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“Having seen firsthand the destruction that Harvey caused across our state, my team and I immediately knew that we had to get Lights All Night involved to help support,” said Scott Osburn, cofounder of Lights All Night as well as a native Texan. “With the greater Houston area having been hit hardest, I thought it was only right to do something specifically to help out our neighboring sister city. I honestly cannot imagine a better opportunity to give back than in partnership with some of our amazing artists, who decided to match donations simply out of the kindness of their hearts.”
LAN celebrated its seventh anniversary last NYE weekend with a second consecutive year at Dallas Market Hall and more than 40,000 fans in attendance at the two-day event in 2016. Fans and attendees of the 2017 year-end event can expect another unforgettable weekend filled with awe-inspiring performances and top-of-the-line production for a truly memorable start to 2018. Similar to last year, LAN will include large outdoor areas, as well as some of the best food vendors in the DFW area and multiple free water stations throughout the expanded facility.
Two-day GA and VIP tickets are on sale now at. Weekend GA passes are available for purchase for just $119, while VIP passes cost $219. VIP passholders get the utmost festival-going experience at LAN with perks including preferred viewing areas, expedited entry, exclusive VIP bars, private restroom facilities, onsite event hosts, and so much more. Interested ticket-buyers are encouraged to act now, as supply is limited and ticket prices will increase as the festival date approaches.
More details surrounding the eighth annual event in 2017 will be announced in the coming weeks, including the daily lineup and single-day tickets, as well as additional experiential details like the lineup of vendors, merchants, and visual artists slated to be onsite throughout the two-day weekend. For more information and to stay up to date on all LAN news and announcements, please visit the following channels:
RSSEffect of culture substrate and fibroblast growth factor addition on the proliferation and differentiation of human adipo-stromal cells

The objective of this study is to investigate the proliferation and differentiation of stromal cells derived from human adipose tissues cultured on substrates with different surface properties. In addition, a similar investigation was performed on cells proliferated in different concentrations of basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2). The culture substrates include several polymer films with different water wettabilities, glass or a cell-culture plate, and that coated with collagen type I or IV, gelatin and FGF-2. The proliferation profiles of cells were influenced by the type of culture substrate and the growth factor concentration. A larger number of proliferated cells was observed for substrates with a water contact angle around 80°, while the cell number was significantly larger for every protein-coated substrate. The rate of cell proliferation became maximal at a FGF-2 concentration of 1000 ng/ml. The FGF-2 concentration used for cell proliferation affected the differentiation profile of cells proliferated. Stromal cells, proliferated in 1 ng/ml FGF-2, were osteogenically differentiated to the strongest and fastest extent among those in other growth factor doses. The alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity of cells increased with the increased cell number, although the activity per cell was identical, irrespective of the substrate type. The strongest adipogenic differentiation was observed for cells proliferated in 1000 ng/ml FGF-2 and the differentiation induction was maintained for a long time period. No clear dependence of the cell number on adipogenesis was observed. These findings indicate that the proliferation and differentiation of human adipose tissue-derived stromal cells are influenced by the culture substrate and the concentration of FGF-2 used for proliferation.If you've ever been overwhelmed by rejection, discouraged by setbacks, or just have a life goal that’s unfulfilled - remember the story of Colonel Harland Sanders, who at the tender age of 65 years had yet to realize his full potential as the founder of global brand, KFC. After many failures, including being fired from multiple jobs, a broken legal career, and the financial hardship of the Great Depression and WWII, he was still driven to make his mark – and even then he and his recipe was rejected 1,009 times before his dream of success became a reality.
Colonel Sanders overcame it all to create one of the most enduring fast food chains, selling it in 1964 for $2 million dollars - he was 74 years old.
Two Crowns Marketing Founder and Director, Anne Baker, is a strategic Marketing Communications consultant, specialising in the property, professional and community services sector. Connect with Anne on LinkedIn here.Steven Redmond: Until a few years ago, I actually had no idea what a bullet hell game even looked like. My experience with SHMUPs was limited to ports from other systems like Atomic Robokid, Xenon 2, Uridium, and an old C64 classic called Blackhawk. I didn’t even own a games console until I was about 17. I started writing Chronoblast with these games as the main source of inspiration. Then I stumbled across a video on Youtube entitled “Hardest Video Game Boss Ever” showing the Stage 5 boss for Mushihimesama Futari.Please enter the url to a YouTube video.
After I saw that video, I just had to own that game. I had to try and beat that boss. I went searching for it and discovered caves other games. I got hold of a ROM of DoDonPachi after hearing about it and that completely changed how I saw shooting games. I had to try and write a game like that, not like Xenon 2. It helped me appreciate the SHMUPs I’d seen in the London arcades, and I guess after that I just got hooked on the Japanese style of sensory overload.
Steven Redmond: That’s a tough question. I’ve given it a lot of playthroughs. A lot of developers will admit in private that they haven’t beaten their own games on the hardest setting. I had to do that during several stages of development. Every time I changed something, I had to make sure it didn’t break the flow of the game. So, I’ve not really sat down and got a 1 credit clear on both loops of Hell mode for instance, but I’ve made sure every single encounter can be overcome without cheating, dying, or using bombs/supers. I think it actually drove me mad. I’ve completed AutoBomb and Normal mode several times though.
Steven Redmond: I’d say older games were always about knowing the tricks to beat the game and usually had constant action. There’s a lot of that in Chronoblast and really shmups in general. There are some sections that need you to really think and plan what you’re doing, particularly on the harder modes. If you’re playing for score, there’s a lot of replay value and mechanics that you’ll discover the harder you push the game. It’s really all about the gameplay and not just the ending.
It’s one of those games that can be fun for a 5 minute blast, or if you put in the time, can reward you with a great sense of completion: much like many other titles in the genre. You just have to go full SHMUP.
Steven Redmond: I left school at 16 and did terrible in mathematics. I even used to get frustrated at math homework. I had to teach myself trigonometry and vector math all over again until they sunk in. I’d pinned pieces of paper with notes and diagrams to the wall to help me learn. I basically had no clue how to work with angles. For my fiancé, it must have been like living with a mad scientist.
Also, there’s a lot of different disciplines in programming. On a console, you don’t have the luxury of throwing more hardware at the problem… and with the additional constraints that the XNA framework adds to the mix, you end up working to tighter budgets than I think people realize. Loading an entire game into memory and then getting it to run at 60 frames per second 90% of the time? That’s voodoo. It’s also why I have nothing but respect for people who hack PCBs or write real arcade games. They’re like wizards to me. I’ve come a long way, but not quite at that level yet.
Steven Redmond: Well, when I wrote Chronoblast — because I’d been spending so long playing it while developing — I thought it was easy. It turns out I actually made it pretty hard, even for some fairly respected players in the SHMUP community. So there’s definitely a gameplay patch on the horizon that is going to bring new features and scoring mechanics to give more replay value. Then, I’m sure there will be more titles to follow. See, games can always be bigger and harder, but making them fun at the same time? That’s the part that takes the longest!
Steven Redmond: Go play Mars Matrix!
Help support a fantastic indie game developer and pickup a copy of Chronoblast and get your SHMUP on! (Can I say that?)
Purchase Chronoblast by n0rtygames from the Xbox MarketplaceMeditation: Ready Now!
I believe Jesus used a similar strategy. He was on the lookout for people who were ready “now.” He found it in Zaccaeus.
In terms of our own spiritual formation, we need to be alert to those places where we are open “now” to the movement of God’s Spirit. Maybe it is a problem or a struggle. Perhaps it is a longing or hunger. It can be anything. But when we identify a place where we are ready “now,” we can be certain that Jesus