Background.

Following the conclusion of the Greek War of Independence, the Megali Idea (Great Idea) ideology came to dominate Greek foreign policy. The ultimate goal of the Megali Idea was the incorporation of all areas traditionally populated by Greeks into an independent Greek state. The disastrous Greek defeat in the short Greco-Turkish War of 1897 exposed major flaws in the Greek Army's organization, training and logistics. Upon his appointment in December 1905, Georgios Theotokis became the first postwar Greek prime minister to focus his attention on strengthening the army. He established the National Defense Fund which financed the purchase of large quantities of ammunition. In addition a new table of organization was introduced for the country's navy and army, the latter being augmented by numerous artillery batteries. Theotokis' resignation in January 1909 and the perceived neglect of the armed forces by his successor resulted in the Goudi coup seven months later. Rather than taking power for themselves, the putschists invited Cretan politician Eleftherios Venizelos to rule the country. Venizelos followed in Theotokis' footsteps by rearming and retraining the military, enacting extensive fortification and infrastructure works, purchasing new weapons, and recalling the reservists for training.  The climax of this effort was the invitation in 1911 of a British naval mission and a French military mission. The British mission was headed by Rear Admiral Lionel Grant Tufnell, who placed an emphasis on gunnery practice and fleet maneuvers, while his assistants introduced a new fuse for the Whitehead torpedo. The French mission under Brigadier General Joseph Paul Eydoux focused its attention on improving discipline and training senior officers in large formation operations. The Hellenic Military Academy was modeled after the École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr shifting its focus from artillery and engineer training towards that of infantry and cavalry.  After being informed of a Serbo-Bulgarian alliance, Venizelos ordered his ambassador in Sofia to prepare a Greco-Bulgarian defense agreement by 14 April 1912. This was due to fears that should Greece fail to participate in a future war against the Ottomans it would be unable to capture the Greek majority areas of Macedonia. The treaty was signed on 15 July 1912, with the two countries agreeing to assist each other in case of a defensive war and to safeguard the rights of Christian populations in Ottoman-held Macedonia, thus joining the loose Balkan League alliance with Serbia, Montenegro and Bulgaria. Fearing a new war in the Balkans, the Ottomans mobilized their armed forces on 14 September and began transferring units to Thrace; the Balkan League responded in kind. On 30 September, the League presented the Ottomans with a list of demands regarding the rights of its Christian population. The Ottoman Empire rebuffed the demands, recalled its ambassadors in Sofia, Belgrade and Athens and expelled the League's negotiators on 4 October. The League declared war against the Ottomans, while Montenegro had already began military operations on 25 September.

Prelude.

Greece dispatched the Army of Epirus and the Army of Thessaly to its frontiers in Epirus and Thessaly respectively. The latter numbered 100,000 men, and was divided into seven divisions: namely the 1st, the 2nd, the 3rd, the 4th, the 5th, the 6th and the 7th Infantry Divisions, as well as a cavalry brigade and four independent Evzones battalions. The Army of Thessaly was commanded by Crown Prince Constantine. Facing the Greeks in Thessaly was the Ottoman VIII Corps under General Hasan Tahsin Pasha which included three divisions: the regular ("nizamiye") 22nd Division and the reserve ("redif") Nasliç and Aydın Divisions which, combined with the Ottoman garrisons in western Macedonia, totaled 35,000–40,000 men.  The Army of Thessaly crossed into Ottoman territory in the early morning hours of 5 October, finding most border posts to be abandoned, with the garrisons at Melouna Pass, Profitis Ilias and Tsouka resisting for several hours before retreating. The first major clashes took place the following day when the 1st and 2nd Greek Divisions attacked hastily organized defenses north of Elassona. Elassona was defended by three infantry battalions, two artillery batteries and half a squadron of cavalry. The battle for Elassona lasted for three hours, with the Ottomans retreating to avoid encirclement, thus giving the troops manning the main defensive line at Sarantaporo additional time to reinforce their positions. The Greeks went on to advance into the Elassona plateau without encountering any resistance. Between 7 and 8 October, Greek troops regrouped in front of Sarantaporo and dispatched cavalry reconnaissance patrols towards the Ottoman positions, locating the headquarters of the Ottoman VIII Corps at Hania Viglas and those of a reserve division at Glikovo.  Situated between the Vigla and Amorves mountains, Sarantaporo was a narrow mountain pass, the only one connecting Thessaly with central Macedonia; it spanned some. Having ceded Thessaly to Greece in the Convention of Constantinople (1881), the Ottomans had been methodically reinforcing their positions around Sarantaporo in anticipation of a future war. The Ottomans had organized their defenses under the guidance of German military advisors, placing their artillery batteries and infantry in sheltered, camouflaged trenches on the ravine's steep slopes, allowing them to accurately fire along its entire length. Considered to be nearly impenetrable it was dubbed "the graveyard of the Greek Army" by the Prussian Field Marshal Colmar Freiherr von der Goltz.

Battle.

At 7 a.m. on 9 October, the Greek infantry began its assault on Sarantaporo. The 1st, 2nd and 3rd Divisions attacked the Ottoman main line frontally, their advance hampered by accurate Ottoman rifle and artillery fire and the ruggedness of the terrain. In the meantime, the 4th Division conducted a flanking maneuver from the west with the intention of occupying the Porta Pass, and striking the rear of the Ottoman positions. The 5th Division advanced further to the west towards the village of Zampourda which was situated on the other bank of the Haliacmon River, with the intention of protecting the left flank of the Greek forces emerging from the Sarantaporo pass. The cavalry brigade moved on the extreme west along the road towards Servia, planning to block the bridge across the Haliacmon. Attacking from the east of the pass the Konstantinopoulos Evzone detachment overcame stiff resistance at Vlacholeivado and captured the village, but failing to advance further due to heavy fog. At 2 p.m., the main bulk of the Greek artillery was brought to the main line, joining the engagement. Despite suffering heavy casualties, the three divisions had halted some from the Ottoman trenches intending to launch a final assault the following morning.  The 4th Division fought its way through the villages of Metaxas and Rachovo. Upon reaching the Porta Pass it engaged in a bloody clash with the defenders, securing its objective at 5 p.m. The 5th Division and the Gennadis Evzone detachment were confronted by four Ottoman reserve battalions at Lazarades which held their ground until sunset. The commander of the cavalry brigade ordered his unit to encamp at Loudani, refusing to advance further because of the resistance offered by the Ottomans at Lazarades. Fearing that they would be encircled by the Konstantinopoulos Evzone detachment, the Ottomans began to withdraw at 7 p.m., towards their second defensive line at Hani 739, under the cover of the night. Before retreating they fired a 20-minute artillery barrage on Greek positions along the entire frontline. Unaware of the Ottoman retreat the Greeks failed to use the opportunity and cut their access to the bridge across the Haliacmon. Upon reaching their second defensive line, the Ottomans became aware of the 4th Divisions' seizure of Porta Pass and panic spread in their ranks and many soldiers fled, abandoning their equipment. On the morning of 10 October, the 4th Division charged down the northern slope of the Rahovo Mountain, surprising the Ottoman infantry and artillerymen who abandoned over twenty Krupp guns and engaged in a disorganized retreat. The Greek cavalry's indecision once again enabled the fleeing Ottomans to safely reach Servia and Kozani.

Aftermath.

At 4 p.m. on 10 October, the 4th Division entered Servia, witnessing 75 to 90 severed human heads belonging to local Christians lined up on either side of one of its streets. Following the declaration of war local authorities had detained all the Christian dignitaries from Servia and the surrounding villages with the intention of massacring them, a plan that was thwarted by Ottoman officer Omer Bey. However, upon realizing the imminent defeat of the Ottoman troops at Sarantaporo, the town's Muslim population massacred 117 local Christians. By 11 October, the entirety of the Army of Thessaly had reached the banks of the Haliacmon, while the Greek cavalry entered Kozani unopposed, opening the way for the Greeks to advance towards the Greek majority city of Thessaloniki and assist the Serbs at Monastir. On 13 October, the Greek army transferred its general headquarters to Kozani; the following day King George I arrived in the city, ordering the army to march towards Thessaloniki and Veroia. Greek casualties in the battle of Sarantaporo numbered 182 killed and over 1,000 wounded, while the Ottomans lost approximately 500 killed, 1,000 wounded, around 22 to 25 field artillery pieces captured and other significant material losses.  By May 1913, the numerically inferior Ottomans had suffered a series of serious defeats to the League's armies on all fronts. The League had captured most of the Ottoman Empire's European territories and was rapidly approaching Constantinople. On 30 May, the two sides signed the Treaty of London which granted the League's members all Ottoman lands west of Enos on the Aegean Sea and north of Midia on the Black Sea, as well as Crete. The fate of Albania and the Ottoman-held Aegean islands was to be determined by the Great Powers.

The Battle of Sarantaporo, also variously transliterated as Sarantaporon or Sarandaporon (, ), took place on 9–10 October, 1912. It was the first major battle fought between Greek forces under Crown Prince Constantine and Ottoman forces under General Hasan Tahsin Pasha during the First Balkan War. The battle began when the Greek army attacked the Ottoman defensive line at the Sarantaporo pass, which connected Thessaly with central Macedonia.

La bataille de Sarantáporo est une bataille de la première guerre balkanique qui opposa la Grèce à l'Empire ottoman les 9 et 10 octobre 1912. Elle fut remportée par la Grèce.


Location.

Nanjing Road is located in the city center, running in a west–east direction. Its eastern section is in Huangpu District and extends from The Bund west to People's Square. The western section begins at People's Square and continues westward towards Jing'an District.

History.

The History of Nanjing Road can be traced back to the year 1845. At that time it was called "Park Lane", which stretched from the Bund to He'nan Road. In 1854, it was extended to Zhejiang Road, and eight years later, once more extended to Xizang Road. In 1862, it was named formally "Nanking Road" by the Municipal Council, which administered the International Settlement. In Chinese it was usually referred to as the Main Road (大马路). Around 1930 it was a bustling street with at least one reported casino (probably at nr. 181). In 1943 the International Settlement was annulled, and after World War 2 the government changed its name from Nanking Road to "East Nanjing Road", meanwhile they also renamed the former Bubbling Well Road "West Nanjing Road", and the general name of the two roads became "Nanjing Road", comprising five kilometres total length.  At the beginning of the 20th century, eight big department stores were established along the street. A series of franchised stores were also set up at that time.  On 23 August 1937 a bomb was dropped on Nanjing Road by a Chinese plane in an attempt to lighten its load while being pursued by Japanese planes. The bomb hit two department stores, killing 612 people and injuring another 482.  In 2000, as a part of the development plan held by the local government, Nanjing Road was renovated to be a characteristic pedestrian street. The width is about 28 meters and the total length is 1,200 meters, which extends from Middle He'nan Road to Middle Xizang Road.  In 2007, the Jing'an and Huangpu governments agreed to coordinate their policy to enhance the development of Nanjing Road, through a unique launching of a committee. This agreement followed a request by the committee of Champs-Elysees in the perspective of a friendship agreement between both famous streets.

Description.

Nanjing Road is the world's longest shopping district, around 5.5 km long, and attracts over 1 million visitors daily.

Nanjing Road East.

East Nanjing Road is a dedicated commercial zone. At its eastern end is the central section of the Bund, featuring the Peace Hotel. Immediately west of the Bund precinct was traditionally the hub of European-style restaurants and cafes, although in recent years these have become less of a feature as the demographics of visitors to Nanjing Road have shifted from affluent local residents to visitors from around the country. Close by is the Central Market, a century-old outdoor market today specialising in electronic components and digital media. Further west is the Nanjing Road pedestrian mall. Located here are most of Shanghai's oldest and largest department stores, as well as a variety of domestic retail outlets, and some traditional eateries with a long history.

Nanjing Road West.

The pedestrian mall, and East Nanjing Road, ends at People's Park, formerly the Shanghai Race Course. Opposite the park are some of Shanghai's prestigious historic hotels, including Park Hotel. West Nanjing Road begins here, and features a number of upmarket malls including Plaza 66, Jing An Kerry Centre and HKRI Taikoo Hui, office buildings, the Shanghai Exhibition Centre, and shops. This area also previously featured a number of large mansions and estates, most of which are today either demolished or used by the government.  West Nanjing Road, near Jing'an Temple, was built in 1860 as Bubbling Well Road (靜安寺路), an extra-settlement road outside the concession proper. It was once one of Shanghai's premier residential areas, but has witnessed constant development over the past ten years. This area is now host to several five star hotels, upscale shopping centers, restaurants and prime office buildings. Recently, the area has benefited from the construction of Subway Line 7, connecting with Line 2 at Jing'an Temple station. Many luxury goods, fashion and sport brand boutiques are located on West Nanjing Road.  In December, Starbucks opened a 30,000 square feet (2,800 m2) Starbucks Reserve Roastery at HKRI Taikoo Hui on Nanjing Road West, the largest Starbucks branch in the world. It features its own roasting facility and Shanghai specific offerings including nitro draft lattes and alcoholic drinks.

Transportation.

Shanghai Metro Line 2 runs along Nanjing Road, including the following stations and other stations:  Shanghai Metro Line 1 and 8 include the following station:  Shanghai Metro Line 10 includes the following station:  Shanghai Metro Line 12 and Shanghai Metro Line 13 include the following station:

Events.

Tourists and guests often celebrate various holidays at Nanjing Road, such as the Chinese New Year, New Year's Eve, Christmas and Easter. Some parts of the buildings and shopping malls seen in front of Nanjing Road may host a fireworks display over the street.

Nanjing Road (; Shanghainese: "Nuecin Lu") is a road in Shanghai. The eastern part of Nanjing Road is the main shopping streets of Shanghai, China, and is one of the world's busiest shopping streets along with Bukit Bintang. The street is named after the city of Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu neighbouring Shanghai. Today's Nanjing Road comprises two sections, Nanjing Road East and Nanjing Road West.

La rue de Nankin (hanyu pinyin : "Nánjīng lù" ; sinogrammes traditionnels : 南京路 ; sinogrammes simplifiés : 南京路 ) est une des principales rues marchandes du centre historique de Shanghai, de Puxi, en Chine. La rue a la réputation d'être la rue la plus commerçante de toute la Chine.


Plot.

Meeper, the janitor of an alien pub called the Ale-E-Inn, has higher aspirations—a karaoke performer. After he accidentally electrocutes a singer, he is ejected from the pub. Outside, he is told by an incautious Gungan that "The ChubbChubbs are coming!" Meeper sees aircraft land in the distance, and huge, weapon-bearing monsters exit the craft. He assumes these are the ChubbChubbs.  Meeper rushes to warn the pub, and some chicks he finds pecking at the ground outside, but each of his attempts further injures the singer. Once the patrons are finally warned by a different visitor, the pub is promptly emptied due to said patrons taking off in panic, leaving Meeper behind during the process. When the monsters begin closing in to the pub, Meeper hides the chicks under his bucket in an attempt to save them. He then launches into a rendition of "Why Can't We Be Friends?" until, caught up in the song, he accidentally trips over the bucket, revealing the chicks. The monsters flee, screaming, "It's the ChubbChubbs!" The chicks reveal their razor sharp teeth and devour the monsters, who are actually known as Zyzaks. They gather around Meeper, who says, "So... You guys into karaoke?"  As the credits roll, Meeper and the ChubbChubbs sing a rewrite of Aretha Franklin's "Respect" in the pub. When the song is finished, there is dead silence. The ChubbChubbs glare and reveal their teeth, and the crowd hastily bursts into applause.

Production.

The short was "originally conceived as a pipeline test to help determine the studio’s strengths and weaknesses in producing all-CG animation within the Imageworks production environment."

Release.

"The ChubbChubbs!" was theatrically released on July 3, 2002, along with "Men in Black II". Due to its success, it was re-released on July 19 of that year with "Stuart Little 2".  The short got a DVD release on November 26, 2002 as a bonus feature also attached to "Men in Black II". On April 11, 2003, the short was released on its own DVD, and with a running time of 5 minutes, 37 seconds is considered likely the briefest DVD ever released. "The ChubbChubbs!" and its sequel "The ChubbChubbs Save Xmas" were released on October 9, 2007, for the first time on Blu-ray, attached as a bonus to "Surf's Up".

Adaptations.

A feature-length animated film and a television series based on the short were in development in 2003 at Sony Pictures Animation. Dan Wilson and Dave Gilbreth had been hired to write the film's screenplay, but since then, there has been no further news about the projects.

Sequel.

A sequel, "The ChubbChubbs Save Xmas", was theatrically released on August 8, 2007, along with "Daddy Day Camp", and was produced by Sony Pictures Animation.

The ChubbChubbs! is a 2002 American computer-animated comedy short film by Sony Pictures Imageworks. It was directed by Eric Armstrong, produced by Jacquie Barnbrook, and written by Jeff Wolverton.

Il a obtenu l'Oscar du meilleur court-métrage d'animation en 2003. Le film a été diffusé au cinéma en avant-programme de "Stuart Little 2" ou "Men in Black II", puis a été ajouté dans les bonus des DVD des films ainsi que celui du film "Les Rois de la glisse".


History.

Kulula was established in July 2001 and commenced operations as South Africa's first 'no-frills' carrier in August of that year. The stated aim was to position kulula.com as more than just an airline brand, but to include booking, paying and making 'the complete travel experience' affordable.  In 2010, Kulula was forced by FIFA to stop a campaign describing itself as the "Unofficial National Carrier of the You-Know-What", which took place "Not next year, not last year, but somewhere in between", obviously referring to the 2010 FIFA World Cup which took place in South Africa at that time. Another advert announced "affordable flights [to] everybody except Sepp Blatter" (the FIFA president), who was offered a free seat "for the duration of that thing that is happening right now".  In July 2012 kulula announced that it was operating the first of seven brand new Boeing 737-800s, with three to be in operation before the end of that year, and the remaining four to be delivered in 2015 and 2016.

Corporate affairs.

Ownership.

Kulula is a wholly owned subsidiary of Comair, which also operates flights as a franchisee of British Airways.

Business trends.

Financial and operational results for kulula.com are not separately disclosed, but are fully incorporated within the annual results for Comair (for years ending 30 June).

Destinations.

As of March 2019, Kulula serves the following destinations: Kulula holds codeshare agreements with the following airlines:

Fleet.

As of October 2018, the Kulula fleet consists of the following aircraft:

Historical fleet.

Kulula previously operated the following aircraft:

Liveries.

Kulula has become known for its distinctive, brightly coloured, and often comedic aircraft liveries. One of its former aircraft, known as "Flying 101", was covered with a legend describing the different parts of the aircraft.

Services.

Loyalty programme.

Kulula operates the Avios frequent-flyer programme, which was created from the merger of the Air Miles, BA Miles and Iberia Plus Points schemes on 16 November 2011. A restructure in 2015 meant that all of IAG's affiliated loyalty programmes which use Avios, including Avios Travel Reward Programme, Iberia Plus and British Airways Executive Club were transferred to Avios Group, an IAG subsidiary.

Inflight services.

Kulula offers food and drinks as a buy-on-board programme. The airline’s in-flight magazine, "khuluma", has a readership base of 200,000 per month.

Kulula.com (stylized as kulula.com) is a South African low-cost airline, operating on major domestic routes from O. R. Tambo International Airport and Lanseria International Airport, both serving the city of Johannesburg. The airline's headquarters are located at Bonaero Park, Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, Gauteng. The name 'Kulula' comes from the Nguni languages of Zulu and Xhosa, meaning "It's easy."

Kulula.com (Code IATA: MN; Code OACI: CAW) est une compagnie aérienne à bas-coût sud-africaine. Elle est une filiale de la compagnie Comair et est basée à l'aéroport international OR Tambo de Johannesburg.


Name.

It has been speculated by scholars whether "Dhul-Nun" was an honorific ("laqab") for the mystic rather than his name proper, which is sometimes believed to be Thawbān. As "Dhul-Nun," literally meaning "the one of the fish [or whale]," is another name for the Hebrew prophet Jonah in Islamic tradition, it is sometimes believed that this title was given to Dhul-Nun in commemoration of Jonah.

Life.

Dhul-Nun is one of the most prominent saints of early Islamic tradition, appearing "in the earliest accounts of Ṣūfism as the leading figure of his generation." Often depicted as the spiritual master of Sahl al-Tustari (c. 818-896), the traditional hagiographies relate that the latter refused to engage in mystical discourse until after Dhul-Nun's death, on account of his recognition of Dhul-Nun's elevated rank in wisdom and gnosis.  Dhul-Nun al-Misri is considered among the most prominent saints of early Sufism and holds a position in the Sufi chronicles as high as Junayd Baghdadi (d. 910) and Bayazid Bastami (d. 874). He studied under various teachers and travelled extensively in Arabia and Syria. The Muslim scholar and Sufi Sahl al-Tustari was one of Dhul-Nun al-Misri's students. In 829 he was arrested on a charge of heresy and sent to prison in Baghdad, but after examination he was released on the caliph's orders to return to Cairo, where he died in 859; his tombstone has been preserved.  Dhul-Nun's name came about in relation to an incident on a sea voyage. He was falsely accused of stealing a jewel from a merchant. He cried out "O Creator, Thou knowest best", whereupon a large number of fish raised their heads above the waves, each bearing a jewel in its mouth.  A legendary alchemist and thaumaturge, he is supposed to have known the secret of the Egyptian hieroglyphs. His sayings and poems, which are extremely dense and rich in mystical imagery, emphasize knowledge or gnosis ("marifah") more than fear ("makhafah") or love ("mahabbah"), the other two major paths of spiritual realization in Sufism. None of his written works have survived, but a vast collection of poems, sayings, and aphorisms attributed to him continues to live on in oral tradition.  Osho mentions him as "an Egyptian Sufi mystic, one of the greatest who has ever walked on the earth". In the book catching the thread mentions one of the incidents of Dhul-nun...."A story from the life of the ninth-century Sufi, Dhu-l-Nun, the Egyptian, illustrates this: I was wandering in the mountains when I observed a party of afflicted folk gathered together. “What befell you?” I asked. “There is a devotee living in a cell here,” they answered. “Once every year he comes out and breathes on these people and they are all healed. Then he returns to his cell, and does not emerge again until the following year.” I waited patiently until he came out. I beheld a man pale of cheek, wasted and with sunken eyes. The awe of him caused me to tremble. He looked on the multitude with compassion. Then he raised his eyes to heaven, and breathed several times over the afflicted ones. All were healed. As he was about to retire to his cell, I seized his skirt. “For the love of God,” I cried. “You have healed the outward sickness; pray heal the inward sickness.” “Dhu-l-Nun,” he said, gazing at me, “take your hand off me. The Friend is watching from the zenith of might and majesty. If He sees you clutching at another than He, He will abandon you to that person, and that person to you, and you will perish each at the other’s hand.” So saying, he withdrew into his cell.

Dhūl-Nūn Abū l-Fayḍ Thawbān b. Ibrāhīm al-Miṣrī (; d. Giza, in 245/859 or 248/862), often referred to as Dhūl-Nūn al-Miṣrī or Zūl-Nūn al-Miṣrī for short, was an early Egyptian Muslim mystic and ascetic. His surname "al Misri" means ""The Egyptian"". He was born in Upper Egypt in 796, Dhul-Nun is said to have made some study of the scholastic disciplines of alchemy, medicine, and Greek philosophy in his early life, before coming under the mentorship of the mystic Saʿdūn of Cairo, who is described in traditional accounts of Dhul-Nun's life as both "his teacher and spiritual director." Celebrated for his legendary wisdom both in his own life and by later Islamic thinkers, Dhul-Nun has been venerated in traditional Shia Islam as one of the greatest saints of the early era of Sufism.

Dhul-Nun al-Misri (en arabe ذو النون المصري), né en 796 à Akhmîm en Haute-Égypte et mort en 859, est un saint soufi égyptien. Considéré comme le saint patron des médecins au début de l'ère islamique en Égypte, il passe pour avoir introduit le concept de gnose dans l'Islam.


Implantation de chondrocytes autologues (ACI)

Procedure.

This cell based articular cartilage repair procedure takes place in three stages. In a first stage, between 200 and 300 milligrams cartilage is sampled arthroscopically from a less weight bearing area from either the intercondylar notch or the superior ridge of the medial or lateral femoral condyle of the patient. The matrix is removed enzymatically and the chondrocytes isolated. These cells are grown in vitro in a specialised laboratory for approximately four to six weeks, until there are enough cells to reimplant on the damaged area of the articular cartilage. The patient then undergoes a second treatment, in which the chondrocytes are applied on the damaged area during an open-knee surgery (also called arthrotomy). These autologous cells should adapt themselves to their new environment by forming new cartilage. During the implantation, chondrocytes are applied on the damaged area in combination with a membrane (tibial periosteum or biomembrane) or pre-seeded in a scaffold matrix.

Complications.

The occurrence of subsequent surgical procedures (SSPs), primarily arthroscopy, following ACI is common. For example, in the Study of the Treatment of Articular Repair (STAR), 49% of Carticel ACI patients underwent an SSP on the treated knee, during the 4-year follow up. The most common serious adverse events (up to 5% of patients), include arthrofibrosis and joint adhesions, graft overgrowth, chondromalacia or chondrosis, cartilage injury, graft complication, meniscal lesion, graft delamination, and osteoarthritis. Source: Carticel.  A recent study from Germany, published in the November 2008 issue of the American Journal of Sports Medicine, analyzed 349 ACI procedures of the knee joint. Three different ACI techniques were used. A major proportion of complications after ACI can be summarized by 4 major diagnoses: symptomatic hypertrophy, disturbed fusion, delamination, and graft failure. Among those, the overall complication rate and incidence of hypertrophy of the transplant were higher for periosteum-covered ACI. Furthermore, an increased rate of symptomatic hypertrophy was found for patellar defects. Source: Philipp Niemeyer, MD, et al.: Characteristic Complications After Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation for Cartilage Defects of the Knee Joint. The American Journal of Sports Medicine 36:2091-2099 (2008).

Autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI, ATC code ) is a biomedical treatment that repairs damages in articular cartilage. ACI provides pain relief while at the same time slowing down the progression or considerably delaying partial or total joint replacement (knee replacement) surgery. The goal of ACI is to allow people suffering from articular cartilage damage to return to their old lifestyle; regaining mobility, going back to work and even practicing sports again.

L'implantation de chondrocytes autologues (ACI) est un traitement biomédical qui répare les lésions du cartilage articulaire. L’ACI assure un soulagement de la douleur tout en freinant considérablement la progression ou en retardant l’opération consistant à remplacer en partie ou en sa totalité l’articulation (remplacement du genou). Grâce à l’ACI, les personnes souffrant de lésions du cartilage articulaire peuvent reprendre leur style de vie normal : retrouver leur mobilité, retourner au travail, voire se remettre au sport.


Biography.

Character history.

Gunn was born in the Badlands, a section of inner-city Los Angeles where the police would not go, and looked after his sister, Alonna, from a very young age. Although he had a few brushes with the law, he acted as a modern day Robin Hood to keep the streets in his neighborhood safe. In his teens (although now Gunn is in his early 20s), Gunn rose through the ranks to become the leader of a group of street-fighters who protect their turf from vampires using guerrilla tactics. Possessing the mind of a military strategist and the strength of a brawler, life in the city hardened Gunn to the extent that his life became less important than the cause, resulting in him trading his soul for a truck in a deal with a demon named Jenoff when he was only seventeen, because he believed he had no future (cf. "Double or Nothing").

Angel Investigations.

Gunn is introduced in the Season One episode "War Zone", when he observes the vampire Angel roughing up a blackmailer and tries, unsuccessfully, to dust him. Later on, a gang of vampires, who are at war with Gunn's group, attack their hideout, kidnapping several group members in the process, including Gunn's sister Alonna. Eventually, Angel wins Gunn's trust, but unfortunately not in time to save Alonna from being turned into a vampire. Gunn has no choice but to stake his own sister, a decision which continues to haunt him through the series. It is this loss that forces Gunn to question his own motives and become more receptive to Angel's help, realizing he cannot do everything alone. Angel recognizes Gunn's strength and often calls on him if he needs back up in battle or if he needs protection for the people he cares about when he cannot protect them himself. Although he initially regards his time with Angel Investigations as a "paying side-gig," Gunn eventually becomes a full-time member of the gang, gaining mutual respect for those he fights side-by-side with while finding his place in the world. However, his work with his new 'family' often leads to conflicted loyalties; in the episode "Belonging", Cordelia is accidentally sucked into a portal to Pylea while a member of Gunn's old street crew, George, succumbs to the bite of a vampire. Gunn feels responsible for his friend's death, believing that it would not have happened if he had still been around to help in the fight. Yet even in his grief, he realizes that he could not commit the same crime twice and allow Cordelia to suffer the same fate, so he joins Angel, Wesley, and Lorne to rescue her.  A short time after their return from Pylea, demons across the city are being massacred - regardless of whether or not they actually did anything to deserve being killed in the first place - and Gunn comes to the conclusion that his old gang is responsible for the deaths, currently being led by a man named Gio, who has a serious grudge against supernatural entities due to an unrevealed event in his past (cf. "That Old Gang of Mine"). He realizes that his ties with his old life are gone and that his loyalty now lies with the vampire with a soul. In a showdown with one of his lifelong friends, Gunn finally chooses the mission of the Angel Investigations team. Without realizing it, Gunn finds the future he thought he would never have. He has friends, loyalty, respect, and a mission to pursue. He even finds love in the arms of the new girl Fred Burkle, but his past still comes back to haunt him in the episode "Double or Nothing," when the demon Jenoff decides it is time to cash in on a deal made years earlier by claiming Gunn's soul. The Angel Investigations are able to defeat Jenoff.  Fred becomes the most important person in Gunn's world, and in "Supersymmetry", he kills Professor Seidel (who deliberately sent Fred to Pylea) in order to save Fred from having to carry the burden of doing it herself. The guilt of what he had done for her plagues Fred and instead of bringing them closer together, it begins the rift that leads to the end of their relationship. Although no longer romantically linked, Gunn and Fred continue to fight side-by-side, and Gunn has a fling with the electric Gwen Raiden in the episode "Players". When Wolfram & Hart want to cut a deal to have Angel take over the L.A. branch, Gunn is led into the mysterious White Room where he is exposed to the mysterious conduit to the Senior Partners, who impresses Gunn with his immense power. Soon, he undergoes a remarkable transformation at Wolfram & Hart.

Wolfram & Hart.

Feeling undervalued by his friends, Gunn submits to a procedure at the hands of Wolfram & Hart's Medical Department that enhances his mind with a comprehensive understanding of the law (and Gilbert & Sullivan, to help improve his voice and diction), making him the only member of Angel's team who can work inside the system seamlessly (cf. "Conviction"). When his mental abilities begin to diminish, Gunn, fearful of losing his new talents and respect, makes a pact with Dr. Sparrow and gets a permanent upgrade in exchange for signing to release an ancient curio stuck in customs. When this curio results in the death of Fred and the resurrection of Illyria (cf. "A Hole in the World"), a guilt-ridden Gunn willingly offers himself to take Lindsey McDonald's place in a hell dimension in order to get information on how to stop the Senior Partners (cf. "Underneath"). While the team have no clue how to free him, Illyria saves Gunn with ease. He then returns to the fold, changed and seeking redemption for his sins. In the show's finale "Not Fade Away", he spends his potential-last day alive helping Anne Steele out at her youth help center, and then slays Senator Helen Brucker, one of the members of the Circle of the Black Thorn, but is seriously injured in the process. While preparing for one last fight against the army of the Senior Partners, Illyria states that he has only minutes to live with Gunn quoting, "Then let's make them memorable." Joss Whedon later discussed the final battle in SFX Magazine: "Gunn is dead. Illyria keeps fighting. Angel loses an arm. Spike gets Shanshu. And Xander loses another eye, which is funny, because he isn't even there."  J. August Richards later revealed in an interview that Gunn was intended to have become a vampire either in "Angel" season six or the proposed "Spike" spin-off movie had either project gone ahead: "I’d probably have him come back as a vampire and then kill himself," "That’s always how I wanted it to end for my character".

After the Fall.

In issue one of the "" comic series (which is the canonical continuation of the "Angel" series), Gunn and a group he has assumed leadership of storm a stadium and kill Kr'ph, one of the demon lords of L.A., who has taken up residence there. The group frees humans, who were forced to fight each other by the demon. Gunn then makes a suggestive comment to the demon's female captives. At the end of the issue, Gunn is revealed to be a vampire, having been turned either during or after Team Angel's battle with the Senior Partners' army at the end of "Not Fade Away", who feeds on the women and turns the "rescued" men into vampires as part of "Team Gunn".  However, in the second issue, Gunn insists that he is still a good guy. He resents being a vampire, though he is prone to murderous impulses due to his lack of a soul. He reveals that he blames Angel for his condition, believing he had allowed him to be turned, and that he intends to save L.A. to prove that one doesn't need a soul to be a champion. As part of his plans, he kidnaps the psychic fish Betta George and imprisons him, forcing George to tap into his psychic ability to freeze Slayers in their tracks and contact people outside of Hell/Los Angeles.  In a later issue, he is seen making mystical plans; the intent is to have Angel come to the conclusion he sent Gunn to die, then Angel himself will die moments later. As part of his revenge against Angel, Gunn destroys the Wolfram & Hart building, Angel's headquarters in the war with the Demon Lords, which also forces Wesley back to the Senior Partners for a short time. Gunn later bears witness to Angel's defeat of the Lords, hanging back to ensure that not all of the people are slaughtered should Angel fail. Shortly after the team moves back into the Hyperion Hotel, Gunn confronts them and reveals his vampire nature.  Upon seeing what has become of Gunn, Angel tells him he is sorry. Gunn says he figured he would say that, and tells him to table that for now. Gunn takes Angel around his base of operations, explains what happened to him. When Angel sees that Gunn thinks he is doing the right thing, Angel cautions him that the beast is the one in control, not him. Gunn attacks him, angered that Angel thinks that Gunn isn't himself. Gunn proceeds to remove all of the magic that had kept Angel alive, and realizes that Angel was actually now a human. Gunn decides to let Angel lie there and die slowly, only to be confronted by Wesley's "ghost", who reveals to him that the visions he has been receiving are from the Senior Partners rather than the Powers That Be. Ignoring this revelation, Gunn continues to attack his former friends, his team of Slayers apparently staking Spike- although Spike is later seen alive thanks to Illyria's timeslips- before he is kicked out of a window by Connor while trying to kill Angel again. Confronting Illyria, he tricks her into transforming into Fred so that he can shoot her, reverting her to her true form in the hope that he can convince her to use her powers to rewind time so that the Fall never occurs, only for Illyria to vow to unmake time itself. Realizing that the Senior Partners cannot allow him to die, Angel provokes Gunn into killing him, thus forcing the Senior Partners to reverse time to the original battle in the alleyway, giving Angel the opportunity to save Gunn before he is sired, the group subsequently taking Gunn to the hospital, where he falls into a coma. In "Aftermath" #18 Gunn is shown driving a sports car. Gunn seems to be recovering from his wound well, but was stated not to be ready to rejoin the team yet. In "Aftermath" #23 Gunn is spotlighted. It is explained how he was cured so quickly from the attacks at the end of the series and he and Illyria come to a mutual agreement and strike a friendship of sorts. In the end Illyria and Gunn take off to find adventure, slay demons, and find a new direction in their lives.  Gunn eventually returns to Angel Investigations, though he nonetheless faces multiple difficulties upon his return, as Spike and Connor still regard him as a traitor due to his actions in Hell and are distrustful of him. When Connor takes over the leadership of Angel Investigations after Angel is captured by Innovation Labs, a biotech company seeking to duplicate Angel's status as an immortal with a soul, Gunn, while still loyal to Angel's mission, left the team due to escalating disagreements and arguments with Connor. Gunn departs with the intent of starting his own crew and fighting the good fight his way, though he nonetheless intends to return when Angel is found. However, his attempts to start anew are briefly halted when he is attacked by Eddie Hope, an ice-manipulating devil who has been hunting down people for crimes they committed while Los Angeles was in Hell, while at a diner.  In the Angel & Faith series Gunn reconvenes with Angel, Faith and Willow after they come to LA from London in the Family Reunion arc. Gunn has been sending reports to Angel on Connor's normal life as well as updating him on the status of his other friends from LA. Gunn stays in the Hyperion Hotel to protect the tear in reality when the other four enter Qour'toth. He appears pleased at the positive place Angel and Connor's relationship has finally reached.

Powers and abilities.

In the television series, Gunn is a normal human with no supernatural abilities, but he has strength and martial arts expertise due to his years as a vampire hunter, often being described as "the muscle" of Angel Investigations. Episodes such as "Darla" and "Reunion" have proven that Gunn is also a talented and intelligent investigator. In Season Five, he is given a "legal upgrade" by Wolfram & Hart which gives him knowledge of all legal codes, both human and demon, as well as fluency in some demonic languages, knowledge of golf techniques and all Gilbert & Sullivan light operas. In the canonical comic book "Angel: After the Fall", Gunn is depicted as having become a vampire, acquiring superhuman strength, speed, reflexes durability, virtual immortality, accelerated healing, vulnerability to holy items and sunlight and the necessity to feed on blood to maintain vitality. He claims that his "inner demon" is partially subdued by his earlier Wolfram & Hart upgrade. By devouring a prophetic demon, Gunn also acquired its power to receive visions, which he believes come from the Powers but in fact come from the Senior Partners. At the end of the series, time is reversed and Gunn is an ordinary human again.  Gunn is a fan of pop culture and often displays a detailed knowledge regarding comic books:

Appearance.

Following his mental upgrade, Gunn sheds his street look for the sleek, professional suits of a legal powerhouse. He also lets his hair grow slightly, having had it shaved in all previous seasons, which comes as a surprise to Cordelia in the episode "You're Welcome". In the final episodes, Gunn comes full circle, returning to his roots, taking back his street clothes, and reawakening his purpose as a soldier in the fight against evil.

Appearances.

Canonical appearances.

Gunn has appeared in 95 canonical Buffyverse appearances.

Non-canonical appearances.

Gunn has also appeared in "Angel" expanded universe material such as comics and novels, most notable his own one-shot comic "" in 2006.

Charles Gunn is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series, "Angel" and introduced by writer Gary Campbell in the episode "War Zone". The character is portrayed by J. August Richards, and was named by Whedon after filmmaker James Gunn and actor Sean Gunn, both of whom had worked with Whedon. Gunn is introduced as the leader of a street gang which protects its neighborhood from vampires.

Charles Gunn est un personnage fictif créé par Joss Whedon pour la série télévisée "Angel". Il est joué par l'acteur J. August Richards et doublé en version française par Bertrand Liebert. Le personnage apparait pour la première fois dans le de la série ("Frères de sang"). Il reste alors un des personnages principaux jusqu'à la fin de la série. Il apparaît aussi dans les comics "", la suite de la série télévisée en bande dessinée.


Biography.

Reri Grist was born in New York City, grew up in the East River Housing Projects, attended the High School of Music & Art, majored in voice and graduated with a BA in Music from Queens College, City Univ. of New York. In her early teens she performed on Broadway in small roles with Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee, including Robert Ardrey's 1946 play Jeb; with Lawrence Tibbett; and in musicals with Eartha Kitt, while taking voice lessons with her teacher, Claire Gelda. Her first opera engagement was as Madame Herz in a concert performance of Mozart's "Der Schauspieldirektor". Her first staged "operatic" engagement was in 1956 as Cindy Lou (Micaela) in "Carmen Jones", Oscar Hammerstein's adaptation of Bizet's "Carmen". She was Consuelo in the original production of Leonard Bernstein's musical "West Side Story" in 1957, introducing the song "Somewhere" to the public. One of her earliest breakthroughs in classical music came in 1960 when Bernstein engaged her to sing the soprano part in Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 4 in G major with the New York Philharmonic in a "Young People's Concert" at Carnegie Hall. In following years, Grist appeared with the orchestra under the batons of Bernstein, Nadia Boulanger, Pierre Boulez and Michael Gielen.  Her operatic debut was at the Santa Fe Opera in 1959, as Adele in "Die Fledermaus", followed by Blondchen in "Die Entführung aus dem Serail". Igor Stravinsky attended the performance and invited her to perform his "Le Rossignol" with him conducting at the Washington Opera Society. Her first European appearance was at the Cologne Opera in 1960 as the Queen of the Night in Mozart's "The Magic Flute". From 1960–1966 she was a member of the Zurich Opera, where she first performed Zerbinetta in "Ariadne auf Naxos", Sophie in "Der Rosenkavalier", Adina in "L'elisir d'amore", and Gilda in "Rigoletto". After her successes in Zurich, she found herself much in demand, leading to her debuts at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden in "Le Coq d'Or" and at the Glyndebourne Festival in 1962, followed by the Vienna State Opera in 1963, where she performed for twenty-five seasons.  In the same year, Grist first sang at the San Francisco Opera as Rosina in "Il barbiere di Siviglia". Throughout twelve consecutive seasons there, she added to her repertoire Oscar in "Un ballo in maschera", Manon in Massenet's "Manon" and Susanna in "Le nozze di Figaro". In 1964, she made an acclaimed debut as Zerbinetta at the Salzburg Festival, where she performed throughout twelve seasons in Mozart and R. Strauss operas conducted by Karl Böhm, Zubin Mehta and Herbert von Karajan.  Grist's Metropolitan Opera debut on February 25, 1966, was as Rosina in "Il barbiere di Siviglia". Additional roles throughout thirteen seasons included Gilda, Oscar, Olympia, Sophie and Zerbinetta.  From 1965 to 1987, she performed regularly at the Bayerische Staatsoper Munich in new productions, among which were Richard Strauss' "Die schweigsame Frau", "Falstaff", "Le Nozze di Figaro", and "Il barbiere di Siviglia". Guest appearances included performances at Lyric Opera of Chicago, Deutsche Oper Berlin, La Scala Milano, Buenos Aires, Holland Festival, and Die Wiener Festwochen.  Grist ended her operatic career in 1991 at De Nederlandse Opera, Amsterdam, in the one-woman opera, "Neither" by Morton Feldman/Samuel Beckett, directed by Pierre Audi. In that year, she also sang the role of The Italian Singer in the San Francisco Opera production of Cappriccio.  Grist has sung in concerts with the conductors Leonard Bernstein, Seiji Ozawa, Michael Gielen, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Pierre Boulez, Friedrich Cerha/Die Reihe, Leopold Stokowski, among others.  In December 2007, she last appeared on stage on Broadway at the Gypsy of the Year/Equity Fights Aids Gala, which honored the original cast and the 50th anniversary of "West Side Story", at which she sang, as in the original production, "Somewhere". Grist has held professorships in Voice at the School of Music, Indiana University Bloomington and at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Munich. She has participated in various international juries and has given Master Classes at several young artist programs including the Santa Fe Opera, the Metropolitan Opera's Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, the San Francisco Opera Merola Program, the International Opern Studio Hamburgische Staatsoper, and the Ravinia, USA Summer Festival.  Honors include the title of Bayerische Kammersängerin awarded to her in 1976 and a Legacy Award of the American Opera Assoc. in 2001.  Grist lives in Germany with her husband, orchestra administrator Dr. Ulf Thomson.

References.

Notes Sources

Reri Grist (born February 29, 1932) is an American coloratura soprano, one of the pioneer African-American singers to enjoy a major international career in opera.

Reri Grist (née le à New York) est une soprano afro-américaine, compte parmi les premières chanteuses noires à jouir d'une carrière à l'opéra sur la scène internationale.


Biography.

Born in Budapest, Hungary, he studied with Eva Kutrucz at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music, 1967–72, and later privately with Hans Hotter and Yevgeny Nesterenko. He made his debut at the Hungarian State Opera in 1971, as Count Ceprano in "Rigoletto". His other roles there included Osmin, Sarastro, Leporello, Basilio, and Gurnemanz.  His international career took off in 1981, when he sang Rodolfo in "La sonnambula" at the Royal Opera House in London. He became a regular guest at the Vienna State Opera in 1983, at the Munich State Opera and the Opéra de Paris from 1985; also, he appeared in Hamburg State Opera, and at the festivals of Salzburg and Aix-en-Provence. From 1992 until 2008 he was a principal solo bass of the Zurich Opera House.  Other notable roles of his included Oroveso, Giorgio, Il Prefetto, Walter, Padre Guardiano, and Filippo. He is perhaps best known for his interpretation of the title role in Bartók's "Bluebeard's Castle", which he sang several times with distinction, and also recorded with soprano Jessye Norman, conductor Pierre Boulez, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.  In 1986 he played the double role of Sarastro and Man with Greying Hair in "A Hungarian Fairy Tale (Hol volt, hol nem volt...)" in the Hungarian film directed by Gyula Gazdag.  Polgár taught at the Hochschule für Musik in Winterthur, Switzerland, and also at the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest.  He died in Zürich in 2010, at the age of 63.

László Polgár (1 January 1947 – 19 September 2010) was a Hungarian operatic bass. He was a singer in the Opera, Oratorio and Lieder genres and was renowned for his silky voice and outstanding declamation and musicality. His art is well represented on compact disc, particularly in opera.

László Polgár est un chanteur d'opéra (basse) hongrois né le à Budapest et mort le à Zurich De 1967 à 1972, il est l'élève d'Eva Kutrucz à l'Académie de musique Franz-Liszt. Il reçoit ensuite l'enseignement de Hans Hotter et de Yevgeny Nesterenko. Il fait ses débuts à Budapest en 1971 dans le rôle de Sparafucile dans "Rigoletto".


History.

There is little or no information from the literature or early pictorial representations to indicate how ancient the four main groups of cats are; these being the two varieties of tabby, the single coloured black or white, and the sex-linked orange (marmalade or tortoiseshell cats). In addition, there are other breeds of cat that are more closely controlled by humans, such as the Manx, the Persian, Siamese, and Abyssinian, to name but a few.  The Cat Fanciers' Association considers the Himalayan Persian simply a color variation of the Persian rather than a separate breed, although they do compete in their own color division. It was for the color that the breed was named "Himalayan": a reference to the coloration of Himalayan animals, in particular the Himalayan rabbit. It has been suggested that the Persian long-haired cats are descended from Pallas's cat, Felis manul, a wild cat that inhabits central Asia and which is unmarked with spots or stripes and has very long soft fur. There is, however, no osteological or other evidence for this and it is more likely that the long-haired domestic cats are the result of artificial selection for this characteristic by humans.  Tests are still being done to discover the ancestors of cats such as Himalayans. An example of this research and experimentation is in that of the following: A rare color variant of the American mink (Neovison vison), discovered on a ranch in Nova Scotia and referred to as the ‘‘marbled’’ variety, carries a distinctive pigment distribution pattern resembling that found in some other species, e.g., the Siamese cat and the Himalayan mouse.  Work to formally establish a breed with combined Persian and Siamese traits, explicitly for the cat fancy, began in the United States in the 1930s at Harvard University, under the term Siamese–Persian, and the results were published in the "Journal of Heredity" in 1936, but were not adopted as a recognized breed by any major fancier groups at the time. Brian Sterling-Webb independently developed the cross-breed over a period of ten years in the UK, and in 1955 it was recognized there as the Longhaired Colourpoint by the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF).  Jean Mill of California had taken several graduate classes in genetics at UC Davis, and by 1948 was one of three breeders working to develop the Himalayan cat.  Separate US-based breeding efforts had begun around 1950, and a breeder known to sources simply as Mrs. Goforth received breed recognition from the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) near the end of 1957 for the Himalayan. Early breeders were mostly interested in adding Siamese colouration to long-haired cats, and therefore reinforced the stock by outbreeding to Persians only to retain the Persian trait dominance. However, by the 1960s, some were re-introducing Siamese stock and producing less "Persian-style" cats, In the 1980s, a concerted effort to re-establish the breed along more formally Persian lines ultimately caused the breed to be merged into Persian as a variant in some registries (e.g. in 1984 by CFA), and a decline in the "old" or Siamese-like specimens.

Appearance.

Body.

Like Persians more generally, the Himalayan tends to have a round (cobby) body with short legs, which makes it harder for them to jump as high as other cats do. Since the 1960s, however, some have more of a Siamese-like body, and thus do not have this limitation, but may not be acceptable as show cats, depending on the specific breed standards of the organisation in question.

Head.

As with other Persians, there are two types of Himalayans, the traditional or doll-face, and the peke-faced or ultra-typed which has the more extreme squashed-looking facial features. The seal-point Himalayan in the photo to the left is doll-faced while the red(flame)-point in the title image is peke-faced.  Show Himalayans display a nose break as do peke-faced Persians, and have very large, round eyes with the nose leather directly between the eyes. Breeder or pet Himalayans generally have longer noses than the show cats, and may display a longer muzzle and smaller eyes than the show cats do. All three types of cat are Himalayans, however.

Coat.

The bulk of the fur on the body of a Himalayan is white or cream, but the points come in many different colors: Seal (or Black), Blue, Lilac, Chocolate, Red (Flame), and Cream. The points can also be Tabby, Lynx, or Tortoiseshell-patterned.  The Chocolate and Lilac point Himalayans are the most difficult to produce, because both parents must carry the gene for Chocolate/Lilac to produce a Chocolate or Lilac kitten, as the trait is autosomal recessive.

Health.

Due to their Persian ancestry, some Himalayans may have the gene that causes Polycystic kidney disease, (PKD); however, a genetic test can reveal which cats carry the PKD gene, so that they may be spayed or neutered.  Like many long-haired cats, Himalayans need to be brushed daily to keep their coats looking their best and healthiest. In addition, they may need their face wiped daily, depending on the cat. Bathing a Himalayan is also recommended by some breeders, to help reduce the amount of oil on the cat's fur and skin.

Temperament.

Himalayan cats are good indoor companions. By and large, they are sweet-tempered, intelligent, and generally very social, but they can be very moody at times. Because of their heritage from the Siamese cats, they tend to be more active than Persians. They possess a playful side as well. Like the Siamese, most Himalayans love to play fetch, and a scrap of crumpled paper or a kitty toy will entertain them for hours. Himalayan cats are devoted and dependent upon their humans for companionship and protection. They crave affection and love to be petted and groomed.

The Himalayan (a.k.a. Himalayan Persian, or Colourpoint Persian as it is commonly referred to in Europe), is a breed or sub-breed of long-haired cat similar in type to the Persian, with the exception of its blue eyes and its point colouration, which were derived from crossing the Persian with the Siamese. Some registries may classify the Himalayan as a long-haired sub-breed of Siamese, or a colorpoint sub-breed of Persian. The World Cat Federation has merged them with the Colorpoint Shorthair and Javanese into a single breed, the Colorpoint.

L'himalayen, aussi appelé colourpoint ou colorpoint (US), est une race de chat originaire des États-Unis. Dans certains pays européens, cette race n'existe pas et est considérée comme une robe du Persan.


Extra Preliminary Round.

Eight of the 32 teams which had qualified on regional levels competed in this round.  The matches were played on 30 July 2008.

Preliminary round.

The four winners of the Extra Preliminary Round and the 24 remaining teams qualified through regional levels competed in this round. The matches were played on 13 August 2008.

Round 1.

The fourteen winners of the Preliminary Round, along with the eighteen teams from 2007–08 II Liga, competed in this round.  The matches were played on 26 and 27 August 2008.  Note : The draw was conducted prior to the merger of Polonia Warszawa and Dyskobolia Grodzisk Wielkopolski. Upon completion of the merger, Stal Stalowa Wola, who were originally to play former II Liga side Polonia Warszawa, were awarded a walkover to the next round.

Round 2.

The sixteen winners of Round 1, along with the sixteen teams from 2007–08 Ekstraklasa, competed in this round.

Round 3.

The sixteen winners of Round 2 competed in this round.

Quarterfinals.

The quarterfinals were played in two legs. The first legs were played on March 4, 17 and 18, 2009 while the second legs took place on April 7 and 8, 2009.

Second legs.

"Ruch Chorzów won 5–1 on aggregate"  "Polonia Warsaw won 3–2 on aggregate"  "Legia Warsaw won 4–2 on aggregate"  "Lech Poznan won 3–1 on aggregate"

Semifinals.

The semifinals were also played in two legs. The first legs were played on April 29 and 30, 2009, while the second legs took place on May 6 and 7, 2009.

Second legs.

"2–2 on aggregate, Lech Poznań won 3–0 on penalties"  "Ruch Chorzów won 2–0 on aggregate"

Polish Cup 2008–09 was the fifty-fifth season of the annual Polish cup competition. It began on July 30, 2008 with the Extra Preliminary Round and ended on May 19, 2009 with the Final, played at Stadion Śląski, Chorzów. The winners qualified for the third qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League. Legia Warszawa were the defending champions.

La Coupe de Pologne 2008-2009 ("Puchar Polski 2008-2009" en polonais) est la de la Coupe de Pologne. Le Legia Varsovie met son titre en jeu pour la treizième fois de son histoire. Le vainqueur de cette édition est qualifié pour le troisième tour de qualification de la Ligue Europa 2009-2010.


Plot.

Billy Edward Lenz, a boy born with severe jaundice, is constantly abused by his hateful mother, Constance. With the help of her lover, Constance murders Billy's father, Frank, on Christmas Eve 1975 and buries his body in the house's crawlspace. To prevent Billy from talking, she imprisons him in the attic. Years later, Constance attempts to conceive another child, but realizes that her boyfriend is impotent. She goes to the attic and rapes twelve-year-old Billy. Nine months later, Constance gives birth to their daughter, Agnes. Constance uses the occasion of Agnes' birth to further reject Billy, and her boyfriend believes he fathered Agnes. On Christmas Day 1991, Billy escapes from the attic and disfigures eight-year-old Agnes by gouging out her eye. He then brutally murders his mother and her lover. He is caught by police eating cookies made out of his mother's flesh, and is sent to a mental asylum.  Fifteen years later, on Christmas Eve, Billy, now 35, escapes from his cell and heads to his former home, now a sorority house for Delta Alpha Kappa at Clemson University outside Boston. At the house, Clair Crosby, one of the sorority girls, is murdered in her bedroom by an unknown figure. Meanwhile, Megan Helms begins to hear noises and goes up to the attic to investigate. Upon finding Clair's body in a rocking chair, Megan is attacked and killed by the same assailant. In the living room, the other sorority sisters, Kelli Presley, Melissa Kitt, Heather Fitzgerald, Dana Mathis and Lauren Hannon, along with their housemother Mrs. Mac, receive a threatening call from a stranger. Clair's half-sister Leigh Colvin soon arrives, searching for her. The withdrawn Eve Agnew presents Heather with a glass unicorn before leaving the sorority house to go home for the holidays. Meanwhile, Kelli's boyfriend, Kyle Autry, arrives but is kicked out when Kelli discovers a video of him and Megan having sex. When the lights suddenly go out, Dana goes to check the power under the house, but encounters the figure in the crawlspace and is dragged underneath and killed. The girls in the house subsequently receive an indecipherable call from Dana's cell phone. Outside while searching for Dana, they find Eve's severed head in her car.  With the police unable to arrive in time due to a snow storm, Kelli, Melissa and Leigh decide to stay inside the house whilst Heather and Mrs. Mac flee. In the car, Heather is murdered, and Mrs. Mac is impaled by a falling icicle. While Kelli and Leigh descend to the garage to investigate, Melissa is attacked and killed by the assailant. Kelli and Leigh return upstairs and find Lauren's eyeless corpse in bed. Kyle returns to the house, and the three go to investigate the attic; while ascending the ladder, Kyle is dragged into the attic to his death by the assailant, who is revealed to be Agnes, now an adult. As Billy enters the attic, Kelli and Agnes struggle, leading the two of them into the empty space between the walls of the house. As the killers converge toward Kelli, Leigh helps her escape before they start a fire, leaving Billy and Agnes to burn to death.  Later, as Kelli and Leigh recover at the hospital, Billy, who is partially burned, kills the morgue assistant. While Kelli goes for an x-ray, Agnes appears in her hospital room and kills Leigh. When Kelli returns to her room, Agnes appears through the ceiling and attacks her, but Kelli uses a defibrillator and violently electrocutes Agnes, killing her. Moments later, Billy enters through the ceiling and chases Kelli to the stairwell. They briefly fight, ending with Kelli pushing Billy off the railing where he is subsequently impaled on the tip of a Christmas tree, finally killing him.

Production.

Writing.

After his debut feature, "Willard" (2003)—a remake of an earlier 1971 film—failed to perform well at the box office, Morgan was approached by Dimension Films to write and direct a remake of "Black Christmas" (1974). Morgan was a fan of the original film, and cited it as a predecessor to the modern slasher film, which influenced his decision to commit to the remake. Star Crystal Lowe noted Morgan's admiration and aim to "take the film to a different level," while "respecting the fact that [the original] was a great movie to begin with."  In conceiving a new script, Morgan had intended to rework elements of the original film that were left ambiguous or implied, such as the cryptic phone calls received by the sorority house. While writing the screenplay, Morgan received input from the film's original director, Bob Clark, who also signed on to co-produce the remake. Clark gave Morgan his "blessing," stating in an interview that the remake was "still "Black Christmas"," but explored new subplots that had not been fleshed out in the 1974 film.  Morgan created an extensive subplot for the film's killer, Billy, which introduced a secondary killer in Billy's younger sister, Agnes (in the original film, the names Billy and Agnes figure prominently in the obscene calls received by the sorority sisters). In writing the character of Billy, Morgan was inspired by the life of Edmund Kemper, a real-life serial killer who as a child had been locked in the basement of his home by his mother, whom he later murdered. The introduction of Agnes as a second killer was, according to Mary Elizabeth Winstead, incorporated in-part to extend the film's narrative arc, given that the "phone calls coming from inside the house" plot twist from the 1974 film was too familiar for contemporary audiences. The relationship between Billy and Agnes also allowed Morgan room to explore themes of family, which are also prevalent in the relationships between the female characters. In a 2014 interview with Morgan, he claimed that his inclusion of a second killer was under the urging of Dimension Films executives: "I felt that a ten million dollar movie of "Black Christmas" didn't need anyone's help, and they should have left us alone. But they had to have the two killers, and then they were after kids from "The O.C." We compromised a lot."

Casting.

In casting the sorority sister characters, Morgan sought actresses who were "of the same calibre," in order to avoid typecasting of the final girl and the supporting characters. Katie Cassidy, who also had recently had a supporting part in the "When a Stranger Calls" remake, was cast in the lead role of Kelli Presley. Michelle Trachtenberg, who had gained notoriety for her role as Dawn Summers on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", had initially wanted to avoid returning to the horror genre unless she were "given the opportunity to die" onscreen. Trachtenberg read the script for the film in the middle of the night while alone in her home, and was unnerved by it, which influenced her decision to sign onto the project; she was cast in the supporting role of Melissa Kitt. Canadian actress Crystal Lowe was cast as Lauren Hannon, a feisty sorority sister from a dysfunctional family, while Lacey Chabert was cast in the role of Dana Mathis, a conceited woman from a privileged background. Actor Robert Mann was later cast for the role of antagonist Billy Lenz, with Mann describing the character as being a "time bomb" due to the severe abuse he suffered. Oliver Hudson was cast as Kyle Autry, the male lead and red herring after finding the script effective, as well being impressed by Morgan's remake of "Willard": "The style of [that film] complemented the script, and I thought if Glen could marry the two, it would be cool, and a little different." Andrea Martin, who had played the role of Phyllis in the 1974 film, was cast as the sorority housemother, Mrs. Mac.

Filming.

"Black Christmas" was shot on location in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Given that a great deal of the film takes place during a blackout inside a home, the cinematographers and lighting department were forced to find inventive ways to achieve appropriate lighting on the actors, which included cutting holes in the walls. The film's prominent exhibition of Christmas decorations and its overtly red color palette were deliberately chosen by Morgan, who wanted to evoke an "American Christmas," which he characterized as being a cross between "Washington Irving and Coca-Cola."  On her first day of shooting during a fight scene with the killer, Lacey Chabert injured her leg and had to fly to Los Angeles to see a doctor; however, she was able to return to the set the following day and continue filming.

Studio intervention.

According to Morgan, he and James Wong had various disputes with Dimension Films executives Bob and Harvey Weinstein, specifically about the film's tone and the way it should end. Morgan's original script ended with Kelli and Leigh in the hospital receiving a phone call from Billy, whom they believed to be dead; this scene, which Morgan filmed, was intended to pay homage to the conclusion of the original film. This ending, however, was scrapped by Bob Weinstein, who requested Morgan write and shoot a different ending. This ultimately resulted in the more violent conclusion that appears in the theatrical cut, which has Billy being impaled on the hospital's Christmas tree-topper.  As a result of various cuts made during post-production, there are at least two different cuts of "Black Christmas" that exist: one which was released in Europe and one which was released in North America, which feature slight variations. The European cut, which is four minutes shorter than the North American cut, features an alternative death scene and ending.  After the production in Vancouver concluded, Bob and Harvey Weinstein oversaw the shooting of additional footage in Los Angeles intended only for promotional materials. According to Morgan, he was contacted by the Weinsteins, who wanted to "pick up some shots for TV spots", to which he agreed. Among the footage shot was Lacey Chabert being dragged through the snow; footage of a woman falling from the roof, where there is a "weird lawnmower electric [Christmas] light thing"; an unidentified woman (played by Jillian Murray) discovering a woman floating beneath a frozen lake; Michelle Trachtenberg aiming a shotgun and saying "Merry Christmas, motherfucker" into the camera; and additional shots of Trachtenberg in a hallway holding a shotgun while Billy levitates above her on the ceiling. This footage, which was never incorporated into the film, did appear in the official theatrical trailer as well as television spots.

Release.

"Black Christmas" had its premiere in Los Angeles on December 19, 2006. The Weinstein Company (parent of the film's production company and co-distributor, Dimension Films) chose to give the film in a wide theatrical release on Christmas Day 2006. Distributor Dimension Films had reportedly chosen to release the film on Christmas Day based upon the box office success of "Wolf Creek", released in the United States by Dimension on Christmas 2005.  The film was released earlier in the United Kingdom, however, premiering on December 15, 2006. In the United States, the film was not screened for critics.

Release date controversy.

The film drew backlash from Christian groups because of the studio's decision to release the film on Christmas Day. Several groups, including Liberty Counsel and Operation "Just Say Merry Christmas", called the film "offensive," "ill-founded," and "insensitive." "L.A. Weekly" columnist Nikki Finke also questioned the filmmakers' decision to release the film on Christmas, writing for "Deadline": "And the entertainment industry wonders why it continues to have a huge PR problem as promoters of garbage? Showbiz marketing calls this counter-programming. Still, I don't understand: just how many disturbed human beings does The Weinstein Company and MGM think actually want to go see a gory movie on December 25th?"  Dimension Films defended the timing in a press statement, stating: "There is a long tradition of releasing horror movies during the holiday season as counter-programing to the more regular yuletide fare." Film historian Michael Gurnow, of "The Horror Review", countered Liberty Counsel's complaint, writing, "such crimes occur throughout the year, including [at] Christmas," and cited both a mass murder and murder-suicide that occurred on Christmas Day 2005 in Virginia.

Box office.

"Black Christmas" grossed a total of $16.3 million in North America and $21.5 million worldwide. The film earned $3.3 million in its opening weekend (December 22–5) showing in 1,278 theaters, and garnered an additional $4.9 million between December 29 and January 1, 2007, expanding to 1,544 theaters. The film remained in U.S. theaters until February 2007, earning $1,563 for the weekend of February 9–11 (from a total of 4 theaters) before concluding its theatrical run.

Critical reception.

The film holds a 15% approval rating on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, based on 62 reviews. The site's critical consensus reads: "A gratuitous remake of the 1974 slasher, "Black Christmas" pumps out the gore and blood with zero creativity, humor, or visual flair." On Metacritic, the film was given an average rating of 22 out of 100 based on 17 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". The film has been characterized by film scholars and critics as an example of a contemporary slasher film.  Jeannette Catsoulis of "The New York Times" wrote of the film: "With a peephole-riddled set and a flashback-heavy screenplay, "Black Christmas" smothers terror beneath a blanket of unnecessary information, revealing too much and teasing too little. And despite some nifty camerawork — a shot of an asylum inmate gobbling Christmas dinner cuts seamlessly to a couple snogging in a car — the movie is a dismal Christmas card to its predecessor." "The Guardian"s Peter Bradshaw, however, found the backstory "ingenious," but concluded: "For the first 20 minutes or so, "Black Christmas" has some smart ideas and gags: then it all just gets predictable." Sam Adams of the "Los Angeles Times" wrote, "Like an ugly tie or a pair of slipper socks, "Black Christmas" is destined to be forgotten the instant it's unwrapped, gathering dust until the season rolls around again."  Jim Ridley of "The Village Voice" wrote: "The product itself isn't so much afterthought as afterbirth – a bloody mess to be dumped discreetly." When compared to the original, Desson Thomson of "The Washington Post" calls it "a drab, unimaginative remake. [...] The remake neither pays perceptive tribute to the original nor updates it in anything but hackneyed form." Joe Leydon of "Variety" goes on to say, "[...] there can be no argument regarding the scant merits of its slapdash, soporifically routine remake, suitable only for the least discriminating of gore hounds." Jason Anderson of "The Globe and Mail" wrote, "Lazy, perfunctory and free of tension, the new version will satisfy neither the admirers of the original nor anyone looking for a gory respite from seasonal good cheer," while Michael Rechtshaffen of "Reuters" wrote: "There are a couple clever touches here and there, including one sequence in which the end of a candy cane has been carefully licked into a highly lethal weapon, but for the most part the accompanying histrionics feel more regressive than retro."  Marc Savlov of "The Austin Chronicle", however, said, "This film is an evocative, effective entry into the holiday blood-spray subgenre in its own right. And if it doesn't make your skin crawl... you probably ate too much Christmas dinner." Thompson also praised the acting of several of the lead performers, in particular Katie Cassidy, Michelle Trachtenberg, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Lacey Chabert, and Crystal Lowe.  In the United Kingdom, Jamie Russell of BBC also praised the film, writing: "It's no "Scream", but it lives up to its title, a black (comedy) Christmas movie, with halls decked with holly, mistletoe and a Christmas tree full of popped eyeballs. Unlike the recent "When a Stranger Calls" remake (which also starred Cassidy), "Black Christmas" has the smarts to be playful, with a choice selection of festive slasher gags pushing the envelope of bad taste: a candy cane's sucked into a stabbing weapon and angel-shaped cookie cutters do more than cut cookies. The result's an undemanding multiplex filler–a ho-ho-horror movie that knows it's the season to be jolly."  Horror review website Bloody Disgusting gave the film three out of five stars and wrote that the film should not be compared to the original. The site concluded that the film is "a pretty good modern slasher." The "Radio Times" also gave the film a favorable review, giving the film three stars out of five and calling the film a "cheeky but no less brutal remake." For her performance, Mary Elizabeth Winstead was nominated for a Scream Queen award at the 2007 Scream Awards.  In a retrospective by "Fangoria", Ken Hanley said the film "benefits from solid and focused direction" and "wears its cringeworthy elements as a badge of honor." Film scholar Jessica Robinson also praised the film's depiction of its female characters, writing: "The sorority sisters in "Black Christmas" are set up to be ideal females. They all have long hair, they are concerned with how they look, and they sit on the couch and file their nails. However, unlike stereotypical females, they also drink, cuss, and talk badly about their families."

Home media.

"Black Christmas" was released on DVD and HD DVD in the United States on April 15, 2007 by Genius Products. The DVD release, which was made available in widescreen and fullscreen versions, features an "unrated" cut of the film that runs 2 minutes longer than the theatrical cut.  The film has not yet received a Blu-ray release in the United States. However, in 2008, it did have a short-print Region A Blu-ray release in Canada, which contained the 90-minute R-rated North American theatrical cut of the film. In Germany, the film received a region-free Blu-ray release that contained both the North American Theatrical and Unrated cuts of the film.  The film grossed a total of $29,436,341 in DVD sales.

Black Christmas (abbreviated as Black X-Mas) is a 2006 slasher film written and directed by Glen Morgan and starring Katie Cassidy, Michelle Trachtenberg, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Oliver Hudson, Lacey Chabert, Kristen Cloke, and Andrea Martin. The film takes place several days before Christmas and tells the story of a group of sorority sisters who are stalked and murdered in their house during a winter storm. It is a loose remake of the 1974 film of the same name. A co-production of Canada and the United States, the film was produced by Morgan and James Wong through their production company Hard Eight Pictures, along with 2929 Productions, Adelstein-Parouse Productions and Hoban Segal Productions. It is the second film in the "Black Christmas" series.

Black Christmas, ou Noël Noir au Québec, est un film américano-canadien réalisé par Glen Morgan et sorti en 2006. Il s'agit d'un remake du film canadien film du même titre, sorti en 1974. Néanmoins, il reprend seulement les bases de l'original et met en scène une histoire modifiée avec de nouveaux personnages.


Etymology.

The word comes from the Ancient Greek word ().

History.

The first references of sponges used for hygiene dates from the Ancient Greece. Competitors of the Olympic Games bathed themselves with sea sponges soaked in olive oil or perfume before competing. In the book "Odyssey" by the Greek poet Homer, the god Hephaestus cleans his hands, face, and chest with a sea sponge, and the servants in the Odysseus palace also used sea sponges to clean the tables after the meals the suitors of Penelope had there. The Greek philosophers Aristotle and Plato also mentioned sea sponges in both scientific and historic contexts in their works. Ancient Greeks and Romans also used sea sponges tied to sticks for anal hygiene, and washed them with sea water.  Ancient Romans also used sea sponges extensively for hygiene and other uses. The belief that sponges had therapeutic properties led to its usage in medicine for cleaning wounds and treating disease.  Sea sponges were used as tampons by females throughout history and are still used as a cheaper and more eco-friendly alternative to fibre ones. However, researchers do not recommend using sea sponges as tampons, as they may contain dirt and microorganisms, especially if poorly sanitized.  In the New Testament, a Roman soldier offers Jesus Christ a sponge soaked in vinegar on the tip of his spear (some versions say staff) for Jesus to drink during his crucifixion, as an act of mockery.  Synthetic sponges were made possible to be manufactured only after the invention of polyester in 1941 and the commercial production of polyurethane foam in 1952.

Material.

Synthetic sponges can be made of polyester, polyurethane, or vegetal cellulose. Polyurethane is used in polyester sponges for their abrasive side. Polyester sponges are more common for dish washing and are usually soft and yellow.  Vegetal cellulose sponges made of wood fiber are more used for bathing and skin cleaning, and are usually tougher and more expensive than polyester sponges. They are considered more eco-friendly than polyester sponges as they are biodegradable and made of natural materials.

Harboring bacteria.

Because it is primarily made of wood fiber, a cellulose sponge can be a medium for the growth of harmful bacteria or fungi, especially when it is allowed to remain wet between uses.

Cleaning.

Several methods have been used to clean sponges. Studies have investigated the use of the microwave to clean non-metallic domestic sponges that have been thoroughly moistened. A 2006 study found that microwaving wet sponges for two minutes (at 1000 watt power) killed 99% of coliforms, "E. coli", and MS2 phages, but "Bacillus cereus" spores required four minutes. After some fires were caused by people trying to replicate the results at home, the study's author urged people to make sure their sponges were wet. A 2009 study showed that the microwave and the dishwasher were both effective ways to clean domestic sponges.

In economy.

Caribbean and Mediterranean developing countries are the largest sponge exporters, whereas the largest importers are developed European and North-American countries. Tunisia is the world's main sponge exporter, exporting 90% of its sponge production. France is the main importer, being supplied by Tunisia, but France's sponge demand has fallen in recent years.

A sponge is a tool or cleaning aid made of soft, porous material. Typically used for cleaning impervious surfaces, sponges are especially good at absorbing water and water-based solutions.

L'éponge est un objet d'origine animale ou synthétique. Sa structure poreuse (il s'agit d'une mousse solide ouverte) lui confère une forte capacité d'absorption atteignant vingt-deux fois sa masse sèche pour les éponges animales. C'est pourquoi son usage principal est la toilette et le lavage en général.