title: Kate Nash

text: In June 2012, Nash embarked on a 12-date Faster Pussycat Run Run Tour across the UK and released a new song, "Under-Estimate the Girl", for free on her website as an intro to her third studio album. The punk and grunge-influenced song, which Nash wrote, recorded and made a video for in under 24 hours, received mostly negative feedback. As a fan of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", Kate staged a play based on the season six musical episode "Once More, with Feeling" at Hackney Picturehouse. In November, her EP "Death Proof" was released. She had a small role in "Greetings from Tim Buckley", a film about Tim and Jeff Buckley, which premiered at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival. She also appeared in films "Syrup" and "Powder Room", released the following year. She was featured on Watsky's song "Hey, Asshole" from his 2013 album "Cardboard Castles".


title: Kate Nash

text: Kate's third full-length studio album, "Girl Talk", was released on 4 March 2013, independently through Have 10p Records. It featured a heavier, rock and grunge-influenced sound, and was a noticeable departure from her first two indie pop albums. Lyrically, it drew a lot of influence from the riot grrrl movement and explored the themes of feminism and female empowerment. The album was financed through a crowdfunding campaign on PledgeMusic and recorded in Los Angeles. "Girl Talk" received mixed to positive reviews and was a minor commercial success. It was supported by singles "3AM", "OMYGOD!" and "Fri-End?", but none of them made an impact on the charts. Nash promoted the album by extensively touring Europe and the Americas. In late 2013, she released a Christmas EP "Have Faith with Kate Nash This Christmas" with The Tuts.


title: Kate Nash

text: In 2014, Nash performed at the Coachella and Lollapalooza festivals, and released a new free single "She Rules" which was accompanied by a DIY music video filmed on a mobile phone. In the same year, she relocated to Los Angeles and set up Girl Gang, an online support and networking hub for the feminist community. She co-wrote the song "Poison" which was a UK number 3 hit for Rita Ora in 2015. Later that year, Nash discovered that her manager, Gary Marella, had been stealing large sums of money from her, which resulted in near-bankruptcy. To try to recover financially, she went on to work for the comics store Meltdown in Los Angeles and started selling her clothes as second hand. Nash pressed legal charges against Marella and he was eventually ordered to pay her back the stolen money.


title: Kate Nash

text: In 2016, Nash released a standalone single "Good Summer", followed by "My Little Alien" which was written about a dog she had adopted. In April 2017, she launched a Kickstarter campaign to finance a fourth studio album and released an EP, "Agenda", promoted by the single "Call Me". She joined the cast of a Netflix series "GLOW" telling a fictionalized story of the 1980s women's professional wrestling promotion, the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling (GLOW), where she played Rhonda "Britannica" Richardson. The series premiered in June 2017 to a very positive reception and was renewed for further three seasons. In August she embarked on a UK tour to mark the 10th anniversary of her debut album.


title: Kate Nash

text: Nash's fourth studio album, "Yesterday Was Forever", was released independently on 30 March 2018, preceded by the singles "Drink About You" and "Life in Pink". It received mixed to positive reviews from critics, but was not a commercial success and failed to chart. To promote the album, Nash toured the United States, Canada and the UK. In September 2018, "Kate Nash: Underestimate the Girl", a documentary film by Amy Goldstein, premiered at the LA Film Festival. It follows Kate as she writes her fourth album, and features appearances from Jarrad Kritzstein, Alicia Warrington, and Jeff Ellis, among others. The film was screened at the Pérez Art Museum in Miami and made its UK debut in June 2019 when it was screened at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre and released onto BBC iPlayer. Kate also appeared in a feature film "" and released two new singles in 2019: the grunge-inspired "Trash", in which she condemns environmental pollution, and the pop track "Bad Lieutenant".


title: Kate Nash

text: Following the cancellation of "GLOW" before its fourth season could be completed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Nash launched a Patreon page to connect with her fans more directly. She continued working on her fifth studio album, partially inspired by Irish traditional music. In May 2021, she released a new single, "Misery", followed by "Horsie" in September.


title: Kate Nash

text: In 2022, she released the single "Imperfect" written for the American Netflix series "The Baby-Sitters Club", and went on a European tour. In August, she released a new single, "Wasteman", with a music video starring Danny Dyer. In October, the musical "Only Gold" had its world premiere at the MCC Theatre in New York City, featuring a score by Nash and book by Andy Blankenbuehler and Ted Malawer. Nash also starred in the production. Her fifth studio album, "Nine Sad Symphonies", was confirmed as completed and set for release in 2023.


title: Kate Nash

text: Nash's biggest musical influences include Hole, citing their 1994 record "Live Through This" as her favourite album. She is also influenced by riot grrrl group Bikini Kill, crediting lead vocalist Kathleen Hanna as her idol. Nash is also a fan of Arctic Monkeys. She appeared alongside the band in the documentary "Evidently... John Cooper Clarke" where she discussed the influence of John Cooper Clarke's poetry upon her lyrics, singling out the song "Foundations" in particular. Kate has also cited M.I.A. as inspiration, claiming she was her favourite artist in 2014. Some of her earlier influences include Buzzcocks, Celine Dion, the Spice Girls, Nirvana, Mis-Teeq, the Beatles, Pink, Blink-182, and Sum 41.


title: Kate Nash

text: Beginning in the "Girl Talk" album era, Kate started to incorporate elements of punk rock and grunge into her work as well as 1990s-inspired visuals, notably in the music videos "She Rules" and "Trash". She is also known for retaining her thick London accent when she sings and makes no attempt to sing in an American accent. Her music was used as part of an exhibition at the British Library which traced the history of Cockney English. The exhibition, which ran from November 2010 to April 2011, used Nash's music to demonstrate today's younger urban mode of Cockney English.


title: Kate Nash

text: Nash is a natural redhead but dyed her hair black for her role in the film "Greetings from Tim Buckley", and subsequently maintained two-tone black and blonde hair to promote the 2013 album "Girl Talk". In April 2014, she dyed her hair pink for her performance at Coachella Festival. Between 2015 and 2016, she would dye her hair platinum blond, but she eventually returned to her natural red hair for the role of Rhonda "Britannica" Richardson in the Netflix series "GLOW", and for her 2018 album "Yesterday Was Forever". She often wears punk-inspired jewelry, such as earrings made of safety pins and razor blades.


title: Kate Nash

text: In September 2009, Nash helped to raise funds for five-year-old Tilly Lockey, who lost her hands due to meningococcal disease. She used an auction on eBay to help donate money to Lockey's parents so that she could afford a pair of prosthetic hands.


title: Kate Nash

text: During the 2011 England riots, Nash volunteered to collect donations for those made homeless by riots in Tottenham, setting up her own public donation stand and delivering donations to Tottenham Leisure Centre in her car.


title: Kate Nash

text: Nash is a vocal feminist and campaigns to fight gender inequality in music industry. She supported the Russian feminist band Pussy Riot during their trial by encouraging her fans to make posters and raise awareness of their situation and, alongside other musicians, signed a letter to the Russian president Vladimir Putin demanding the release of the imprisoned band. In 2013, she became the Global Ambassador for the movement Because I Am a Girl and partnered with them for her own campaign, Protect a Girl.


title: Kate Nash

text: Nash is a supporter of the LGBT community and has a large LGBT following, especially lesbians. She described her 2010 song "I've Got a Secret" as "an anti-homophobic rant".


title: Kate Nash

text: Nash began dating Ryan Jarman in 2007, frontman of The Cribs, after meeting while they were both guests on an episode of the music television programme "Later... with Jools Holland" that year. The pair were reported to be planning to get married in early 2009, but Jarman announced in March 2012 that they had broken up, in part due to his struggle with anorexia and other psychological problems.


title: Kate Nash

text: In 2008, following intensive touring, Nash had what she described as a "proper breakdown", including a relapse of the mild OCD which she had experienced as a child. She has been open about her mental health problems and struggles with anxiety.


title: Kate Nash

text: Nash became a vegan in 2017, having been a vegetarian since 2009. Her decision was prompted by watching the film "Okja".


title: Smarties

text: Smarties are colour-varied sugar-coated chocolate confectionery. They have been manufactured since 1937, originally by H.I. Rowntree & Company in the United Kingdom, and now by Nestlé.


title: Smarties

text: Smarties are oblate spheroids with a minor axis of about 5 mm (0.2 in) and a major axis of about 12 mm (0.5 in). They come in eight colours: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, mauve, pink and brown, although the blue variety was temporarily replaced by a white variety in some countries, whilst an alternative natural colouring dye of the blue colour was being researched.


title: Smarties

text: Smarties are sold primarily in Europe, Canada, South Africa, Australasia and the Middle East. Smarties are not distributed (except via parallel import) in the United States, where the rights to the name belong to the Smarties Candy Company, which manufactures its own hard tablet sweet under the registered trademark name "Smarties".


title: Smarties

text: Rowntree's of York, England, have been making "Chocolate Beans" since at least 1882. The product was renamed "Smarties Chocolate Beans" in 1937. Rowntree's was forced to drop the words "chocolate beans" in 1937 due to trading standards requirements (the use of the word "beans" was felt to be misleading) so adopted the "Milk Chocolate in a Crisp Sugar Shell". Later, the sweet was rebranded as "Smarties".


title: Smarties

text: Smarties in the UK were formerly sold in cylindrical cardboard tubes, capped with a colourful plastic lid usually having a letter of the alphabet on it. The purpose of this, according to a Rowntree's spokesperson in the 1980s, was for them to be useful as a teaching aid to encourage young children to recognise the letters. Over the last 25 years, Nestlé and Rowntree's have manufactured five billion Smarties lids. Some lids are very rare and are now regarded as collectors' items.


title: Smarties

text: In February 2005, the Smarties tube was replaced with a hexagonal design. The rationale behind changing the design was, according to Nestlé, to make the brand "fresh and appealing" to youngsters; the new packaging is also lighter and more compact, and the lid (which is now a hinged piece of cardboard) has a card clip which holds the lid shut when it is folded over. The new lid still features a letter like the old plastic lids, but it is in the form of a "what [letter] is a [thing]?" question similar to those asked on the television game show "Blockbusters" (which coincidentally were on hexagonal tiles), the answer for which can be read when the lid is open, next to the hole giving access to the rest of the tube. The hexagonal box is made of one piece of card which is diecut then folded and glued. The hexagon can also be stacked in many layers without the pile collapsing, which is an advantage at the point of sale.


title: Smarties

text: Smarties are no longer manufactured in York; in October 2007, production was moved to Germany, where a third of them were already made. Outside Europe, Nestlé's largest production facility for Smarties is in Toronto, Canada, where Nestlé has been manufacturing its products since 1918. The factory located at 72 Sterling Road in the Junction Triangle was originally built for Cowan Cocoa and Chocolate.


title: Smarties

text: In 1998, Nestlé obtained a trademark for a tubular Smarties package. It later sued Master Foods in Denmark, which was marketing M&M minis in a similar package. The Supreme Court of Denmark ruled that a basic geometrical shape could not be trademarked and ordered the trademark to be removed from the trademark register.


title: Smarties

text: In one of the earlier ranges of colours, there was a light-brown Smartie. This was replaced in 1988 by a blue Smartie, introduced as part of campaign opposing the purchase of Rowntree Mackintosh Confectionery by Nestlé, along with 'I Support Blue Smarties' pin badges. Before 1958, dark-brown Smarties had a plain-chocolate centre, while light-brown ones were coffee-flavoured. Orange Smarties originally contained orange-flavoured chocolate, however, these days the orange flavour is added to the shell only.


title: Smarties

text: In 2006, it was announced that Nestlé was removing all artificial colourings from Smarties in the United Kingdom. Nestlé decided to replace all synthetic dyes with natural ones, but, unable to source a natural blue dye, removed blue Smarties from circulation (which led to the common misunderstanding that the blue Smartie triggered hyperactivity in some children) and replaced them with white ones. In February 2008, blue smarties were reintroduced using natural blue dye derived from the cyanobacterium spirulina instead of the controversial brilliant blue FCF (FD&C Blue 1, E133).


title: Smarties

text: Artificial colouring was removed from Smarties on the Canadian market in March 2009. The new range included all the colours except blue. Blue Smarties were re-added in May 2010.


title: Smarties

text: Red Smarties were previously dyed with cochineal, a derivative of the product made by extracting colour from female cochineal insects. A pigment extracted from red cabbage is now used in the United Kingdom.


title: Smarties

text: For the purposes of assessing an "active learning approach to epidemiology and critical appraisal", a mock randomised controlled trial tested the hypothesis that red Smarties could increase happiness. Based on a trial with 117 participants in four settings in Australia, Canada and Malaysia, red Smarties eaters were no happier than yellow Smarties eaters.


title: Smarties

text: Smarties are also sold in the form of chocolate bars and eggs with fragments of Smarties in them, and chocolate-and-vanilla ice cream with Smarties pieces in it known as Smarties Fusion. A variant on Smarties ice cream is the Smarties McFlurry, sold by McDonald's. It was discontinued temporarily in 2012, brought back in early 2014 but withdrawn again in late 2015, being replaced with Oreo, but in some countries both are available. For decades Canadian Dairy Queen restaurants offered a Smarties Blizzard, but in 2015 this was dropped and replaced with an M&M's Blizzard. The Smarties Blizzard returned to the menu in early 2018.


title: Smarties

text: In 1997, larger-sized Giant Smarties were introduced, and, in 2004, Fruity Smarties. Another variation of Smarties, which contained white chocolate rather than milk chocolate, was also introduced. These were trialled as "Smarctic Frost Bites", but upon their full release a year or so later, they were called White Chocolate Smarties.


title: Smarties

text: In 1998, a product known as "Smarties Secrets" was introduced which contained sweets of varying designs, colours and flavours. The packaging also contained a small comic book. This product is no longer available.


title: Smarties

text: In Canada, there was a limited line of red and white Smarties where the white Smarties have an image of a red maple leaf, a reference to the Canadian flag. Holiday packaging for Halloween (sold as Scaries), Christmas and Valentine's Day (containing only pink and red Smarties) is common. Also in Canada, Nestlé sells Peanut and Peanut Butter Smarties.


title: Smarties

text: Around Christmas, Nestlé Australia and Canada often releases Smarties in the Christmas colours of red, green and white.


title: Smarties

text: In other countries, like Canada, there is more variety in packaging. Smarties can be purchased in rectangular boxes, a giant tube, or in a stand-up plastic bag, and in 410 g bags in Australia and New Zealand.


title: Smarties

text: In the United States a Smarties variant was introduced by Nestlé for a limited time as part of a product promotion for Disney's animation feature "Tarzan" in 1999. "Tarzan Treats" had red, green, brown, blue, orange and yellow Smarties pieces. Yellow pieces contained an outline graphic of characters from the film. This Smarties variant was made in Canada for distribution in the United States.


title: Smarties

text: The Smarties slogan, "Only Smarties have the answer", has been used since 1989. However, the previous slogan, "Do you eat the red ones last?", is still occasionally used.


title: Smarties

text: In the 1950s and 1960s, the phrase "Buy some for Lulu" was sung as a tagline in commercials. In the end of the commercial, a boy/girl (usually a teacher or cowboy etc.) says the phrase and walks off, leaving the Rowntree text and the Smartie packaging on the screen for five seconds. This was before the rise of the singer Lulu. Lulu was one of the daughters of a developer of the advert, Richard Oxby.


title: Smarties

text: There was also a song called "A Handful of Smarties," written by Gerald Masters, which also aired in Europe, The Caribbean and Jamaica.


title: Smarties

text: This jingle was set to the tune of Lonnie Donegan's "Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavour (On the Bedpost Overnight?)".


title: Smarties

text: The 2008 advertising campaign showed various people singing "Everyday People" by Sly and the Family Stone.


title: Smarties

text: , the slogan is "Show 'your' colours!" However, the redesigned 2015 box seems to have reverted to the original "Do you eat the red ones last?" slogan.


title: Smarties

text: The German Smarties slogan is "Viele, viele bunte Smarties" (which translates as "lots and lots of colourful Smarties").


title: Smarties

text: The Slovak Smarties slogan is "Farebný svet v hrsti!" (which roughly translates to "Colourful world in the palm of your hand!").


title: Smarties

text: In South Africa the slogan is "Wot a lot I got". This is often printed on one of the sides of the Smarties box in brown lettering simply as a single word, "Wotalotigot".


title: Alpha (The Walking Dead)

text: Alpha (real name in the TV series universe: Dee) is a fictional character in the comic book series "The Walking Dead" and the television series of the same name, where she was portrayed by Samantha Morton. In both universes, Alpha is the leader of a group of survivors called the Whisperers, a mysterious group that wears the skins of walkers (zombies) to mask their presence. In the television series, she first appeared in the ninth mid-season premiere.


title: Alpha (The Walking Dead)

text: Alpha is the leader of the Whisperers, a mysterious group of survivors who disguise themselves with zombie skin to blend in with them and not get noticed, and Lydia's mother. She and several of her people approach the gates of the Hilltop Colony, where Lydia has been taken prisoner, and demands her daughter back. When Carl Grimes chases the Whisperers, he is taken prisoner. Alpha decides to infiltrate the Alexandria Safe-Zone and buys a sword at the fair. After meeting with Rick Grimes, she allows Carl and Lydia to leave on the condition that nobody will cross the new border she marked. On their way back, Rick and the group discover that Alpha has decapitated 12 residents of Alexandria, the Hilltop, the Kingdom and the Sanctuary, and that she used their heads placed on pikes to mark the border. After Negan appears to have joined her group, he fatally slashes Alpha across the neck and decapitates her.


title: Alpha (The Walking Dead)

text: Alpha is the leader of the Whisperers, a mysterious group of hostile survivors who disguise themselves with the skin of the undead in order to blend in with them and not get noticed, and the mother of Lydia (Cassady McClincy). She also served as the primary antagonist of the second half of season nine and whole of season ten. Alpha's dark past is shown in flashbacks; it is revealed that she killed her husband Frank (Steve Kazee) and their group of survivors during the initial stages of the outbreak, believing them to be "weak". In the present, she shows up at the Hilltop Colony with some members of her group, demanding that the community return her daughter Lydia, whom the community is holding as their prisoner; Lydia is eventually returned. The Whisperers murder and behead several key members from each community to warn the communities not to cross into Whisperer territory. The beheaded members' heads are placed on spikes, marking the boundary of the new border. Alpha is eventually murdered and beheaded herself by Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), who had formed an intimate relationship with her. He subsequently delivers her head to Carol Peletier (Melissa McBride), with whom he had been working the whole time. Her reanimated head is placed on the pike border by Carol, but it is retrieved and eventually put down by Beta who uses a piece of Alpha's face to fix his own broken walker mask.


title: Alpha (The Walking Dead)

text: The episode "Dee," taking place between the flashback events of "Omega" and "We Are the End of the World," focuses on Alpha, known at this time by her real name of Dee and Lydia. Throughout the episode, Alpha is shown narrating the events to a severed head, revealing details of her life such as killing her father at a young age, although Alpha states that he deserved it. In the present of the episode, Dee and Lydia live on a steamboat with a community of other survivors. The community is led by exercise instructor Brooke and enjoys living as if the world has continued on as normal, something that puts Dee at odds with Brooke due to Dee's more realistic view of the world. Lydia is also shown to be terrified of her mother due to Dee's murder of her husband Frank. Dee's growing suspicions of the steamboat's bartender Billy prove to be correct when Billy and his gang attempt to seize the vessel for themselves. Dee saves Brooke and escapes with Lydia, sparking a fight that kills everyone else aside from Brooke. Dee scars Brooke's face in retaliation and, after an encounter with a herd, Dee and Lydia are found by the Whisperers, at this point led by a woman named Hera.


title: Alpha (The Walking Dead)

text: It's then revealed that Dee later murdered Hera and has been narrating to her severed head. Dee turns Hera's face into her walker mask and becomes Alpha, the leader of the Whisperers.


title: Alpha (The Walking Dead)

text: In the mid-season premiere, "Adaptation", Alpha leads a group of Whisperers who captured Alden (Callan McAuliffe) and Luke (Dan Fogler), luring them into a trap by setting up a trail of arrows for them to follow. She brandishes a sawed-off shotgun at them and proclaims: "Trail ends here." In the episode "Omega", Lydia, who has been captured and held in a cell at the Hilltop Colony, tells her story (shown through flashbacks) to Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) and Henry (Matthew Lintz), bonding with the latter in the process. At the end of the episode, at the Hilltop's front gate, Alpha appears unmasked and demands that the Hilltop residents turn over her daughter.


title: Alpha (The Walking Dead)

text: In the episode "Bounty", Alpha demands that the Hilltop residents turn over her daughter Lydia. She explains that she has removed her walker mask to show them that she comes in peace and that she is willing to overlook their trespassing on her lands. Daryl decides to walk outside to talk to Alpha face to face; the two meet. He is initially dismissive of Alpha's demands, as she and her human allies are few compared to the Hilltop forces. However, there are several more of Alpha's allies in wait beyond the tree line, as well as a horde of walkers. Daryl tells Alpha that she cannot have Lydia and informs her that he is ready to fight her people to keep the girl safe. Suddenly, a couple of Whisperers bring forward Alden and Luke. Alpha then offers to trade both of them for her daughter; Daryl reluctantly accepts. As the standoff continues, a baby belonging to one of the disguised women starts to cry, drawing the walkers. Alpha shrugs at the mother, indicating that she should leave the baby to die. Fearing for her life and not having any other choice, the baby's mother decides to abandon him as he continues to cry. Alden and Luke beg Alpha to spare the baby, but Alpha refuses; Connie (Lauren Ridloff) rushes to save the child. Lydia ultimately opts to leave on her own accord and is traded for Alden and Luke. Reunited, Lydia apologizes to her mother, but Alpha slaps her across the face, ordering her to address her as "Alpha" like everyone else. She then smiles at Daryl as they leave.


title: Alpha (The Walking Dead)

text: In the episode "Guardians", as Alpha leads her group back to camp, she questions Lydia about her time at the Hilltop and to reveal any intel she learned while being held captive, but Lydia claims that there was little of interest. Henry eventually catches up with Lydia and the Whisperers, and watches them from a close distance as they rest, but is found and grabbed by Beta (Ryan Hurst), Alpha's second-in-command. Beta brings Henry before Alpha, who questions the boy. Henry reveals that he came alone to get Lydia; Alpha decides that Henry is coming with them. On their way back to camp, Alpha asks Lydia why she didn't mention Henry. Lydia explains that he wasn't worth mentioning, but Alpha reminds her that he just risked his life to save her, so she must be lying. The Whisperers soon arrive back at their camp. There, Alpha taunts a secured Henry and explains to him why they disguise themselves as walkers: "The strong adapt, the weak die." Two of Alpha's subordinates, Sean and Helen, question her about why they went to the Hilltop to give up two strangers up for her daughter. Alpha then reminds them that she did it to get information, but Sean issues a challenge for her leadership role. In response, Alpha confirms that he has the right to challenge her position, but that she also has the right to defend it. Knowing that it was Helen that has been sowing seeds of discontent within the group, Alpha grabs her and decapitates her with a piece of wire. She then hands the head over to a sobbing Sean before fatally stabbing him in the stomach, as Henry looks on in horror. Privately, Alpha tells Beta a story about Lydia when she was three years old. They both then agree that Henry can be useful and that they need to find out if Lydia truly has feelings for him. At night, Beta brings Henry to Alpha. Unmasked, Alpha drops her knife and makes Lydia pick it up, commanding her to prove her loyalty by killing Henry; Lydia picks up the knife and begins to cry. Alpha warns her that Beta will kill them both if she doesn't kill Henry. Suddenly, a small horde of walkers show up and begin eating the unmasked Whisperers, creating mass confusion. Alpha and the others quickly put on their masks so that they can try to lure the herd away. Moments later, Daryl and Connie arrive disguised as Whisperers to rescue Henry and Lydia.


title: Alpha (The Walking Dead)

text: In the episode "The Calm Before", as the fair at the Kingdom begins, Alpha leads an attack on one caravan from the Hilltop going to the Kingdom. Alpha sneaks into the fair, posing as one of the Alexandria fairgoers from the caravan, and gathers intel. That night, as most of the fairgoers gather to watch a movie, Lydia is saving a seat for Henry when Alpha quietly sits next to her and gestures for her to stay quiet. Outside the theater, Alpha tries to convince Lydia to come with her, but Lydia rejects her. Alpha condemns her as weak, excommunicates her from the Whisperers, and departs. Later, at the Whisperers' new camp, Alpha, now out of disguise, joins her people, and approaches Daryl, Carol, Michonne (Danai Gurira), and Yumiko (Eleanor Matsuura), who were captured by Beta and are now tied to a tree. After announcing that her daughter is no longer a concern, Alpha takes out a shotgun and tells Daryl to come with her alone. At dawn, Alpha leads Daryl to the top of a cliff where a horde of walkers and Whisperers walk beneath them. She tells him that his friends at the camp are fine and that she has marked off a line which is the extent of their lands, but the next time his people cross into her land she will release the horde into theirs. Back in her camp, Alpha begins to tear up over the loss of her daughter. When a Whisperer accidentally witnesses her crying, Alpha kills him to make sure no one ever sees her being weak. Alpha and the Whisperers surprise 12 residents from each community, including Henry, and kill them. Alpha leaves their decapitated, zombiefied heads on pikes at the border, meant to signify Alpha's territory boundary. Carol, Henry's adoptive mother, vows to kill Alpha to avenge him. In the season finale, "The Storm", in their camp, Alpha reminds Beta that she will need to be strong for what comes next, and Beta assures her she will be. Per Alpha's request, Beta flogs her arm with a branch to make her stronger, leaving several lashes on her arm, as she used to do to Lydia.


title: Alpha (The Walking Dead)

text: In the episode "We Are the End of the World", flashbacks portray Alpha's first encounter with Beta. In the present, Alpha orders Beta to collect more walkers from a nearby parking garage, having him take two sisters with him. At the garage, Beta lures the walkers out to follow them, but one of the sisters, Frances (Juliet Brett), the woman whom Alpha had forced to leave her baby behind at the Hilltop, believes she hears a baby crying nearby and panics, causing the walkers to turn on them. Beta rescues Frances and they return to their camp without the walkers. There, Beta is ready to kill Frances, but Alpha gets her to repent and spares her life. Beta follows her to their old camp and discovers Alpha has set up a small shrine to Lydia. Alpha admits that Lydia is still alive, and that she has shown weakness in not attacking the communities. Beta assures her that she was made for this world. Alpha destroys the shrine, and together with Beta, repeat the Whisperers' code: "We Are the End of the World". Alpha assures him that they will soon attack the communities. Just then, they see the fire trail of a fallen satellite nearby, drawing walkers to them. Amidst the chaos, Frances sees a walker wearing a baby carrier and, overcome by grief and anger, attacks Alpha, drawing the attention of the walkers. Frances' sister (Thora Birch) rushes in and pulls Alpha to safety after pushing Frances into the walkers, who kill her. When the Whisperers find shelter, Alpha is impressed with Frances' sister's sacrifice and dubs her "Gamma". The Whisperers go to investigate the fallen satellite and Alpha, pulling her mask off, stares at Carol from across a ravine.


title: Alpha (The Walking Dead)

text: In the episode "Ghosts", Alpha sends Gamma to Alexandria to tell Michonne, Daryl and Carol to meet with her at the border. There, Alpha warns them to not cross her borders again, but proceeds to take more of their land after Carol tries to shoot her. In the episode "What It Always Is", Alpha devises a plan to sabotage the communities. She orders Gamma to pollute the river that the communities use as a water supply with dead walkers; when she returns to the camp to ask for another walker, Alpha offers her a Whisperer she has just killed for questioning her authority. When Gamma shows Alpha her injured hand covered with bandages that Aaron (Ross Marquand) gave her, she states that she understands Gamma’s actions, assuming that it was a necessary sacrifice and comments that Aaron could be useful to them.


title: Alpha (The Walking Dead)

text: In the episode "Bonds", when Negan is discovered prowling within her territory, Alpha decides to test him to determine if he is strong enough to join her. When Beta expresses discontent at having the newcomer within the group, Alpha asks if he has finally decided to challenge her to take command of the Whisperers, but he flatly refuses and kneels before her, promising that he will never again question her decisions. Alpha is disappointed when Beta informs her that Negan has died in her final test, but is happily surprised when Negan appears in the camp and kneels before her, swearing his full loyalty; Alpha accepts him as a member of the group.


title: Alpha (The Walking Dead)

text: In the episode "Open Your Eyes", after finding Gamma in the middle of the forest, Alpha asks her for information about Aaron and his community, but is disappointed when Gamma reveals she only managed to find out his name and that he has a daughter. Noticing signs of weakness in her apprentice, Alpha orders Gamma to remove her mask and proceeds to strike her arm so that she stays strong; Alpha reminds Gamma that the enemy is using her and that she should not allow herself to be fooled by Aaron's charms. In the mid-season finale, "The World Before", after questioning Gamma's loyalty to the group, Alpha decides to move the gigantic horde of walkers away from their former location and into a nearby cave. After witnessing her enemies once again enter her territory in search of the horde, Alpha lures Carol into a chase through the forest to the cave. Carol and her group follow her and fall into her trap, finding themselves trapped in the cave and surrounded by the horde.


title: Alpha (The Walking Dead)

text: In the mid-season premiere, "Squeeze", Alpha watches the cave from a distance and orders her people to make sure the group don't escape. After returning to the camp, Alpha tells Beta and Gamma what has happened, assuming that their enemies have been spying on them and entrusting the latter to go to the border to leave a message for their mole in Alexandria. While relieving herself in an impromptu latrine, Alpha receives a visit from Negan, who suggests that the traitor she is looking for might be inside the camp, listing Gamma as his prime suspect. Alpha initially disregards Negan’s theory, but later realises he was correct when Beta informs her that Gamma hasn’t reached the border. Promising Gamma will pay for her treachery, Alpha orders Beta to track her down and bring her before her so that she can punish her in front of the entire group. As a way of rewarding him, Alpha escorts Negan to the far reaches of the camp and, aware of the vulgar behavior the man has displayed during his stay in the group, decides to reward him in the same way. Ordering Negan to undress, Alpha approaches him wearing only her walker mask, and they become lovers.


title: Alpha (The Walking Dead)

text: In the episode "Stalker", Alpha and her people prepare a walker herd to attack the Hilltop. Suddenly, Daryl ambushes them, killing her people before engaging her in hand-to-hand combat, where the two both end up seriously injured. Both seeking refuge in an abandoned building, Alpha thanks Daryl for helping her become stronger, but is offended when he accuses her of not loving her daughter. When Lydia appears, Alpha is happy to see her and urges her daughter to kill her in order to take leadership of the Whisperers, but is angered and disappointed when Lydia tells her that the only reason they are talking is so she can say goodbye. Later, after being found by her people, Alpha swears revenge upon the communities and recites the group's motto, declaring war.


title: Alpha (The Walking Dead)

text: In the episode "Morning Star", Alpha and the Whisperers are leading the horde of walkers to the Hilltop when Negan proposes that instead of killing them, she should force them to surrender and join her instead. However, she attacks the community as planned once they arrive. Negan expresses confusion, but Alpha assures him that their enemies will soon join them as part of their horde. In the episode "Walk with Us", Alpha is not satisfied with the aftermath of the Hilltop assault as she still does not have what she wants — Lydia. Negan later captures Lydia and brings Alpha to her supposed location, Alpha intending to kill her daughter so she will always be with her as part of her horde. However, this turns out to be a trap and Negan slits Alpha's throat, killing her. Negan then delivers Alpha's zombified head to Carol, with whom he had been working the entire time.


title: Alpha (The Walking Dead)

text: In the episode "Look at the Flowers", Carol places Alpha's zombified head onto a pike at the border in the same manner Alpha did with the fair victims. She is subsequently haunted by hallucinations of Alpha, representing Carol's wish to die. Beta and two other Whisperers later discover Alpha's severed head. Enraged, Beta grabs one of his men and has Alpha bite him after he calls Beta the "new Alpha". He then carries Alpha's head to a hotel connected to his past as a famous musician and, after “talking” to Alpha, spends the night using his old music to attract a massive herd. In the morning, the deranged Beta "thanks" Alpha before putting her down with a knife to the head. He then removes part of her face and uses it to repair his damaged walker mask.


title: Alpha (The Walking Dead)

text: In the episode "A Certain Doom," Lydia, using Alpha's walker mask, leads Alpha's horde to its destruction with the help of Carol. As the horde is destroyed, Lydia tosses her mother's mask over a cliff. At the same time, after finally being brought down by Daryl, Beta has a series of flashbacks involving Alpha before he is devoured by his own horde.


title: Alpha (The Walking Dead)

text: Alpha is portrayed by Samantha Morton on "The Walking Dead" television series, beginning with the ninth season. The episode "Adaptation" marks the first appearance of Morton as the leader of the Whisperers. Her casting was first announced in July 2018.


title: Alpha (The Walking Dead)

text: Morton joined the main cast as of the episode "Omega", as her name appears in the opening credits. For her role as Alpha, Morton cut and shaved her real hair for this episode. Morton said regarding doing it on camera, "Oh, I loved it. It just feels very real, and what the audience is seeing is real, you know? And there's emotions about that, but the practicalities for pre-Alpha is that the hair, she's turning herself into something. She's metamorphosing from a caterpillar to a butterfly, but not the nicest butterfly, you know? She's completely changing who she is, and whether that's trauma and something to do with the brain, or that she just found her true self that she's able to be because of what's happening to the world." On Rotten Tomatoes, the critical consensus for "Omega" reads: "'Omega' utilizes an unreliable narrator to flesh out the zombie skin-clad fanatic Alpha and succeeds at making her all the more unnerving, but some viewers may find the episode's flashback structure and side plots to be more laborious than revelatory." The critical consensus for the following episode "Guardians" reads: "'Guardians' presents dual stories of tested leadership with thematic resonance and provides the malevolent Alpha a plump opportunity to demonstrate her villainy -- although "The Walking Dead" is still withholding crucial context from viewers longing to understand the motivations of their heroes."


title: Alpha (The Walking Dead)

text: In his review for "The Calm Before", Erik Kain of "Forbes" wrote: "Alpha uses the woman's scalp and its long golden locks as a disguise. She enters the Kingdom and walks about Ezekiel's fair. She even has a (very creepy) conversation with the King, who doesn't seem to notice how weird this woman is." Writing for Den of Geek, Ron Hogan in his review wrote: "The creative team is able to dial it back, sprinkling moments of hopefulness in front of Alpha. Unlike Lydia, who was taken in by it, she's repulsed, and while it doesn't show on her face, it shows in her actions, and her talk with Daryl at shotgun-point. The very same incidents strike two related people totally differently, and in the denouement of the episode, the very things that lend sweetness and happiness end up causing the greatest in bittersweet pain." Commenting on the decapitation border, Jeff Stone of IndieWire wrote: "It is kind of funny how Alpha seemed to know how important each character was and ordered them accordingly." Alex McLevy of "The A.V. Club" wrote: "Alpha showing the walker horde to Daryl is a strong narrative conceit, the equivalent of warning your enemy by holding up an ICBM and saying you're not afraid to use it."


title: Tendon

text: A tendon or sinew is a tough, high-tensile-strength band of dense fibrous connective tissue that connects muscle to bone. It is able to transmit the mechanical forces of muscle contraction to the skeletal system without sacrificing its ability to withstand significant amounts of tension.


title: Tendon

text: Tendons are similar to ligaments; both are made of collagen. Ligaments connect one bone to another, while tendons connect muscle to bone.


title: Tendon

text: Histologically, tendons consist of dense regular connective tissue. The main cellular component of tendons are specialized fibroblasts called tendon cells (tenocytes). Tenocytes synthesize the extracellular matrix of tendons, abundant in densely packed collagen fibers. The collagen fibers are parallel to each other and organized into tendon fascicles. Individual fascicles are bound by the endotendineum, which is a delicate loose connective tissue containing thin collagen fibrils and elastic fibres. Groups of fascicles are bounded by the epitenon, which is a sheath of dense irregular connective tissue. The whole tendon is enclosed by a fascia. The space between the fascia and the tendon tissue is filled with the paratenon, a fatty areolar tissue. Normal healthy tendons are anchored to bone by Sharpey's fibres.


title: Tendon

text: While type I collagen makes up most of the collagen in tendon, many minor collagens are present that play vital roles in proper tendon development and function. These include type II collagen in the cartilaginous zones, type III collagen in the reticulin fibres of the vascular walls, type IX collagen, type IV collagen in the basement membranes of the capillaries, type V collagen in the vascular walls, and type X collagen in the mineralized fibrocartilage near the interface with the bone.


title: Tendon

text: Collagen fibres coalesce into macroaggregates. After secretion from the cell, cleaved by procollagen N- and C-proteases, the tropocollagen molecules spontaneously assemble into insoluble fibrils. A collagen molecule is about 300 nm long and 1–2 nm wide, and the diameter of the fibrils that are formed can range from 50–500 nm. In tendons, the fibrils then assemble further to form fascicles, which are about 10 mm in length with a diameter of 50–300 μm, and finally into a tendon fibre with a diameter of 100–500 μm.


title: Tendon

text: The collagen in tendons are held together with proteoglycan (a compound consisting of a protein bonded to glycosaminoglycan groups, present especially in connective tissue) components including decorin and, in compressed regions of tendon, aggrecan, which are capable of binding to the collagen fibrils at specific locations. The proteoglycans are interwoven with the collagen fibrils their glycosaminoglycan (GAG) side chains have multiple interactions with the surface of the fibrils showing that the proteoglycans are important structurally in the interconnection of the fibrils. The major GAG components of the tendon are dermatan sulfate and chondroitin sulfate, which associate with collagen and are involved in the fibril assembly process during tendon development. Dermatan sulfate is thought to be responsible for forming associations between fibrils, while chondroitin sulfate is thought to be more involved with occupying volume between the fibrils to keep them separated and help withstand deformation. The dermatan sulfate side chains of decorin aggregate in solution, and this behavior can assist with the assembly of the collagen fibrils. When decorin molecules are bound to a collagen fibril, their dermatan sulfate chains may extend and associate with other dermatan sulfate chains on decorin that is bound to separate fibrils, therefore creating interfibrillar bridges and eventually causing parallel alignment of the fibrils.


title: Tendon

text: The tenocytes produce the collagen molecules, which aggregate end-to-end and side-to-side to produce collagen fibrils. Fibril bundles are organized to form fibres with the elongated tenocytes closely packed between them. There is a three-dimensional network of cell processes associated with collagen in the tendon. The cells communicate with each other through gap junctions, and this signalling gives them the ability to detect and respond to mechanical loading.These communications happen by two proteins essentially : connexin 43, present where the cells processes meet and in cell bodies connexin 32, present only where the processes meet.


title: Tendon

text: Blood vessels may be visualized within the endotendon running parallel to collagen fibres, with occasional branching transverse anastomoses.


title: Tendon

text: The internal tendon bulk is thought to contain no nerve fibres, but the epitenon and paratenon contain nerve endings, while Golgi tendon organs are present at the myotendinous junction between tendon and muscle.


title: Tendon

text: Tendon length varies in all major groups and from person to person. Tendon length is, in practice, the deciding factor regarding actual and potential muscle size. For example, all other relevant biological factors being equal, a man with a shorter tendons and a longer biceps muscle will have greater potential for muscle mass than a man with a longer tendon and a shorter muscle. Successful bodybuilders will generally have shorter tendons. Conversely, in sports requiring athletes to excel in actions such as running or jumping, it is beneficial to have longer than average Achilles tendon and a shorter calf muscle.


title: Tendon

text: Tendon length is determined by genetic predisposition, and has not been shown to either increase or decrease in response to environment, unlike muscles, which can be shortened by trauma, use imbalances and a lack of recovery and stretching. In addition tendons allow muscles to be at an optimal distance from the site where they actively engage in movement, passing through regions where space is premium, like the carpal tunnel.


title: Tendon

text: Traditionally, tendons have been considered to be a mechanism by which muscles connect to bone as well as muscles itself, functioning to transmit forces. This connection allows tendons to passively modulate forces during locomotion, providing additional stability with no active work. However, over the past two decades, much research has focused on the elastic properties of some tendons and their ability to function as springs. Not all tendons are required to perform the same functional role, with some predominantly positioning limbs, such as the fingers when writing (positional tendons) and others acting as springs to make locomotion more efficient (energy storing tendons). Energy storing tendons can store and recover energy at high efficiency. For example, during a human stride, the Achilles tendon stretches as the ankle joint dorsiflexes. During the last portion of the stride, as the foot plantar-flexes (pointing the toes down), the stored elastic energy is released. Furthermore, because the tendon stretches, the muscle is able to function with less or even no change in length, allowing the muscle to generate more force.


title: Tendon

text: The mechanical properties of the tendon are dependent on the collagen fiber diameter and orientation. The collagen fibrils are parallel to each other and closely packed, but show a wave-like appearance due to planar undulations, or crimps, on a scale of several micrometers. In tendons, the collagen fibres have some flexibility due to the absence of hydroxyproline and proline residues at specific locations in the amino acid sequence, which allows the formation of other conformations such as bends or internal loops in the triple helix and results in the development of crimps. The crimps in the collagen fibrils allow the tendons to have some flexibility as well as a low compressive stiffness. In addition, because the tendon is a multi-stranded structure made up of many partially independent fibrils and fascicles, it does not behave as a single rod, and this property also contributes to its flexibility.


title: Tendon

text: The proteoglycan components of tendons also are important to the mechanical properties. While the collagen fibrils allow tendons to resist tensile stress, the proteoglycans allow them to resist compressive stress. These molecules are very hydrophilic, meaning that they can absorb a large amount of water and therefore have a high swelling ratio. Since they are noncovalently bound to the fibrils, they may reversibly associate and disassociate so that the bridges between fibrils can be broken and reformed. This process may be involved in allowing the fibril to elongate and decrease in diameter under tension. However, the proteoglycans may also have a role in the tensile properties of tendon. The structure of tendon is effectively a fibre composite material, built as a series of hierarchical levels. At each level of the hierarchy, the collagen units are bound together by either collagen crosslinks, or the proteoglycans, to create a structure highly resistant to tensile load. The elongation and the strain of the collagen fibrils alone have been shown to be much lower than the total elongation and strain of the entire tendon under the same amount of stress, demonstrating that the proteoglycan-rich matrix must also undergo deformation, and stiffening of the matrix occurs at high strain rates. This deformation of the non-collagenous matrix occurs at all levels of the tendon hierarchy, and by modulating the organisation and structure of this matrix, the different mechanical properties required by different tendons can be achieved. Energy storing tendons have been shown to utilise significant amounts of sliding between fascicles to enable the high strain characteristics they require, whilst positional tendons rely more heavily on sliding between collagen fibres and fibrils. However, recent data suggests that energy storing tendons may also contain fascicles which are twisted, or helical, in nature - an arrangement that would be highly beneficial for providing the spring-like behaviour required in these tendons.


title: Tendon

text: Tendons are viscoelastic structures, which means they exhibit both elastic and viscous behaviour. When stretched, tendons exhibit typical "soft tissue" behavior. The force-extension, or stress-strain curve starts with a very low stiffness region, as the crimp structure straightens and the collagen fibres align suggesting negative Poisson's ratio in the fibres of the tendon. More recently, tests carried out in vivo (through MRI) and ex vivo (through mechanical testing of various cadaveric tendon tissue) have shown that healthy tendons are highly anisotropic and exhibit a negative Poisson's ratio (auxetic) in some planes when stretched up to 2% along their length, i.e. within their normal range of motion. After this 'toe' region, the structure becomes significantly stiffer, and has a linear stress-strain curve until it begins to fail. The mechanical properties of tendons vary widely, as they are matched to the functional requirements of the tendon. The energy storing tendons tend to be more elastic, or less stiff, so they can more easily store energy, whilst the stiffer positional tendons tend to be a little more viscoelastic, and less elastic, so they can provide finer control of movement. A typical energy storing tendon will fail at around 12-15% strain, and a stress in the region of 100-150 MPa, although some tendons are notably more extensible than this, for example the superficial digital flexor in the horse, which stretches in excess of 20% when galloping. Positional tendons can fail at strains as low as 6-8%, but can have moduli in the region of 700-1000 MPa.


title: Tendon

text: Several studies have demonstrated that tendons respond to changes in mechanical loading with growth and remodeling processes, much like bones. In particular, a study showed that disuse of the Achilles tendon in rats resulted in a decrease in the average thickness of the collagen fiber bundles comprising the tendon. In humans, an experiment in which people were subjected to a simulated micro-gravity environment found that tendon stiffness decreased significantly, even when subjects were required to perform restiveness exercises. These effects have implications in areas ranging from treatment of bedridden patients to the design of more effective exercises for astronauts.


title: Tendon

text: The tendons in the foot are highly complex and intricate. Therefore, the healing process for a broken tendon is long and painful. Most people who do not receive medical attention within the first 48 hours of the injury will suffer from severe swelling, pain, and a burning sensation where the injury occurred.


title: Tendon

text: It was believed that tendons could not undergo matrix turnover and that tenocytes were not capable of repair. However, it has since been shown that, throughout the lifetime of a person, tenocytes in the tendon actively synthesize matrix components as well as enzymes such as matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) can degrade the matrix. Tendons are capable of healing and recovering from injuries in a process that is controlled by the tenocytes and their surrounding extracellular matrix.


title: Tendon

text: The three main stages of tendon healing are inflammation, repair or proliferation, and remodeling, which can be further divided into consolidation and maturation. These stages can overlap with each other. In the first stage, inflammatory cells such as neutrophils are recruited to the injury site, along with erythrocytes. Monocytes and macrophages are recruited within the first 24 hours, and phagocytosis of necrotic materials at the injury site occurs. After the release of vasoactive and chemotactic factors, angiogenesis and the proliferation of tenocytes are initiated. Tenocytes then move into the site and start to synthesize collagen III. After a few days, the repair or proliferation stage begins. In this stage, the tenocytes are involved in the synthesis of large amounts of collagen and proteoglycans at the site of injury, and the levels of GAG and water are high. After about six weeks, the remodeling stage begins. The first part of this stage is consolidation, which lasts from about six to ten weeks after the injury. During this time, the synthesis of collagen and GAGs is decreased, and the cellularity is also decreased as the tissue becomes more fibrous as a result of increased production of collagen I and the fibrils become aligned in the direction of mechanical stress. The final maturation stage occurs after ten weeks, and during this time there is an increase in crosslinking of the collagen fibrils, which causes the tissue to become stiffer. Gradually, over about one year, the tissue will turn from fibrous to scar-like.


title: Tendon

text: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) have a very important role in the degradation and remodeling of the ECM during the healing process after a tendon injury. Certain MMPs including MMP-1, MMP-2, MMP-8, MMP-13, and MMP-14 have collagenase activity, meaning that, unlike many other enzymes, they are capable of degrading collagen I fibrils. The degradation of the collagen fibrils by MMP-1 along with the presence of denatured collagen are factors that are believed to cause weakening of the tendon ECM and an increase in the potential for another rupture to occur. In response to repeated mechanical loading or injury, cytokines may be released by tenocytes and can induce the release of MMPs, causing degradation of the ECM and leading to recurring injury and chronic tendinopathies.


title: Tendon

text: A variety of other molecules are involved in tendon repair and regeneration. There are five growth factors that have been shown to be significantly upregulated and active during tendon healing: insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-I), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β). These growth factors all have different roles during the healing process. IGF-1 increases collagen and proteoglycan production during the first stage of inflammation, and PDGF is also present during the early stages after injury and promotes the synthesis of other growth factors along with the synthesis of DNA and the proliferation of tendon cells. The three isoforms of TGF-β (TGF-β1, TGF-β2, TGF-β3) are known to play a role in wound healing and scar formation. VEGF is well known to promote angiogenesis and to induce endothelial cell proliferation and migration, and VEGF mRNA has been shown to be expressed at the site of tendon injuries along with collagen I mRNA. Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are a subgroup of TGF-β superfamily that can induce bone and cartilage formation as well as tissue differentiation, and BMP-12 specifically has been shown to influence formation and differentiation of tendon tissue and to promote fibrogenesis.


title: Tendon

text: In animal models, extensive studies have been conducted to investigate the effects of mechanical strain in the form of activity level on tendon injury and healing. While stretching can disrupt healing during the initial inflammatory phase, it has been shown that controlled movement of the tendons after about one week following an acute injury can help to promote the synthesis of collagen by the tenocytes, leading to increased tensile strength and diameter of the healed tendons and fewer adhesions than tendons that are immobilized. In chronic tendon injuries, mechanical loading has also been shown to stimulate fibroblast proliferation and collagen synthesis along with collagen realignment, all of which promote repair and remodeling. To further support the theory that movement and activity assist in tendon healing, it has been shown that immobilization of the tendons after injury often has a negative effect on healing. In rabbits, collagen fascicles that are immobilized have shown decreased tensile strength, and immobilization also results in lower amounts of water, proteoglycans, and collagen crosslinks in the tendons.


title: Tendon

text: Several mechanotransduction mechanisms have been proposed as reasons for the response of tenocytes to mechanical force that enable them to alter their gene expression, protein synthesis, and cell phenotype, and eventually cause changes in tendon structure. A major factor is mechanical deformation of the extracellular matrix, which can affect the actin cytoskeleton and therefore affect cell shape, motility, and function. Mechanical forces can be transmitted by focal adhesion sites, integrins, and cell-cell junctions. Changes in the actin cytoskeleton can activate integrins, which mediate “outside-in” and “inside-out” signaling between the cell and the matrix. G-proteins, which induce intracellular signaling cascades, may also be important, and ion channels are activated by stretching to allow ions such as calcium, sodium, or potassium to enter the cell.


title: Tendon

text: Sinew was widely used throughout pre-industrial eras as a tough, durable fiber. Some specific uses include using sinew as thread for sewing, attaching feathers to arrows (see fletch), lashing tool blades to shafts, etc. It is also recommended in survival guides as a material from which strong cordage can be made for items like traps or living structures. Tendon must be treated in specific ways to function usefully for these purposes. Inuit and other circumpolar people utilized sinew as the only cordage for all domestic purposes due to the lack of other suitable fiber sources in their ecological habitats. The elastic properties of particular sinews were also used in composite recurved bows favoured by the steppe nomads of Eurasia, and Native Americans. The first stone throwing artillery also used the elastic properties of sinew.


title: Tendon

text: Sinew makes for an excellent cordage material for three reasons: It is extremely strong, it contains natural glues, and it shrinks as it dries, doing away with the need for knots.


title: Tendon

text: Tendon (in particular, beef tendon) is used as a food in some Asian cuisines (often served at yum cha or dim sum restaurants). One popular dish is "suan bao niu jin", in which the tendon is marinated in garlic. It is also sometimes found in the Vietnamese noodle dish phở.


title: Tendon

text: Tendons are subject to many types of injuries. There are various forms of tendinopathies or tendon injuries due to overuse. These types of injuries generally result in inflammation and degeneration or weakening of the tendons, which may eventually lead to tendon rupture. Tendinopathies can be caused by a number of factors relating to the tendon extracellular matrix (ECM), and their classification has been difficult because their symptoms and histopathology often are similar.


title: Tendon

text: The first category of tendinopathy is paratenonitis, which refers to inflammation of the paratenon, or paratendinous sheet located between the tendon and its sheath. Tendinosis refers to non-inflammatory injury to the tendon at the cellular level. The degradation is caused by damage to collagen, cells, and the vascular components of the tendon, and is known to lead to rupture. Observations of tendons that have undergone spontaneous rupture have shown the presence of collagen fibrils that are not in the correct parallel orientation or are not uniform in length or diameter, along with rounded tenocytes, other cell abnormalities, and the ingrowth of blood vessels. Other forms of tendinosis that have not led to rupture have also shown the degeneration, disorientation, and thinning of the collagen fibrils, along with an increase in the amount of glycosaminoglycans between the fibrils. The third is paratenonitis with tendinosis, in which combinations of paratenon inflammation and tendon degeneration are both present. The last is tendinitis, which refers to degeneration with inflammation of the tendon as well as vascular disruption.


title: Tendon

text: Tendinopathies may be caused by several intrinsic factors including age, body weight, and nutrition. The extrinsic factors are often related to sports and include excessive forces or loading, poor training techniques, and environmental conditions.


title: Tendon

text: In some organisms, notably birds, and ornithischian dinosaurs, portions of the tendon can become ossified. In this process, osteocytes infiltrate the tendon and lay down bone as they would in sesamoid bone such as the patella. In birds, tendon ossification primarily occurs in the hindlimb, while in ornithischian dinosaurs, ossified axial muscle tendons form a latticework along the neural and haemal spines on the tail, presumably for support.


title: Padmini (actress)

text: Padmini Ramachandran (13 December 1933 – 24 September 2006) was an Indian actress and trained Bharatanatyam dancer, who acted in over 250 Indian films. She acted in Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam, Telugu and Russian language films. Padmini, with her elder sister Lalitha and her younger sister Ragini, were called the "Travancore sisters".


title: Padmini (actress)

text: Padmini was born and raised in Trivandrum (present-day Thiruvananthapuram), in what was then the princely state of Travancore (now the Indian state of Kerala) to a Malayali-speaking family. She was the second daughter of Sree Thankappan Pillai and Saraswathi Amma.


title: Padmini (actress)

text: At the age of 16, Padmini was cast as the dancer in the Hindi film "Kalpana" (1948), launching her career. She acted in films consecutively for nearly 30 years in the first lease of her career. Padmini starred with several of the most well-known actors in Indian film, including Sivaji Ganesan, M. G. Ramachandran, N. T. Rama Rao, Raj Kapoor, Shammi Kapoor, Sathyan, Prem Nazir, Rajkumar, Gemini Ganesan and S. S. Rajendran. "Ezhai Padum Padu", released in 1950, was her first film in Tamil. V A Gopalakrishnan taught Padmini sisters Tamil since their mother-tongue was Malayalam. He was associated with Pakshi Raja studios. Padmini Ramachandran's association with Sivaji Ganesan started with the film "Panam" in 1952. Some of her notable Tamil films include "Sampoorna Ramayanam (1958 film)" (1958), "Thanga Padhumai", "Anbu" (1953), "Kaattu Roja", "Thillana Mohanambal" (1968), "Vietnam Veedu", "Edhir Paradhathu", Sri Valli (1961). Other projects include "Mangayar Thilakam" and "Poove Poochudava" (1985), Thaikku Oru Thalattu (1986), Lakshmi Vandhachu (1986) and Aayiram Kannudayaal (1986). Some of her Malayalam films include "Prasanna", "Snehaseema", "Vivaahitha", "Adhyaapika", "Kumara Sambhavam" (a 1969 Tamil/Malayalam bilingual), "Nokkethadhoorathu Kannum Nattu" (1984). Whereas "Vasthuhara" and "Dolar" marked the latter's last few films in her acting career and in Malayalam too after which, she immediately retired as an actress and hasn't appeared in any movies since.


title: Padmini (actress)

text: In two of her Bollywood films— "Mera Naam Joker" (1970), also Rishi Kapoor's debut film and "Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai" (1960), she was paired with Raj Kapoor. She did another film with Raj Kapoor – "Aashiq" (1962). Her other Bollywood films include "Amardeep (1958 film)", "Payal" (1957), "Afsana" (1966), "Vaasna" (1968), "Chanda Aur Bijli" (1969) and Babubhai Mistry's "Mahabharat" (1965). Her most famous was "Thillana Mohanambal"- a Tamil film where she plays a dancer competing against a musician to see, whose skills are better. She also acted in a 1957 Indian-Soviet film "Journey Beyond Three Seas" (Hindi version: "Pardesi") based on the travelogues of Russian traveler Afanasy Nikitin, called "A Journey Beyond the Three Seas."


title: Padmini (actress)

text: In 1961, Padmini married Ramachandran, a U.S.-based physician. She immediately retired from films, joined her husband in the United States, and focused on family life. The couple had one son, born in 1963, who now lives in Hillsdale, New Jersey and works for Warner Brothers. Sixteen years after her wedding, in 1977, Padmini opened a classical dance school in New Jersey, named the Padmini School of Fine Arts. Today, her school is considered one of the largest Indian classical dance institutions in America.. Actress Sukumari was the maternal first cousin of Padmini and her sisters (the Travancore sisters). Shobana, the famous dancer, is the niece of Padmini. Malayalam actress Ambika Sukumaran is her relative. Actors Vineeth and Krishna are among her relatives. Padmini died of a heart attack at the Chennai Apollo Hospital on 24 September 2006 (aged 76 at the time). She was hospitalized on the previous day when she suffered a fatal heart attack during a meeting with the then Tamil Nadu CM M. Karunanidhi. She was survived by a son, who is settled in the United States. Padmini was well known for her professional rivalry with actress Vyjayanthimala, the successful dancer-actress. They performed a dance number in the Tamil film "Vanjikottai Valiban"; the well-known song was "Kannum Kannum Kalanthu", which was sung by P. Leela and Jikki. In the song, they were pitted against each other. Due to their professional rivalry, the song has a cult following since the film was released.


title: Duke Nukem Forever

text: Duke Nukem Forever is a 2011 first-person shooter game developed by Gearbox Software and published by 2K Games for Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. It is the fourth main installment in the "Duke Nukem" series and the sequel to "Duke Nukem 3D" (1996). Players control Duke Nukem as he comes out of retirement to battle an alien invasion. Like its predecessor, "Duke Nukem Forever" features pop culture references, toilet humor, and adult content.


title: Duke Nukem Forever

text: "Duke Nukem Forever" began development under 3D Realms and underwent a severely protracted development that lasted more than 14 years. Announced in 1997 following the success of "Duke Nukem 3D", it was delayed several times, which was attributed to engine changes, understaffing, and a lack of a development plan. After 3D Realms downsized in 2009, "Duke Nukem Forever" was finished by Triptych Games, Gearbox Software and Piranha Games. It holds the Guinness world record for the longest development for a video game.


title: Duke Nukem Forever

text: "Duke Nukem Forever" was released on June 14, 2011, and received mostly unfavorable reviews, with criticism for its graphics, dated humor and story, simplistic mechanics, and unpolished performance and design. It did not meet sales expectations but was deemed profitable by Take-Two Interactive, the owner of 2K Games. An additional episode, "The Doctor Who Cloned Me," was released as downloadable content later in the year. An unfinished version of "Duke Nukem Forever" from 2001 was leaked online in 2022.


title: Duke Nukem Forever

text: "Duke Nukem Forever" is a first-person shooter that combines combat, exploration and puzzle-solving. Players control Duke Nukem, a 1980s-style action hero, as he battles alien invaders through three main locations: Las Vegas, a highway and Hoover Dam. Some areas feature boss fights, fetch quests and driving sequences; in one sequence, Duke is shrunk to a miniature size and drives a toy car. Minigames include air hockey, whack-a-mole and pinball.


title: Duke Nukem Forever

text: "Forever" is slower than previous "Duke Nukem" games. As in the "Halo" series, players can only carry two weapons at a time, and Duke's health regenerates automatically. The weapons include a shotgun, trip mines, a shrink ray (which shrinks enemies so Duke can stamp on them) and a freeze ray (which freezes enemies so Duke can shatter them). Like "Duke Nukem 3D, Forever" includes pop culture references, toilet humor and adult content, such as strip clubs and the ability to urinate. In the multiplayer mode, players compete in games such as deathmatch, capture the flag and king of the hill.


title: Duke Nukem Forever

text: Twelve years after he saved the Earth from an alien invasion, Duke Nukem has become a celebrity multimillionaire. After playing a game based on "Duke Nukem 3D", he arrives on the set of a talk show for an interview. On his way to the show, Duke witnesses a news broadcast announcing that aliens have returned. Unlike previous encounters, the aliens initially appear peaceful and at first, seem to pose no harm to the humans of Earth.


title: Duke Nukem Forever

text: Duke's talk show appearance is canceled to allow television stations to cover the alien invasion, and Duke retires to the "Duke Cave", his home. There, he receives a call from the president and General Graves of the Earth Defense Force (EDF). The president orders Duke not to harm the invaders and adds that he is in diplomatic talks with the alien overlord.


title: Duke Nukem Forever

text: When Duke is attacked by hostile aliens, Duke is forced to disobey the president's orders and fight his way through the alien hordes. While fighting through his casino, Duke witnesses the aliens abducting women, including his two pop star girlfriends. Graves tells Duke that the women are being held in the Duke Dome and that the aliens have a vendetta to settle with Duke. He also warns Duke that the aliens are using Hoover Dam to power a wormhole so more aliens can come through. Duke travels to the Duke Dome, using a wrecking ball to damage the building to gain access. Inside, he finds swarms of Octabrains and the missing women, who have been impregnated with alien spawn. Duke's girlfriends die after bearing alien babies, infuriating Duke. Duke finds the Alien Queen in control of the Duke Dome and kills her, but is wounded in the process and blacks out.


title: Duke Nukem Forever

text: After regaining consciousness, Duke fights Pigcops and aliens through the Duke Burger. He travels to the Hoover Dam in his monster truck. After battling through the dam, he finds his old friend Dylan, mortally wounded. Dylan tells Duke that the reborn Cycloid Emperor is at the dam and that the only way to shut down the portal is to completely destroy it. Before dying, he gives Duke his demolition charges and wishes him luck. Duke places the explosives and destroys the dam, but the currents nearly drown him.


title: Duke Nukem Forever

text: Duke is revived by an EDF soldier and awakens to find the portal gone. The president, who was also at the dam, rages at Duke for ruining his plans to work with the Cycloid Emperor. The president was actually intending to have the aliens kill Duke so he could control the Earth with Cycloid Emperor. He has ordered a nuclear strike at the site of the dam to wipe out the remaining aliens, intending to leave Duke there to die. The Cycloid Emperor emerges and kills the president and his security detail; he intended to kill the president after the deal. Duke kills the Cycloid Emperor and is rescued by Graves as the nuclear bomb explodes. In a press conference, Duke announces his intent to run for President of the United States.


title: Duke Nukem Forever

text: In the downloadable content "The Doctor Who Cloned Me", Duke wakes up after the nuclear explosion and finds himself trapped in a strange laboratory while video recordings of himself declaring his bid for Presidency play on monitors. After escaping, Duke discovers that not only are the aliens continuing their invasion, but his old nemesis Dr. Proton (the antagonist of the original "Duke Nukem" game) has returned and is building an army of robotic Duke clones to fight the aliens and conquer Earth himself.


title: Duke Nukem Forever

text: Duke infiltrates Proton's laboratory in Area 51 by posing as one of the clones. Eventually, Proton spots him and attacks Duke but he escapes and is reunited with Dylan (revealed as still alive). With Dylan's help, Duke locates and kills Dr. Proton. General Graves then communicates with Duke to inform him that the aliens are being bred by an Alien Empress that is nesting on the moon. After finding a teleporter leading up to the moon, Duke commandeers a moon rover and destroys the Alien Empress, saving Earth and its women once again.


title: Duke Nukem Forever

text: In 1996, 3D Realms released "Duke Nukem 3D". Set apart from other first-person shooter games by its adult humor and interactive world, it received positive reviews and sold around 3.5 million copies. 3D Realms co-founder George Broussard announced the sequel, "Duke Nukem Forever", on April 27, 1997, which he expected to be released by Christmas 1998. The game was widely anticipated. Scott Miller, 3D Realms' co-founder, felt the "Duke Nukem" franchise would last for decades across many iterations, like "James Bond" or "Mario". Broussard and Miller funded "Duke Nukem Forever" using the profits from "Duke Nukem 3D" and other games. They gave the marketing and publishing rights to GT Interactive, taking only a $400,000 advance.


title: Duke Nukem Forever

text: Rather than create a new game engine, 3D Realms began development using Id Software's "Quake II" engine. They demonstrated the first "Duke Nukem Forever" trailer at the E3 convention in May 1998. Critics were impressed by its cinematic presentation and action scenes, with combat on a moving truck. According to staff, Broussard became obsessed with incorporating new technology and features from competing games and could not bear for "Duke Nukem Forever" to be perceived as outdated. Weeks after E3, he announced that 3D Realms had switched to Unreal Engine, a new engine with better rendering capabilities for large spaces, requiring a reboot of the project. In 1999, they switched engines again, to a newer version of Unreal Engine.


title: Duke Nukem Forever

text: By 2000, "Duke Nukem Forever" was still far from complete. A developer who joined that year described it as a series of chaotic tech demos, and the staff felt that Broussard had no fixed idea of what the final game would be. As the success of "Duke Nukem 3D" meant that 3D Realms did not require external funding, they lacked deadlines or financial pressure that could have driven the project. Broussard became defiant in response to questions from fans and journalists, saying it would be released "when it's done". In December 2000, the rights to publish "Duke Nukem Forever" were purchased by Take-Two Interactive, which hoped to release it the following year. By 2001, "Duke Nukem Forever" was being cited as a high-profile case of vaporware, and "Wired" gave it the "vaporware of the year" award.


title: Duke Nukem Forever

text: At E3 2001, 3D Realms released another trailer, the first public view of "Duke Nukem Forever" in three years. It received a positive response, and the team was elated, feeling that they were ahead of their competitors. However, Broussard still failed to present a vision for a final product. One employee felt that Miller and Broussard were developing "with a 1995 mentality", with a team much smaller than other major games of the time. By 2003, only 18 people were working on "Duke Nukem Forever" full time. In a 2006 presentation, Broussard told a journalist the team had "fucked up" and had restarted development. By August 2006, around half the team had left, frustrated by the lack of progress.


title: Duke Nukem Forever

text: According to Miller, the Canadian studio Digital Extremes was willing to take over the project in 2004, but the proposal was rejected by others at 3D Realms. Miller later described this as a "fatal suicide shot". In 2007, 3D Realms hired Raphael van Lierop as the new creative director. He was impressed by the game and felt it could be finished within a year, but Broussard disagreed. 3D Realms hired aggressively to expand the team to about 35 people. Brian Hook, the new creative lead, became the first employee to push back against Broussard. In 2009, with 3D Realms having exhausted its capital, Miller and Broussard asked Take-Two for $6 million to finish the game. After no agreement was reached, Broussard and Miller laid off the team and ceased development.


title: Duke Nukem Forever

text: In September 2010, Gearbox Software announced that it had bought the "Duke Nukem" intellectual property from 3D Realms and would continue development of "Duke Nukem Forever." The Gearbox team included several members of the 3D Realms team, but not Broussard. On May 24, 2011, Gearbox announced that "Duke Nukem Forever" had "gone gold" after 15 years. It holds the Guinness world record for the longest development for a video game, at 14 years and 44 days, though this period was exceeded in 2022 by "Beyond Good and Evil 2".


title: Duke Nukem Forever

text: In 2022, Miller released a blog post on the Apogee website about 3D Realms' failure to complete "Duke Nukem Forever". He attributed it to three major factors: understaffing, repeated engine changes and a lack of planning. On Twitter, Broussard responded that Miller's claims were "nonsense", described him as manipulative and narcissistic, and accused him of blaming others. He blamed Miller for the loss of 3D Realms and the "Duke Nukem" intellectual property.


title: Duke Nukem Forever

text: The "Duke Nukem Forever" launch trailer was released on June 2, 2011. A playable demo was released on June 3, 2011. "Duke Nukem Forever" was released in a special "Balls of Steel" edition, with items including a five-inch bust of Duke Nukem, a 100-page artbook, a comic, stickers and poker chips. Themes and avatars were also sold for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.


title: Duke Nukem Forever

text: 2K Games launched a website titled "Boob Tube" to promote the game. On May 19, 2011, a Flash game was released on the website, "Duke Nudem," whereby players shoot targets against a woman. If successful, her clothing is removed until she is topless. 2K released a "Duke Nukem Forever" soundboard for iOS, including a number of Duke Nukem's phrases. "Duke Nukem Forever" was made available a day early on June 9 from all retailers after the street date was broken.


title: Duke Nukem Forever

text: In North America, the video game retailer GameStop promised exclusive in-game content for customers pre-ordering "Duke Nukem Forever". The exclusive content, known as "Duke's Big Package", allowed the player from the start of the game to access "Big Heads", the "Ego Boost", and custom in-game T-shirts. A code printed on the final receipt could, at the time of release, be activated over Xbox Live, PlayStation Network, and Steam.


title: Duke Nukem Forever

text: "Duke Nukem Forever: Hail to the Icons Parody Pack" contains three new game modes, and four new multiplayer maps, each with new weapons. It is available on the PlayStation Network, Xbox Live, and Steam. It was released on October 11, 2011.


title: Duke Nukem Forever

text: A new single-player campaign, "The Doctor Who Cloned Me", was released on December 13, 2011. It sees the return of Duke's nemesis from the original "Duke Nukem" game, Dr. Proton, and adds new weapons, enemies, bosses and multiplayer maps. It holds a score of 52/100 on Metacritic for PC and 58/100 for Xbox 360. "GameSpy" rated it a 1.5/5, "OXM" rated it 4/10 and "Eurogamer" rated it 5/10, writing: "Duke's trying his best, but there's still too much of the past hanging around and holding him back."


title: Duke Nukem Forever

text: On the review aggregation site Metacritic, "Duke Nukem Forever" has a score of 54 out of 100, indicating "Mixed or average reviews". Criticism focused on the long loading times, clunky controls, offensive humor and dated design. The critics Elton Jones of "Complex","" Jim Sterling of "Destructoid" and Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw, creator of "Zero Punctuation", named it among the worst games of the year.


title: Duke Nukem Forever

text: Many critics disliked the level design and shooting. Kevin VanOrd of "GameSpot" felt that the "joy" of the "Duke Nukem 3D" combat had been "flattened", with "little sense of impact", and found the design tedious. He called "Duke Nukem Forever" a "bad, boring, bargain bin kind of game". "Eurogamer" wrote that the locations lacked the "exploration and excitement that made "Duke 3D" such a memorable experience", and that the levels were too linear, with "huge chunks of the game are spent simply walking from one fight to another through uninspired corridors". "IGN" felt the shooting was "simple fun", but criticized the platforming sequences, which "make up an unnecessarily large percentage of the story mode". "GamesRadar" concluded that the "world-record development time has produced an ugly, buggy shooter that veers back and forth between enjoyably average and outright boring, with occasional surges of greatness along the way". "GamePro" felt that "unexpected moments ... are really the game's biggest strengths. But they're few and far between."


title: Duke Nukem Forever

text: Many reviewers questioned the design choices in comparison to "Duke Nukem 3D", with "Kotaku" writing: "Old-school shooters, and this is definitely trying to be one of those with its basic AI and lack of cover mechanics, always had two great things going for them: speed and a ridiculous arsenal of weapons... "Forever" eschews this in favour of a plodding pace and two guns." "The Escapist" agreed: "Having been almost cryo-frozen for more than a decade, then awoken and peppered with modern touches, "Duke Nukem Forever" feels so out of place."


title: Duke Nukem Forever

text: Another common criticism was with the game's lack of technical sophistication, including inconsistent graphics and unacceptably long loading times, which "GameTrailers" called "unholy"; Eric Neigher of "GameSpy" found the console versions took up to 40 seconds to load a level. Neigher also criticized the game's multiplayer mode as unplayable without serious lag spikes. "Edge" wrote that "the myriad technical shortcomings – particularly prevalent on the console ports – only get worse the further you progress into the campaign", a view echoed by "Game Revolution": "when they started on the design, that tech was already outdated". The PC version has since been patched to greatly decrease loading times and to add two optional inventory slots.


title: Duke Nukem Forever

text: The use of the series' trademark humor received a mixed response. In one regard, some critics such as "Team Xbox" praised the voice work of Jon St. John, who did an "excellent job as always with Duke's persona", while others such as Machinima.com appreciated the comedic gameplay tips and pop culture references. However, the same critic also noted that "parts of the narrative and dialogue show clear evidence of the game's elongated development. Many pop culture references refer to media in the early 2000s, with one-liners co-opted from 'guy' movies like "Old School", "Highlander", and "Commando", which in itself could cause blank stares from most of the current potential audience." The Australian website "PALGN" felt the game was "saved only by its humor and nostalgic value".


title: Duke Nukem Forever

text: Several critics objected to the depiction of women; "X-Play" described it as "creepy" and hateful. "Joystiq" wrote that the multiplayer mode "Capture the Babe", which involves spanking women, "really is as painful as it sounds". The hive level, in which Duke encounters abducted women who have been forcibly impregnated with aliens, attracted particular criticism. The level and it inclusion of disembodied "wall boobs", which the player can slap, were listed in GamesRadar's "8 worst moments in "Duke Nukem Forever"". Croshaw found that the level was "as jarring a shift of tone as you can get without splicing five minutes of "The Human Centipede" into the middle of "Mallrats"". "Destructoid" wrote: "Duke does not come across as cool, witty or likeable in the least. He comes across as a vile, callous, thoroughly detestable psychopath ... According to Gearbox, seeing women tortured was funny enough." "Official Xbox Magazine" UK thought that the humor was not "so much offensive or misogynistic as just suffering from an adolescent fixation with boobs and crowbarred-in innuendo". The Kusoge of the Year Wiki named "Duke Nukem Forever" one of the worst games of 2012.


title: Duke Nukem Forever

text: Critics cited the long development time as a factor in the finished product. In a positive review "PC Gamer" noted that "years of anticipation will spoil "Duke Nukem Forever" for some", adding, "There’s no reinvention of the genre here, no real attempt at grandeur... Check unrealistic expectations at the door and forget the ancient, hyperbolic promises of self-deluded developers", and concluded, "Don’t expect a miracle. Duke is still the hero we love, but struggles to keep up with modern times." "Game Informer", while disappointed in the game, concluded "I'm glad Gearbox stepped up and finished this game, but after hearing about it for 12 years, I have no desire to relive any of it again. I’m now satisfied in my knowledge of what "Duke Nukem Forever" is and ready to never talk about it again. Welcome back, Duke. I hope your next game (which is teased after the credits) goes off without a hitch." "Giant Bomb" concluded that for those "part of that faction that finds yourself so fascinated by this whole project that you need to know how it ends, I recommend you play "Duke Nukem Forever" for yourself. But I'd practically insist that you do so on the PC and try to wait for a sale. If you're not willing to play a sloppy, cobbled together first-person shooter just because it has some kind of weird historical meaning, though, just forget this ever happened and move on." Jake Denton of "Computer and Video Games" wrote that parts of the game were fun to play and listed it as one of the "5 most underrated games of 2011", while admitting the game's overall faulty structure. Joseph Milne of "FPSguru.com" featured the game on his list of "Top 5 underrated games" at number 4 on the list.


title: Duke Nukem Forever

text: According to research firm NPD, "Duke Nukem Forever" sold 376,300 units in its first month, not including digital copies. Take-Two Interactive, the parent company of 2K Games, revealed in July 2011 that the game sales were half of their initial expectations. However, in an earnings call on August 8, 2011, Take-Two said that "Duke Nukem Forever" would prove profitable.


title: Duke Nukem Forever

text: In the years since its release, "Duke Nukem Forever" has been cited as one of the worst video games of all time, mainly attributed to its extremely long and arduous development cycle. In their 2016 list of the 8 worst games of all time, "The Escapist" called it "an example of what happens when the hype is far greater than the quality of the game".


title: Duke Nukem Forever

text: In a retrospective, "Destructoid" stated that reactions at the time "ranged from negative to 'I guess it could have been worse,'" and that much of the failure was down to its imitation of the first-person shooter contemporaries at the time and that the game lacked "self-awareness". In another retrospective, "Screen Rant" attributed the negative reaction to the long development, rather than any specific aspect of the final game, with the series's sense of humour being more frowned on than in the eras of its previous entries.


title: Duke Nukem Forever

text: On May 9, 2022, an unfinished version of "Duke Nukem Forever" from 2001, including the level editor and the full source code, leaked online. Broussard confirmed its authenticity on Twitter, stating that he did not know who had leaked it and that "there is no real game to play". Miller, in a post on the Apogee website, stated that "anyone expecting much of a playable game will be disappointed".


title: Duke Nukem Forever

text: The leak includes a version of "Duke Nukem 3D" first level that ends with a sequence taken from the television series "Twin Peaks". Writing for "Ars Technica", Sam Machkovech found that the gunfights were "surprisingly solid", with "punchy sound design and powerful weapons", and resembled the "Soldier of Fortune" series. He wrote that the leak included large environments, such as casinos, built to a realistic scale, and "play out like a confused team coming to grips with brand-new engine technology, simply building out larger-than-usual levels without yet getting to the crucial stages of balancing". A fan project aims to bring the leaked version of the game to a more complete state.


title: Earth science

text: Earth science or geoscience includes all fields of natural science related to the planet Earth. This is a branch of science dealing with the physical, chemical, and biological complex constitutions and synergistic linkages of Earth's four spheres, namely biosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and geosphere. Earth science can be considered to be a branch of planetary science, but with a much older history. Earth science encompasses four main branches of study, the lithosphere, the hydrosphere, the atmosphere, and the biosphere, each of which is further broken down into more specialized fields.


title: Earth science

text: There are both reductionist and holistic approaches to Earth sciences. It is also the study of Earth and its neighbors in space. Some Earth scientists use their knowledge of the planet to locate and develop energy and mineral resources. Others study the impact of human activity on Earth's environment, and design methods to protect the planet. Some use their knowledge about Earth processes such as volcanoes, earthquakes, and hurricanes to plan communities that will not expose people to these dangerous events.


title: Earth science

text: Earth sciences can include the study of geology, the lithosphere, and the large-scale structure of Earth's interior, as well as the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere. Typically, Earth scientists use tools from geology, chronology, physics, chemistry, geography, biology, and mathematics to build a quantitative understanding of how Earth works and evolves. For example, meteorologists study the weather and watch for dangerous storms. Hydrologists examine water and warn of floods. Seismologists study earthquakes and try to understand where they will strike. Geologists study rocks and help to locate useful minerals. Earth scientists often work in the field—perhaps climbing mountains, exploring the seabed, crawling through caves, or wading in swamps. They measure and collect samples (such as rocks or river water), then record their findings on charts and maps.


title: Earth science

text: Geology is the study of the lithosphere, or Earth's surface, including the crust and rocks. It includes the physical characteristics and processes that occur in the lithosphere as well as how they are affected by geothermal energy. It incorporates aspects of chemistry, physics, and biology as elements of geology interact. Historical geology is the application of geology to interpret Earth history and how it has changed over time. Geochemistry studies the chemical components and processes of the Earth. Geophysics studies the physical properties of the lithosphere. Paleontology studies fossilized biological material in the lithosphere. Planetary geology studies geology as it pertains to extraterrestrial bodies. Geomorphology studies the origin of landscapes. Structural geology studies the deformation of rocks to produce mountains and lowlands. Resource geology studies how energy resources can be obtained from minerals. Environmental geology studies how pollution and contaminates affect soil and rock. Mineralogy is the study of minerals. It includes the study of mineral formation, crystal structure, hazards associated with minerals, and the physical and chemical properties of minerals. Petrology is the study of rocks, including the formation and composition of rocks. Petrography is a branch of petrology that studies the typology and classification of rocks.


title: Earth science

text: Plate tectonics, mountain ranges, volcanoes, and earthquakes are geological phenomena that can be explained in terms of physical and chemical processes in the Earth's crust. Beneath the Earth's crust lies the mantle which is heated by the radioactive decay of heavy elements. The mantle is not quite solid and consists of magma which is in a state of semi-perpetual convection. This convection process causes the lithospheric plates to move, albeit slowly. The resulting process is known as plate tectonics. Areas of the crust where new crust is created are called "divergent boundaries", those where it is brought back into the Earth are "convergent boundaries" and those where plates slide past each other, but no new lithospheric material is created or destroyed, are referred to as transform (or conservative) boundaries Earthquakes result from the movement of the lithospheric plates, and they often occur near convergent boundaries where parts of the crust are forced into the earth as part of subduction.


title: Earth science

text: Plate tectonics might be thought of as the process by which the Earth is resurfaced. As the result of seafloor spreading, new crust and lithosphere is created by the flow of magma from the mantle to the near surface, through fissures, where it cools and solidifies. Through subduction, oceanic crust and lithosphere returns to the convecting mantle. Volcanoes result primarily from the melting of subducted crust material. Crust material that is forced into the asthenosphere melts, and some portion of the melted material becomes light enough to rise to the surface—giving birth to volcanoes.


title: Earth science

text: Atmospheric science initially developed in the late-19th century as a means to forecast the weather through meteorology, the study of weather. Atmospheric chemistry was developed in the 20th century to measure air pollution and expanded in the 1970s in response to acid rain. Climatology studies the climate and climate change.


title: Earth science

text: The troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere are the five layers which make up Earth's atmosphere. 75% of the gases in the atmosphere are located within the troposphere, the lowest layer. In all, the atmosphere is made up of about 78.0% nitrogen, 20.9% oxygen, and 0.92% argon, and small amounts of other gases including CO and water vapor. Water vapor and CO allow the Earth's atmosphere to catch and hold the Sun's energy through the greenhouse effect. This allows Earth's surface to be warm enough to have liquid water and support life. In addition to storing heat, the atmosphere also protects living organisms by shielding the Earth's surface from cosmic rays—which are often incorrectly thought to be deflected by the magnetic field. The magnetic field—created by the internal motions of the core—produces the magnetosphere which protects Earth's atmosphere from the solar wind. As the Earth is 4.5 billion years old, it would have lost its atmosphere by now if there were no protective magnetosphere.