In service.

"Royal Sovereign" was part of Admiral Howe's fleet at the Glorious First of June, where she suffered 14 killed and 41 wounded.  On 16 June 1795, as the flagship of Vice-Admiral William Cornwallis, she was involved in the celebrated episode known as 'Cornwallis' Retreat'.  On 17 March 1796 the "Bellisarius" Transport collided with her and sank, a witness on HMS Mars wrote in a private letter that the accident was "occasioned by a dispute between the Master and the second Mate when wearing ship; by which, not paying; proper attention, they fell athwart the "Royal Sovereign", when the Sovereign's gib-boom and bowsprit took their main-mast, and struck her amid ship, by which she almost 'instantly sunk.' To add to the distress of this dreadful scene an unhappy woman, with her infant in her arms, who stood on the quarter-deck of the Bellisarius, attempted to save the life of her infant by throwing it on board the "Royal Sovereign" at the instant of the two ships meeting, but unfortunately it fell between the two ships sides, and was crushed to atoms before the eyes of its unhappy mother, who in her distraction of mind, instantly precipitated, herself. into the sea, and shared the-grave of her child".

Trafalgar.

Under Admiral Collingwood she was the first ship of the fleet in action at Trafalgar on 21 October 1805, she led one column of warships; Nelson's led the other. Due to the re-coppering of her hull prior to her arrival off Cádiz, "Royal Sovereign" was a considerably better sailer in the light winds present that day than other vessels, and pulled well ahead of the rest of the fleet. As she cut the enemy line alone and engaged the Spanish three decker, Nelson pointed to her and said, 'See how that noble fellow Collingwood carries his ship into action!' At approximately the same moment, Collingwood remarked to his captain, Edward Rotheram, 'What would Nelson give to be here?'  "Royal Sovereign" and "Santa Ana" duelled for much of the battle, with "Santa Ana" taking fire from fresh British ships passing through the line, including and, while nearby French and Spanish vessels fired on "Royal Sovereign". "Santa Ana" struck at 14:15, having suffered casualties numbering 238 dead and wounded after battling "Royal Sovereign" and. "Royal Sovereign" lost her mizzen and mainmasts, her foremast was badly damaged and much of her rigging was shot away. At 2.20 pm "Santa Ana" finally struck to "Royal Sovereign". Shortly afterwards a boat came from "Victory" carrying Lieutenant Hill, who reported that Nelson had been wounded. Realising that he might have to take command of the rest of the fleet and with his ship according to his report being "perfectly unmanageable", by 3 pm he signalled for the frigate to take "Royal Sovereign" in tow. "Euryalus" towed her round to support the rest of the British ships with her port-side guns, and became engaged with combined fleet's van under Pierre Dumanoir le Pelley, as it came about to support the collapsing centre. Fire from the lead ships shot away the cable between "Royal Sovereign" and "Euryalus", and the latter ship made off towards "Victory". "Royal Sovereign" exchanged fire with the arriving ships, until Collingwood rallied several relatively undamaged British ships around "Royal Sovereign", and Dumanoir gave up any attempt to recover some of the prizes, and made his escape at 4.30pm.  At 4.40 pm one of "Victory"s boats, carrying Captain Henry Blackwood and Lieutenant Hill, came alongside and Blackwood reported Nelson's death to Collingwood. This left Collingwood in command of the fleet, and with a storm rising, and disregarding Nelson's final order to bring the fleet to anchor, Collingwood ordered Blackwood to hoist the signal to all ships to come to the wind on the starboard tack, and to take disabled and captured ships in tow. "Royal Sovereign" was by now almost or totally unmanageable and virtually uninhabitable. As she had most of her masts shot away she could not make signals. Having his ship too much disabled by enemy fire at just before of 6 pm Collingwood, who had succeeded Nelson in command of the fleet had to transfer himself and his flag to the frigate "Euryalus", while "Euryalus" sent a cable across and took "Royal Sovereign" in tow for second time. At the end of the action Collingwood signalled from the frigate to the rest of the fleet to prepare to anchor. took over the tow on 22 October, and was replaced by on 23 October. "Royal Sovereign" had lost one lieutenant, her master, one lieutenant of marines, two midshipman, 29 seamen, and 13 marines killed, and two lieutenants, one lieutenant of marines, one master's mate, four midshipman, her boatswain, 69 seamen, and 16 marines wounded.

After Trafalgar.

"Royal Sovereign" returned to duty in the Mediterranean the next year and remained on the blockade of Toulon until November 1811, when she was ordered to return home to the Channel Fleet. In 1812 and 1813 she was under the command of Rear Admiral James Bissett serving under Admiral Keith.  She was credited with the capture on 5 August 1812 of the American ship "Asia", of 251 tons, which had been sailing from St. Mary's to Plymouth with a cargo of timber. "Royal Sovereign" shared the proceeds of the capture with all the vessels in Keith's squadron, suggesting that what happened was that "Asia" sailed into Plymouth unaware that the War of 1812 between Britain and the United States had broken out and was seized as she arrived, the formal credit going to the flagship.  After her useful active life she was converted to harbour service as a receiving ship at Plymouth before being renamed HMS "Captain" on 17 August 1825. Hulked in June 1826, "Captain" was finally broken up at Plymouth, with work being completed on 28 August 1841. Four of her guns were saved and are incorporated in the Collingwood Memorial in Tynemouth.

Notes, citations, and references.

Notes Citations References

HMS "Royal Sovereign" was a 100-gun first-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, which served as the flagship of Admiral Collingwood at the Battle of Trafalgar. She was the third of seven Royal Navy ships to bear the name. Designed by Sir Edward Hunt, she was launched at Plymouth Dockyard on 11 September 1786, at a cost of £67,458, and was the only ship built of her time built to such a large draught (limiting her access to shallow waters). Due to the high number of Northumbrians on board the crew were known as the Tars of the Tyne.

Le HMS "Royal Sovereign" est un vaisseau de ligne de rang de 100 canons construit en 1786 et en service dans la "Royal Navy" jusqu'en 1825. Il participe, sous le commandement de l'amiral Howe à la bataille du 13 prairial an II, et porte la marque de l'amiral Collingwood lors de la bataille de Trafalgar. Renommé HMS "Captain" et affecté au service de la rade en 1825, il est désarmé en 1826 et détruit en 1841.


Football at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Women's team squads

Équipes du tournoi féminin de football aux Jeux olympiques d'été de 2012

Group E.

Brazil.

Head coach: Jorge Barcellos  Brazil named a squad of 18 players and 4 alternates for the tournament. Prior to the tournament, Elaine withdrew injured and was replaced on 23 July 2012 by Danielli, who was initially selected as an alternate player. Gabi Zanotti subsequently filled the vacant alternate spot.

Cameroon.

Head coach: Carl Enow  Cameroon named a squad of 18 players and 4 alternates for the tournament.

Great Britain.

Head coach: Hope Powell  Great Britain named a squad of 18 players and 4 alternates for the tournament. During the tournament, Dunia Susi replaced Ifeoma Dieke on 30 July 2012 due to injury.

New Zealand.

Head coach: Tony Readings  New Zealand named a squad of 18 players and 4 alternates for the tournament.

Group F.

Canada.

Head coach: John Herdman  Canada named a squad of 18 players and 4 alternates for the tournament. During the tournament, Melanie Booth replaced Emily Zurrer and Marie-Ève Nault replaced Robyn Gayle on 30 July 2012 due to injury.

Japan.

Head coach: Norio Sasaki  Japan named a squad of 18 players and 4 alternates for the tournament.

South Africa.

Head coach: Joseph Mkhonza  South Africa named a squad of 18 players and 4 alternates for the tournament.

Sweden.

Head coach: Thomas Dennerby  Sweden named a squad of 18 players and 4 alternates for the tournament.

Group G.

Colombia.

Head coach: Ricardo Rozo  Colombia named a squad of 18 players and 4 alternates for the tournament.

France.

Head coach: Bruno Bini  France named a squad of 18 players and 4 alternates for the tournament.

North Korea.

Head coach: Sin Ui-gun  North Korea named a squad of 18 players and 4 alternates for the tournament. During the tournament, Choe Yong-sim replaced Kwon Song-hwa on 25 July and Kim Su-gyong replaced Ro Chol-ok on 31 July 2012 due to injury.

United States.

Head coach: Pia Sundhage  The United States named a squad of 18 players and 4 alternates for the tournament.

The women's football tournament at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London was held from 25 July to 9 August 2012. The women's tournament was a full international tournament with no restrictions on age. The twelve national teams involved in the tournament were required to register a squad of 18 players, including two goalkeepers. Additionally, teams could name a maximum of four alternate players, numbered from 19 to 22. The alternate list could contain at most three outfielders, as at least one slot was reserved for a goalkeeper. In the event of serious injury during the tournament, an injured player could be replaced by one of the players in the alternate list. Only players in these squads were eligible to take part in the tournament.

La liste suivante présente les équipes de chaque nation qui participe au tournoi féminin de football des Jeux olympiques d'été de 2012 de Londres. Chaque nation doit inscrire une équipe de 18 joueuses avec un minimum de deux gardiennes.


Background and release.

After the release of "Elle me dit" in 2011, only in French-speaking countries, Mika unveiled a music video for the song "Make You Happy", which is not a single, but is included on "The Origin of Love". Later, on 14 July 2012, Mika previewed a 30-second clip of the song. It was uploaded to Amazon ahead of its official unveiling and was later removed from the online store. The song was released on 15 June 2012.

Composition.

"Celebrate" was written by Mika, Pharrell Williams and Ben Garrett and produced by Peter Hayes and Nick Littlemore. Nick Littlemore of the Australian electorock outfit, Empire of the Sun, lends a hand on the production, which gives the song a retro synthpop clubby feel. The song's message is clear—he simply wants the whole world to celebrate life.

Critical reception.

Emily Tam of Idolator wrote that "it shows that the Neptunes mastermind brings his smooth vocals, giving it another dimension." Ivan Ibarra of DJ Booth called it "a synth-heavy pop, yet head-nodding, sound that allows MIKA to blossom." Lanne Billings from "Paste Magazine" named it "an Elton John-ish spin on the eternal 'let’s party' single."  However, a negative review came from "Pop Dust"'s Katherine St Asaph, who gave the song 1 out of 5 stars, writing: "Pharrell doesn’t sound like Pharrell, Mika, meanwhile, swaddles his voice in so much processing he ends up sounding like Adam Levine if he were whispering. The whole thing ends up sounding like a subpar take of one of Adam Lambert’s weaker Trespassing singles. It might be best for Mika and Pharrell to quietly bury 'Celebrate' in favor of a real comeback single. They both deserve better."

Vegetable Orchestra version.

Mika collaborated with the London Vegetable Orchestra and the Junk Orchestra and recorded a different version of the song at Sarm Studios in July 2012. This version features Mika's vocals accompanied only by instruments crafted from fresh vegetables (played by the London Vegetable Orchestra) and junk (played by the Junk Orchestra). The musical director was Oli Jackson. As of August 2012 this version has only been released online.  Celebrate with Vegetable Orchestra

"Celebrate" is a song by British singer and songwriter Mika. It was released as the lead single of his third studio album, "The Origin of Love" (2012), in the United Kingdom, Europe and America, and the second single in France. The song features American singer Pharrell Williams. It was written by Mika, Williams and Ben Garrett and produced by Peter Hayes and Nick Littlemore.

Celebrate est une chanson du chanteur et auteur-compositeur de pop britannique d'origine libanaise Mika en collaboration avec le rappeur américain Pharrell Williams sortie le 15 juin 2012. extrait de l'album "The Origin of Love" (2012), la chanson est écrite par Pharrell Williams, Mika et Ben Garrett. "Celebrate" est produite par Peter Hayes et Nick Littlemore. La chanson est de style dance-pop qui incorpore des éléments de synthpop et de disco.


History.

In 2011, the Football Association of Singapore and the Football Association of Malaysia reached an agreement that would see greater co-operation between the two nations. One of the intended avenues would see the Under-23s play in the Liga Super and Piala Malaysia from 2012 onwards, the first time a Singaporean team would be participating in a Malaysian domestic football league since 1994, when Singapore won the M-League and Piala Malaysia double. Although the new Singapore team would have the existing Under-23s forming its core, senior players were also called upon to guide the younger players. No foreign players were allowed to be part of the Singapore team as this project served as being developmental.

2012 season.

LionsXII debuted in the 2012 Liga Super on 10 January 2012 with a 1–2 home defeat to defending champions Kelantan FA. The LionsXII's first win was a 2–1 victory over Kuala Lumpur FA on 17 January. The LionsXII's first away win was a 1–0 victory over Sabah FA on 21 January. LionsXII began their 2012 Piala FA quest on 18 February, with a 3–0 win over UiTM FC. The LionsXII made their way to the quarter-final with a 2–0 win over Betaria FC on 10 March 2012. However, they were beaten by Terengganu FA in the quarter-finals. On 16 June 2012, they defeated Sabah FA 9–0 at home, the biggest win in the MSL season. LionsXII finished second in the league behind Kelantan FA, and bowed out of the semi-final of the 2012 Piala Malaysia after losing in a penalty shoot-out against ATM FA. On 29 December 2012, assistant coach Kadir Yahaya left his position at LionsXII. Soon, Gombak United FC chief K. Balagumaran took over his post.

2013 season.

LionsXII were set a target of finishing top five for the 2013 Liga Super. Five overage players were included in this year's squad to guide the younger players, namely Shahril Ishak, Isa Halim, Fazrul Nawaz, Irwan Shah and Baihakki Khaizan. Other key players such as Shahdan Sulaiman and Shaiful Esah no longer featured. The main aim was to develop the U–23 players and prepare them for the upcoming 2013 Southeast Asian Games that would be held at the end of the year.  LionsXII began their campaign by defeating ATM FA 1–0 away. Subsequently, they vanquished the nation's traditional rivals Selangor FA. However, LionsXII stumbled to three losses against lowly T-Team FC and PKNS FC away. One sent them crashing out of the 2013 Piala FA. In a turn of events, LionsXII went on a long unbeaten streak, securing important wins over Pahang FA (3–0), Kelantan FA (1–0), and ATM FA (3–1) at home.  On 2 July 2013, a 4–0 win over relegation-threatened FELDA United FC in the penultimate league game made LionsXII league champions. Singapore's Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong was present for the match played in front of a sold-out crowd at the Jalan Besar Stadium. The MSL trophy was also brought to the stadium as the LionsXII received it on home soil after the final whistle. LionsXII became the first foreign team to win the MSL, adding to the four Malaysian league titles it had won in 1979, 1981, 1985, and 1994. The title run was defined by a combination of good defence (13 goals conceded, the best record in the MSL) and goals from set-pieces (17 out of 32). The club chalked up their best home record (10 wins and 1 draw) in the league, making Jalan Besar Stadium a fortress.  On 27 July, LionsXII were drawn into Group D for the 2013 Piala Malaysia with Perak FA, Sarawak FA and Kedah FA. They drew Kedah (2–2) in Singapore and succumbed to two collapses against Perak (1–0) and Sarawak (2–1). With such results, they nearly bowed out of the tournament. At that time, coach V. Sundramoorthy was said to leave LionsXII at the end of the season to take charge of Malaysian Premier League side Negeri Sembilan FA.  On 28 September, LionsXII narrowed a 1–0 victory over ATM FA in the first leg of the quarter-finals of the 2013 Piala Malaysia but squandered to a 1–4 mauling to the Gladiators in the return tie on 4 October. The news of V. Sundramoorthy leaving to helm Negeri Sembilan FA was also then confirmed. Two weeks later, the FAS made public the search for his successor.

2014 season.

Sufian Anuar and Khairul Amri were recalled to join LionsXII following the exit of Baihakki Khaizan, Hariss Harun, and Shahril Ishak to Malaysian clubs.  On 7 December 2013, former Johor Darul Takzim coach and ex-Singapore international Fandi Ahmad was offered a three-year contract at the helm of the LionsXII, despite initial denials by the FAS. Fandi took the role ahead of former Warriors FC coach Richard Bok and Liverpool F.C. stalwart Steve McMahon.  The LionsXII opened their league season with a 1–0 defeat against Pahang FA in the Charity Cup Match Curtain Raiser on 17 January 2014.

2015 season.

LionsXII clinched their first ever Piala FA after defeating Kelantan FA 3–1 in the final at Bukit Jalil Stadium. Faris Ramli scored the opening goal after just seven minutes before Kelantan equalized just past the hour mark. However, Sahil Suhaimi scored twice in the final 10 minutes of the game to bring the Piala FA to Singapore.  On 25 November 2015, FAM reportedly decided not to extend their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Football Association of Singapore (FAS), which was signed in 2011. This automatically disqualifies LionsXII from further entering any football tournament in Malaysia. Similarly, Malaysia's squad Harimau Muda also would not be entering Singapore League from then onwards.  It was announced by the Football Association of Singapore that LionsXII were to be disbanded at the end of the season and the players would have to find a new club in 2016. However, their salaries would be maintained with the assistance of FAS if they decide to join an S.League club.

Crest and colours.

The club crest signified the paw of a lion in appearance, with very much relevance to the nickname Football Association of Singapore has adopted as Singapore is known to be a Lion City. Looking closer at the crest, there is a lion being embedded in it. Using the lines as contrast, the lion shows ferocity and aggressiveness, resembling the fighting spirit and determination of all the players in the squad. It also illustrates the hunger to win games. All the meanings from the crest have also been included in the official LionsXII theme song, called The Roar Anthem. The XI in the word LionsXII is in black to represent the eleven players on the pitch. I is in red to show that the 12th Man to do make a difference in the team's success. Energetic, ready and passion are the crest's main ideas to be conveyed.

Kit evolution.

The kit launched in 2011 had the primary colours of white, red and blue. Playing at home, the players were stripped in the white/red/red kit while in blue/blue/blue kit when playing away in Malaysia. Many T-shirt designs were based on white and red, which are the colours of the Lion City. Also, white symbolised purity and humbleness of the LionsXII. However, during the semi-final Piala Malaysia game between ATM FA and LionsXII in Stadium Majlis Perbandaran Selayang in which they were defeated on penalties and bowed out of the tournament, they wore a combination of the white top and blue bottom. Many fans were feeling displeasure as it looked hideous.  A revamp for the jerseys were called for as many players were dropped in 2013 while young players from S.League club Courts Young Lions were brought in.

Stadium.

Since the team was formed, the LionsXII have been playing all their home matches at Jalan Besar Stadium. The stadium was known as the Lions' Den and an "impregnable fortress" where the LionsXII were undefeated in the entire 2013 season.

Support.

LionsXII regularly attract over an average of 6,200 fans to Jalan Besar Stadium. The stadium is always minimally half-filled across all matches in all the seasons LionsXII have participated in.

Rivalries.

LionsXII hold a strong rivalry with Malaysian club Angkatan Tentara Malaysia FA, with the two clubs meeting recently in a cup game in the 2013 Piala Malaysia. In 2012, ATM ended the dream of the club of going into the final of the 2012 Piala Malaysia in a dramatic game. In 2013, LionsXII took revenge by defeating the Armed Forces 1–0 in the 2013 Liga Super opener. However, ATM once again shattered the double wish as they overturned the deficit sustained in the first leg of the 2013 Piala Malaysia quarter-finals and emerged triumphant 4–2 over the LionsXII.  Along the way, long standing issues with Liga Super participants PKNS FC and T-Team FC also arose. Despite either team being far from title contenders, LionsXII are still unable to break the voodoo of winning these two teams in away fixtures. In 2012, Selangor PKNS and Terengganu PBDKT T-Team both edged LionsXII with a solitary goal, 1–0 and 2–1 respectively. In spite of beating them 5–0 and 2–1 accordingly at home, they continued the spell in 2013. LionsXII were booted out of the 2013 Piala FA in the first round's encounter with PKNS FC. LionsXII also suffered their losses against PKNS FC (1–0) and T-Team FC (1–0), the latter questioned controversy.

Partners and sponsors.

At the start of 2012, Kingsmen was announced to be the official marketing and sponsorship representative of the LionsXII.  Yolk also began its website partnership with LionsXII as they realised that the voices of the nation were also in need of modernisation to unite the nation behind the LionsXII in their Liga Super run.  Along the way, LionsXII's success has attracted many sponsors. Their Facebook page has hit the total number of 80,000 likes so far. Other partners on social media include Temasek Polytechnic, The Cage, X-League (Singapore) and Tiger Beer Football.

Kit manufacturer and shirt sponsor.

On 5 January 2012, Football Association of Singapore announced the appointment of StarHub as the Official Broadcaster and Principal Sponsor of LionsXII. As part of the partnership, StarHub will carry all LionsXII content on its pay TV, online and mobile platforms. Two days after the announcement of the kit, LionsXII sealed a second major sponsorship deal, with news that SilkPro will fund the Singapore outfit to the tune of S$1m during its debut season in Liga Super. On 23 February 2012, LionsXII secured another sponsorship deal, with Shop N Save, a Singapore supermarket, coming on board as the 'Official Supermarket' for the Singapore outfit in its debut season in the Liga Super.

Management.

Head coaches.

V. Sundramoorthy and Fandi Ahmad were both part of the Singapore Lions 'Dream Team' that won promotion back to the M-league Division 1 and finished as runners-up to Kedah in the Piala Malaysia Final in 1993.  The following year, led by Fandi, Singapore overcame the absence of Sundram to win the 1994 M-League and Piala Malaysia double.

Club records.

Wins  Defeats  Goals

Player records.

Goalscorers

LionsXII ("Lions Twelve"), also known as Singapore LIONSXII, was a Singaporean football club founded in 2011 that played in the Malaysian Liga Super, the top tier of Malaysian football between the 1934 season until their dissolution following the 2015 season. Their home ground was the 8,000-seat Jalan Besar Stadium, where they have played all their home matches since their establishment.

Singapour Lions XII est un club de football basé à Singapour. Singapore Lions était le nom donné à une équipe composée de joueurs singapouriens, représentant la fédération de Singapour (FAS) lors des compétitions nationales organisées par la Fédération de Malaisie, à la suite d'un accord entre les deux institutions.


Geography.

Location.

Mommenheim lies between Mainz and Worms in Rhenish Hesse. The winegrowing centre belongs to the "Verbandsgemeinde" Rhein-Selz, whose seat is in Oppenheim.

History.

In 764, Mommenheim had its first documentary mention.

Politics.

Town council.

The council is made up of 21 council members, counting the honorary mayor, with seats apportioned thus:

Coat of arms.

The municipality’s arms might be described thus: Per pale gules a cramp surmounted by an orb voided inside which another orb argent and azure a wheel spoked of six argent.  These arms were adopted on 28 June 1972. The old arms showed a silver field with the cramp (or "Wolfsangel" as it is called in German) with an empty ring in the middle. It may refer to the hunting rights granted Mommenheim in 1276 by Philipp von Hohenfels (in Germany the "Wolfsangel" is commonly held to be a kind of wolf trap). The wheel comes from the former lords’ arms – the House of Hohenfels, and then later the House of Bolanden as well – and is, in fact, the Wheel of Mainz.

Culture and sightseeing.

Regular events.

On the third weekend in September Mommenheim always has a kermis (church consecration festival, locally known as the "Kerb"). It is organized by the municipal administration and the kermis club. Two weeks before this, on the fairgrounds there is always the MKV’s (Carnival club) "Sommersonnenwendfeuer" (“Summer Solstice Fire”). At year’s end, the MKV also stages a New Year’s Eve ball.  Furthermore, the fire brigade’s “Dance into May” is a popular event.  Another famous regular event is the Open Air Music Festival in August organised by the Lautslochtrappers Mommenheim. The festival is free of charge and held on a grass field near the Domtal Golfcours Mommenheim.

Economy and infrastructure.

Transport.

The municipality is crossed by "Landesstraße" (state road) L 425. "Bundesstraße" 420 lies 6 km away to the south. The Autobahn A 63 can be reached by car in roughly 10 minutes.  Mommenheim lies within the area of the "Rhein-Nahe-Nahverkehrsverbund" (“Rhine-Nahe Local Transport Association”). The nearest railway stations are each some 7 km away from Mommenheim: "Nackenheim" and "Nierstein" on the Mainz–Mannheim railway line, and "Nieder-Olm" on the Mainz–Alzey line. The "Regio" route 660 of the "Omnibusverkehr Rhein-Nahe" runs three times an hour on weekdays and on weekends once an hour to "Mainz Hauptbahnhof", and also once an hour on weekdays and every two hours on weekends to "Alzey" railway station, thereby offering a replacement for the abandoned Bodenheim–Alzey railway line and its station "Mommenheim (Rheinh)".

Mommenheim is an "Ortsgemeinde" – a municipality belonging to a "Verbandsgemeinde", a kind of collective municipality – in the Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.

Mommenheim est une commune allemande de Rhénanie-Palatinat située dans l'arrondissement de Mayence-Bingen. Elle fait partie de la commune fusionnée de Nierstein-Oppenheim.


Professional career.

Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

In Gonzalez batted.270 with seven doubles, seven triples, 16 RBIs and nine stolen bases in a combined 61 games with the Rookie-Level Princeton Devil Rays and the Short-Season Hudson Valley Renegades.  Gonzalez led the New York–Penn League in in total bases with 146, and hits with 92. He was second in batting average and games, third in slugging percentage, fourth in runs and extra-base hits and fifth in doubles. He played 73 games in '01.  He played a career-high 134 games with the Class-A Charleston RiverDogs in. 128 of those games at third base with just one game played at second base. He finished the season hitting.275 with 123 hits, 28 doubles, eight home runs and 62 RBIs in 447 at bats  Playing mostly at third base, Gonzalez spent the season with the Class-A Advanced Bakersfield Blaze. He had a 12-game hitting streak from July 20 to August 12 in which he hit.340 with seven RBIs. In 100 games he hit.298 with 32 doubles, six home runs and 62 RBIs.

Texas Rangers.

On December 15, Gonzalez was drafted by the Texas Rangers from the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the 2003 Rule 5 draft. Gonzalez saw his first action at Double-A in, playing with the Frisco RoughRiders of the Texas League in. He put together a 16-game hitting streak from May 4–20, boosting his batting average from.190 to.327 during that stretch. He batted.299 with five homers and 26 RBIs in 52 home games.

Washington Nationals.

Gonzalez was drafted by the Washington Nationals from the Texas Rangers in the 2004 Rule 5 draft, making it the second time he was chosen by a team from the draft. He opened the season at the Double-A Harrisburg Senators and played 101 games at Double-A before an August promotion to the Triple-A New Orleans Zephyrs. He picked up his first hit at Triple-A on August 16 against the Omaha Royals.  On March 31, Gonzalez was released by the Washington Nationals.

Florida Marlins.

After signing with Florida on April 4, Gonzalez opened the season with the Class-A Advanced Jupiter Hammerheads. He was promoted to the Double-A Carolina Mudcats after hitting.293 with Jupiter. He had hits in 18 of his first 24 games at Carolina, batting.341 in May. He hit at a.349 clip out of the second slot in the line-up while with Carolina. He was transferred to the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes on July 19. He picked up his first hit on July 21 at New Orleans and continued with a 10-game hitting streak that lasted through August 1. Gonzalez hit.392 during his 46 games at Triple-A.

St. Louis Cardinals.

On January 30, Gonzalez signed as a Free Agent with the St. Louis Cardinals. He spent the entire '07 season with the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds of the Pacific Coast League batting.308 with 34 doubles, eight home runs, 53 RBIs and 15 stolen bases in 126 games.

San Diego Padres.

Gonzalez made his Major League debut in May, and spent the remainder of the season with San Diego. He joined his younger brother Adrian on the Major League club, becoming the sixth set of brothers in club history and fourth pair to play together. He finished among National League rookie leaders in batting average, home runs, RBI, multiple-hit games, runs, hits, total bases, doubles, walks, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and extra-base hits. He made 72 appearances at second base, 66 starts, four at third base, two starts, three at shortstop, one start, two in left field, one start, and three in right field, one start. Gonzalez posted a.984 fielding percentage overall, making five errors in 310 total chances. His contract purchased from the Triple-A Portland Beavers on May 12 and he made his Major League debut that night against the Chicago Cubs, collecting his first hit, an RBI single. He was only the sixth player in franchise history with an RBI hit in first career plate appearance and first since Kevin Higgins in. Gonzalez made his debut at 29 years, 333 days old making him the second oldest player to make his debut for the Padres, the first being Akinori Otsuka at 32 years, 84 days old. Nine June doubles tied him for second in the National League during the month in that category.  In Gonzalez failed to follow up his superb rookie season. He hit.216 with 33 hits, eight doubles, two triples, four home runs and 18 RBIs. On July 18, he was struck in the head by a fastball from Colorado Rockies' pitcher Jason Hammel. This caused Gonzalez to miss seven weeks with concussion-like symptoms.

Yomiuri Giants.

On January 8, 2010, Gonzalez signed with the Yomiuri Giants of the Nippon Professional Baseball(NPB).

San Francisco Giants.

On February 10, 2011, the San Francisco Giants signed Gonzalez to a minor league contract. The deal did not include an invite to spring training.

Chicago Cubs.

Gonzalez signed a minor league contract with the Chicago Cubs on January 6, 2012. He became a free agent after the 2014 season.

Coaching Career.

Gonzalez was named as the manager for the GCL Yankees for the 2019 season.

International career.

Gonzalez selected for the Mexico national baseball team in the 2009 World Baseball Classic and 2013 World Baseball Classic.  Gonzalez managed the Mexico national baseball team in the 2017 World Baseball Classic Qualification in 2016, 2016 exhibition series against Japan, and 2017 World Baseball Classic in 2017.

Personal life.

Gonzalez is the older brother of first baseman Adrián González, who last played in Major League Baseball for the New York Mets. Their father was a member of the Mexican national baseball team. He married Ana Cristina Lujan Gonzalez in 2003.

Edgar Victor Gonzalez (born June 14, 1978) is an American former professional baseball second baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Yomiuri Giants.

Edgar Victor Gonzalez (né le 14 juin 1978 à San Diego, Californie, États-Unis) est un joueur de deuxième but qui a joué dans la Ligue majeure de baseball pour les Padres de San Diego en 2008 et 2009 et dans la Ligue centrale du Japon avec les Yomiuri Giants en 2010 et 2012.


History.

The old gasworks was founded in 1857. Around 1910, several brothels were set up in the area, a fact which led to brothels in general being referred to as 'Gazi'.  During the mid-20th century, small dwellings with few rooms and large gardens began to spring up around the gasworks. These were generally home to large, poor families from Athens. Gazi was a deprived area but despite this, there was no associated high crime rate. The area was mainly inhabited by crate makers.  In 1967, due to difficult socioeconomic conditions in northern Greece, many Muslim families established a presence in the area, working at the gasworks.  Over the years, numerous garages, paint shops, tinsmiths and spare parts shops opened up in the area.

Modern era.

To this day, there is a heavy Muslim presence in the area. A'multicultural' school exists in the area, the 87th Elementary School of Athens, with a student body comprising 70% Muslim, 20% Greek Orthodox and 10% Albanian and Romanians.  Gazi is home to the Technopolis of Athens, that spreads in an area of about 30,000 m2, an industrial museum of modern architecture which today operates as a multipurpose cultural center.  In July 1986 the ministry of culture and Sports, Melina Merkouri, characterized the factory building as listed building and a year later on September 30, 1987 it turned into a focal point in the cultural identity of Athens with the contribution of the Municipality of Athens.  Since the start of the 21st century, Gazi has experienced urban refinement and features active nightlife and night clubs, cafeterias, restaurants, gay and lesbian bars and several gay-friendly shops, establishing itself as an entertainment district. A branch of the Benaki Museum has also been installed in the area.  Gazi has been connected with Thissio through the footpaths of Ermou, the construction of parks and free spaces, while the station of Kerameikos metro station was the station of its development.  Kerameikos metro station on Line 3 of the Athens Metro is adjacent to the Technopolis of Gazi.

Gazi (, ; formerly Γκαζοχώρι "Gazochori" or Φωταέριο "Fotaerio") is a neighborhood of Athens, Greece. It surrounds the old Athens gasworks, which is the industrial museum and exhibition space "Technopolis", widely known as Gazi, next to Keramikos and close to the Acropolis.

Gázi () est un quartier d'Athènes, en Grèce, à l'ouest de l'Acropole et de l'Agora, autour d'une ancienne usine à gaz reconvertie en centre culturel.


Club career.

Early career.

De Jong was born in Voorburg and played in the youth teams of ADO Den Haag, before moving to Feyenoord, where he was a first-choice goalkeeper throughout Feyenoord's youth academy. However, he was unable to find playing time for the first team, with Erwin Mulder and Kostas Lamprou ahead of him in the pecking order. In June 2013, it was announced that De Jong would be loaned to Excelsior for one season in order to gain first-team experience. However, he would only play one friendly match for Excelsior, as manager Jon Dahl Tomasson and his replacement Marinus Dijkhuizen both preferred Jordy Deckers as the starting goalkeeper. In January 2014, De Jong criticised Feyenoord for not supporting him at Excelsior.

PEC Zwolle.

In the summer of 2014, De Jong moved to PEC Zwolle on a free transfer, signing a contract for two seasons. In his first season, he made no appearances as third-choice goalkeeper behind Warner Hahn and Kevin Begois. In the 2015–16 season, Hahn left Zwolle, but De Jong remained third-choice, behind Begois and new signing Mickey van der Hart. Nevertheless, on 19 December 2015, De Jong made his debut in the Eredivisie in an away match against PSV, being substituted on after half an hour due to an injury to Begois. PEC Zwolle manager Ron Jans considered his performance "a fine job." De Jong made one more appearance during the season, starting in the Europa League play-offs away match against FC Utrecht, which they lost 5–2. At the end of the season, his contract was not extended.

Telstar.

On 23 June 2016, De Jong started training with SC Telstar. On 29 July 2016, it was announced that both parties had agreed to a one-season contract. De Jong made his debut for Telstar on 20 September 2016, playing in the KNVB Cup away match against JVC Cuijk (3–1 win). Three days later, he made his Eerste Divisie league debut, replacing the injured Wesley Zonneveld in the fourth minute of the home match against FC Eindhoven (1–4 loss). On 30 September, he started in the away match against FC Den Bosch, keeping the first clean sheet of his senior career as the game ended 0–0. Due to a serious injury sustained by Zonneveld in January 2017, De Jong became the first choice goalkeeper for Telstar for the remainder of the season. He ended his first season with the club with 20 league appearances and 22 in total. At the start of the 2017–18 season, De Jong once again found himself second-choice, as the new head coach Mike Snoei preferred Rody de Boer as the starting goalkeeper.

Anderlecht.

On 24 August 2017, it was announced that De Jong had joined Belgian champions Anderlecht, as a replacement for Davy Roef. According to De Jong, he was signed as third goalkeeper behind Matz Sels and Frank Boeckx. Since his father Max de Jong already worked at Anderlecht as goalkeeper coach, allegations of nepotism were made, but De Jong denied that it was his father who decided on the transfer. On 21 January 2018, during a league away match against Genk, De Jong was on the substitute bench for the first time, replacing the injured Boeckx. For the remainder of the season, he served as back-up goalkeeper due to Boeckx' long-term injury, but did not make an appearance.  On 22 June 2018, De Jong signed a contract extension, keeping him at the club for one more year. During the 2018–19 season, he again did not feature in an official match, being third-choice goalkeeper behind new signing Thomas Didillon and Boeckx. At the end of the season, his contract was not extended, upon which De Jong expressed his fondness of the club and having had the experience of UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League matches during his time there.

Stellenbosch.

On 4 July 2019, it was announced De Jong had signed a contract with South African club Stellenbosch F.C., who were newly promoted to the country's highest division. On 3 August 2019, he made his debut for Stellenbosch in the first league match of the season, starting and keeping a clean sheet in the 0–0 draw against Chippa United. On 26 March 2020, it was announced De Jong had terminated his contract with the club to return to the Netherlands, in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic. In total, De Jong played 17 league matches for Stellenbosch.

International career.

As a Feyenoord youth player, De Jong played in various Netherlands national youth teams. He was the starting goalkeeper of the Netherlands team which was victorious at the 2011 European Under-17 Championship.

Personal life.

On 5 August 2018, De Jong became a father. His partner gave birth to a daughter, named Philou Lovée.

Boy de Jong (born 10 April 1994) is a Dutch footballer who plays as a goalkeeper. He is currently a free agent.

Boy de Jong est un footballeur néerlandais né le à Voorburg. Il évolue au poste de gardien de but au RSC Anderlecht.


Early life and education.

Patricia Ann Soul was born September 22, 1940. She studied painting at the Maryland Institute College of Art and worked at the Fat Black Pussycat Cafe on Minetta Lane in New York City.

Career.

Soul later worked as a barmaid at Martick's (later Martick's Restaurant Francais), a bistro run by Morris Martick on Mulberry Street in Baltimore. Here, she also worked as an artist's model. Her role in Baltimore was compared with Paris' Kiki de Montparnasse. Starting November 4, 1966, Martick's hosted "The Maelcum Show" with 25 art works of her nude, created by different artists, including her husband Dudley Grant with various styles and mediums. Some pieces were made of stained glass and cardboard cutouts. During her life, most "young-Turk" artists of Baltimore used Soul as a model. Earl Hofmann painted her as a surrealistic giant towering over Baltimore. In response to the exhibit, Soul reported "It’s very funny to see 25 of yous staring at you. It's a happy things, a fun thing, I feel like it’s my birthday."  John Waters called Maelcum Soul “my first star”, adding "she was ahead of her time". She was known for her wild looks, with burnt red hair, white chalk makeup, and very long eyelashes. Waters said she scared everyone, including him, but he loved her. She starred in his first Dreamland-produced movie, "Roman Candles", as the Governess. For Waters' next movie, "Dorothy, the Kansas City Pothead", she was to play the Wicked Witch, but very little was shot and the project was abandoned. The third movie she was in was "Roman Candles" as the Smoking Nun. Waters said that she was a "big influence" on him, Divine, and his makeup artist, Van Smith.

Artistry.

The name, Maelcum Soul, is of Czechoslovakian origin. She is described as bohemian "in both the old-baltimore and art-world sense of the word." Soul was reportedly considered the "Alice Prin" of Baltimore. She was known for dyeing her hair an "iron-ore red" and wearing heavy eyeliner and "hip haberdashery" drawing from the style of the Berlin cabarets of Weimar Republic.

Personal life.

Soul married Maryland Art Institute student Dudley Gray. She lived in Baltimore and New York City. Soul was described by John Waters as a bohemian. In 1968, she died from a drug overdose. She is buried in Bohemian National Cemetery in Baltimore.

Legacy.

Posthumously, "The Evening Sun" reported that despite a short and "busy" life, Soul achieved "a certain fame." She became "...semilegendary among younger admirers of the beat generation. A dozen artists painted her." Soul has been described as a "fabled starlet."

Patricia Ann Soul (September 22, 1940 – April 5, 1968), known professionally as Maelcum Soul, was an American bartender, artist's model, and actress. In the 1960s, she portrayed leading characters in two of filmmaker John Waters' earliest works, "Roman Candles" and "Eat Your Makeup".

Maelcum Soul (née Patricia Ann Soul, - ) est une artiste bohémienne de Baltimore (Maryland). Elle a tourné dans deux films de John Waters: "Roman Candles" et "Eat Your Makeup".


Background and production.

After returning from the United States after the launch of her debut studio album "The Family Jewels" (2010), Diamandis considered creating a character which would become the centerpiece of her follow-up project. She commented that she was inspired by the "Tumblr generation" to photograph herself in several places across the United States, appearing as a different persona in each picture to mimick the anonymity of the "mini-stars of the internet". The final product became "a cold, ruthless character who wasn't vulnerable", which she later named "Electra Heart" and detailed as a tool to represent a combination of elements associated with the American Dream and Greek tragedy, and added that visuals would merge the differing concepts into a cohesive idea.  Diamandis first announced "Electra Heart" in August 2011; it was initially planned to become a three-piece project inspired by American culture in the 1970s, although it eventually evolved into her second studio album. Diamandis originally planned to release the record as a "side project" under an entity separate from Marina and the Diamonds, although her management disapproved. The track "Living Dead" was the first recorded during its production, and approximately 22 songs were recorded for potential inclusion on the album. She later commented that the record was dedicated to "dysfunctional love", elaborating that "rejection is a universally embarrassing topic and "Electra Heart" is my response to that." Diamandis stated that "Electra Heart" was influenced by Madonna, Marilyn Monroe, and Queen of France Marie Antoinette; she described Madonna as being "fearless" and felt that she showcased a desire to be a successful artist beyond fame and wealth. Diamandis told "Glamour" that Britney Spears influenced a "double-sided" theme for the record of both "innocence" and "darkness". She described the final product as being "a bit cringe" and reflective of her personal experiences, although noted that its promotional campaign would be "pink and fluffy".

Composition.

Featuring an electropop and dance-pop sound, "Electra Heart" has been described as a concept album detailing "female identity" and "a recent breakup". It represents a musical departure from Diamandis' debut studio album "The Family Jewels" (2010), which incorporated a new wave and indie rock-influenced sonority. She later commented that the album was specifically designed as a pop record to allow her to establish a greater prominence in the contemporary music industry. The title character "Electra Heart" portrays four female archetypes in the album: "Teen Idle", "Primadonna", "Homewrecker", and "Su-Barbie-A". Their presences on each track are not clearly defined, although Diamandis acknowledged that they are more apparent on the visual aspects of the album.  Alexis Petridis from "The Guardian" compared the lyrical content used throughout the pop punk-inspired opener "Bubblegum Bitch" to "the self-fulfilling I-will-be-huge prophecy" that was developed in "The Fame" by Lady Gaga. The following track "Primadonna" is a pop number that contains a "surging beat" and an "anti-chorus structure", which according to James Christopher Monger from AllMusic blends styles reminiscent of Swedish singer Lykke Li and the British band Coldplay. "Lies" is an electro ballad, which Michael Cragg from BBC Music felt that allowed Diamandis to "deal directly with her emotions", and opined that contributions from producer Diplo gave the song "extra gloom wobble sadness". Cragg classified "Homewrecker" as a "vampy" track which blends verses centred around spoken-word vocals with a "stompy" refrain where Diamandis declares "I broke a million hearts just for fun". Cragg further opined that "Starring Role" was "heart-rending in its simplicity", and noticed prominent piano and drum instrumentation throughout the recording.  Monger saw the sixth track "The State of Dreaming" as a solemn offering from the record for its intellectual lyrical content, which he described as one of several tracks that "reveal the lonely rebel, defiantly eating lunch alone, secretly wishing for acceptance." "Power & Control" was detailed as an electropop track by Emily Mackay from "The Quietus", while Laura Snapes from Pitchfork commented that Diamandis repeatedly delivers the lyrics "I am weak" with an "increasingly ephemeral voice" as it progresses. Snapes also felt that "Living Dead" was a more "vulnerable moment" from "Electra Heart", and compared it to the "snappy [and] taut" works of English duo Soft Cell. Monger recognised inspiration from American singer Lana Del Rey in "Teen Idle" and felt that it represented "the feral blood of an army of disenfranchised high-school loners coming into their own". Bradley Stern from MuuMuse suggested that "The Valley of the Dolls" drew inspiration from the 1967 film of the same name, and described "Hypocrates" as a "sparkling guitar-pop tune" that takes stylistic influences from 1960s pop music and details the power struggle between romantic partners. "Electra Heart" closes with its 12th track "Fear and Loathing", which experiments with electronic music styles; Petridis made particular note of its minimal production, which according to him, places emphasis on Diamandis' "coolly enunciated and slightly folky" vocals.

Release and promotion.

On 1 March, Diamandis unveiled the album artwork for the standard version of "Electra Heart", which depicts a blonde Diamandis wearing several hair rollers. The singer later revealed that because of the dye, her hair started to fall out, so she got a boy's haircut and wore a wig. Becky Bain from Idolator complimented its "retro film stock look" and opined that it "is just a snapshot from some 1970s exploitation movie", while Bradley Stern from MuuMuse jokingly referenced the album track "Homewrecker" when stating that she "looks like a proper Suzy Homemaker! (Or should I say Suzy Homewrecker?)" The artwork for the deluxe version features the same picture of Diamandis, although it is tinted purple. The track listing for the standard version was confirmed on 1 March, while the track listing for the deluxe version was announced on 5 March. A limited edition box set of "Electra Heart" contained the deluxe version of the record, four photo art cards, a ring, perspex, necklace, and pocket mirror.

Music videos.

Diamandis released 11 music videos through YouTube during the promotional campaign for "Electra Heart". She claimed that their production led her record label into bankruptcy, but stated that they would be released and "finish this era the way I want to." The first, titled "Part 1: Fear and Loathing", was released on 8 August 2011, and sees Diamandis cutting her long brown hair and singing the track on a balcony during the nighttime. It was followed by "Part 2: Radioactive" on 22 August, which depicts a blonde-wigged Diamandis travelling across the United States with her romantic interest. The track was released through the iTunes Store on 23 September, and peaked at number 25 on the UK Singles Chart on 15 October. The black-and-white clip "Part 3: The Archetypes" shows the close-up of a blonde Diamandis while the introduction of "The State of Dreaming" is played; it introduced the archetypes "housewife", "beauty queen", "homewrecker", and "idle teen" on 15 December. "Part 4: Primadonna" served as the music video for the lead single from the record on 12 March 2012.  Uploaded on 18 May, the black-and-white "Part 5: Su-Barbie-A" is set to the introduction of "Valley of the Dolls" with overlapped commentary mentioning "Quick-Curl Barbie" and "Mod-Hair Ken"; it depicts Diamandis standing on the porch of a house with her back to the front door. It was followed by "Part 6: Power & Control" on 30 May, where Diamandis is seen engaging in a series of mind games with her romantic interest. Diamandis alleged that Atlantic Records delayed the premiere of "Part 7: How to Be a Heartbreaker" because they felt she was "ugly" in the clip; it was made publicly available on 28 September, and sees Diamandis interacting with several shirtless men in a community shower. "Part 8: E.V.O.L." introduced the previously-unreleased track "E.V.O.L" on 14 February 2013. The black-and-white visual shows a brown-wigged Diamandis looking about a room with white-tiled walls.  "Part 9: The State of Dreaming", premiered on 2 March, presents Diamandis lying on a bed while "alternating between sad eyes and a big smile". It begins with a black-and-white filter, although transitions into color after the first minute. It was followed by "Part 10: Lies" on 17 July, and employs a similar black-and-white to color technique. Diamandis is first seen looking into the camera wearing little makeup, and is later shown walking into the woods and sitting at a dinner table in the rain. The final music video "Part 11: Electra Heart" introduced the previously-unreleased title track; the clip itself contains footage from the earlier music videos. It symbolically ended the promotional era for "Electra Heart", with Diamandis having tweeted "Goodbye, Electra Heart!" on 8 August, the same day the video was released.

Singles.

Inspired by the six-single promotional campaign for Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" (2010), Diamandis planned to release six singles from "Electra Heart"; however, three tracks were released before she finished promoting the album. "Primadonna" was announced as the lead single from the record on 13 March 2012, and was released through the iTunes Store in the United States on 20 March. Robert Copsey from Digital Spy spoke favourably of the track, complimenting its overall production and Diamandis' portrayal of its female archetype. It peaked at number 11 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming Diamandis' fifth song to enter the top 40 in the United Kingdom. "Power & Control" was released through the iTunes Store in the United Kingdom on 20 July 2012 and served as the second single from "Electra Heart". It peaked at number 193 on the UK Singles Chart. In July 2012, it was announced that "How to Be a Heartbreaker" would be released as the second single in the United States and the third single in the United Kingdom. Diamandis commented that she had written the track while "Electra Heart" was being pressed in the United Kingdom, and consequently missed the cut-off for initial inclusion on the record; however, it was featured in the revised track listing for the American version. The song was released through the iTunes Store on 7 December 2012, and peaked at number 88 on the UK Singles Chart.

Tour.

In February 2012, Diamandis announced the launch of her headlining The Lonely Hearts Club Tour. It ran alongside the Mylo Xyloto Tour headlined by Coldplay, for which Diamandis served as the supporting act. The Lonely Hearts Club Tour was initially scheduled to begin on 4 May at the Manchester Cathedral in Manchester, although it was delayed after Diamandis sustained a vocal cord injury, and ultimately began on 18 June at The Waterfront in Norwich. The American leg of the tour began on 10 July at The Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles, while the tour itself ended on 29 May 2013 after a performance at the Rumsey Playfield in New York City.

Critical reception.

"Electra Heart" received mixed reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 57, based on 16 reviews. Writing for AllMusic, James Christopher Monger compared the record to the works of American singers Kesha and Lady Gaga, and favourably summarised it as "a brooding, sexy, desperate, overwrought, and infectious record that's both aware and unashamed of its contrivance." Michael Cragg of BBC Music felt that the recurring concept of failed romance established "a strange dichotomy" that created a sense of cohesiveness, and elaborated that it "[pulls] you sharply into her world." He considered the second half of the disc to be mildly disappointing, although concluded that this was excusable because the overall record "[balances] the ironic and the heartfelt, the quirky and the mainstream, the real and the fake with remarkable aplomb." Tim Stack of "Entertainment Weekly" complimented Diamandis for her ability to "rival Katy Perry for catchy hooks, command with the swagger of Gwen Stefani, and even come close to the ethereal vocal exhilaration of Florence Welch." Stack opined that "Electra Heart" was a healthy combination of up-tempo recordings and genuinely-delivered ballads, and placed additional praise on the female archetypes explored throughout the album.  "The Guardian" writer Alexis Petridis was confident that "there's clearly an interesting pop star" emerging from Diamandis, but suggested that her creativity was restricted by the heavy integration of alter egos and an implied determination for commercial success, which he commented failed to reflect Diamandis' inventiveness. Simon Price from "The Independent" accepted that the record was "too professional to be truly terrible", although noted that Diamandis' revamped public image as a "British Katy Perry" lacked ingenuity. "NME" columnist Priya Elan summarised the album as an "expensive-sounding failure" that suffered from its lack of decisiveness. Writing for "Pitchfork", Laura Snapes questioned the decision of creating the "Electra Heart" character for the record, and suggested that it was unnecessary. She elaborated that "duller and more unbearable" tracks were unavoidable, and expressed particular disappointment because she thought that "Electra Heart" could have become "one of the year's most acclaimed pop albums." Representing "The Observer", Kitty Empire assumed that Diamandis' collaborations with Dr. Luke and Greg Kurstin were evidence of "a big label push". She compared the disc to the works of Perry and Britney Spears, although felt that Lana Del Rey was more successful in embodying the themes of "love, identity, femininity and America" than Diamandis' generic production values allowed. Emily Mackay from "The Quietus" criticised the songs' titles for being lacklustre, which she sarcastically stated caused listeners "physical pain", and was disappointed that the character "Electra Heart" was a scapegoat for expressing "all the worst parts of Marina Diamandis that she didn't want to become."

Commercial performance.

"Electra Heart" debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart with first-week sales of 21,358 copies. It became Diamandis' first chart-topping album in the United Kingdom, although it was additionally distinguished as the lowest-selling number-one record of the 21st century in the country. It was later surpassed by "Write It on Your Skin" by Newton Faulkner, which debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart with first-week sales of 16,647 copies three months later. On 15 April 2016, "Electra Heart" was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry for exceeding shipments of 100,000 units in the United Kingdom. The record additionally reached number one on both the Irish Albums Chart and the Scottish Albums Chart; it was recognised with a gold certification in the former territory by the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA).  "Electra Heart" performed moderately on additional record charts in Europe. The record peaked at number 11 on the Swiss Hitparade, and reached number 17 on the German Media Control Charts. It charted at number 25 on the Ö3 Austria Top 40, number 30 on the Norwegian VG-lista, and number 41 on the Swedish Sverigetopplistan. The album reached the lower ends of the Dutch MegaCharts and the Belgian Ultratop in Wallonia, respectively peaking at numbers 92 and 132 in each region. However, it reached number 31 on the Official New Zealand Music Chart and number 32 on the Australian ARIA Albums Chart in Oceania.  "Electra Heart" debuted at number 31 on the US "Billboard" 200, and reached number two on the "Billboard" Dance/Electronic Albums component chart. It had sold 150,000 copies in the United States as of May 2015. On 13 April 2019, the album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), denoting shipments in excess of 500,000 units in the United States. Elsewhere in North America, the record peaked at number 50 on the Canadian Albums Chart. In August 2012, Diamandis commented that she believed consumers in the United Kingdom had misinterpreted her comical effort with a perceived abandonment of her original musical inspiration, thus resulting in a relative underperformance in the country. In contrast, she felt that her American audience was more receptive of "Electra Heart" and her evolving public image.  As of 2015, three million singles had been sold from "Electra Heart".

Track listing.

Notes

Personnel.

Credits adapted from the liner notes of the deluxe edition of "Electra Heart".

Electra Heart is the second studio album by Welsh singer Marina Diamandis, released under the stage name Marina and the Diamonds. It was released on 27 April 2012 by 679 Artists and Atlantic Records. Diamandis collaborated with producers including Liam Howe, Greg Kurstin, Dr. Luke, Diplo and Stargate during its recording, and subsequently transitioned from the new wave musical styles seen throughout her debut studio album, "The Family Jewels" (2010). Their efforts resulted in a concept album consisting of electropop and dance-pop music, a distinct departure from her earlier projects. Lyrically, the album discusses topics of love and identity. Diamandis created the title character "Electra Heart" to represent female archetypes in popular American culture (House Wife, Beauty Queen, Homewrecker and Idle Teen).

Electra Heart est le second album studio de la chanteuse britannique Marina (sorti sous son nom de scène de l'époque Marina & The Diamonds). Il sort le 27 avril 2012 sous les labels 679 artists et Atlantic Records. Marina travaille avec plusieurs producteurs sur l'album, comme Liam Howe, Greg Kurstin, ainsi que le Luke, Diplo et Stargate, ce qui a pour conséquence l'évolution de son style qui s'éloigne des sonorités new wave présente sur son premier album studio, "The Family Jewels" (2010).


Archery.

As the host nation, Greece automatically receives the full allocation of six individual places, alongside entry to both the men's and women's team events.

Athletics.

In athletics, the Greek team did not receive any automatic places for representing the host nation, as they had done in other sports. Greek athletes have so far achieved qualifying standards in the following athletics events (up to a maximum of 3 athletes in each event at the 'A' Standard, and 1 at the 'B' Standard).

Badminton.

As the host nation, the Greek team were entitled to enter only two badminton players regardless of how they fared in the qualifying stages.  Manager: 27 – Jack Rhodes.

Baseball.

Coaches: 1 – Mike Riskas, 14 – Ioannis Kazanas, 42 – Scott Demtral

Boxing.

Greece was guaranteed five male boxers at the Games by virtue of being the host nation, but the special 'host' places for men's boxing therefore became void, as the Greeks claimed places through the World Championships and the AIBA European Qualification Tournament.

Diving.

As the host nation, the Greeks were automatically entitled to places in all four synchronized diving events, but for individual events, they had to qualify through their own performances through the 2003 FINA World Championships in Barcelona, Spain, and through the 2004 FINA Diving World Cup series.

Equestrian.

Greece automatically received a team and the maximum number of individual competitors in show jumping, and at least a single spot each in dressage and eventing.

Fencing.

As the host nation, Greece received ten quota places which can be allocated to any of the fencing events. Additional places can be won in specific disciplines in a series of qualification events.

Judo.

Greek judoka receive one place in each of the 14 categories by virtue of hosting the Olympic tournament – the maximum allocation possible.

Modern pentathlon.

As the host nation, Greece received one automatic qualification place per gender through the European and UIPM World Championships.

Rowing.

Greece received only two boats in both men's and women's lightweight double sculls at the 2003 World Rowing Championships.

Sailing.

As the host nation, Greece received automatic qualification places in each boat class.

Shooting.

As the host nation, Greece was awarded a minimum of eleven quota places in ten different events.

Swimming.

Greek swimmers earned qualifying standards in the following events (up to a maximum of 2 swimmers in each event at the A-standard time, and 1 at the B-standard time):

Synchronized swimming.

As the host nation, Greece had a squad of 9 synchronised swimmers taking part in both the duet and team events.

Table tennis.

Greece fielded a four-strong table tennis team at the 2004 Olympic Games after being granted permission to use host nation qualification places.

Taekwondo.

Greece had not taken any formal part in qualification tournaments in taekwondo, as the Greeks already had four guaranteed places at their disposal, two for men, two for women.

Tennis.

As the host nation, Greece nominated two male and two female tennis players to compete in the tournament through their world rankings.

Triathlon.

Greece offered a single guaranteed place in the men's triathlon.

Volleyball.

As the host nation, Greece gained automatic entry for men's and women's teams in both indoor and beach volleyball.

Weightlifting.

As the host nation, Greek weightlifters had already received six men's quota places and four women's places for the Olympics.

Greece was the host country for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, from 13 to 29 August 2004. As the progenitor nation and in keeping with tradition, Greek athletes have competed at every Summer Olympics in the modern era, alongside Australia, Great Britain, and Switzerland. The Hellenic Olympic Committee sent a total of 426 athletes to the Games, 215 men and 211 women, and had achieved automatic qualification places in all sports, with the exception of men's and women's field hockey. It was also the nation's largest team ever in Summer Olympic history since the first modern Games were held in 1896.

La Grèce participe aux Jeux olympiques d'été de 2004 à Athènes. Il s'agit de leur 25 participation à des Jeux d'été.


History.

Background and construction.

By 1417, the local militia had already established a permanent watch post on the tip of the Sciberras Peninsula. In 1488, the Aragonese built a watchtower on Saint Elmo Point, and it was dedicated to Erasmus of Formia, better known as Saint Elmo. In 1533, the Order of Saint John reinforced the tower due to its strategic location. In 1551, an Ottoman raid occurred in which the Turkish fleet sailed into Marsamxett Harbour unopposed. Due to this, it was decided that a major expansion was necessary, and in 1552 the tower was demolished and a new star fort began to be built. It was designed by a Spanish Engineer named Pietro Pardo. It had a cavalier, a covertway and a tenaille. A ravelin was hastily constructed months before the 1565 siege.

Great Siege of 1565.

In 1565, the Ottomans invaded Malta once again with much more force than in 1551, in the Great Siege of Malta. Fort Saint Elmo was the scene of some of the most intense fighting of this siege, and it withstood massive bombardment from Turkish cannon deployed on Mount Sciberras that overlooked the fort and from batteries on the north arm of Marsamextt Harbour, the present site of Fort Tigné. The initial garrison of the fort was around one hundred and fifty knights and six hundred soldiers, the majority of whom were Spanish, and sixty armed galley slaves. The garrison could be reinforced by boat from the forts across the Grand Harbour at Birgu and Senglea. During the bombardment of the fort, a cannon misfired and hit the top of its parapet, sending shards in all directions. Debris from the impact killed the gunner and mortally injured the corsair and Ottoman admiral Turgut Reis, one of the most competent of the Ottoman commanders. The fort withstood the siege for 28 days, falling to the Turks on 23 June 1565. None of the defending knights survived, and only nine of the Maltese defenders survived by swimming across to Fort St. Angelo on the other side of the Grand Harbour after Fort St Elmo fell. The long siege bought much needed time for the preparation of the other two fortresses and the arrival of reinforcements from Spain.

Reconstruction and modifications.

After the siege, Grandmaster Jean Parisot de Valette decided to build a new city on the peninsula. Construction started in 1566, and Francesco Laparelli was sent by the Pope to design the fortifications. The ruined Fort Saint Elmo was rebuilt and integrated within the city walls. The fort was modified a number of times in the 17th century. The Vendôme Bastion was built in 1614, and in 1687 the Carafa Enceinte was built on the foreshore surrounding the entire fort. In the late 17th century, the fort was directly linked to the cavalier and part of the ditch was filled in burying some of the original ramparts in the process. In the 18th century, a new polverista was built in the Vendome Bastion, and stores were built in the area between the main fort and the Carafa Enceinte. These are known as Pinto Stores and they and the surrounding area form what is known as Lower Saint Elmo.  On 8 September 1775, Fort Saint Elmo was captured by 13 rebel priests along with Saint James Cavalier in what became known as the Revolt of the Priests. The Order's flag was lowered and a banner of Saint Paul was raised instead. The Order managed to recapture St Elmo so the rebels in control of St James surrendered as well. Eventually the rebels were tried and three were executed while the others were exiled or imprisoned. The heads of the three executed men were displayed on the corners of St James Cavalier, but were removed soon after Emmanuel de Rohan-Polduc was elected Grandmaster in November of the same year.

British rule.

The fort was once again modified in the early 19th century by the British, when a musketry parapet was built. In 1855, the polverista at Vendome Bastion was converted into an armoury, and some small arms from the Palace Armoury were transferred there. In the 1870s, more works were done on Abercrombie's Bastion. In 1917, the first heart operation to be performed on a soldier was done at St Elmo. In the interwar period gun emplacements were built to house new twin 6-pounder QF guns.  The fort was the site of the first aerial bombardment of Malta on 11 June 1940. Among the people that were in the fort during the air raid was the military doctor Ċensu Tabone, who later became President of Malta. He survived the attack, but six others were killed in the same air raid.  On 26 July 1941, the Italians launched a seaborne attack on the Grand Harbour with two human torpedoes, four MAS boats and six MT boats. The force was detected early on by a British radar facility, and the coastal artillery at Saint Elmo opened fire when the Italians approached to close range. Fifteen of the attackers were killed and 18 captured, and all the human torpedoes and MT boats, along with two of the MAS boats were lost. One of the MT boats hit St. Elmo Bridge, which linked the breakwater with the tip of the peninsula near the fort, and the bridge collapsed. The bridge was never restored, and it was only in 2012 that a new one was built in its place with a similar but different design.  Parts of the fort were severely damaged during the war and some scars of the bombing can still be seen to this day. The Royal Malta Artillery left the fort on 26 March 1972, ending its long military history. Parts of the fort subsequently fell in disuse.

Present day.

The World Monuments Fund placed the fort on its 2008 Watch List of the 100 Most Endangered Sites in the world because of its significant deterioration due to factors such as lack of maintenance and security, natural aging, and exposure to the elements. Since 2009 major restoration works began, and as of 2014 the restoration of Upper Saint Elmo and the Carafa enceinte was nearly complete. Restoration work was completed in 2015. Lower Saint Elmo has been cleaned from the waste that accumulated over the years, and the Grand Harbour Regeneration Corporation is making plans to begin restoration. From 1975, part of the fort housed the National War Museum, which contained military equipment and other things related to World War I and II. A replica of the George Cross that was awarded to Malta by King George VI in April 1942, was also on display in this museum. The museum closed in September 2014, and reopened in May 2015 having a larger collection.  Since the mid-20th century, Fort Saint Elmo has also housed Malta's police academy. Other parts of the fort are used for "In Guardia" and "Alarme" military reenactments.  While the fort was being restored, some archaeological excavations were made and various elements of the original pre-1565 fort were uncovered. This was an important find because little of the original fort exists, mainly because Laparelli rebuilt it in 1566 and it underwent a lot of renovation between the 17th and 19th centuries.  In November 2015 the fort was used as a media centre for the Valletta Summit on Migration. Foreign journalists stated that it was possibly "the most stunning venue which ever hosted an EU summit".

Layout.

The original star fort, sometimes known as Upper St. Elmo to distinguish it from the rest of the fort, consists of two demi-bastions, two flanks and two faces, a parade ground, barracks and a large cavalier. The fort included a ravelin in 1565, but this was demolished during the fort's reconstruction after the siege.  After the fortifications of Valletta were built, Vendôme Bastion was constructed in 1614 linking the French Curtain to Fort St. Elmo. The bastion contains an echaugette, and it was eventually converted into a magazine, and later an armoury. The bastion is now part of the National War Museum.  The Carafa Enceinte, which was built starting from 1687, encloses the original fort as well as Vendôme Bastion. It consists of the following bastions and curtain walls: Some barrack blocks are located in the area between Upper St. Elmo and the Carafa Enceinte.

References.

Notes

Fort Saint Elmo () is a star fort in Valletta, Malta. It stands on the seaward shore of the Sciberras Peninsula that divides Marsamxett Harbour from Grand Harbour, and commands the entrances to both harbours along with Fort Tigné and Fort Ricasoli. It is best known for its role in the Great Siege of Malta of 1565.

Le fort Saint-Elme (en anglais : "Fort St. Elmo", en maltais : "Forti Sant’ Iermu") est une forteresse située à l'extrémité de la péninsule de Xiberras à Malte. Bâti en 1552 par l'ordre de Saint-Jean de Jérusalem, il commande l'entrée du grand port et de la rade de Marsamxett.


Brain location.

In the adult mammalian brain, the subgranular zone in the hippocampal dentate gyrus, the subventricular zone around the lateral ventricles and the hypothalamus (precisely in the dorsal α1, α2 region and the "hypothalamic proliferative region”, located in the adjacent median eminence) have been reported to contain neural stem cell.

Development.

"In vivo" origin.

There are two basic types of stem cell: adult stem cells, which are limited in their ability to differentiate, and embryonic stem cells (ESCs), which are pluripotent and have the capability of differentiating into any cell type.  Neural stem cells are more specialized than ESCs because they only generate radial glial cells that give rise to the neurons and to glia of the central nervous system (CNS). During the embryonic development of vertebrates, NSCs transition into radial glial cells (RGCs) also known as radial glial progenitor cells, (RGPs) and reside in a transient zone called the ventricular zone (VZ). Neurons are generated in large numbers by (RGPs) during a specific period of embryonic development through the process of neurogenesis, and continue to be generated in adult life in restricted regions of the adult brain. Adult NSCs differentiate into new neurons within the adult subventricular zone (SVZ), a remnant of the embryonic germinal neuroepithelium, as well as the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus.

"In vitro" origin.

Adult NSCs were first isolated from mouse striatum in the early 1990s. They are capable of forming multipotent neurospheres when cultured "in vitro". Neurospheres can produce self-renewing and proliferating specialized cells. These neurospheres can differentiate to form the specified neurons, glial cells, and oligodendrocytes. In previous studies, cultured neurospheres have been transplanted into the brains of immunodeficient neonatal mice and have shown engraftment, proliferation, and neural differentiation.

Communication and migration.

NSCs are stimulated to begin differentiation via exogenous cues from the microenvironment, or stem cell niche. Some neural cells are migrated from the SVZ along the rostral migratory stream which contains a marrow-like structure with ependymal cells and astrocytes when stimulated. The ependymal cells and astrocytes form glial tubes used by migrating neuroblasts. The astrocytes in the tubes provide support for the migrating cells as well as insulation from electrical and chemical signals released from surrounding cells. The astrocytes are the primary precursors for rapid cell amplification. The neuroblasts form tight chains and migrate towards the specified site of cell damage to repair or replace neural cells. One example is a neuroblast migrating towards the olfactory bulb to differentiate into periglomercular or granule neurons which have a radial migration pattern rather than a tangential one.

Aging.

Neural stem cell proliferation declines as a consequence of aging. Various approaches have been taken to counteract this age-related decline. Because FOX proteins regulate neural stem cell homeostasis, FOX proteins have been used to protect neural stem cells by inhibiting Wnt signaling.

Function.

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) and fibroblast growth factor (FGF) are mitogens that promote neural progenitor and stem cell growth "in vitro", though other factors synthesized by the neural progenitor and stem cell populations are also required for optimal growth. It is hypothesized that neurogenesis in the adult brain originates from NSCs. The origin and identity of NSCs in the adult brain remain to be defined.

During differentiation.

The most widely accepted model of an adult NSC is a radial, glial fibrillary acidic protein-positive cell. Quiescent stem cells are Type B that are able to remain in the quiescent state due to the renewable tissue provided by the specific niches composed of blood vessels, astrocytes, microglia, ependymal cells, and extracellular matrix present within the brain. These niches provide nourishment, structural support, and protection for the stem cells until they are activated by external stimuli. Once activated, the Type B cells develop into Type C cells, active proliferating intermediate cells, which then divide into neuroblasts consisting of Type A cells. The undifferentiated neuroblasts form chains that migrate and develop into mature neurons. In the olfactory bulb, they mature into GABAergic granule neurons, while in the hippocampus they mature into dentate granule cells.

Epigenetic modification.

Epigenetic modifications are important regulators of gene expression in differentiating neural stem cells. Key epigenetic modifications include DNA cytosine methylation to form 5-methylcytosine and 5-methylcytosine demethylation. These types of modification are critical for cell fate determination in the developing and adult mammalian brain.  DNA cytosine methylation is catalyzed by DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs). Methylcytosine demethylation is catalyzed in several distinct steps by TET enzymes that carry out oxidative reactions (e.g. 5-methylcytosine to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine) and enzymes of the DNA base excision repair (BER) pathway.

During disease.

NSCs have an important role during development producing the enormous diversity of neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes in the developing CNS. They also have important role in adult animals, for instance in learning and hippocampal plasticity in the adult mice in addition to supplying neurons to the olfactory bulb in mice.  Notably the role of NSCs during diseases is now being elucidated by several research groups around the world. The responses during stroke, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson's disease in animal models and humans is part of the current investigation. The results of this ongoing investigation may have future applications to treat human neurological diseases.  Neural stem cells have been shown to engage in migration and replacement of dying neurons in classical experiments performed by Sanjay Magavi and Jeffrey Macklis. Using a laser-induced damage of cortical layers, Magavi showed that SVZ neural progenitors expressing Doublecortin, a critical molecule for migration of neuroblasts, migrated long distances to the area of damage and differentiated into mature neurons expressing NeuN marker. In addition Masato Nakafuku's group from Japan showed for the first time the role of hippocampal stem cells during stroke in mice. These results demonstrated that NSCs can engage in the adult brain as a result of injury. Furthermore, in 2004 Evan Y. Snyder's group showed that NSCs migrate to brain tumors in a directed fashion. Jaime Imitola, M.D and colleagues from Harvard demonstrated for the first time, a molecular mechanism for the responses of NSCs to injury. They showed that chemokines released during injury such as SDF-1a were responsible for the directed migration of human and mouse NSCs to areas of injury in mice. Since then other molecules have been found to participate in the responses of NSCs to injury. All these results have been widely reproduced and expanded by other investigators joining the classical work of Richard L. Sidman in autoradiography to visualize neurogenesis during development, and neurogenesis in the adult by Joseph Altman in the 1960s, as evidence of the responses of adult NSCs activities and neurogenesis during homeostasis and injury.  The search for additional mechanisms that operate in the injury environment and how they influence the responses of NSCs during acute and chronic disease is matter of intense research.

Research.

Regenerative therapy of the CNS.

Cell death is a characteristic of acute CNS disorders as well as neurodegenerative disease. The loss of cells is amplified by the lack of regenerative abilities for cell replacement and repair in the CNS. One way to circumvent this is to use cell replacement therapy via regenerative NSCs. NSCs can be cultured "in vitro" as neurospheres. These neurospheres are composed of neural stem cells and progenitors (NSPCs) with growth factors such as EGF and FGF. The withdrawal of these growth factors activate differentiation into neurons, astrocytes, or oligodendrocytes which can be transplanted within the brain at the site of injury. The benefits of this therapeutic approach have been examined in Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, and multiple sclerosis. NSPCs induce neural repair via intrinsic properties of neuroprotection and immunomodulation. Some possible routes of transplantation include intracerebral transplantation and xenotransplantation.  An alternative therapeutic approach to the transplantation of NSPCs is the pharmacological activation of endogenous NSPCs (eNSPCs). Activated eNSPCs produce neurotrophic factors, several treatments that activate a pathway that involves the phosphorylation of STAT3 on the serine residue and subsequent elevation of Hes3 expression (STAT3-Ser/Hes3 Signaling Axis) oppose neuronal death and disease progression in models of neurological disorder.

Generation of 3D "in vitro" models of the human CNS.

Human midbrain-derived neural progenitor cells (hmNPCs) have the ability to differentiate down multiple neural cell lineages that lead to neurospheres as well as multiple neural phenotypes. The hmNPC can be used to develop a 3D "in vitro" model of the human CNS. There are two ways to culture the hmNPCs, the adherent monolayer and the neurosphere culture systems. The neurosphere culture system has previously been used to isolate and expand CNS stem cells by its ability to aggregate and proliferate hmNPCs under serum-free media conditions as well as with the presence of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF2). Initially, the hmNPCs were isolated and expanded before performing a 2D differentiation which was used to produce a single-cell suspension. This single-cell suspension helped achieve a homogenous 3D structure of uniform aggregate size. The 3D aggregation formed neurospheres which was used to form an "in vitro" 3D CNS model.

Bioactive scaffolds as traumatic brain injury treatment.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can deform the brain tissue, leading to necrosis primary damage which can then cascade and activate secondary damage such as excitotoxicity, inflammation, ischemia, and the breakdown of the blood-brain-barrier. Damage can escalate and eventually lead to apoptosis or cell death. Current treatments focus on preventing further damage by stabilizing bleeding, decreasing intracranial pressure and inflammation, and inhibiting pro-apoptotic cascades. In order to repair TBI damage, an upcoming therapeutic option involves the use of NSCs derived from the embryonic peri-ventricular region. Stem cells can be cultured in a favorable 3-dimensional, low cytotoxic environment, a hydrogel, that will increase NSC survival when injected into TBI patients. The intracerebrally injected, primed NSCs were seen to migrate to damaged tissue and differentiate into oligodendrocytes or neuronal cells that secreted neuroprotective factors.

Galectin-1 in neural stem cells.

Galectin-1 is expressed in adult NSCs and has been shown to have a physiological role in the treatment of neurological disorders in animal models. There are two approaches to using NSCs as a therapeutic treatment: (1) stimulate intrinsic NSCs to promote proliferation in order to replace injured tissue, and (2) transplant NSCs into the damaged brain area in order to allow the NSCs to restore the tissue. Lentivirus vectors were used to infect human NSCs (hNSCs) with Galectin-1 which were later transplanted into the damaged tissue. The hGal-1-hNSCs induced better and faster brain recovery of the injured tissue as well as a reduction in motor and sensory deficits as compared to only hNSC transplantation.

Assays.

Neural stem cells are routinely studied "in vitro" using a method referred to as the Neurosphere Assay (or Neurosphere culture system), first developed by Reynolds and Weiss. Neurospheres are intrinsically heterogeneous cellular entities almost entirely formed by a small fraction (1 to 5%) of slowly dividing neural stem cells and by their progeny, a population of fast-dividing nestin-positive progenitor cells. The total number of these progenitors determines the size of a neurosphere and, as a result, disparities in sphere size within different neurosphere populations may reflect alterations in the proliferation, survival and/or differentiation status of their neural progenitors. Indeed, it has been reported that loss of β1-integrin in a neurosphere culture does not significantly affect the capacity of β1-integrin deficient stem cells to form new neurospheres, but it influences the size of the neurosphere: β1-integrin deficient neurospheres were overall smaller due to increased cell death and reduced proliferation.  While the Neurosphere Assay has been the method of choice for isolation, expansion and even the enumeration of neural stem and progenitor cells, several recent publications have highlighted some of the limitations of the neurosphere culture system as a method for determining neural stem cell frequencies. In collaboration with Reynolds, STEMCELL Technologies has developed a collagen-based assay, called the Neural Colony-Forming Cell (NCFC) Assay, for the quantification of neural stem cells. Importantly, this assay allows discrimination between neural stem and progenitor cells.

History.

The first evidence that neurogenesis occurs in certain regions of the adult mammalian brain came from [3H]-thymidine labeling studies conducted by Altman and Das in 1965 which showed postnatal hippocampal neurogenesis in young rats. In 1989, Sally Temple described multipotent, self-renewing progenitor and stem cells in the subventricular zone (SVZ) of the mouse brain. In 1992, Brent A. Reynolds and Samuel Weiss were the first to isolate neural progenitor and stem cells from the adult striatal tissue, including the SVZ — one of the neurogenic areas — of adult mice brain tissue. In the same year the team of Constance Cepko and Evan Y. Snyder were the first to isolate multipotent cells from the mouse cerebellum and stably transfected them with the oncogene v-myc. This molecule is one of the genes widely used now to reprogram adult non-stem cells into pluripotent stem cells. Since then, neural progenitor and stem cells have been isolated from various areas of the adult central nervous system, including non-neurogenic areas, such as the spinal cord, and from various species including humans.  Intensity-modulated radiation to spare neural stem cells in brain tumors: a computational platform for evaluation of physical and biological dose metrics.

References.

Jaganathan A, Tiwari M, Phansekar R, Panta R, Huilgol N.

Neural stem cells (NSCs) are self-renewing, multipotent cells that firstly generate the radial glial progenitor cells that generate the neurons and glia of the nervous system of all animals during embryonic development. Some neural progenitor stem cells persist in highly restricted regions in the adult vertebrate brain and continue to produce neurons throughout life.

Les cellules souches neurales sont des cellules souches - multipotentes et capables de s'auto-renouveler - dont le potentiel de différenciation est restreint aux types cellulaires neuraux, notamment : Durant l'embryogenèse, ces cellules souches neurales sont situées dans la zone ventriculaire du tube neural.


Background.

According to an interview Kate Bush gave to the Australian TV series "Countdown" in 1980, the song chronicles a wife's desire to test her husband's loyalty. To do so, she takes on the "nom de plume" of Babooshka and sends notes to her husband in the guise of a younger woman—something which she fears is the opposite of how her husband currently sees her (hence the barbed lines "Just like his wife before she "freezed" on him/Just like his wife when she was beautiful".)  The trap is set when, in her bitterness and paranoia, Babooshka arranges to meet her husband, who is attracted to the character who reminds him of his wife in earlier times. She thereby ruins the relationship due to her paranoia.  Bush cited the English folk song Sovay, in which a woman dresses as a highwayman and accosts her lover in order to test his devotion, as an inspiration for the story of Babooshka. "I'm sure I heard about it on some TV series years ago, when I was a kid," Bush remarked of the song's story. "You know, these period things that the BBC do. I think it's an extraordinary thing for someone to do... That's why I found it fascinating."  The music video depicts Bush beside a double bass (contrabass) which symbolises the husband, wearing a black bodysuit and a veil in her role as the embittered wife. This changes into an extravagant, mythlike and rather sparse "Russian" costume as her alter-ego, Babooshka. An illustration by Chris Achilleos for the cover of the 1978 book "Raven - Swordsmistress of Chaos" was the basis for the costume.  The track features John Giblin on bass and marks the significance of fretless bass sounds as instrumental "male" partners through Kate's music in the early eighties.  The song ends with a sample of glass breaking, one of the earliest examples of a sample created with the newly-available Fairlight CMI digital synthesizer.  Kate Bush said that's "something I didn't realise at the time," when she learnt that "ба́бушка" (babushka) is the Russian word for "grandmother" (although the stress in Russian falls on the first syllable, not the second).  "Babooshka" became Bush's second top five hit in the UK and was certified silver for sales of over 250,000 by the BPI. "Babooshka" reached number five in France and went on to sell 547,000 copies, thus becoming 465th best-selling single of all time there.  The B-side contains her song "Ran Tan Waltz", her second non-album B-side. This song is performed as a tragicomedy, where Bush portrays a man bemoaning his bad luck in life being married to a wayward mother. This song uses the word "dick" in the first verse as cacophemism for a penis. Bush has stated that she doesn't typically use such harsh language or write such sexually explicit material, but that she considered the song "good naughty fun."

"Babooshka" is a song by English singer Kate Bush, taken from her album "Never for Ever". Released as a single in June 1980, it spent 10 weeks in the UK chart, peaking at number five. It was an even bigger hit in Australia, where it peaked at number two and was the 20th best-selling single of the year.

Babooshka est une chanson de l'autrice-compositrice-interprète britannique Kate Bush, le tiré de son album" Never for Ever". Sorti en single en juin 1980, il a passé 10 semaines dans le hit parade du Royaume-Uni, atteignant la. Son succès a été encore plus grand en Australie, où il a été la vente de single de l'année.


Examples.

Application software preferences.

One use of default parameters is for initial settings for application software. For example, the first time a user runs an application it may suggest that the user's delivery address is in the United States. This default might be appropriate if more users of that application were in the US than any other country. If the user selected a new country, it would override the default, and perhaps become the default for the next time the application is used on that computer or by that user. Changing the default for the next run would involve storing user information in some place, such as in cookies on the user's computer for an Internet application.

Television or computer monitor.

A TV or computer monitor typically comes with a button to "restore factory presets". This allows the settings for brightness, contrast, color, etc., to be returned to the defaults recommended by the manufacturer. This button may be used when the settings get badly adjusted (say by a toddler playing with the controls). Some "fine-tuning" of the settings may still be needed from the factory settings, but they will likely be closer to the desired settings than random settings.

In application software.

Using a default involves two goals which sometimes conflict:  In cases where there is no clear majority and the results cannot easily be verified by other available information, such as the gender of the individual, no default should be offered. Some software applications, however, require that default values be supplied.  A 1982 Apple Computer manual for developers warned: "Please do not ever use the word default in a program designed for humans. Default is something the mortgage went into right before the evil banker stole the Widow Parson's house. There is an exhaustive list of substitutes (previous, automatic, standard, etc.)".

In computer languages.

Many languages in the C family (but not C itself, as of C11) allow a function to have "default" parameters or default arguments, that are used if the function is called with omitted parameter specifications.  In C and programming languages based on its syntax, the codice_1 statement (which dispatches among a number of alternatives) can make use of the codice_2 keyword to provide a case for when no other case matches.  In Fortran, the INIT parameter on a declaration defines an initial default value for that variable.

In operating systems.

In operating systems using a command line interface, the user types short commands often followed by various parameters and options.

A default, in computer science, refers to the preexisting value of a user-configurable setting that is assigned to a software application, computer program or device. Such settings are also called presets or factory presets, especially for electronic devices.

En mathématiques, informatique ou en recueil de données, une valeur par défaut est une donnée arbitraire utilisée quand l’information réelle n’est pas connue. Elle est utilisée dans le traitement de l'information quand il n’est pas possible d’avoir une valeur indéterminée.