Classification.

Trypophobia is not recognized by name as a mental disorder, and so is not a specific diagnosis in the American Psychiatric Association's "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual", Fifth Edition (DSM-5). However, it may fall under the broad category of specific phobia if the fear is excessive, persistent, and associated with significant distress or impairment.  Whether trypophobia can be accurately described as a specific phobia might depend on whether the person mainly responds with fear or with disgust. Because phobias involve fear, a response to trypophobic imagery that is based mostly or solely on disgust renders its status as a specific phobia questionable. In one study, most of the participants with trypophobia met the DSM-5 criteria for specific phobia, even though they experienced disgust instead of fear when shown imagery of clusters of holes; however, they did not meet the distress or impairment criterion.

Signs and symptoms.

Trypophobia often presents with an autonomic nervous system response. Shapes that elicit a trypophobic reaction include clustered holes in innocuous contexts, such as fruit and bubbles, and in contexts associated with danger, such as holes made by insects and holes in wounds and diseased tissue such as those caused by mango flies in animals, especially dogs. Upon seeing these shapes, some people said they shuddered, felt their skin crawl, experienced panic attacks, sweated, palpitated, or felt nauseated or itchy. Other reported symptoms include goose bumps, body shakes, feeling uncomfortable, and visual discomfort such as eyestrain, distortions, or illusions.  Trypophobia may manifest as a reaction of fear, disgust, or both. Disgust is usually the stronger emotion in those with trypophobia.

Causes.

The understanding of trypophobia is limited. Several possible causes have been proposed. Geoff Cole and Arnold Wilkins believe the reaction is an "unconscious reflex reaction" based on a biological revulsion, rather than a learned cultural fear. Imagery of various venomous animals (for example, certain types of snakes, insects, and spiders) have visual characteristics similar to trypophobic imagery. Because of this, it is hypothesized that trypophobia has an evolutionary basis meant to alert humans of dangerous organisms. Can "et al.", however, believe the connection between trypophobia and evolution as a result of a threat from deadly creatures to be weak and that, if a connection does exist, it manifests later in life rather than in childhood.  Martínez-Aguayo "et al." described trypophobia as usually involving "an intense and disproportionate fear towards holes, repetitive patterns, protrusions, etc., and, in general, images that present high-contrast energy at low and midrange spatial frequencies." Cole and Wilkins also stated the imagery has high spatial frequency with a greater energy at midrange. Whether together or separate, it appears that low and midrange spatial frequencies are necessary for inducing trypophobic reactions. Based on the imagery's visual cues, An Trong Dinh Le, Cole and Wilkins developed a symptom questionnaire that they believe can be used to identify trypophobia.  Researchers have also speculated that trypophobic reactions could be perceived as cues to infectious disease, which could be alerts that give one a survival advantage. In a study by Kupfer and Le, trypophobic and non-trypophobic participants showed significant aversion to disease-relevant cluster images, but only trypophobic participants displayed significant aversion to disease-irrelevant cluster images. Martínez-Aguayo "et al." stated that, because the reactions could not be attributed to different sensitivity levels or neuroticism differences, Kupfer and Le believe it supports their hypothesis that trypophobia is "an overgeneralized aversion towards cluster stimuli that indicates a parasitic and infectious disease threat". Yamada and Sasaki also propose that trypophobic reactions are due to the imagery's visual similarities to skin diseases.  Whether trypophobia is associated with obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) has also been studied. A significant minority of those with trypophobia meet the DSM-5 criteria for obsessive–compulsive disorder. Martínez-Aguayo "et al." stated that other findings refer to trypophobia having common comorbid psychiatric diagnosis, such as major depressive disorder or generalized anxiety disorder, although Le "et al." felt that general anxiety does not cause trypophobia.

Treatment.

There are no known treatments for trypophobia, but exposure therapy, which has been used to treat phobias, is likely to be effective for treating trypophobia.

Epidemiology.

The extent to which trypophobia exists is unknown, but the available data suggests that having an aversion to trypophobic imagery is relatively common. 16% of a sample of 286 participants in a 2013 study reported discomfort or repulsion when presented with an image of a lotus seed pod and its authors found that non-trypophobic individuals also experienced more discomfort when viewing trypophobic imagery than when viewing neutral images. Trypophobia appears to be more prevalent in women.

Society and culture.

The term "trypophobia" is believed to have been coined by a participant in an online forum in 2005. The word is from the, ', meaning "hole" and, ', meaning "fear". Groups on social media sites such as Facebook and Instagram exist for self-identified trypophobics to share and discuss images that they say induce the reaction.  Because trypophobia is not well known to the general public, many people with the condition do not know the name for it and believe that they are alone in their trypophobic reactions and thoughts until they find an online community to share them with. This has led to an increase in trypophobic images on social media; in some cases, people seek to intentionally induce trypophobia in those who have it by showing them trypophobic images, with the most trypophobic-inducing images being holes and clusters (especially the lotus seedhead) photoshopped onto human skin. Cole and Wilkins also stated that the level of disgust with trypophobia increases if the holes are on human skin. Writing in "Popular Science", Jennifer Abbasi argues that emotional contagion within such social media groups may be responsible for some of the aversive reactions to such images.  In 2017, trypophobia received media attention when "American Horror Story" featured a trypophobic character and trypophobia-inducing advertisements promoting the storyline; some people were disturbed by the imagery, and criticized the show for "insensitivity towards sufferers of trypophobia". Although there was sentiment that the increased media attention could lead to people trying to induce trypophobia, there were also opinions that it might help people understand trypophobia and encourage more research on the matter. Some users responded to the September 2019 release of Apple's iPhone 11 Pro, which features three closely spaced camera lenses, with comments that it triggered their trypophobia.  Writer and editor Kathleen McAuliffe suggested that trypophobia is yet to be extensively studied because researchers have not given as much attention to topics of disgust as they have to other areas of research, and because of the revulsion viewing the images could incite in researchers.

Trypophobia is an aversion to the sight of irregular patterns or clusters of small holes or bumps. It is not officially recognized as a mental disorder, but may be diagnosed as a specific phobia if excessive fear and distress occur. People may express only disgust to trypophobic imagery.

La trypophobie est un trouble proche de la phobie, associé à la vision d'un groupe de trous. Elle peut concerner par exemple la vision de nids d’abeilles, d'une tête du lotus avec ses graines ou encore d'une plaque de chocolat soufflé. Elle peut se manifester par de l’anxiété, des démangeaisons ou la chair de poule, et la nausée. La trypophobie n'est pas une phobie au sens médical.


Club career.

Shamrock Rovers.

Mooney joined Shamrock Rovers, his first senior club, in 2000, while he was a pupil in Coláiste Éanna, in Dublin. and scored in every round when Rovers' won the U17 All Ireland title against Kingdom Boys in 2002. He made his first team debut coming on as a sub against Longford Town on 6 April 2004. His first goal came on 24 June 2004 against the doomed Dublin City. In his fifteen months in the first team he scored nine goals in 40 total appearances.  Due to Rovers' financial position at the time players had to be sold on and Mooney moved to Longford. His last game in the Hoops was against Cork City on 22 July 2005.

Longford Town.

He made his Longford debut on 6 August 2005 in a 1–0 win over Bohemians. His scoring return of 19 goals in the 2007 League of Ireland Premier Division season ensured he was top scorer in the league. Mooney's goals also led Longford Town to the final of the FAI Cup. However, despite Mooney's heroics throughout the season Longford Town were relegated to the League of Ireland First Division, albeit with a six-point deduction, and lost the FAI Cup final to Cork City.  His excellent form throughout the season did not go un-noticed and he was nominated for the PFAI Player of the Year and won the FAI Player of the Year as well as the Player of the Month award for August 2007.

Cork City.

After Mooney's spectacular form throughout the 2007 League of Ireland season it was obvious that he would be playing somewhere else than First Division football in Flancare Park. He had been linked with a move to the Football League next season with Football League Championship sides Crystal Palace and Colchester United reportedly interested in signing the striker. Representatives from Premier League side Fulham were said to have been in attendance at the FAI Cup final, and Leeds United manager Dennis Wise had also watched Mooney in action.  However, Mooney promised to follow his manager Alan Mathews down south if he was to stay in Ireland. He had been offered a contract by English Premiership side Blackburn Rovers, but instead signed a longer three-year contract with perennial title challengers Cork City in January 2008 thus ending two and a half years in the midlands.  Mooney was a revelation in his only season with Cork City, racing to the top of the goalscoring charts again. He was widely regarded as one of the best players in the league. A particularly impressive showing against Derry City at The Brandywell saw Mooney score twice in a minute to bring the game (which Derry had dominated) level at 2–2, and come close to completing his hat-trick just moments later with a speculative 30-yard effort that came back off an upright (a spectacular goal from Denis Behan eventually gave Cork all three points). Before European football came to Turner's Cross midway through the season, Mooney had scored 18 goals in total, and broken his teammate Behan's record for a scoring run by netting 11 goals in six matches. He then scored on his European debut, in a 2–2 UEFA Cup draw with Finnish side FC Haka.

Reading.

However, Mooney would only last another month at Cork City. It was revealed on 12 August 2008 that the club was in debt to the region of €800,000. However, this was not the only reason. Mooney's season was similar to Roy O'Donovan's the season before. Already top of the goalscoring charts, Mooney had attracted renewed interest from England. One of the clubs was Reading. On 20 August, he signed for them for a fee believed to be in the region of €260,000. Mooney was given squad number 12.  Mooney made his Reading debut in the League Cup, coming on as a substitute against Luton Town. He then made an extra time appearance in a League Cup penalty shootout defeat against Stoke City.  Mooney scored his first Reading goals on his full debut for the club, scoring twice at home to Burton Albion in a first round League Cup tie on 11 August 2009.

Loan to Norwich City.

Mooney had a loan spell (cut short by injury) with League One side Stockport County midway through the 2008–09 season, but in March 2009, he moved on a month's loan to Championship strugglers Norwich City. He scored twice in his first three appearances for the Canaries, including the opener in a 2–0 win over Cardiff City and the only goal of the game against fellow relegation candidates Plymouth Argyle. As a result, Mooney's loan spell at Carrow Road was extended until the end of the season. Although he would eventually total three goals in nine league games for the club, his contribution would not be enough to prevent Norwich from being relegated.  Due to the different time-frame of the League of Ireland season, the end of the 2008–09 campaign brought Mooney his first break from playing and training since March 2008.

Charlton Athletic.

On 16 October 2009 it was announced that Mooney would be joining League One side Charlton Athletic on an emergency loan until 1 December. He made his first team debut the next day, coming on as a late substitute in Charlton's 2–1 victory against Huddersfield Town at The Valley. After two more appearances as a substitute, Mooney was handed his first league start for the club against MK Dons at The Valley on 14 November, and scored an equalising goal in the 13th minute to set the Addicks on their way to a 5–1 victory over their promotion rivals. He opened his side's account again in a 4–2 home win over Bristol Rovers on 24 November, prompting Charlton manager Phil Parkinson to extend Mooney's loan deal with the club for another four weeks, until 28 December.  Having played a part in three of his side's goals, Mooney sustained a knee injury in the club's 4–4 draw against arch-rivals Millwall on 19 December, which saw him out of action for the rest of 2009. He returned to Reading at the end of the year, only to re-join Charlton again on 14 January in a new loan deal set to run until 11 February. However, on 28 January, Mooney's loan was extended until the end of the season.  Mooney finished with six goals from a total of 31 appearances for the Addicks, with one goal coming on his last appearance for the club, a League One play-off semi-final defeat (Charlton had won 2–1 on the night, but lost the tie after a penalty shoot-out) against Swindon Town.

Loan to Colchester United.

On 5 August 2010 it was announced that Mooney would be joining League One side Colchester United on loan until 3 January 2011. He came on as a substitute in the U's first league game of the season, a 2–2 draw at Exeter City. Mooney then scored twice on his full debut for the club, with a pair of first half goals in a 3–0 League Cup win over Hereford United. He scored his first league goal for Colchester in a 1–1 draw at home to Carlisle United on 27 August.  Mooney scored twice on his first appearance in the FA Cup, a 4–3 first round win over Bradford City on 6 November.  Mooney initially had a loan deal which ran until 6 January, but decided to return to Colchester United for the remainder of 2010/2011 season. He finished as the club's top scorer with 14 goals in all competitions as they finished in 10th place in League One. With his Reading contract expiring in June 2011, Mooney became a free agent. However, in July 2011, it was reported, after some speculation, that Mooney would not be returning to the U's on a permanent basis.

Leyton Orient.

On 23 July 2011, Mooney signed his first permanent contract since 2008, a two-year deal with League One side Leyton Orient, where he linked up with former Norwich City teammate Jamie Cureton. He scored his first goal for the club in a League Cup game against Bristol Rovers, following it with a goal against Blackburn Rovers in the next round. Mooney then scored his first two league goals, away at Yeovil Town on 25 October, as the game ended 2–2.  Mooney would go on to tally 21 goals in his first two years at the club. On 21 June 2013, it was announced that Mooney had signed a new two-year contract with Leyton Orient, with manager Russell Slade hailing him as intrinsic to the way that Leyton Orient play. He started the 2013–14 season with aplomb, scoring eight goals in the first 10 games of the League One season.

Southend United.

On 3 July 2015 Mooney signed a two-year deal with League One side Southend United, moving on a free transfer. Mooney scored his first goal for Southend, a penalty, against Coventry City on 31 August 2015. He re-signed for Leyton Orient on 30 June 2017.

David Mooney (born 30 October 1984) is an Irish footballer who plays as a striker for Leinster Senior League side Lucan United.

David 'Dave' Mooney, né le à Dublin en Irlande, est un footballeur irlandais. Après avoir débuté sa carrière dans le championnat irlandais où il a été le meilleur buteur du championnat en 2007 et 2008, il joue dans le championnat professionnel anglais de deuxième et troisième division.


Discovery and naming.

"Caipirasuchus" was first named by Fabiano V. Iori and Ismar S. Carvalho in 2011 and the type species is "C. paulistanus". The generic name is derived from Portuguese word Caipira which refers to the rural inhabitants of the Brazilian states, covering almost all of the Bauru Basin, and Greek "souchus" meaning "crocodile". The specific name is derived from "paulista", the designation for the residents of São Paulo State, where the holotype was found.  "C. paulistanus" is known only from the holotype specimen MPMA 67-0001/00, an almost complete and undeformed skull and mandible with teeth (only three teeth are missing) and partial postcranium from a single individual. It was found on the São Francisco Farm, in Homem de Mello, the rural area of Monte Alto County of northern São Paulo. It was collected from the Adamantina Formation of the Bauru Basin, which dates to the Turonian and Santonian stages of the Late Cretaceous.  A second species, "C. montealtensis", was named by Marco Brandalise de Andrade and Reinaldo J. Bertini in 2008 as a species of the closely related notosuchian genus "Sphagesaurus", on the basis of MPMA 15-001/90, a nearly complete skull and mandible preserved in occlusion. It was collected from the Bairro Cachoeira locality at the base of the Serra da Água Limpa, about 8 km northwest of Monte Alto, from the Adamantina Formation. In 2013, this specimen was reassigned to "Caipirasuchus" on the basis of a newly discovered specimen referrable to it. MPMA 68-0003/12 consists of a nearly complete cranium and mandible, and a posterior portion of the post-cranium. It was discovered in the municipality of Catanduva, northern São Paulo, from the Adamantina Formation. At least five synapomorphies unite the species, and a phylogenetic analysis found them to be sister taxa.

Description.

"C. paulistanus" has about ten autapomorphies or unique characteristics. The external naris (the nostril opening in the skull) is bordered only by the premaxillae bones. Each premaxilla has four teeth set into it. There is a gap called a diastema in the premaxillary tooth row, and a diastema in between the premaxillary and maxillary teeth. The dentary bone of the lower jaw has ten teeth on either side, with two diastemata separating them. The forward-most teeth are suited for capturing food, while the back teeth are adapted for food processing. The palatine bone in the roof of the mouth connects to the maxilla bone of the snout by a region of bone called the cuneiform process. "Caipirasuchus" also has large pterygoid and ectopterygoid bones and a well-developed hole in front of the eye sockets called the antorbital fenestra.

Caipirasuchus is an extinct genus of sphagesaurid notosuchians known from the Late Cretaceous of northern São Paulo State, southeastern Brazil. The type species, "C. paulistanus", was named in 2011. A second species, "C. montealtensis", was referred to "Caipirasuchus" in 2013 after having been named in 2008 as a species of "Sphagesaurus". A third species, "C. stenognathus", was described in 2014. A fourth species, "C. minerius", was described in 2018.

Caipirasuchus est un genre éteint de crocodyliformes, un clade qui comprend les crocodiliens modernes et leurs plus proches parents fossiles. Il est rattaché à la famille des Sphagesauridae au sein du clade des Ziphosuchia du sous-ordre des Notosuchia (ou notosuchiens en français). Il a vécu à la fin du Crétacé supérieur au Brésil.


Composition.

The intestinal mucosal barrier is a heterogeneous entity composed of physical, biochemical, and immune elements elaborated by the intestinal mucosa. The central component is the intestinal epithelial layer, which provides physical separation between the lumen and the body. The secretion of various molecules into the lumen reinforces the barrier function on the extra-epithelial side, while a variety of immune cells provide additional protection below the epithelial layer.

Physical elements.

Mucus layer(s).

Mucus forms a layer (or layers, in the case of the colon) that separates the bulk of the luminal contents from the intestinal epithelium. The mucus consists of a highly glycosylated hydrated gel formed by mucin molecules that are secreted by goblet cells. The mucus prevents large particles from contacting the epithelial cell layer while allowing small molecules to pass. The mucus also facilitates passage of the luminal contents along the length of the intestines, protects the epithelial cells from digestive enzymes, and prevents the direct contact of microorganisms with the epithelial layer.

The intestinal epithelium.

The intestinal epithelium is the foremost component of the intestinal mucosal barrier. It consists of the layer of epithelial cells lining the intestine. Crucial for forming an effective barrier is the precise control of the paracellular pathway (a route for translocation of molecules between cells). Sealing of the space between adjacent cells is mediated by junctional complexes formed by protein connections elaborated by each individual cell. In addition to its protective function, the intestinal epithelium controls the selective uptake of beneficial ions, nutrients, and other substances from the lumen into the body.

Microbiota.

The commensal microbial species that inhabit the gut are considered by some to be part of the intestinal mucosal barrier. The microbiota can influence barrier function both directly, by stimulating epithelial cell proliferation and secretion of IL-8, and indirectly by producing short-chain fatty acids, which are an important energy source for colonic epithelial cells.

Biochemical elements.

Bile and gastric acid.

The bile produced by the liver to aid in the digestion of lipids has bactericidal properties. The gastric acid produced by the stomach can also kill microorganisms. Both contribute to intestinal barrier function although they are not produced by the intestinal mucosa.

Defensins.

Specialised secretory epithelial cells called Paneth cells secrete abundant quantities human α-defensins into the intestinal lumen of healthy individuals.

Lysozyme.

Lysozyme is another defensive molecule secreted by Paneth cells into the lumen.

Regenerating islet-derived protein 3 gamma (Reg3γ).

Reg3γ is an antibacterial lectin secreted by Paneth cells that serves to prevent microorganisms from coming into contact with the epithelial layer.

Immunological elements.

Antimicrobial peptides.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), which are a diverse array of molecules that kill bacteria and fungi, are secreted by Paneth cells into the lumen.

Secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA ).

Secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) is produced by plasma cells in the lamina propria and transported into the lumen by intestinal epithelial cells. SIgA blocks epithelial-specific receptors on pathogens, thereby preventing their attachment to epithelial cells.

Cellular immunity.

A variety of immune cells reside in the lamina propria which underlies the intestinal epithelium. These include dendritic cells (DCs), macrophages, intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL), T regulatory cells (T Regs), TCD4+ lymphocytes, B lymphocytes, and plasma cells. This population provides immune protection that is characterised by the rapid detection and killing of microorganisms that penetrate the intestinal epithelium.

Physiology.

Intestinal barrier integrity is malleable and multiple mechanisms have been shown to be capable of modulating intestinal permeability (a measure of intestinal barrier function). Modulating factors include cytokines, immune cells, and exogenous factors.

Measurement.

Intestinal permeability is a measurement of intestinal mucosal barrier function and is defined as "the facility with which intestinal epithelium allows molecules to pass through by non-mediated passive diffusion." Permeability in this respect is mostly related to the measurable passage of ions and small inert molecules. Standard methods for measurement include tissue electrical resistance for in vitro testing and passage of ingested inert molecules of specific molecular weights into the urine for in vivo testing. For example, in vivo testing using lactulose / mannitol consists of ingesting 5 g lactulose and 2 g mannitol followed by determination of urinary concentrations of lactulose and mannitol 5 hours after ingestion. The percentage lactulose excretion and the lactulose mannitol ratio in the urine are calculated and used as a measure of intestinal permeability.

Endogenous regulators.

Cytokines  Immune cells  Exogenous regulators

Clinical significance.

A disrupted intestinal mucosal barrier can allow passage of microbes, microbial products, and foreign antigens into the mucosa and the body proper. This can result in activation of the immune system and secretion of inflammatory mediators. Certain immune responses might, in turn, cause cellular damage that could result in further barrier dysfunction. Defects in intestinal mucosal barrier function with the accompanying translocation of microbes and their products have been linked with a variety of conditions, some of which are thought to additionally require a genetic predisposition. Both intestinal and extra-intestinal autoimmune disorders can result. Intestinal barrier dysfunction is thought to be precondition for and exacerbating factor of numerous autoimmune and inflammatory conditions, including food allergies, inflammatory bowel diseases, celiac disease and diabetes.

Food allergies.

Intestinal barrier dysfunction may be a critical factor for antigen sensitisations and the IgE/mast cell-mediated anaphylactic effector phase of food allergies. The development of food allergies depend on the antigen coming into contact with components of the mucosal immune system. This leads to antigen sensitisation and dietary antigen-specific CD4+ Th2 cell and IgE production. The hypothesis is that intestinal barrier dysfunction allows dietary antigens to cross the intestinal barrier, come into contact with the mucosal immune system, and trigger an antigen-specific immune response.  Reduced intestinal barrier function correlates with the severity of symptoms experienced by food allergy sufferers. Oral challenge with the implicated allergen results in an increased lactulose/mannitol ratio in the urine (a measure of intestinal permeability).

Inflammatory bowel disease.

An emerging model of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) pathogenesis postulates three prerequisite factors: 1) degradation of intestinal barrier function, 2) translocation of luminal contents into the lamina propria and subsequent exposure to immune cells, and 3) an inappropriate immune response. Although intestinal barrier dysfunction is clearly implicated in the development of inflammatory bowel disease, it is unclear what initiates the self-perpetuating cycle that leads to disease exacerbation. Nevertheless, there is a growing body of evidence that implicates increased intestinal permeability as a primary etiologic factor of inflammatory bowel disease pathogenesis.

Celiac disease.

Altered intestinal barrier function may play a role in the development of celiac disease. By allowing gliadin, the causative agent of celiac disease, to cross the intestinal barrier, inappropriate activation of the immune system can occur. Celiac disease sufferers have been shown to have elevated intestinal permeability and altered tight junctions. Moreover, these disruptions persist in patients who successfully maintain a gluten-free diet. Data also exist demonstrating that increased intestinal permeability is present prior to onset of celiac disease.

Type 1 diabetes.

A combination of genetics, dysregulated intestinal barrier function, and inappropriate immune responses has been hypothesised to play a role in type 1 diabetes. Elevated intestinal permeability has been reported observed in patients at disease onset. The resulting increase in exposure to antigens can trigger autoimmune destruction of beta cells in the pancreas.

Other conditions.

Defects in intestinal mucosal barrier function have also been implicated in irritable bowel syndrome, metabolic syndrome, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and septic shock.

Stress.

Psychological and physical stress can induce a variety of alterations in intestinal function. These include changes in gut motility, intestinal permeability, ion flux, fluid balance and mucus secretion. Furthermore, acute and chronic stress in animal models has shown that stress can cause degradation of intestinal barrier function. Psychological stress can influence the clinical outcome of inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome. Long-term stress has been shown to be positively associated with an increased propensity for relapse of ulcerative colitis.

History.

Cummings adopted the term mucosal barrier in 2004 to describe the "complex structure that separates the internal milieu from the luminal environment." More recently, intestinal barrier has been used by gastroenterologists, immunologists and microbiologists to emphasise the component of the intestine that protects the body from microorganisms and their toxins.

The intestinal mucosal barrier, also referred to as intestinal barrier, refers to the property of the intestinal mucosa that ensures adequate containment of undesirable luminal contents within the intestine while preserving the ability to absorb nutrients. The separation it provides between the body and the gut prevents the uncontrolled translocation of luminal contents into the body proper. Its role in protecting the mucosal tissues and circulatory system from exposure to pro-inflammatory molecules, such as microorganisms, toxins, and antigens is vital for the maintenance of health and well-being. Intestinal mucosal barrier dysfunction has been implicated in numerous health conditions such as: food allergies, microbial infections, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, metabolic syndrome, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, diabetes, and septic shock.

La barrière muqueuse intestinale, également appelée barrière intestinale, fait référence à la propriété de la muqueuse intestinale qui assure un confinement adéquat du contenu luminal indésirable dans l'intestin tout en préservant la capacité d'absorber les nutriments. La séparation entre le corps et les intestins empêche la translocation incontrôlée du contenu luminal dans le corps proprement dit. Son rôle dans la protection des tissus muqueux et du système circulatoire contre l'exposition à des molécules pro-inflammatoires, telles que des micro-organismes, des toxines et des antigènes est essentiel pour le maintien de la santé et du bien-être. La dysfonction de la barrière muqueuse intestinale a été impliquée dans de nombreuses pathologies telles que: allergies alimentaires, infections microbiennes, syndrome du côlon irritable, maladie intestinale inflammatoire, maladie cœliaque, syndrome métabolique, stéatose hépatique non alcoolique, diabète et choc septique.


Background.

Since 2014, large parts of Idlib Governorate, including Idlib City, in Northwest Syria have been largely in the military control of the al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front which would later go on to form Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) along with five other groups, who have been at war with other rebel fighters, including the Free Syrian Army, and with the Syrian opposition more generally. HTS does not recognise the authority of the official opposition leadership, the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, or its recognised government, the Syrian Interim Government. However, HTS generally removed itself from the day to day governance of territories it held, leading to a form of dual power in which civil administration was carried out by co-operatively-run local councils. Throughout 2017, HTS had been engaged in particularly intense armed conflict with rival rebel groups - see Idlib Governorate clashes (January–March 2017) and Idlib Governorate clashes (July 2017).

History.

The General Syrian Conference, held in Idlib in September 2017, was a continuation of the Civil Administration Initiative in opposition-controlled areas, held at the end of August 2017 in Idlib.  The General Conference, concluded on 11 September 2017, formed a constituent assembly and named a new prime minister. The Syrian Interim Government rejected the outcome of the conference; its president, Jawad Abu Hatab, called it “a declaration of the “Idlibstan” project. The Syrian Democratic Forces in Qamishli and Afrin also rejected it. Conference participants agreed upon “Islamic law as the only source of legislation", "the need to preserve the identity of the Syrian Muslim people”, “the overthrow of the illegal regime with all its symbols and pillars and holding it accountable for its committed crimes, as well as liberating the Syrian territory from all the occupying forces, extending security and spreading justice in the liberated areas”.  The move was seen as part of an attempt by Tahrir al-Sham to impose its control on the region. Riad al-Asaad's attendance at the conference was controversial. Riad al-Asaad said that “Tahrir al-Sham has previously declared that it will be dissolve itself, which is an external and internal demand”, and that HTS “did not attend the conference and we did not communicate with them after it ended, either”. However, the Hawar Kilis Operations Room, part of the Syrian National Army, condemned Riad al-Asaad and accused him of conspiring with Al-Qaida.  In early November 2017, the General Conference formed the Syrian Salvation Government. There followed weeks of conflict between the new government and the Syrian Interim Government (SIG), with reports of HTS unilaterally disbanding several SIG-supported local councils across northwestern Syria.  On 12 December 2017, the Syrian Salvation Government issued a warning that called for the Syrian Interim Government to evacuate their offices from opposition-controlled areas in 72 hours. There were reports that some SIG-run local councils had already been closed, and replaced by SSG-loyal alternatives, but others said they would not vacate their offices.  On 6 January 2018, the Salvation Government declared control over the SIG-initiated Free Aleppo University, and closed several faculties in al-Dana and Sarmada, north of Idlib, where almost 4,000 students study. This resulted in protests by students and lecturers of the university against the group.  On 11 March 2018, Russian planes reportedly fired a missile on the SSG Ministry of Justice east of Idlib city.  On 29 January 2019, a female suicide bomber accused by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham of being linked to ISIL attacked the headquarters of the Salvation Government. After fighting guards outside the facility for several minutes, she blew herself up, wounding a number of people. Two days later ISIL denied they were responsible for the attack, using their media outlet Amaq News Agency.

Structure.

The domestic group has appointed Mohammed al-Sheikh as head of the Government with 11 more ministers for Interior, Justice, Endowment, Higher Education, Education, Health, Agriculture, Economy, Social Affairs and Displaced, Housing and Reconstruction and Local Administration and Services. Al-Sheikh, in a press conference held at the Bab al-Hawa Border Crossing has also announced the formation of four commissions: Inspection Authority, Prisoners and missing Affairs, Planning and Statistics Authority, and the Union of Trade Unions. The founder of the Free Syrian Army, Col. Riad al-Asaad, was appointed as deputy prime minister for military affairs.

The Syrian Salvation Government is a de facto alternative government of the Syrian Opposition, seated within Idlib Governorate. The General Conference, concluded on 11 September 2017, formed a constituent assembly and named a new prime minister. In early November 2017, the General Conference formed the Syrian Salvation Government. There followed weeks of conflict between the new oppositional government and the Syrian Interim Government (SIG), with reports of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, former al-Qaeda/al-Nusra) unilaterally disbanding several SIG-supported local councils across northwestern Syria. The Salvation Government is seen as illegitimate by the opposition's main Syrian Interim Government.

Le Gouvernement de salut syrien () est une administration locale de l'opposition syrienne fondée le dans le gouvernorat d'Idleb. Elle est active dans les zones contrôlées par le groupe djihadiste Hayat Tahrir al-Cham.


History.

In the Royal Academy exhibition catalogue Hunt wrote that "the scene was painted at Oosdoom, on the margin of the salt-encrusted shallows of the Dead Sea. The mountains beyond are those of Edom." He painted most of the work on location in 1854, but completed the work in London in the following year, adding some touches in 1856 before its exhibition at the academy.  The painting was the only major work completed by Hunt during his first trip to the Holy Land, to which he had travelled after a crisis of religious faith. Hunt intended to experience the actual locations of the Biblical narratives as a means to confront the relationship between faith and truth. While in Jerusalem, Hunt had met Henry Wentworth Monk, a millenarian prophet who had distinctive theories about the meaning of the scapegoat and the proximity of the Last Judgement. Monk was particularly preoccupied with Christian Zionism.  Hunt chose a subject derived from the Torah as part of a project to convert Jews to Christianity. He believed that Judaic views of the scapegoat were consistent with the Christian conception of the Messiah as a suffering figure. He wrote to his friend Millais, "I am sanguine that [the Scapegoat] may be a means of leading any reflecting Jew to see a reference to the Messiah as he was, and not as they understand, a temporal King."  The Book of Leviticus describes a "scapegoat" which must be ritually expelled from the flocks of the Israelite tribes as part of a sacrificial ritual of cleansing. In line with traditional Christian theology, Hunt believed that the scapegoat was a prototype for the redemptive sacrifice of Jesus, and that the goat represented that aspect of the Messiah described in Isaiah as a "suffering servant" of God. Hunt had the picture framed with the quotations "Surely he hath borne our Griefs and carried our Sorrows; Yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of GOD and afflicted." (Isaiah 53:4) and "And the Goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a Land not inhabited." (Leviticus 16:22)

Critical reception.

The reaction to the painting was not as Hunt expected. In his autobiography "Pre-Raphaelitism and the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood", Hunt relates the first reaction to the painting by art dealer Ernest Gambart:  Dante Gabriel Rossetti, in a letter to William Allingham in 1856, called the painting "a grand thing, but not for the public". Ford Madox Brown wrote in his diary: "Hunt's "Scapegoat" requires to be seen to be believed in. Only then can it be understood how, by the might of genius, out of an old goat, and some saline encrustations, can be made one of the most tragic and impressive works in the annals of art.". Ernest Gambart, as related by Hunt, was less enthusiastic, and was later to remark: "I wanted a nice religious picture and he painted me a great goat." "The Art Journal" in 1860, at the time of the exhibition of Hunt's later work "The Finding of the Saviour in the Temple", was to characterise the painting as "having disappointed even his warmest admirers".  At the time of the exhibition of "The Scapegoat" itself, in 1856, "The Art Journal" questioned Hunt's eye for colour in the painting, casting doubt that the mountains of Edom, seen in the background, really were in actual appearance as painted – which Matthew Dennison, writing in "The Spectator" in 2008 described the Manchester version as "Day-Glo striations of lilac, crimson and egg-yolk yellow". Dennison suggests the possibility that Hunt was painting the scene from memory, when he was finishing the painting in London after he had returned from his trip to the Dead Sea, and mis-remembered it. Hunt's own description of the landscape that he painted is that "never was so extraordinary a scene of beautifully arranged horrible wilderness. It is black, full of asphalte scum and in the hand slimy, and smarting as a sting – No one can stand and say that it is not accursed of God." Art critic Peter Fuller, in 1989, described the landscape of the painting as "a terrible image [...] of the world as a god-forsaken wasteland, a heap of broken images where the sun beats".

The Scapegoat (1854–1856) is a painting by William Holman Hunt which depicts the "scapegoat" described in the Book of Leviticus. On the Day of Atonement, a goat would have its horns wrapped with a red cloth – representing the sins of the community – and be driven off.

Le Bouc émissaire (1854-1856) est un tableau de William Holman Hunt qui représente le « bouc émissaire » décrit dans le Lévitique. Le jour des propitiations, une chèvre aurait ses cornes enveloppées d'un drap rouge - représentant les péchés de la communauté - et serait chassée.


Dublin North-West (circonscription du Dáil)

History and boundaries.

It was first created for the 1921 general election, but abolished for the 1923 general election. It was recreated for the 1937 general election when the old Dublin North constituency was divided into Dublin North-West and Dublin North-East. The constituency was briefly abolished in 1977, under the Electoral (Amendment) Act 1974, with most of the constituency going to the new constituency of Dublin Finglas with a smaller but significant portion going to a new Dublin Cabra constituency. Dublin North-West was then re-created in 1981.  It is located in the north-western area of Dublin city. The constituency is overwhelmingly urban; it encompasses Ballymun, Finglas and parts of Glasnevin (Ballygall) in the electoral area of Dublin City Council, together with the Santry area of Fingal County Council and the area of Whitehall to the west of Swords Road. The constituency gained some extra territory at the 2007 general election; these were parts of the existing Dublin North-Central constituency, and the Dunsink and Scribblestown areas from the Dublin West constituency.  The Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Act 2017 defines the constituency as:

Election results.

1952 by-election.

Following the death of Independent TD A. P. Byrne, a by-election was held on 12 November 1952. The seat was won by Independent candidate Thomas Byrne, brother of the deceased TD. The surplus votes of the elected candidate were distributed after being declared elected because there was a possibility another candidate could have reached the threshold of a third of a quota which would have meant their election deposit was returned to them.

1945 by-election.

Following the resignation of Fianna Fáil TD Seán T. O'Kelly on his election as President of Ireland, a by-election was held on 4 December 1945. The seat was won by Vivion de Valera, son of the Taoiseach Éamon de Valera.

Dublin North-West is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 3 deputies (Teachtaí Dála, commonly known as TDs). The method of election is the single transferable vote form of proportional representation (PR-STV).

Dublin North-West est une circonscription électorale irlandaise. Elle permet d'élire des membres du "Dáil Éireann", la chambre basse de l"Oireachtas", le parlement d'Irlande. L'élection se fait suivant un scrutin proportionnel plurinominal avec scrutin à vote unique transférable.


Early life and education.

Furniss was born in Sheffield on 14 March 1957. She is the daughter of a Sheffield steel worker. She was educated at the Chaucer School, Sheffield, and graduated from Leeds Metropolitan University with a BA in Library and Information Studies as a mature student in 1998. After leaving school, she working as a librarian and went on to work as an administrator at the Northern General Hospital.

Political career.

Sheffield City Council.

Furniss unsuccessfully stood as the Labour Party candidate in the Hillsborough Ward in 1998. She was subsequently elected in the Manor ward in 1999 and re-elected in 2003. With the introduction of new ward boundaries for the 2004 Sheffield City Council election, she was elected to represent Southey ward. She was re-elected in 2006, 2010 and 2014 before standing down in 2016.

Member of Parliament.

Furniss stood unsuccessfully as the Labour Party candidate for Sheffield Hallam in the 2001 General Election, finishing in third place.  She is the widow of Harry Harpham, former MP for Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough, who employed her as a part-time researcher after his election in the 2015 General Election.  After her husband's death in February 2016, she was selected as the Labour candidate at the Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough by-election which was held on 5 May 2016. She won the by-election with an increased share of the vote and a majority of 9,590 (42.5%) over the second-placed candidate representing UKIP. She was re-elected at the 2017 General Election and the 2019 General Election.  In Parliament, Furniss has served on the Women and Equalities Committee.

Opposition Frontbench.

In October 2016 Furniss was appointed as Shadow Minister (Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) (Steel, Postal Affairs and Consumer Protection). Following the election of Keir Starmer as Labour leader, she was re-appointed to the front bench as Shadow Minister for Women and Equality in April 2020.

Policies and Views.

Labour Leadership Elections.

As a councillor, in 2015 Furniss endorsed Andy Burnham in the Labour leadership contest  As an MP, in 2016 Furniss reportedly voted against a motion of no confidence by the Parliamentary Labour Party in the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn.

Gillian Furniss (born 14 March 1957) is a British Labour Party politician. She has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough since winning the seat at a by-election in 2016.

Gillian Furniss (née le ) est une femme politique du Parti travailliste britannique et députée de Sheffield Brightside et Hillsborough.


History.

Egosoft was founded in Würselen by Bernd Lehahn in 1988, making it one of the oldest active video game companies in Germany, alongside Blue Byte, as of June 2017.  In 2000, Egosoft planned a multiplayer online game called "Online Universe" or "X Online". This project was intended to be "the next step in the evolution of Egosoft's X universe." Egosoft has since released a number of games, yet has given little indication of the progress of this project. In 2003, Egosoft staff were working on a later version—codenamed "X2OL"—which Egosoft chief executive officer Bernd Lehahn described as their "long-term goal." There is still no official information on the "Online Universe", though there has been speculation that X2 and X3's 2007 may be a positive spin-off of the project.  In late 2009, Egosoft announced that "Terran Conflict" completed the story started in "X: Beyond the Frontier", taken by some to mean the end of the franchise. However, in March 2011 they announced on their X-Universe forums that they would be attending FedCon XX in Düsseldorf on 28 April 2011, and would show preview footage of their current project, previously only referred to by the codename TNBT ("The Next Big Thing"). However, on 20 April 2011, they released a trailer officially announcing "X Rebirth", initially slated for a Q4 2011 release. "X Rebirth" will take place in the X Universe after a major catastrophe (the shutdown of the series' network of, thus starting a new chapter in the X Universe separate from the original plot line. "Rebirth" missed its first two proposed release dates (Q4 2011 and 2012) and was eventually released 15 November 2013.

Egosoft GmbH (formerly Ego Software) is a German video game developer based in Würselen, Germany. The company was founded by Bernd Lehahn in 1988.

Egosoft est une entreprise allemande de développement de jeux vidéo, fondée en 1988 par Bernd Lehahn et siégeant à Würselen.


Background.

Italian belligerence.

The declaration of war by Italy on 10 June 1940 placed the Italian Royal Air Force () astride the traditional British sea route to Indian Ocean ports via the Mediterranean and the Italian Royal Navy () roughly trebled the numbers of battleships, cruisers and submarines available to the Axis against the Royal Navy. The British had held the eastern end of the Mediterranean and France the western end but the defection of France removed the French Navy from the Mediterranean on 25 June 1940. The British-based Force H at Gibraltar and the Mediterranean Fleet at Alexandria. The island of Malta in the central Mediterranean was a base of operations for the British. Italy had invaded Egypt from Italian Libya (, ASI) in September 1940 and Greece in October 1940.

1940–1941.

In early November 1940, the Italian offensive in Greece had been defeated and the Italian battleships, and had been damaged at the Battle of Taranto. The ship losses of the Italian Fleet had made it easier for the British to supply Malta and Greece. The Axis forces involved the Western Desert Campaign were supplied across the Mediterranean by convoys from Italy to the ASI. Tripoli was the main entrepôt of the colony, which had lesser ports to the east, including Benghazi. The normal route for Italian supply deliveries to Libya went about westwards around Sicily and then close to the coast of Tunisia to Tripoli, to avoid interference from British aircraft, ships and submarines based at Malta. In Africa, supplies had to be carried huge distances by road or in small consignments by coaster. The distance from Tripoli to Benghazi was about.

"Unternehmen Sonnenblume".

In early 1941, after Operation Compass, the big British and Commonwealth victory in Egypt and Cyrenaica, the best-equipped units in XIII Corps went to Greece as part of Operation Lustre. Adolf Hitler responded to the Italian disaster with Directive 22 (11 January) ordering "Unternehmen Sonnenblume" (Operation Sunflower), the deployment of a new (DAK) to Libya, as a barrier detachment (). The DAK had fresh troops with better tanks, equipment and air support than the surviving Italian forces in the ASI. The Axis force raided and quickly defeated the British at El Agheila on 24 March and at Mersa el Brega on 31 March, exploited the success and by 15 April, had pushed the British back to the Libyan–Egyptian border at Sollum and besieged Tobruk. Several Axis attempts to seize Tobruk failed and the front line settled on the Egyptian border into November 1941.

Malta.

From 1 June to 31 October 1941, British forces based at Malta sank about of Axis shipping on the African convoy routes, by the navy and by Royal Air Force (RAF) and Fleet Air Arm (FAA) aircraft from Malta and Egypt. Loaded Axis ships sailing to Africa accounted for 90 percent of the losses and Malta-based squadrons were responsible for about 75 percent of ships sunk by aircraft. In October 1941 the British re-established a flotilla of surface ships at Malta (Force K) for the first time since April and a force of Fairey Swordfish torpedo bombers. Italian air reconnaissance discovered the ships on 21 October and cancelled sailings for Tripoli, leaving only the inferior facilities at Benghazi open.

Prelude.

Duisburg (BETA) Convoy operation.

The convoy consisted two German vessels, SS "Duisburg" 7,889 gross register tonnage (GRT) and SS "San Marco" (3,113 GRT) and the Italian MV "Maria" (6,339 GRT), SS "Sagitta" (5,153 GRT) and MV "Rina Corrado" (5,180 GRT), carrying 389 vehicles, of munitions, fuel in barrels and troops for the Italian and German forces in Libya. The tankers "Conte di Misurata" (7,599 GRT) and "Minatitlan" (5,014 GRT) carried of fuel. A powerful escort was to arranged for the convoy operation to counter the British flotilla recently based at Malta.  Close Escort (Captain Ugo Bisciani) [Ship data from O'Hara (2009) unless indicated]  Distant Escort (Vice Admiral Bruno Brivonesi) [Ship data from O'Hara (2009) unless indicated]  The convoy was routed to the east of Malta, since the airfields in Libya were under Axis occupation, rather than the usual west and along the Tunisian coast. The convoy speed was and the distant escort had to sail a zig-zag course at. Brivonesi and were under the impression that the British ships would not be able to attack because they overlooked radar and prepared only for night attacks by aircraft.

Force K.

Force K (Captain William Agnew) consisted of two light cruisers with six 6-inch guns in twin turrets each and two treble 21-inch torpedo tubes. Two destroyers from Force H with four twin 4-inch guns each and two quadruple 21-inch torpedo tubes, joined Force K at Malta. Intended to fight at night, all of the ships were equipped with radar and the cruisers had new searchlights with better performance.

Battle.

7 November.

The Duisburg (BETA) Convoy, the 51st German–Italian sailing since 8 February, departed from Naples on 7 November and Force K sailed the next day, forewarned by the British success in reading Italian cyphers concerning Axis shipping movements in the Mediterranean. A British reconnaissance aircraft was dispatched to "find" the convoy as camouflage.

8/9 November.

Force K made north-east of Malta, with "Aurora" leading the ships in line-ahead. The main convoy was found around midnight about east of Syracuse. There was slight moonlight to the east and the British ships took up position with the moon silhouetting the convoy. Agnew was under instructions to attack the nearest escorts first and then fire on the convoy, dealing with the other escorts as they appeared. The British ships slowed to and the gun crews were ordered to fire steadily, volume of fire being less important than accuracy. As the ships closed with the convoy, radar detected more ships, assumed to be destroyers and escorts but actually the distant escort (). Force K sent an attack signal at which was received by "Trieste" but jamming from "Lively" prevented a warning reaching the convoy; the only ships aware of the attack were away.  Aiming by radar, the British opened fire at about from a range of down to. "Grecale" was hit by the first three salvoes from "Aurora"; "Lance" and the 4-inch secondary armament of "Aurora" bombarded a merchant ship. "Penelope" engaged "Maestrale", the leader of the close escort () and was on target with the first salvoes and "Lively" began to shell the merchant ships three minutes afterwards. At first, the Italians thought that they were under air attack and the wireless mast of "Maestrale" was hit. "Fulmine" attacked but was soon severely damaged by British gunfire, Milano losing an arm but remaining in command until the ship sank. "Grecale" was hit and came to a stop outside torpedo range (later to be towed back to port by "Oriani"). "Euro", undamaged, came within of the British ships but mistook them for "Trieste" and "Trento", aided by the ships not firing on "Euro" and because "Maestrale" had been signalling for Italian ships to rally on the port (far) side of the convoy, leading to Cigala countermanding an order to launch torpedoes. Moments later, British ships opened fire but "Euro" was no longer in a position to attack with torpedoes. Six British shells hit "Euro" but at such short range they passed through without exploding, killing about twenty members of the crew.  The distant escort was on the right hand side of the convoy, steaming twice as fast, zig-zagging to keep station and also thought that the convoy was under air attack. At Brivonesi signalled to "Supermarina" that torpedo bombers were attacking and then sailed for the point where the British ships had first been sighted instead of their current position. When watchmen on "Trieste" saw the arc of shells and ships beginning to burn, the distant escort was about distant at the end of its zig-zag away from the convoy. As the escort closed on the convoy the British ships moved beyond the glare of the fires and became much harder to identify. "Trento" fired star shells, then both "Trieste" and "Trento" opened fire at the British ships at. From the British engaged the Axis merchant ships with shell and torpedo, the ships taking little evasive action. The close escort on the east side of the convoy moved off with "Maestrale" and "Euro" to rally and then attacked again, the Italian salvoes having no effect and the ships then being driven off. The distant escort sighted the British again and fired 207 rounds, managing to straddle some of the British ships. The fires and explosions on the merchant ships obscured the British ships and Brivonesi ordered the distant escort to turn north at to intercept them but made no further contact. Some shells had landed close to British ships as they finished off the convoy but caused only splinter damage to "Lively"'s funnel; by firing has ceased.

9 November.

All of the Axis merchant ships had sunk or been destroyed, along with "Fulmine"; the tanker "Minatlitan", with a cargo of aviation spirit, burned until it sank in the middle of the morning. The British headed at high speed towards Malta at being ineffectively chased by the covering force, reaching harbour at Malta by that afternoon. Force K had sunk about of Axis shipping. The destroyer "Libeccio" was torpedoed by the submarine while rescuing some of the of the BETA Convoy. "Libeccio" was taken in tow by her sister "Euro" but sank after an internal structural collapse. The Italian cruisers were also looking for survivors and managed to evade torpedoes.

Aftermath.

Analysis.

In 1948, Marc' Antonio Bragadin wrote that the battle was a serious Italian defeat, in which individuals had shown exemplary bravery but the escorts had lacked coordination and made mistakes because of the confusion caused by the surprise and speed of the British attack and mistaken identity. The Italians had no answer to the superior British night-fighting equipment and tactics which had revolutionised maritime night fighting. Technical obsolescence made an Italian attempt to counter the British at night a useless sacrifice of crews and ships. Writing in 1957, the British official historian of the Royal Navy, Stephen Roskill, wrote that morale in the suffered greatly after such a formidable escort had failed to prevent the disaster. Next day, Rommel signalled to Berlin that convoys to the ASI has been suspended and that of due in Benghazi, only arrived. In 1960, Ian Playfair, in volume III of "History of the Second World War, "The Mediterranean and Middle East", the official British campaign history, wrote that the destruction of the Duisburg (BETA) Convoy was a severe blow to the Axis forces in Cyrenaica. Some supplies arrived in ships sailing alone or in pairs, more journeys were undertaken by submarine and fuel was carried by warships. Fewer convoys with more escorts and air cover were planned and four convoys sailed on 20 November.  In 2002, Jack Greene and Alessandro Massignani wrote that the German naval, Admiral Werner Löwisch, criticised Italian night fighting training, noting that of his 150 training sessions on the cruiser, 130 had been at night. Italian ships had no night fighting equipment like low-light rangefinders and torpedo boats (escort destroyers in British parlance) could not engage targets further out than. In a report to Berlin, Weichold blamed a lack of training and accused Brivonesi of incompetence. In retrospect the Italians had erred in assuming that a night attack by ships was unlikely; merchant ships should have been instructed to scatter or sail away from an attack. The destroyers on the port side should not have withdrawn but attacked at once without regard for the risk of friendly fire and the distant escort should have estimated the position of Force K instead of heading towards the sighting, attacking the British as they sailed for Malta. Brivonesi was court-martialled and sacked for not attacking (and reinstated on 5 June 1942).  In 2009, Vincent O'Hara wrote that the destruction of the Duisburg (BETA) Convoy was "one of the most brilliant British naval surface victories of the war" in which the British demonstrated better tactical ability, equipment and leadership, combined with luck, surprise and Italian incompetence. The Germans were outraged and wanted to foist German naval officers onto "Supermarina" and even Italian ships. Grand Admiral Erich Raeder told Hitler that  "Supermarina" tried smaller, dispersed and convoys, sailing at the same time, to mislead the British but their code breakers exposed the ruse. When four ships sailed from Naples on 20 November with an escort of heavy and light cruisers, British submarines from Malta torpedoed two cruisers, forcing the convoy to turn back.

The Battle of the Duisburg Convoy, also known as the Battle of the BETA Convoy, was fought on the night of 1941 between an Italian convoy, its escorts and four British ships. The convoy was named "BETA" by the Italian naval authorities and carried supplies for the Italian Army, civilian colonists and the in Italian Libya. The name "Duisburg Convoy" refers to the largest ship.

La bataille du convoi Duisburg, également appelé en Italie bataille du convoi Beta, est un engagement naval entre les navires de guerre italiens et britanniques pendant la campagne de la Méditerranée, l'affrontement s'étant déroulé dans la nuit du 8 au au sud-ouest de la Calabre. Le convoi a été nommé « Beta » par les autorités navales italiennes, mais est communément appelé « convoi Duisburg », nommé d'après le bateau à vapeur allemand "Duisburg", le plus gros navire du convoi.


Criminal (chanson de Natti Natasha et Ozuna)

Background.

"Criminal" was written by Natasha, Ozuna, Jhay Cortez, Rafael Pina, Vicente Saavedra and its producer Haze. Pina, Natasha's manager, sent Ozuna the song after two previously failed collaboration attempts, and Ozuna called it a "home run". Pina recalled, "After several months of trying to bring up the song, there was always a situation that would have discouraged anybody but, unlike me, I never got up with a 'no' in my head and continued without anything or anyone stopping me." Natasha regards "Criminal" as her second chance at a career in music and her first solo release where she had sufficient record label support. Regarding the writing process, she said: "To me, it's such a special song because I had the opportunity to write my part of the lyrics and I just really loved it. When Ozuna agreed, I was extremely excited and for some reason, I knew people were going to love it as much as we did."  It is a reggaeton song with drum programming and forceful bass patterns indebted to the dancehall genre.

Music video.

The accompanying music video was directed by Venezuelan director Nuno Gómes. It was filmed at a deactivated women's prison in Vega Alta, Puerto Rico in April 2017 and inspired by the music video for Lady Gaga's "Telephone". A storm hit Vega Alta a day before the video shoot, resulting in trucks getting stuck in mud and the video wardrobe getting wet. Gómes called it the worst filming day of his career. Filming took nearly 20 hours. Fashion designer Nelson Tavárez chose bold ensembles for Natasha's wardrobe to portray her character as empowered and confident.  Natasha plays a prisoner trying to attract the attention of Ozuna, the prison director. The clip starts with Natasha being escorted to the prison where Ozuna awaits. They are shown in several locations inside the prison with Natasha performing sensual dances for Ozuna. The video reaches a climax with Natasha sitting in an electric chair and Ozuna approaching her for a kiss. Both are struck by electricity, but are shown together amid police alarms in the final scene.  The video led YouTube's weekly chart for two consecutive weeks in November 2017, ending Luis Fonsi's 35-week run at number one with "Despacito". It surpassed 1 billion views on YouTube within five months of its 18 August 2017 release and was the most watched music video by a female artist in 2017. "Criminal" is one of the 50 most viewed videos and eight most viewed Spanish-language videos on YouTube, having received over 2.0 billion views. It is also both Natasha and Ozuna's most watched music video on the platform. Natasha said YouTube provided her with "the opportunity to reach other parts of the world, when before we depended on a label for that. It's definitely an achievement not only for me, but for Latina women. Before we did not have that reach." "Billboard" included "Criminal" at number 11 in its list of Top 25 Sexiest Latin Music Videos. Tommy Calle of "Hoy" wrote that Natasha's "sensuality and beauty" in the video "stands out to the eye".

Critical reception.

"Criminal" was well received by music critics. Leila Cobo of "Billboard" described the song as "sexy without being vulgar" and said its "immediate catchiness" made it "a YouTube sensation". Marjua Esteves of the same website wrote that it is "not your everyday fast-pumping reggaeton record, but a criminally slow-grinding jam". Raquel Reichard of "The Fader" called the track a "knockout" and an "earworm". Writing for "Maxim", Brandon Friederich found the song "contagious" and wrote, "Even if you're a non-Spanish speaker, just try resisting the urge to sing the'muy criminal'-laden chorus". Los 40's Alberto Palao Murcia commented, "I timidly gave the track a play expecting a more Latin rhythm that does not even reach the dance floor, but, to my surprise, by the second chorus I was already singing 'Criminal, Cri-Criminal..." Similarly, Tommy Calle of "Hoy" called it "an urban anthem that has managed to turn on the dance floor", and "a catchy song that lifts everyone's spirits".  "Billboard" placed "Criminal" at number 17 in its list of Top 20 Best Latin Songs of 2017. Idolator's Mike Wass gave the song an honorable mention in his list of The Best Latin Pop Songs of 2017.

Live performances.

Natasha and Ozuna performed "Criminal" together at Calibash LA 2018 on 20 January and at the Soberano Awards on 21 March 2018. On 21 June 2018, Natasha performed the song at VidCon in Anaheim, California. She also performed the track at KLVE's Las Qué Mandan event at the Inglewood Forum on 17 November 2018.

"Criminal" is a Spanish-language song by Dominican singer Natti Natasha and Puerto Rican singer Ozuna, released by Pina Records on 18 August 2017. Written by the two singers, Jhay Cortez, Rafael Pina, Vicente Saavedra and its producer Haze, it is a reggaeton song with drum programming and forceful bass patterns indebted to the dancehall genre. The accompanying music video was directed by Nuno Gómes at an abandoned women's prison in Vega Alta, Puerto Rico, and portrays Ozuna as a prison director falling in love with a prisoner played by Natasha. It received over 1 billion views on YouTube within five months of its release and was the most watched music video by a female singer in 2017.

Criminal est un single de la chanteuse dominicaine Natti Natasha interprété en collaboration avec l'artiste portoricain Ozuna et publié le sous le label Pina. La chanson, écrite par les deux interprètes avec Jhay Cortez, Rafael Pina et Vincente Saavedra, est produite par Fino Como el Haze. Le single est certifié quadruple disque de platine en Espagne, disque d'or en Italie et quinze fois platine aux États-Unis.


Biography.

Dácil or Dácila was born in the ancient "Menceyato" (kingdom) of Taoro (Tenerife, Canary Island), during the early second half of the fifteenth century. She was daughter to "Mencey" (king) Adjona and Caseloria and granddaughter of Bencomo. She had five brothers: Bentor, Ruiman, Rosalva, Chachiñama, and Tiñate. Dácil was admired throughout the island for her beauty. She was described as blonde and freckled, with green eyes, like many other aborigines of northern Tenerife.  Dácil was initially intended to marry Duriman el Montañes (Duriman of the Mountains). However, with the arrival of the Spanish Captain Fernando García del Castillo, a Castilian officer of a Spanish Cavalry unit, Dácil gained another suitor. Captain Fernando García del Castillo was taken prisoner and placed under the care of Princess Dácil so that she could see to the wounds he had suffered in the Battle of Aguere. According to several historians, Captain Fernando García del Castillo acted as a diplomat, providing services between the Guanches and invading Spanish people, and was honored with some estimates by the King of Taoro.  Rumors began to surface that Captain Fernando García del Castillo and Princess Dácil were lovers. They were believed to have spoken alone—a practice strictly forbidden by Guanche law. The Guanche, Duriman El Montanez, who was promised Dácil in marriage felt spurned and further fed accusations of her being alone with a man, who was, in addition, a Castilian, and, therefore, the enemy of the Guanche homeland. Duriman el Montañes asked Bencomo to arrest Princess Dácil (Bencomo's granddaughter). Bencomo complied with the law and imprisoned Dácil for many months. When she was released, Dácil was able to convince Bencomo that she had never met Captain Fernando García del Castillo alone; that, in fact, she had many witnesses to attest that she was always accompanied when meeting with the Castillian captain. She later married the captain in the Iglesia de la Concepción (Church of the Conception) of Los Realejos. She was baptized as Mencías del Castillo. The date of Dácil's death and her place of burial are unknown.

Princess Dácil was a Guanche princess of the kingdom of Taoro on the island Tenerife (in the Canary Islands), best known for her marriage to a conqueror of the island.

Dácil ou Dacila était une princesse guanche du royaume de Taoro dans l'île de Tenerife, fille du mencey de Bencomo lors de la conquête européenne des îles Canaries au XVe siècle.


Career.

Rocks received his Masters of Science degree from Purdue University and his Doctor of Science from Technische Hochschule Vienna. He wrote his doctoral thesis in German in the field of analytical chemistry separating metal atoms in semi-aqueous solutions, which found that equilibrium constants are changed in semi-aqueous mediums.  Rocks is Professor Emeritus of Chemistry at Long Island University.

Energy.

Rocks wrote "The Energy Crisis" (Crown, 1972). The book called for the formal establishment of a national energy center, which influenced the creation of the U.S. Department of Energy by the Carter administration.  Following publication, Rocks was discussed by "Time Magazine" and "National Review". He addressed the United Nations, and appeared on "The Today Show", "To Tell The Truth", and "The Mike Douglas Show". Rocks had a column in King Features Syndicate.  After publication of "The Energy Crisis", Rocks authored the chemistry textbook "Developing Your Chemistry Fundamentals" (The Petroleum Publishing Company) in 1979.  In 1980 Rocks authored "Fuels For Tomorrow" (PennWell Publishers 1980), a sequel to "The Energy Crisis", in which Rocks stated that the future of agriculture will be in fermentation chemistry, a process he asserted was far less hazardous to the environment.

Sports.

In 2017 Rocks conducted an experiment studying the effect temperature has on a baseball, with Paul DeJong as his laboratory assistant. The outcome of the experiment was that the optimal bounce of a baseball lies between 68-75 degrees Fahrenheit because at lower temperatures the elastomeres become more rigid and become softer at higher temperatures.  While appearing on MLB Network during the 2017 winter meetings, Rocks defined sports chemistry as "the combination of modern analytical chemistry with sports metrics." In 2018 "Chemical & Engineering News" interviewed Rocks, sharing his philosophy on learning science that, "Everybody can do it." St. Louis Cardinals "Cardinals Insider" interviewed Rocks in 2018 as to whether music plays any role in science. "There is a molecular rhythm to life in terms of development. There are body rhythms that will one day be understood for the mind," Rocks explained. In 2018 Topps referenced Rocks on the back of Paul DeJong's 2018 "future stars" series baseball card. DeJong credited Rocks with affecting his thinking of "off-season training routines". During the 2018 off-season Rocks and DeJong lectured at the Society of the Four Arts on the subject of tendons and respiration for athletic development.“Weightlifting is great – makes you feel like Superman," Rocks said. "But you lose the edge on flexibility.”  Topps issued a collectible card for Rocks for its 2019 card set.

Personal Life.

He and his wife Marlene have one son, Burton Rocks, who is a writer and sports agent. He is a supporter of the Palm Beach Symphony.

Lawrence Rocks (August 27, 1933) is an American chemist and author who has written books on energy crises and biofuel. He has also written about chemistry and sports, specifically baseball.

Lawrence Rocks (né à New York le ) est un chimiste américain, connu notamment pour son livre "La Crise de l'énergie". Il a également publié des articles dans le "Time Magazine" et "National Review".


Club career.

Born in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Šunjić made his professional debut with Dinamo Zagreb in the 2013–14 season.

Lokomotiva Zagreb.

After appearing only for the reserves, he joined Lokomotiva on 10 February 2016. On 13 May 2017, he scored his first goal for the club in the dying minutes of a 2–0 league victory over Inter Zaprešić. Ahead of the 2017–18 season, Šunjić was made the club captain. On 15 September, he scored the winning goal in the final minutes of a 1–0 league victory against Cibalia.  On 12 February 2018, Šunjić rejoined Dinamo Zagreb and signed a contract until 15 June 2023. However, at the same time, he was loaned to Lokomotiva for the rest of the season.

Dinamo Zagreb.

He returned to Dinamo Zagreb for the 2018–19 season and featured 41 times in all competitions. He made 8 appearances in the Europa League, scoring in a 4–1 win over Fenerbahçe on 20 September 2018 and starting in Dinamo Zagreb's impressive 1–0 first leg win against Benfica in the round of 16 of the Europa League on 7 March. He was suspended for the second leg, in which Dinamo Zagreb were eliminated. Šunjić made 30 league appearances as Dinamo Zagreb finished as champions, and scored a 90th-minute goal in the Croatian Cup semifinal against Osijek that secured a 2–0 win. He started in the final, which Dinamo Zagreb lost 3–1 to Rijeka.

Birmingham City.

On 26 July 2019, Šunjić signed a five-year contract with Birmingham City of the English Championship. The officially undisclosed fee was reported as €7 million. He made his debut as a second-half substitute in Birmingham's opening fixture of the season, a 1–0 win away against Brentford on 3 August 2019.

International career.

Šunjić was included in Croatia's squad for the 2013 Under-17 World Cup, and played all three group matches.  Šunjić was called up to the senior national team for a friendly match against Mexico in the United States on 28 May. He played the whole of the match, in which an inexperienced Croatia team comprising largely debutants and reduced to ten men secured a 2–1 victory against a relatively strong Mexican side.  He captained Croatia at the 2019 UEFA European Under-21 Championships and played all three of their matches.

Honours.

Dinamo Zagreb

Ivan Šunjić (born 9 October 1996) is a Croatian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for English club Birmingham City and the Croatia national team. He previously played for Lokomotiva and Dinamo Zagreb.

Ivan Šunjić, né le à Zenica en Bosnie-Herzégovine, est un footballeur croate qui évolue au poste de milieu de terrain dans le club de Birmingham City.


Gameplay.

"Left Alive" is a primarily stealth-based game with elements of shooter and survival games as well. Players spend most of their time trying to evade enemies and create improvised weapons when stealth fails or is not an option. Activities include guiding survivors to safe houses, crafting weapons, and planning the takedown of wanzers. Other players who did not survive a game stage exist in a players play through and their bodies can be searched for equipment. Players also occasionally have the opportunity to take control of Wanzers and do great damage to their enemies. Players are guided by Koshka, a Rutherian command and control AI which warns players when enemies come close. Weapon crafting includes creating IED’s, traps, and different kinds of explosives from scrounged materials. Players guide survivors to the safe houses by issuing commands on the map screen.

Plot.

The story takes place in the ‘’Front Mission’’ universe during a conflict between two countries; Ruthenia and Garmonia. The game breaks the story into fourteen chapters and three characters individual stories. Players begin as Mikhail, who is a wanzer pilot who must survival the loss of his wanzer and fellow soldiers. The next character is Olga, who is a police captain and a former soldier of Garmonia before the city she lives in became part of Ruthenia. The last character is Leonid, a former rebel leader accused of murder. The plot begins with a surprise invasion by Garmonia into the city of Novo Slava in Ruthenia, the same city Olga works in.

Development.

"Left Alive" was developed by Japanese developer Ilinx and produced by Square Enix. It was directed by Toshifumi Nabeshima, who previously directed some of the games in the "Armored Core" franchise. Shinji Hashimoto, who helped produce entries in both "Front Mission" and Square Enix's "Final Fantasy" series, served as producer for "Left Alive". The game's promotional art was created by Yoji Shinkawa, well known for his work on the "Metal Gear" series. In addition to overseeing the design of some of the models, Shinkawa did character designs of the three main protagonists, as well as one of the Wanzer mecha models. He also drew concept art of some of the other characters. Artist Takayuki Yanase, who worked on "Xenoblade Chronicles X", also contributed Wanzer designs.  When development began, the development team initially conceived of the title as a strategy game, but became more of an action title under Toshifumi Nabeshima‘a influence. Nabeshima originally thought that the game would revolve around mech robots fighting each other due to the titles ‘’Front Mission’’ roots, but when he learned that players would be controlling people, and fighting against wanzers, ‘’Front Mission’’s term for mechs, he considered giving them some kind of power or guard suit. Later on in development, the game took a very different turn toward a survival mechanic.  Artistically, Nabeshima had the design team review his artwork to make sure he was remaining faithful to the ‘’Front Mission’’ aesthetic. He also created a character with inspiration he found through the artwork of the original ‘’Front Mission’’ artist Yoshitaka Amano, who is also one of his favorite artists. Artist Yoji Shinkawa drew the three main characters based off of a simple profile, and then began submitting rough sketches of the character Leonid for consideration since that was a character type he was very familiar with. He then proceeded to design the characters, always checking to see that he was maintaining a balance between them. He also did sketches for the games other key characters, and also designed one of the wanzers. The mechs did not have to look like traditional “Zenith-type” wanzers from "Front Mission", just “powerful/formidable”, so Shinkawa designed purely from his own imagination. Shinkawa also advised on the 3D graphics and how they looked in motion. Shinkawa notes that he adjusted designs with developer feedback for each character about three to four times.  There was much discussion for the direction of the character Mikhail, with him first being conceived as middle aged, but then young and handsome, necessitating a redesign. His personality began as conceited, like one who had an affluent childhood, but as his dialogue made him a more “honest and earnest”, his design changed again.  Prior to story development, Yoji Shinkawa already had some characters who existed in the "Front Mission" universe in development. In developing the game, the team discussed prioritizing a sense of reality for the story. This led them to make the setting the present world, but with all the countries names changed. The designers also decided that a very realistic plot that would still feel like "Front Mission" would involve several characters dealing with “evil conspiracies” caused by nations plotting against each other.  Composer Hidenori Iwasaki worked on the music, drawing from his experiences as the composer for some of the music in previous "Front Mission" games. Orchestrator Jordan Seigel and audio engineer Shinnosuke Miyazawa also helped work on the soundtrack, which was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London.

Release.

The game was first announced in September 2017 at the Sony press conference for the Tokyo Game Show, with an intended release year of 2018. In September 2018, Square Enix announced a Japanese release date of February 28, 2019. The following month, Square Enix announced that the game would be released outside of Japan on March 5, 2019. People who pre-ordered the game received five desktop wallpapers, a downloadable content pack, and a sample soundtrack. A special edition called the "Mech Edition" was also released that included everything in the pre-ordered version, along with an action figure of a Wanzer designed by Yanase and an official artbook. As part of promotions, Square Enix collaborated with Japanese rock band Man with a Mission to release a song called "Left Alive" on the Japanese release date of February 28.  On the day the game was released worldwide, Square Enix launched a free downloadable content pack for "Left Alive". This "World of Tanks Collaboration" pack contained only in-game advertising for "World of Tanks".

Reception.

"Left Alive" received "generally unfavorable" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic. In Japan, approximately 17,622 physical units for PlayStation 4 were sold during its launch week becoming the number five selling game of any format.  "IGN" called the game a “failure on every level”, with poor controls and game balances issues cited along with technical glitches. "Game Revolution" praised the games setting and plot, but noted a wildly changing enemy intelligence what would either never miss or ignore the player completely. "GameSpot" praised the games opening and some of the character dialogue, but explain that the lack of story setup at the beginning lead to large plot revelations having no emotional impact. "Destructoid" praises the games soundtrack and art direction, but highlighted the low resolution graphical textures that gave the game a “drab” look. They also noted “laughable” enemy physics, where killed enemies bodies would jump in the air however they died. They further describes voice acting as “varied”, from decent, to sounding like the actors “gave up” after one take. "Kotaku" loved the idea of urban warfare, including searching for improvised weapons to take on war mechs, but the games “stiff” and “sluggish” controls made the game impossibly hard to play. Heather Alexander of "Kotaku" did find some things to praise however, saying the game “drips with style and mood”. Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw of "Zero Punctuation" ranked it as the second worst game of 2019.

Left Alive is a stealth video game developed by Ilinx and published by Square Enix for Microsoft Windows and PlayStation 4. It was announced at a press conference by Sony Interactive Entertainment prior to the 2017 Tokyo Game Show. It is set in the "Front Mission" universe. "Left Alive" received generally unfavorable reviews from critics.

Left Alive est un jeu vidéo de tir à la troisième personne édité et développé par Square Enix. Il est sorti sur PlayStation 4 et Windows le au Japon et le pour le reste du monde.


History.

It was built by Mohamed Pasha Jaff, Kurdish king named by the Ottomans Empire in the 1800s. After the Mamluk Vali of Baghdad, Suleiaman Pasha, dealt a crushing defeat to the Persian occupation of Abbas Mirza Qajar of Northern Mesopotamia, and put to flight the Babans in 1850, Mohamed Pasha Jaff along with the Jaff nomads were allowed to dwell in the Shahrizor unharassed by the Ottomans or Persians in any way. A golden age began for the Jaff as they became a major power in all the region.  Their nomadic caravans were allowed pasture from Khanaqin and Qizil Rubat to Panjwin in the Shahrizor region of Kurdistan. In these regions Mohammed Pasha Jaff from his position of power began to crack down on all of his enemies from the Pro Baban Jaff under Aziz Beg Jaff, who was the son of Kai Khasrow Beg Jaff to the rival tribe of the Hemevand, who were anti Ottoman and anti everything. He would erect a fortress on the banks of the Shirwan river to guard against all of these foes in 1866.  This fortress is now known as the Shirwana fortress. In 1868, he would be appointed by the Mamluk Vali Suliaman Pasha of Baghdad. The Jaff's rivals, Hamavands, would go to the Caucasus and fight under for the Russians against the Ottomans. The Russians would arm them and send them back to agitate the Shahrizor and create anarchy.  Osman Pasha Jaff's son, would be given the residence of the fortress, as his father concerned himself with the affairs of Gulanbar and Halabja, Mohammed Ali Beg Jaff. During World War I the Jaff and the Kurds would fall into obscurity as most of the war took place in the South between the Ottomans and British, fighting a back forth battle around Kut, which the Ottomans would deal the British their worst defeat during the war. The British would finally get the upper hand through other fronts, the Palestine front especially. The Ottomans would sign the Treaty of Mudros in 1917. The British would then occupy Mesopotamia, and the Ottoman Empire would cease to exist. During the British Occupation much of the Kurdish population would revolt under Sheikh Mustafa Barzani, whose power base was in Suliamania in 1918, 1922-1924, including segments of the Jaff tribe. The British would end up destroying many Palaces and Fortresses built by the Kurds. Sherwana Castle was the exception, since the Brits had good relations with the Jaff.

Exterior.

The Sherwana Castle sits on top of a mound two stories high, and has eight cases of nine steps each leading up to the entrance. The entrance is under a grand arched window with two narrow arched windows and two arched windows on each side. On each side of these are three more narrow long arched windows and three windows at the top. The back entrance is similar, with four narrow long windows on each side and four small windows at the top. Each of the four towers at the corners has three windows on all sides. The top one of these has no glass, to enable rifles to be placed on those positions. The roof of the castle has a building on top with four sides. There are six windows on each side and two windows on its corners, which protrude out in a hexagon shape. The roof of this building has a Persian appearance with wavy crenallations.

Interior.

The inside has a monochromatic white appearance. The rooms are compartmentalized with many arches in which to put vases and tea sets. There are three stories with the second story containing lounge rooms by the grand windows above the entrances, which overlook all of Kalar. The top building contains mainly storage rooms.

Sherwana Castle, also known as Shirwanah Castle, is located in Kalar, Kurdistan, Iraq. Sherwana Castle is the ancestral home to the Jaff family.

Le château de Sherwana (ou Shirwanah) est situé à Kalar, dans la région du Kurdistan, au nord du pays asiatique de l'Irak. Appelé aussi château "Qal'at Širwana", sa construction remonte au. Le château de Sherwana est la demeure ancestrale de la famille Jaff.


History.

MQA was launched on 4 December 2014 at The Shard in London, although the concepts underpinning the development had previously been the subject of a presentation to the Audio Engineering Society British Section (10 June 2014) and a paper (published 8 October 2014) presented at the Audio Engineering Society 137th Convention in Los Angeles, CA in October 2014.  MQA was demonstrated to visitors to the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January 2015. Several download/streaming services, playback system manufacturers and record labels have subsequently announced support for the technology, including Pioneer Corporation, Onkyo, Meridian Audio, 7digital, Norwegian label Lindberg Lyd (2L), Mytek and others, with Warner Music Group announcing the signing of a "long-term licensing deal" with MQA at the Munich High End show in May 2016.  In May 2016, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), in cooperation with the Recording Academy Producers & Engineers Wing, the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM), and DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group, announced that services providing music encoded in MQA are eligible to carry the industry's official logo mark for "Hi-Res MUSIC".  In March 2018, MQA launched "Live", a virtual concert-going service designed to preserve the original sound quality of live performances. While playback will be available on any device, only devices compatible with MQA's proprietary codec may access the stream's "full quality."

Codec description.

MQA encoding is lossy; it hierarchically compresses the relatively little energy in the higher frequency bands into data streams that are embedded in the lower frequency bands using proprietary dithering techniques but after the decoding the result would be the lossless archive.  After a series of such manipulations, the resulting 44.1 kHz data, the layered data streams, and a final "touchup" stream (compressed difference between the lossy signal from unpacking all layers and the original) are provided to the playback device. Given the low amount of energy expected in higher frequencies, and using only one extra frequency band layer (upper 44.1 kHz band of 96/24 packed into dither of 48/16) and one touchup stream (compressed difference between original 96/24 and 48/16) are together distributed as a 48/24 stream, of which 48/16 bit-decimated part can be played by normal 48/16 playback equipment.  One more difference to standard formats is the sampling process. The audio stream is sampled and convolved with a triangle function, and interpolated later during playback. The techniques employed, including the sampling of signals with a finite rate of innovation, were developed by a number of researchers over the preceding decade, including Pier Luigi Dragotti and others.  MQA-encoded content can be carried via any lossless file format such as FLAC or ALAC; hence, it can be played back on systems either with or without an MQA decoder. In the latter case, the resulting audio has easily identifiable high-frequency noise occupying 3 LSB bits, thus limiting playback on non-MQA devices effectively to 13 bit. MQA claims that nevertheless the quality is higher than "normal" 48/16, because of the novel sampling and convolution processes.  Other than the sampling and convolution methods, which were not explained by MQA in detail, the encoding process is similar to that used in XRCD and HDCD.  However, unlike other lossy compression formats like MP3 and WMA, the lossy encoding method of MQA is similar to aptX, LDAC and WavPack Hybrid Lossy, which uses time-domain ADPCM and bitrate reduction instead of perceptual encoding based on psychoacoustic models.

Reception.

While the technology has received little comment in the general and mainstream press, it has been exalted by the audiophile and hi-fi press. Robert Harley, editor of "The Absolute Sound" has referred to it as "The most significant audio technology of my lifetime". Editor John Atkinson writing in "Stereophile" magazine following the UK launch in December 2014 wrote "In almost 40 years of attending audio press events, only rarely have I come away feeling that I was present at the birth of a new world."

Criticism.

MQA has received criticism from various sources within the music industry.  Audio product manufacturer Schiit Audio announced that it will not be supporting MQA due to, amongst other reasons, the understanding that "...supporting MQA means handing over the entire recording industry to an external standards organization."  In a blog post title "MQA is Bad for Music. Here's why" Hi-fi Manufacturer Linn Products criticises MQA's licensing requirements, asserting that MQA is "...an attempt to control and extract revenue from every part of the supply chain, and not just over content that they hold the rights for." After having discussed several disadvantages for both the artist and the consumer Linn concludes that as a consumer you will "...pay a higher price for the same music, and you'll pay more for your hi-fi system too. And even if you don't buy into MQA, everyone will get less innovation, creativity and poorer music as a result."  In an interview for online publication Positive Feedback, engineer Andreas Koch is critical of MQA due to its lossy algorithms and compression, along with its licensing requirements; also saying that a format such as this "does not solve any problem that the world currently has." Koch was involved in the creation of the Super Audio CD, the development of the Direct Stream Digital codec, and is co-founder of audio product manufacturer Playback Designs.  An article titled Digital Done Wrong on the International Audio/Video Review web site, concluded that MQA is founded on a fundamentally unsound understanding of correct digital audio processing and found that playback of a sample MQA encoding demonstrated gross distortion and reconstruction failure. It did however comment that some listeners may find the technical defects of MQA encoding subjectively pleasing.  Some critical comments have been made in online forums such as the Audiophile Style forum and in audio magazine website comments, and a few writers have expressed concern in some areas. Over 80 detailed questions, some of which voiced these concerns, were submitted to the editors of the Audiophile Style forum and subsequently addressed in detail by the creator of MQA, Bob Stuart, in an extended question-and-answer article.

Hardware and software decoders.

Hardware decoders are manufactured by Pioneer, iFi Audio, Onkyo, Mytek, Meridian, Cocktailaudio and Bluesound. Selected Meridian products will support MQA thanks to a firmware update. On software side, the desktop application by Tidal supports MQA.  Commercial MQA-capable playback devices require payment of a royalty to MQA Ltd per unit sold. Based on information from Auralic, a manufacturer of Audiophile Wireless Audio Streamers, Meridian Audio prohibits digital output of unpacked MQA in any digital format, only allowing the unpacked data to be fed to an on-board MQA-compatible DAC and output in analog form. Some claim this to be a kind of DRM process, which allows a proper MQA file to be authenticated and the full quality of the signal decoded only on commercially licensed equipment.

Streaming services.

Starting in January 2017, Tidal provides MQA audio to subscribers of the Tidal "HiFi" package.

Master Quality Authenticated (MQA) is an audio codec using lossy compression and a form of file fingerprinting, intended for high fidelity digital audio internet streaming and file download. Launched in 2014 by Meridian Audio, it is now owned and licensed by MQA Ltd, which was founded by Bob Stuart, co-founder of Meridian Audio.

Le Master Quality Authenticated (MQA) est un codec audio ayant recourt à la compression avec perte, conçu pour le streaming audio haute définition et le téléchargement de fichier. Il a été lancé en 2014 par Meridian Audio, une entreprise anglaise.


2020 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships

Top Division.

Venues.

The following officials were assigned by the International Ice Hockey Federation to officiate the 2019 World Junior Championships.  Referees  Linesmen

Format.

The preliminary round is a two group of five teams each internal round-robin format, followed by a three-round playoff. In the round-robin, three points are allotted for a regulation win, and two points for an overtime or shootout win. One point is allotted for an overtime or shootout loss.  The four highest-ranked teams from each group of the preliminary round advance to the quarterfinals while the last-place team from each group will play a best-of-three series, the loser relegated to Division IA for 2021, being replaced by the winner of Division IA. All other teams will retain their Top Division status for the 2021 edition.

Playoff round.

Winning teams were reseeded for the semi-finals in accordance with the following ranking. To determine this ranking, the following criteria were used in the order presented:

Division I.

Group A.

The tournament was held in Minsk, Belarus from 9 to 15 December 2019.

Group B.

The tournament was held in Kyiv, Ukraine from 12 to 18 December 2019.

Division II.

Group A.

The tournament was held in Vilnius, Lithuania from 6 to 12 January 2020.

Group B.

The tournament was held in Gangneung, South Korea from 28 January to 3 February 2020.

Division III.

The tournament was held in Sofia, Bulgaria from 13 to 19 January 2020.

The 2020 Ice Hockey World Junior Championship ("2020 WJC") was the 44th edition of the Ice Hockey World Junior Championship. It began on December 26, 2019, and ended with the gold medal game being played on January 5, 2020. Canada defeated Russia 4–3 to win the gold medal and their 18th world junior hockey championship. This marks the fourth time that the Czech Republic hosted the WJHC.

Le <dfn>Championnat du monde junior de hockey sur glace 2020</dfn> est la de cette compétition de hockey sur glace junior organisée par la Fédération internationale de hockey sur glace (IIHF).