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I'm big AMD supporter, by major factor because of their opensource policy. However no-matter which processor comparison test I look, AMD systems are always draining a lot of power.
For desktop - about 15-20 Watts more in idle, and about 20-40 Watts more under load.
For example, lets us take Athlon II X4 630 and Intel core i5-750.
A almost cache-less 630 consumes way more juice than 750, whilst also performing worser. In my country juice is not cheap and eventually, when using the mentioned processors in long 2-3 year window, renders 750 cheaper in total cost than athlon II x4.
I found a way to undervolt my athlon II x4 630, from ridiculously high 1.4 volt Vcore (only found on full-blown Phenom II) to 1.25v, leading to consumption drop of around 25 watts in load (120w instead of 145w) and 10 in idle(100w->90w), with zero impact on stability. The logic of my mainboard allowed to reduce via percentage, not value, so that reduction scales down very well when CPU is going into cool'n'quiet mode.
Prior to my switch from intel e5300/gf9800gt to full amd system, I had an opportunity to play with intels Speedstep, which basically reduced CPU multiplier to 6. Both cores still run @ 1.2 Ghz, where on Athlon II x4 due to CoolnQuiet(and on-demand governor) all four run at just 0,8Mhz with Vcore reduced too.
My main questions are:
1) Why is AMD K10 draining so much more in performance per watt than Core or even Core2Duo? Whats the reason behind so much difference?
2) Will there be any change with Bulldozer?
3) Why is Athlon II X4 spec'ed at 1.4v when it runs with 1.25v (or even 1.20v if u do internet search) just fine?
Please no intel fanboyism. Ty.
No announcement yet.
AMD processors/-based systems power hunger
new posts
AMD processors/-based systems power hungerTags: None
You would still need to check clearances carefully no matter what board you mount that Scythe Mugen on. It's simply an enormous heatsink that the only real reason to get it would be to passively cool the CPUs. There are certainly other heatsinks out there that aren't quite so huge that would work on an Opteron board but are still pretty quiet. You could also look at water cooling as that is quiet, water blocks are small and have few clearance issues, and there are blocks specifically designed to bolt to Socket F/C32 and G34 out there, so you don't need to use the clamp-on heatsink retention brackets.
yes right.
in generall an watercooling system is NOT passiv means the water pump can go down and an water pump makes noises.
an Mugen never let you go down and water isn't a good idear with electronic..
You can also look on eBay for retention brackets if your board does not come with one. They cost $4-10 and I'll bet that some of the sellers even ship to Germany.
Depends on your definition of "loud." If you demand pretty much total and complete silence from your machine (basically an SPL < 20 dB) then yes, they're all loud. All of them will also be louder than your enormous heatsink as well.
But most people I've seen with Socket F boards (which would use the same heatsinks as C32) have made some pretty quiet machines out of 92 mm or carefully-selected 120 mm desktop heatsinks. Machines using 2U/3U server heatsinks with PWM-controlled fans 70 mm or larger with their speed controlled by the BIOS are very similar to your typical corporate office PC in noise level.
with 2 120cm fan's
and i have an mugen for an bulldozer system in 2011
You are just trying to use a heatsink that is very far beyond any size and weight specifications of heatsinks designed for that socket. You shouldn't be surprised that you would have trouble getting it to fit. You probably will have trouble mounting that heatsink on 90+% of desktop boards as well.
and you can pull 64gb of desktop non ecc ram into
The KCMA-D8 is about $290 over here compared to about $250 for the H8SGL-F.
You can't really just divide the price of a 6-core chip by 2/3 to get a price of a quad-core chip. The closest C32 equivalent to the 6128 would be two Opteron 4122s, which are 2.2 GHz quad-cores. Two of them cost $200, compared to $270 for the 6128. Two 4122s + the KCMA-D8 will run you $490, while a 6128 and an H8SGL will run you $520, so the C32 solution is a little less expensive and a little faster. Yes, it will likely be a wash after you buy heatsinks, but remember that the only heatsinks that will fit on G34 boards are server heatsinks or Koolance's $85 CPU-360 water block. That's it. You can at least use some more reasonably-sized desktop heatsinks on C32 boards that will be quieter than the server heatsinks for G34.
the only problem is the fan cooler yes maybe c32 is better for putting an cooler on.
I have a similar history and games are the buggiest programs with the highest propensity to lock up Linux systems in my opinion. If they're Windows games being run with WINE, it's even worse. Fortunately most locked-up games or X sessions can be killed with the magic SysRq keys, which dumps you into a text terminal to restart X without rebooting. But they're still pretty awful and apparently you play a lot of Windows games, so I imagine you see pretty frequent glitches and bugs.
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Guys, thank you for input! Especially MU_Engineer!
The true reason behind Athlon II x4 inefficient Vcore setting is simple - they are masking defect (turned off or defect cache, defect cores etc) Phenoms II as Athlons II. Phenom II is unable to work under 1.4Vcore and same as X3 vs X4, it seems AMD is unabIt runs and consumes electricity, but its not internally addressed.le to remove the power off completely from the defect chip or cache. On the contrast true Athlon II Propus cores only need as much as 1.15 Vcc to function stable at 2.8Ghz. Which was one of the reason I switched not only the graphics card to AMD, but the system itself - the chip may cost cheap but it should definitely not waste megawatts via deactivated cache or similar. As an "Otto-normal Burger" I don't own a nuclear powerplant in the backyard, nor am I interested in investing into pretty inefficient high-cost solar panels.
Core on other side, although as it seems pretty cut down at factory, does not utilize the cut-down parts nor needs to supply them with power.
I hope AMD will improve in next generation, ty for input!
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Originally posted by devius View PostWhere did you get those 20W figures from? No 7200rpm desktop hard drive from the last 5 years uses that much power. Typical figures are in the max 8W-10W for 3,5" 7200rpm HDDs. In the world of 2,5" laptop drives the power consumption is already very very close to SSDs. Take a look at the seagate momentus 5400.6 drives: 0,8W idle and 2,85W write power. Something like a Corsair Force SSD has 0,5W idle and 2W operating power.
but yes you are right an SSD saves power.
the biggest profit is the time to get from idle to action status HDD's allways slow to do that.
and if you don't compare an ssd to super slow notebook hdds then you need to compare an ssd to an 15000 upm sas hdd because the speed matters
then ssd win much higher ...
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PCIe1.0,useless SLI, bios bugs,chipset to hot and the multisocked incompatility to cpu coolers becouse the first cpu blocks the seconds ones clousding mechanism.
means next time i buy a single socket and nothing blocks my super big fat 1kg Mugen cooler
its funny because one of my opteron board in the past do not have the "appropriate mounting brackets" and this is not funny if you wana have an bigblock silence cooler in your system and all server coolers are 5000UPM very loud coolers... and no one in germany sells: "appropriate mounting brackets"
You can also look on eBay for retention brackets if your board does not come with one. They cost $4-10 and I'll bet that some of the sellers even ship to Germany.
and hey all server heatsinks are just BAD BAD BAD BAD! and loud!
bad and loud just because they save "place" and for my use i have place over place all over...
my mugen cooler is 160cm high and this kind of heatsinks cool an opteron passiv
so really the server heatsinks are so fucked up.
wrong??? the germany shop sites says EATX and not ATX and hey just calculate an exampel
in germany the cheapest price for that board is 270?
the cheapest Supermicro H8SGL-F is 227?
means you save 43? if you don't buy an C32 dualsocket board!
and an AMD Opteron 4170 2.1ghz costs 170? and 2 of them 340?
yes thats 12 cores if you calculate that for 8 cores it costs 227?
an AMD Opteron 6128 cots 260? means you win 33?
and you save 1 cpu cooler a good one costs 50?
means in real you save 140? if you don't buy an c32 system
right but its not logical thats because the 12 core do have the same cores in it...
maybe that 6core are just better selected 'dies'
i run linux over 6 years now. 3 years with nvidia and 3 years with ati cards.
but yes my memory can not tell you all my crashes in detail ..
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maybe you combare it between the best hdd and the cheapest/worst ssd ?
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And I said that things like 3D rendering (which would include Blender) are more workstation applications than they are desktop applications.
The games I do rarely play I play in single player vs. the computer mode, which don't require all that much from a system if you aren't running the absolute newest games or demand to run everything on super-high-ultimate settings. The last online multiplayer game I played was the original Counter-Strike, which ran fine on 1 GHz PIIIs.
means you can play CTI in OFP and wafare in arma2 single player vs the KI or coop multiplayer vs the KI.
you don't get the point because arma2 uses databased self learning KI for the singleplayer
means you can play an single player with over 1500 units
but for arma2 you need an strong cpu in the cti/wafare mode also if you play in the lowest settings thats because the settings only pulls the graphic down and not the "KI"
And what are the weaknesses other than the old NVIDIA chipset?
means next time i buy a single socket and nothing blocks my super big fat 1kg Mugen cooler
No need to shell out a bunch of money for C32 heatsinks. You can most likely reuse your Socket F heatsinks on a C32 board, as long as the heatsinks are 3.5" pitch. If they are 4.1" pitch, you can use them on a Socket G34 board. You can also use regular AM2/AM3 desktop heatsinks with C32 systems. Many C32 motherboards include the appropriate mounting brackets, else find a Socket 754 or 939 mounting bracket on eBay or from a dead board somewhere. (AM2 or AM3 won't work as they have four bolt holes, 754/939 and Socket F/C32 have two bolt holes.
one of the mainboard an tyan one dies and i sold the oner one (asus)later after that.
and hey all server heatsinks are just BAD BAD BAD BAD! and loud!
bad and loud just because they save "place" and for my use i have place over place all over...
my mugen cooler is 160cm high and this kind of heatsinks cool an opteron passiv
so really the server heatsinks are so fucked up.
in germany the cheapest price for that board is 270?
the cheapest Supermicro H8SGL-F is 227?
means you save 43? if you don't buy an C32 dualsocket board!
and an AMD Opteron 4170 2.1ghz costs 170? and 2 of them 340?
yes thats 12 cores if you calculate that for 8 cores it costs 227?
an AMD Opteron 6128 cots 260? means you win 33?
and you save 1 cpu cooler a good one costs 50?
means in real you save 140? if you don't buy an c32 system
No, the Opteron 4164 EE should have the most multithreaded performance per watt of the Opteron lineup. It's a 6-core unit at 1.80 GHz with a 35-watt TDP, while the 6164 HE is a 1.70 GHz 12-core with an 85-watt TDP. Two 4164 EEs would have a combined TDP of 70 watts and run 12 cores at 1.80 GHz.
maybe that 6core are just better selected 'dies'
What are you running for an operating system and what kinds of crashes are you talking about? If you're running Windows, that's probably why you are getting crashes and needing to restart all of the time.
but yes my memory can not tell you all my crashes in detail ..
What do you mean by "check the RAM," run Memtest86+ after a reboot? ECC memory is used mostly to detect and correct soft errors that result from bit flipping during RAM operation due to background radiation and such. Cutting the power to the memory during a hard reboot would "fix" the flipped bit and you will see nothing in Memtest86+. The only thing you'll see in Memtest86+ are generally hard errors due to flaky/failing RAM or motherboard. ECC will certainly pick that up too, but you're really looking at two different things there.
The system stability depends on a lot of things besides RAM. Software and drivers are an obvious culprit, as is the power supply and the noisiness of the power coming from the outlet. You could be running your ECC RAM in Chipkill mode with an 8-hour DRAM scrub, but if you're running Windows Me and powering that system from a $20 cheap Chinese PSU optimistically rated at 300 watts, you're going to be horribly unstable. That's obviously an exaggeration, but you get my point.
is more importand means i don't have the money to waste my money on less importand stuff
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Originally posted by deanjo View Post*cough* http://jonpeddie.com/blogs/comments/...m-workstation/ *cough*
workstation means openGL and openGL mostly can not use more than 1 theat for putting the graphic into the gpu
means a faster single theatet cpu wins means intel wins
DX11 for exampel fix that on dx11 you can use more than 1 theat for putting graphic into the gpu..
i don't know the status of opengl4 and multitask graphik pulling..
amd just lose on bad/old software
its just not the time for 24/32 cores on an dualsocket workstation system..
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i don't care about bad software
but i care on good software and last time i check cpu cores in use on an raytracing engine the count goes to 64 theats... in blender
i think the real clue is "I don't have the game"
and you never be a fan of OFP-CTI or arma2-wafare
you never touch an war game with over 1600 ki's and 128 human players and 10 000 view distance on an 225km? map with the highest skilled KI over the world.
"but I am pretty sure it does not need 12 cores or 64 GB of RAM to run."
need? well it does not need but if you wana do what i wana do in the game you really wana have that stuff because you don't wana die in the game.
in the end arma2 supports 12 cores and 64gb ram i don't care about the minimum pc hardware rate or an optimum hardware rate for the single player missions.
i only care about the maximum on the CTI/wafare multiplayer map with 128 players and 1408 Ki s with all settings on max.
c32 is the next step of the socket f 1207 my last opteron system
so i really know the weakness and i don't wana have that again.
the g34 is much better because you save money on the cooling solution 50? every socked against an c32 system.
and an single socket g34 is ATX and not Eatx so you can build smaler systems.
and the g34 opterons do have more speed per watt usage.
i got zero benefit out of my last ECC system
the system also crashes and need restards
and an non ECC system works well if you check the ram from time to time.
i call you an laier in that point because my last opteron crashes with ECC ram
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Originally posted by deanjo View Post*cough* http://jonpeddie.com/blogs/comments/...m-workstation/ *cough*
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It's hard to imagine a whole that would exceed the sum of these parts. Neko Case, k.d. lang and Laura Veirs have little to prove individually — they've each made vital, emotionally gripping music throughout their careers, which in lang's case spans more than three decades — so their new supergroup is bound to seem, at least on paper, like something between a lark and a victory lap.
And yet case/lang/veirs, their first album together, feels like something far more substantial and exciting: a worthy extension of three tremendous catalogs, in which three great singer-songwriters sound enhanced and invigorated by the challenge of living up to each other's legacies. The album's opening song, "Atomic Number," grants them equal time to trade lines, blend and showcase their formidable voices, and still build a tune that breathes as a hooky and inviting whole.
The rest of case/lang/veirs finds the three singers leaving each other greater leeway to take solo turns, and each gets her share of powerful highlights. Veirs takes the lead in "Song For Judee," in which she tells the sad story of folk-rock singer Judee Sill in a way that touches on sordid details without sacrificing the empathy, humanity and grace at the core of so many Laura Veirs songs. Case's entries, particularly "Delirium" and "Supermoon," would fit neatly on any of her recent solo albums — which, given the quality of those records, is a high compliment. And lang, ever the polished pro, lets her warmth and gravitas elevate everything her voice touches. With its glorious high notes, "Blue Fires" provides a particularly exquisite showcase for lang's vocal gift, which remains undiminished if not improved over time.
There's a generosity of spirit to case/lang/veirs; a sense that all three singers share this particular spotlight eagerly. Along the way, that allows each to shine alongside two of the best backing voices in the business. But their individuality isn't lost, either: When Case takes the lead in "Behind The Armory," she hits one of those moments — heard so often on her own records — in which a few words, arranged just so, capture a young lifetime of wounded pride and compromised expectations. "Still I want you to love me," she sings in the song's chorus, as the song drops away to make room for the gravity of the confession. It's an intensely intimate moment, and yet, like everything on case/lang/veirs, it's all the more potent for the company it keeps.
case/lang/veirs, 'case/lang/veirs'
Artist: case/lang/veirs
Album: case/lang/veirs

subset: commoncrawl


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#266 SOMME AVENUE SW, Calgary, ABMLS®#: C3570738
Listing Overview
- Sold on 2013-06-14
- Property Address#266 SOMME AVENUE SW, Calgary, AB, Canada
- TypeHouse
- Style2 Storey
- BasementFinished
- ParkingDouble Garage Detached
- Year Built2003
- Taxes$5,240
- Living Area2,228 sq.ft.
- Bedrooms4
- Bathrooms3 full & 1 half
- School DistrictCalgary Board of Education
#266 SOMME AVENUE SW, Calgary, AB, Canada
Bright open 2 Sty by AVI Homes. On a 40' lot. Great location across from walking park & TOT lot. Walk to all amenities. 3000+sqft of living space, this 2226sqft 4 bed/4 bath home has a fully-fin basement & oversized dbl detach garage. Flat painted ceilings, custom built closets & cabinetry, modern stainless accents, 2 fireplaces, b-i speakers, integrated roller blinds, irrigation & oversized (8') garage door. Open main floor w/ vaulted front foyer, formal dining room, office, butler's pantry, open kitchen & living room/family room w/ a wood/gas fp w/ stainless surround. Gourmet kitchen feat. stainless backsplash, nook, & high-end stainless appliances incl. a gas range and Bosch d/w. Upstairs contains the master w/ large walk in closet & modern ensuite w/ corner soaker tub & 2 sinks. 2 more bdrms, a 4 pc bath & laundry rm complete the 2nd floor. Basement is sound wired w/ living/rec rm, fitness area, 1 bedrm, 4 pce bath. Landscaped & fenced backyard feat. a TREX deck & built in speakers. 2 Furnaces
Listing Provided By
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The data relating to real estate on this web site comes in part from the MLS® Reciprocity program of the Calgary Real Estate Board (CREB®). This information is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed accurate by the CREB®.


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62 - Viognier
There was a time when all the world knew of Viognier was a lousy 14 hectares in France. Luckily for us, Viognier has grown to about 2,000 hectares today, with plantings in nearly every major wine region. On today's show, the Wine Warriors sample some 100% Viognier wines from Washington, France, California, and Australia. Then, Scott walks the crew through a discussion on Malolactic Fermentation.
Mercer - Culloden Vineyard - 2013 Viognier
Domaine de Montfaucon - 2014 Viognier
Cline - North Coast - 2016 Viognier
As promised... THE GREATEST AUSSIE EVER!
Visit www.trywinc.com/winewars for free shipping and $20 off of your first order from WINC. Use the promo code WineWars at checkout.
Visit www.audibletrial.com/winewars for a free audiobook and 30-day free trial of Audible. Look for Cork Dork by Bianca Bosker.
Visit us on all the social medias!


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Kim asked:
So I mentioned last week that a song played on the radio and brought tears to my eyes…it was what I needed to hear at that very moment from God….to just be held.
Has God ever showed you a moment that you just needed to let go and be held as He arranged your world?
First of all, thank you Kim, for your question! And the answer is definitely, YES!!
Recently, I have been praying that God would redeem and restore some of my broken relationships…one, in particular. I was actually listening to a secular radio station and heard a song that, surprisingly, hit the very core of me. Tears began to stream down my face. And if that wasn't enough, as I came around a corner and over a hill – suddenly – a brilliant rainbow came into full view! Whenever I see a rainbow, I am reminded that God keeps His promises. I was so overwhelmed that I probably should have pulled the car over (but there was really nowhere to stop). I sobbed all the way home. Both pain, and the hope of God's promises, flowed through those tears. And in the midst of all of the outpouring emotion – God's peace washed over me.
I'm looking forward to the restoration of those relationships. I don't know when, or how, restoration will come…but God has shown me that it WILL come!
I love those moments. In the midst of our sorrow and loneliness, He is always ready to remind us that He is right there with us – that He never leaves us nor forsakes us. As I look back at my moments of utter brokenness, I see Him right there, picking up the pieces and making something beautiful. Something that He can use to tell His story, through me, to this fallen world.
I'm so happy that he met you in that moment. It was a precious reminder that He sees your struggle and your heartbreak…and that He not only holds those pieces, but that He'll use it for His glory…and for your good. Oh, how He loves you, Kim!!
The song Kim shared is "Just Be Held" by Casting Crowns. If you find yourself in a place of brokenness, hurt, heartache, struggle, hopelessness, need… take a few moments to listen to the healing balm that is this song – and trust that God is holding you.
Thank you, again, Kim for sharing this moment. It has blessed me…and I know it will bless others.
Listen: Just Be Held – Casting Crowns
(lyrics to Just Be Held)
Hold it all together
Everybody needs you strong
But life hits you out of nowhere
And barely leaves you holding on
And when you're tired of fighting
Chained by your control
There's freedom in surrender
Lay it down and let it go
So when you're on your knees and answers seem so far away
You're not alone, stop holding on and just be held
Your world's not falling apart, it's falling into place
I'm on the throne, stop holding on and just be held
Just be held, just be held
If your eyes are on the storm
You'll wonder if I love you still
But if your eyes are on the cross
You'll know I always have and I always will
And not a tear is wasted
In time, you'll understand
I'm painting beauty with the ashes
Your life is in My hands
Lift your hands, lift your eyes
In the storm is where you'll find Me
And where you are, I'll hold your heart
I'll hold your heart
Come to Me, find your rest
In the arms of the God who won't let go
Publishing: © 2013 Sony/ATV Tree Publishing (BMI) All rights on behalf of Sony/ATV Tree Publishing administered by Sony/ATV. / My Refuge Music (BMI) (adm. at CapitolCMGPublishing.com) / Songs of Universal, Inc. (BMI) / G650 Music (BMI) / Songs for Emily Music Publishing (ASCAP). All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Writer(s): Mark Hall, Bernie Herms, Matthew West


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Two themes in Bhagavad Gita that I found pertinent even in the context of modern age and valuable for a reader who may not even be from a Hindu religious tradition are: i) advocacy of the idea of detached action as opposed to inaction as a means to the goal of self-realization and ii) the importance of focusing and controlling mind to find oneself integrated and at peace. It is evident, as we shall also see shortly, that one may not be well-versed in Hindu theology, or may find it baffling to perceive metaphysical notions such as the all-pervasive Brahman or the mind-body duality; one may still find these themes applicable within one's own contexts.
In contrast with Upanishads wherein the sages seemed to urge renunciation as a means to attain unity with Brahman, Krishna in Bhagavad Gita encourages action rather than inaction: "so perform action which is restrained, for this action is better than non-action; and even the working of your body would not succeed without action" (p. 38). Krishna suggests that action cannot be avoided and there is no possibility of life without it; however the action that he prescribes as correct is in line with one's dharma and also "restrained" or "without clinging": neither attached to the outcomes of the action nor directed to please ones sensual desires or ego. Gita appears to teach that such attitude can be developed through devotion to Brahman or Krishna (Brahman is Krishna's "womb" (p. 155)) and transcending bodily concerns. Krishna discourages renunciation by implying that people may renounce out of confusion, pain, or fear (p. 186) which makes renunciation selfish or "based on desire" (p. 185). Acting without a desire or "giving up of all fruit of action is called letting go" (p. 185). This prescription of detached action makes it more practicable than renunciation because of the ever-present necessity of earning a livelihood. Moreover, in current age wherein most individuals oftentimes find themselves amidst aggressive competition and challenges, the idea of detached action whereby the individual cultivates the serene mindset through which he strives only to do well without either excessively obsessing about winning or attaching his self-worth to the result of his actions may be helpful in curbing the routine anxieties. Such attitude may bring a feeling of mental 'liberation' – even if not in the spiritual sense of the realization of an eternal divine acting through the person.
Krishna teaches the importance of self-discipline achieved through meditative exercises to attain not only union with Brahman but also an eternal state of bliss: "who is peaceful in mind, whose passions are calm without evil, of one being with Brahman, reaches the highest joy" (p. 77), and "for one whose thought does not ever go elsewhere, who eternally remembers me … who practices yoga… I am easy to find" (p. 96). In the modern age wherein technological inroads have deeply impacted the human mind, even my personal experience at meditating has more often than not been thwarted by multiple distractions, ever-present in the mind and oftentimes trivial, caused by electronic gadgets, social media notifications, information overload, insurmountably distracting thoughts, and concerns about important emails or deadlines to meet and so forth. These battles a modern person faces against the scattering influences that damage the unity of the mind were surprisingly voiced by Arjuna's relatable concerns when he pointed out the difficulties in the way of focus caused by "the mind's instability" and "the mind is ever straying, troubling, strong and unyielding; I think holding it back is as hard to bring about as holding back the wind" (p. 79), to which Krishna assures that "straying mind, without doubt, is hard to hold back – but by practice… it is held back… …it is possible to reach yoga for one whose self is reined in by striving in skilful ways" (p. 79-80). Thus Krishna assures, to Arjuna but also to a modern reader, that focus, elimination of distractions, and single-mindedness of meditation is possible by skill and perseverance. Even if not to realize union with Brahman, a modern person may find this assurance of successful meditation (by devoting thoughts to a single point of focus or any higher power) helpful in the interest of self-integration as well as a peaceful and focused mind.


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On Valentine's Day, Portland's Multnomah County Library launched the latest MUSICat site, the Library Music Project, with an open call for submissions from local artists. Given the stellar reputation of Portland's music scene, we expect amazing things from the opening collection set to be published later this spring. Javier Gutierrez, director of collections and technical services for the library, says "The Portland area is already known for its vibrant music scene. This new collection is a great opportunity for the library to help showcase and share all of the great talent in our community."
The Library Music Project submission launch is already picking up some great local press from The Skanner and Willamette Week, where reporter Abby Gordon notes: "Before Spotify, there was the public library."
For those of you counting along at home, this is Rabble's second MUSICat site launch in as many weeks (read more about Salt Lake City's HUM here). There's much more to come throughout 2018, so stay with us.


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Drink to health, wealth and prosperity this Diwali in ornate glasses that will take your festive table decorations up a notch
Before you're ready to pop that bottle of champagne for your Diwali lunch or dinner, it is imperative to set the table to reflect the merriment (if you're falling behind on your meal setting, browse through our quick table decoration guide here). Often, it becomes a difficult task to find the perfect glasses for the all-important festive toast.
We've compiled a list of must have glasses for you to pour some bubbly in and enjoy with your near and dear ones.
For quick options, browse our gallery below


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Recent clinical studies have revealed a new hypertrophic cardiomyopathy–associated mutation (F87L) in the central region of human cardiac troponin T (TnT). However, despite its implication in several incidences of sudden cardiac death in young and old adults, whether F87L is associated with cardiac contractile dysfunction is unknown. Because the central region of TnT is important for modulating the muscle length–mediated recruitment of new force-bearing cross-bridges (XBs), we hypothesize that the F87L mutation causes molecular changes that are linked to the length-dependent activation of cardiac myofilaments. Length-dependent activation is important because it contributes significantly to the Frank–Starling mechanism, which enables the heart to vary stroke volume as a function of changes in venous return. We measured steady-state and dynamic contractile parameters in detergent-skinned guinea pig cardiac muscle fibers reconstituted with recombinant guinea pig wild-type TnT (TnTWT) or the guinea pig analogue (TnTF88L) of the human mutation at two different sarcomere lengths (SLs): short (1.9 µm) and long (2.3 µm). TnTF88L increases pCa50 (−log [Ca2+]free required for half-maximal activation) to a greater extent at short SL than at long SL; for example, pCa50 increases by 0.25 pCa units at short SL and 0.17 pCa units at long SL. The greater increase in pCa50 at short SL leads to the abolishment of the SL-dependent increase in myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity (ΔpCa50) in TnTF88L fibers, ΔpCa50 being 0.10 units in TnTWT fibers but only 0.02 units in TnTF88L fibers. Furthermore, at short SL, TnTF88L attenuates the negative impact of strained XBs on force-bearing XBs and augments the magnitude of muscle length–mediated recruitment of new force-bearing XBs. Our findings suggest that the TnTF88L-mediated effects on cardiac thin filaments may lead to a negative impact on the Frank–Starling mechanism.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) mutations in the central region (CR; residues 80–180) of cardiac troponin T (TnT) are not well tolerated, perhaps because of their negative impact on thin filament cooperativity and length-dependent activation of cardiac myofilaments. Previous work from our laboratory has demonstrated that the structural integrity of CR is important for thin filament cooperativity and length-dependent activation of cardiac myofilaments (Ford et al., 2012; Gollapudi and Chandra, 2016a,b). Recent studies have suggested that impairment of length-dependent activation may be one of the primary mechanisms by which HCM mutations lead to altered cardiac phenotype and deleterious complications associated with HCM (Sequeira et al., 2013). Clinical data have recently discovered a mutation in the CR of human TnT (F87L) that is associated with HCM and high incidences of sudden cardiac death in young and old adults (Gimeno et al., 2009). However, cardiac contractile dysfunction associated with the F87L mutation in human TnT is unknown.
Mutation-mediated impairment of length-dependent activation may have significant implications for intact heart function because length-dependent activation underlies the molecular basis for the Frank–Starling mechanism, which describes the ability of the heart to regulate cardiac output in response to beat-to-beat variations in end-diastolic volume (Allen and Kentish, 1985; Plotnick et al., 1986; Holubarsch et al., 1996; Konhilas et al., 2002a; Nowak et al., 2007; Abraham et al., 2016). Indeed, impairment of length-dependent activation has been observed in several cases of cardiomyopathies (van Dijk et al., 2012) and failing human hearts (Schwinger et al., 1994; Sequeira et al., 2013). At the myofilament level, cardiac muscle exhibits pronounced length-dependent activation, whereby an increase in sarcomere length (SL) augments myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity (Allen and Kentish, 1985; Wang and Fuchs, 1994; Konhilas et al., 2002a), leading to the recruitment of force-bearing cross-bridges (XBs) and an increase in myocardial force production. Such SL-mediated enhancement of myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity is regulated by cooperative mechanisms that feed back to activate cardiac thin filaments in response to an increase in SL (Allen and Kentish, 1985; Fitzsimons and Moss, 1998; Moss and Fitzsimons, 2002; Smith et al., 2009). In this context, interventions that increase myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity and/or alter XB-based cooperative mechanisms have been shown to alter SL-dependent function in cardiac muscle (Fitzsimons and Moss, 1998; Arteaga et al., 2000; Ford et al., 2012; Kobirumaki-Shimozawa et al., 2014). For example, a previous study has demonstrated that the R92L mutation in the CR of mouse TnT enhances myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity but abolishes the SL-mediated increase in myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity (Ford et al., 2012). Because thin filament cooperativity and muscle length (ML)-mediated XB recruitment dynamics are significantly modulated by the CR of TnT (Gollapudi et al., 2013), HCM-associated mutations in the CR are expected to have a negative impact on length-dependent activation.
To investigate the effect of F87L on contractile function and whether such effects varied in an SL-dependent manner, recombinant guinea pig wild-type TnT (TnTWT) and mutant TnT (TnTF88L) were generated and reconstituted into detergent-skinned papillary muscle fibers isolated from guinea pig left ventricles. Guinea pig cardiac tissue was preferred because guinea pigs, like humans (Narolska et al., 2005a,b), predominantly express the β-myosin heavy chain (β-MHC) isoform in the myocardium (van der Velden et al., 1998). MHC isoform becomes an important aspect to consider when assessing the effect of mutations in the CR because the effects of CR on contractile function are modulated differently by α- and β-MHC isoforms (Ford et al., 2012; Gollapudi and Chandra, 2016a,b). For example, R92L in TnT abolishes the length-dependent increase in myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity in β-MHC–expressing fibers, but not in α-MHC–expressing fibers, suggesting that the effect of TnT-mediated changes on length-dependent activation depends on the type of MHC isoform (Ford et al., 2012). In addition, muscle fibers expressing β-MHC have been shown to exhibit steeper SL-dependent changes in dynamic contractile parameters (Korte and McDonald, 2007; Ford et al., 2012). Steady-state and dynamic contractile parameters were measured in TnTWT and TnTF88L muscle fibers at two different SLs (1.9 µm and 2.3 µm). Our results demonstrated that TnTF88L abolished the SL-mediated increase in cardiac myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity. Moreover, the magnitude of ML-mediated recruitment of XBs (ER) and the negative impact of strained XBs on recruitment of force-bearing XBs (γ) were altered in an SL-dependent manner.
Materials and methods
Animal protocols
8–10-mo-old male Dunkin-Hartley guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus) acquired from Charles River were used in this study. All animals were housed in environmentally controlled rooms of an Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care–accredited facility under 12-h light and dark cycles. All animals received proper care and treatment in accordance with the preapproved protocols by Washington State University Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. The procedures for euthanizing guinea pigs conformed to the recommendations of the American Veterinary Medical Association, as outlined in the Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals.
Expression and purification of recombinant guinea pig cardiac troponin subunits
Recombinant c-myc–tagged guinea pig TnT (TnTWT and TnTF88L), guinea pig WT troponin I (TnI), and guinea pig WT troponin C (TnC) were generated and cloned into a pSBETa vector (GenScript USA). The inclusion of the c-myc tag has been previously shown to have no effect on contractile function (Tardiff et al., 1998; Montgomery et al., 2001; Chandra et al., 2005). Recombinant DNA was transformed and expressed in BL21*DE3 cells (Invitrogen). In brief, TnTWT and TnTF88L were purified by ion-exchange chromatography on a DEAE-Fast Sepharose column (GE Healthcare Biosciences). TnI was purified using a CM Sepharose ion-exchange column, and TnC was purified using a DE-52 column and phenyl Sepharose column. Details on protein purification can be found in the Supplemental materials and methods.
Reconstitution of recombinant troponin complexes in detergent-skinned guinea pig cardiac muscle fibers
Left ventricular guinea pig papillary muscle fibers were prepared and detergent skinned, as described in the Supplemental materials and methods. Reconstitution of recombinant troponin into cardiac muscle fibers was done as previously described (Chandra et al., 1999; Gollapudi et al., 2012; Mamidi et al., 2013). Recombinant TnTWT or TnTF88L (0.9 mg/ml, wt/vol) and TnI (1.0 mg/ml, wt/vol) were dissolved in an exchange buffer containing the following: 50 mM Tris-HCl, 6 M urea, and 1.0 mM KCl, pH 8.0, at 4°C (buffer 1). To remove high salt and urea, proteins were successively dialyzed against 50 mM Tris-HCl, 4 M urea, and 0.7 M KCl, pH 8.0, at 4°C (buffer 2); 50 mM Tris-HCl, 2 M urea, and 0.5 M KCl, pH 8.0, at 4°C (buffer 3); and 50 mM N,N-bis (2-hydroxyethyl)-2-aminoethanesulfonic acid (BES), 200 mM KCl, 10 mM 2,3-butanedione monoxime (BDM), 6.27 mM MgCl2, and 5 mM EGTA, pH 7.0, at 22°C (buffer 4). All buffers included a cocktail of protease inhibitors (0.2 mM PMSF, 2 mM benzamidine-HCl, 1 mM dithiothreitol (DTT), and 0.01% sodium azide). Any undissolved protein in the exchange buffer was removed by centrifugation at 3,000 rpm for 15 min. Detergent-skinned fiber bundles were treated with the exchange buffer containing TnTWT + TnI or TnTF88L + TnI for ∼3 h at room temperature (22°C) with gentle stirring. Muscle fiber bundles were then washed twice (10 min each) with buffer 4 to remove remnants of exchange buffer, followed by overnight incubation at 4°C in high-relaxing solution containing TnC (3.0 mg/ml, wt/vol).
Measurement of isometric steady-state tension and ATPase activity
Steady-state isometric tension was measured in muscle fibers at various pCa values (−log10 of [Ca2+]free), as previously described (de Tombe and Stienen, 1995; Stienen et al., 1995; Campbell et al., 2004; Gollapudi et al., 2015). The composition of pCa solutions can be found in the Supplemental materials and methods. In brief, muscle fibers were mounted between a motor arm (322C; Aurora Scientific) and a force transducer (AE 801; Sensor One Technologies). SL was set to 1.9 or 2.3 µm in high-relaxing solution using He-Ne laser diffraction technique (de Tombe and Stienen, 1995). Each muscle fiber was exposed to various pCa solutions ranging from 4.3 to 9.0 in a constantly stirred chamber maintained at a temperature of 20°C. Force responses were recorded on a computer at a sampling rate of 1 kHz. Isometric steady-state tension was calculated at each pCa and normalized to maximal tension (tension at pCa 4.3). Normalized steady-state tension was then plotted against respective pCa to construct the pCa–tension relationship. For each muscle fiber, the Hill equation was fitted to the normalized pCa–tension data to estimate two parameters, pCa50 and nH, indices of myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity and myofilament cooperativity, respectively.
ATPase activity was measured using an enzymatically coupled reaction that couples the breakdown and regeneration of ATP to the oxidation of NADH (de Tombe and Stienen, 1995; Stienen et al., 1995; Chandra et al., 2006). In brief, near-UV light was projected through the measuring chamber, and a beam splitter (50:50) was used to detect wavelengths of 340 nm (sensitive to changes in NADH) and 400 nm (insensitive to changes in NADH). Because the oxidation of NADH is enzymatically coupled to the breakdown and regeneration of ATP, changes in ATPase activity can be estimated from changes in NADH, which is measured by changes in UV absorbance at 340 nm. The UV absorbance signal of NADH was calibrated by multiple injections of 250 pmol ADP into the measuring chamber. Tension cost was derived from the ATPase–tension relationship, as previously described (de Tombe and Stienen, 1995; Chandra et al., 2015).
Measurement of muscle fiber mechanodynamics
Upon attainment of maximal steady-state activation, the motor arm was commanded to elicit various amplitude stretch/release perturbations (±0.5, ±1.0, ±1.5, and ±2.0% of the initial ML) to the attached muscle fibers (Ford et al., 2010). Each length perturbation was maintained for 5 s, and the corresponding force responses were recorded to highlight three different phases. As described previously (Ford et al., 2010), a nonlinear recruitment-distortion (NLRD) model was fitted to the force response phases to estimate five model parameters: the magnitude of the instantaneous increase in force caused by a sudden increase in ML (ED); the rate by which force drops because of dissipation of strain within bound XBs (c); a nonlinear interaction term representing the negative effect of strained XBs on other force-bearing XBs (γ); the rate by which XBs are recruited into the force-bearing state at the new ML (b); and the magnitude of increase in steady-state force caused by recruitment of additional force-bearing XBs at the increased ML (ER). Fig. 1 depicts the length protocol of 2% sudden stretch (Fig. 1 A) and the corresponding force response (Fig. 1 B) from a muscle fiber. Details on the physiological significance of each model parameter can be found in the Supplemental materials and methods.
Rate constant of tension redevelopment
The rate constant of tension redevelopment (ktr) was estimated using a modified version of the large slack/restretch maneuver originally designed by Brenner and Eisenberg (1986) and is described in the Supplemental materials and methods.
Statistical analysis
Our experimental model investigated the effects of two factors, TnT (TnTWT and TnTF88L) and SL (1.9 and 2.3 µm). Thus, two-way ANOVA was constructed to analyze the effect of TnT on each contractile parameter at a given SL. A significant TnT–SL interaction effect suggested that the effect of TnTF88L on a given parameter was dissimilar at different SLs. When the interaction was not significant, we assessed the main effect of TnT at different SLs. To determine the source of significant interaction or main effect, post hoc t tests using Fisher's least significant difference (LSD) method were analyzed. The criterion for statistical significance was set to P < 0.05. Data are presented as mean ± SEM.
Online supplemental material
Details regarding expression and purification of recombinant guinea pig cardiac troponin subunits, preparation of guinea pig cardiac muscle fibers, Western blot analysis of reconstituted muscle fiber samples, composition of pCa solutions, NLRD model parameters, and measurement of ktr can be found in the Supplemental materials and methods. Western blot analysis of reconstituted muscle fibers (Fig. S1) and contractile dynamic data regarding the effect of TnTF88L at submaximal activation (Table S1) are also included.
Western blot analysis of recombinant TnT incorporation in guinea pig cardiac muscle fibers
To assess the level of recombinant TnT incorporation, reconstituted TnTWT or TnTF88L muscle fibers were solubilized in 2.5% SDS solution and run on 8% SDS gel to separate endogenous and recombinant (c-myc–tagged) TnT, as described in Supplemental materials and methods. The inclusion of the c-myc tag at the N terminus allowed us to separate recombinant TnT (TnTWT or TnTF88L) from the endogenous TnT via different migration on SDS gel. We and others have previously shown that the c-myc epitope at the N terminus of TnT does not affect cardiac function (Tardiff et al., 1998; Montgomery et al., 2001; Chandra et al., 2005). To quantify the level of incorporation of recombinant TnT (i.e., the amount of total endogenous TnT that was replaced by recombinant TnT) in reconstituted muscle fibers, we used Western blot analysis. Densitometric analysis of the band profiles from the Western blot revealed that the incorporation level of c-myc–tagged TnTWT was 77 ± 6%, and that of c-myc–tagged TnTF88L was 72 ± 7% (Fig. S1). Values reported as mean ± SD; n = 3.
Effect of TnTF88L on Ca2+-activated tension and ED at short and long SLs
To determine whether TnTF88L altered maximal tension and whether this effect varied in an SL-dependent manner, we assessed steady-state tension at maximal Ca2+ activation at both short and long SLs. Two-way ANOVA did not show a significant TnT–SL interaction effect (P = 0.28) or a significant TnT main effect (P = 0.66) on maximal tension (Table 1). To corroborate our findings on maximal tension, we assessed ED. Previous studies have shown that ED is strongly correlated to maximal tension and is therefore an index of the number of strongly bound XBs (Campbell et al., 2004; Ford et al., 2010). Similar to our findings on maximal tension, two-way ANOVA did not show a significant TnT–SL interaction effect (P = 0.22) or a significant TnT main effect (P = 0.74) on ED. At short SL, ED was 639 mN/mm3 for TnTWT fibers and 690 mN/mm3 for TnTF88L fibers. At long SL, ED was 897 mN/mm3 for TnTWT fibers and 867 mN/mm3 for TnTF88L fibers. Observed changes in maximal tension and ED suggest that TnTF88L does not alter maximal activation.
Although TnTF88L did not alter maximal activation, we observed a substantial effect on tension at submaximal activations (pCa 5.6). At short SL, tension at pCa 5.6 was 4.59 mN/mm2 for TnTWT fibers and 17.33 mN/mm2 for TnTF88L fibers. At long SL, tension at pCa 5.6 was 14.02 mN/mm2 for TnTWT fibers and 27.16 mN/mm2 for TnTF88L fibers. Two-way ANOVA of tension at pCa 5.6 did not show a significant interaction effect (P = 0.85), but the main effect of TnT was significant (P < 0.001). TnTF88L increased tension at pCa 5.6 to a greater extent at short SL (278%, P < 0.001) than at long SL (93%; P < 0.001). Because of this greater increase in tension at short SL, the SL-dependent increase in tension at pCa 5.6 was ∼3.6-fold less in TnTF88L fibers compared with TnTWT fibers. The SL-mediated increase in tension at pCa 5.6 was 207% in TnTWT fibers (P < 0.001), whereas it was only 57% in TnTF88L fibers (P < 0.001). Our data on submaximal tension demonstrates that the SL-mediated increase in force is significantly attenuated by TnTF88L, suggesting that TnTF88L may blunt ML-mediated increase in force production in heart muscle, which normally operates under submaximal activating conditions.
Effect of TnTF88L on pCa50 and nH at short and long SLs
A comparison of pCa–tension relationships shows a leftward shift in the pCa–tension relationship of TnTF88L muscle fibers at both short SL (Fig. 2 A) and long SL (Fig. 2 B). A cursory look indicates that the magnitude of leftward shift in pCa–tension relationship is greater at short than at long SL, suggesting that TnTF88L increases myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity to a greater extent at short SL than at long SL. To quantify the magnitude of TnTF88L-mediated effect on pCa–tension relationship, we used Hill model–derived parameters, pCa50 and nH. Two-way ANOVA revealed a significant TnT–SL interaction effect (P = 0.003) on pCa50, suggesting that the effect of TnTF88L on pCa50 is dissimilar at different SLs. Post hoc t tests indicated that TnTF88L significantly increased pCa50 to a greater extent at short SL (0.25 units; P < 0.001; Fig. 2 C) than at long SL (0.17 units; P < 0.001; Fig. 2 C). This differential effect on pCa50 impacted the SL dependence of pCa50 in TnTF88L muscle fibers, such that pCa50 was not different between short and long SL in TnTF88L muscle fibers. Although increasing SL from 1.9 to 2.3 µm significantly increased pCa50 by 0.10 units in TnTWT fibers (P < 0.001; Fig. 2 C), it did not significantly increase pCa50 in TnTF88L fibers (P = 0.22; Fig. 2 C), indicating that TnTF88L abolished the length-mediated increase in Ca2+ sensitivity, a major mechanism underlying cardiac length-dependent activation. With regard to nH, two-way ANOVA did not reveal a significant TnT–SL interaction effect on nH (P = 0.84); however, the main effect of TnT was significant (P < 0.001). Post hoc t tests revealed that TnTF88L attenuated nH at both short SL (12%; P = 0.011; Fig. 2 D) and long SL (15%; P = 0.005; Fig. 2 D), suggesting an impact on mechanisms governing myofilament cooperativity. This impact on myofilament cooperativity and abolishment of length-mediated increase in Ca2+ sensitivity blunted the SL-mediated increase in tension at all Ca2+ concentrations tested (Fig. 3).
Effect of TnTF88L on the rate of XB detachment at short and long SLs
Previous studies have shown that mutations in TnT may alter the rate of XB detachment, g (Chandra et al., 2015; Gollapudi and Chandra, 2016a; Reda et al., 2016). Changes in SL have also been shown to impact g (Chandra et al., 2006; Stelzer and Moss, 2006; Ford and Chandra, 2013), such that an increase in SL decreases g and vice versa. To determine whether TnTF88L altered g, and whether such effect varied in an SL-dependent manner, we assessed estimates of c and tension cost. Previous studies have demonstrated a strong correlation between c and tension cost (Campbell et al., 2004; Gollapudi and Chandra, 2016b), and both provide an appropriate measure of XB detachment rate, g. c represents the rate of XB distortion dynamics after a sudden stretch in ML and is estimated by fitting the NLRD model to the family of force responses to various amplitude length perturbations. Two-way ANOVA of c did not show a significant TnT–SL interaction effect (P = 0.20) or a significant main effect of TnT (P = 0.32; Table 1). Our observations on c were corroborated by our estimates of tension cost. Two-way ANOVA of tension cost did not reveal a significant TnT–SL interaction effect (P = 0.13) or a significant main effect of TnT (P = 0.65; Table 1). Collectively, findings on c and tension cost strongly suggest that TnTF88L does not alter g.
Effect of TnTF88L on XB turnover rate at short and long SLs
To determine whether TnTF88L altered the rate of XB turnover, and whether such effect varied in an SL-dependent manner, we assessed changes in two independent contractile parameters, b and ktr. b represents the rate constant of delayed force rise after an increase in ML and is estimated by fitting the NLRD model to a family of force responses to various amplitude step-like ML perturbations (Ford et al., 2010); ktr represents the rate of force redevelopment after a large release–restretch length maneuver (Brenner and Eisenberg, 1986). Previous studies have shown that b and ktr are reliable measures of XB turnover rate (Campbell et al., 2004). Two-way ANOVA of b did not show a significant TnT–SL interaction effect (P = 0.37) or a significant main effect of TnT (P = 0.65; Table 1). Two-way ANOVA of ktr did not show a significant TnT–SL interaction effect (P = 0.49) or a significant main effect of TnT (P = 0.24; Table 1). Collectively, our observations suggest that TnTF88L does not alter XB turnover rate.
Effect of TnTF88L on γ at short and long SLs
In our NLRD model, parameter γ represents the nonlinear interaction term, which is formulated as an effect by which the distortion of bound XBs influences the recruitment of other XBs. γ is estimated by fitting the NLRD model to a family of force responses to various amplitude length perturbations (Ford et al., 2010). From a physiological standpoint, γ is an indicator of the negative effect that strained XBs have on other force-bearing XBs. For example, when the negative impact of strained XBs on the state of other force-bearing XBs is less pronounced, the magnitude of force decline brought about by detachment of strained XBs is lesser (less prominent nadir), and thus γ is lower. Because such XB-based interactions are mediated by cooperative interactions within the thick and thin filaments, γ is thought to be influenced by allosteric/cooperative mechanisms in the myofilaments. A comparison of force responses to 2% sudden stretch shows that TnTF88L induces a less pronounced force decline at short SL but has no effect at long SL (Fig. 4, A and B). Two-way ANOVA of γ showed a marginally significant TnT–SL interaction effect on γ (P = 0.051), suggesting that TnTF88L altered γ differently at short and long SLs. Post hoc analysis showed that TnTF88L significantly decreased γ at short SL (16%; P = 0.015; Fig. 4 C); however, TnTF88L had no effect at long SL (P = 0.77; Fig. 4 C) when compared with TnTWT. Differential effects on γ suggest that the TnTF88L-mediated impact on thin filament–based allosteric/cooperative processes—which mediate XB-based cooperativity—is different at short and long SLs. Such differential effects attenuate the SL dependence of γ in TnTF88L fibers; this is demonstrated by the observation that when SL was increased from 1.9 to 2.3 µm, γ decreased by 36% (P < 0.001; Fig. 4 C) in TnTWT fibers but decreased by only 21% (P = 0.006; Fig. 4 C) in TnTF88L fibers, suggesting that SL-dependent effects on cooperative mechanisms that govern γ are attenuated by TnTF88L. We also assessed γ at comparable levels of force generation in TnTWT and TnTF88L fibers during submaximal activations. Our data at submaximal activations corroborate our findings at maximal activation; TnTF88L significantly decreased γ only at short SL (Table S1).
Effect of TnTF88L on the magnitude of ML-mediated XB recruitment at short and long SLs
To determine the TnTF88L-mediated effect on the magnitude of ML-mediated XB recruitment, we assessed estimates of ER at maximal Ca2+ activation (pCa 4.3). ER represents the magnitude of delayed force rise in response to an increase in ML, an effect that is mediated by XB-based cooperative mechanisms (Campbell et al., 2004; Campbell and Chandra, 2006; Stelzer et al., 2006). ER is estimated by fitting the NLRD model to a family of force responses to various amplitude length perturbations (Ford et al., 2010). Two-way ANOVA revealed a significant TnT–SL interaction effect on ER (P = 0.031), suggesting that the effect of TnTF88L on ER was different at short and long SLs. Post hoc analysis confirmed that TnTF88L increased ER by 39% at short SL (P = 0.043; Fig. 5) but had no effect on ER at long SL (P = 0.25; Fig. 5), indicating that cooperative mechanisms governing ER were augmented at short SL. This dissimilar effect on ER at short and long SLs impacted the SL-mediated increase in ER; for example, post hoc analysis showed that increasing SL increased ER by 207% (P < 0.001; Fig. 5) in TnTWT fibers, but by only 105% (P < 0.001; Fig. 5) in TnTF88L fibers. Such an observation suggests that TnTF88L attenuates SL-dependent effects on cooperative mechanisms underlying ER. Here again, our data at submaximal activations corroborate our findings at maximal activation; TnTF88L significantly increased ER only at short SL (Table S1).
Data presented in this study provide novel insight regarding the effect of HCM-linked TnTF88L on contractile function and myofilament length-dependent activation. The major finding in our study is that the effect of TnTF88L mutation varies in an SL-dependent manner. Notably, TnTF88L increases pCa50 to a greater extent at short SL than at long SL, such that pCa50 is not different between short and long SLs in TnTF88L muscle fibers. That is, an increase in SL from 1.9 to 2.3 µm does not bring about the increase in pCa50 that is typically associated with length-dependent activation of cardiac myofilaments, suggesting an impact on mechanisms governing cardiac length-dependent activation. Given that length-dependent activation is a significant contributor to the Frank–Starling mechanism and that attenuated Frank–Starling mechanism is a hallmark of failing human hearts (Schwinger et al., 1994; van Dijk et al., 2012; Sequeira et al., 2013), our findings have important implications regarding cardiac dysfunction in patients harboring F87L.
Our observation that TnTF88L increases myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity to a greater extent at short SL than at long SL raises two important questions: (1) how does TnTF88L augment thin filament Ca2+ sensitivity, and (2) why is such an effect greater at short SL than at long SL? To address these questions, we must first consider mechanisms by which mutations in the CR of TnT may augment intrinsic thin filament responsiveness to Ca2+. TnTF88L is located in the CR, a region of TnT involved in allosteric/cooperative interactions that regulate Ca2+-mediated activation of thin filaments. Therefore, structural perturbations caused by mutations in the CR may affect processes regulating thin filament activation. In this regard, several lines of evidence show that mutations in the CR alter Ca2+ sensitivity of Tn by modifying allosteric interactions within the thin filament (Liu et al., 2012; Sommese et al., 2013; Williams et al., 2016); for example, I79N and E163K mutations in TnT increase Ca2+ affinity for Tn in reconstituted thin filament preparations containing actin:Tm:Tn (Sommese et al., 2013). However, I79N and E163K do not alter Ca2+ affinity for Tn in in vitro preparations containing TnT + TnI + TnC, suggesting two important points: (1) mutation-mediated effect on thin filament Ca2+ sensitivity is mediated by cooperative interactions within the thin filament, and (2) mechanisms other than a direct effect of the mutant on Tn Ca2+ sensitivity may be involved in altering thin filament Ca2+ sensitivity. Further support for this notion is provided by the observation that, although both R92L and R92W mutations in CR increase myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity in muscle fibers (Ford et al., 2012), the rate of Ca2+ dissociation from the isolated TnT + TnI + TnC complex is decreased by R92L but increased by R92W (Williams et al., 2016), suggesting that proper manifestation of the effect of CR mutations on myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity requires participation of allosteric/cooperative processes within the thin filament.
Structural changes in the CR of TnT may alter thin filament Ca2+ sensitivity by altering cooperative processes that affect the equilibrium between off/on states of regulatory unit (RU; Tn-Tm) located on actin filaments. CR not only promotes the binding of Tm to actin, but also aids in the assembly of Tm on the actin filament by promoting head-to-tail interactions between two contiguous Tms (Jackson et al., 1975; Heeley et al., 1987; Lehrer and Geeves, 1998; Palm et al., 2001). Therefore, CR plays a key role in mediating cooperative interactions between two neighboring RUs, which defines RU–RU cooperativity (Razumova et al., 2000). Thus, it is not surprising that mutations in CR modify RU–RU cooperativity by altering the coupling between CR and Tm (Palm et al., 2001; Hinkle and Tobacman, 2003). Because RU–RU cooperativity has the greatest effect on nH (Razumova et al., 2000), significant attenuation of nH is suggestive of a decrease in RU–RU cooperativity, which is expected to increase myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity (Razumova et al., 2000). To elaborate, at lower levels of Ca2+, when the majority of RUs are in the off state, cooperativity between two neighboring RUs tends to stabilize RUs in the off state. A consequence of this effect is that it requires more Ca2+ to activate RUs, which results in decreased Ca2+ sensitivity. When cooperative stabilization between neighboring RUs is decreased by TnTF88L, it decreases the threshold for Ca2+ to activate RUs, leading to increased Ca2+ sensitivity of thin filaments. Such attenuation of RU–RU cooperativity may result from the weakening of TnT–Tm interactions (Gangadharan et al., 2017) and/or an effect on Tm–Tm overlap junction; in theory, this would lower the effective stiffness of the Tm chain and decrease cooperative communication between RUs. This line of reasoning is consistent with previous findings that have suggested that one primary mechanism by which HCM-linked thin filament mutations enhance myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity is through attenuation of RU–RU cooperativity (Palm et al., 2001; Hinkle and Tobacman, 2003). Thus, a substantial increase in Ca2+ sensitivity in TnTF88L fibers may be attributed to alterations in thin filament allosteric/cooperative mechanisms brought about by structural changes in RU.
Although the above explanation provides a molecular basis for the TnTF88L-mediated effect on thin filament Ca2+ sensitivity, it does not explain the differential effects observed at short and long SLs. Differential effects on tension at short and long SLs during submaximal activation may help explain the lack of SL-dependent effect on myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity in TnTF88L fibers. Notably, at pCa 5.6, TnTF88L augments tension by 278% at short SL and by 93% at long SL, demonstrating that the ability of TnTF88L to increase the number of force-bearing XBs at submaximal activations is substantially greater at short SL. A consequence of such an increase in the number of strongly bound XBs at submaximal activation is that TnTF88L enhances XB-based cooperative mechanisms (XB–XB and XB–RU) more at short SL. Therefore, we posit that TnTF88L enhances XB-based cooperative feedback effect on thin filament to a greater degree at short SL. Because an increase in XB-based cooperativity is important for the SL-dependent increase in myofilament Ca2+sensitivity (Allen and Kentish, 1985; Wang and Fuchs, 1994; Fitzsimons and Moss, 1998; Konhilas et al., 2002b; Smith et al., 2009), the lack of an increase in Ca2+ sensitivity between short and long SL suggests that XB-based cooperative mechanisms are saturated at short SL in TnTF88L fibers. A consequence of proper manifestation of XB-based cooperativity is that the SL-mediated increase in tension (that is, an increase in tension associated with an increase in SL from 1.9 to 2.3 µm) is more pronounced at lower Ca2+ concentrations (Campbell, 1997; Razumova et al., 2000). Indeed, the SL-dependent increase in tension in TnTWT fibers is more pronounced at lower Ca2+ activations because the SL-dependent increase in XB-based cooperativity is normal in TnTWT fibers (Fig. 3). However, this SL-mediated increase in tension is absent in TnTF88L fibers at all Ca2+concentrations tested, suggesting that XB-based cooperative mechanisms are saturated at short SL in TnTF88L fibers. To clarify, the TnTF88L-mediated increase in XB-based cooperativity, combined with an increase in RU activation, causes a depletion in the number of RUs and XBs available for cooperative recruitment. Consequently, it limits the number of RUs and XBs that can be effectively engaged to enhance XB-based cooperative mechanisms as SL increases.
Additional evidence for increased XB-based cooperativity at short SL and disruption of SL-mediated effects on XB-based cooperativity may be gleaned from our observations on two other contractile dynamic parameters, γ and ER. Parameter γ represents thin filament–based regulatory mechanisms by which strained XBs negatively impact other force-bearing XBs (Ford et al., 2010). A significant decrease in γ at short SL in TnTF88L fibers suggests that the negative effect of strained XBs on force-bearing XBs is attenuated, a likely consequence of greater expression of XB-based cooperativity. We posit that increased XB-based cooperativity counteracts the negative impact of strained XBs on force-bearing XBs, leading to a decrease in γ at short SL. The augmenting effect of TnTF88L on XB-based cooperativity at short SL is also supported by the magnitude of ML-mediated XB recruitment, ER, which is sensitive to changes in XB-based cooperativity (Campbell et al., 2004; Campbell and Chandra, 2006; Stelzer et al., 2006; Gollapudi et al., 2017). TnTF88L significantly increases ER at short SL (39%) but not at long SL, suggesting that TnTF88L imparts a greater effect on XB-based cooperativity at short SL. Just as it did in tension experiments, this saturation of XB-based cooperativity at short SL blunted the SL-mediated effects on γ (Fig. 4) and ER (Fig. 5) in TnTF88L fibers.
With respect to XB-based feedback effects (XB–XB and XB–RU cooperativity) and changes in Ca2+ sensitivity, the consequence of augmented XB–RU cooperativity is of importance, because changes in XB–RU cooperativity are most prominently reflected by changes in Ca2+ sensitivity (Razumova et al., 2000). In this context, a consequence of increased XB–RU cooperativity at short SL is that it engages more RUs in XB–RU population, causing the depletion of RU pool and limiting the scope of XB–RU population to increase as SL increases. Therefore, lack of SL-mediated increase in XB–RU cooperativity in TnTF88L fibers would explain why an increase in SL results in no further increase in myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity (Fig. 2 C). Although we cannot definitively distinguish between the two types of XB-based cooperativity, findings from previous modeling simulations (Razumova et al., 2000)—in conjunction with data from our study—provide clues about the effect of TnTF88L on XB-based cooperativity. Previous modeling studies have suggested that changes in XB–XB cooperativity have an impact on maximal tension, ktr, and pCa50 such that an increase in XB–XB cooperativity augments maximal tension, slows ktr, and decreases pCa50 (and vice versa; Razumova et al., 2000). In this context, our observation that TnTF88L does not alter maximal tension and ktr, and significantly increases pCa50, allows us to speculate that TnTF88L may have little to no impact on XB–XB cooperativity.
TnTF88L increases myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity at both short and long SLs; however, the effect is disproportionately greater at short SL, which results in abolishment of length-dependent activation. Under submaximal activating conditions, increased myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity, combined with an increase in ER, may increase ventricular force output during systole and prolong systolic ejection time (Davis et al., 2001; Stelzer et al., 2006; Stelzer and Moss, 2006), leading to a delay in ventricular relaxation. Slowed ventricular relaxation would offer greater resistance to ventricular filling in late diastole such that ventricular diastolic pressure is elevated; this may lead to dyspnea, as observed in patients harboring F87L (Gimeno et al., 2009). Impairment of length-dependent activation suggests that the Frank–Starling mechanism may be significantly impaired in intact hearts containing F87L. Under increased hemodynamic demands, attenuation of the Frank–Starling mechanism may have severe consequences on heart function because it limits the ability of the heart to increase its stroke volume in response to an increase in venous return. In some cases, however, a substantial increase in myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity and subsequent increase in myocardial force development may offer a benefit to F87L patients who are at advanced stages of heart failure. Patients at advanced stages of heart failure are likely to minimize high stress workloads and thus operate at lower end-diastolic volumes; under such conditions, increased force at short SL may improve contraction.
This work was supported, in part, by the National Institutes of Health (HL-075643 to M. Chandra).
The authors declare no competing financial interests. This paper does not contain clinical studies of patient data.
Author contributions: S.M. Reda: study conception, design, data acquisition, data analysis, data interpretation, and drafting of the manuscript. M. Chandra: study conception, design, data interpretation, and drafting of the manuscript.
Henk L. Granzier served as editor.
- Submitted: 12 December 2017
- Revision received 9 March 2018
- Accepted: 24 April 2018
This article is distributed under the terms of an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike–No Mirror Sites license for the first six months after the publication date (see http://www.rupress.org/terms/). After six months it is available under a Creative Commons License (Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 4.0 International license, as described at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/).


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Heaven Honey - Head Case EP (Cassette)
Heaven Honey - Head Case EP (Cassette)
Purchase includes one cassette copy of Heaven Honey's Head Case EP, as well as digital download in MP3 and WAV format and digital artwork. Download will be distributed via email after purchase.
Debut EP from Bloomington, IN's Heaven Honey. Released 03/30/18.
Jordan Gomes-Kuehner - Composer, Vocals, Guitar
Nick Harley- Guitar, Bass, Dobro
Iain Donkin- Drums
Tommy Muldowney- Bass
Ben Lumsdaine- Keyboards
Engineered and Mixed by Ben Lumsdaine
Mastered by Mike Bridavsky
Artwork by CJ Lamborn
Photo by Jamie Alexander
Catalog #: 1212-0002


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i have said it before and ill say it again....in-home newborn sessions are one of my FAVORITE things!! i love that the family can be comfortable in their own home while i capture them interacting with each other instead of being posed. makenlei did not want to sleep much...i think she knew there was a camera close by. she is so tiny, and look at those precious eyes!
gosh dang what a good looking family! wish we would have had warmer weather to take advantage of this awesome location....in THEIR BACK YARD!!! they live out in farm country where the picture locations are endless! it was a little bit of a challenge to keep the kiddos warm and happy...also finn was not feeling the whole picture thing so we didnt get many of him smiling. BUT HOW CUTE IS HE WITH HIS BUNNY!!!
they are all growing so fast!! this is one of the many families that I have been lucky enough to watch grow over the past few years. also most of our sessions we have done at their grandparents house, and it continues to be one of my favorite spots! I'm all about woodsy pictures! they are all so sweet...I just love them!
mia.three months
WHAT A HAPPY LITTLE BABE!!!! it doesn't happen very often that I get someone under the age of one to be happy the entire session, but this little girl was so content! we stopped for a quick feeding but that was it! what a precious little face...I just cant get enough!
recently met this awesome family! they just adore their baby sister, i loved seeing them interact with her. all of the kids were in a great mood and made my job so easy! look at that little jean jacket...so. cute.
first of all...i love that i get to watch families grow in this business. not too long ago i was taking pictures of hayden when he was barely able to stand, and now he has a baby sister! we had a very good session last sunday at one of my favorite spots. look at lillyana's cheeks! so stinkin cute!
there is just something about a black + white photo of a family in their natural element. it turns me to mush. this was such a good session with baby ellie! she was OUT for the first hour while we did parent + sibling pictures, and then WIDE awake when it was her turn. of course the goal is always to have the baby sleep the whole time, but I you cant be a bit disappointed when you get to see big beautiful eyes like these. ugh, so cute. and her big sister was so helpful, I can tell there is a strong bond already.
you are going to be seeing a lot more of these in-home sessions. I just LOVE them! this newborn session was with miles. like most little boys, he wanted to eat most of his session, but I am used to having a little extra patience with the new babes. look at his perfect skin and cute cheeks!
this girl was so comfortable in front of the camera! we spent the evening downtown grand haven...it was cold...but I swear this was the perfect location for her! she has that fierce serious look that says "don't mess with me", but also that smile that is contagious. I also loved the fact that she was up for anything. I asked her to lay on the sidewalk outside of a restaurant while people were walking by...and she didn't even pause. she killed it.
paislee.two years
MY GOODNESS SHE IS A CUTIE!! i love when i get to spend time with miss paislee! since i recently got rid of my studio space, i have been looking around for different buildings/businesses to use. we decided to use the pump house in grand haven and it was so perfect for this little girls two year session! there were different areas we could use (this is needed when all they wanna do is explore), and the best part...ice cream after!! she didnt give me too many smiles, but i caught a couple! i think im going to totally enjoy this whole experimenting with new buildings thing, lets me stay creative!
she totally rocked her session! I found this building downtown grand haven and was super antsy to use it. luckily Ashley was super easy-going and agreed to do her session indoors instead of outside. I fell in love with this space...SO industrial!
this family is so ready to add another member, I just love seeing the interaction & the love they share.
I have been looking for a location with ferns for a long time, and I finally found one! The coolest part, I didn't even know they were going to be there! I picked a location for other reasons, and stumbled on a whole area covered in them! EEEEEKKK!! Very happy photographer moment!!
back to school.mini
my second time shooting this adorable family! the kids were allllll about going back to school and it made for a VERY fun session! hardly had to pose them, they came up with most on their own! :)


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Studio equipment
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|Side 1
|Dexter - "Jawada"
|Third Side - "Under Arrest"
|Side 2
|John Barera & Will Martin - "Reality"
|Steffi - "DB011"
Speaking at length for Resident Advisor's Exchange series of podcasts recently, Panorama Bar resident and Dolly label head Steffi was in typically straight talking mood and her apparent lack of interest in engaging in the promotional game for releases on Dolly speaks volumes as to how she approaches the label; it's an outlet for her to release the music from artists she likes with the minimum of fanfare. Of course it helps to sell records when Dolly releases are of a consistently high standard, as this Various Artists 12" resolutely is with 3 cuts from her Panorama Bar mix CD present and correct! Despite the illustrious presence of Klakson co-founder Dexter, Third Side and Steffi, it's the playful classicist US deep house of "Reality" from John Barera and Will Martin that truly stands out!
Ben Sims, Flori, Jacques Renault, Rouchos (Andreas Marouchos), Kid Who, Denny Trajkov, Free Magic, Jorge Caiado / Conversion, Richard Zepezauer (RZ-1), Leri Ahel, Sisterhood, John Barera (Supply Records), Kastil (Soul Notes/Stale), Studio Casual, Resident Advisor, Matrixxman, Anaxander, Romansoff (Raw Tools), Ghost Culture
Tell us what you think in the Facebook comments box below:


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Patience on Darkness
Stick clip the first bolt; breathe; tie into the rope; put on my shoes; breathe; apply liquid chalk and air out my hands to let the liquid dry; breathe. For the last 3 seasons (Fall, Spring, Fall) this had been my routine out at Smith Rock prior to climbing my project. A fist bump to my friend Cameron completed the routine and I was ready to climb.
Darkness at Noon had been my single focus out at Smith Rock for the past 3 seasons. That means that for the last Summer, Winter, and Summer once again, I did nothing but train so I could be strong, flexible, and mentally capable to climb a new level of difficulty for me. The route is rated at 13a, which is a respectable grade among climbers but sometimes even more at Smith Rock where impossibly small holds and long stretches of technical climbing with sparse protection is the name of the game.
To lead climb and excel at Smith rock at almost any grade, you need strong fingers, a very developed sense of balance, and a psychological game that you can count on under the crushing pressure of potentially long falls. As the grades get harder, the more you're required to draw on these skills; but it's not uncommon to have to tap into these skills at lower levels. Darkness at Noon is no exception. 100 feet of vertical to gently overhanging climbing with relentless small edges and pockets, feet the size of pebbles (in the hardest sections) and the potential for some long falls in various portions of the route make for quite an adventure for those that decide to climb it.
The route is perfect. It can be seen from as far away as the parking lot of the park. Even those that have no interest in climbing it are drawn to the aesthetics of the route, outlined in white polka-dots that seem like a cruel prank on an otherwise flat surface. I don't remember exactly when I got it in my head that it would be a good idea to attempt to climb the route. I know I greatly underestimated the effort it would take to be able to complete the route, bottom to top, with no falls.
I know that I'd been in a rut prior to setting my sights on Darkness. I'd been working at developing AnitGravity Equipment into a successful shop, 6 days a week non-stop. My climbing (among many other things in my personal life) had suffered as a result. I felt sluggish in my movements. I'd gained weight and I felt heavy and out of shape. Worst of all, I was climbing without any real inspiration. Gym sessions were mediocre at best and my overall grades outside had dropped considerably from my last big climbing trip where I'd successfully climbed several challenging routes; two of them were 12d, just a letter grade below what Darkness was rated.
I was in need of inspiration and Darkness at Noon not only provided inspiration and motivation, it provided (as I would learn three seasons later) one of my biggest learning opportunities. To pick a project route, is to pick something challenging enough that it will take you anywhere from several attempts to, sometimes, years to finish. I've had many projects in my climbing career but none that ever took me more than a month or so to finish. These projects were usually just a bit outside my (then current) level of fitness so it didn't take long to develop whatever I needed to see the route to completion. I was starting Darkness from quite a low point and would need a serious level of commitment and dedication to training just to be able to physically do the hardest sections of the climb; let alone put all the moves in 100 feet together in succession with no falls.
Patience. If I had to reduce everything that I gained from completing this route into one word, that word would be, patience. My friend Jordan touched on it during a brief conversation after I'd completed the route and we were all sitting at the base in somewhat disbelief at the completion of my project. He posed a question-statement in reference to the patience it must have taken to gain the skills necessary to complete the route. The memories of the past year scrolled back in warp speed to my very first cycle of training. I put together a program for myself and a few friends based on the Anderson brothers' training manual and enlisted the help of my friend Cameron to teach us supplemental exercises that would complement the climbing workouts. For the next 14 weeks of that summer, we trained mercilessly. Patiently constructing our workouts week to week, month to month. We analyzed, revised, and documented everything to see progress. From patience, sacrifice was born. As results became more evident, I stripped away a little at a time, all that was unnecessary or worked against my progress. By the time the fall season hit, I was back to climbing close to what my peak level had been a couple of years before. I began to put in serious work on Darkness driving out every Monday (my only day off) to meet Cameron and work on our respective projects.
That first Fall season was not enough to complete the route but significant gains had been made and I was fully committed to the process. I was testing my climbing abilities beyond their limits and found that I had more within than what I'd previously thought possible. The route was encouraging me to develop an acute awareness of balance to make things less about power and more about efficiency. By pointing out movements that were near impossible for me to make do to inflexibility, I was encouraged to practice exercises that would help with hip flexor and hamstring flexibility. The potential for long falls encouraged me to further develop my mental game to keep comfortable under pressure and still be able to move through my sequences despite the possibility of stomach-turning falls throughout the route. Throughout this entire process patience was required because none of these lessons could be rushed and progress could only be made on the route once I'd developed what was lacking thus holding me back.
When the fall season came to a close the route had not yet granted me access to the anchors. I'd made progress on two thirds of the route in pieces but I still did not even know if I had what it took to pull through the moves that guarded the top of the route. In the winter when training began again for the upcoming Spring season, I redoubled my efforts. With the help of my training partners, I committed to an even harder 2nd season. I'd cut out most alcohol and sugar; the difficulty of climbing workouts went up with the added gains from the previous season; the supplemental exercises that Cameron put our training team through became more targeted and more vicious as our tolerance grew; eating habits became more targeted. By the end of the season, I'd dropped from 167 lbs. to 160 and that feeling of fluidity and lightness returned to my climbing.
Spring season started in April and I couldn't wait to see what progress I could make out at the park. For 3 months I would wake up at 3:30 a.m. on Monday morning and drive out to Smith to meet Cameron. We'd warm up at our leisure at an almost empty park, and then get to work on our respective projects. We'd make attempt after attempt on our routes until our finger tips and will power gave out, then headed out to The Depot for food and make the three-hour trip back home. I'd get home around 9 or 10 pm, shower and fall asleep ready to work through the week and get back out there again the following Monday. Patience.
Half way through the second season, I'd finally made it to the top of the route in pieces. I knew then that I had the ability to complete all the moves on the route. I struggled in several sections and my movements often felt like desperate attempts to clutch at nothing on the wall, but I'd been to the top and that meant it was now possible. By the end of the season, I was able to link the entire route to within about 20 feet of the top in one single push. It was at the last 20 feet of the climb that the final sequence on small, sloping edges and delicate feet would send me rocketing down preventing me from reaching the top in a single attempt.
Spring season came and went. Summer was just too damn hot to climb at Smith but offered 4 excellent months of training. If we'd made the workouts targeted before, they were damn near laser-sighted this time around. I had data now and that made all the difference. Circuit training was added to our supplemental exercises. I dropped an additional 10 lbs. and often hovered between 150 and 153 lbs. My friend Jess Blackmun helped me add a stretching routine that would allow me to touch my toes for the first time in years. I was dying to crush outside at Smith but there it was again... patience. It would be too hot for me to make any serious attempts on the route until October, which was perfect because we'd started the training cycle so my friends and I would be in peak shape for that month.
October 2nd was my first official day of working on Darkness since the Spring. I did my usual routine of getting up at 3 and arriving at 7. I knew I'd find Cameron rocking out to metal music in the parking lot. It was pretty cold still, enough that we had to break open some hand warmers on the way down the trail. After warming up, the sun came out and temperatures were borderline too hot. Once the shade hit at 1:30 with a little bit of cloud cover for good measure, I tied in, did my normal breathing routine and cast off, anxious to see how I felt on it for the first time. To my surprise, I reached the anchors with only 2 rests by weighting the rope. It was evident that the third season had provided massive gains. I was able to go through all the sequences without too much effort. I climbed steadily and uninterrupted except for the two sections in which I had to rest on the rope due to fatigue. The cruxes (hardest parts of the route) were difficult but the movements came with relative ease and didn't feel at all desperate. I was able to reach the anchors 3 times that day. Not without weighting the rope, but I knew that I'd done everything I needed to be able to complete the route. Now it was just a matter of putting all the pieces together in one single go.
On October 7th, The Circuit hosted their annual bouldering competition, The Portland Boulder Rally. A second group of friends dropped into the training cycle during the summer to be ready for the comp and we all went together to compete against others in our respective categories. I woke up at 8am that morning, got ready, warmed up, and arrived at The Circuit at 10:30. Half an hour later, the comp was on and I was in full competition mode having the time of my life with my girlfriend, her family, and all my friends! I stuck around for the afternoon session to watch the rest of my friends compete and we all got together at one of their apartments to watch the finals. Later that evening, my girlfriend and I met with other competitor friends at the Wonder Ballroom for three hours of music and entertainment before heading home to sleep at around 12:30. The alarm went off at 4:30 a.m. and Danielle and I were on the road to Smith by 5 to meet up with Cameron for a day of project-ing.
I had a feeling. All week I'd had this feeling. Even though the previous day was filled with physical activity and late-night festivities, I still had this feeling like I was ready and I had a good shot a completing my hardest project to date. The day was on the hot side. I knew early on I'd have to wait for the afternoon to provide shade. I warmed up climbing sporadically through the morning. By the time 1:30 rolled around I was ready to give an attempt. I was nervous but it was a good kind of nervous. Something like a race car waiting for the red to turn green. I knew anything was possible, especially success. My friends gathered around to watch. Cameron stick-clipped the rope to first bolt so I could climb the first 18 feet protected. After completing my normal breathing and fist bump routine, I placed hands and feet on the wall and began to climb.
The movements came effortless. They fluidity was one of a sequence rehearsed over 3 seasons. 3 seasons of hard work; workouts I didn't want to do; food I didn't always want to eat; drinks I passed up; sessions climbing with my friends that I didn't participate in; exhausting day trips with 6-hour drives; most of all, the fluidity in my climbing came from 3 seasons of patience. Patience while learning, failing, and trying again. During my climb, every move was controlled and precise. The pace was marked by a metronome-like breathing pattern. The only time I stopped is when I reached the pre-determined rest points on the route. The best thing was that I was in complete control mentally. I felt perfectly comfortable on every single move, no matter how small, or how reach-y. Nothing ever felt desperate. I relished in the entire process, having time to look around and enjoy the surroundings; the view from 50 feet up, then from 60 feet up and again from 80 feet up.
Though I had a half a dozen friends there to back me up, it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Even passer-by's dared not a word. All I could hear was my breathing. Then, the moment of truth was in front of me in the form of a tiny right-handed edge about the width of half a pad on three of my fingers. For the left, a horizontal pocket big enough for three fingers that you had to move to perfectly in order to latch the tiny lip. I made the move calmer and with more strength than I'd ever done before. There was that feeling again. I was now just 15 feet from finishing. Two more moves and I would officially be higher in one single push than I'd ever been before. I made those two movements and the two movements after that. Two power yells later I was within spitting distance of the chain links at the anchor station. I latched the second to last hold and a split second later I grabbed the final hold just beneath the carabiners connected to the anchors.
I let out a cry of success that rang through the entire park. The sound was matched by cheering from all my friends below and immediately the echo that followed was not an echo of our cries but the sound of the entire park cheering as well. Even those that couldn't see what was happening or had no idea what had just been accomplished, cheered. In that moment, an entire park cheered together in unison for the success of one individual. That invoked a feeling of unison and faith in humanity that spread to the core of the marrow in all my bones. Strangers from one end of the park, through the center, and clear to the other end cheering for the success of another stranger. It was the definition of catharsis. Yeah, you bet there were tears. They'd been patiently waiting for their time as well.
In the end, I know that 5.13 is no headline-worthy accomplishment. Kids as young as 15 have been able to complete Darkness at Noon. After 5 minutes of fame no one but myself and maybe a few close friends will care or even remember. The reward is not the completion of the project. The real reward (like so many things in climbing) lies in the benefits you reap as a human being. When you take on a project (whatever grade or route that might be for you) and you put in the time, the effort, the patience, you grow as a human being. All the things that are required of you to complete that project change and directly affect you and your view on the world as whole if you choose to pay attention. The lessons imposed on you in order to surpass something that you couldn't do before are directly applicable in your daily life and in your interactions with other people. Because of that route, I made a new friend who later became a vendor for my store. I met Justin Brown of Rhino Skin Solutions, who also happened to be working on that route. This project inspired me to become a better teacher and to research new and updated ways of training. This route forced me to work harder than I'd ever worked for any goal in climbing. When things in my personal life or my business were less than ideal, I had this route to look forward to and kept me focused and sharp. If the commitment I made to this project inspired even one person to attempt their impossible and in turn they inspire someone else to do the same... well, that is 100 times better than clipping those chains any day. But I'll take the win either way!
Huge thanks go out to everyone who cared enough to ask how the project was going and listen to me rant my responses for close to a year. To all my friends that supported me in training and to those that joined in and trusted me with their training too. To my buddies Steven and Missy for all the encouragement. Especially to my friend Cameron for all the exercise routines and patient belays staring at my butt for session after session wondering when we were finally gonna get out of "The Office" and climb something else. Go Team SW/AG!


text: Drove up to the Adams River over the weekend – about 500 km each way from Squamish. The run is just beginning, and should continue to build for the next few weeks. A "shout out" for the organizers of the "Salute to the Sockeye" – we went 4 years ago during the last dominant run, and the society has done a lot over the last 4 years to improve the park, add interpretive features etc. It is a fantastic way to spend a weekend, and I can't recommend it highly enough for families, kids and tourists. It is very well organized and the volunteers manning the parking lots, various booths etc. were helpful and friendly. I obtained a permit to get into the river from Parks BC/DFO (visitors are not meant to get into the wetted area without a permit to avoid disturbing the fish) – I wanted to try and get some shots of fish in the water – I used a GoPro for the first time – also had my Nikon setup with a CamRanger inside an aquarium, but didn't get it working properly – next year perhaps. On the way back from the Adams River, we stopped in Hope and had a quick walk through Thacker Regional Park along Kawkawa (Sucker) Creek – a major habitat compensation project has resulted in improving salmon returns. A few shots of the weekend can be viewed here.


text:
Patch v1.10 HotFix/
Hello Generals,
We would like to inform you that a small update became available, addressing mainly a small bug related with a supply perk. We fixed it thanks to your feedback and added a few more improvements. Take a look what is included a few lines below.
Ultimate General: Civil War v1.10 rev.17781
- Fixed the Generals' "Strategy" perk. Previously it was applying only inside the General's radius and not "Passively" as indicated.
- Fixed a small fortification bug in Battle of Chancellorsville.
- Fixed issue in strength balance in Battle of 1st Manassas. Previously the local forces of player and AI were maximized (could reach 2,950 strength) and player forces played insignificant role in the battle.
- Fixed a timer issue in Battle of Shiloh South Player version. The timer expired but battle did not end until the end of day.
- Player reinforcements in Battle "Stay Alert" delay more to make the battle more challenging.
- AI will keep more effective distance from player, thus it will protect its flanks better and attempt to flank more often.
- AI will concentrate more effectively its forces against player's weak points.
Your continuous feedback always helps. Share it in our forums:
Official forum: Link
Steam forum: Link
The Game-Labs Team
Steam version is updated first and later the rest platforms will follow up.