title: Jeanine Áñez

text: The primary process against Áñez is the coup d'état case, in which she was initially accused of conspiracy, sedition, and terrorism. In May 2021, the Prosecutor's Office admitted a lawsuit by President of the Senate Andrónico Rodríguez, which expanded the case to include new processes against her for allegedly illegally assuming the presidency of the Senate in 2019. Her lawyers affirmed that Rodríguez's lawsuit covered the same crimes as the original case and thus should not have been included because it is illegal to judge an individual twice for the same action.


title: Jeanine Áñez

text: The singular coup d'état case was split into two separate processes—labeled coup I and coup II—on 31 July. The coup I case—covering the conspiracy, sedition, and terrorism charges—was mired by difficulties due to the inability of prosecutors to gather the necessary testimonies. To date, only Mesa responded, only to affirm his right not to testify. The coup II case covers Rodríguez's complaint surrounding Áñez's succession to the presidency, for which she stands accused of resolutions contrary to the Constitution and laws and breach of duties.


title: Jeanine Áñez

text: On 17 March 2022, the Plurinational Constitutional Court issued a ruling declaring the crime of sedition unconstitutional, thus leaving it "expelled from the Bolivian legal system". The decision came as a result of an action filed by former MAS parliamentarians in 2020, who requested that the crimes of sedition and terrorism be stricken from the Code of Criminal Procedure. At the time, the move was in response to the Áñez government's decision to charge former president Morales with those crimes. By the time of the TCP's ruling, however, the decision was in benefit of Áñez. Nonetheless, Minister of Justice Iván Lima assured that the decision would not affect the processes against her, as she would continue to be prosecuted for the crimes of conspiracy and terrorism.


title: Jeanine Áñez

text: On 12 January 2022, Minister of Government Eduardo del Castillo announced that the first oral trial against Áñez for the coup II case would commence in the ensuing days. Guillén criticized that her defense had not been officially notified of this by the court prior to the announcement and pointed out that the Ministry of Government, as part of the executive branch, was not authorized to release official communications on behalf of the judiciary. He alleged that this "irregular, anomalous" action was a sign of government pressure on the courts to expedite the judicial process. On 21 January, the official date of the trial was set for 9:00 a.m. on 10 February in a virtual courtroom using the Cisco Webex system.


title: Jeanine Áñez

text: Áñez's defense denounced the trial as "illegal", citing sixteen irregularities in the procedure leading up to it. In particular, the lawyers accused the judges of bias, stated that the set date was not in line with their allotted time to formulate Áñez's defense, and denounced interference by executive authorities within the Ministry of Government, Ministry of Justice, and Attorney General's Office into the investigation of the Prosecutor's Office, who they also regarded as "inquisitive". Within hours of its opening, the First Anti-Corruption Sentencing Court of La Paz unanimously decided to annul the order to initiate the trial, citing technical difficulties. Despite the defense's request that it be held in person, the trial was reinitiated virtually on 28 March. However, further technical difficulties quickly caused the hearing to become disorderly, with judges, lawyers, defendants, and witnesses speaking over one another. It was ultimately postponed after Áñez suffered an anxiety attack in her cell. The trial was reinitiated virtually at 9:00 a.m. on 4 April and lasted more than twelve hours, analyzing and resolving procedural complaints made by the defense and the Attorney General's Office. Unlike in the previous two hearings, media outlets were barred from witnessing the proceedings, prompting the National Press Association to denounce violations of its constitutional right to access information of public interest.


title: Jeanine Áñez

text: On 19 April, the Court determined to exclude thirty-five of the forty-one pieces of evidence presented by Áñez's defense. Among the discarded documents were the Organization of American States' report on the results of the 2019 elections, the TCP's initial ruling on the constitutionality of Áñez's succession, and the Bolivian Episcopal Conference's official account detailing Church-mediated meetings preceding her arrival to power.


title: Jeanine Áñez

text: Nearing the end of the trial, Áñez's defense filed an appeal of unconstitutionality of the process against her. Per court procedure, the pending motion barred any final sentence from being issued until it was resolved, leading the court to suspend the trial on 4 May. Prosecutor Omar Mejillones classified the appeal as dilatory because it also prevented final arguments from being presented until the hearing was reinstated. Twenty-two days later, the TCP rejected Áñez's appeal, stating that the former president "did not meet the necessary requirements for a substantive analysis and pronouncement". Given this, the defense countered with a petition for supplementation, asking that the court clarify its reasoning for not hearing the appeal. The defense's request was rejected by the TCP shortly thereafter, paving the way for the trial to be resumed without further interruptions.


title: Jeanine Áñez

text: Prior to the trial's reinstatement, the defense asked that Áñez be authorized to attend the proceedings in-person but was denied. On the other side, Prosecutor General Juan Lanchipa indicated that the Prosecutor's Office would seek a fifteen-year sentence against the former president. As the prosecution presented its final arguments, Áñez once again began suffering health problems, with medical staff stating that she was experiencing back fatigue. Given the imbalance in her health, the court deemed it necessary to declare the hearing in recess until the following day, allowing prison staff to conduct a medical review. For her part, Áñez stated that she understood the "rush" to sentence her but asked that the judges consider her debilitated state of health. The next day, the defense presented the court with a formal request for the cessation of Áñez's preventative detention, arguing that she presented no risk of absconding. The time spent analyzing the plea—which was ultimately rejected—led the court to extend the recess into the following day, delaying the trial for the second time in a row.


title: Jeanine Áñez

text: Finally, without further delay, the trial reconvened on 8 June and concluded two days later. On 10 June 2022, the First Anti-Corruption Sentencing Court of La Paz sentenced found Áñez guilty of breach of duties and resolutions contrary to the Constitution. The former president was sentenced to ten years in the Miraflores Women's Penitentiary Center. Both the defense and prosecutors announced that they would appeal the decision. Áñez's lawyers stated that they would seek her acquittal until "all the routes are exhausted", after which they would appeal to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights "where there... [is] no political interference". On the other hand, the Prosecutor's Office stated that it would seek the full fifteen years originally requested.


title: Jeanine Áñez

text: On 28 June 2022, Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro offered the government of Bolivia the possibility of granting Áñez political asylum in Brazil, to which the Bolivian government refused.


title: Jeanine Áñez

text: Two days after Áñez's arrest, the Ministry of Justice announced that it would present four additional liability trials separate from the coup d'état case to the Attorney General's Office. On 24 March 2021, it accepted all four accusations. In the first case, Áñez—along with her minister of government, José Luis Parada, and the former president of the Central Bank of Bolivia, Guillermo Aponte—stood accused of having accepted a loan of $360 million from the International Monetary Fund that generated $5 million in interest. The fact was made effective through Supreme Decree N° 4277, which was considered unconstitutional because it circumvented the authorization of the Legislative Assembly, whose consent is necessary to approve such a loan according to Article 158 of the Constitution. For this, she was charged with resolutions contrary to the Constitution and laws, uneconomic conduct, and breach of duties. On 14 April, Áñez refrained from testifying in this case.


title: Jeanine Áñez

text: In the second case, Áñez was prosecuted for promulgating Supreme Decree N° 4231 during the COVID-19 pandemic, for which she was again charged with resolutions contrary to the Constitution and laws, as well as failure to comply with duties, crimes against freedom of the press, and attacks against the freedom to work. The third case related to an incident in the first months of the Áñez administration, in which Bolivian nationals residing in Chile were not authorized to reenter their country for some weeks. For that, she faced a third count of resolutions contrary to the Constitution and laws, a second count of breach of duties, and is additionally charged with crimes against public health and discrimination. For the fourth and final case, Áñez was accused of granting illegal concessions to the Fundempresa company and was charged with a fourth count of resolutions contrary to the Constitution and laws. On 14 April, she also refused to testify or provide a statement regarding the Fundempresa concessions.


title: Jeanine Áñez

text: On 12 June, the Supreme Tribunal of Justice delivered formal indictments to the Legislative Assembly requesting liability trials for the first, second, and fourth cases. Senator Rodríguez conveyed his hope that a two-thirds majority of legislators would approve the processes.


title: Jeanine Áñez

text: In a separate case, Áñez was charged for appointing an unqualified official to the Bolivian Food Company (EBA). In 2021, a judge determined that Áñez be prosecuted by ordinary means. Her defense appealed the decision, arguing that the alleged acts occurred in the exercise of her presidency. On 18 April 2022, the Fourth Criminal Chamber of La Paz ruled in favor of Áñez, stating that only through a trial of responsibilities could she be prosecuted for actions committed as president. President of the Court Orlando Rojas noted that even if it was determined that Áñez did not assume office by constitutional means, that does not imply that she did not exercise the presidency.


title: Jeanine Áñez

text: With the installation of the new legislature on 3 November 2020, the MAS lost the two-thirds supermajority it had enjoyed in the two previous legislative terms. As a result, its ability to proceed with a trial of responsibilities against Áñez would necessitate the cooperation of the opposition. Both CC and Creemos expressed their willingness to approve such a motion, but only if Morales was also prosecuted. They argued that according to a report issued by the Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts for Bolivia (GIEI-Bolivia)—appointed by the IACHR—human rights violations occurred between September and December 2019, a period that includes the mandates of both Morales and Áñez. In this context, the MAS assured that it would not "negotiate" a trial and accused the opposition of seeking "impunity" for Áñez. For this reason, Áñez has not yet been prosecuted for the events at Sacaba and Senkata. Nonetheless, on 26 August 2021, the Supreme Tribunal of Justice accepted a petition from the Prosecutor's Office to send an indictment against her to the Legislative Assembly in order to open a trial of responsibilities on charges of genocide, serious and minor injuries, and injury followed by death.


title: Jeanine Áñez

text: In terms of the processes Áñez faces for the alleged coup d'état, Lima assured that she was being prosecuted as a former senator and not as a former president and, as such, she had no constitutional privilege to a trial of responsibilities. In response, former deputy Rafael Quispe pointed out that the Constitution grants legislators immunity from being criminally prosecuted for actions carried out in the performance of their functions.


title: Jeanine Áñez

text: On 20 April 2022, Áñez publicly issued a letter addressed to Carlos Mesa and Luis Fernando Camacho requesting that they, as leaders of the opposition blocs in the Legislative Assembly, make possible the initiation of a trial of responsibilities in the legislature. In response, Mesa stated that he would consult with the Civic Community caucus to discuss the viability of initiating such a process. Similarly, Camacho announced that he had requested a joint meeting between his and Mesa's groups in order to generate the necessary conditions for a trial of responsibilities.


title: Jeanine Áñez

text: Áñez married lawyer Tadeo Ribera, with whom she has two children: Carolina and José Armando. In 1995, Ribera stood as a candidate on behalf of the political party Solidarity Civic Unity for mayor of Trinidad, the capital of Beni, and was elected in a surprise upset victory. He served as mayor of that city from 1996 to 1999. The couple divorced following Áñez's election as a senator due to her need to relocate to La Paz and Ribera's disapproval of her political activity. Ribera died in Santa Cruz on 29 January 2020, three months into her presidency, causing her to reschedule some official presidential activities to attend his funeral with her children two days later. Áñez's second husband is Héctor Hernando Hincapié, a Colombian politician from Chaparral, Tolima. Hincapié was a frequent candidate in multiple Colombian elections, running for senator for the Conservative Party in 2018, where he won just 1,066 votes. Prior to that, he stood as a candidate for Departmental Assembly of Tolima in 2010, also with the conservatives, and for the Colombian Chamber of Representatives in 2014 for the Party of the U.


title: Jeanine Áñez

text: Known for her passion for animals, Áñez adopted at least eight street dogs that wandered near her official residence during her time as president, including one that she named "Pitita", in reference to the popular mobilizations that culminated in the downfall of Morales and her arrival to office; La Paz records indicate that there are around two million stray dogs in the city. To celebrate Saint Roch's day on 16 August 2020, Áñez had intended to introduce all of the puppies that accompanied her during her presidency, but she canceled the event due to the death of her family's longtime dog, Vicente.


title: Jeanine Áñez

text: Around forty-one percent of Bolivia's population are indigenous, and this population often encounters discrimination, mainly related to poverty and ethnicity. After Morales—Bolivia's first indigenous president—assumed office in 2006, polarization increased between the indigenous peoples and others. Shortly after Áñez was sworn in, her opponents circulated numerous tweets directed at indigenous peoples dating back to 2013. In one dated 20 June 2013, Áñez refers to the Willkakuti—the Aymara New Year—calling it "satanic" and stating that "no one replaces God!" In another from 5 October 2019, she described Morales as a "poor Indian" who was "clinging to power". Agence France-Presse verified most of the circulated tweets to be genuine, though it could not verify the authenticity of an especially egregious comment in which Áñez allegedly stated that she "dream[s] of a Bolivia free of satanic indigenous rites". Áñez denied writing any of the "ill-intentioned" tweets.


title: Long QT syndrome

text: Long QT syndrome (LQTS) is a condition affecting repolarization (relaxing) of the heart after a heartbeat, giving rise to an abnormally lengthy QT interval. It results in an increased risk of an irregular heartbeat which can result in fainting, drowning, seizures, or sudden death. These episodes can be triggered by exercise or stress. Some rare forms of LQTS are associated with other symptoms and signs including deafness and periods of muscle weakness.


title: Long QT syndrome

text: Long QT syndrome may be present at birth or develop later in life. The inherited form may occur by itself or as part of larger genetic disorder. Onset later in life may result from certain medications, low blood potassium, low blood calcium, or heart failure. Medications that are implicated include certain antiarrhythmics, antibiotics, and antipsychotics. LQTS can be diagnosed using an electrocardiogram (EKG) if a corrected QT interval of greater than 480–500 milliseconds is found, but clinical findings, other EKG features, and genetic testing may confirm the diagnosis with shorter QT intervals.


title: Long QT syndrome

text: Management may include avoiding strenuous exercise, getting sufficient potassium in the diet, the use of beta blockers, or an implantable cardiac defibrillator. For people with LQTS who survive cardiac arrest and remain untreated, the risk of death within 15 years is greater than 50%. With proper treatment this decreases to less than 1% over 20 years.


title: Long QT syndrome

text: Long QT syndrome is estimated to affect 1 in 7,000 people. Females are affected more often than males. Most people with the condition develop symptoms before they are 40 years old. It is a relatively common cause of sudden death along with Brugada syndrome and arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia. In the United States it results in about 3,500 deaths a year. The condition was first clearly described in 1957.


title: Long QT syndrome

text: Many people with long QT syndrome have no signs or symptoms. When symptoms occur, they are generally caused by abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias), most commonly a form of ventricular tachycardia called Torsades de pointes (TdP). If the arrhythmia reverts to a normal rhythm spontaneously the affected person may experience lightheadedness (known as presyncope) or faint which may be preceded by a fluttering sensation in the chest. If the arrhythmia continues, the affected person may experience a cardiac arrest, which if untreated may lead to sudden death. Those with LQTS may also experience seizure-like activity (non-epileptic seizure) as a result of reduced blood flow to the brain during an arrhythmia. Epilepsy is also associated with certain types of long QT syndrome.


title: Long QT syndrome

text: The arrhythmias that lead to faints and sudden death are more likely to occur in specific circumstances, in part determined by which genetic variant is present. While arrhythmias can occur at any time, in some forms of LQTS arrhythmias are more commonly seen in response to exercise or mental stress (LQT1), in other forms following a sudden loud noise (LQT2), and in some forms during sleep or immediately upon waking (LQT3).


title: Long QT syndrome

text: Some rare forms of long QT syndrome affect other parts of the body, leading to deafness in the Jervell and Lange-Nielsen form of the condition, and periodic paralysis in the Andersen–Tawil (LQT7) form.


title: Long QT syndrome

text: While those with long QT syndrome have an increased risk of developing abnormal heart rhythms the absolute risk of arrhythmias is very variable. The strongest predictor of whether someone will develop TdP is whether they have experienced this arrhythmia or another form of cardiac arrest in the past. Those with LQTS who have experienced syncope without an ECG having been recorded at the time are also at higher risk, as syncope in these cases is frequently due to an undocumented self-terminating arrhythmia.


title: Long QT syndrome

text: In addition to a history of arrhythmias, the extent to which the QT is prolonged predicts risk. While some have QT intervals that are very prolonged, others have only slight QT prolongation, or even a normal QT interval at rest (concealed LQTS). Those with the longest QT intervals are more likely to experience TdP, and a corrected QT interval of greater than 500 ms is thought to represent those at higher risk. Despite this, those with only subtle QT prolongation or concealed LQTS still have some risk of arrhythmias. Overall, every 10 ms increase in the corrected QT interval is associated with a 15% increase in arrhythmic risk.


title: Long QT syndrome

text: As the QT prolonging effects of both genetic variants and acquired causes of LQTS are additive, those with inherited LQTS are more likely to experience TdP if given QT prolonging drugs or if they experience electrolyte problems such as low blood levels of low potassium (hypokalaemia). Similarly, those taking QT prolonging medications are more likely to experience TdP if they have a genetic tendency to a prolonged QT interval, even it this tendency is concealed. Arrhythmias occur more commonly in drug-induced LQTS if the medication in question has been rapidly given intravenously, or if high concentrations of the drug are present in the person's blood. The risk of arrhythmias is also higher if the person receiving the drug has heart failure, is taking digitalis, or has recently been cardioverted from atrial fibrillation. Other risk factors for developing torsades de pointes among those with LQTS include female sex, increasing age, pre-existing cardiovascular disease, and abnormal liver or kidney function.


title: Long QT syndrome

text: There are several subtypes of long QT syndrome. These can be broadly split into those caused by genetic mutations which those affected are born with, carry throughout their lives, and can pass on to their children (inherited or congenital long QT syndrome), and those caused by other factors which cannot be passed on and are often reversible (acquired long QT syndrome).


title: Long QT syndrome

text: Inherited, or congenital long QT syndrome, is caused by genetic abnormalities. LQTS can arise from variants in several genes, leading in some cases to quite different features. The common thread linking these variants is that they affect one or more ion currents leading to prolongation of the ventricular action potential, thus lengthening the QT interval. Classification systems have been proposed to distinguish between subtypes of the condition based on the clinical features (and named after those who first described the condition) and subdivided by the underlying genetic variant. The commonest of these, accounting for 99% of cases, is Romano–Ward syndrome (genetically LQT1-6 and LQT9-16), an autosomal dominant form in which the electrical activity of the heart is affected without involving other organs. A less commonly seen form is Jervell and Lange-Nielsen syndrome, an autosomal recessive form of LQTS combining a prolonged QT interval with congenital deafness. Other rare forms include Anderson–Tawil syndrome (LQT7) with features including a prolonged QT interval, periodic paralysis, and abnormalities of the face and skeleton; and Timothy syndrome (LQT8) in which a prolonged QT interval is associated with abnormalities in the structure of the heart and autism spectrum disorder.


title: Long QT syndrome

text: LQT1 is the most common subtype of Romano–Ward syndrome, responsible for 30 to 35% of all cases. The gene responsible, "KCNQ1," has been isolated to chromosome 11p15.5 and encodes the alpha subunit of the KvLQT1 potassium channel. This subunit interacts with other proteins (in particular, the minK beta subunit) to create the channel, which carries the delayed potassium rectifier current "I" responsible for the repolarisation phase of the cardiac action potential. Variants in "KCNQ1" that decrease "I" (loss of function variants) slow the repolarisation of the action potential. This causes the LQT1 subtype of Romano–Ward syndrome when a single copy of the variant is inherited (heterozygous, autosomal dominant inheritance). Inheriting two copies of the variant (homozygous, autosomal recessive inheritance) leads to the more severe Jervell and Lange–Nielsen syndrome. Conversely, variants in KCNQ1 that increase "I" lead to more rapid repolarisation and the short QT syndrome.


title: Long QT syndrome

text: The LQT2 subtype is the second-most common form of Romano–Ward syndrome, responsible for 25 to 30% of all cases. It is caused by variants in the "KCNH2" gene (also known as "hERG") on chromosome 7 which encodes the potassium channel that carries the rapid inward rectifier current "I". This current contributes to the terminal repolarisation phase of the cardiac action potential, and therefore the length of the QT interval.


title: Long QT syndrome

text: The LQT3 subtype of Romano–Ward syndrome is caused by variants in the "SCN5A" gene located on chromosome 3p21–24. "SCN5A" encodes the alpha subunit of the cardiac sodium channel, Na1.5, responsible for the sodium current "I" which depolarises cardiac cells at the start of the action potential. Cardiac sodium channels normally inactivate rapidly, but the mutations involved in LQT3 slow their inactivation leading to a small sustained 'late' sodium current. This continued inward current prolongs the action potential and thereby the QT interval. While some variants in "SCN5A" cause LQT3, other variants can cause quite different conditions. Variants causing a reduction in the early peak current can cause Brugada syndrome and cardiac conduction disease, while other variants have been associated with dilated cardiomyopathy. Some variants which affect both the early and late sodium current can cause overlap syndromes which combine aspects of both LQT3 and Brugada syndrome.


title: Long QT syndrome

text: LQT5 is caused by variants in the "KCNE1" gene responsible for the potassium channel beta subunit MinK. This subunit, in conjunction with the alpha subunit encoded by KCNQ1, is responsible for the potassium current "I" which is decreased in LQTS. LQT6 is caused by variants in the "KCNE2" gene responsible for the potassium channel beta subunit MiRP1 which generates the potassium current "I". Variants that decrease this current have been associated with prolongation of the QT interval. However, subsequent evidence such as the relatively common finding of variants in the gene in those without long QT syndrome, and the general need for a second stressor such as hypokalaemia to be present to reveal the QT prolongation, has suggested that this gene instead represents a modifier to susceptibility to QT prolongation. Some therefore dispute whether variants in "KCNE2" are sufficient to cause Romano-Ward syndrome by themselves.


title: Long QT syndrome

text: LQT9 is caused by variants in the membrane structural protein, caveolin<nowiki>-3</nowiki>. Caveolins form specific membrane domains called caveolae in which voltage-gated sodium channels sit. Similar to LQT3, these caveolin variants increase the late sustained sodium current, which impairs cellular repolarization.


title: Long QT syndrome

text: LQT10 is an extremely rare subtype, caused by variants in the "SCN4B" gene. The product of this gene is an auxiliary beta-subunit (Naβ4) forming cardiac sodium channels, variants in which increase the late sustained sodium current. LQT13 is caused by variants in "GIRK4," a protein involved in the parasympathetic modulation of the heart. Clinically, the patients are characterized by only modest QT prolongation, but an increased propensity for atrial arrhythmias. LQT14, LQT15 and LQT16 are caused by variants in the genes responsible for calmodulin ("CALM1, CALM2," and "CALM3" respectively). Calmodulin interacts with several ion channels and its roles include modulation of the L-type calcium current in response to calcium concentrations, and trafficking the proteins produced by "KCNQ1" and thereby influencing potassium currents. The precise mechanisms by which means these genetic variants prolong the QT interval remain uncertain.


title: Long QT syndrome

text: Jervell and Lange–Nielsen syndrome (JLNS) is a rare form of LQTS inherited in an autosomal recessive manner. In addition to severe prolongation of the QT interval, those affected are born with severe sensorineural deafness affecting both ears. The syndrome is caused by inheriting two copies of certain variant in the "KCNE1" or "KCNQ1" genes. The same genetic variants lead to the LQT1 and LQT5 forms of Romano-Ward syndrome if only a single copy of the variant is inherited. JLNS is generally associated with a higher risk of arrhythmias than most other forms of LQTS.


title: Long QT syndrome

text: LQT7, also known as Andersen–Tawil syndrome, is characterised by a triad of features – in addition to a prolonged QT interval, those affected may experience intermittent weakness often occurring at times when blood potassium concentrations are low (hypokalaemic periodic paralysis), and characteristic facial and skeletal abnormalities such as a small lower jaw (micrognathia), low set ears, and fused or abnormally angled fingers and toes (syndactyly and clinodactyly). The condition is inherited in an autosomal-dominant manner and is caused by mutations in the "KCNJ2" gene which encodes the potassium channel protein K2.1.


title: Long QT syndrome

text: LQT8, also known as Timothy syndrome combines a prolonged QT interval with fused fingers or toes (syndactyly). Abnormalities of the structure of the heart are commonly seen including ventricular septal defect, tetralogy of Fallot, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The condition presents early in life and the average life expectancy is 2.5 years with death most commonly caused by ventricular arrhythmias. Many children with Timothy syndrome who survive longer than this have features of autism spectrum disorder. Timothy syndrome is caused by variants in the calcium channel Cav1.2 encoded by the gene "CACNA1c".


title: Long QT syndrome

text: Although long QT syndrome is often a genetic condition, a prolonged QT interval associated with an increased risk of abnormal heart rhythms can also occur in people without a genetic abnormality, commonly due to a side effect of medications. Drug-induced QT prolongation is often a result of treatment by antiarrhythmic drugs such as amiodarone and sotalol, antibiotics such as erythromycin, or antihistamines such as terfenadine. Other drugs which prolong the QT interval include some antipsychotics such as haloperidol and ziprasidone, and the antidepressant citalopram. Lists of medications associated with prolongation of the QT interval such as the CredibleMeds database can be found online.


title: Long QT syndrome

text: Other causes of acquired LQTS include abnormally low levels of potassium (hypokalaemia) or magnesium (hypomagnesaemia) within the blood. This can be exacerbated following a sudden reduction in the blood supply to the heart (myocardial infarction), low levels of thyroid hormone (hypothyroidism), and a slow heart rate (bradycardia).


title: Long QT syndrome

text: Anorexia nervosa has been associated with sudden death, possibly due to QT prolongation. The malnutrition seen in this condition can sometimes affect the blood concentration of salts such as potassium, potentially leading to acquired long QT syndrome, in turn causing sudden cardiac death. The malnutrition and associated changes in salt balance develop over a prolonged period of time, and rapid refeeding may further disturb the salt imbalances, increasing the risk of arrhythmias. Care must therefore be taken to monitor electrolyte levels to avoid the complications of refeeding syndrome.


title: Long QT syndrome

text: Factors which prolong the QT interval are additive, meaning that a combination of factors (such as taking a QT-prolonging drug and having low levels of potassium) can cause a greater degree of QT prolongation than each factor alone. This also applies to some genetic variants which by themselves only minimally prolong the QT interval but can make people more susceptible to significant drug-induced QT prolongation.


title: Long QT syndrome

text: The various forms of long QT syndrome, both congenital and acquired, produce abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias) by influencing the electrical signals used to coordinate individual heart cells. The common theme is a prolongation of the cardiac action potential – the characteristic pattern of voltage changes across the cell membrane that occur with each heart beat. Heart cells when relaxed normally have fewer positively charged ions on the inner side of their cell membrane than on the outer side, referred to as the membrane being "polarised". When heart cells contract, positively charged ions such as sodium and calcium enter the cell, equalising or reversing this polarity, or "depolarising" the cell. After a contraction has taken place, the cell restores its polarity (or "repolarises") by allowing positively charged ions such as potassium to leave the cell, restoring the membrane to its relaxed, polarised state. In long QT syndrome it takes longer for this repolarisation to occur, shown in individual cells as a longer action potential while being marked on the surface ECG as a long QT interval.


title: Long QT syndrome

text: The prolonged action potentials can lead to arrhythmias through several mechanisms. The arrhythmia characteristic of long QT syndrome, Torsades de Pointes, starts when an initial action potential triggers further abnormal action potentials in the form of afterdepolarisations. Early afterdepolarisations, occurring before the cell has fully repolarised, are particularly likely to be seen when action potentials are prolonged, and arise due to reactivation of calcium and sodium channels that would normally switch off until the next heartbeat is due. Under the right conditions, reactivation of these currents, facilitated by the sodium-calcium exchanger, can cause further depolarisation of the cell. The early afterdepolarisations triggering arrhythmias in long QT syndrome tend to arise from the Purkinje fibres of the cardiac conduction system. Early afterdepolarisations may occur as single events, but may occur repeatedly leading to multiple rapid activations of the cell.


title: Long QT syndrome

text: Some research suggests that delayed afterdepolarisations, occurring after repolarisation has completed, may also play a role in long QT syndrome. This form of afterdepolarisation originates from the spontaneous release of calcium from the intracellular calcium store known as the sarcoplasmic reticulum, forcing calcium out of cell through the sodium calcium exchanger in exchange for sodium, generating a net inward current.


title: Long QT syndrome

text: While there is strong evidence that the trigger for Torsades de Pointes comes from afterdepolarisations, it is less certain what sustains this arrhythmia. Some lines of evidence suggest that repeated afterdepolarisations from many sources contribute to the continuing arrhythmia. However, some suggest that the arrhythmia sustains through a mechanism known as re-entry. According to this model, the action potential prolongation occurs to a variable extent in different layers of the heart muscle with longer action potentials in some layers than others. In response to a triggering impulse, the waves of depolarisation will spread through regions with shorter action potentials but block in regions with longer action potentials. This allows the depolarising wavefront to bend around areas of block, potentially forming a complete loop and self-perpetuating. The twisting pattern on the ECG can be explained by movement of the core of the re-entrant circuit in the form of a meandering spiral wave.


title: Long QT syndrome

text: Diagnosing long QT syndrome is challenging. Whilst the hallmark of LQTS is prolongation of the QT interval, the QT interval is highly variable among both those who are healthy and those who have LQTS. This leads to overlap between the QT intervals of those with and without LQTS. 2.5% of those with genetically proven LQTS have a QT interval within the normal range. Conversely, given the normal distribution of QT intervals, a proportion of healthy people will have a longer QT interval than any arbitrary cutoff. Other factors beyond the QT interval should therefore be taken into account when making a diagnosis, some of which have been incorporated into scoring systems.


title: Long QT syndrome

text: Long QT syndrome is principally diagnosed by measuring the QT interval corrected for heart rate (QTc) on a 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG). Long QT syndrome is associated with a prolonged QTc, although in some genetically proven cases of LQTS this prolongation can be hidden, known as concealed LQTS. The QTc is less than 450 ms in 95% of normal males, and less than 460 ms in 95% of normal females. LQTS is suggested if the QTc is longer than these cutoffs. However, as 5% of normal people also fall into this category, some suggest cutoffs of 470 and 480 ms for males and females respectively, corresponding with the 99th centiles of normal values.


title: Long QT syndrome

text: The major subtypes of inherited LQTS are associated with specific ECG features. LQT1 is typically associated with broad-based T-waves, whereas the T-waves in LQT2 are notched and of lower amplitude, whilst in LQT3 the T-waves are often late onset, being preceded by a long isoelectric segment.


title: Long QT syndrome

text: The Schwartz score has been proposed as a method of combining clinical and ECG factors to assess how likely an individual is to have an inherited form of LQTS. The table below lists the criteria used to calculate the score.


title: Long QT syndrome

text: In cases of diagnostic uncertainty, other investigations may be helpful to unmask a prolonged QT. In addition to prolonging the resting QT interval, LQTS may affect how the QT changes in response to exercise and stimulation by catecholamines such as adrenaline. Provocation tests, in the form of exercise tolerance tests or direct infusion of adrenaline, can be used to detect these abnormal responses. These investigations are most useful for identifying those with concealed congenital Type 1 LQTS 1 (LQT1) who have a normal QT interval at rest. While in healthy persons the QT interval shortens during exercise, in those with concealed LQT1 exercise or adrenaline infusion may lead to paradoxical prolongation of the QT interval, revealing the underlying condition.


title: Long QT syndrome

text: International consensus guidelines differ on the degree of QT prolongation required to diagnose LQTS. The European Society of Cardiology recommends that, with or without symptoms or other investigations, LQTS can be diagnosed if the corrected QT interval is longer than 480ms. They recommend that a diagnosis can be considered in the presence of a QTc of greater than 460 ms if unexplained syncope has occurred. The Heart Rhythm Society guidelines are more stringent, recommending QTc cutoff of greater than 500 ms in the absence of other factors that prolong the QT, or greater than 480 ms with syncope. Both sets of guidelines agree that LQTS can also be diagnosed if an individual has a Schwartz score of greater than 3 or if a pathogenic genetic variant associated with LQTS is identified, regardless of QT interval.


title: Long QT syndrome

text: Those diagnosed with LQTS are usually advised to avoid drugs that can prolong the QT interval further or lower the threshold for TDP, lists of which can be found in public access online databases. In addition to this, two intervention options are known for individuals with LQTS: arrhythmia prevention and arrhythmia termination.


title: Long QT syndrome

text: Arrhythmia suppression involves the use of medications or surgical procedures that attack the underlying cause of the arrhythmias associated with LQTS. Since the cause of arrhythmias in LQTS is early afterdepolarizations (EADs), and they are increased in states of adrenergic stimulation, steps can be taken to blunt adrenergic stimulation in these individuals. These include administration of beta receptor blocking agents, which decreases the risk of stress-induced arrhythmias. Nadolol, a powerful non-selective beta blocker, has been shown to reduce the arrhythmic risk in all three main genotypes (LQT1, LQT2, and LQT3).


title: Long QT syndrome

text: Genotype and QT interval duration are independent predictors of recurrence of life-threatening events during beta-blocker therapy. To be specific, the presence of QTc >500 ms and LQT2 and LQT3 genotype are associated with the highest incidence of recurrence. In these patients, primary prevention with use of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators can be considered.


title: Long QT syndrome

text: Arrhythmia termination involves stopping a life-threatening arrhythmia once it has already occurred. One effective form of arrhythmia termination in individuals with LQTS is placement of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD). Also, external defibrillation can be used to restore sinus rhythm. ICDs are commonly used in patients with fainting episodes despite beta blocker therapy, and in patients having experienced a cardiac arrest. As mentioned earlier, ICDs may be used also in patients considered at high risk of life-threatening arrhythmic events.


title: Long QT syndrome

text: With better knowledge of the genetics underlying LQTS, more precise treatments hopefully will become available.


title: Long QT syndrome

text: Genotype and QT interval duration are the strongest predictors of outcome for patients with LQTS. These have been combined to create an externally validated risk score calculator, estimating a 5-year risk for each individual patient, which can help physicians to identify patients at the highest risk of life-threatening arrhythmic events.


title: Long QT syndrome

text: For people who experience cardiac arrest or fainting caused by LQTS and who are untreated, the risk of death within 15 years is around 50%. With careful treatment this decreases to less than 1% over 20 years. Those who exhibit symptoms before the age of 18 are more likely to experience a cardiac arrest.


title: Long QT syndrome

text: The first documented case of LQTS was described in Leipzig by Meissner in 1856, when a deaf girl died after her teacher yelled at her. Soon after being notified, the girl's parents reported that her older brother, also deaf, had previously died after a terrible fright. This was several decades before the ECG was invented, but is likely the first described case of Jervell and Lange-Nielsen syndrome. In 1957, the first case documented by ECG was described by Anton Jervell and Fred Lange-Nielsen, working in Tønsberg, Norway. Italian pediatrician Cesarino Romano, in 1963, and Irish pediatrician Owen Conor Ward, in 1964, separately described the more common variant of LQTS with normal hearing, later called Romano-Ward syndrome. The establishment of the International Long-QT Syndrome Registry in 1979 allowed numerous pedigrees to be evaluated in a comprehensive manner. This helped in detecting many of the numerous genes involved. Transgenic animal models of the LQTS helped define the roles of various genes and hormones involved, and recently experimental pharmacological therapies to normalize the abnormal repolarization in animals were published.


title: WWE Studios

text: WWE Studios Inc. (formerly known as WWE Films) is an American film studio owned by the professional wrestling promotion WWE. WWE Studios movies frequently mix well-known actors and actresses in lead roles with WWE wrestlers, and teams with existing production and distribution companies to deliver the product at a cheaper cost for both parties.


title: WWE Studios

text: Before the formation of WWE Studios, the WWF had produced the 1989 film "No Holds Barred" featuring Hulk Hogan under the Shane Distribution Company banner, a precursor to today's company. WWE Studios released the film on DVD in 2012.


title: WWE Studios

text: WWE Studios was formed in 2002 as WWE Films, and was seen as "a natural extension of the entertainment business" that they already featured in the weekly "Raw" and "SmackDown" television programs. Joel Simon was named as President of the WWE Films and Jed Blaugrund as vice president.


title: WWE Studios

text: WWE announced the first three film projects in January 2005; "The Condemned", starring Steve Austin, "The Marine", starring John Cena, and "Goodnight", later retitled as "See No Evil", starring Kane. Both of these independent film projects were genre films that cost $20 million to star his wrestlers.


title: WWE Studios

text: In 2008, the name was changed to WWE Studios. On February 25, 2008, WWE had signed a deal with 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment that Fox received to WWE that they would get one theatrical film and four straight-to-DVD movies. The move was designed to expand into production of scripted television series and films for networks.


title: WWE Studios

text: In February 2009, WWE Studios announced the first film which would not feature a WWE wrestler as the lead, with "That's What I Am" starring Ed Harris as a schoolteacher accused of fondling kids. In December 2009, it was announced that Patricia Clarkson and Danny Glover would star in the WWE Studios and Samuel Goldwyn Films co-production of "Legendary" along with WWE wrestler John Cena. Around the same time, the film announced production had been completed on another co-production with Samuel Goldwyn Films, the comedy "Knucklehead", which starred WWE wrestler Big Show. Further projects were announced in 2010 with WWE wrestlers in lead roles, with "The Chaperone" starring Triple H, which was released in February 2011, and "Bending the Rules" starring Edge, which was released in March 2012. These initial releases were largely unsuccessful financially.


title: WWE Studios

text: In February 2012, WWE Studios agreed to a new three-film deal with 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment to produce, finance and market three straight-to-DVD titles, including "" starring The Miz, having previously worked with 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment on the previous films in the franchise, "The Marine" and "The Marine 2". The deal also included the release of "" starring Randy Orton, having together previously released "12 Rounds" starring John Cena. Also that year, WWE Studios had signed a deal with Lionsgate in order to work on upcoming projects, most notably a "Leprechaun" project via a two-picture deal between the two studios.


title: WWE Studios

text: In April 2012, WWE Studios partnered with Warner Bros. Entertainment France and producer Thomas Langmann to distribute French film "Les Reines Du Ring" in the United States and Canada, as well as the rights to remake the film, which was announced in 2014.


title: WWE Studios

text: WWE Studios also produced "No One Lives" with Pathe Pictures, starring Luke Evans and WWE wrestler Brodus Clay, and acquired the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival cult hit "The Day", starring Shawn Ashmore and Dominic Monaghan. WWE Studios has also acquired "Interrogation", a suspense thriller by Adam Rodin. WWE Studios then secured the rights to "Bermuda", a found footage horror spec script by Bobby Lee Darby and Nathan Brookes, set in the Bermuda Triangle. WWE Studios further announced a partnership with producer Edward R. Pressman and Jason Blum's Blum-Hanson-Allen films to develop "Cruisin' for a Brusin"', an action comedy to be written and directed by Adam Bhala Lough. WWE Studios and Warner Bros. co-produced a "Scooby-Doo" animated feature that found Scooby and the gang solving a mystery at WrestleMania, which also starred an ensemble of WWE Superstars. The movie released on March 25, 2014. On May 29, 2013, it was announced that WWE studios and Warner Bros would again team up to co-produce a "Flintstones" animated movie to be released in early 2015.


title: WWE Studios

text: WWE Studios most successful film to date is the 2013 release "The Call", starring Halle Berry and Abigail Breslin, which made close to $70 million at the box office, despite a comparatively small budget of just $13m. The film opened at the US box office at No. 2 with 17 million in its first weekend. It was further reported that WWE was looking at a potential sequel following the success of "The Call".


title: WWE Studios

text: In 2013, WWE Studios and Hyde Park Entertainment announced a deal to work together on the film adaptation of the 1980s television series "The Fall Guy". The film will star Dwayne Johnson, who made his name as The Rock in WWE from 1996 to 2004 before becoming an actor, in his second WWE Studios production, with the first being "The Scorpion King". In August 2014, a second collaboration between WWE Studios and Hyde Park was announced, with Ken Jeong, David Hasselhoff and WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan signed to star in a comedy "Killing Hasselhoff".


title: WWE Studios

text: In February 2014, WWE announced the sequel to the 1996 film "Jingle All the Way", to star Larry the Cable Guy and WWE wrestler Santino Marella.


title: WWE Studios

text: In May 2014, it was announced that WWE had extended their partnership with Lionsgate Entertainment to release a further six films together, with the first two announced as "Vendetta", starring The Big Show and "" starring Dean Ambrose. These group of six films have been referred as the "Action Six-Pack Series".


title: WWE Studios

text: In November 2014, WWE announced a new partnership deal with Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. In March 2015, they announced a partnership with newly founded Gene Simmons production company Erebus Pictures and in April 2015, WWE Studios teamed with British company Richwater Films to co-produce and co-finance action-thrillers "Eliminators" and "Rampage".


title: WWE Studios

text: In November 2017, WWE announced that WWE Studios will expand its mandate to include scripted, non-scripted, family, and animated television and digital content.


title: WWE Studios

text: In February 2019, it was reported that WWE Studios and Netflix came to an agreement that would see WWE Studios produce new family-friendly movies for Netflix's platform.


title: WWE Studios

text: In July 2019, it was announced that WWE Studios will be producing its first television show, "Fight Like A Girl", for Quibi.


title: WWE Studios

text: In March 2021, the Game Show Network revealed at their upfront; they signed a deal with WWE Studios to develop shows hosted by WWE talent.


title: WWE Studios

text: In March 2022, A&E Network and WWE expanded their agreement for more episodes of "Biography: WWE Legends" and "WWE's Most Wanted Treasure". It was also announced a new series called "WWE Rivals". The deal between the company calls for additional content to be announced at a later date.


title: Far Cry (video game)

text: Far Cry is a 2004 first-person shooter game developed by Crytek and published by Ubisoft. It is the first installment in the "Far Cry" franchise. Set on a mysterious tropical archipelago, the game follows Jack Carver, a former American special forces operative, as he searches for the female journalist, Valerie Constantine, who accompanied him to the islands but went missing after their boat was destroyed by mercenaries. As Jack explores the islands, he begins to discover the horrific genetic experiments being conducted on the local wildlife and must confront the mad scientist behind them.


title: Far Cry (video game)

text: The game was the first to use Crytek's CryEngine, and was designed as an open-ended first-person shooter, meaning it lacks most of the freedom its successors would offer to the player. While players can freely explore the game's world like in later "Far Cry" titles, they are most often discouraged from doing so due to the linear structure of missions and the lack of side content. Despite this, the gameplay formula established in "Far Cry"—placing the player in a foreign environment occupied by enemy forces where they must use various weapons and tools, as well as their surroundings to overcome any threat—would prove essential in defining the series' identity going forward.


title: Far Cry (video game)

text: "Far Cry" was released for Microsoft Windows in March 2004 to generally positive reviews, being praised for its visuals, gameplay mechanics, and the level of freedom given to players. The game was also a commercial success, selling over 730,000 units within four months of release and over 2.5 million units in its lifetime. The success of "Far Cry" led to a series of standalone sequels developed by Ubisoft, starting with "Far Cry 2" in 2008. A remake of the game with a different storyline and new mechanics, "Far Cry Instincts", was released for the Xbox in 2005, and for the Xbox 360 in 2006 as part of the "" compilation. A loose film adaptation was released in 2008. The original version of "Far Cry", updated with HD graphics, was re-released under the title Far Cry Classic for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2014.


title: Far Cry (video game)

text: "Far Cry" is a standard first-person shooter set in an open-ended environment: an unidentified archipelago in the South Pacific. The tropical rain forest provides cover and concealment, of which both the player and enemies can take advantage. Enemies react dynamically to the player's tactics and actions. If a lone mercenary spots a player, he occasionally runs for help, signaling reinforcements through use of flareguns. Enemies will work together to outmaneuver, outflank, surround, and provide suppressive fire, providing them a tactical advantage over the player, who, in turn, is able to spot and mark enemies on their minimap through use of special binoculars, which also grant the player the ability to listen to enemy conversations from afar, merely by pointing the binoculars in the direction of the enemies. Later in the gameplay, thermo binoculars can be used to locate the heat signatures of enemies, that would be otherwise concealed by foliage or darkness.


title: Far Cry (video game)

text: The environment includes land, water, indoor and outdoor structures, all during various times of the day. The player has the ability to jump, run, crouch and lie down, and look about in all directions. Sound plays an important part in the overall gameplay. For example, the general location of enemies can often be identified by hearing their footsteps or conversations. Throughout the game, the player encounters a variety of weapons from which to choose, including automatic weapons and grenades.


title: Far Cry (video game)

text: The open maps allow the player to complete their objectives in several different manners. When outdoors, the player is usually presented with a fairly simple set of possible routes to their objective, but these do not necessarily have to be used. Outdoor map level designs are constructed in a way that allows the player to try different angles for assaults, or even completely circumvent enemies (given enough time to maneuver). However, during the indoor sections of the game, level design tends to lose this attribute in favor of a more traditional, linear gameplay.


title: Far Cry (video game)

text: The game included three multiplayer modes: Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, and 'Assault' - An attack/defend mode where one team must guard three bases and the other must capture them. Ubisoft closed the online servers in October 2015.


title: Far Cry (video game)

text: The game's story follows an ex U.S. Army Special Forces soldier stranded on a mysterious archipelago. He is searching for a female journalist named Valerie Constantine, after she went missing when their boat was destroyed by mercenaries. The game includes thematic elements relating to the dangers of weaponizing genetic engineering and the genocide of local islanders as can be seen by the deformed creatures created by a mad scientist named Krieger.


title: Far Cry (video game)

text: The terrain in "Far Cry" varies greatly. Set on a South Pacific archipelago, the landscape includes beaches, dense rain forests, towering canyons, mines, swamps, and even volcanic forests. Many of the interiors range from simple beach huts and army camps to elaborate complexes, an underground temple, and ultra-modern research labs. Several of these mazes use the remains of Japanese World War II-era fortifications and bunkers.


title: Far Cry (video game)

text: Jack Carver has left his mysterious and bitter past behind him and dropped out of society to run a boat-charter business in the South Pacific. He is hired by a female journalist named Valerie Constantine to take her secretly to an uncharted island in Micronesia. After Val takes off on her own with a jet ski, Jack's boat is blown apart by a rocket, but he survives by diving into the water. With the help of a man named Doyle, Jack travels across the various islands, battling mysterious mercenaries in search for Val. Through encounters with Trigens (genetically altered beasts) and information from Doyle, Jack soon discovers that the island is part of an experiment involving genetic modification, funded by the genetic company Krieger Corp. and led by its CEO, Dr. Krieger.


title: Far Cry (video game)

text: As the game progresses, it becomes clear that the Trigens, who are running loose, are becoming too large a problem for the mercenaries to handle, and that the experiments are not limited to just primate mutations, but have moved on to mutating humans (possibly mercenaries). When Jack finally catches up with Val, she is being taken to another area by a helicopter which is stopped by Jack. After a brief struggle on board the helicopter, Val tells Jack to jump for it, kicking him in the face and they both fall from the helicopter as it explodes. After they both swim to shore, Val reveals that she is an undercover CIA agent investigating Krieger's operations. After further exploration, Jack must again search for and rescue Val while the human Trigens have escaped (freed by Jack) and have begun a revolt against the mercenaries on the island. After rescuing Val, they split up again and reunite when Jack has killed the mercenary commander, Crowe. Information Crowe had with him indicates Krieger has a tactical nuke on the island, which he intends to use as a last resort in covering his tracks should his projects be investigated.


title: Far Cry (video game)

text: After the Department of Defense has supposedly analyzed the situation, Jack and Val steal the nuclear weapon, despite Jack's protests. Before entering the factory, Doyle warns that the mutagen might infect them when the blast goes off, and advises them to take a mutagen-resistant serum before arming the nuke. Inside the factory, they do so and arm the nuke, which detonates directly behind Jack and Val as they exit the factory, leaving them unconscious. While the pair are unconscious, Krieger captures them before leaving to his main base in a helicopter. Jack, kicked off the helicopter, has to fight through the Trigen-infested area to rescue Val and escape the islands with his life. Upon reaching a mercenary weapons cache, Jack notices his arm is turning green. Doyle responds that the mutagen concentration on the air might be too strong for the antidote, but Krieger is working on a cure in a laboratory nearby. Jack is thus directed to find Krieger, who has injected himself with the mutagen but is ultimately defeated.


title: Far Cry (video game)

text: With his dying breath, Krieger reveals that there is no cure for the mutagen. Doyle reveals the "antidote" they took earlier was the very mutagen they were trying to protect themselves from and reveals that he plans to sell the mutagen formula on the black market before fleeing. After battling through a horde of Trigens, Jack catches up with Doyle and kills him. Jack then escapes just before the volcano, in which Krieger's main offices are located, erupts. Both he and Val are cured from the mutagen and manage to sail off on a boat.


title: Far Cry (video game)

text: Crytek developed a game engine called CryEngine for "Far Cry". Reportedly, the game was born out of a technology demo called "X-Isle: Dinosaur Island" made by Crytek to showcase the capabilities of the Nvidia GeForce 3.


title: Far Cry (video game)

text: On June 10, 2013, Ubisoft announced "Far Cry Classic" would come to XBLA as part of Microsoft's 2013 Summer Arcade releases. The game was delayed to February 12, 2014. "Far Cry Classic" is an HD remake for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The game is available as a standalone and part of a compilation called "Far Cry: The Wild Expedition".


title: Far Cry (video game)

text: "Far Cry" received "generally favorable" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic. The game received runner-up placements for GameSpot's 2004 "Best Shooter" and "Best Graphics, Technical" awards across all platforms. It received multiple awards in the German Developer Awards 2004, including "Best Full-Price Game".


title: Far Cry (video game)

text: "Far Cry" was a commercial success, with sales above 730,000 units after four months of release. It received a "Gold" certification from the Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland for its performance through the end of June 2004. This indicated sales of at least 100,000 units across Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In the United States, "Far Cry" sold 350,000 copies and earned $11 million for Crytek by August 2006. At the time, this led "Edge" to declare it the country's 49th-best-selling computer game released since January 2000. It also earned a "Gold" sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA), for sales of at least 200,000 copies in the United Kingdom. In 2010, Crytek announced that the PC version of the game had sold over 2.5 million units overall.


title: Far Cry (video game)

text: On April 8, 2004, Ubisoft announced "Far Cry Instincts" for the Xbox. "Far Cry Instincts" is not a direct port of the original, being designed specifically for consoles. The game uses a similar premise to the original PC version, and the same game engine, but by comparison "Instincts" is less open-ended and more linear, due to the console's reduced processing power which prevents the full rendering of the PC version's vast islands and landscape. Additionally, "Instincts" features a significantly altered storyline, and new multiplayer modes, weapons, dual wielding and "feral abilities". PlayStation 2 and GameCube were also planned but were cancelled. "Far Cry Instincts" was exclusive to the Xbox and was released to acclaim in North America on September 27, 2005.


title: Far Cry (video game)

text: On March 28, 2006, Ubisoft released a sequel to "Instincts", "" for the Xbox, which was met with less enthusiasm than the first versions of "Far Cry". On the same day, for the Xbox 360, "" was released, which essentially contains updated versions of "Instincts" and "Evolution" that can run in 720p or 1080i high-definition. "Evolution" includes a new single-player campaign, although it is considerably shorter than that of "Far Cry Instincts". The storyline focuses on Jack Carver's work for a woman named Kade, which leads him to be hunted by local governments due to a frame-up during a botched arms deal. Jack again meets up with Doyle, who is practicing damage control, and eventually must battle a native warrior named Semeru who possesses the same "feral abilities" as Jack.


title: Far Cry (video game)

text: A remake of "Far Cry Instincts: Evolution", titled "Far Cry Vengeance", was released as part of Ubisoft's launch lineup for the Wii. In this version, the Wii Remote is used for many of the tasks assigned to buttons in previous iterations of the game, including driving vehicles, shooting, and running.


title: Far Cry (video game)

text: Crytek was commissioned by Electronic Arts to continue development on the Crytek engine, which led to their series of games, "Crysis". As Crytek was locked into its contract with Electronic Arts, Ubisoft negotiated to hold the rights to "Far Cry" as well as a perpetual license for the CryEngine, which they continued to modified with their Dunia Engine. In 2008, "Far Cry 2" was released, developed by Ubisoft Montreal. "Far Cry 2" centers around the activities of a gun smuggler named The Jackal. Fan theories, based on the appearance of the Jackal as well as game files, claim that the Jackal was an aged Jack Carver. "Far Cry 2"s director, Clint Hocking, confirmed this was intentional in a 2021 interview, with the trauma of events of "Far Cry" leading Carver to turn to criminal smuggling ten years later. Several more "Far Cry" sequels have been released by Ubisoft since.


title: Far Cry (video game)

text: On October 2, 2008, a live-action film based on the video game was released in Germany and later on December 17, 2008, in American theaters, receiving overwhelmingly negative reviews. A reboot was planned in 2013.


title: Telemachus

text: Telemachus ( ; ), in Greek mythology, is the son of Odysseus and Penelope, who is a central character in Homer's "Odyssey". When Telemachus reached manhood, he visited Pylos and Sparta in search of his wandering father. On his return to Ithaca, he found that Odysseus had reached home before him.


title: Telemachus

text: The first four books of the "Odyssey" focus on Telemachus's journeys in search of news about his father, who has yet to return home from the Trojan War, and are traditionally given the title the "Telemachy".


title: Telemachus

text: Telemachus's name in Greek means "far from battle", or perhaps "fighting from afar", as a bowman does.


title: Telemachus

text: In Homer's "Odyssey", Telemachus, under the instructions of Athena (who accompanies him during the quest), spends the first four books trying to gain knowledge of his father, Odysseus, who left for Troy when Telemachus was still an infant. At the outset of Telemachus' journey, Odysseus had been absent from his home at Ithaca for twenty years due to the Trojan War and the intervention of Poseidon. During his absence, Odysseus' house has been occupied by hordes of suitors seeking the hand of Penelope. Telemachus first visits Nestor and is well received by the old man who regales him with stories of his father's glory. Telemachus then departs with Nestor's son Peisistratus, who accompanies him to the halls of Menelaus and his wife Helen. Whilst there, Telemachus is again treated as an honored guest as Menelaus and Helen tell complementary yet contradictory stories of his father's exploits at Troy. Telemachus also learns from Menelaus that his father was last seen stranded on Ogygia.


title: Telemachus

text: Telemachus focuses on his father's return to Ithaca in Book XV. He visits Eumaeus, the swineherd, who happens to be hosting a disguised Odysseus. After Odysseus reveals himself to Telemachus due to Athena's advice, the two men plan the downfall of the suitors. Telemachus then returns to the palace to keep an eye on the suitors and to await his father as the beggar.


title: Telemachus

text: When Penelope challenges the suitors to string Odysseus' bow and shoot an arrow through the handle-holes of twelve axe heads, Telemachus is the first to attempt the task. He would have completed the task, nearly stringing the bow on his fourth attempt; however, Odysseus subtly stops him before he can finish his attempt. Following the suitors' failure at this task, Odysseus reveals himself and he and Telemachus bring swift and bloody death to the suitors.


title: Telemachus

text: The "Telegony" was a short two-book epic poem recounting the life and death of Odysseus after the events of the "Odyssey". In this mythological postscript, Odysseus is accidentally killed by Telegonus, his unknown son by the goddess Circe. After Odysseus' death, Telemachus returns to Aeaea with Telegonus and Penelope, and there marries Circe.


title: Telemachus

text: Telemachus: The son of Odysseus and Penelope (Hom. Od. i. 216). He was still an infant at the time when his father went to Troy, and in his absence of nearly twenty years he grew up to manhood. After the gods in council had determined that Odysseus should return home from the island of Ogygia, Athena, assuming the appearance of Mentes, king of the Taphians, went to Ithaca, and advised Telemachus to eject the troublesome suitors of his mother from his house, and to go to Pylos and Sparta, to gather information concerning his father. Telemachus followed the advice, but the suitors refused to quit his house; and Athena, in the form of Mentes, accompanied Telemachus to Pylos. There they were hospitably received by Nestor, who also sent his own son to conduct Telemachus to Sparta. Menelaus again kindly received him, and communicated to him the prophecy of Proteus concerning Odysseus (Hom. Od. i.–iv.).From Sparta Telemachus returned home; and on his arrival there, he found his father, with the swineherd Eumaeus. But as Athena had metamorphosed him into a beggar, Telemachus did not recognise his father until the latter disclosed to him who he was. Father and son now agreed to punish the suitors; and when they were slain or dispersed, Telemachus accompanied his father to the aged Laertes. (Hom. Od. xv.–xxiv.; comp. Odysseus.)In the post-Homeric traditions, we read that Palamedes, when endeavouring to persuade Odysseus to join the Greeks against Troy, and the latter feigned idiocy, placed the infant Telemachus before the plough with which Odysseus was ploughing (Hygin. Fab. 95; Serv. ad Aen. ii. 81; Tzetz. ad Lycoph. 384; Aelian, V. H. xiii. 12.).According to some accounts, Telemachus became the father of Perseptolis either by Polycaste, the daughter of Nestor, or by Nausicaa, the daughter of Alcinous (Eustath. ad Hom. p. 1796; Dict. Cret. vi. 6.). Others relate that he was induced by Athena to marry Circe, and became by her the father of Latinus (Hygin. Fab. 127; comp. Telegonus), or that he married Cassiphone, a daughter of Circe, but in a quarrel with his mother-in-law he slew her, for which in his turn he was killed by Cassiphone (Tzetz. ad Lycoph. 808.). He is also said to have had a daughter called Roma, who married Aeneas (Serv. ad Aen. i. 273.).One account states that Odysseus, in consequence of a prophecy that his son was dangerous to him, sent him away from Ithaca. Servius (ad Aen. x. 167) makes Telemachus the founder of the town of Clusium in Etruria.


title: Telemachus

text: In "Contest of Homer and Hesiod", it is alleged that the Roman Emperor Hadrian asked the Delphic Oracle about Homer's birthplace and parentage. The Oracle replied that Homer came from Ithaca and that Telemachus was his father by Epicasta, daughter of Nestor.


title: Telemachus

text: According to Aristotle and Dictys of Crete, Telemachus married Nausicaa, King Alcinous' daughter, and fathered a son named Perseptolis or Ptoliporthus.


title: Telemachus

text: Telemachus is the subject of François Fénelon's "The Adventures of Telemachus, Son of Ulysses" (1699), a scathing attack on the monarchy of France.


title: Telemachus

text: Telemachus was the subject of numerous operas throughout the eighteenth century, most based on Fénelon's version. Among the most famous of these operas were André Cardinal Destouches's "Télémaque" (1714), Alessandro Scarlatti's "Telemaco" (1718), Gluck's "Telemaco, ossia L'isola di Circe" (1765), Giuseppe Gazzaniga's "Gli errori di Telemaco" (1776), Jean-François Le Sueur's "Télémaque dans l'île de Calypso ou Le triomphe de la sagesse" (1796), Simon Mayr's "Telemaco nell'isola di Calipso" (1797), and Fernando Sor's "Telemaco nell'isola di Calipso" (1797).


title: Telemachus

text: In the 1922 novel "Ulysses" by James Joyce, Stephen Dedalus is generally regarded as corresponding to Telemachus.


title: Telemachus

text: "Telemachus" is the title of Book Three of Thomas Wolfe's autobiographical novel "Of Time and the River" (1935).


title: Telemachus

text: Telemachus appears as the son of Ulysses in the 1981 French-Japanese animated television series "Ulysses 31".


title: Telemachus

text: Telemachus is a major character in Madeline Miller's novel "Circe". He eventually marries and has children with Circe.


title: Telemachus

text: "Telemachus Sneezed" is the name of a fictional novel in "The Illuminatus! Trilogy", and is a parody of the title of Ayn Rand's novel, "Atlas Shrugged".


title: Shatter Me

text: Shatter Me is a young adult dystopian thriller written by Tahereh Mafi, published on November 15, 2011. The book is narrated by Juliette, a 17-year-old girl with a lethal touch and is unusual in that it contains passages and lines that have been crossed out like a diary entry. "Shatter Me" is the first of a series of six books. The second book in the series, "Unravel Me", was published on February 5, 2013. The third book in the series, "Ignite Me," was published on February 4, 2014. The fourth book, "Restore Me", was published on March 6, 2018. The fifth book, "Defy Me", was published on April 2, 2019. The final book, "Imagine Me", was published on March 31, 2020.


title: Shatter Me

text: Of her inspirations for the work, Mafi has stated that she drew inspiration from "an interest in human nature and [humanity's] ability to overcome great obstacles".


title: Shatter Me

text: Juliette Ferrars is a 17-year-old girl whose touch paralyzes and kills, taking living organisms' energy. Juliette is in an asylum because three years prior, she killed a small boy in a store with her unusual touch. It is evident that Juliette is partly insane, both from prolonged isolation and at horror at herself. She repeatedly dreams of a bird and writes in a small notebook.


title: Shatter Me

text: Suddenly, for the first time ever, Juliette gets a cellmate who goes by the name of Adam Kent. He reminds Juliette of someone, but she convinces herself that it is not possible that she ever knew him. She shows Adam the ways of the asylum, such as not to eat the scalding food immediately, and when the asylum's occupants are allowed to shower.


title: Shatter Me

text: One day, the Reestablishment, a government that has the world within its grasp, comes for Juliette. It is revealed that Adam is a soldier for Aaron Warner, the leader of Sector 45 of the Reestablishment. Warner, who is also the son of the Reestablishment's Supreme Commander, makes Juliette an offer that includes her being able to get out of the asylum in turn for her torturing any prisoners with her touch as a weapon for the Reestablishment.


title: Shatter Me

text: Warner wants to feel the full effects of Juliette's power, but she refuses to touch or hurt him, so he forces her to torture a soldier named Jenkins and a small child through a simulated torture room. During her captivity, Juliette develops a romantic relationship with Adam. It is revealed that Adam knew Juliette prior to the asylum, and is in love with her, and that he can touch Juliette without being harmed or killed. Adam eventually helps Juliette escape from Warner, and as they escape, Warner's hand brushes against Juliette's ankle, revealing that Warner also can touch Juliette without consequence.


title: Shatter Me

text: Adam and Juliette run away to where Adam's 10-year-old brother James lives, a small apartment Adam helped to make. James is taken care of by others because Adam has to live with the other soldiers; to the brother's knowledge, both of their parents are dead. Through spending time together, Adam starts to become possessive of Juliette. One of Adam's fellow soldiers, Kenji Kishimoto, shows up claiming that Warner had him tortured in order to learn Adam and Juliette's whereabouts. Kenji says that he knows a safe place where they can escape, and they formulate a plan. Juliette and adam split up with Kenji and James, but Adam and Juliette are captured and Warner shoots Adam.


title: Shatter Me

text: Warner drags Juliette into an abandoned classroom and tells Juliette he loves her. Warner kisses Juliette, so she seduces him to get the gun from him. She non-fatally shoots him. She finds Adam in a slaughterhouse, and they escape, although Adams's leg is badly injured. They meet up with Kenji and James, whom Kenji has given sedatives so that he will not be traumatized by the condition Adam is in.


title: Shatter Me

text: It is revealed that Kenji is a member of the Rebellion against the Reestablishment, called Omega Point. Adam, Juliette, and James are recruited by, and then join the Rebellion.


title: Shatter Me

text: Reviews for "Shatter Me" have been mixed, with many reviewers stating criticisms while overall recommending the work." Kirkus Reviews "praised "Shatter Me" for its love story, but said that the ending "falls flat" and that there was an "overreliance on metaphor". "Publishers Weekly" cited that while the book "doesn’t escape some rookie pitfalls," author Tahereh Mafi "combines a psychological opener with an action-adventure denouement in her YA debut," ultimately calling it "a gripping read from an author who’s not afraid to take risks". "Booklist" gave a mixed review, noting that there were "plot conveniences and melodramatic writing to spare" while praising it for its "rip-roaring adventure and steamy romance scenes".


title: Shatter Me

text: A youth reviewer for the "National Post" recommended it highly, stating that it had "just the right amount of action to make it thrilling, but not exactly gruesome." It was included in BuzzFeed's list of best YA books of all time.


title: Shatter Me

text: Kenji Kishimoto: A 20-year-old soldier in Warner's army who is friends with Adam. He is later found out to be a member of Omega Point and is shown to have the gift of invisibility. He has a very joking personality and is a very chill person. He is also very egotistical and that adds humor to his person. He is also known to develop an admiration for Juliette which she returns and they form a strong bond, as best friends, almost like siblings.


title: Shatter Me

text: "Shatter Me" is the first in its series. An e-book novella titled "Destroy Me", set after "Shatter Me" and before the sequel, "Unravel Me", told from Warner's point of view, was released on October 6, 2012. "Unravel Me", the second book in the series, was released on February 5, 2013. A second e-book novella titled "Fracture Me", set during and soon after the final moments of "Unravel Me", told from Adam's point of view, was released December 17, 2013. The third book in the series, titled "Ignite Me", was released on February 4, 2014. On the same day, "Unite Me", containing the two novellas combined into print for the first time as well as an exclusive look into Juliette’s journal, was also released.


title: Shatter Me

text: In April 2017, it was announced that Mafi would be releasing three more books in the "Shatter Me" series starting with "Restore Me", which was published on March 6, 2018. A novella entitled "Shadow Me," told from Kenji's perspective, was released on March 5, 2019. A month later, the fifth book in the series, "Defy Me", was released. The sixth and final main installment of Shatter Me, titled "Imagine Me", was released on March 31, 2020.


title: Shatter Me

text: “Believe Me”, a fifth novella written from Warner’s point of view, is set to be released on November 16, 2021.


title: Shatter Me

text: Film rights for "Shatter Me" were optioned by 20th Century Fox in 2011, prior to the book's release date.


title: Shōchū

text: Typically shōchū contains 25% alcohol by volume, which is weaker than baijiu, whiskey or vodka but stronger than huangjiu, sake or wine. It is not uncommon for multiply distilled shōchū, which is more likely to be used in mixed drinks, to contain up to 35% alcohol by volume.


title: Shōchū

text: The word is the Japanese rendition of the Chinese "shaojiu" (), meaning "burned liquor", which refers to the heating process during distillation. The Chinese way of writing "shaojiu" with the character 酒 is considered archaic and obsolete in modern Japanese, which uses the character 酎. Nevertheless, both characters mean "liquor".


title: Shōchū

text: "Shōchū" should not be confused with sake, a brewed rice wine. Its taste is usually far less fruity and depends strongly on the nature of the starch used in the distilling process. Its flavor is often described as "nutty" or "earthy".


title: Shōchū

text: "Shōchū" is widely available in supermarkets, liquor stores, and convenience stores in Japan while canned chuhai drinks are sold in some of Japan's ubiquitous vending machines. However, it is more difficult to find "shōchū" outside Japan except in urban areas with large enough Japanese populations. Interest in shōchū has begun to grow in North America, particularly in cosmopolitan cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Vancouver, Toronto, and New York. Dedicated shōchū bars have begun to appear in New York and more than 100 brands are now available in the U.S. market.


title: Shōchū

text: In Kyūshū, the center of production, "shōchū" is far more common than "sake". Indeed, there ""sake"" (酒) generally refers to "shōchū", and is sometimes consumed mixed with hot water (Oyuwari), especially in cooler months. First hot water is poured into the glass, then shōchū is gently added. The liquids mix naturally and stirring is unnecessary. Typically, when serving a standard 25% ABV shōchū oyuwari, the amount of shōchū exceeds the amount of hot water and is enjoyed for its aroma. Occasionally, "shōchū" and water are mixed, left to stand for a day, and then gently heated. This traditional pre-dilution technique is known as maewari in Japan.


title: Shōchū

text: The early 21st century witnessed a consumer boom in shōchū within Japan, and in 2003 domestic shipments surpassed those of sake for the first time.


title: Shōchū

text: Shōchū bars appeared serving shōchū exclusively, and premium brands with a focus on particular ingredients, production methods, or aging techniques entered the market. The beverage has undergone a change of image; formerly it was seen as an old fashioned drink, but now has become trendy amongst young drinkers, particularly women. The boom also had negative effects: It caused a serious shortage of sweet potatoes, a basic ingredient of some popular types of shōchū and, with the emergence of expensive premium brands, pricing scams appeared.


title: Shōchū

text: In 2005 the Japanese television drama "Kiken na Aneki" illustrated this change in drinking habits. Its plot centered on the Minagawa family of Miyazaki Prefecture, who were brewers of a sweet potato shōchū called imojōchū. The lead character Hiroko (Ito Misaki) spends the majority of the series trying to come up with enough money to save the distillery from loan sharks, but in the process becomes involved with corporate distilleries. The larger companies formulate an advertising campaign that results in the imojōchū becoming a popular drink. In this fictional account, the beverage is marketed to young women when it previously had been mostly consumed by the older male generation.


title: Shōchū

text: There are several reasons for shōchū's recent popularity. With increasing health-consciousness, many people see it as healthier than some alternatives. There have been well-publicized claims of medical benefits, including that it can be effective in preventing thrombosis, heart attacks, and diabetes. It is also a versatile drink that is suited to most styles of cuisine.


title: Shōchū

text: Shigechiyo Izumi, a Japanese citizen who apparently lived to be 105, made shōchū part of his daily dietary regimen. This practice was mentioned along with his record in the "Guinness Book of World Records". Because of his intimate passion for shōchū, many have speculated that shōchū is healthy and can actually promote longevity. This even prompted some local Ryūkyū shōchū brewers to market a special Longevity Liquor (長寿の酒) shōchū bearing his name on the front label. Despite these claims, Izumi's personal physician strongly advised against drinking shōchū, as his kidneys were not strong enough to process shōchū in his advanced age. But Izumi went on to say: "Without shōchū there would be no pleasure in life. I would rather die than give up drinking."


title: Shōchū

text: Shōchū production has been historically attested to since the 16th century. When the missionary Francis Xavier visited Kagoshima Prefecture in 1549, he recorded that "the Japanese drink arak made from rice [...] but I have not seen a single drunkard. That is because once inebriated they immediately lie down and go to sleep."


title: Shōchū

text: The oldest existing direct reference to shōchū in Japan can be found at Kōriyama Hachiman shrine in Ōkuchi, Kagoshima. There, two carpenters working on the shrine in 1559 inscribed the following graffiti on a wooden plank in the roof: "The high priest was so stingy he never once gave us shōchū to drink. What a nuisance!"


title: Shōchū

text: From these early times through to the Edo period shōchū was produced throughout Japan in the traditional kasutori way, using single pot distillation. During the Meiji period, the column still was introduce to Japan from Great Britain, making affordable mass production of high-purity multiply distilled shōchū possible during a time of chronic rice shortages. Shōchū made the traditional way was called "old-style shōchū" and that produced using the new multiple-distillation machinery "new-style shōchū."


title: Shōchū

text: In the early 20th century, Hajime Katahira (1884-1936), Minosuke Kurose (1882-1967), and Tsunekichi Kurose (1885-1925) in Kasasa Village in Kagoshima Prefecture established the Kurose Toji Guild. Through their experience in both Okinawan Awamori and sake production, these men revolutionized traditional shochu production through the introduction of black koji ("A. awamori") and multi-stage fermentation. Prior to this multistage fermentation process, shochu was made in the donburi style with both koji inoculated grains and the main ingredients added to a single fermentation. Today, almost all authentic shochu is made with a multi-stage fermentation. At its peak, the Kurose Koji Guild boasted more than 500 members who would travel throughout Japan to produce shochu from local agricultural ingredients.


title: Shōchū

text: Tamaki Inui (1873–1946), a lecturer at University of Tokyo, succeeded in the first isolating and culturing "aspergillus" such as "A. kawachii", "A. awamori" and a variety of subtaxa of "A. oryzae". His contemporary, (1883–1948), who is said to be the father of modern "shōchu" with his development of the Kawachi Drum koji machine as well as the isolation of white koji, also known as "A. kawachii", which is named after him. These discoveries results in great progress in producing high quality "shochu" in Japan, but the Kawachi Drum machine and other innovations led to the eventual demise of the Kurose Toji Guild, which today has just a handful of active members, but primarily continues to live on in a museum in Kasasa Village. "Aspergillus" developed by Kawachi has also been used for "soju" and "makgeolli" in Korea.


title: Shōchū

text: Alcohol distilled more than once with special machinery for that purpose, diluted for sale to an alcohol by volume level of less than 36%, that meets the following conditions:


title: Shōchū

text: Until the 2006 revision the law referred to this category as , sometimes abbreviated to "kōshu" (甲焼). "Kōrui" (Class A) in the classification of shōchū simply means classification and does not mean that the quality is superior to that of "Otsurui" (Class B).


title: Shōchū

text: It is generally distilled from a fermented liquid similar to molasses. Repeated distillation forms ethyl alcohol of high purity which is typically odorless and has a taste of little distinction. Water is then added, and the precise nature of this water has subtle effects on the taste and palatability of the shōchū.


title: Shōchū

text: It is generally produced in modern large factories. Distillers make Kōrui shōchū by weakening the distilled alcohol.


title: Shōchū

text: The specialized distillation equipment, called a patent still lends it to mass production at low cost, so large corporations produce this kind of shōchū in high volume. In Japan, it retails in plastic bottles, cans, and paper cup form and is consumed as a cheap alcoholic drink. It forms the base of several cocktails and liqueurs such as chūhai and umeshu.


title: Shōchū

text: Alcohol distilled using other than multiple-distillation machinery, with alcohol by volume of no more than 45%, from one of the following:


title: Shōchū

text: Until the 2006 revision the law referred to this category as , sometimes abbreviated to "otsushu" (乙焼). "Otsurui" (Class B) in the classification of shōchū simply means classification and does not mean that the quality is inferior to that of "Kōrui" (Class A).


title: Shōchū

text: The equipment used for single distillation is called a pot still. As the shōchū is distilled just once it retains the character of the base ingredient, typically rice, barley, or sweet potato, with a strong taste and aroma. Small-to-medium size enterprises make most brands, with the island of Kyūshū famous as the center of production. Recently however larger corporations have been entering the market.


title: Shōchū

text: Shōchū is shipped after maturation. Maturation techniques vary in storage vessel and location, both of which affect the character of the shōchū. The most commonly used containers for aging shōchū are stainless steel tanks, clay pots, and wooden barrels or casks.


title: Shōchū

text: As a result of maturation, the flavor, and aroma of shōchū settle. Maturation generally takes between one and three months. Maturation from three to six months is called "beginning maturation". During this period, sharp flavors in the shōchū generally decrease. Shōchū matured from six months to three years usually has a mellow taste.


title: Shōchū

text: A shōchū called "long-term maturation" is matured for more than three years. But long-term maturation does not always improve the flavor. On the other hand, long-term maturation is particularly effective for "awamori". Distillers sometimes mature "awamori" for longer than ten years.


title: Shōchū

text: Shōchū is matured in various places to impart unique flavors, typically where there are minimal variations in temperature and humidity.


title: Shōchū

text: Until 2006 Japanese postwar tax law classified shōchū into "kōrui" and "otsurui" types. The terms and are Chinese celestial stems typically used for classification, and mean something akin to "Grade A" and "Grade B" respectively.


title: Shōchū

text: Fearing a tendency to believe that otsurui shōchū is somehow inferior to kōrui shōchū, the Kyūshū Otsurui Shochu Producers' Association lobbied the Finance Ministry, and in 1962 succeeded in having , or authentic shōchū, recognized as an alternative name. The name is believed to have been coined in 1957 by Junkichi Enatsu, the president of Kirishima Brewery of Miyakonojō, Miyazaki Prefecture.


title: Shōchū

text: However, since the term was not formally defined naming disputes arose. As a result, on 1 November 2002, the law was clarified and shōchū satisfying any of conditions 1 to 5 of the above definition of singly distilled shōchū can be called honkaku shōchū. Those satisfying the final condition are excluded.


title: Shōchū

text: Most singly distilled shōchū is moromitori shōchū (もろみ取焼酎). This name derives from its production process:


title: Shōchū

text: mold, a kind of "Aspergillus" fungus, has a profound effect on the final taste of the shōchū. There are three varieties of kōji mold with distinct characteristics.


title: Shōchū

text: Water is one of the most important ingredients for making shōchū. The quality of water affects that of shōchū directly. Various kinds of water are used in the process of making shōchū.


title: Shōchū

text: There is a broad variety of moromitori shōchū. Four locations have achieved protection as geographical indications under World Trade Organization TRIPS article 23 and are noted below.


title: Shōchū

text: shares its base ingredient with sake. It has a fairly thick taste, and appears to have originally developed in regions too warm for sake production.


title: Shōchū

text: Kumamoto Prefecture is particularly well known for its production of rice shōchū. Notably produced in Hitoyoshi-bonchi is protected as a geographical indication.


title: Shōchū

text: Rice shōchū is also produced in regions famous for their sake, such as Niigata and Akita prefectures.


title: Shōchū

text: is generally less distinctive than rice shōchū and easy to drink. However, if cask-aged the taste can be quite sharp and strongly reminiscent of single-malt whisky.


title: Shōchū

text: Ōita Prefecture, Miyazaki Prefecture, and Iki in Nagasaki Prefecture are strong production hubs. has also been given protection as a geographical indication.


title: Shōchū

text: uses sweet potato, widely cultivated across southern Kyūshū since the Edo period, as its base ingredient. Originally it was almost exclusively produced in Kagoshima and Miyazaki prefectures, but nowadays is made across Japan using locally grown sweet potatoes.


title: Shōchū

text: It tends to have a strong taste and a distinctive smell; more recently producers have made varieties whose aroma is somewhat suppressed.


title: Shōchū

text: The 1956 film "The Teahouse of the August Moon" portrayed an American-occupied Okinawan village rebuilding its economy with sweet potato shōchū.


title: Shōchū

text: From the Edo period through to the time of the Pacific War, the Amami Islands produced drinks such as "awamori" and a distilled alcohol based on brown sugar. From the middle of the war through to the American occupation, because of a shortage of rice (the base ingredient of awamori) and an inability to export the sugar-based alcohol to the mainland, a large surplus was produced. In 1953, when the Amami Islands were returned to Japanese sovereignty, the alcohol was not classified as "shōchū" under the 1949 alcohol tax law and therefore would attract a high rate of tax. The Ministry of Finance, taking into account the desire of local residents and as part of a strategy to promote the region, gave special recognition to the local alcohol as . This recognition was geographically restricted to the Amami Islands of Kagoshima Prefecture and was conditional on the use of rice kōji. This regional restriction remains in place to this day; as can be seen in the legal definition of singly distilled shōchū above.


title: Shōchū

text: Typically, brown sugar shōchū contains 30% or 25% alcohol by volume. Contrary to what might be expected, brown sugar shōchū has a mild and not particularly sweet taste, as it contains no sugar. Nowadays it is produced in 25 breweries in 5 islands: Kikaijima, Amami Ōshima, Tokunoshima, Okinoerabujima and Yoronjima. Awamori, however, is no longer made outside Okinawa Prefecture.


title: Shōchū

text: Before the war, another alcoholic drink based on brown sugar was made in the Ogasawara Islands. Its name translates as "sugar alcohol" and could be seen as a form of brown sugar shōchū. Production ceased because of the war, but recently, aiming to revive its popularity, similar alcohol, using no rice kōji, has been introduced. However, as Ogasawara does not qualify for the above special regional exemption, this alcohol is instead classified as rum or spirits.


title: Shōchū

text: Soba, or buckwheat, has origins going back to just 1973 when Unkai Brewery Co., of Gokase, Miyazaki Prefecture, developed it using soba from the local mountainous region as its base ingredient. Since then shōchū producers across Japan have produced it, sometimes as part of a shōchū blend.


title: Shōchū

text: Okinawa is the home of , which uses rice as its base ingredient. Prior to April 1983, it was labeled otsurui shōchū, but is now properly called "Authentic Awamori".


title: Shōchū

text: Awamori is made from Thai long-grained "indica" crushed rice, not the usual short-grained "japonica" of standard shōchū. The fermentation process employs black koji mold indigenous to Okinawa rather than the standard white variety, and secondary fermentation is not performed.


title: Shōchū

text: Fermentation is done in a way that creates plenty of citric acid, allowing it to be produced all year round despite Okinawa's hot climate. After distillation its strength is reduced with water to about 25% alcohol by volume, although some varieties go as high as 65%.


title: Shōchū

text: Japanese law classifies awamori as a singly distilled honkaku shōchū despite the different production processes.


title: Shōchū

text: With its method of production, awamori could theoretically be made anywhere in Japan, but Ryūkyū Awamori (琉球泡盛) is a protected geographical indication restricted to Okinawa.


title: Shōchū

text: Japanese law admits a very wide range of unusual base ingredients, such as perilla leaf, sesame and chestnut, and shōchū made from most if not all of these exists. For example, there is a milk shōchū brand called "Makiba-no Yume". Others are generic shōchū mixed with a particular fruit juice or extracts.


title: Shōchū

text: With its peculiarity, such shōchū is typically intended to catch the eye of visitors to a region and has attracted limited broader appeal. Soba shōchū is a good example of one that has managed to achieve more widespread success.


title: Shōchū

text: In contrast to moromitori shōchū, is made by distilling the sake lees leftover from the fermentation of sake. It is a form of honkaku shōchū.


title: Shōchū

text: It first became popular in the north of Kyūshū, and then spread to other areas, being manufactured during a period when it was not possible to brew refined sake across Japan. It is also widely used in sake production to stop fermentation before it is complete, which can help prevent degradation or give a dry taste. Shōchū made for this purpose is called .


title: Shōchū

text: During the Edo period shōchū lees were used as a fertilizer during the rice-planting season. Many farms, therefore, installed distillation equipment to distill sake lees to produce shōchū lees. Whilst the lees were used in the fields, the distilled alcohol was drunk, or offered to the gods, at the festival held at the end of the rice-planting season to pray for a bountiful harvest. Kasutori shōchū has therefore also come to be known as sanaburi shōchū.


title: Shōchū

text: Owing to the recent surge in popularity of shōchū in Japan, an increasing number of manufacturers have been making kasutori shōchū.


title: Shōchū

text: Most kasutori shōchū is made in modern ways, shōchū made via older production processes has decreased sharply. People who wish to preserve Japanese culture call shōchū produced the historical way , such drinks have been revitalized by their activities.