of Highway 16 New, the MTO needed only to construct interchanges and the southbound lanes in order to create a full freeway corridor. The upgrade to Highway 416 took place between 1989 and 1999 and was carried out through two separate projects: Highway 416 North was a freeway on a new alignment through Ottawa and an interchange at Highway 417, and Highway 416 South was the twinning of of Highway 16 New and an interchange at Highway 401.
Change of plans The original plans for Highway 416, conceived during the late 1960s, had it enter Ottawa along the Merivale Corridor to merge with the Queensway approximately east of the present interchange. However, when it came time to construct this section, public attitudes had shifted and environmental concerns had come to the forefront of everyday life; new roads were now subject to intense public scrutiny. Suburbs grew along Merivale Road, prompting the Region of Ottawa–Carleton to request the MTO decommission the right-of-way along the road in 1977, which it did. The passing of the Environmental Assessment Act in 1975, however, meant that new projects were subject to a lengthy investigation of social and environmental concerns.
In 1981, the MTO began an environmental assessment into a new alignment for the northern connection with the Queensway. It was approved in mid-1987, with Cedarview Drive chosen as the ideal alignment for the new freeway. The MTO set out to design a four-lane route to connect the Queensway with Highway 16 New, including a three-level free-flow interchange. A contract for construction of this interchange was awarded in late 1989 and construction began in 1990. During the 1991 construction season, contracts were awarded to construct several overpasses along the new route. This contract was completed in 1993, after which budgetary restraints prevented the awarding of further contracts.
As a result, aside from the interchange at Highway 417 and some overpasses, construction activity on Highway 416 came to a standstill for two years. It was during this period that the MTO undertook an engineering review of the entire route in search of cost inefficiencies. Highways 416 and 407 were constructed during a recession in the mid-1990s. Highway 407 became a tolled highway and for a time it was mentioned in legislative debates that Highway 416 would also be tolled, but ultimately this never happened. Instead, a hiatus in construction allowed engineers to evaluate inefficiencies in bridge and cross-section designs, as well as sensitive clay soils near Ottawa.
This initiative led to a cost savings of over C$7 million and several of the unique design features located along the length of the freeway. Twinning and completion Work resumed on Highway 416 North following the review. It was opened from Century Road to Hunt Club Road on July 16, 1996, and completed on July 31, 1997, with the opening of the interchange with Highway 417. The cost of this section was C$196 million. On December 8, 1995, in North Gower, the provincial and federal governments announced a financing deal to ensure Highway 416 South was completed by 2000. This section of the route was constructed through a process known as twinning in which a second carriageway is built parallel to an existing road.
In addition, existing intersections were rebuilt as grade-separated interchanges. With the right-of-way along Highway 16 New already purchased, construction was able to proceed without disruption to local properties or traffic. The project was constructed through five contracts. The first was awarded to Tarmac Canada on June 10, 1996, calling for twinning of from Century Road south to Roger Stevens Drive. Another contract was awarded one month later to Bot Construction, on August 19. This contract involved the section from Roger Stevens Drive south to what was then Highway 43, a distance of . On June 12, 1997, the first section opened, connecting with the Ottawa Bypass at Century Road.
On July 10, the third contract was awarded to Armbro Construction to construct the section from Highway 43 south to Grenville County Road 20 (Oxford Station Road). Another contract followed on October 21 for the south to Grenville County Road 20 (Shanly Road) which was awarded to Bot Construction. The fifth and final contract was awarded to Armbro Construction on April 8, 1998, calling for the construction of the southern and the two flyover ramps at Highway 401. The section between Roger Stevens Drive and what had now become Leeds and Grenville County Road 43, including a second crossing of the Rideau River, opened to traffic on June 26, 1998.
This was followed two months later by the section between Highway 43 and Oxford Station Road, which opened on August 24. On the fifty-fourth anniversary of D-Day, June 6, 1998, then Transportation Minister Tony Clement unveiled two signs in Ottawa and formally declared the entire length of Highway 416 as the Veterans Memorial Highway, despite earlier reluctance from previous minister Al Palladini. Six additional signs were also installed along the length of the route. At the time, the Veterans Memorial Parkway in London already existed. Since then, two additional veterans highways have been named: on October 20, 2002, the Veterans Highway was designated in Halton Region along Regional Road 25; on September 23, 2010, the Niagara Veterans Memorial Highway was designated in Niagara Falls along Regional Road 420.
A ceremony was held in Johnstown on September 23, 1999 to open the final section of Highway 416 that would complete the link from Highway 401 to Highway 417. Premier Mike Harris, Transportation Minister David Turnbull and World War I Veteran James W. Fraser officially opened the highway. On December 14, 2009, there was a 60–70 vehicle pileup due to fog and icy conditions, forcing the closure of the highway in both directions. Exit list See also Southern Ontario Transportation References Notes External links Highway 416 at AsphaltPlanet Video of the entire northbound Highway 416 16 Category:Monuments and memorials in Ontario
The Sixth Sense is a 1999 American supernatural psychological thriller film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. The film tells the story of Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment), a boy who is able to see and talk to the dead, and Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis), a child psychologist who tries to help him. The film established Shyamalan as a writer and director, and introduced the cinema public to his traits, most notably his affinity for surprise endings. Released by Hollywood Pictures on August 6, 1999, the film was well-received by critics; praise was given to its acting performances (particularly Willis, Osment, and Toni Collette), atmosphere, and twist conclusion.
The Sixth Sense was the second-highest-grossing film of 1999 (behind Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace), taking about $293 million in the US and $379 million in other markets. The film was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay for Shyamalan, Best Supporting Actor for Osment, and Best Supporting Actress for Collette. Plot Malcolm Crowe, a child psychologist in Philadelphia, returns home one night with his wife Anna after having been honored for his work. A young man appears in their bathroom and accuses Malcolm of failing him. Malcolm recognizes him as Vincent Grey, a former patient he treated as a child for hallucinations, but before he can talk Vincent down, Vincent shoots him and then himself.
The next fall, Malcolm begins working with Cole Sear, a young boy. Malcolm feels he must help him in order to rectify his failure and reconcile with his wife, who has become distant and cold. Cole's mother Lynn worries about his social skills, especially after seeing signs of physical harm. Cole eventually confides his secret to Malcolm: he sees ghosts walking around like the living, unaware that they are dead. Initially, Malcolm thinks Cole is delusional and considers dropping his case. After listening to an audiotape from a session with Vincent, Malcolm hears a weeping man begging for help in Spanish and believes that Cole is telling the truth.
He suggests that Cole try to find a purpose for his gift by communicating with the ghosts and helping them finish their business. Cole is unwilling at first, then finally agrees to try to help. Cole awakens one night to discover a ghost girl vomiting. After finding out who she is, Cole goes with Malcolm to the funeral reception at her home. Cole is directed to a box holding a videotape, which he gives to the ghost girl's father. The tape shows the girl's mother poisoning her daughter's food. By doing this, Cole has saved the girl's younger sister from the same fate.
Learning to live with the ghosts he sees, Cole begins to fit in at school and is cast as the lead in the school play. Before departing, Cole suggests that Malcolm should try speaking to Anna while she is asleep. Stuck in traffic, Cole tells his mother his secret, and says that someone died in an accident down the road. When Lynn does not believe him, Cole tells her his grandmother visits him and describes how she saw Lynn in a dance performance when she was a child, giving details he could not have known. Malcolm returns home to find his wife asleep and their wedding video playing.