title: The Haunting in Connecticut

text: The DVD material was produced and directed by Daniel Farrands, who also served as a producer on the film. "Anatomy of a Haunting" featured commentary by parapsychological researchers Dr. Barry E. Taff and Jack Rourke. The DVD release of "The Haunting in Connecticut" was the recipient of the "Best Ghost Story" award in Home Media Magazine's 2009 Reaper Awards ceremony held in Los Angeles in October 2009.


title: The Haunting in Connecticut

text: While the film was mainly criticized for its use of horror cliches and "jump" scare tactics, certain aspects of the film were praised by many critics. Particular credit went to the acting: primarily the performances of Gallner and Madsen. Film critic Roger Ebert said the film "is a technically proficient horror movie and well acted," though he gave the movie only two stars.


title: The Haunting in Connecticut

text: In North America, the film opened in second place (behind "Monsters vs Aliens"), averaging $8,420 at 2,732 theatres. Its final North American gross was $55,389,516, and it made a further $22,138,216 internationally for a worldwide total of $77,527,732.


title: The Haunting in Connecticut

text: Gold Circle Films produced the follow-up "" with Tom Elkins as director and David Coggeshall as the screenwriter, it was released in a limited theatrical run, and through Video on Demand, on February 1, 2013.


title: Like Mike

text: Like Mike is a 2002 American sports comedy film directed by John Schultz and written by Michael Elliot and Jordan Moffet. Starring Lil' Bow Wow, Morris Chestnut, Jonathan Lipnicki, Robert Forster, Crispin Glover and Eugene Levy, the film follows an orphan who gets basketball talents after finding an old pair of sneakers that once belonged to Michael Jordan.


title: Like Mike

text: It was produced by NBA Productions, and features cameo appearances by NBA players. The film was released on July 3, 2002, by 20th Century Fox, three years after Jordan left the Chicago Bulls, one year before Jordan retired for the third (and last) time from the NBA, and during his playing career with the Washington Wizards (Jordan's first retirement was 1993).


title: Like Mike

text: Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics, "Like Mike" was a moderate box office success, grossing $62.3 million worldwide against a $30 million budget. In later years, the film became a fan favorite among basketball fans.


title: Like Mike

text: Calvin Cambridge and his two best friends, Murph and Reg Stevens, live in an orphanage. Murph is the youngest of the trio, and has a very close bond with Calvin. At night they all have to sell chocolate for the troublesome orphanage director, Stan Bittleman, after each home game of the NBA team, the Los Angeles Knights (a parody of the Los Angeles Clippers). Calvin meets the team's coach, who is impressed by Calvin's knowledge of basketball and honesty about the chocolates, and offers Calvin tickets for the next game.


title: Like Mike

text: Inside a thrift store donation box, Calvin finds a pair of old sneakers with the initials "MJ" written on them; once worn by Michael Jordan. A jealous bully named Ox steals the sneakers and throws them onto an overhead power line. When Calvin tries to retrieve them that night during a rainstorm, he is shocked by a lightning bolt.


title: Like Mike

text: Calvin and his friends attend the basketball game between the Knights and the Minnesota Timberwolves. After the second quarter ends, the team's star player, Tracy Reynolds, prepares for a halftime contest. Calvin's ticket number is called and he goes one on one with Tracy. Calvin ends the contest with a slam dunk after bouncing the ball off the backboard. After a long moment of stunned silence, Calvin receives a standing ovation from Reg and the crowd. Calvin is signed to a one-day contract by the Knights and prepares for his first game with them, but realizes that he is not there to play. When the Knights play the San Antonio Spurs they start losing badly and Coach Wagner decides to let Calvin play in the fourth quarter. Calvin leads a comeback against the Spurs and they win, leading to Calvin getting a season contract. Reynolds becomes his mentor since Calvin is still a minor. Calvin brings teamwork to the Knights and makes them one of the best teams in the league.


title: Like Mike

text: Tracy starts to respect Calvin after he gets himself into trouble when making sure that Tracy does not miss his curfew. Bittleman signs a contract with the team that all of Calvin's money will go to him until Calvin is eighteen, or adopted. When the second option is about to become true, Bittleman grows desperate, steals Calvin's shoes and bets $100,000 against the Knights. After the kids convince Ox and his cohorts that Bittleman is selfish, Ox takes the shoes out of Bittleman's safe. The kids head to the arena with Calvin's sneakers. Bittleman escapes and sends goons after Calvin in a failed attempt to retrieve the shoes.


title: Like Mike

text: After the 3rd quarter ends with Vince Carter and the Toronto Raptors routing the Knights, 80-59, Calvin makes it back to the arena with the shoes. In the fourth and final quarter of the last regular season game, Calvin is put into the game by the coach and the Knights start to make a comeback. After a pile on towards the end of the game, Calvin's shoes are ruined with the Knights trailing the Raptors, 103-102. Without the shoes, and wanting to be a normal child, Calvin tells the team that, regardless of whether or not the Knights make the playoffs, it will be his last game. In the final play, Calvin manages to pump fake to get Carter to jump and pass the ball to Tracy. Tracy makes the game-winning shot at the final buzzer, and the Knights defeat the Raptors, 104-103, to clinch the Knights' first playoff appearance.


title: Like Mike

text: After going back to his orphanage, Calvin and Murph get adopted by Tracy, and Reg by a different family, though they stay in touch. Bittleman, not having the money to pay off the bet, goes into hiding (presumably to either avoid getting killed by his goons, or to avoid getting arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department), and the orphanage is now sponsored by the Knights.


title: Like Mike

text: "Like Mike" grossed $51.4 million in North America and $10.8 million overseas for a total worldwide gross of $62.3 million, against its budget of $30 million. The film opened fifth at the box office with a three-day gross of $12.2 million from 2,410 theaters, and $19 million over its five-day opening. The film was released in the United Kingdom on December 13, 2002, and opened on #4 with £246,169.


title: Like Mike

text: On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 57% based on 97 reviews, and an average rating of 5.5/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "A pleasant and innocuous diversion for kids, but adults may have trouble sitting through its predictable plotlines and schmaltz." On Metacritic, it has a score of 47 out of 100, based on 27 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.


title: Like Mike

text: Ann Hornaday of "The Washington Post" wrote that the film depicted "frightening myths about adoption" that ultimately soured the comedy and acting chemistry between Bow Wow and Morris Chestnut.


title: Like Mike

text: In September 2021, Bow Wow confirmed that a direct sequel to "Like Mike" was in the works with the film's original writer, Michael Elliot.


title: Hamlet (place)

text: A hamlet is a human settlement that is smaller than a town or village. Its size relative to a parish can depend on the administration and region. A hamlet may be considered to be a smaller settlement or subdivision or satellite entity to a larger settlement.


title: Hamlet (place)

text: The word and concept of a hamlet has roots in the Anglo-Norman settlement of England, where the old French " came to apply to small human settlements.


title: Hamlet (place)

text: The word comes from Anglo-Norman ', corresponding to Old French ', the diminutive of Old French ' meaning a little village. This, in turn, is a diminutive of Old French ', possibly borrowed from (West Germanic) Franconian languages. Compare with modern French ', Dutch ', Frisian ', German ', Old English " and Modern English "home".


title: Hamlet (place)

text: In Afghanistan, the counterpart of the hamlet is the qala (Dari: قلعه, Pashto: کلي) meaning "fort" or "hamlet". The Afghan "qala" is a fortified group of houses, generally with its own community building such as a mosque, but without its own marketplace. The qala is the smallest type of settlement in Afghan society, outsized by the village (Dari/Pashto: ده), which is larger and includes a commercial area.


title: Hamlet (place)

text: In Canada's three territories, hamlets are officially designated municipalities. As of January 1, 2010:


title: Hamlet (place)

text: In Canada's provinces, hamlets are usually small unincorporated communities within a larger municipality (similar to civil townships in the United States), such as many communities within the single-tier municipalities of Ontario or within Alberta's specialized and rural municipalities.


title: Hamlet (place)

text: Canada's two largest hamlets—Fort McMurray (formerly incorporated as a city) and Sherwood Park—are located in Alberta. They each have populations, within their main urban area, in excess of 60,000—well in excess of the 10,000-person threshold that can choose to incorporate as a city in Alberta. The designation of these urban areas as a "hamlet" is simply to enable their residents to participate in the politics of their surrounding counties. As such, these two hamlets have been further designated by the Province of Alberta as urban service areas. An urban service area is recognized as equivalent to a city for the purposes of provincial and federal program delivery and grant eligibility.


title: Hamlet (place)

text: A hamlet, , is a group of rural dwellings, usually too small to be considered a village. The term is also applied to hamlets, but this can also refer to non-inhabited localities.


title: Hamlet (place)

text: During the 18th century, for rich or noble people, it was fashionable to create their own ' in their gardens. These were a group of houses or farms with rustic appearance, but in fact were very comfortable. The best known is the "Hameau de la Reine" built by the queen Marie-Antoinette in the park of the '; also the "Hameau de Chantilly" built by Louis Joseph, Prince of Condé in .


title: Hamlet (place)

text: The German word for hamlet is "" (). A "Weiler" has, compared to a "Dorf" (village), no infrastructure (i.e. no inn, no school, no store). There are hamlets with churches, these are called "Kirchweiler" (church hamlet). The houses and farms of a "Weiler" can be grouped (in the hills and the mountains) or scattered (in the plains). In North West Germany, a group of scattered farms is called "Bauerschaft". In a Weiler there are no street names, the houses are just numbered.


title: Hamlet (place)

text: In different states of India, there are different words for hamlet. In Haryana and Rajasthan it is called ""dhani"" ( ') or ""Thok"". In Gujarat a hamlet is called a ""nesada"", which are more prevalent in the Gir forest. In Maharashtra it's called a ""pada"". In southern Bihar, especially in the Magadh division, a hamlet is called a ""bigha"". In state of Karnataka, Hamlet (place of human settlement) is known by different names like Palya, Hadi(Haadi),Keri and Padi(Paadi). In olden days the human population of hamlet was less than Halli(Village) or Ooru(Uru). But in 20th century with tremendous increase in population, some of these hamlets have become villages, towns, cities or merged with them.


title: Hamlet (place)

text: All over Indonesia, hamlets are translated as "small village", or '. They are known as ' in Central Java and East Java, ' in Bali, ' or "" in West Sumatra.


title: Hamlet (place)

text: The Dutch words for hamlet are ' or '. A "gehucht" or "buurtschap" has, compared to a "dorp" (village), no infrastructure (i.e. no inn, no school, no store) and contains often only one street, bearing the same name. The houses and farms of a "gehucht" or a "buurtschap" can be scattered. Though there are strong similarities between a "gehucht" and "buurtschap", the words are not interchangeable. A "gehucht" officially counts as an independent place of residence (e.g. Wateren), while a "buurtschap" officially is a part of an other place (e.g. Bartlehiem, part of Wyns).


title: Hamlet (place)

text: In Pakistan a hamlet is called a "gaaon" گاؤں or mauza موضع in Urdu, "giraaan" گراں or "pind" پنڈ in Punjabi, and "kalay" کلې in Pashto. It is almost synonymous to 'village'.


title: Hamlet (place)

text: In Poland a hamlet is called "osada", and is legally a small rural settlement, especially differing by type of buildings or inhabited by population connected with some place or workplace (like mill hamlet, forest hamlet, fishermen hamlet, railway hamlet, State Agricultural Farm hamlet). It can be an independent settlement, or a part of another settlement, like a village.


title: Hamlet (place)

text: In Romania hamlets are called ' (singular: '), and they represent villages that contain several houses at most. They are legally considered villages, and statistically, they are placed in the same category. Like villages, they do not have a separate administration, and thus are not an administrative division, but are part of a parent commune.


title: Hamlet (place)

text: In the Russian language there are several words which mean "a hamlet", but all of them are approximately equal. The most common word is деревня ("derevnia", the word meant "an arable" in the past); the words село ("selo", from the Russian word селиться ("selit'tsa"), meaning "to settle") and посёлок ("posiolok") are quite frequently used, too. Parallel to many other cultures, a distinction was often that "selo" has a church and "derevnia" has not.


title: Hamlet (place)

text: The once common Russian word хутор ("khutor") for the smallest type of rural settlement (arguably closest in nature to the English hamlet) is now mostly obsolete. The state of USSR wanted to have some form of basic infrastructure and central authority at each and every settlement. Obviously, this is the opposite of hamlet - a place without neither for being too small to meaningfully support those. Even without state pressure, once one of the neighboring "khutor"s got a permanent shop, school, community center (known in Russia as дом культуры, "house of culture"), maybe a medical post, others would naturally relocate closer, drawing together into one village.


title: Hamlet (place)

text: Thus, the dimunitie form деревенька ("derevenka", tiny "derevnia") is in widespread, albeit unofficial, use to denote such settlements, which mostly possess the amenities of a village yet the size of hamlet.


title: Hamlet (place)

text: In Spain a hamlet is called ' (). The word comes from the Arabic term ' () («low grounds, pasture or estate»). In the South of Spain, the term " () is also used for designating small groups of rural dwellings or farmhouses.


title: Hamlet (place)

text: A hamlet in Spain is a human settlement, usually located in rural areas, and typically smaller in size and population than a village (called in Spain, " ). The hamlet is a common territorial organisation in the North West of Spain (Asturias, Cantabria and Galicia) dependent on a larger entity (e.g. parish or municipality).


title: Hamlet (place)

text: In Spain, the hamlet is one of the categories in the official gazetteer of population entities. In the Royal Order and Instruction of the 8 of March 1930, issued for the elaboration of the Annual gazetteer, the hamlet (") is defined as the population entity with the smallest population and neighbourhood, usually more disseminated than the lugar, though its buildings can be also organised in streets and plazas.


title: Hamlet (place)

text: In the four national languages hamlets are known as ' (German), ' (French), ' (Italian) and ' (Romansh). A hamlet is always part of a larger municipality or may be shared between two municipalities. The difference between a hamlet and a village is that typically a hamlet lacks a compact core settlement and lacks a central building such as a church or inn. However, some hamlets (") may have grown up as an unplanned settlement around a church. There is no population limit that defines a hamlet and some hamlets have a larger population than some of the smallest municipalities. Generally there are no street names in a hamlet; rather, addresses are given by hamlet name and a number. House numbers might start at one side of the hamlet and continue to the other side or may have no clear organization.


title: Hamlet (place)

text: A hamlet may form or have formed a ' (legal place of citizenship regardless of where a person was born or currently lives) and may own common property for the '.


title: Hamlet (place)

text: In Turkey, a hamlet is known as a " and denotes a small satellite settlement usually consisting of a few houses in the rural outskirts of a village.


title: Hamlet (place)

text: In Ukraine, a very small village such as a hamlet usually is called a ". There also existed such places like "volia", "sloboda", "huta", "buda" and others.


title: Hamlet (place)

text: In England, the word "hamlet" (having the French origin given at the top of this article), means a house or village without a church, although hamlets are recognised as part of land use planning policies and administration. In modern usage it generally refers to a secondary settlement in a civil parish, after the main settlement (if any); such an example is the hamlet of Chipping being the secondary settlement within the civil parish of Buckland. Hamlets may have been formed around a single source of economic activity such as a farm, mill, mine or harbour that employed its working population. Some hamlets may be the result of the depopulation of a village; an example of such a hamlet is Graby or Shapwick. Because of the hilly topography of the parish, the village of Clent, situated on the Clent Hills, consists of five distinct hamlets.


title: Hamlet (place)

text: The term hamlet was used in Wales to denote a geographical subdivision of a parish (which might or might not contain a settlement). Elsewhere, mostly in England, these subdivisions were called "townships" or "tithings". The Welsh word for 'hamlet' is (also ), with the loose meaning of 'small village'.


title: Hamlet (place)

text: In the Scottish Highlands the term ', of Gaelic derivation, may be preferred to the term "hamlet". Also found in Scotland more generally is ' used in the specific case of a farm settlement, including outbuildings and agricultural workers' homes.


title: Hamlet (place)

text: In Northern Ireland the common Irish place name element ' is sometimes considered equivalent to the term "hamlet" in English, although ' would actually have referred to what is known in English today as a "townland": that is to say, a geographical locality rather than a small village.


title: Hamlet (place)

text: In Mississippi, a 2009 state law (§ 17-27-5) set aside the term "municipal historical hamlet" to designate any former city, town, or village with a current population of less than 600 inhabitants that lost its charter before 1945. The first such designation was applied to Bogue Chitto, Lincoln County.


title: Hamlet (place)

text: In New York, hamlets are unincorporated settlements within towns. Hamlets are not legal entities and have no local government or official boundaries. Their approximate locations will often be noted on road signs, however, a specific service, such as water, sewer, or lighting to provide only that hamlet with services. A hamlet could be described as the rural or suburban equivalent of a neighborhood in a city or village. The area of a hamlet may not be exactly defined; it may be designated by the Census Bureau, or it may rely on some other form of border (such as a ZIP Code, school district or fire district for more urbanized areas; rural hamlets are typically only demarcated by speed zones on the roads serving them). Others, such as Forestville, New York, will be the remnants of former villages, with borders coextant with the previously defined borders of the defunct or dissolved village. Some hamlets proximate to urban areas are sometimes continuous with their cities and appear to be neighborhoods, but they still are under the jurisdiction of the town. Some localities designated as hamlets, such as Levittown in the Town of Hempstead, with a population of over 50,000, are more populous than some incorporated cities in the state.


title: Hamlet (place)

text: In Oregon, specifically in Clackamas County, a hamlet is a form of local government for small communities that allows the citizens therein to organize and co-ordinate community activities. Hamlets do not provide services such as utilities or fire protection, and do not have the authority to levy taxes or fees. There are four hamlets in Oregon: Beavercreek, Mulino, Molalla Prairie, and Stafford.


title: Hamlet (place)

text: In Vietnam, a hamlet (', ') is the smallest unofficial administrative unit. It is a subdivision of a commune or township ("").


title: Gene expression

text: Gene expression is the process by which information from a gene is used in the synthesis of a functional gene product that enables it to produce end products, protein or non-coding RNA, and ultimately affect a phenotype, as the final effect. These products are often proteins, but in non-protein-coding genes such as transfer RNA (tRNA) and small nuclear RNA (snRNA), the product is a functional non-coding RNA. Gene expression is summarized in the central dogma of molecular biology first formulated by Francis Crick in 1958, further developed in his 1970 article, and expanded by the subsequent discoveries of reverse transcription and RNA replication.


title: Gene expression

text: The process of gene expression is used by all known life—eukaryotes (including multicellular organisms), prokaryotes (bacteria and archaea), and utilized by viruses—to generate the macromolecular machinery for life.


title: Gene expression

text: In genetics, gene expression is the most fundamental level at which the genotype gives rise to the phenotype, "i.e." observable trait. The genetic information stored in DNA represents the genotype, whereas the phenotype results from the "interpretation" of that information. Such phenotypes are often displayed by the synthesis of proteins that control the organism's structure and development, or that act as enzymes catalyzing specific metabolic pathways.


title: Gene expression

text: All steps in the gene expression process may be modulated (regulated), including the transcription, RNA splicing, translation, and post-translational modification of a protein. Regulation of gene expression gives control over the timing, location, and amount of a given gene product (protein or ncRNA) present in a cell and can have a profound effect on the cellular structure and function. Regulation of gene expression is the basis for cellular differentiation, development, morphogenesis and the versatility and adaptability of any organism. Gene regulation may therefore serve as a substrate for evolutionary change.


title: Gene expression

text: The production of a RNA copy from a DNA strand is called transcription, and is performed by RNA polymerases, which add one ribonucleotide at a time to a growing RNA strand as per the complementarity law of the nucleotide bases. This RNA is complementary to the template 3′ → 5′ DNA strand, with the exception that thymines (T) are replaced with uracils (U) in the RNA.


title: Gene expression

text: In prokaryotes, transcription is carried out by a single type of RNA polymerase, which needs to bind a DNA sequence called a Pribnow box with the help of the sigma factor protein (σ factor) to start transcription. In eukaryotes, transcription is performed in the nucleus by three types of RNA polymerases, each of which needs a special DNA sequence called the promoter and a set of DNA-binding proteins—transcription factors—to initiate the process (see regulation of transcription below). RNA polymerase I is responsible for transcription of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes. RNA polymerase II (Pol II) transcribes all protein-coding genes but also some non-coding RNAs ("e.g.", snRNAs, snoRNAs or long non-coding RNAs). RNA polymerase III transcribes 5S rRNA, transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, and some small non-coding RNAs ("e.g.", 7SK). Transcription ends when the polymerase encounters a sequence called the terminator.


title: Gene expression

text: While transcription of prokaryotic protein-coding genes creates messenger RNA (mRNA) that is ready for translation into protein, transcription of eukaryotic genes leaves a primary transcript of RNA (pre-RNA), which first has to undergo a series of modifications to become a mature RNA. Types and steps involved in the maturation processes vary between coding and non-coding preRNAs; "i.e." even though preRNA molecules for both mRNA and tRNA undergo splicing, the steps and machinery involved are different. The processing of non-coding RNA is described below (non-coding RNA maturation).


title: Gene expression

text: The processing of premRNA include 5′ "capping", which is set of enzymatic reactions that add 7-methylguanosine (mG) to the 5′ end of pre-mRNA and thus protect the RNA from degradation by exonucleases. The mG cap is then bound by cap binding complex heterodimer (CBC20/CBC80), which aids in mRNA export to cytoplasm and also protect the RNA from decapping.


title: Gene expression

text: Another modification is 3′ "cleavage and polyadenylation". They occur if polyadenylation signal sequence (5′- AAUAAA-3′) is present in pre-mRNA, which is usually between protein-coding sequence and terminator. The pre-mRNA is first cleaved and then a series of ~200 adenines (A) are added to form poly(A) tail, which protects the RNA from degradation. The poly(A) tail is bound by multiple poly(A)-binding proteins (PABPs) necessary for mRNA export and translation re-initiation. In the inverse process of deadenylation, poly(A) tails are shortened by the CCR4-Not 3′-5′ exonuclease, which often leads to full transcript decay.


title: Gene expression

text: A very important modification of eukaryotic pre-mRNA is "RNA splicing". The majority of eukaryotic pre-mRNAs consist of alternating segments called exons and introns. During the process of splicing, an RNA-protein catalytical complex known as spliceosome catalyzes two transesterification reactions, which remove an intron and release it in form of lariat structure, and then splice neighbouring exons together. In certain cases, some introns or exons can be either removed or retained in mature mRNA. This so-called alternative splicing creates series of different transcripts originating from a single gene. Because these transcripts can be potentially translated into different proteins, splicing extends the complexity of eukaryotic gene expression and the size of a species proteome.


title: Gene expression

text: Extensive RNA processing may be an evolutionary advantage made possible by the nucleus of eukaryotes. In prokaryotes, transcription and translation happen together, whilst in eukaryotes, the nuclear membrane separates the two processes, giving time for RNA processing to occur.


title: Gene expression

text: In most organisms non-coding genes (ncRNA) are transcribed as precursors that undergo further processing. In the case of ribosomal RNAs (rRNA), they are often transcribed as a pre-rRNA that contains one or more rRNAs. The pre-rRNA is cleaved and modified (2′-O-methylation and pseudouridine formation) at specific sites by approximately 150 different small nucleolus-restricted RNA species, called snoRNAs. SnoRNAs associate with proteins, forming snoRNPs. While snoRNA part basepair with the target RNA and thus position the modification at a precise site, the protein part performs the catalytical reaction. In eukaryotes, in particular a snoRNP called RNase, MRP cleaves the 45S pre-rRNA into the 28S, 5.8S, and 18S rRNAs. The rRNA and RNA processing factors form large aggregates called the nucleolus.


title: Gene expression

text: In the case of transfer RNA (tRNA), for example, the 5′ sequence is removed by RNase P, whereas the 3′ end is removed by the tRNase Z enzyme and the non-templated 3′ CCA tail is added by a nucleotidyl transferase. In the case of micro RNA (miRNA), miRNAs are first transcribed as primary transcripts or pri-miRNA with a cap and poly-A tail and processed to short, 70-nucleotide stem-loop structures known as pre-miRNA in the cell nucleus by the enzymes Drosha and Pasha. After being exported, it is then processed to mature miRNAs in the cytoplasm by interaction with the endonuclease Dicer, which also initiates the formation of the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC), composed of the Argonaute protein.


title: Gene expression

text: Even snRNAs and snoRNAs themselves undergo series of modification before they become part of functional RNP complex. This is done either in the nucleoplasm or in the specialized compartments called Cajal bodies. Their bases are methylated or pseudouridinilated by a group of small Cajal body-specific RNAs (scaRNAs), which are structurally similar to snoRNAs.


title: Gene expression

text: In eukaryotes most mature RNA must be exported to the cytoplasm from the nucleus. While some RNAs function in the nucleus, many RNAs are transported through the nuclear pores and into the cytosol. Export of RNAs requires association with specific proteins known as exportins. Specific exportin molecules are responsible for the export of a given RNA type. mRNA transport also requires the correct association with Exon Junction Complex (EJC), which ensures that correct processing of the mRNA is completed before export. In some cases RNAs are additionally transported to a specific part of the cytoplasm, such as a synapse; they are then towed by motor proteins that bind through linker proteins to specific sequences (called "zipcodes") on the RNA.


title: Gene expression

text: For some RNA (non-coding RNA) the mature RNA is the final gene product. In the case of messenger RNA (mRNA) the RNA is an information carrier coding for the synthesis of one or more proteins. mRNA carrying a single protein sequence (common in eukaryotes) is monocistronic whilst mRNA carrying multiple protein sequences (common in prokaryotes) is known as polycistronic.


title: Gene expression

text: Every mRNA consists of three parts: a 5′ untranslated region (5′UTR), a protein-coding region or open reading frame (ORF), and a 3′ untranslated region (3′UTR). The coding region carries information for protein synthesis encoded by the genetic code to form triplets. Each triplet of nucleotides of the coding region is called a codon and corresponds to a binding site complementary to an anticodon triplet in transfer RNA. Transfer RNAs with the same anticodon sequence always carry an identical type of amino acid. Amino acids are then chained together by the ribosome according to the order of triplets in the coding region. The ribosome helps transfer RNA to bind to messenger RNA and takes the amino acid from each transfer RNA and makes a structure-less protein out of it. Each mRNA molecule is translated into many protein molecules, on average ~2800 in mammals.


title: Gene expression

text: In prokaryotes translation generally occurs at the point of transcription (co-transcriptionally), often using a messenger RNA that is still in the process of being created. In eukaryotes translation can occur in a variety of regions of the cell depending on where the protein being written is supposed to be. Major locations are the cytoplasm for soluble cytoplasmic proteins and the membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum for proteins that are for export from the cell or insertion into a cell membrane. Proteins that are supposed to be produced at the endoplasmic reticulum are recognised part-way through the translation process. This is governed by the signal recognition particle—a protein that binds to the ribosome and directs it to the endoplasmic reticulum when it finds a signal peptide on the growing (nascent) amino acid chain.


title: Gene expression

text: Each protein exists as an unfolded polypeptide or random coil when translated from a sequence of mRNA into a linear chain of amino acids. This polypeptide lacks any developed three-dimensional structure (the left hand side of the neighboring figure). The polypeptide then folds into its characteristic and functional three-dimensional structure from a random coil. Amino acids interact with each other to produce a well-defined three-dimensional structure, the folded protein (the right hand side of the figure) known as the native state. The resulting three-dimensional structure is determined by the amino acid sequence (Anfinsen's dogma).


title: Gene expression

text: The correct three-dimensional structure is essential to function, although some parts of functional proteins may remain unfolded. Failure to fold into the intended shape usually produces inactive proteins with different properties including toxic prions. Several neurodegenerative and other diseases are believed to result from the accumulation of "misfolded" proteins. Many allergies are caused by the folding of the proteins, for the immune system does not produce antibodies for certain protein structures.


title: Gene expression

text: Enzymes called chaperones assist the newly formed protein to attain (fold into) the 3-dimensional structure it needs to function. Similarly, RNA chaperones help RNAs attain their functional shapes. Assisting protein folding is one of the main roles of the endoplasmic reticulum in eukaryotes.


title: Gene expression

text: Secretory proteins of eukaryotes or prokaryotes must be translocated to enter the secretory pathway. Newly synthesized proteins are directed to the eukaryotic Sec61 or prokaryotic SecYEG translocation channel by signal peptides. The efficiency of protein secretion in eukaryotes is very dependent on the signal peptide which has been used.


title: Gene expression

text: Many proteins are destined for other parts of the cell than the cytosol and a wide range of signalling sequences or (signal peptides) are used to direct proteins to where they are supposed to be. In prokaryotes this is normally a simple process due to limited compartmentalisation of the cell. However, in eukaryotes there is a great variety of different targeting processes to ensure the protein arrives at the correct organelle.


title: Gene expression

text: Not all proteins remain within the cell and many are exported, for example, digestive enzymes, hormones and extracellular matrix proteins. In eukaryotes the export pathway is well developed and the main mechanism for the export of these proteins is translocation to the endoplasmic reticulum, followed by transport via the Golgi apparatus.


title: Gene expression

text: Regulation of gene expression is the control of the amount and timing of appearance of the functional product of a gene. Control of expression is vital to allow a cell to produce the gene products it needs when it needs them; in turn, this gives cells the flexibility to adapt to a variable environment, external signals, damage to the cell, and other stimuli. More generally, gene regulation gives the cell control over all structure and function, and is the basis for cellular differentiation, morphogenesis and the versatility and adaptability of any organism.


title: Gene expression

text: Numerous terms are used to describe types of genes depending on how they are regulated; these include:


title: Gene expression

text: Any step of gene expression may be modulated, from the DNA-RNA transcription step to post-translational modification of a protein. The stability of the final gene product, whether it is RNA or protein, also contributes to the expression level of the gene—an unstable product results in a low expression level. In general gene expression is regulated through changes in the number and type of interactions between molecules that collectively influence transcription of DNA and translation of RNA.


title: Gene expression

text: Regulation of transcription can be broken down into three main routes of influence; genetic (direct interaction of a control factor with the gene), modulation interaction of a control factor with the transcription machinery and epigenetic (non-sequence changes in DNA structure that influence transcription).


title: Gene expression

text: Direct interaction with DNA is the simplest and the most direct method by which a protein changes transcription levels. Genes often have several protein binding sites around the coding region with the specific function of regulating transcription. There are many classes of regulatory DNA binding sites known as enhancers, insulators and silencers. The mechanisms for regulating transcription are varied, from blocking key binding sites on the DNA for RNA polymerase to acting as an activator and promoting transcription by assisting RNA polymerase binding.


title: Gene expression

text: The activity of transcription factors is further modulated by intracellular signals causing protein post-translational modification including phosphorylation, acetylation, or glycosylation. These changes influence a transcription factor's ability to bind, directly or indirectly, to promoter DNA, to recruit RNA polymerase, or to favor elongation of a newly synthesized RNA molecule.


title: Gene expression

text: The nuclear membrane in eukaryotes allows further regulation of transcription factors by the duration of their presence in the nucleus, which is regulated by reversible changes in their structure and by binding of other proteins. Environmental stimuli or endocrine signals may cause modification of regulatory proteins eliciting cascades of intracellular signals, which result in regulation of gene expression.


title: Gene expression

text: It has become apparent that there is a significant influence of non-DNA-sequence specific effects on transcription. These effects are referred to as epigenetic and involve the higher order structure of DNA, non-sequence specific DNA binding proteins and chemical modification of DNA. In general epigenetic effects alter the accessibility of DNA to proteins and so modulate transcription.


title: Gene expression

text: In eukaryotes the structure of chromatin, controlled by the histone code, regulates access to DNA with significant impacts on the expression of genes in euchromatin and heterochromatin areas.


title: Gene expression

text: Gene expression in mammals is regulated by many cis-regulatory elements, including core promoters and promoter-proximal elements that are located near the transcription start sites of genes, upstream on the DNA (towards the 5' region of the sense strand). Other important cis-regulatory modules are localized in DNA regions that are distant from the transcription start sites. These include enhancers, silencers, insulators and tethering elements. Enhancers and their associated transcription factors have a leading role in the regulation of gene expression.


title: Gene expression

text: Enhancers are genome regions that regulate genes. Enhancers control cell-type-specific gene expression programs, most often by looping through long distances to come in physical proximity with the promoters of their target genes. Multiple enhancers, each often tens or hundred of thousands of nucleotides distant from their target genes, loop to their target gene promoters and coordinate with each other to control gene expression.


title: Gene expression

text: The illustration shows an enhancer looping around to come into proximity with the promoter of a target gene. The loop is stabilized by a dimer of a connector protein (e.g. dimer of CTCF or YY1). One member of the dimer is anchored to its binding motif on the enhancer and the other member is anchored to its binding motif on the promoter (represented by the red zigzags in the illustration). Several cell function-specific transcription factors (among the about 1,600 transcription factors in a human cell) generally bind to specific motifs on an enhancer. A small combination of these enhancer-bound transcription factors, when brought close to a promoter by a DNA loop, govern transcription level of the target gene. Mediator (a complex usually consisting of about 26 proteins in an interacting structure) communicates regulatory signals from enhancer DNA-bound transcription factors directly to the RNA polymerase II (pol II) enzyme bound to the promoter.


title: Gene expression

text: Enhancers, when active, are generally transcribed from both strands of DNA with RNA polymerases acting in two different directions, producing two eRNAs as illustrated in the figure. An inactive enhancer may be bound by an inactive transcription factor. Phosphorylation of the transcription factor may activate it and that activated transcription factor may then activate the enhancer to which it is bound (see small red star representing phosphorylation of transcription factor bound to enhancer in the illustration). An activated enhancer begins transcription of its RNA before activating transcription of messenger RNA from its target gene.


title: Gene expression

text: DNA methylation is a widespread mechanism for epigenetic influence on gene expression and is seen in bacteria and eukaryotes and has roles in heritable transcription silencing and transcription regulation. Methylation most often occurs on a cytosine (see Figure). Methylation of cytosine primarily occurs in dinucleotide sequences where a cytosine is followed by a guanine, a CpG site. The number of CpG sites in the human genome is about 28 million. Depending on the type of cell, about 70% of the CpG sites have a methylated cytosine.


title: Gene expression

text: Methylation of cytosine in DNA has a major role in regulating gene expression. Methylation of CpGs in a promoter region of a gene usually represses gene transcription while methylation of CpGs in the body of a gene increases expression. TET enzymes play a central role in demethylation of methylated cytosines. Demethylation of CpGs in a gene promoter by TET enzyme activity increases transcription of the gene.


title: Gene expression

text: In a rat, contextual fear conditioning (CFC) is a painful learning experience. Just one episode of CFC can result in a life-long fearful memory. After an episode of CFC, cytosine methylation is altered in the promoter regions of about 9.17% of all genes in the hippocampus neuron DNA of a rat. The hippocampus is where new memories are initially stored. After CFC about 500 genes have increased transcription (often due to demethylation of CpG sites in a promoter region) and about 1,000 genes have decreased transcription (often due to newly formed 5-methylcytosine at CpG sites in a promoter region). The pattern of induced and repressed genes within neurons appears to provide a molecular basis for forming the first transient memory of this training event in the hippocampus of the rat brain.


title: Gene expression

text: Some specific mechanisms guiding new DNA methylations and new DNA demethylations in the hippocampus during memory establishment have been established (see for summary). One mechanism includes guiding the short isoform of the TET1 DNA demethylation enzyme, TET1s, to about 600 locations on the genome. The guidance is performed by association of TET1s with EGR1 protein, a transcription factor important in memory formation. Bringing TET1s to these locations initiates DNA demethylation at those sites, up-regulating associated genes. A second mechanism involves DNMT3A2, a splice-isoform of DNA methyltransferase DNMT3A, which adds methyl groups to cytosines in DNA. This isoform is induced by synaptic activity, and its location of action appears to be determined by histone post-translational modifications (a histone code). The resulting new messenger RNAs are then transported by messenger RNP particles (neuronal granules) to synapses of the neurons, where they can be translated into proteins affecting the activities of synapses.


title: Gene expression

text: In particular, the brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene ("BDNF") is known as a "learning gene." After CFC there was upregulation of "BDNF" gene expression, related to decreased CpG methylation of certain internal promoters of the gene, and this was correlated with learning.


title: Gene expression

text: The majority of gene promoters contain a CpG island with numerous CpG sites. When many of a gene's promoter CpG sites are methylated the gene becomes silenced. Colorectal cancers typically have 3 to 6 driver mutations and 33 to 66 hitchhiker or passenger mutations. However, transcriptional silencing may be of more importance than mutation in causing progression to cancer. For example, in colorectal cancers about 600 to 800 genes are transcriptionally silenced by CpG island methylation (see regulation of transcription in cancer). Transcriptional repression in cancer can also occur by other epigenetic mechanisms, such as altered expression of microRNAs. In breast cancer, transcriptional repression of BRCA1 may occur more frequently by over-transcribed microRNA-182 than by hypermethylation of the BRCA1 promoter (see Low expression of BRCA1 in breast and ovarian cancers).


title: Gene expression

text: In eukaryotes, where export of RNA is required before translation is possible, nuclear export is thought to provide additional control over gene expression. All transport in and out of the nucleus is via the nuclear pore and transport is controlled by a wide range of importin and exportin proteins.


title: Gene expression

text: Expression of a gene coding for a protein is only possible if the messenger RNA carrying the code survives long enough to be translated. In a typical cell, an RNA molecule is only stable if specifically protected from degradation. RNA degradation has particular importance in regulation of expression in eukaryotic cells where mRNA has to travel significant distances before being translated. In eukaryotes, RNA is stabilised by certain post-transcriptional modifications, particularly the 5′ cap and poly-adenylated tail.


title: Gene expression

text: Intentional degradation of mRNA is used not just as a defence mechanism from foreign RNA (normally from viruses) but also as a route of mRNA "destabilisation". If an mRNA molecule has a complementary sequence to a small interfering RNA then it is targeted for destruction via the RNA interference pathway.


title: Gene expression

text: Three prime untranslated regions (3′UTRs) of messenger RNAs (mRNAs) often contain regulatory sequences that post-transcriptionally influence gene expression. Such 3′-UTRs often contain both binding sites for microRNAs (miRNAs) as well as for regulatory proteins. By binding to specific sites within the 3′-UTR, miRNAs can decrease gene expression of various mRNAs by either inhibiting translation or directly causing degradation of the transcript. The 3′-UTR also may have silencer regions that bind repressor proteins that inhibit the expression of a mRNA.


title: Gene expression

text: The 3′-UTR often contains microRNA response elements (MREs). MREs are sequences to which miRNAs bind. These are prevalent motifs within 3′-UTRs. Among all regulatory motifs within the 3′-UTRs (e.g. including silencer regions), MREs make up about half of the motifs.


title: Gene expression

text: As of 2014, the miRBase web site, an archive of miRNA sequences and annotations, listed 28,645 entries in 233 biologic species. Of these, 1,881 miRNAs were in annotated human miRNA loci. miRNAs were predicted to have an average of about four hundred target mRNAs (affecting expression of several hundred genes). Friedman et al. estimate that >45,000 miRNA target sites within human mRNA 3′UTRs are conserved above background levels, and >60% of human protein-coding genes have been under selective pressure to maintain pairing to miRNAs.


title: Gene expression

text: Direct experiments show that a single miRNA can reduce the stability of hundreds of unique mRNAs. Other experiments show that a single miRNA may repress the production of hundreds of proteins, but that this repression often is relatively mild (less than 2-fold).


title: Gene expression

text: The effects of miRNA dysregulation of gene expression seem to be important in cancer. For instance, in gastrointestinal cancers, nine miRNAs have been identified as epigenetically altered and effective in down regulating DNA repair enzymes.


title: Gene expression

text: The effects of miRNA dysregulation of gene expression also seem to be important in neuropsychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and autism spectrum disorders.


title: Gene expression

text: Direct regulation of translation is less prevalent than control of transcription or mRNA stability but is occasionally used. Inhibition of protein translation is a major target for toxins and antibiotics, so they can kill a cell by overriding its normal gene expression control. Protein synthesis inhibitors include the antibiotic neomycin and the toxin ricin.


title: Gene expression

text: Post-translational modifications (PTMs) are covalent modifications to proteins. Like RNA splicing, they help to significantly diversify the proteome. These modifications are usually catalyzed by enzymes. Additionally, processes like covalent additions to amino acid side chain residues can often be reversed by other enzymes. However, some, like the proteolytic cleavage of the protein backbone, are irreversible.


title: Gene expression

text: PTMs play many important roles in the cell. For example, phosphorylation is primarily involved in activating and deactivating proteins and in signaling pathways. PTMs are involved in transcriptional regulation: an important function of acetylation and methylation is histone tail modification, which alters how accessible DNA is for transcription. They can also be seen in the immune system, where glycosylation plays a key role. One type of PTM can initiate another type of PTM, as can be seen in how ubiquitination tags proteins for degradation through proteolysis. Proteolysis, other than being involved in breaking down proteins, is also important in activating and deactivating them, and in regulating biological processes such as DNA transcription and cell death.


title: Gene expression

text: Measuring gene expression is an important part of many life sciences, as the ability to quantify the level at which a particular gene is expressed within a cell, tissue or organism can provide a lot of valuable information. For example, measuring gene expression can:


title: Gene expression

text: Similarly, the analysis of the location of protein expression is a powerful tool, and this can be done on an organismal or cellular scale. Investigation of localization is particularly important for the study of development in multicellular organisms and as an indicator of protein function in single cells. Ideally, measurement of expression is done by detecting the final gene product (for many genes, this is the protein); however, it is often easier to detect one of the precursors, typically mRNA and to infer gene-expression levels from these measurements.


title: Gene expression

text: Levels of mRNA can be quantitatively measured by northern blotting, which provides size and sequence information about the mRNA molecules. A sample of RNA is separated on an agarose gel and hybridized to a radioactively labeled RNA probe that is complementary to the target sequence. The radiolabeled RNA is then detected by an autoradiograph. Because the use of radioactive reagents makes the procedure time-consuming and potentially dangerous, alternative labeling and detection methods, such as digoxigenin and biotin chemistries, have been developed. Perceived disadvantages of Northern blotting are that large quantities of RNA are required and that quantification may not be completely accurate, as it involves measuring band strength in an image of a gel. On the other hand, the additional mRNA size information from the Northern blot allows the discrimination of alternately spliced transcripts.


title: Gene expression

text: Another approach for measuring mRNA abundance is RT-qPCR. In this technique, reverse transcription is followed by quantitative PCR. Reverse transcription first generates a DNA template from the mRNA; this single-stranded template is called cDNA. The cDNA template is then amplified in the quantitative step, during which the fluorescence emitted by labeled hybridization probes or intercalating dyes changes as the DNA amplification process progresses. With a carefully constructed standard curve, qPCR can produce an absolute measurement of the number of copies of original mRNA, typically in units of copies per nanolitre of homogenized tissue or copies per cell. qPCR is very sensitive (detection of a single mRNA molecule is theoretically possible), but can be expensive depending on the type of reporter used; fluorescently labeled oligonucleotide probes are more expensive than non-specific intercalating fluorescent dyes.


title: Gene expression

text: For expression profiling, or high-throughput analysis of many genes within a sample, quantitative PCR may be performed for hundreds of genes simultaneously in the case of low-density arrays. A second approach is the hybridization microarray. A single array or "chip" may contain probes to determine transcript levels for every known gene in the genome of one or more organisms. Alternatively, "tag based" technologies like Serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE) and RNA-Seq, which can provide a relative measure of the cellular concentration of different mRNAs, can be used. An advantage of tag-based methods is the "open architecture", allowing for the exact measurement of any transcript, with a known or unknown sequence. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) such as RNA-Seq is another approach, producing vast quantities of sequence data that can be matched to a reference genome. Although NGS is comparatively time-consuming, expensive, and resource-intensive, it can identify single-nucleotide polymorphisms, splice-variants, and novel genes, and can also be used to profile expression in organisms for which little or no sequence information is available.


title: Gene expression

text: Profiles like these are found for almost all proteins listed in Wikipedia. They are generated by organizations such as the Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation and the European Bioinformatics Institute. Additional information can be found by searching their databases (for an example of the GLUT4 transporter pictured here, see citation). These profiles indicate the level of DNA expression (and hence RNA produced) of a certain protein in a certain tissue, and are color-coded accordingly in the images located in the Protein Box on the right side of each Wikipedia page.


title: Gene expression

text: For genes encoding proteins, the expression level can be directly assessed by a number of methods with some clear analogies to the techniques for mRNA quantification.


title: Gene expression

text: One of the most commonly used methods is to perform a Western blot against the protein of interest. This gives information on the size of the protein in addition to its identity. A sample (often cellular lysate) is separated on a polyacrylamide gel, transferred to a membrane and then probed with an antibody to the protein of interest. The antibody can either be conjugated to a fluorophore or to horseradish peroxidase for imaging and/or quantification. The gel-based nature of this assay makes quantification less accurate, but it has the advantage of being able to identify later modifications to the protein, for example proteolysis or ubiquitination, from changes in size.


title: Gene expression

text: While transcription directly reflects gene expression, the copy number of mRNA molecules does not directly correlate with the number of protein molecules translated from mRNA. Quantification of both protein and mRNA permits a correlation of the two levels. Regulation on each step of gene expression can impact the correlation, as shown for regulation of translation or protein stability. Post-translational factors, such as protein transport in highly polar cells, can influence the measured mRNA-protein correlation as well.


title: Gene expression

text: Analysis of expression is not limited to quantification; localisation can also be determined. mRNA can be detected with a suitably labelled complementary mRNA strand and protein can be detected via labelled antibodies. The probed sample is then observed by microscopy to identify where the mRNA or protein is.


title: Gene expression

text: By replacing the gene with a new version fused to a green fluorescent protein (or similar) marker, expression may be directly quantified in live cells. This is done by imaging using a fluorescence microscope. It is very difficult to clone a GFP-fused protein into its native location in the genome without affecting expression levels so this method often cannot be used to measure endogenous gene expression. It is, however, widely used to measure the expression of a gene artificially introduced into the cell, for example via an expression vector. It is important to note that by fusing a target protein to a fluorescent reporter the protein's behavior, including its cellular localization and expression level, can be significantly changed.


title: Gene expression

text: The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay works by using antibodies immobilised on a microtiter plate to capture proteins of interest from samples added to the well. Using a detection antibody conjugated to an enzyme or fluorophore the quantity of bound protein can be accurately measured by fluorometric or colourimetric detection. The detection process is very similar to that of a Western blot, but by avoiding the gel steps more accurate quantification can be achieved.


title: Gene expression

text: An expression system is a system specifically designed for the production of a gene product of choice. This is normally a protein although may also be RNA, such as tRNA or a ribozyme. An expression system consists of a gene, normally encoded by DNA, and the molecular machinery required to transcribe the DNA into mRNA and translate the mRNA into protein using the reagents provided. In the broadest sense this includes every living cell but the term is more normally used to refer to expression as a laboratory tool. An expression system is therefore often artificial in some manner. Expression systems are, however, a fundamentally natural process. Viruses are an excellent example where they replicate by using the host cell as an expression system for the viral proteins and genome.


title: Gene expression

text: Doxycycline is also used in "Tet-on" and "Tet-off" tetracycline controlled transcriptional activation to regulate transgene expression in organisms and cell cultures.


title: Gene expression

text: In addition to these biological tools, certain naturally observed configurations of DNA (genes, promoters, enhancers, repressors) and the associated machinery itself are referred to as an expression system. This term is normally used in the case where a gene or set of genes is switched on under well defined conditions, for example, the simple repressor switch expression system in Lambda phage and the lac operator system in bacteria. Several natural expression systems are directly used or modified and used for artificial expression systems such as the Tet-on and Tet-off expression system.


title: Gene expression

text: Genes have sometimes been regarded as nodes in a network, with inputs being proteins such as transcription factors, and outputs being the level of gene expression. The node itself performs a function, and the operation of these functions have been interpreted as performing a kind of information processing within cells and determines cellular behavior.


title: Gene expression

text: Gene networks can also be constructed without formulating an explicit causal model. This is often the case when assembling networks from large expression data sets. Covariation and correlation of expression is computed across a large sample of cases and measurements (often transcriptome or proteome data). The source of variation can be either experimental or natural (observational). There are several ways to construct gene expression networks, but one common approach is to compute a matrix of all pair-wise correlations of expression across conditions, time points, or individuals and convert the matrix (after thresholding at some cut-off value) into a graphical representation in which nodes represent genes, transcripts, or proteins and edges connecting these nodes represent the strength of association (see GeneNetwork GeneNetwork 2).


title: Gene expression

text: The following experimental techniques are used to measure gene expression and are listed in roughly chronological order, starting with the older, more established technologies. They are divided into two groups based on their degree of multiplexity.


title: All Progressives Congress

text: The All Progressives Congress (APC) is one of the two major contemporary political parties in Nigeria, along with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Founded on 6 February 2013 from a merger of Nigeria's three largest opposition parties, the party came to power following the victory of party candidate Muhammadu Buhari in the 2015 presidential election. This marked the first time in Nigerian history that an opposition party unseated a governing party and power was transferred peacefully.


title: All Progressives Congress

text: In 2015, the APC won the majority of seats in the Senate and the House of Representatives, though it fell shy of winning a super-majority to override the ability of PDP to block legislation. During Buhari's first term, waves of defections led the party to lose its federal legislative majorities in 2018, with both Senate President Bukola Saraki and House Speaker Yakubu Dogara among the dozens of lawmakers that defected to the PDP. Nonetheless, Buhari was reelected in the 2019 general election, which also saw the party solidify its majorities in both chambers.


title: All Progressives Congress

text: Formed in February 2013, the party is the result of a merger of Nigeria's three largest opposition parties – the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), and the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) along with a breakaway faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the new PDP – a faction of then ruling People's Democratic Party. The resolution was signed by Tom Ikimi, who represented the ACN; Senator Annie Okonkwo on behalf of APGA; Ibrahim Shekarau, the Chairman of ANPP's Merger Committee; and Garba Shehu, the Chairman of CPC's Merger Committee.


title: All Progressives Congress

text: The party received approval from the nation's Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on 31 July 2013 to become a political party and subsequently withdrew the operating licenses of the three parties that merged (the ACN, CPC and ANPP). In March 2013, it was reported that two other associations – African Peoples Congress and All Patriotic Citizens – also applied for INEC registration, adopting APC as an acronym as well, reportedly "a development interpreted to be a move to thwart the successful coalition of the opposition parties, ahead of the 2015 general elections." It was reported in April 2013 that the party was considering changing its name to the All Progressive Congress of Nigeria (APCN) to avoid further complications. However, the party name remained.


title: All Progressives Congress

text: In November 2013, five serving Governors from the governing PDP defected to the APC: Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State, Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano State, Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State and Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto State. It had been previously reported that Governors Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu of Niger State and Sule Lamido of Jigawa State were set to defect from the People's Democratic Party to the APC; however, both ended up remaining with the People's Democratic Party. Amid the governors' defections, nearly 50 federal legislators (including Speaker of the House of Representatives Aminu Tambuwal) joined the party, adding to the 137 legislators in the APC as a result of the prior merger of the smaller opposition parties. These legislative defections initially gave the APC a slim majority of 186 legislators in the Lower House out of a total of 360 legislators; however, subsequent political wrangling and pressure from political factions and interests outside the National Assembly, gave the party only 37 additional legislators thus giving the APC a nominal majority of 172 out of 360 Legislators, as opposed to the PDP's 171 (although some smaller PDP-allied parties held the balance of the other seats). This was further confirmed when the party seated 179 members on 15 January 2015 when the House resumed after a long recess to finally affirm its majority.


title: All Progressives Congress

text: Among the party's first electoral tests were a number of off-year gubernatorial elections with the party nominee coming third in Anambra State in 2013 while the next year, the APC incumbent was unseated in Ekiti State but the party's incumbent in Osun State was re-elected. Despite its short history, the party faced infighting in 2014 as several notable members including Okonkwo, Ikimi, and Shekarau resigned from the party and joined the PDP.


title: All Progressives Congress

text: Ahead of the elections, the party presidential primary was held on 10 December 2014 with former military dictator Muhammadu Buhari winning by a significant margin. In the federal elections on 28 and 29 March 2015, Buhari emerged victorious over incumbent Goodluck Jonathan by 2.6 million votes—a margin of nine percentage points. The APC expanded its House of Representatives majority to over 210 seats and gained a majority in the Senate with 60 seats. In state elections (mainly on 11 April), 21 governorships were won by the APC while the party also won the majority of state Houses of Assembly.


title: All Progressives Congress

text: At the start of the legislative session in June 2015, the picks of the party leadership and Buhari for legislative leadership—Ahmad Lawan (Yobe North) for President of the Senate and Femi Gbajabiamila (Surulere I) for Speaker of the House of Representatives—lost elections to those offices as dissenting APC members and PDP members voted for different leadership: Bukola Saraki (APC-Kwara Central) for Senate President and Yakubu Dogara (APC-Bogoro/Dass/Tafawa Balewa) for Speaker of the House. Although Gbajabiamila became House Majority Leader in 2015 and Lawan later became Senate Majority Leader in 2017, their defeat for the prime position of each body set up a legislature that often feuded with the Buhari-led executive.


title: All Progressives Congress

text: The party did well electorally during Buhari's first term, with a victories both the Edo State and Ondo State gubernatorial elections in 2016 but a loss in the Anambra State gubernatorial election in 2017. The next year, the party gained the Ekiti State governorship and held the Osun State governorship. However, the APC faced larger issues in holding its members together as number of prominent defections (former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former House of Representatives Speaker and incumbent Governor of Sokoto State Aminu Tambuwal, former Governor of Kano State and Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, and incumbent Governor of Benue State Samuel Ortom) occurred throughout 2017 and 2018 during an internal crisis that culminated in the defections of Saraki and Dogara along with the loss of the parties' federal legislative majorities.


title: All Progressives Congress

text: As an organisation, the party also faced problems during this period as party chairman John Odigie Oyegun, who had served in the role since party foundation, came under intense criticism from various internal factions in 2017 and 2018 despite Buhari's support for Odigie Oyegun. Although Buhari initially pushed for Odigie Oyegun to continue in the position, he eventually agreed with governors in April 2018 to hold party congresses and elect new leadership. After state parties held state congresses in May 2018, the national party held its convention in June and elected former Governor of Edo State Adams Oshiomhole as National Chairman; Mai Mala Buni continued in the National Secretary role while former Senator Lawali Shuaibu became Deputy National Chairman (North) and former Governor of Ekiti State Niyi Adebayo became Deputy National Chairman (South).


title: All Progressives Congress

text: After direct primaries where Buhari was the sole candidate, he advanced to the general election where he defeated Atiku Abubakar of the People's Democratic Party by a margin of 14 percentage points—nearly 4 million votes. For the legislative elections, the APC regained its majorities in both the House of Representatives and the Senate after losing the majorities due to defections in 2018. On the state level, the party lost four governorships and gained two governorships leading to a net loss of two governors' offices while winning a majority of state Houses of Assembly.


title: All Progressives Congress

text: At the start of the legislative session in June 2019, the previous picks of the party leadership and Buhari for legislative leadership from 2015—Ahmad Lawan (Yobe North) for President of the Senate and Femi Gbajabiamila (Surulere I) for Speaker of the House of Representatives—successfully won election to those offices as the party avoided large scale internal dissent unlike 2015. The Lawan-led Senate and Gbajabiamila-helmed House of Representatives were much closer to the executive compared to the previous National Assembly, with critics even derisively referring to the assembly as a "rubber stamp."


title: All Progressives Congress

text: In off-year elections, results were mixed as the APC incumbent in Ondo State won re-election but the APC-turned-PDP incumbent in Edo State also held his office in 2020. Coupled with the loss of Edo, the party came a distant third in the Anambra State gubernatorial election in 2021 and the APC incumbent was unseated in Osun State the next year; though, the party held the Ekiti State governorship in 2022. As a part of a concerted effort to woo defectors, three governors joined the APC—Ebonyi State's Dave Umahi, Cross River State's Benedict Ayade, and Zamfara State's Bello Muhammad Matawalle—in 2020 and 2021 along with dozens of state and federal lawmakers; however, political moves around party primaries in 2022 erased most of these legislative gains due to members leaving the APC.


title: All Progressives Congress

text: However, the APC faced more internal leadership crises as disputes over the leadership of National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole dominated party internal affairs in 2019 and 2020 with Oshiomhole feuding with several APC governors during the 2019 campaign and its aftermath. Tensions rose in November 2019 when the state APC in Edo State—Oshiomhole's home state—suspended his party membership and argued that a suspended member could not serve in a leadership position. Eventually litigation decided the dispute, with a High Court suspending in Oshiomhole as Chairman in March 2020 based on his membership suspension. After the suspension was affirmed during the appeal process, there was a brief June 2020 power struggle between two members of the National Working Committee—Victor Gaidom and Abiola Ajimobi—before the party National Executive Council opted to dissolve the National Working Committee and set up the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC). The CECPC was led by former Party Secretary and incumbent Governor of Yobe State Mai Mala Buni and former Senator John James Akpan Udo-Edehe becoming National Secretary. The caretaker committee was meant to serve for a few months before a national convention was held with elections for permanent leadership but the committee's term was extended until early 2022 despite regular lawsuits and internal attempts to remove the CECPC. Despite continued party infighting that plagued October 2021 state congresses and an attempted "palace coup" to replace Buni with Governor of Niger State Abubakar Sani Bello in while Buni was abroad for medical attention, the national convention was finally held on 26 March 2022. The convention mainly used the contentious "consensus" method of electing officials with allegations that Buhari and governors had imposed candidates on the party; in the convention, Senator Abdullahi Adamu became National Chairman and former Iyiola Omisore became National Secretary while Senator Abubakar Kyari became Deputy National Chairman (North) and Emma Eneukwu became Deputy National Chairman (South).


title: All Progressives Congress

text: Despite a contentious campaign period rife with allegations of misconduct and vote-buying, the APC presidential primary on 7 and 8 June 2022 was held peacefully with former Governor of Lagos State Bola Tinubu defeating Rotimi Amaechi, Yemi Osinbajo, and eleven other candidates. However, the party ticket became immensely controversial the next month when Tinubu selected Kashim Shettima—a Senator and former Governor of Borno State—as the APC vice presidential nominee; the selection created a Muslim-Muslim ticket, violating an unwritten convention against same religion tickets to ensure representative diversity.


title: All Progressives Congress

text: The APC is generally considered to be a centre-left political party that favors controlled market economic policies, and a strong and active role for government regulation. A substantial number of its political leaders are followers of or politicians who subscribe to the social democratic political philosophy of Obafemi Awolowo and the socialist and anti-class views of Aminu Kano. Moreover, the majority of the APC's base of political support is in southwestern Nigeria and Northern Nigeria, which are dominated by the Yoruba and the Hausa-Fulani, respectively.


title: All Progressives Congress

text: The APC support states' rights, advancing state police as part of its manifesto. Its social policy is a combination of social nationalism. Despite the parties' domination by pro-devolution politicians like Atiku Abubakar (prior to his leaving the party), Bola Tinubu and Chief Bisi Akande, the party's presidential bearer and the CPC wing is less inclined to federalism.


title: All Progressives Congress

text: On 1 November 2017, aliyu ibrahim panda became the first candidate under the party to declare his intention to seek the office of the president of Nigeria in the 2019 elections.


title: 2022 in UFC

text: The year 2022 was the 29th year in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States.


title: 2022 in UFC

text: Despite the relaxation of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, the promotion's UFC Apex continued hosting events with reduced crowds, with 18 events already held and two additional events scheduled.


title: 2022 in UFC

text: These fighters have either been released from their UFC contracts, announced their retirement or joined other promotions:


title: 2022 in UFC

text: The list below is based on fighters suspended either by (1) United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) or World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for violation of taking prohibited substances or non-analytical incidents, (2) by local commissions on misconduct during the fights or at event venues, or (3) by the UFC for reasons also stated below.


title: 24kGoldn

text: Golden Landis Von Jones (born November 13, 2000), known professionally as 24kGoldn, is an American rapper and singer. In 2019, he rose to fame with his single, "Valentino", peaking at number 92 on the US "Billboard" Hot 100. It was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in April 2020. In July 2020, 24kGoldn's single "Mood" (featuring Iann Dior), topped the "Billboard" Hot 100, becoming the highest-charting song of his career. His debut studio album, "El Dorado", was released in March 2021.


title: 24kGoldn

text: Golden Landis Von Jones was born in San Francisco, California, to an Ashkenazi Jewish mother Kimberly Landis and to an African-American Catholic father Torino Von Jones. He has a younger sister named Sage Landis Von Jones. Both of his parents worked as fashion models before he was born. He was raised celebrating both Christmas and Hanukkah, and attended Hebrew school. As a child, 24kGoldn acted in commercials. He sang in the choir in middle school and high school, and, with that, the importance of music in his life grew with his "own growth". Before he realized he could do music professionally, he planned on becoming a hedge fund manager. 24kGoldn attended Lowell High School, a selective public high school, where he graduated in 2018.


title: 24kGoldn

text: 24kGoldn attended the University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business, joking that they accepted him because of a double entendre in "Valentino", where he joined the Beta-Sigma Chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity, as a Spring 2019 initiate. He initially took a leave of absence from school to pursue his rap career. 24kGoldn stated that he was not anticipating "that things were going to happen so fast when I came to USC", and did not think he would finish University, but he wanted to round off the school year to further develop the relationships he made, stating his love for being on campus, and that being a student kept him "grounded".


title: 24kGoldn

text: In 2017, 24kGoldn released his first music video for his first song, titled "Trappers Anthem". In January 2019, he released the single, titled "Valentino", which received over 350 million plays on Spotify. He received his first record deal through producer D.A. Doman. 24kGoldn got his big break through his "high-energy" single "Valentino". However, in 2020, the artist said that "those ['Valentino'] were recorded over a year ago and don't exactly reflect the person I have become since then". In November 2019, 24kGoldn released his debut extended play (EP), titled "Dropped Outta College", and he signed a record deal with Records, LLC and Columbia Records. In 2020, 24kGoldn gained further attention with single, titled "City of Angels", which was officially released to US alternative radio on March 31; as well as he follow with an official remix of the song by English singer-songwriter Yungblud, released in May 2020. On May 20, 24kGoldn was featured on the remix of Olivia O'Brien's single "Josslyn".


title: 24kGoldn

text: On August 11, 2020, he was included on "XXL"s 2020 Freshman Class, placing in the tenth position after receiving the most fan votes. Later that same month, 24kGoldn's July 2020 single, titled "Mood" (featuring Iann Dior), hit the charts. It went on to peak at number one on the US "Billboard" Hot 100. In October 2020, these four episodes of "Halloween in Hell", a fictionalised musical horror podcast that Jones starred in, were released. The series also starred Iann Dior, Machine Gun Kelly, Dana Dentata, Phem and Tommy Lee.


title: 24kGoldn

text: On March 26, 2021, he released his first studio album, titled "El Dorado". The album features thirteen songs, which features guest appearances from Future, Iann Dior, Swae Lee and DaBaby.


title: 24kGoldn

text: 24kGoldn's music spans a variety of genres, motivated by his want "never ... to be constricted by one genre". Regarding his style, he stated: "depending on what song you listen to, my music can be described different ways". He attributes his "maturity and development" to rapper Paypa Boy & 24Kay, who initially got him into recording music.


title: Ergo Proxy

text: Ergo Proxy is a Japanese cyberpunk anime television series, produced by Manglobe, directed by Shūkō Murase and written by Dai Satō. The series ran for 23 episodes from February to August 2006 on the Wowow satellite network. It is set in a post-apocalyptic utopian future where humans and AutoReiv androids coexist peacefully until a virus gives the androids self-awareness, causing them to commit a series of murders. Inspector Re-L Mayer is assigned to investigate, discovering a more complicated plot behind it that involves a humanoid species known as "Proxy" who are the subject of secret government experiments.


title: Ergo Proxy

text: The series, which is heavily influenced by philosophy and Gnosticism, features a combination of 2D digital cel animation, 3D computer modeling, and digital special effects. After its release in Japan, the anime was licensed for a DVD release by Geneon Entertainment, with a subsequent television broadcast on Fuse in the United States. The show was also distributed to Australian, British and Canadian anime markets. Since its release, "Ergo Proxy" has received mostly favorable reviews which praised its visuals and themes.


title: Ergo Proxy

text: The series is set in a post-apocalyptic, dystopian future. After an ecological disaster thousands of years prior rendered the outside world inhospitable towards life, domed cities were built as safe havens for the population. Inside these domes, one of which is Romdeau city (where the series takes place), humans and androids called AutoReivs coexist peacefully. Romdeau city government adopted a bureaucracy system, in which the government is divided between several entities such as the Intelligence Bureau, the Information Bureau, the Health & Welfare Bureau, and the Security Bureau, all under the control of the Administration Bureau led by an Administrator referred to as the "Regent".


title: Ergo Proxy

text: The primary AutoReiv types are referred to as either "Companion"—(AutoReivs who physically possess a human-like appearance)—or "Entourage"—(AutoReivs with a robotic appearance)—depending on their role. There are others designed for leisure or combat; AutoReivs seem to be constructed of varying degrees of bio-cybernetic complexity to fit their specific functions. The humans in the city are grown in artificial wombs but are still biologically related to their ancestors. Throughout the series, it is shown that the humans living in the domes believe they cannot reproduce naturally. Likewise, when a new person is grown, they are done so to fulfill a specific purpose, thus ensuring that person's role in society through a ""raison d'être"".


title: Ergo Proxy

text: A series of murders committed by AutoReivs infected with the Cogito virus (which causes them to become self-aware) begins to threaten the delicate balance of Romdeau City's social order. Behind the scenes, the government has been conducting secret experiments on a mysterious humanoid life form called "Proxy"; these Proxy beings (often described as god-like and immortal) are said to hold the very key to the survival of humanity.


title: Ergo Proxy

text: Re-l (pronounced or "Ree-EL"; also represented by the spelling "R.E.A.L." in the Romdeau citizen database) Mayer, the Regent's granddaughter, is assigned to investigate the murders with her AutoReiv partner, Iggy. She encounters two unknown and highly powerful humanoids. She later learns that these humanoids are the Proxies. The other central character, an immigrant named Vincent Law, is revealed to be connected in some ways with the Proxies. After being hunted down, Vincent temporarily lives in a commune on the outside of the dome. During the massacre of the commune by Raul Creed of the Security Bureau, Vincent leaves the area for Mosk, his birthplace, in an attempt to recover his memories. Re-l later rejoins him to try to discover the truth behind the Proxies and the domes. It is revealed among other things that domes are all created by Proxies and cannot function without their presence within the domes.


title: Ergo Proxy

text: "Ergo Proxy" was directed by Shūkō Murase with Dai Satō serving as chief writer and Naoyuki Onda as character designer. The anime was originally announced at the MIP TV Trade Show in France as a 23-episode TV series. Manglobe initially approached Shūkō Murase with a bare-bones vision for a futuristic detective thriller, which included the title, a plot outline for episodes 1-3 and a design concept for Romdeau. Beyond that they let him develop the idea towards a more existentialist slant.


title: Ergo Proxy

text: "There was almost too much freedom", he laughs. "A show slated to be on a commercial network carries restrictions according to the time slot", he explains. "Sponsors often have requests intended to help propel the work to hit status; and merchandising entails another set of requirements altogether. By comparison, all Ergo Proxy had to deal with was a DVD release and a TV broadcast over a pay satellite channel."


title: Ergo Proxy

text: When asked about how he devised the title "Ergo Proxy", Satō simply replied "[I]t sounds cool". Murase explained he originally wanted to use the concept of everyone having another self inside of themselves: the idea that there are two personalities inside a person and noted that René Descartes' phrase ""cogito, ergo sum"" was the inspiration for it. Satō stated that they originally did not want to explicitly express the concepts of Gnosticism in the anime. However, their personal beliefs ended up reflecting the ideas of Gnosticism and realized how well these terms fit and decided to use them.


title: Ergo Proxy

text: At first they intended to have Vincent as the leading protagonist and Re-l as a supporting character; however, as they fleshed out her character, she became a much stronger character and began to steal the spotlight from Vincent. This gave them the opportunity to split the narrative between the two characters instead of having a single protagonist lead the story.


title: Ergo Proxy

text: In Japan, "Ergo Proxy" aired on pay-TV satellite broadcasting network WOWOW from 25 February 2006, concluding on August 12, 2006. "Ergo Proxy" was then released by Geneon Entertainment onto nine DVD volumes from May 25, 2006, to January 25, 2007. The series was licensed by Geneon Entertainment for Region 1 release, which began on November 21, 2006 and spanned six volumes. The English dub of "Ergo Proxy" premiered on pay-TV channel Fuse from June 9 to November 24, 2007 in the United States. and a complete DVD collection was later released in December 2008.


title: Ergo Proxy

text: On July 3, 2008, Geneon Entertainment and Funimation Entertainment announced an agreement to distribute select titles in North America. While Geneon Entertainment still retains the license, Funimation Entertainment assumed exclusive rights to the manufacturing, marketing, sales, and distribution of select titles which included "Ergo Proxy". As of March 29, 2012, the series has been fully licensed by Funimation and re-released the series under their Anime Classics label on July 3, 2012. Geneon also released a four-disc complete Blu-ray box collection on September 25, 2012 and two DVD box collection on September 25, 2012 and August 22, 2012, respectively.


title: Ergo Proxy

text: In Australia and New Zealand, the "Ergo Proxy" DVDs were distributed by Madman Entertainment, the first volume released in March 2007. The first volume of "Ergo Proxy" was released in the United Kingdom by MVM Films on August 6, 2007. The English dub of "Ergo Proxy" aired on ABC2 (the national digital public television channel) from July 3 to December 4, 2007. In Canada, the English dub aired on pay-TV digital channel G4techTV's Anime Current programming block from July 26 to December 27, 2007.


title: Ergo Proxy

text: A manga spin-off called was written by Manglobe and illustrated by Yumiko Harao. The manga was serialized in Shogakukan's "Monthly Sunday Gene-X" from February 18 to November 18, 2006. It was later released in two "tankōbon" format, the first on August 18, 2006, and the second on February 19, 2007.


title: Ergo Proxy

text: Two soundtracks of the anime series, titled "Ergo Proxy OST opus01" and "Ergo Proxy OST opus02", have been released by Geneon Entertainment in Japan on May 25, 2006 and August 25, 2006, respectively. Both soundtracks feature compositions of Yoshihiro Ike. The first soundtrack, "opus01", contains several tracks including the opening and ending themes: "Kiri" (by Monoral) and "Paranoid Android" (by Radiohead). The second soundtrack, "opus02", was initially packaged with a special edition of the first Region 1 DVD.


title: Ergo Proxy

text: "Ergo Proxy" received mostly positive reviews, with critics praising the series for its intricate visuals, cyberpunk aesthetic and intellectual themes; while criticizing the uneven narrative and its over reliance on philosophical references. "Newtype USA" stated that they were "excited by the premise of the show, which features complex drama surrounding the strikingly beautiful crime investigator Re-l Mayer, and an intricate sci-fi setting, incorporating robots, living in human society and a grotesque array of unique monsters". "Newtype" went on to praise the "tremendous supporting cast and carefully woven plot". "Newtype USA" featured the first "Ergo Proxy" DVD in their "DVD of the Month", describing it as a "show that rewards viewers with a deep, believable, and above all thoughtful sci-fi story instead of simply bashing robots together". Katherine Luther of About.com praised it for its cyberpunk themes and mix of 2D and 3D animation as well as its deep psychological storyline, calling it creepy, intense and "edge-of-your-seat-delightful".


title: Ergo Proxy

text: THEM Anime Reviews praised the visuals and pacing of the plot while noting that the greatest flaw in the series is that the designs can be inconsistent at times. Zac Bertschy of Anime News Network gave it an overall score of B+ and criticized the characters, stating "It's an unfortunate stain on an otherwise excellent series." However, he praised the animation stating "The backgrounds in particular are breathtakingly detailed and beautiful, which is a surprise given the bleak, dystopian surroundings" Carlo Santos, also from Anime News Network, criticized the middle and ending of the anime, stating "Some of the middle episodes fall back on experimental gimmicks and fail to advance the story, while the finale becomes a towering mess as it desperately tries to resolve every single plot point. Even the animation has embarrassing moments of inconsistency." However, Santos continued to state "for trying so hard to scale the heights of a difficult genre, "Ergo Proxy" still deserves credit. It accomplishes more than most other anime series ever hope to, flaws and all."


title: Ergo Proxy

text: IGN contributor D. F. Smith reviewed the series DVD box set in 2008, giving the series a 7.0 out of a possible score of 10. Smith overall found the visuals, music and voice acting of "Ergo Proxy" to be exceptional, but stated that the overall story was too complex and relied too heavily on philosophical references rather than a strong narrative. In conclusion, D. F. Smith wrote ""Ergo Proxy" isn't without its share of disappointments, but even so, it has a heck of a lot going for it. What it lacks in the way of a truly gripping, involving story, it makes up for in part with a powerful soundtrack, some powerful visuals, and the occasional powerful insight. If those are the sort of things you go to Japanese animation looking for, you might not find this series disappointing at all". Another IGN columnist, Ramsley Isler, placed "Ergo Proxy"s opening as the 10th greatest anime opening. Isler praised the opening's use of dark visuals juxtaposed with the opening theme song's optimistic tone, comparing it to a Nine Inch Nails or Lifehouse music video.


title: Ergo Proxy

text: On June 12, 2015, the Chinese Ministry of Culture announced that they had listed "Ergo Proxy" among 38 anime and manga titles banned in China.


title: The Stranger (album)

text: The Stranger is the fifth studio album by American singer Billy Joel, released in September 1977 by Columbia Records. It was the first of Joel's albums to be produced by Phil Ramone, with whom he would work for five subsequent albums.


title: The Stranger (album)

text: Joel's previous studio effort, "Turnstiles", had sold modestly and peaked low on the US charts, prompting Columbia to consider dropping him if his next release sold poorly. Joel wanted the new album to feature his touring band, formed during the production of "Turnstiles". The band consisted of drummer Liberty DeVitto, bassist Doug Stegmeyer, and multi-instrumentalist saxophonist/organist Richie Cannata. Seeking out a new producer, he first turned to veteran Beatles producer George Martin before coming across and settling on Ramone, whose name he had seen on albums by other artists such as Paul Simon. Recording took place over three weeks, featuring DeVitto, Stegmeyer and Cannata. Other studio musicians filled in as guitarists on various songs.


title: The Stranger (album)

text: Spending six weeks at on the US "Billboard" 200, "The Stranger" is considered Joel's critical and commercial breakthrough. Four singles were released in the US, all of which became top-40 hits on the "Billboard" Hot 100 charts: "Just the Way You Are" (), "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)", "She's Always a Woman" (both ), and "Only the Good Die Young" (). Other songs, such as "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" and "Vienna", have become staples of his career and are frequently performed in his live shows. The album won two awards at the 1978 Grammy Awards: Record of the Year and Song of the Year for "Just the Way You Are". It remains his best-selling non-compilation album to date, and surpassed Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge over Troubled Water" to become Columbia's best-selling album release, with more than 10 million units sold worldwide. "Rolling Stone" later named it one of the 500 greatest albums of all time.


title: The Stranger (album)

text: Before "The Stranger", Billy Joel was on the verge of being dropped by his record label Columbia Records. After the unexpected success of Joel's second album, "Piano Man", his subsequent albums were commercially disappointing. "Turnstiles", Joel's 1976 release, had peaked at only number 122 on the "Billboard" 200 chart.


title: The Stranger (album)

text: By 1976, Joel had formed a reliable touring band, consisting of Doug Stegmeyer on bass, Liberty DeVitto on drums and Richie Cannata on saxophone, flute, clarinet and organ. Joel grew to appreciate this group of musicians, finding that they had a high-energy, rough-around-the-edges feel that he hoped to capture in his studio recordings. Joel had mostly worked with session players for his first three studio albums, which contained only scattered contributions from his own backup musicians, and strongly disliked the polished sound of these albums. During the production of "Turnstiles", his fourth album, Joel initially worked with veteran producer Jim Guercio, who had him work with members of Elton John's band; dissatisfied with the results, Joel instead opted to self-produce the album and record with his own touring band. Joel was likewise set on recording his fifth studio album with this band. Having written some new material for the record, Joel sought a producer who could cultivate his desired style. Joel, a longtime fan of the Beatles, initially looked to famed Beatles producer George Martin. But after meeting with Joel, Martin expressed interest in producing the album, but did not want to use Joel's band, wishing instead to bring in session players. Joel, however, was adamant in his desire to record with his own band and declined Martin's offer. Ultimately, Joel turned to Phil Ramone, a veteran New York City sound engineer and record producer who had recently worked with Paul Simon, another singer-songwriter, on Simon's album "Still Crazy After All These Years". According to Joel, he and Ramone met with each other at Fontana di Trevi, an Italian restaurant near Carnegie Hall, where Joel had been playing at the time. The restaurant would go on to inspire the setting of "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant", a song on "The Stranger". According to Joel, Ramone expressed an appreciation for Joel's band and their energy, and understood the reasoning behind Joel's attitude towards recording, which ultimately led Joel to choose Ramone as the producer for his next album.


title: The Stranger (album)

text: The recording sessions for "The Stranger", described by Joel as "a blast" to be a part of, took place across the short span of three weeks in between July and August 1977. The album contains nine songs, four of which were released as singles in North America. The songs were all recorded with Joel alongside his band which he had formed while touring, in addition to various other musicians who were brought into the studio for specific songs. Despite the formation of Joel's band, the songs on "The Stranger" didn't feature any consistent guitarists, with different players instead featuring in each song, and according to Joel, the reason for the initial lack of a constant guitarist was because it was hard to find the right one. The photograph on the back cover of the album, featuring Joel, Ramone (donning a Yankees shirt at the time of the picture) and each of the band members, was taken at the Supreme Macaroni Company, one of several restaurants where the group would go to "have these crazy lunches and dinners".