Eating less--while maintaining adequate nutrition--is a recipe for longer life in many animals. Might it help humans as well?
In 1935 scientists at Cornell University made an extraordinary discovery. By placing rats on a very low calorie diet, Clive M. McCay and his colleagues extended the outer limit of the animals' life span by 33 percent, from three years to four. They subsequently found that rats on low-calorie diets stayed youthful longer and suffered fewer late-life diseases than did their normally fed counterparts.Since the 1930s, calorie restriction has been the only intervention shown convincingly to slow aging in rodents (which are mammals, like us) and in creatures ranging from single-celled protozoans to roundworms, fruit flies and fish.
Naturally, the great power of the method raises the question of whether it can extend survival and good health in people. That issue is very much open, but the fact that the approach works in an array of organisms suggests the answer could well be yes. Some intriguing clues from monkeys and humans support the idea, too.
Of course, even if calorie austerity turns out to be a fountain of youth for humans, it might never catch on. After all, our track record for adhering to severe diets is poor. But scientists may one day develop drugs that will safely control our appetite over the long term or will mimic the beneficial influences of calorie control on the bodys tissues. This last approach could enable people to consume fairly regular diets while still reaping the healthful effects of limiting their food intake. Many laboratories, including mine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, are working to understand the cellular and molecular basis of how calorie restriction retards aging in animals. Our efforts may yield useful alternatives to strict dieting, although at the moment most of us are focused primarily on understanding the aging process (or processes) itself.
RESEARCH into calorie restriction has uncovered an astonishing range of benefits in animals--provided that the nutrient needs of the dieters are guarded carefully. In most studies the test animals, usually mice or rats, consume 30 to 50 percent fewer calories than are ingested by control subjects, and they weigh 30 to 50 percent less as well. At the same time, they receive enough protein, fat, vitamins and minerals to maintain efficient operation of their tissues. In other words, the animals follow an exaggerated form of a prudent diet, in which they consume minimal calories without becoming malnourished.
If the nutrient needs of the animals are protected, calorie restriction will consistently increase not only the average life span of a population but also the maximum life span--that is, the lifetime of the longest-surviving members of the group. This last outcome means that calorie restriction tinkers with some basic aging process. Anything that forestalls premature death, such as is caused by a preventable or treatable disease or by an accident, will increase the average life span of a population. But one must truly slow the rate of aging in order for the hardiest individuals to surpass the existing maximum.
Beyond altering survival, low-calorie diets in rodents have postponed most major diseases that are common late in life [see box on page 57], including cancers of the breast, prostate, immune system and gastrointestinal tract. Moreover, of the 300 or so measures of aging that have been studied, some 90 percent stay "younger" longer in calorie-restricted rodents than in well-fed ones. For example, certain immune responses decrease in normal mice at one year of age (middle age) but do not decline in slimmer but genetically identical mice until age two. Similarly, as rodents grow older they generally clear glucose, a simple sugar, from their blood less efficiently than they did in youth (a change that can progress to diabetes); they also synthesize needed proteins more slowly, undergo increased cross-linking (and thus stiffening) of long-lived proteins in tissues, lose muscle mass and learn less rapidly. In calorie-restricted animals, all these changes are delayed.
Not surprisingly, investigators have wondered whether calorie (energy) restriction per se is responsible for the advantages reaped from low-calorie diets or whether limiting fat or some other component of the diet accounts for the success. It turns out the first possibility is correct. Restriction of fat, protein or carbohydrate without calorie reduction does not increase the maximum life span of rodents. Supplementation alone with multivitamins or high doses of antioxidants does not work, and neither does variation in the type of dietary fat, carbohydrate or protein.
The studies also suggest, hearteningly, that calorie restriction can be useful even if it is not started until middle age. Indeed, the most exciting discovery of my career has been that calorie restriction initiated in mice at early middle age can extend the maximum life span by 10 to 20 percent and can oppose the development of cancer. Further, although limiting the calorie intake to about half of that consumed by free-feeding animals increases the maximum life span the most, less severe restriction, whether begun early in life or later, also provides some benefit.
Naturally, scientists would be more confident that diet restriction could routinely postpone aging in men and women if the results in rodents could be confirmed in studies of monkeys (which more closely resemble people) or in members of our own species. To be most informative, such investigations would have to follow subjects for many years--an expensive and logistically difficult undertaking. Nevertheless, two major trials of monkeys are in progress.
IT IS TOO EARLY to tell whether low-calorie diets will prolong life or youthfulness in the monkeys over time. The projects have, however, been able to measure the effects of calorie restriction on so-called biomarkers of aging: attributes that generally change with age and may help predict the future span of health or life. For example, as primates grow older, their blood pressure and their blood levels of both insulin and glucose rise; at the same time, insulin sensitivity (the ability of cells to take up glucose in response to signals from insulin) declines. Postponement of these changes would imply that the experimental diet was probably slowing at least some aspects of aging.
One of the monkey studies, led by George S. Roth of the National Institute on Aging, began in 1987. It is examining rhesus monkeys, which typically live to about 27 years and sometimes reach 40 years, and squirrel monkeys, which rarely survive beyond 20 years. Some animals began diet restriction in youth (at one to two years), others after reaching puberty. The second project, involving only rhesus monkeys, was initiated in 1989 by William B. Ershler, Joseph W. Kemnitz and Ellen B. Roecker of the University of WisconsinMadison; I joined the team a year later. Our monkeys began calorie restriction as young adults, at eight to 14 years old. Both studies enforce a level of calorie restriction that is about 30 percent below the intake of normally fed control subjects.
So far the preliminary results are encouraging. The dieting animals in both projects seem healthy and happy, albeit eager for their meals, and their bodies seem to be responding to the regimen much as those of rodents do. Blood pressure and glucose levels are lower than in control animals, and insulin sensitivity is greater. The levels of insulin in the blood are lower as well.
No one has yet performed carefully controlled studies of long-term calorie restriction in average-weight humans over time. And data from populations forced by poverty to live on relatively few calories are uninformative, because such groups generally cannot attain adequate amounts of essential nutrients. Still, some human studies offer indirect evidence that calorie restriction could be of value. Consider the people of Okinawa, many of whom consume diets that are low in calories but provide needed nutrients. The incidence of centenarians there is high--up to 40 times greater than that of any other Japanese island. In addition, epidemiological surveys in the U.S. and elsewhere indicate that certain cancers, notably those of the breast, colon and stomach, occur less frequently in people reporting low calorie intakes.
Intriguing results were also obtained after eight people living in a self-contained environment--Biosphere 2, near Tucson, Ariz.--were forced to curtail their food intake sharply for two years because of poorer than expected yields from their food-producing efforts. The scientific merits of the overall project have been questioned, but those of us interested in the effects of low-calorie diets were fortunate that the late Roy L. Walford of the University of California, Los Angeles, who was an expert on calorie restriction and aging (and was my scientific mentor), was the teams physician. Walford helped his colleagues avoid malnutrition and monitored various aspects of the groups physiology. His analyses reveal that calorie restriction led to lowered blood pressure and glucose levels--just as it does in rodents and monkeys. Total serum cholesterol declined as well.
The results in monkeys and humans may be preliminary, but the rodent data show unequivocally that calorie restriction can exert a variety of beneficial effects. This variety raises something of a problem for researchers: Which of the many documented changes (if any) contributes most to increased longevity and youthfulness? Scientists have not yet reached a consensus, but they have ruled out a few once viable proposals. For instance, it is known that a low intake of energy retards growth and also shrinks the amount of fat in the body. Both these effects were once prime contenders as the main changes that lead to longevity but have now been discounted.
Several other hypotheses remain under consideration, however, and all of them have at least some experimental support. One such hypothesis holds that calorie restriction slows the rate of cell division in many tissues. Because the uncontrolled proliferation of cells is a hallmark of cancer, that change could potentially explain why the incidence of several late-life cancers is reduced in animals fed low-calorie diets. Another proposal is based on the finding that calorie restriction tends to lower glucose levels. Less glucose circulating in the blood would slow the accumulation of sugar on long-lived proteins and would thus moderate the disruptive effects of this buildup.
THE VIEW that has so far garnered the most convincing support, though, holds that calorie restriction extends survival and vitality primarily by limiting injury of mitochondria by free radicals. Mitochondria are the tiny intracellular structures that serve as the power plants of cells. Free radicals are highly reactive molecules (usually derived from oxygen) that carry an unpaired electron at their surface. Molecules in this state are prone to destructively oxidizing, or snatching electrons from, any compound they encounter. Free radicals have been suspected of contributing to aging since the 1950s, when Denham Harman of the University of Nebraska Medical School suggested that their generation in the course of normal metabolism gradually disrupts cells. But it was not until the 1980s that scientists began to realize that mitochondria were probably the targets hit hardest.
The mitochondrial free-radical hypothesis of aging derives in part from an understanding of how mitochondria produce ATP (adenosine triphosphate)--the molecule that provides the energy for most cellular processes, such as pumping ions across cell membranes, contracting muscle fibers and constructing proteins. ATP synthesis occurs by a very complicated sequence of reactions, but essentially it involves activity by a series of molecular complexes embedded in an internal membrane--the inner membrane--of mitochondria. With help from oxygen, the complexes extract energy from nutrients and use that energy to manufacture ATP.
Unfortunately, the mitochondrial machinery that draws energy from nutrients also produces free radicals as a by-product. Indeed, mitochondria are thought to be responsible for creating most of the free radicals in cells. One such by-product is the superoxide radical (O2.–). (The dot in the formula represents the unpaired electron.) This renegade is destructive in its own right but can also be converted into hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), which technically is not a free radical but can readily form the extremely aggressive hydroxyl free radical (OH.–).
Once formed, free radicals can damage proteins, lipids (fats) and DNA anywhere in the cell. But the components of mitochondria--including the ATP-synthesizing machinery and the mitochondrial DNA that gives rise to some of that machinery--are believed to be most vulnerable. Presumably they are at risk in part because they reside at or near the "ground zero" site of free-radical generation and so are constantly bombarded by the oxidizing agents. Moreover, mitochondrial DNA lacks the protein shield that helps to protect nuclear DNA from destructive agents. Consistent with this view is that mitochondrial DNA suffers much more oxidative damage than does nuclear DNA drawn from the same tissue.
Proponents of the mitochondrial free-radical hypothesis of aging suggest that damage to mitochondria by free radicals eventually interferes with the efficiency of ATP production and increases the output of free radicals. The rise in free radicals, in turn, accelerates the oxidative injury of mitochondrial components, which inhibits ATP production even more. At the same time, free radicals attack cellular components outside the mitochondria, further impairing cell functioning. As cells become less efficient, so do the tissues and organs they compose, and the body itself becomes less able to cope with challenges to its stability. The body does try to counteract the noxious effects of the oxidizing agents. Cells possess antioxidant enzymes that detoxify free radicals, and they make other enzymes that repair oxidative damage. Neither of these systems is 100 percent effective, though, and so such injury is likely to accumulate over time.
THE PROPOSAL that aging stems to a great extent from free-radical-induced damage to mitochondria and other cellular components has been buttressed by a number of findings. In one striking example, Rajindar S. Sohal of the University of Southern California, William C. Orr of Southern Methodist University and their colleagues investigated rodents and several other organisms, including fruit flies, houseflies, pigs and cows. They noted increases with age in free-radical generation by mitochondria and in oxidative changes to the inner mitochondrial membrane (where ATP is synthesized) and to mitochondrial proteins and DNA. They also observed that greater rates of free-radical production correlate with shortened average and maximum life spans in several of the species.
It turns out, too, that ATP manufacture decreases with age in the brain, heart and skeletal muscle, as would be expected if mitochondrial proteins and DNA in those tissues were irreparably impaired by free radicals. Similar decreases also occur in human tissues and may help explain why degenerative diseases of the nervous system and heart are common late in life and why muscles lose mass and weaken.
Some of the strongest support for the proposition that calorie restriction retards aging by slowing oxidative injury of mitochondria comes from Sohals group. When the workers looked at mitochondria harvested from the brain, heart and kidney of mice, they discovered that the levels of the superoxide radical and of hydrogen peroxide were markedly lower in animals subjected to long-term calorie restriction than in normally fed controls. In addition, a significant increase of free-radical production with age seen in the control groups was blunted by calorie restriction in the experimental group. This blunted increase was, moreover, accompanied by lessened amounts of oxidative insult to mitochondrial proteins and DNA. Other work indicates that calorie restriction helps to prevent age-related changes in the activities of some antioxidant enzymes--although many investigators, including me, suspect that strict dieting ameliorates oxidative damage mainly through slowing free-radical production.
BY WHAT MECHANISM might calorie restriction reduce the generation of free radicals? No one yet knows. One proposal holds that a lowered intake of calories may somehow lead to slower consumption of oxygen by mitochondria--either overall or in selected cell types. Alternatively, low-calorie diets may increase the efficiency with which mitochondria use oxygen, so that fewer free radicals are made per unit of oxygen consumed. Less use of oxygen or more efficient use would presumably result in the formation of fewer free radicals. Studies also intimate that calorie control may minimize free-radical generation in mitochondria by reducing levels of a circulating thyroid hormone known as triiodothyronine, or T3, through unknown mechanisms.
Until research into primates has progressed further, few scientists would be prepared to recommend that large numbers of people embark on a severe calorie-restriction regimen. Nevertheless, the accumulated findings do offer some concrete lessons for those who wonder how such programs might be implemented in humans.
One implication is that sharp curtailment of food intake would probably be detrimental to children, considering that it retards growth in young rodents. Also, because children cannot tolerate starvation as well as adults can, they would presumably be more susceptible to any as yet unrecognized negative effects of a low-calorie diet (even though calorie restriction is not equivalent to starvation). An onset at about 20 years of age in humans should avoid such drawbacks and would probably provide the greatest extension of life.
The speed with which calories are reduced needs to be considered, too. Early researchers were unable to prolong survival of rats when diet control was instituted in adulthood. I suspect the failure arose because the animals were put on the regimen too suddenly or were given too few calories, or both. Working with year-old mice, my colleagues and I have found that a gradual tapering of calories to about 65 percent of normal did increase survival.
How might one determine the appropriate calorie intake for a human being? Extrapolating from rodents is difficult, but some findings imply that many people would do best by consuming an amount that enabled them to weigh 10 to 25 percent less than their personal set point. The set point is essentially the weight the body is "programmed" to maintain, if one does not eat in response to external cues, such as television commercials. The problem with this guideline is that determining an individuals set point is tricky. Instead of trying to identify their set point, dieters (with assistance from their health advisers) might engage in some trial and error to find the calorie level that reduces the blood glucose or cholesterol level, or some other measures of health, by a predetermined amount.
The research in animals further implies that a reasonable calorie-restriction regimen for humans might involve a daily intake of roughly one gram (0.04 ounce) of protein and no more than about half a gram of fat for each kilogram (2.2 pounds) of current body weight. The diet would also include enough complex carbohydrate (the long chains of sugars abundant in fruits and vegetables) to reach the desired level of calories. To attain the standard recommended daily allowances for all essential nutrients, an individual would have to select foods with extreme care and probably take vitamins or other supplements.
Anyone who contemplated following a calorie-restriction regimen would also have to consider potential disadvantages beyond hunger pangs and would certainly want to undertake the program with the guidance of a physician. Depending on the severity of the diet, the weight loss that inevitably results might impede fertility in females. Also, a prolonged anovulatory state, if accompanied by a diminution of estrogen production, might increase the risk of osteoporosis (bone loss) and loss of muscle mass later in life. It is also possible that calorie restriction would compromise a persons ability to withstand stress, such as injury, infection or exposure to extreme temperatures. Oddly enough, stress resistance has been little studied in rodents on low-calorie diets, and so they have little to teach about this issue.
It may take another 10 or 20 years before scientists have a firm idea of whether calorie restriction can be as beneficial for humans as it clearly is for rats, mice and a variety of other creatures. Meanwhile investigators studying this intervention are sure to learn much about the nature of aging and to gain ideas about how to slow it--whether through calorie restriction, through drugs that reproduce the effects of dieting or by methods awaiting discovery.
SINCE PUBLICATION of this article a decade ago, the calorie-restriction (CR) field has become "hot," with great progress made on several fronts. One striking example is the use of short-lived "model organisms," such as yeasts, flies and worms, to rapidly obtain mechanistic insights into CRs effect on life span. The ease of genetic manipulation of these models has enabled the identification of key pathways and regulators of the response to CR. It is not surprising that most of these pathways involve aspects of energy metabolism. The core feature of CR is, after all, energy intake restriction.
New technology has also fueled rapid advances in the understanding of CR. The human genome comprises some 30,000 genes. Before 1998 one could evaluate the activity of only one gene at a time, by measuring the level of the messenger RNA molecule that it encodes. With the development of microarray technology, in a single experiment one can now evaluate the activities of thousands of genes. My colleagues and I were the first to implement the use of this technology in the context of aging and CR, by providing a global view of the activities of more than 6,000 genes in mouse muscle. Subsequently, this approach has been widely used in aging research.
The ultimate goal of the field is to understand the potential of CR in humans. Along the way, we hope to determine whether CR can slow the aging process in nonhuman primates, including species that share much of their genetic makeup with us. We have been comparing the effects of CR and a control diet on rhesus monkeys since 1989 and 1994 (two sets of studies were begun, with animals that were between eight and 14 years old at the outset). The monkeys on CR display signs of improved health and an emerging survival advantage compared with their age-matched controls. But the rhesus monkeys at our primate center have an average life span of about 27 years and a maximum life span of about 40 years, so it may be another 25 years before we obtain full survival data.
Progress has also been made on understanding the effects of long-term CR in humans. Direct evidence comes from studies of long-term practitioners of CR who display markedly improved risk-factor profiles for cardiovascular disease, including reductions in circulating insulin and glucose levels. These individuals also display fewer signs of deterioration in diastolic heart function. Additional progress in human CR is expected; the National Institute on Aging has funded three sites to conduct long-term CR investigations in humans.
The impressive accrual of knowledge on multiple aspects of CR can be expected to continue, and its pace to hasten, as increasing numbers of investigators focus on this fascinating intervention. The mechanistic understanding of calorie restriction will increase the likelihood of the development of drugs or nutrients that mimic the effects of CR in people consuming a normal diet. And if researchers can find a safe way to curb appetite, widespread practice of CR may become possible. Either way, calorie restriction appears well situated to contribute to aging retardation in humans.
RICHARD WEINDRUCH, who earned his Ph.D. in experimental pathology at the University of California, Los Angeles, is professor of medicine at the University of WisconsinMadison and a researcher at the Veterans Administration Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center in Madison. He has devoted his career to the study of calorie restriction and its effects on the body and practices mild restriction himself. He has not, however, attempted to put his family, his dog or his two cats on the regimen.


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Intel NUC (Next Unit of Computing) Kit D54250WYK Review
By John R. Delaney
Tiny form factor.
HDMI and DisplayPort outputs.
Haswell technology.
Price does not include storage or RAM.
Limited expandability.
Sluggish graphics performance.
Intel's newest NUC (Next Unit of Computing) Kit D54250WYK improves on the original version by offering more connectivity features and the latest processor technology. You'll still have to supply many of your own components though.
When we reviewed the first iteration of Intel's NUC (Next Unit of Computing) do-it-yourself kit($223.99 at Amazon) late last year we were impressed with its diminutive size and Core i3 processing power but bemoaned the lack of USB 3.0 technology and the additional costs associated with making it a workable PC. The new NUC D54250WYK ($360 street) is still tiny, and you still have to put it together yourself, but this time around Intel has made some much needed improvements by adding support for USB 3.0 and including a DisplayPort video output and a Gigabit Ethernet port. Moreover, this NUC($299.99 at Amazon) is fueled by a Haswell Core i5 CPU and Intel's HD Graphics 5000, making it a powerful home theater box for consumers and an ideal digital signage solution for businesses.
For around $360 the NUC D54250WYK kit gets you the system board with a soldered-on Core i5-4250U CPU that has a standard clock speed of 1.3GHz and a turbo clock speed of up to 2.6GHz. You also get a power adapter, a VESA mounting plate, an integration guide that shows you how to install components, and a Wi-Fi antenna, which is built into the NUC chassis (also included). As with the earlier version, you'll have to pony up a few hundred dollars more for RAM, a solid state drive, and a Wi-Fi adapter. You'll also have to supply your own operating system, keyboard, and mouse.
The new NUC is the same size as its predecessor. It measures 4.4 by 4.6 by 1.4 inches and weighs in at around 17 ounces. The year's model has brushed aluminum sides, a matte black bottom, and a glossy black top that holds the power button and an activity light. On the front side panel are two USB 3.0 ports, a headphone jack, and an infra-red sensor which will come in handy if you decide to incorporate the NUC into your home entertainment system. On the back side panel are two more USB 3.0 ports, mini-HDMI and mini-DisplayPort video outputs, a gigabit LAN port, and the power jack. There are also two cooling vents back there. A cable lock slot is located on the right side. The VESA-compliant mounting plate allows you to attach the NUC to the back of a VESA-compliant monitor, freeing up even more desktop real estate.
Loosening the four screws on the bottom releases the base and gives you access to the interior where you'll find Intel's D54250WYB system board. It contains a soldered Core i5-4250U CPU and Intel's integrated HD Graphics 5000 circuitry. There are two empty SO-DIMM sockets that will accept up to 16GBs of RAM and two PCIe mini-card connectors (one full length, one half length). Intel sent along two 4GB memory modules, a Wi-Fi adapter, and a 180GB solid state drive to help with this review, but none of these items are included in the $360 price. The SSD will run you about $199 and the Wi-Fi adapter goes for around $30. The 8GB of RAM adds another $85 or so, which means you'll have to come up with another $315 to build out the NUC. You'll also have to factor in the cost of a keyboard, mouse, and operating system.
Polywell B8500
Zotac ZBox Nano XS AD13 Plus
On the plus side, this NUC comes with a power brick (last year's version did not). Also under the hood are SATA power and data connectors for use with an external drive (there's no room inside for one) and two USB 2.0 headers.
Assembly and Performance
As with the first NUC, there's not much to assemble with the D54250WYK. Once the base is removed you can install the memory modules and the PCIe cards. You'll have to install the half-height Wi-Fi card first and connect the two antenna leads to the card. A screw holds the card in place.
The full height SSD card is installed over the Wi-Fi card and secured with a single screw, and the memory modules snap in exactly as they do on a notebook system. We installed Windows 8 using a USB optical drive and then installed the chipset, networking, and graphics drivers.
The Core i5-4250U and 8GB of RAM combined to produce an impressive score of 4,207 on our PCMark 7 productivity benchmark test. That's 500 points higher than last year's NUC and more than 2,500 points higher than the Zotac ZBox Nano XS AD13 Plus( at Amazon).
On the Cinebench R11.5 test, which we use to measure raw CPU performance, the NUC actually trailed the older NUC, if only slightly. It blew past the AMD-powered Zotac ZBox but was left for dead by the Core i7 fueled Polywell B8500.
The NUC D54250WYK isn't exactly a multimedia encoding powerhouse but it's no slouch either. It needed 2 minutes and 24 seconds to complete the Handbrake video encoding test. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M93p Tiny finished the Handbrake test in a little over one minute and the Polywell B8500 did it in 35 seconds. On our Photoshop encoding test, the NUC needed 9 minutes and 11 seconds to finish the job
The NUC's Intel HD Graphics 5000 GPU will handle light gaming duties but it can't deliver the frame rates needed for smooth high quality gaming. It churned out 22.5 fps (frames per second) on the medium quality Heaven Direct X11 gaming benchmark but could only muster 8.1 fps on the high quality test.
Results were similar on the Aliens vs. Predator benchmark; the NUC managed 17.2 fps on the medium quality test but dropped to a dismal 5.4 fps on the high quality test.
The Intel NUC D54250WYK is a good bet for home users looking to add Core i5 power and networking connectivity to their home entertainment center. Moreover, it offers more than enough processing power to act as a primary household PC, as long as you can live with the limitations of an integrated graphics solution. It's also a good fit for businesses looking for a space-saving office desktop or powerful digital signage solution. Granted, you don't get much in the way of expansion options and you'll have to shell out over $300 to populate the system board with components, but unlike the NUC's diminutive form factor, the payoff is big. Competitors like the Zotac ZBox Nano XS AD13 Plus may offer more hardware for less money, but it can't match the productivity and graphics power of the Haswell-enhanced NUC. If you require a more powerful business-centric small form factor PC, the Polywell B8500 is your best bet, but it's bigger and more expensive than the NUC.
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About John R. Delaney
As a Contributing Editor for PCMag, John Delaney has been testing and reviewing monitors, TVs, PCs, networking and smart home gear, and other assorted hardware and peripherals for almost 20 years. A 13-year veteran of PC Magazine's Labs (most recently as Director of Operations), John was responsible for the recruitment, training and management of the Labs technical staff, as well as evaluating and maintaining the integrity of the Labs testing machines and procedures. Prior to joining Ziff Davis, John spent six years in retail operations for Federated Stores, Inc. before accepting a purchasing position with Morris Decision Systems, one of New York's first value-added resellers of the original IBM PC. For the next five years, he was responsible for buying and configuring IBM PC, XT and AT desktops for many of New York's financial institutions. He then worked for the now defunct ComputerLand chain of PC dealers before joining PC Magazine in 1987.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


On March 23, 2017, the Illinois Supreme Court issued its opinion in In re: Marriage of Heroy wherein they helped clarify the law on when one party to a divorce must fully pay or contribute to the attorney's fees of the other party. In prior decisions, Illinois appellate courts had upheld the denial of attorney fee petitions based upon an inability to pay but inability to pay had not been clearly defined. The Supreme Court stated that an inability to pay does not require having no assets or a zero balance bank account. Instead, an inability to pay the other party's fees would exist only if payment of one's own attorney's fees would cause the litigant to become financially unstable or lose the means to support themselves.
Detailed statutory factors are used to determine how much one party must contribute to the other party's attorney's fees. These factors are complex and will vary from case to case. If you are involved in a divorce proceeding, you need a good family law attorney to help you determine whether the other side should be contributing towards your attorney fees. Feel free to contact us for more information.


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Review: Killzone Mercenary
Posted by Nick K on September 12th, 2013 | 3 Comments | Tags: Killzone Mercenary
Killzone: Mercenary comes from a growing line of respected first-person shooters across PS2 and PS3. Killzone Liberation came out on PSP, not in an attempt to bring a console quality first-person shooter to a handheld, but to bring just the Killzone experience to the somewhat limited hardware – one analog stick. The Vita is the first handheld that has been marketed as having current gen visuals and a unique combination of controls most gamers are already familiar with; physical buttons, touch, and motion. So does Killzone: Mercenary quell the desires of gamers waiting several hardware generations for a true first-person shooter on a handheld?
Yes, by leaps and bounds. We've finally been gifted the FPS we've all been waiting for. But not without its shortcomings of course. I think Killzone: Mercenary succeeds while simultaneously incorporating the gimmicks of a touch screen device without being over the top. Killzone: Mercenary's physical controls met my expectations with flying colors, it really does feel like a natural FPS experience on the Vita. Especially when I juiced up the turning speed.
Every touch screen HUD icon is also mapped as a physical button: d-pad left to deploy Van-Guard, right to switch between primary and secondary weapons, down to instantly throw a grenade, up to see next nav point. Press the triangle button instead of the screen to instigate a melee kill, but the actual swiping kill motion must be done on the touch. This has been done before in games and I personally have no problems with it as long as I am the one in control. I chose to CQC a bad guy, and therefore chose to touch the screen. I could just shoot the guy in the face and be done with it. The hacking minigame is a simple shape matching game that also requires the front touch screen. Touch the shape configurations around the edge of the screen to match the puzzle pieces in the middle until all are eliminated.
Click to view full gallery...
I felt nothing more satisfying than realizing between fits of killing the Helghan or ISA, I am after all a mercenary who is paid to kill, that I'm playing a Killzone game on my Vita. This feeling is the most prized feeling I've taken away from the past two weeks I've been playing Killzone: Mercenary, and I don't want it to end. The most recently released patch to improve online stability for the multiplayer mode brought the version number to v1.01 and the digital file size to more than 4200MB. The digital download was already around 3.3GB which explains how they "crammed" all those shiny things and high resolution textures into the game. This will be a very big issue for any Vita owners out there with small memory cards.
Killzone: Mercenary was built on the same engine used on the PS3 and it performs extremely well on Vita. Frame rate is consistent and smooth throughout the single player campaign, with only a single jarring stutter foreshadowing the onset of an enemy encounter and immediately after I had killed the final bad guy from that skirmish. You play as a mercenary named Arran Danner who will kill anyone for the right paycheck. Throughout the campaign, everything earns him money. And at first, the money is the most important thing in the game. Earn as much money as quickly as possible. With the money you can visit your arms dealer who goes by the name BlackJack. He's a mysterious dude who'll sell you all your weapons, armor, and Van-Guards. This is priority #1, because this armory is shared between the campaign and the online multiplayer modes.
Therein lies the first bad note in Killzone: Mercenary. After beating the single player first in easy, then in hard, finally finding all the intel, I had collected more than enough money to buy all the weapons in the entire game. Trophy! But now what do I do with the rest of the money, or the money I'll be earning while playing the campaign at least three more times thanks to the added contracts layer (which I'll explain in a minute) or multiplayer mode? The answer is nothing. It now becomes a stat. In multiplayer mode, the online leaderboards actually advertise how much money you've earned playing online.
The campaign offers an experience filled with epic moments. The first level alone is a sight to behold, filled with incredibly detailed environments that stretch across the distance of a large city filled with skyscrapers. It starts off casually in one building when things gets messy all of a sudden. The game teaches you all the ways you'll play using your Vita seamlessly throughout the level. Here's how to knife a guy, here's how to sneak, here's how to shoot.
Spoiler Alert: This gallery contains screenshots taken during the entire single player campaign.
My hand was virtually held up until the first jump, when both protagonists lept out of the building and suddenly took flight using wingsuits. In a way only Killzone could, they soared across a vast battlefield of decrepit buildings and finally landed inside another one, miles from the first without a single hiccup to load. This experience is repeated at least two more times with similarly epic scale and proportion. Nowhere during the campaign does it load. Only during the mission briefing. That is epic.
Once the campaign is completed the first time, it unlocks three difficulties including Hard. The menus are remarkably intuitive and it's extremely easy to figure out which pieces of Intel you still need to find. Six pieces of Intel are hidden throughout each of the nine missions either by a hacking terminal or by interrogating an officer indicated on your map by a funky looking arrow with a line. Some of these officers are hidden, some are patrolling with their men in plain sight, one has even locked himself in a glass chamber and won't come out unless you smoke him out. Trial and error will get you the tougher ones without getting killed or killing them in the process.
The trick to interrogating is to come from behind and tap the screen or triangle button to interrogate. When he turns around, the icon will change to Knife and I'd have to suicide to restart from the last checkpoint. Another trick to going in guns blazing is to use the M2 nonlethal dart gun on him and kill everyone else before the dart wears off. He can be interrogated as long as he's on the ground. Again, the darts do wear off so long winded shootouts will lead to him getting back to his feet.
Pro Tip: You can use almost any medium to low damage round to bring an officer to the ground for interrogation by shooting him in the foot a few times.
Aside from cash and Intel, there are also Valor cards to collect. They also act as a measure of your ability to earn cash in both single and multiplayer modes. At boot up, the game will assess this and either upgrade or downgrade your Valor card accordingly. Valor cards are comprised of a traditional deck of cards, where a 2 is the lowest card and Ace is the highest. Additionally, the suit represents the current weapon class most used. Here's another problem with Killzone: Mercenary, there are only four classes of weapons! Diamonds are for SMGs, Spades for sniper rifles, Clubs for assault and LMGs, and finally Hearts for the secondary weapons.
Speaking of weapons, I found a strong desire for more choice. I am always able to find that one killer weapon that just works for me, but the closest I've found has a small clip. With no way to upgrade this clip, I felt a bit short changed. Overall, the weapons are kind of meh. But taken online, these meh weapons even the playing field considerably and force everyone to bring their A-game. The Van-Guard weapons are available only from BlackJack, your arms dealer, and they are the bees knees. From the bullet shield, to the invisibility cloak, to the electric shock, and the ultimate for open air maps — the Sky Fury. All of which can be shot out of the sky at any point.
Collecting every piece of Intel throughout the campaign will fill in your first full deck of cards as it did mine. Going online will start a second deck where collecting Valor cards and fulfilling complete decks because yet again another stat. Playing single player was where a lot of focus was placed in the development of Killzone: Mercenary. The multiplayer modes aren't nearly as deep as the campaign, but the design of it is solid enough to pass as a full blown online multiplayer game. Before going there, what about those alternative mission contracts?
To further the campaign's replayability, Guerrilla Cambridge added three additional layers to every campaign mission that pay out a little more money than in the Primary contract. They can be played individually in any order within the Select Contract menu from the Main Menu. The Precision contract adds mandatory sub-objectives such as a predetermined number of headshots with particular weapons or rescuing all the hostages. Precision requires a full understanding of the entire map of every mission, very elitist stuff. This is the hardest mode in the game as it sometimes requires that you complete an entire mission within 15 to 25 minutes.
The Covert contract adds mandatory sub-objectives to each mission that require stealth. Things like using a particular silenced weapon to kill 50 enemies, using smoke or other nonlethal equipment, knife kills and getting the Stealth bonus by not alerting enemies to your presence. Last but not least, the Demolition contract can actually alter what's intractable in the missions. What looked like an innocence prop computer in all other contracts is now an objective that must be destroyed via planting bombs using the touch screen. Demolition will also require you avoid innocent casualties in a mission or two.
One last reason to play the offline campaign before going online is to unlock all five online-only custom loadout slots. This just means you can save up to five different loadouts and switch between them between respawns or at the start of an online match. I earned considerably more money playing through the campaign for 10 hours than I did playing online for 10 hours. This may depend on level of skill of course.
The meat and potatoes of online multiplayer in Killzone: Mercenary are the three different modes of play: Mercenary Warfare, Guerrilla Warfare, and Warzone. These are fancy ways of saying Free-for-all Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch, but Warzone is something special. It is collection of five mini-modes in one game. They do not randomize so it is possible to become very good at scoring lots of points simply by running to each Van-Guard capsule drop. In multiplayer, these Van-Guard capsules give the hacking player an instantly charged Van-Guard weapon, where at the start of the match everyone's Van-Guards are slowly charging up for each use. The Van-Guards are great for getting a few cheap kills and annoying if you are frequently the victim.
The Mercenary Warfare (deathmatch) and Guerrilla Warfare (team deathmatch) should need no explanations. If you're familiar with shooters, you know what they are. Warzone will cycle through five phases before awarding the winning team to the team with the most points. Bounty Hunter has everyone collecting Valor cards from the enemies you've killed. In the Hacker phase, Van-Guard capsules will fall from the sky two at a time. Hack them using the hacking minigame on the touch screen to earn points for your team. Interrogator asks players to incapacitated enemies and interrogate them. The fourth phase returns to Hacker and the fifth ends it all with a round of Body Count, aka team deathmatch.
Killzone: Mercenary has some great audio. I enjoyed it more than most probably will because I played most of my sessions using the Sony Pulse Elite headphones. Weapon sounds are unique from one another, enemy voices are heard clearly at an appropriate distance, bullet casings ping when they hit the ground, water splashes when walked through, and explosions are properly epic. Online, hearing an enemies footsteps nearby is extremely useful.
The music is very gratifying and sets the stage for the many epic single player battles. It's the voice overs I enjoyed most, that's fairly uncommon. From the enemy voices that add depth to the game to the helpful voice of BlackJack the arms dealer, to the hostage voices calling for help from the wrong side of a locked door. All this immersive audio is what delivers a more familiar console experience on the Vita. The question is will you stop to smell the roses?
Killzone: Mercenary is easily a 5-star game for the gameplay alone, but the lack of weapon and character customization hurts it bad. People have this impression that all their PS3 games should also be on Vita 1:1 with nothing missing. That is a lofty expectation and one best saved for when PS4 is released with Remote Play. Mercenary exceeded my expectations with a casual 5-hour base campaign that I actually enjoyed playing through multiple times to collect stuff and rank up quicker and an extremely satisfying and diverse melee kill — finally!
The online modes are there, and they perform just as well as the console Killzone games have minus the long legs that customization offers. There may only be three online modes available to play both publicly and privately with friends, but they deliver the multiplayer experience I think people want on a handheld. It's completely clear to me that Mercenary didn't make the same mistakes Resistance made with Burning Skies. Killzone: Mercenary will satisfy any first-person shooter fan with a challenging single player and simple multiplayer that gets to the point, killing fools online.
A copy of this game was provided by the publisher for review purposes. For more info on our review policy click here. The PlayStation Vita version of the game was used for this review.
Developer: Guerrilla Cambridge
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America
Price: $39.99, £29.99/€39.99
Genre: First-Person Shooter
Players: 1 (Offline), 1-8 (Online)
Ratings: ESRB M
Great FPS controls reminiscent of previous Killzone games
Slide move!
Unified weapons armory for single and multiplayer modes
AAA graphics and effects on Vita
Lots of reasons to replay campaign
People actually playing online
Tons of trophies
Touch melee kills break the flow in a good way
Finding hidden Intel and collecting Valor cards
KZM is the only game I want to play on Vita right now
What I Dislike:
Once all weapons are obtained, no more use for money
Campaign playthrough is short initially
No weapon, character, or online game customization of any kind
Not enough weapons
Very large digital download file size
KZM is draining my battery faster than most games
Review: Dear Esther: Landmark Edition
Review: Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap
Review: Cosmic Star Heroine
Review: What Remains of Edith Finch


Sure, Apple could offer some kind of "cloud" or streaming service, but as the company acquires the streaming-music start-up, its goals may be less ambitious.
Update 6:21 p.m. PST: The New York Times and Wall Street Journal are reporting that Apple and Lala have struck a deal.
Apple acquired Lala on Friday, unlikely offering much for the streaming-music service.
Sources with knowledge of the discussion told me Apple is interested in bringing some of Lala's engineers onboard. According to the sources, Apple is impressed by Lala's technology. The 4-year-old Lala scans users' hard drives and creates a duplicate music library that they can access from Web-enabled devices. The company also sells songs for a dime each.
I posted a story on Friday about the acquisition talks. Apple declined to comment on "rumor and speculation" and a Lala spokesman did not respond to an interview request.
"The talks (between Apple and Lala) originated when Lala executives concluded their prospects for turning a profit in the short term were dim," Stone wrote. "(Lala) initiated discussions about a potential investment with Eddy Cue, Apple's vice president in charge of iTunes."
That Lala was struggling to turn a profit is consistent with the kind of bleak news that has come out of digital music the past year. Many of the newer and experimental business models, such as ad-supported music, have flopped. The only reasonable question now is how much longer will this shakeout continue?
We saw Ruckus falter and close in January. We saw SpiralFrog flameout spectacularly in March. In August, MySpace picked up iLike, and sources said that MySpace acquired Imeem last month, but the news has not been announced.
What seemed to be different about Lala is that the company had received positive reviews from the music labels for a long time. Executives at some of the biggest recording companies have told me in the past that they respected Lala's management and its focus on the bottom line. This spring, label execs said they saw some encouraging signs after Lala had revamped the service for seemingly the umpteenth time. It initially made a name for itself by trying to enable users to swap CDs over the Internet. It never went anywhere.
Then came the announcement in October that Google would offer Lala's music to users searching for information on music acts. That could mean a boon said some of the pundits. Apparently, by that time, Lala's fate was sealed.
So, we're kind of right back where we started. The only proven winners in digital music are Apple and download sales.
Michael Robertson, the serial entrepreneur and MP3.com founder, told me earlier this year that it doesn't matter if Imeem, Lala, and their competitors went away because there is always a new crop of players longing to jump into the music industry.
In that case, who's up next? Let's see your ideas and technology. Better bring a lot of nerve.


MACRMI encourages the exchange of information, experiences and learning. Here you will find several ways to connect with MACRMI, peers, and others interested in supporting the CARe model.
Registration as a user will be required only to participate in some of our features (a moderated Question and Answer Forum, a Registry of Health Care Institutions committed to implementing CARe, and a Directory of professionals with experience in CARe.) If you would like to use these features, register here. We look forward to your participation.
Don't forget to explore our extensive Resource Library, and visit our Blog.
Participate in our Moderated Q&A forum for all members of the public.
Use our directory of clinicians, staff and executives joining the CARe community.
Take a look at our calendar for upcoming events, and feel free to submit your own.


Description: Snowball Duel is a super fun challeging game! In this game you are in control of a tank in a snowball battle. Your tank and the opponent tank take turns shooting at one another. Your goal is to bury the opponent tank in snow. Be careful on how you shoot the snowballs because the wind is constantly changing and can mess up your strategy. Show the opponent tank who is boss! This game is online.
Instructions: Shoot that snowballs at the opponents tank.
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Back in October, The Weekend announced a forth coming collaboration with Marvel that his Starboy character would be made into a comic book. Five months later and Marvel has produced a release date for The Weeknd Presents: Starboy. The debut issue is slated to hit shelves on June 13, according to a Marvel press release.


text:
Birth choice following primary Caesarean Section: Mothers' perceptions of the influence of health professionals on decision‐making
Karen Goodall, Chris McVittie, Michelle Magill
School of Health in Social Science
This study explored mothers' perceptions of the influences of health professionals (GPs, midwives and consultants) on decisions as to mode of delivery of second children, following a previous Caesarean section (CS). Qualitative semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 10 pregnant women (31–40 years), expecting a second child following a first delivery by Caesarean section (20–40 weeks gestation). Interpretative phenomenological analysis revealed four themes accounting for participants' understandings of relevant influences. Participants regarded themselves as: (1) lacking relevant knowledge to make an informed choice, (2) obtaining probabilistic information, and (3) receiving latent communication from health professionals regarding choice of mode of delivery. Their perceived response was (4) to relinquish control over the mode of second delivery to the health professionals involved.
Journal of reproductive and infant psychology
birth choice
VBAC
Dive into the research topics of 'Birth choice following primary Caesarean Section: Mothers' perceptions of the influence of health professionals on decision‐making'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
Cesarean Section Medicine & Life Sciences 100%
health professionals Social Sciences 97%
Parturition Medicine & Life Sciences 73%
Health Communication Medicine & Life Sciences 69%
Mothers Medicine & Life Sciences 67%
Midwifery Medicine & Life Sciences 59%
Consultants Medicine & Life Sciences 56%
Health Medicine & Life Sciences 51%
Goodall, K., McVittie, C., & Magill, M. (2009). Birth choice following primary Caesarean Section: Mothers' perceptions of the influence of health professionals on decision‐making. Journal of reproductive and infant psychology, 27(1), 4-14. https://doi.org/10.1080/02646830801918430
Goodall, Karen ; McVittie, Chris ; Magill, Michelle. / Birth choice following primary Caesarean Section : Mothers' perceptions of the influence of health professionals on decision‐making. In: Journal of reproductive and infant psychology. 2009 ; Vol. 27, No. 1. pp. 4-14.
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abstract = "This study explored mothers' perceptions of the influences of health professionals (GPs, midwives and consultants) on decisions as to mode of delivery of second children, following a previous Caesarean section (CS). Qualitative semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 10 pregnant women (31–40 years), expecting a second child following a first delivery by Caesarean section (20–40 weeks gestation). Interpretative phenomenological analysis revealed four themes accounting for participants' understandings of relevant influences. Participants regarded themselves as: (1) lacking relevant knowledge to make an informed choice, (2) obtaining probabilistic information, and (3) receiving latent communication from health professionals regarding choice of mode of delivery. Their perceived response was (4) to relinquish control over the mode of second delivery to the health professionals involved.",
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Birth choice following primary Caesarean Section : Mothers' perceptions of the influence of health professionals on decision‐making. / Goodall, Karen; McVittie, Chris; Magill, Michelle.
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text:
Home > Office of Undergraduate Research > USF_OURCONFERENCE > 2021 > 152
Presentation (Project) Title
Immunity Passports: Technology's Role in Shaping Healthcare
Michelle Jayaraj, University of South Florida
Raman Sachdev (Department of Philosophy)
Presentation Format
With the rise of an unprecedented global pandemic, the relevancy of digital technology has played a significant role in shaping the climate of future interactions. The COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has left companies and organizations at the mercy of technology in continuing workplace progress. Likewise, governments across the globe are looking to technology to curate solutions to problems caused by the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2. To stop the spread of the coronavirus, several countries have closed their borders. However, countries such as the United States, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom have proposed the idea of using technology to instead filter visitors and grant access to those who have obtained an immunity passport. An immunity passport is granted to those who have already been infected with the coronavirus and thus possess antibodies. With a simple phone application, people will be able to receive an immunity passport by answering just a few questions about their medical history and interaction with COVID-19. This would allow the individual to essentially revert back to traveling places, such as work and school, within and even outside of the country. While it may seem efficient in theory, such findings would inform that this simplified approach fails to recognize key ethical, legal, and medical circumstances that stunt a clear execution of the plan. Understanding the nuances of technological advances within the healthcare field will allow for better utilization and allocation of digital resources in future medical care.


Interested in light, pattern, and perception this installation sought to create a moiré effect as viewers walked past the opening. This installation was analogous to the proposed fence design for the 527 Colorado Ave. Property.
Pre-professional Master of Architecture thesis exhibition. North Dakota State University Fargo, ND. 2010. The design of a multidisciplinary art school within a large boulder and the precarious assembly of useless tools.
Group exhibition of 2nd and 3rd year architecture students of theoretical studies in phenomonological creations. Fargo, ND. 2008.


'Live' @ 'Lilies On The River'!
Here are the �live� recording of the event that Rotaract Club of Marina City held yesterday at Singapore River, Lilies On The River!!
What you see below are extracts of some photos of the event, more to come once I received the photos!!


Meersman's poems are often political and topical. His views are far from conservative, but his poetry is frequently neo-formalist, a return to traditional form, meter and rhyme. These poems address the moral conscience in the new South Africa, an aesthetic mediation between the personal and the philosophical, between our experience of the world and how we value others' lives.
The centrepiece is Ophila and the Poet, a 5000 word poem, that functions as a dialectic between parallel monologues by two characters. Ophila is both human – a schizophrenic woman entering psychosis – and a mysterious, extraordinary creature – that conjures up the geography and history of Africa. She is ultimately martyred – beautified by suffering, purged of both evil and innocence. Ophila is the reason in madness that leads to self-destruction. The poet is the madness in everyday reasonableness, that allows us to function in the world but diminishes our spiritual connection to it and one another.
This dialogue operates on numerous levels – between male and female, between reality and fantasy, belief and proof, acceptance and change, between the demands of society and the needs of the individual.
I've got a ton of things to do today but couldn't help readng (and re-reading) excerpts from Ophila and the Poet, some truly wonderful stuff here. Made me feel quite homesick for the first time in years. Do I recognise the style of illustration on the cover as your very own. I'm late now thanks to your profundity – "I'll get you Meersman", he said, shaking his fist with a smile.
An old friend in the UK.


text:
Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd. (jap. , Kabushiki-gaisha Sukuwea Enikkusu, engl. Square Enix Company, Limited) ist ein japanischer Hersteller von Videospielen und Mangas. Square Enix wurde bekannt durch seine Konsolenrollenspiele, darunter die Serien Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest und Kingdom Hearts.

Die Holdinggesellschaft Square Enix Holdings (, Kabushiki-gaisha Sukuwea Enikkusu Hōrudingusu), zu der Square Enix, Taito und weitere Unternehmen gehören hat konsolidiert über 3000 Mitarbeiter und setzte im Geschäftsjahr bis März 2014 155 Milliarden Yen (1,21 Mrd. Euro) um.

Geschichte
Square Enix entstand am 1. April 2003 aus der Fusion der Entwicklerstudios Square und Enix. Obwohl Square offiziell in Enix aufging, übernahmen etliche hochrangige Square-Mitarbeiter Führungsposition in dem neuen Unternehmen, darunter auch der Square-Präsident Yōichi Wada, welcher zum Präsidenten von Square Enix ernannt wurde.

Square Enix unterhält einige regionale Unternehmen, darunter Square Enix, Inc. (zuständig für Nordamerika) und Square Enix Ltd. (zuständig für Europa und andere PAL-Gebiete). Im Juli 2003 bezog Square Enix Hauptquartier in Yoyogi, Shibuya-ku, Tokio. Im März 2004 erwarb Square Enix UIEvolution, Inc. um sich weiter auf dem Markt der drahtlosen Kommunikation zu etablieren. Im Januar 2005 gründete Square Enix in Peking, China, Square Enix (China) Co., Ltd. als Tochterunternehmen. Am 22. August 2005 erklärte Square Enix, die Taito, bekannt für Arcade-Spiele wie Space Invaders und Bubble Bobble, aufkaufen zu wollen. Am 28. September 2005 wurde Taito komplett von Square Enix absorbiert.

Zum 1. Oktober 2008 führte das Unternehmen das Holdingssystem ein. Daher wurde die K.K. Square Enix in die K.K. Square Enix Holdings umbenannt und anschließend die Spiele-, Inhalts- und Verlagssparte als neues Unternehmen K.K. Square Enix wieder ausgegründet, wobei es sich mit der Holding die Unternehmensleitung und Büros teilt.

Im September 2008 beabsichtigte Square Enix, den japanischen Spieleentwickler Tecmo zu übernehmen, scheiterte allerdings mit dem Versuch. Im Februar 2009 gab Square Enix ein Übernahmeangebot für Eidos, plc (zuvor SCi Entertainment) und dessen Tochterunternehmen Eidos Interactive ab. Zum Unternehmen gehörten auch die Entwicklerstudios Crystal Dynamics (Tomb Raider), IO Interactive (Hitman) und Eidos Montreal (Deus Ex, Thief). Square Enix bot demnach 84,3 Millionen britische Pfund (etwa 93,2 Millionen Euro) für den westlichen Publisher. Die Eidos-Aktionäre nahmen das Angebot am 27. März 2009 an und besiegelten die Übernahme. Eidos wurde mit der Europazentrale von Square Enix zu Square Enix Europe zusammengelegt, unter Leitung des vorherigen Eidos-Geschäftsführers Phil Rogers.

Im April 2010 stellte Square Enix in der japanischen Famitsu erstmals ein neues Spiele Label namens Square Enix Extreme Edge vor. In diesem Label sollen fortan Spiele von Square Enix erscheinen, die ein erhöhtes Gewaltpotential haben und in Japan lediglich eine Freigabe ab 17 Jahren aufwärts erhalten. Dies trifft insbesondere auf Spiele des ehemaligen Publishers Eidos zu, die Square Enix seit der Übernahme selbst in Japan vertreibt.

Im März 2013 musste Square Enix bei seinem Jahresabschlussbericht außergewöhnlich hohe Verluste bekannt geben. Unter anderem hatten die Titel Sleeping Dogs, Hitman: Absolution und Tomb Raider ihre Umsatzziele verfehlt, statt 3,5 Milliarden Yen belief sich die Bilanz auf ein Minus von 13,5 Milliarden Yen. In Folge trat Square-Enix-Geschäftsführer Yoichi Wada von seinem Posten zurück. Wada begründete seinen Rücktritt damit, dem Unternehmen so die dringend notwendigen Umstrukturierungsmaßnahmen ermöglichen zu können. Sein Nachfolger wurde Yosuke Matsuda.

Im April 2014 entschied sich Sony, ehemals drittgrößter Aktionär von Square Enix, seine verbliebenen Anteile am Konzern vollständig an den japanischen Investmentkonzern SMBC Nikko Securities abzustoßen.

Im Mai 2022 wurde berichtet, dass Square Enix die Spielestudios Crystal Dynamics, Eidos-Montréal und Square Enix Montréal an die Embracer Group für 300 Millionen US-Dollar verkauft. Mit dem Verkauf wechseln auch Verlagsrechte zu 50 bereits erschienenen Videospielen und bekannten Gaming-Franchises (darunter u. a. Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, Thief und Legacy of Kain).

Unternehmenseinheiten
 Square Enix Co., Ltd. (Shinjuku, Tokio)
 Square Enix, Inc. (El Segundo, USA)
 Square Enix Ltd., meist Square Enix Europe bezeichnet (London)
 Beautiful Game Studios (London)
 Crystal Dynamics (San Francisco)
 Eidos Montreal
 Eidos Shanghai
 IO Interactive (Kopenhagen)
 Square Enix Montreal
 Square Enix (China) Co., Ltd. (Peking)
 Square Enix Mobile (Hokkaido)
 Taito (Shinjuku, Tokio)
 Shinra Technologies, Inc. (Shinjuku, Tokio & New York), Cloud-Gaming-Service
 Smile-Lab Co., Ltd. (Shibuya, Tokio)

Daneben tritt auch Visual Works, eine auf CGI-Filmproduktionen spezialisierte Abteilung von Square Enix Japan, öffentlich in Erscheinung. Sie wurde ursprünglich als Square Visual Works gegründet und produziert Trailer und vorgerenderte Zwischensequenzen für die Computerspiele der gesamten Square-Enix-Gruppe. Das Studio war außerdem für die Produktion des CGI-Spielfilms Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children verantwortlich.

Produkte

Computer- und Videospiele
Square Enix' größtes Kapital sind ihre Videospiele. Die Spielserie Dragon-Quest-Franchise gilt weitläufig als beliebteste in Japan und belegt regelmäßig die Spitze der japanischen Verkaufscharts. Von den weltweit insgesamt 43 Millionen verkauften Einheiten des Franchise, wurden 40 Millionen in Japan verkauft. Im Gegensatz dazu gilt das Final-Fantasy-Franchise als Square Enix' wichtigste Anlage und ist das mit über 80 Millionen Einheiten weltweit am meisten verkaufte Square Enix Franchise. Ein weiteres Franchise ist die zusammen mit Disneys Buena Vista Interactive entwickelte Kingdom-Hearts-Serie.

Square Enix hat Spiele für die Sony PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Nintendos Wii und GameCube, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation Portable, die Microsoft Xbox 360 und Xbox One veröffentlicht. Neben Spielen für Microsoft Windows, hat Square Enix auch Spiele für diverse Handy-Modelle veröffentlicht.

25 Spiele von Square Enix wurden von den Famitsu-Lesern unter die 100 besten Spiele gewählt, sieben davon unter die ersten Zehn.

Videospiel-Franchises
 Dragon Quest – von Enix, etabliert auf dem Famicom 1986
 Final Fantasy – von Square, etabliert auf dem Famicom 1987
 Itadaki Street (nur Japan) – von Enix, etabliert auf dem Famicom 1988
 SaGa – von Square, etabliert auf dem Game Boy 1989
 Seiken Densetsu ("Mana"-Serie außerhalb Japans) – von Square, etabliert auf dem Game Boy 1991
 Chrono Trigger – von Square, etabliert auf dem Super Famicom 1995
 Front Mission – von Square, etabliert auf dem Super Famicom 1995
 Star Ocean – von Enix, etabliert auf dem Super Famicom 1995
 Terranigma – von Enix (1995)
 Drakengard (2003)
 Kingdom Hearts (2002)
 Parasite Eve
 The Last Remnant
 The World Ends with You
 Just Cause 2 (2010)
 Kane & Lynch 2: Dogdays (Vertriebsrechte im Jahr 2022 verkauft)
 Sleeping Dogs
 Hitman (Vertriebsrechte im Zuge der Unabhängigkeit von IO Interactive verloren)
 Deus Ex (Vertriebsrechte im Jahr 2022 verkauft)
 Tomb Raider (Vertriebsrechte im Jahr 2022 verkauft)
 Thief (Vertriebsrechte im Jahr 2022 verkauft)
 Life Is Strange
 Just Cause 3 (2015)
 Octopath Traveler (2018)
 Forgotton Anne (2018)
 Battalion 1944 (2018)

Film
 Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children ist ein computeranimierter Film, welcher auf dem erfolgreichen PlayStation-Spiel Final Fantasy VII basiert.
 Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV
 Tomb Raider (2018)

Manga
Square Enix hat von Enix das Manga-Imprint Gangan Comics übernommen. Dieses publiziert lediglich für den japanischen Markt, unter anderem die Manga-Anthologie Gekkan Shōnen Gangan. Zu den von Gangan Comics veröffentlichten Titeln gehören Detektiv Loki, Fullmetal Alchemist, Akame ga Kill!, Kingdom Hearts, Nagasarete Airantō, Shao, die Mondfee, Soul Eater, Spiral – Gefährliche Wahrheit und The Royal Tutor.

Im Herbst 2010 wurde ein Digitalvertrieb für Mangas in Nordamerika und Frankreich mit unterschiedlichen Angeboten gestartet. Der nordamerikanischen Vertrieb entsteht dabei in Zusammenarbeit mit Viz Media und Yen Press. 2019 kam eine Vereinbarung mit Penguin Random House zustande, durch die Mangas, aber auch Romane und Artbooks, von Square Enix seit Herbst 2019 direkt in den USA veröffentlicht werden.

Weblinks

 Offizielle Website – Square Enix Holdings (englisch, japanisch)
 Offizielle Website – Square Enix Japan (japanisch)
 Offizielle Website – Square Enix Deutschland

 Eintrag bei Anime News Network (englisch)

Einzelnachweise

Spielesoftwareunternehmen (Japan)
Comicverlag (Japan)
Verlag für digitale Medien (Japan)
Unternehmen (Shibuya)
Gegründet 2003

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


BLUF (bottom line up front): If you're looking for an easy way to get in the air and experience drone racing, this is it! The only thing it is missing is the receiver of your choice!
HGLRC has brought all of their best products into one PNP build for your immediate FPV enjoyment!


Los Cabos has beautiful beaches… few of which you can actually swim in. But the water activities and beaches in Los Cabos where you can swim are gorgeous! Even more, the top Cabo beaches can be national parks and several are world famous for their natural beauty and marine biodiversity. Come find out more info about these amazing places where you'll have an unforgettable dip.
What are the Top Cabo Beaches to Swim in?
There are many incredible beaches in Los Cabos, but you can't swim in all of them. But the top Cabo beaches that are swimmable are: Lover's Beach, Chileno Beach, Santa Maria Beach, Medano Beach and Palmilla Beach. Come learn more about each of these breathtaking places.
This is without a doubt the most famous beach in Los Cabos. It is a beautiful beach in the area of Finisterra, the last part of the peninsula, right where you can find the famous Arch. Lovers' Beach is set where the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific Ocean meet. That's why even though it is right next to Lovers' Beach, on the Pacific Ocean side the beach is named Divorce Beach. Be careful because on that side, the waves and the treacherous ocean are as pretty as the beach's name!
You can reach Lovers' Beach only by one of the famous Cabo glass-bottom boat tours and it is one of the most popular stops of the Los Cabos City Tour. However, if you wish to spend as much time as possible in the beach, you should take the Snorkel Lovers' Beach Plus tour. It includes a box lunch, snorkeling equipment and a guide that will be with you in the water the whole time.
The best part is that you can interact with the local sea life, like starfish, puffer fish, octopuses and thousands of colorful fish you'll see right then and there. You can even get amazing underwater photos taken by the tour guide in a CD at the end of your tour! Lovers' Beach is actually a National Marine Park so you won't find any sort of facilities there (like bathrooms!). But if you join this tour there will be an umbrella especially for you, as well as cold beverages that are already included! All you need to bring is your towel.
Many actually consider this one of the most beautiful and clean beaches in the world! This beach got the Blue Flag distinction last year, a certification granted by the Foundation for Environmental Education. It is only given to beaches that comply with a defined set of environmental and quality standards.
Some of Chileno Beach's highlights are its crystal-clear waters, an amazing reef in the middle of the bay, palm-tree palapas, bathrooms and showers. It even is accessible for people with disabilities and has an underwater wheelchair! Chileno Beach is one of my favorite beaches, and of most locals too who usually come to visit the beach during the weekends. The rest of the week, Chileno Bay is normally calm and somewhat empty.
You can reach this beach by sea and by land. By sea you'll find many snorkeling tours and catamaran tours that will take you snorkeling to the bay's reef. By land you can contact Amstar about taking the Chileno Beach Snorkeling Tour, which includes umbrellas, a box lunch, snorkeling gear and a guide. Plus, the Los Cabos City Tour includes an optional stop here.
This is a somewhat hidden beach (even few locals know about it!) but it is very easy to get there. It's located only 15 minutes from San Jose del Cabo or Cabo San Lucas. Santa Maria Bay has a very calm beach. There are no facilities (bathrooms) available since it is a protected Natural Park. The bay is surrounded by small cliffs and there are colorful reefs in the sea with tons of sea life, ideal for snorkeling.
This beach is also one of the favorite stops for catamaran and sailing tours, because of the great snorkeling you can do here. And hanging out in the bay is not bad either! If you want to go this beach on an amazing tour get the Santa Maria Snorkeling Tour. It includes transportation, a box lunch, snorkeling gear, umbrellas, beverages and a great snorkeling guide.
This is one of the most popular swimmable beaches in Cabo San Lucas. There are restaurants, bars, beach clubs and water activities you can enjoy right at the beach! It is located within the Cabo San Lucas Bay, to the left of the marina. If you're staying in a hotel in Cabo San Lucas' hotel zone, Medano Beach is perfect for you.
You can get there easily walking or with a taxi and the beach is always full of music, drinking contests, and fun. Plus, you can try some traditional food from Los Cabos at the local restaurants, such as The Office on the Beach.
This beautiful swimmable beach is located in the San Jose del Cabo Bay. It's the Hotel One and Only Palmilla's beach and one of the most popular among the locals. You can swim easily in this beach's calm waters, kids can play in them happily and parents can rest peacefully!
There are some palapa umbrellas and access for people with disabilities. You can only get there easy by land. The most advisable thing is to get there by car or with a taxi. There's a taxi stand in the parking lot. You can also snorkel and see some marine life here.
Come Swim in the Top Cabo Beaches Today!
Now you know the top Cabo beaches to swim in. Plus you know how to get there and have the time of your life. Let Amstar know if you've been there already and if you like these beaches in the comment section below, and share the knowledge!
—This is an update of the original December 2013 post.


Gotan Railway Station Is Located In The City Of Gotan. Govan railway station was a railway station in Govan, a district of Glasgow, Scotland. The station was originally part of an extension to the Glasgow and Paisley Joint Railway.


text:
Q: How do I show a list of running processes on macos? I want to close a lot of programs at once using killall, and make a batch list in time.
I assume I'd run one of:

*

*ps -ax (just what's showing in the CMD column)

*lsof  (just show process name)

Then, using for example grep sed awk or whatever, I'd like a list of processes names (with quotes at start and end) I can hand to killall for closing in bulk, piped in with xargs or from a text file.
BEFORE: example
2138 ttys003    0:00.29 ssh -Y root@cheese
 4594 ttys006    0:00.05 login -pf tom
 4685 ??         0:07.70 /Applications/Google Chrome.app/Contents/Versions/71.0.3578.98/Google Chrome Helper.app/Contents/MacOS/Google Chrome Helper --type=renderer
  771 ??        11:24.08 /Applications/Utilities/System Information.app/Contents/MacOS/System Information

AFTER:
"ssh"
"login"
"Google Chrome Helper"
"System Information"

Each line should work in killall, for example:
killall "System Information"
Something like:
ps -ax | grep -E "([0-9]* .* [0-9]:[0-9][0-9]\.[0-9][0-9] )(.*) (--)"

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Here we have an audience hall with a throne made of mother- of - pearl surmounted by the usual nine - tiered while canopy, the mark of a duly crowned king. At the back of this audience hall is yet a living quarter. All are built in pure Siamese architecture of perfect proportions. In front of this group is the Disrobing Pavilion-Abhornbhimok-which was reproduced of Brussels in 1958.
Wat Saket is an undistinguished temple except for the Golden Mountain or Phu Khao Thong, on the Wast side of the Golden Mountain puts everything back in perspective and offers views over Rattanakosin Island that are simply stunning. The artificial hill was created when a large Chedi under construction by King Rama III collapsed because the soft soil beneath would not support it. The resulting mud-and-brick hill was left to sprout weeds until King Rama IV built a small Chedi on its crest. King Rama V later added to the structure and housed a Buddha relic from India in the Chedi. The concrete walls were added during World War II to prevent the hill from eroding. Every November a large festival, held on the ground of Wat Saket, includes a candlelight procession up the Golden Mountain.


The aim of these discussions would be to create dialogue around topical issues pertaining to the natural, environmental and wildlife filmmaking landscape. This platform also endeavours to keep filmmakers abreast with trends and innovations throughout the production value chain, integral to the successful delivery on content within the industry.
What are they looking for and what to them makes for engaging viewing? These sessions are designed for Funders, Broadcasters and Distributors to inform filmmakers/content creators as to what they are looking for when they fund, commission and/or broadcast natural history and environmental content. Although relevant submission guidelines will be outlined, broadcasters may benchmark their most successful programming and filmmakers constructively engage with the panel for solutions to meet broadcasters' needs beyond their technical criteria.
Often scientists are so focused in their field of study and conservationists are consumed with efforts to save wildlife and resources that they are usually unaware of how fascinating their work actually is. Conversely a major challenge for filmmakers is access to story coupled with credible scientific data to support these stories. The NEWF Congress becomes a platform for scientists and conservationists to present their fields of work potentially creating new perspectives for the development of natural history and environmental content.
These sessions are designed to excite and stimulate both seasoned and aspiring filmmakers alike by providing seminars presented by an industry expert/filmmaker on a particular film and/or topic. The aim is to impart knowledge and give participants an opportunity to engage with presenter/s on specific thematic, technical or operational aspects of the particular film/filmmaking expertise.
Lions - Africa's greatest asset and only competitive advantage against the rest of the world. Yet of all the conflicts between humans and wildlife, the most challenging involves the African Lion. The human population in Africa will double by 2050 hence there is an urgent need to understand this conflict, find lasting solutions, restore the pride in Africa's Lions and celebrate their reign as the king of the jungle. This panel session looks into how film and digital media is being used to promote and enable African lion conservation efforts.
Impact campaigns have become an integral part of the marketing and distribution strategies of a film. Using a film to drive social change requires consistency of message and the ability to channel action. We learn from the experts on how to extend the life of our films in order to create a path to conservation.
A panel aimed at connecting African networks between filmmakers, scientists and conservationists on the continent in order to tell African stories from unique African perspectives - Working together to identify common ground, maximise opportunities & transform an industry.
With approximately 30 500 kms of coastline Africa offers an abundance of marine life. South Africa alone boasts a number of world's top diving spots such as Aliwal Shoal, Sodwana Bay and False Bay. As filmmakers are we capitalising on this resource? We explore the processes of underwater filmmaking, consider the barriers of entry for young African filmmakers and learn from the experts.
Drones are tipped to revolutionise the art of filmmaking but with concerns about safety & privacy, are they an accident waiting to happen?
An open floor discussion which unpacks TRANSFORMATION.
How does he do it? Julie Laurenz in conversation with legendary undercover and investigative filmmaker, Karl Ammann.
We bring a commercially-savvy approach to our global business and have a deep understanding of local markets. Off the Fence is a 360 factual content company. We produce, acquire, localise and deliver non-fiction programming. We deliver a bespoke service to rights-owners from co-financing, localising content and maximising revenue and return on investment.
An integrated factual entertainment company, WildBear Entertainment works across television, theatrical, corporate, educational, and government communications.
What is Missing in the Rhino Story?
Images of slaughtered rhinos and elephants for their horns and ivory have over the past few years confronted us on the front pages of our newspapers and the TV screens in our homes – so much so that in despair we turn the page and switch the channel. We have rhino-fatigue. The devastating impacts on the species and the rangers dedicated to protect the species have received major media attention across the globe. But little attention is given to the impact the illegal wildlife trade has on the people who live with or around wildlife and affected protected areas, the same people with the potential to be champions for rhinos. During this session, conservation practitioners, who work closely with Mozambican and South African communities affected by the illegal wildlife trade and the crime syndicates that drive it, share their thoughts, experiences and stories about the social impacts of the illegal wildlife trade and the role communities can and should play.
Becoming Visible is a short multi-screen environmental documentary that explores the pressing issue of offshore oil and gas development off the South African coastline and its consequence to our marine life. It advances the theme of nature as political asset and questions the scripts of consumptive economics embedded in South Africa's governmental approaches to environmental policy. The film focuses on a seismic survey off the east coast of RSA, which was extended into the whale migration season in July 2016. There were a number of unusual deepwater-mammal strandings during and after this survey. Becoming Visible investigates the risks posed by unilateral and indiscriminate traumatizing noise exposure from marine seismic surveys to many marine species, and the vulnerability of fishery-based livelihoods to these impacts.
In Ethiopia's highlands a kingdom is under threat. One male's power is being challenged by a handsome young Turk. Braveheart's coveted position at the head of his gelada family is under siege from the marauding bachelors and their leader, Tiko. He's on the prowl for a family of his own, and he's prepared to fight for it. In this ancient family of girl power… May the best man win.
Part wildlife documentary – the astonishing scenery, the immersive soundtrack – part pilgrimage, The film follows five young Zulu women on a journey of personal healing through the iMfolozi wilderness. Protected by a pair of rangers and overseen by a motherly guide, they learn about animal behaviour, their Zulu ancestry and the importance of conservation. At the same time, access to ancestral lands is called into question, and airtime is given to the open cast coal mining expanding along the park's border and the massive toll of rhino poaching. Crucially, no solutions are offered; instead, the beautifully filmed wilderness is left to speak for itself. What is more astonishing is that director Karin Slater did it all… she carried all her equipment, shot and recorded the film in a week, and the only lights used were headlamps in the dark.
Black Bean Productions has set out to uncover the untold story of human wildlife conflict in Africa. The issue is becoming a serious threat to wildlife and conservation areas due to the increasing population and pressures on wilderness areas. It also affects the livelihood of many people, on a daily basis. It is an issue without a simple answer. The documentary aims to tell the story of key characters on the ground, who face daily challenges in terms of living alongside Africa's wildlife - we show it from their eyes and hear their point of view on the topic.
Birthed at NEWF2017 - OUR OCEANS profiles marine expeditions, raising awareness and knowledge about KwaZulu-Natal's spectacular marine ecosystems, charismatic animals and the learning journey of the scientists and Ocean Stewards on-board the RV Angra Pequena.
The beginning, middle and end of working in the cutting room. The wild ride that comes with editing wildlife. Where to begin once you are presented with hundreds and sometimes thousands of hours of footage. Finding the story, developing the story, telling the story. Navigating the confusing meta data deliverables as well as the shooting specs and understanding broadcaster deliverables. Cutting to clock vs seamless delivery. Putting it all into cohesive understanding. Dealing with music, natural sound and audio. Working in the cutting room with Directors, Producers, Writers, Sound Mixers and Executive Producers. An all round look into putting natural history films together. Are you ready? Lets make a wildlife documentary!


text:
Q: Java notnoop,APNS No trusted certificate found from inside tomcat We have implemented APNS connectivity using notnoop. We have been testing it for last 5 months on development and UAT environment and other environment. Things were working as expected but post deployment to production environment we are having tough time getting it work, GCM is working fine it is only APNS were we have tough time.
Initially there was connectivity issue from firewall which we have got opened to connect to gateway.push.apple.com on 2195 as earlier system was throwing connection timeout.
Now system is throwing No Trusted Certificate found I have described below the detail steps we have already taken to debug this.
Please note this is happening only when i deploy it on production that too when it is run inside Tomcat 8.0. We did small POC to test if it can work outside tomcat and it is working properly using same certificate from same absolute path.

*

*We did try after changing the implementation to use absolute path of certificate as shown below
APNS.newService().withCert(PRODcertificatePath, PRODcertificatePassword)
The program is configured to use .withProductionDestination() if it is using production certificate and vice versa so this issue is also taken care.

*

*Then we also tried using ClassLoader InputStream iss = ClassLoader.getSystemResourceAsStream("Axis-APNS.p12")
Yes we do have JKS file on production whose detail is configured in server.xml  something like below
<Connector port="8443" protocol="org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11NioProtocol" sslProtocol="TLS" keystoreFile="/root/cert"

Now we are out of idea to debug and find the root cause, Any suggestion, question is most welcome.

A: As a matter of workaround, i have redesign my system. Instead of running from inside tomcat, Have made it as standalone application using Quartz  batch job and system is running properly. Once i get time to find out why tomcat is not able to pick correct certificate, will upate you guys on it. Thank you very much for your time... email me if you need anymore help on above matter. Thanks, Amarjeet