Structure.

Cyanines have been classified in many ways:  Additionally, these classes are recognized:  where two quaternary nitrogens are joined by a polymethine chain. Both nitrogens may each be independently part of a heteroaromatic moiety, such as pyrrole, imidazole, thiazole, pyridine, quinoline, indole, benzothiazole, etc.

History and use in industry.

Cyanines were first synthesized over a century ago. They were originally used, and still are, to increase the sensitivity range of photographic emulsions, i.e., to increase the range of wavelengths which will form an image on the film, making the film panchromatic. Cyanines are also used in CD-R and DVD-R media. The ones used are mostly green or light blue in color, and are chemically unstable. For that reason, unstabilized cyanine discs are unsuitable for archival CD and DVD use. Recent cyanine discs contain stabilizers that slow the deterioration significantly. These discs are often rated with an archival life of 75 years or more. The other dyes used in CD-Rs are phthalocyanine and azo.

Use in biotechnology.

For applications to biotechnology, special cyanines dyes are synthesized from 2, 3, 5 or 7-methine structures with reactive groups on either one or both of the nitrogen ends so that they can be chemically linked to either nucleic acids or protein molecules. Labeling is done for visualization and quantification purposes. Biological applications include comparative genomic hybridization and gene chips, which are used in transcriptomics, and various studies in proteomics such as RNA localization, molecular interaction studies by fluorescence energy transfer (FRET) and fluorescent immunoassays.  Cyanines dyes are available with different modifications such as methyl, ethyl or butyl substituents, carboxyl, acetylmethoxy, and sulfo groups which alter their hydrophilicity.  Ex (nm): Excitation wavelength in nanometers
 Em (nm): Emission wavelength in nanometers
 MW: Molecular weight
 QY: Quantum yield

Common cyanine dyes and their uses.

Because they yield brighter and more stable fluorescence, cyanines can advantageously replace conventional dyes such as fluorescein and rhodamines.  Cy3 fluoresces greenish yellow (~550 nm excitation, ~570 nm emission), while Cy5 is fluorescent in the red region (~650 excitation, 670 nm emission). Cy3 can be detected by various fluorometers, imagers, and microscopes with standard filters for Tetramethylrhodamine (TRITC). Due to its high molar extinction coefficient, this dye is also easily detected by naked eye on electrophoresis gels, and in solution. Cy5 became a popular replacement for far red fluorescent dyes because of its high extinction coefficient (as small as 1 nanomol can be detected in gel electrophoresis by naked eye) and its fluorophore emission maximum in the red region, where many CCD detectors have maximum sensitivity and biological objects give low background interference.  The scanners actually use diverse laser emission wavelengths (typically 532 nm and 635 nm) and filter wavelengths (550-600 nm and 655-695 nm) to avoid background contamination. They are thus able to easily distinguish colors from Cy3 and from Cy5, and also able to quantify the amount of Cy3 and Cy5 labeling in one sample (multiparametric detection).  Cy3.5 can replace sulfoRhodamine 101.  Cy5.5 is a near-infrared (IR) fluorescence-emitting dye (excitation/emission maximum 678/694 nm).  Cy7 is a near-IR fluor that is invisible to the naked eye (excitation/emission maximum 750/776 nm). It is used in "in vivo" imaging applications, as well as the Cy7.5 dye.  "Sulfo"–Cyanine dyes bear one or two sulfo groups, rendering the Cy dye water-soluble, but tri- and quadri-sulfonated forms are available for even higher water solubility. PEGylation is another modification that confers hydrophilicity, not only to the dye but also to the labeled conjugate.

Nomenclature and structure.

The Cy3 and Cy5 nomenclature was first proposed by Ernst, et al. in 1989, and is non-standard since it gives no hint of their chemical structures. In the original paper the number designated the count of the methines (as shown), and the side chains were unspecified. Due to this ambiguity various structures are designated Cy3 and Cy5 in the literature. The R groups do not have to be identical. In the dyes as used they are short aliphatic chains one or both of which ends in a highly reactive moiety such as N-hydroxysuccinimide or maleimide.

Alternatives.

Many analogs of standard Cy 2 / 3 / 3.5 / 5 / 5.5 / 7 / 7.5 dyes were developed, using diverse modification: Alexa Fluor dyes, Dylight, FluoProbes dyes, Sulfo Cy dyes, Seta dyes, IRIS dyes from Cyanine Technologies and others can be used interchangeably with Cy dyes in most biochemical applications, with claimed improvements in solubility, fluorescence, or photostability.  While patent protection for the standard Cy series of dyes has lapsed, the trademarked Cy naming remains in place. Consequently, dyes that are identical to Cy dyes, but called different names, are now sold.

Applications.

Cyanine dyes are used to label proteins, antibodies, peptides, nucleic acid probes, and any kind of other biomolecules to be used in a variety of fluorescence detection techniques: Flow cytometry, Microscopy (mainly Visible range, but also UV, IR), Microplate assays, Microarrays, as well as "light-up Probes," and in vivo imaging.</ref>

Nucleic acid labeling.

In microarray experiments DNA or RNA is labeled with either Cy3 or Cy5 that has been synthesized to carry an N-hydroxysuccinimidyl ester (NHS-ester) reactive group. Since NHS-esters react readily only with aliphatic amine groups, which nucleic acids lack, nucleotides have to be modified with aminoallyl groups. This is done through incorporating aminoallyl-modified nucleotides during synthesis reactions. A good ratio is a label every 60 bases such that the labels are not too close to each other, which would result in quenching effects.

Protein labeling.

For protein labeling, Cy3 and Cy5 dyes sometimes bear a succinimidyl group to react with amines, or a maleimide group to react with a sulfhydryl group of cysteine residues.  Cy5 is sensitive to its electronic environment. Changes in the conformation of the protein it is attached to will produce either enhancement or quenching of the emission. The rate of this change can be measured to determine enzyme kinetic parameters. The dyes can be used for similar purposes in FRET experiments.  Cy3 and Cy5 are used in proteomics experiments so that samples from two sources can be mixed and run together through the separation process. This eliminates variations due to differing experimental conditions that are inevitable if the samples were run separately. These variations make it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to use computers to automate the acquisition of the data after the separation is complete. Using these dyes makes the automation trivial.

Etymology.

The word cyanin is from the English word "cyan", which conventionally means a shade of blue-green (close to "aqua") and is derived from the Greek / "kyaneos/kyanous" which means a somewhat different color: "dark blue".

Cyanine are defined as "synthetic dyes with the general formula R2N[CH=CH]nCH=N+R2↔R2N+=CH[CH=CH]nNR2 (n is a small number) in which the nitrogen and part of the conjugated chain usually form part of a heterocyclic system, such as imidazole, pyridine, pyrrole, quinoline and thiazole." Cyanines are used in industry biotechnology (labeling, analysis, biomedical imaging).

Les cyanines furent à l'origine utilisées, et le sont toujours, pour augmenter la gamme de sensibilité des absorptions de photons, i.e., pour augmenter la gamme de longueur d'onde qui formera une image sur le film. Les cyanines sont aussi utilisées dans les CD-R et DVD-R. Celles utilisées sont principalement de couleurs verte ou bleu clair, et sont chimiquement instables. Cela rend les cyanines incompatibles avec une utilisation d'archivage sur CD et DVD, étant donné qu'elles s'affaiblissent et deviennent illisibles après quelques années (cependant, de récents disques de cyanine contiennent un stabilisant qui ralentit significativement la détérioration du signal).


Playing career.

Brunner was born in Kloten, Switzerland, on March 9, 1986. As a youth, he played in the 1999 and 2000 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournaments with a team from Zürich.  He played for the Kloten Flyers of the National League A in 2006–07 and 2007–08. In 2008–09, he moved to EV Zug. In 2011–12, Brunner had 60 points in 45 games. He led the NLA in points and was named the league's forward of the year.  On July 1, 2012, Brunner signed a one-year entry-level contract with the Detroit Red Wings of the NHL. He then returned to EV Zug for the 2012–13 season until the 2012–13 NHL lockout was resolved, where he started the shortened season with the Red Wings. He netted the game-winning shootout goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets, in his second game with the Red Wings. He scored his first NHL goal the next day against Kari Lehtonen of the Dallas Stars.  Brunner played in the 2010 IIHF World Championship as a member of the Switzerland men's national ice hockey team.  After turning down two and three-year contract offers from the Detroit Red Wings, Brunner became an Unrestricted Free Agent. On September 16, 2013 he was signed by the New Jersey Devils on a pro tryout contract and attended the team's training camp. On September 24, 2013, he was signed by the New Jersey Devils to a two-year, $5 million contract.  On December 5, 2014, the Devils placed Brunner on waivers after he was benched for the entire third period in a 5-3 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs on December 4. He cleared waivers the following day. He had 2 goals and 5 assists in 17 games. With little interest in playing in the American Hockey League, Brunner agreed to mutually terminate his contract with the Devils and on December 12, 2014, he returned to Switzerland where he signed a five-year contract with HC Lugano worth CHF 6 million.  Near the end of the 2017–18 regular season, Brunner broke his leg, forcing him to sit out the end of the regular season as well as the playoffs.  On May 19, 2018, Brunner and HC Lugano parted ways -with one year remaining on his contract- and immediately signed a two-year deal worth CHF 2 million with EHC Biel.  On August 26, 2019, Brunner was signed to an early three-year contract extension by Biel through the 2022/23 season.

Damien Brunner (born March 9, 1986) is a Swiss professional ice hockey forward currently playing with EHC Biel of the National League (NL). He has also played in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings and New Jersey Devils.

Damien Brunner (né le à Bülach) est un joueur professionnel suisse de hockey sur glace. Il est le frère de Adrian Brunner.


History.

Justice Finnegan, President of the High Court of the Republic of Ireland, jailed the five on 29 June 2005 for civil contempt of court after refusing to obey a temporary court injunction forbidding them to interfere with work being undertaken by Shell on their land. The committal order was sought by Shell who intended to build a high pressure raw gas pipeline across land in Rossport to pipe gas from the offshore Corrib Gas Field. Three of the five men own land in Rossport: Vincent McGrath and Ó Seighin were brought to court along with them as they had assisted in blocking the Shell workers. About thirty others who had done the same were not charged.  There were protests all over Ireland during the period of the men's imprisonment, with filling stations of Shell, and its junior partner Statoil, being picketed and blockaded by both political activists and ordinary members of the public. The protests were driven by the Shell to Sea campaign (then TD Jerry Cowley liaised with the men in prison) which took its name following a meeting with Burren campaigners in January 2005 Shell to Sea. Defending his company's stance, Shell Ireland's CEO Andy Pyle said: ""The fact is that we've gone through a process, and we have five people who don't like the outcome."" All Shell sites around Rossport and Bellinaboy were blockaded by the men's neighbours, preventing work. Local TD Michael Ring said that Ireland was now a "dictatorship within a democracy". In an unusual move by the Irish judiciary, the men were told that a judge would be on hand at any time of day or night if they wanted to purge their contempt, by promising they would no longer hinder Shell employees.  The men were released from Cloverhill Prison on 30 September 2005, after 94 days, when Shell applied to the High Court to have the injunction lifted. This came after intense media and political scrutiny of the case.

Since.

The five men and their supporters have continued to campaign on the issue. In September 2006, a TNS/MRBI poll of adults in Mayo, commissioned by RTÉ, showed 66% supported the stance taken by the five men in their defiance of the court order, 20% did not.  In December 2006,an account of events leading up their imprisonment was published by the Rossport Five. There was a second printing of the book (Our Story,The Rossport 5)in January 2007.  In April 2007, Willie Corduff won the Goldman Environmental Prize on behalf of Europe. No government representative was present, though representatives were present from other countries for their winners.  In April 2008, Vincent McGrath, Mícheál Ó Seighin, his wife Caitlín and son-in-law John Monaghan, among a few others, split from Shell to Sea and set up Pobal Chill Chomáin (PCC), a parochial grouping concerned primarily with health and safety issues. PCC have not held a public meeting in the parish or elsewhere since early 2011 and are, to all intents and purposes, defunct.

The Rossport Five () are Willie Corduff, brothers Philip and Vincent McGrath, Micheál Ó Seighin and James Brendan Philbin, from Kilcommon parish, Erris, County Mayo, Ireland. In 2005 they were jailed for civil contempt of court after refusing to obey a temporary court injunction forbidding them to interfere with work being undertaken by Shell on their land.

Les Rossport Five ou Cúigear Ros Dumhach en irlandais (littéralement les cinq de Rossport) composés de James Brendan Philbin, des frères Philip et Vincent McGrath, Willie Corduff et Micheál Ó Seighin, sont cinq hommes de la région d'Erris dans le comté de Mayo en Irlande, ayant gagné une notoriété nationale pour leur résistance à l'expropriation de leurs terres par Royal Dutch Shell pour l'exploitation d'un gisement gazier et pétrolier. Ils ont été emprisonnés le par le juge Finnegan, au tribunal de première instance d'Irlande pour outrage civil au tribunal, après avoir réfusé d'obéir à une injonction de la cour qui leur interdisait d'entraver les travaux entrepris par Shell sur leurs terres. Cette condamnation faisait suite à la plainte de Shell qui projetait de mettre en place un gazoduc à travers des propriétés privées du village de Rossport pour canaliser du gaz à haute pression provenant du gisement gazier de la Corrib au large des côtes vers une raffinerie à l'intérieur des terres. Trois des cinq hommes possèdent des terres à Rossport : Vincent McGrath et Ó Seighin ont été jugés en même temps pour avoir perturbé le travail des ouvriers. Une trentaine d'autres manifestants impliqués dans la même altercation n'ont pas été inquiétés.


Plot.

An American man and former Delta Force operator, Yusuf (Sheen), makes a videotape. When FBI Special Agent Helen Brody (Moss) and her team see news bulletins looking for Yusuf, they launch an investigation, which is curtailed when they are summoned to a high school, which has been converted into a black site under military command. They are shown Yusuf's complete tape, where he threatens to detonate three nuclear bombs in separate U.S. cities if his demands are not met.  A special interrogator, "H" (Samuel L. Jackson), is brought in to force Yusuf to reveal the locations of the nuclear bombs. H quickly shows his capability and cruelty by chopping off one of Yusuf's fingers with a small hatchet. Horrified, Special Agent Brody attempts to put a stop to the measures. Her superiors make it clear that the potentially disastrous consequences necessitate these extreme measures. As the plot unfolds, H escalates his methods (with Brody as the "good cop"). Brody realizes that Yusuf anticipated that he would be tortured. Yusuf then makes his demands: he would like the President of the United States to announce a cessation of support for puppet governments and dictatorships in Muslim countries and a withdrawal of American troops from all Muslim countries. The group immediately dismisses the possibility of his demands being met, citing the United States' declared policy of not negotiating with terrorists.  When Brody accuses Yusuf of faking the bomb threat in order to make a point about the moral character of the United States government, he breaks down and agrees that it was all a ruse. He gives her an address to prove it. They find a room that matches the scene in the video tape and find evidence on the roof. A soldier removes a picture from an electrical switch, which triggers a tremendous C-4 explosion at a nearby shopping mall visible from the roof. The explosion kills 53 people. Angry at the senseless deaths, Brody returns to Yusuf and cuts his chest with a scalpel. Yusuf is unafraid and demands she cut him. He justifies the deaths in the shopping mall, stating that the Americans kill that many people every day. Yusuf says he allowed himself to be caught so he could face his oppressors.  H questions whether Yusuf will reveal the bombs' location unless Yusuf's wife is found. When she is detained, H brings her in front of her husband and threatens to mutilate her in front of him. Brody and the others begin to take her away from the room in disgust. Out of desperation, H slashes her throat, and she bleeds to death in front of Yusuf. Still without cooperation, H tells the soldiers to bring in Yusuf's two children, a young boy and girl. Outside of Yusuf's hearing, he assures everyone that he will not harm the children. Yusuf's children are brought in, and H makes it clear that he will torture them if the locations of the bombs are not divulged. Yusuf breaks and gives three addresses (in New York, Los Angeles, and Dallas), but H does not stop, forcing the others to intervene. Citing the amount of missing nuclear material Yusuf potentially had at his disposal (some 15–18 lbs. were reported missing, with about 41⁄2 lbs. needed per device), H insists that Yusuf has not admitted anything about a heretofore-unreferenced "fourth" bomb. H points out that everything Yusuf has done so far has been planned meticulously. He knew the torture would most likely break him, and he would have been certain to plant a fourth bomb, just in case.  The purpose of the preceding torture was not to break Yusuf, but rather to make it clear what would happen to his children if he did not cooperate. The official in charge of the operation demands that H bring Yusuf's children back in for further interrogation. H demands that Brody bring the children back in because her decency will give him the moral approval that he needs to do the "unthinkable". When Brody refuses to retrieve the children for H, he unstraps Yusuf, sarcastically setting him free. The official draws his pistol and aims it at H to coerce him into further interrogation. Yusuf grabs the official's gun. He asks Brody to take care of his children and kills himself. Brody walks out of the building with Yusuf's children.

Extended version.

An FBI bomb disposal unit arrives at one of the disclosed locations and resets the timer, preventing the bomb from going off. As the FBI is celebrating, however, behind a nearby crate, the originally unconfirmed fourth bomb's timer counts down to zero.

Reception.

Policy adviser Charles V. Peña opines that "Ultimately, ["Unthinkable"] is about the age-old question, 'Do the ends justify the means?'... In the end, "Unthinkable" doesn’t answer the question... but does provide plenty of food for thought". Despite praising its dramatic value, film scholar Matthew Alford argues that "the aesthetic realism and apparent seriousness of "Unthinkable" is a mask for the absurdity of its content and reactionary politics" making it not so much a "nightmare scenario" and more "a white paper from Freddy Krueger".

Unthinkable is a 2010 American thriller film directed by Gregor Jordan and starring Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Sheen and Carrie-Anne Moss. It was released direct-to-video on June 14, 2010. The film is noteworthy for the controversy it generated around its subject matter, the torture of a man who threatens to detonate three nuclear bombs in separate U.S. cities.

, exploité au Québec sous le titre : Impensable, (titre original : "") est un film américain réalisé par Gregor Jordan, sorti directement en vidéo en juin 2010.


Reasons for restricting.

An increasing number of people were trading their banknotes for gold. Due to the overprinting of banknotes, the Bank of England was losing its supply of gold, and due to the gold standard, the value of each banknote was diminishing. The timing of the act, which had been under consideration for a few months owing to runs on banks in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Sunderland, and Durham that had in turn requested monetary support from the Bank of England, was the invasion of Britain on 22–24 February 1797 by French forces in Fishguard. When news of this event, now known as the Battle of Fishguard, became known in London, a much greater run on the Bank of England was feared, had a large number of holders of banknotes attempted to convert them into gold when bullion reserves were heavily reduced. However, because the total face value of the notes in circulation was almost exactly twice the actual gold reserves held (£10,865,050 of notes, compared to £5,322,010 in bullion), this would have bankrupted the Bank, and Parliament decided to suspend these'specie payments' with immediate effect; this suspension was renewed annually until 1821.

Reasons for overprinting.

British banknotes were overprinted by the government of William Pitt the Younger after Britain declared war on revolutionary France in 1793. Passing of the Bank Restriction Act released the government from the fear of mass redemption of such convertible banknotes, and by the end of the war in 1814, the banknotes in circulation had a face value of £28.4 million, yet was backed by only £2.2 million of gold. However, by 1821, and with radical economic policies instigated by Sir Robert Peel (the future Prime Minister, acting as Chairman of the Bullion Committee), this situation was reversed, and with £2,295,360 of notes in circulation being backed by £11,233,390 of bullion, the British government resumed "convertibility" on 1 May 1821 (two years ahead of schedule).

In popular culture.

After the passing of the act, Richard Brinsley Sheridan publicly bemoaned the way in which the Bank of England had fallen under the influence of William Pitt the Younger by describing the institution as "An elderly lady in the City, of great credit and long standing who had unfortunately fallen into bad company". This in turn led to James Gillray’s famous cartoon entitled "Political Ravishment; or the Old Lady of Threadneedle Street in Danger", which depicts Pitt seducing the Bank of England, personified as an old lady attired in £1 and £2 notes, for her fortune. This cartoon is the origin of the Bank's nickname of "The Old Lady of Threadneedle Street", still in use today.

The Bank Restriction Act 1797 was an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain (37 Geo. III. c. 45) which removed the requirement for the Bank of England to convert banknotes into gold. The period lasted until 1821, when convertibility was restored. The period between these two dates is known as the Restriction period.

Le Bank Restriction Act est une loi du parlement de Grande-Bretagne votée le (37 Geo. III. c. 45) qui suspend la convertibilité en or des billets de la Banque d'Angleterre, et prononce le cours forcé de la livre sterling, pour faire face à la fuite des capitaux conséquemment à, d'une part, la Première Coalition (1792-1797), conflit militaire dans lequel la Grande-Bretagne est impliquée contre la France révolutionnaire, et d'autre part la bulle spéculative américaine sur la terre, laquelle explose au cours de l'année 1796. Cette loi d'exception suspend pour une durée initiale de six semaines la convertibilité en or des billets de banque émis par la Banque d'Angleterre.


Biography.

Jan Joest was practically unknown until 1874, when two men, Canon Wolff and Dr. Eisenmann, established his identity.  Not much of Joest's life is known beyond his paintings. He was the son of Heinrich Joest and Katharina Baegert, the sister of Derick Baegert, who was probably the first teacher of Joest. His greatest work, scenes of the life of Christ, were made between 1505 and 1508 on the high altar in St. Nicholai's Church in his hometown of Kalkar. Using documents found there, Canon Wolff discovered that, in 1518, Joest worked in Cologne for the Hackeney family, before leaving, most likely for Italy, where he saw Genoa and Naples.  Joest then returned North, and settled in Haarlem. It is possible that this is the same person as Jan Joesten van Hillegom that registered in the Haarlem Guild of St. Luke in 1502 and who made a painting of St. Willibrord and St. Bavo for the Egmond Abbey. The last edition of Adriaen van der Willingen's work of Haarlem painters mentions the burial of an artist there called "Jan Joosten" in 1519.  Two of Joest's apprentices were Barthel Bruyn (his brother-in-law) and Joos van Cleve. Karel van Mander's "Schilder-boeck" mentions an Ioan van Calcker (Jan van Calcar), living in Venice as a disciple of Titian in 1536-7. Karel van Mander further claimed that he illustrated the book of anatomy by Vesalius, and died in Naples in 1546.

Work.

Joest has been compared to David and Memling, but he more properly belongs to the school of Scorel. One of the features of Joest's work is the exquisite transparency of his coloring and the subtle and delicate modelling of the faces. Twenty panels painted by him can be seen in the church at Kalkar. Other works attributed to Joest are in Wesel and Rees, as well as the "Death of the Virgin" in and "Life of Kleitz" Munich.

Jan Joest, also known as Jan Joest van Kalkar or Jan Joest van Calcar (between 1450 and 1460 – 1519), was a Dutch painter from either Kalkar or Wesel (both now in Germany), known for his religious paintings.

Jan Joest de Kalkar, Jan Joest van Kalkar ou encore Jan Joest van Calcar, aussi Joest Van Haarlem, né entre 1450 et 1460 et mort vers 1519 est un peintre néerlandais de sujets religieux, originaire de Kalkar ou Wesel - maintenant toutes deux en Allemagne. Il est connu notamment pour les panneaux du maître-autel de l'église Saint-Nicolas de Kalkar.


History.

Bowen had no formal medical training, and described his approach as a "gift from God". He referred to himself as an osteopath and tried to join the Australian register of osteopaths in 1981, but did not qualify for the title. He died as an unlicensed practitioner of manual therapy. In 1973 Bowen himself had referred to his ability to "average 65 patients per day", yet the technique as it is commonly practiced today is unlikely to achieve that volume.  Bowen did not document his technique, and as a result its practice after his death has followed one or other differing interpretation of his work. It was not until some years after his death that the term "Bowen Technique" was coined. The technique goes by a wide variety of other names including: Smart Bowen, Fascial Kinetics, Integrated Bowen Therapy, Neurostructural Integration Technique (NST), Fascial Bowen and Bowenwork. The technique has been popularized by some of the six men who observed him at work including Oswald Rentsch, an osteopath whose interpretation has become the dominant, but not unchallenged, form. Learning this technique requires 120 hours of instruction, or as little as a weekend workshop.

Method.

Recipients are generally fully clothed. Each session typically involves gentle rolling motions across the muscles, tendons, and fascia. The therapy's distinctive features are the minimal nature of the physical intervention and pauses incorporated in the treatment. Proponents claim these pauses allow the body to "reset" itself.

Effectiveness.

In 2015 the Australian Government's Department of Health published the results of a review of alternative therapies that sought to determine if any were suitable for being covered by health insurance; Bowen Technique was one of 17 therapies evaluated for which no clear evidence of effectiveness was found. Quackwatch includes "Neuro-Structural Integration Technique (Bowen Therapy)" in its list of "questionable treatments."

The Bowen technique (or Bowen therapy) is an alternative type of physical manipulation named after Australian Thomas Ambrose Bowen (Tom Bowen) (1916–1982).

La technique Bowen est une méthode non conventionnelle de manipulations manuelles fondée sur les pratiques de l'australien Thomas Ambrose Bowen (1916–1982) qui s'était auto-proclamé ostéopathe au milieu du siècle précédent.


History.

The party was established on 30 June 2009 by Béla Bugár, Gábor Gál, László A. Nagy, Tibor Bastrnák and Zsolt Simon, who had previously left the Party of the Hungarian Coalition (SMK-MKP). Béla Bugár, who had also been the president of his former party for 10 years, was elected its president. It was established as an inter-ethnic Hungarian-Slovak alternative to the Party of the Hungarian Coalition. This commitment was cemented by electing Rudolf Chmel, an ethnic Slovak, as one of the party's vice presidents representing.  The party seeks to represent the interests of the ethnic Hungarians while working together with the Slovaks. According to Peter Huncik about 60 to 65 percent members are Hungarians, while 35 to 40 are Slovaks. This programme and political ideology manifested itself in the party first taking part in the centre-right Radičová-government between 2010 and 2012, and also cooperating with the centre-left Fico government in minority issues in the next electoral cycle.  Polls from mid-September 2009 gave Most–Híd between 3 and 5.6 percent. An opinion poll by Focus in May 2010 gave Most–Híd 5.6% of the vote. In the 2010 election, the party received 8.12% of the popular vote, and thus won fourteen seats in the National Council. This, however, included four seats for the Civic Conservative Party's politicians embedded within the party's list of candidates. At the same time, Most–Híd's main rival, SMK-MKP fell short of the 5% threshold and thus did not gain any seats.  In 2010, Most–Híd entered the four-party government of Iveta Radičová, and sought to advance its agenda, including in language rights, citizenship, agriculture and environmental policy. The government, however, turned out to be unstable and finally collapsed during October 2011, leading to snap elections. After months of steady polling between 6 and 9 percents, the party received 6.89% of the popular vote in the 2012 elections, winning 13 seats. As in 2010, SMK-MKP failed to reach the required threshold, leaving Most–Híd as the only parliamentary party representing the interest of the Hungarian minority in Slovakia.  In the 2014 European elections, Most–Híd came in eighth place nationally, receiving 5.83% of the vote and electing 1 MEP.  In the 2016 Slovak parliamentary election, Most–Híd received 6.50% of the vote — 11 seats — and joined Fico's Third Cabinet as a coalition partner.

Most–Híd (; from the Slovak and Hungarian words for "bridge") is an inter-ethnic political party in Slovakia. Its programme calls for greater cooperation between the country's Hungarian minority and ethnic Slovak majority. It was one of four parties in the government coalition, but lost all its seats in the National Council in the 2020 Slovak parliamentary election.

Most–Híd (du slovaque "Most" et du hongrois "Híd", qui signifient « pont »), sous-titré "az együttműködés pártja – strana spolupráce" (« le parti de la coopération » dans ces mêmes langues), est un parti politique slovaque de tendance sociale-libérale et qui défend un rapprochement et un dialogue entre la population slovaque et la minorité magyare de Slovaquie.


History.

Establishment.

Artsakh Defence Army was founded on 9 May 1992. It created "its own central command and military structure distinct from the Armenian Army." Its founders included Robert Kocharyan (the former President of Armenia, he was the first commander in chief of the Army); Serzh Sargsyan (former Prime Minister and President of Armenia); Vazgen Sargsyan (Armenia's Defence Minister 1992–1993, State Minister in Charge of defence 1993–1995, Armenia's Prime Minister 1998-99); Monte Melkonian (responsible for Martuni region); Samvel Babayan (Nagorno Karabakh's Defence Minister from 1994 to 2000) and others. Many of the men who served in its ranks and in the officer corps during the Nagorno-Karabakh War were seasoned veterans of the Soviet military and had fought with distinction in the Soviet–Afghan War.

Nagorno-Karabakh War.

The formal formation of the NKR Defence Army was rooted in the concept of the "Jokat" (volunteer detachment). With the early outbreak of hostilities prior to 1992, Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh began forming small detachments of volunteers, often self-described as "Fedayeen", inheriting the name of the fighters who actively resisted the Ottoman Empire in the final decades of the nineteenth and early decades of the twentieth centuries.  At the outset these detachments were small groups of no more than 12–40 men. For example, during Operation Ring, Shahumyan was defended by a force as small as 22 men under the command of Tatul Krpeyan. These volunteer militia would initially arm themselves with whatever was available, including hunting shotguns borrowed from local farmers and even home-made rifles. In the later stages of the war, these units armed themselves with AK-47s, RPGs and sometimes portable anti-aircraft MANPADs, transforming the defence force into a highly mobile and flexible force that was capable of waging guerrilla warfare. Likewise, these units initially had no heavy military equipment, but later started taking over large quantities of Azerbaijani tanks and armoured personnel carriers that were abandoned on the battlefield. Most of these captured tanks and APCs later became part of the NKR Defence Army's equipment. Improvization, multi-functionality, creativity, strong-morale, focus on defensive tactics, adaptation, flexibility, high-mobility and a native knowledge of the mountainous terrain are all important factors in understanding the combat success of these small units.  The initial purpose of these detachments, made up of volunteers, was mainly to defend Armenian civilian population, each in a particular village or town. Each of them was operating independently with no central command or leadership. Yet, these units would regularly collaborate in joint operations such as the battle of Khojaly in February 1992 or the June 1992 surprise counter-offensives during operation Goranboy. The increasing scale and intensity of Azeri attacks, the devastation caused by Grad multiple rocket launchers firing from Shushi and the Lachin, the blockade from mainland Armenia had broadened the notion of security beyond the mere defence of a small village. Capturing Shushi and Lachin as well as turning the tide of Operation Goranboy became, for the Armenians, not only a matter of security, but that of survival. For the successful conduct of such large-scale operations, the detachments had to be consolidated under a single, unified command.  Mient Jan Faber argues that "August 1992 marked the watershed between purely voluntary Armenian Karabakh forces reinforced by volunteers from Armenia and an organised NKR army with its own central command and a military structure distinct from the Armenian army."

Post war.

The Nagorno-Karabakh Defence Army's primary role after the conclusion of the Nagorno-Karabakh War in 1994 is the protection of the NKR from foreign and domestic threats. Though the war ended with the signing of a cease fire between Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan and the "de facto" independence of the NKR, the Azerbaijani leadership has repeatedly threatened to restart hostilities to retake the region. Violations of the cease fire along the line of contact are frequent and often result in the deaths of several soldiers and civilians each year. One of the most significant breaches of the ceasefire occurred in Martakert on 8 March 2008, when up to sixteen soldiers were killed. Both sides accused the other of starting the battle. In June 2010, new skirmishes broke out between Armenian and Azerbaijani troops along the line of contact, resulting in the deaths of four Armenian servicemen. Clashes in summer 2014 resulted in the deaths of six Armenian and thirteen Azerbaijani servicemen. On 12 November 2014, a Nagorno-Karabakh Defence Army Mi-24 attack helicopter participating in the week-long joint Armenian–NKR Unity 2014 military exercises was shot down by the Azerbaijani military, killing all three crew members. On 1 April 2016 war-like clashes began; according to several sources it was the worst since 1994.

Equipment.

The Nagorno-Karabakh Defence Army's equipment consists of infantry, tanks, artillery and anti-aircraft systems. The Karabakh army's heavy military hardware includes:  As for infantry weapon most rely on the AK-74 rifle and older AKMs in reserve for standard issue rifles. While other basic weapons consists of Makarov PM pistols PK machine guns and RPG-7 rocket launchers mostly supplied by Armenia. The Nagorno-Karabakh military is deeply integrated with the Armenian military, and the NKR depends on the Armenian Army to ensure its survival as an independent national entity. Armenia considers any act of aggression against Karabakh as an act of aggression against itself.

Air Force.

The Nagorno-Karabakh Defence Army maintains a small air-force with a personnel of around 250 men.

Culture.

Music.

Traditional music in the Defence Army includes a large repertoire of Armenian and foreign music, which also includes traditional Georgian and Russian marching music. Russian marches include Den Pobedy, the March of the Preobrazhensky Regiment, and the Jubilee Slow March "25 Years of the Red Army". The band maintains a military band that was notably led by Nerik Grigoryan and Vagan Sargsyan and participates in holidays such as the Day of the Artsakh Republic. It is associated with the Band of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Armenia. The army also maintains the Song abd Dance Ensemble "Aspet".

Liberation Day and Homeland Defenders Day.

Shushi Liberation Day (9 May) and Honeland Defender's Day (28 January) are two military holidays celebrated by the Defence Army. The former commemorates the founding of the military as well as the Capture of Shusha and the traditional Victory Day celebrations commemorating the surrender of Nazi Germany at the end of the Great Patriotic War in 1945. Because of this, it is sometimes referred to as a "triple holiday". An annual military parade was held in the capital, with a reception being held at the local House of Officers in the capital.  Whereas the Armenian Army celebrates Army Day on 28 January, the Defence Army celebrtaes Homeland Defender's Day on the same day.

The Artsakh Republic Defence Army () is the formal defence force of the largely unrecognized Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh). Established in 1992, it united previously disorganized self-defence units which were formed in the early 1990s with the avowed goal of protecting the ethnic Armenian population of Artsakh from the attacks by the Soviet and Azerbaijani armed forces. The Nagorno-Karabakh Defence Army is currently composed of around 20,000 well-trained and equipped officers and soldiers and maintains a "constant state of readiness, undergoing more serious combat training and operational exercises than any other former Soviet army." President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has stated that 80% of the soldiers in Nagorno-Karabakh Defence Army are actually Armenian citizens.

Les Forces armées du Haut-Karabagh ou Armée de défense de la République du Haut-Karabagh (en arménien "") ont été établies en 1992.


Life.

He learned his trade in part at the Silbermann workshop in Strasbourg (1748–9), working for Johann Andreas Silbermann, nephew and pupil of the great instrument maker Gottfried Silbermann. He settled in Augsburg, where he also served as an organist.  He built not just pianos, but other keyboard instruments, some of them of novel invention. One extraordinary instrument, called the "Poli-Toni-Clavichordium" (1796), combined a large harpsichord having four choirs of strings (registration 8', 8', 8', 16') with a piano. He also built (1772) the "Melodika," a small organ in which the player's touch could alter volume; thus it stood to regular organs much as pianos do to the harpsichord. He also built "vis-à-vis" instruments, with a piano and a harpsichord facing one another in a single case.  Toward the end of his life, Stein's business was largely taken over by his daughter Nannette (see below). Pianos with his name after 1790 are held to be Nannette's work, as Stein was himself too ill to build instruments by this date.

His contributions to the piano.

The "Prellmechanik" action.

Stein's most important innovation, his piano action, was perfected around 1781. This is the so-called "Prellmechanik" with escapement. In this arrangement, each hammer was mounted on top of the key, with the head on the end closer to the player, a traditional arrangement in German pianos of Stein's day. The hammers were like small, asymmetrical levers, with the hammer head far from the fulcrum, and a small upward-facing hook ("beak") on the other side of the lever, much closer to the fulcrum. When the player depressed the key, the whole hammer assembly would rise. The beak would engage an escapement hopper attached to the keyframe. The escapement hopper pulled down on the beak as it rose, in turn causing the hammer (the other end of the lever) to fly upward and strike the string. The escapement hopper was hinged and sprung; this permitted the beak to move downward past it as the key sank back to rest position.  Latcham (see Grove reference below) calls this invention "a breakthrough in the piano's history;" it "offer[ed] the player a remarkable control of the hammers, especially when playing softly, and [wa]s astonishingly responsive to the player’s touch."

Pedal-controlled dampers.

Stein may have been the first to produce a fully functional damper pedal, in which the player can lift all the dampers from the strings. Such a device had been devised by Stein's predecessor Gottfried Silbermann, but Silbermann's device required the use of the player's hands to work, and thus could only be deployed during pauses in the music. Stein's device was controlled by a knee lever, pushing upward on the lower surface of the instruments, permitting the full equivalent of modern piano pedaling.

Stein's acquaintance with Mozart.

Mozart visited and befriended Stein in Augsburg in 1777, during the (unsuccessful) job-hunting tour that took him also to Mannheim and Paris. The enthusiastic letter that Mozart wrote to his father Leopold is informative concerning Stein and Mozart's own preferences in pianos. The letter is very widely quoted. The following translation, by Emily Anderson, is taken from Broder 1941: This time I shall begin at once with Stein's pianofortes. Before I had seen any of his make, Späth's claviers had always been my favourites. But now I much prefer Stein's, for they damp ever so much better than the Regensburg instruments.... In whatever way I touch the keys, the tone is always even. It never jars, it is never stronger or weaker or entirely absent; in a word, it is always even. It is true that he does not sell a pianoforte of this kind for less than three hundred gulden, but the trouble and the labour which Stein puts into the making of it cannot be paid for. His instruments have this special advantage over others that they are made with escape action. Only one maker in a hundred bothers about this. But without an escapement it is impossible to avoid jangling and vibration after the note is struck. When you touch the keys, the hammers fall back again the moment after they have struck the strings, whether you hold down the keys or release them... He guarantees that the sounding-board will neither break nor split. When he has finished making one for a clavier, he places it in the open air, exposing it to rain, snow, the heat of the sun and all the devils in order that it may crack. Then he inserts wedges and glues them in to make the instrument very strong and firm. He is delighted when it cracks, for he can then be sure that nothing more can happen to it. Indeed he often cuts into it himself and then glues it together again and strengthens it in this way... The device too which you work with your knee is better on his than on other instruments. I have only to touch it and it works; and when you shift your knee the slightest bit, you do not hear the least reverberation.' This letter dates from slightly before the Stein action was fully perfected; presumably, the version that Stein had developed by 1777 was good enough to impress Mozart at the time.  During the years following his move to Vienna (1781), Mozart made enough money to buy a fine piano, and he bought one not from Stein, but from Anton Walter, a Viennese builder who followed Stein's principles. It is not known whether Mozart actually preferred Walter's pianos to Stein's, or simply wanted to buy locally rather than having an instrument shipped all the way from Augsburg.

The Stein piano dynasty.

Stein was the founder of an important piano-making dynasty. His daughter Nannette (Augsburg, 1769 - Vienna 1833) was a skilled builder, and continued the family business under her husband's name, Streicher. The Streicher firm built pianos for Beethoven and played an important role in the technological development of the piano. Run by family members, it endured until 1894, still making (much larger) pianos with the basic action design from Stein.

As model for modern instruments.

The Stein pianos remain prestigious today and have served as models for contemporary builders (such Philip Belt and Paul McNulty) of historically-styled instruments.

Johann (Georg) Andreas Stein (16 May 1728 in Heidesheim – 29 February 1792 in Augsburg), was an outstanding German maker of keyboard instruments, a central figure in the history of the piano. He was primarily responsible for the design of the so-called "Viennese" fortepiano, for which the piano music of Haydn, Mozart, and the early Beethoven was written.

Johann Andreas Stein, né le à Heidelsheim (actuellement Bruchsal), mort le à Augsbourg, est un facteur allemand d'instruments à clavier, un personnage central dans l'histoire du piano.


2006 United States gubernatorial elections

Élections des gouverneurs américains de 2006

Major parties.

The results of the 2006 elections gave Republicans 22 governors to the Democrats' 28, a reversal of the numbers held by the respective parties prior to the elections. There were 22 races in states that were previously held by Republicans, and 14 in states previously held by Democrats. Republicans held the majority of governorships from 1995 until 2007.

Election summaries.

In 2006, ten governorships were open due to retirement, term limits, or primary loss.

Retired Democratic governors.

Tom Vilsack (Iowa).

Congressman Jim Nussle was the Republican nominee, while the Democratic Party nominated Iowa Secretary of State Chet Culver, a progressive whose father was a U.S. Senator. An October 11 poll by Rasmussen Reports showed the candidates tied at 42% each. An October 19 Rasmussen Reports poll had Culver leading Nussle 47% to 44%.  The Democratic nominee, Chet Culver, was elected with 54% of the vote.

Retired Republican governors.

Frank Murkowski (Alaska).

Governor Frank Murkowski, suffering poor approval ratings, was not favored to win renomination. An August 8 poll by Rasmussen Reports showed that going into the primary election his approval rating was at 27%, while his disapproval rating stood at 72%. Former Wasilla Mayor Sarah Palin and former state Railroad Commissioner John Binkley challenged Murkowski in the Republican primary. Former governor Tony Knowles was widely considered the favorite to win the Democratic nomination. In the primary held on August 22, Palin won the Republican nomination for governor with 51.1% of the vote, Binkley received 29.6%, and Murkowski received just 18.9% of the vote. Knowles won the Democratic nomination with 68.6% of the vote; state representative Eric Croft, who received 23.1% of the vote, was his nearest competitor.  Palin campaigned on a clean government platform in a state with a history of corruption. An October 15 CRG Research poll had the candidates tied at 43%. An October 28 Rasmussen Reports poll showed Palin leading Knowles by a single percentage point.  Republican nominee Sarah Palin was elected with about 48% of the vote, a plurality.

Mike Huckabee (Arkansas).

Governor Mike Huckabee was term-limited. The Republican Party nominated Asa Hutchinson, a former congressman, U.S. Attorney, DEA head, and Undersecretary of Homeland Security. The Democratic nominee was Arkansas Attorney General Mike Beebe. Beebe's campaign centered on what his campaign called his "Believe in Arkansas Plan", which outlined his plans for improving access to affordable healthcare, improving education, and stimulating economic development and job growth. Beebe led in most statewide polls, although his margin of victory in those polls varied wildly. Just days before the election, a Rasmussen Reports poll showed Beebe winning by just 8%, while a SurveyUSA poll showed him winning by 20%.  Democratic nominee Mike Beebe was elected with about 55% of the vote.

Bill Owens (Colorado).

The retirement of term-limited Governor Bill Owens revealed divisions among the state's Republicans. Republican Congressman Bob Beauprez, widely regarded as a conservative, was attacked by his primary opponent, former University of Denver President Marc Holtzman for compromising with Democrats in Congress. Beauprez became the nominee when Holtzman failed to submit enough valid signatures to qualify for the ballot, but the negative attacks they exchanged damaged Beauprez's campaign. The Democratic nominee was former Denver District Attorney Bill Ritter, a pro-life Catholic and a political centrist who could not easily be portrayed as a liberal. Ritter did, however, support Referendum I and oppose Amendment 43; conversely, the public defeated the former and passed the latter. Ritter's campaign was boosted when he was endorsed by a group of Larimer County Republicans. During the period of January through August, Ritter raised almost twice as much as Beauprez. According to an October 16 Zogby poll, Ritter led Beauprez 47% to 45%. An October 22 SurveyUSA poll showed Ritter leading Beauprez by a larger margin, 56% to 38%. Similarly, an October 22 Rasmussen Reports poll showed Ritter leading Beauprez, 51% to 39%.  Democratic nominee Bill Ritter was elected with 57% of the vote.

Jeb Bush (Florida).

Governor Jeb Bush was term-limited. Florida Attorney General Charlie Crist, a moderate, won the Republican primary with 64%, defeating the Chief Financial Officer of Florida, Tom Gallagher, who received only 34%. Congressman Jim Davis of Tampa won the Democratic primary with 47% of the vote, defeating State Senator Rod Smith of Alachua, who received 41% of the vote. In addition to Crist and Davis, Reform Party nominee Max Linn also appeared on the ballot in the general election.  Crist came out of the September 12 primary with momentum, but as the election drew closer, polls began to show a more competitive race. An October 23 Quinnipiac poll October 23 showed Crist's lead down to 2%. However, an October 26 Rasmussen Reports poll had Crist leading Davis 52% to 41%.  Republican nominee Charlie Crist was elected with 52% of the vote.

Jim Risch (Idaho).

Governor Jim Risch was elected Lieutenant Governor in 2002; in May 2006, he succeeded to the governorship when his predecessor, Dirk Kempthorne, resigned to become United States Secretary of the Interior. Before Kempthorne's appointment, Risch, a former Ada County District Attorney and state Senator, had committed to a reelection campaign for Lieutenant Governor, which meant the campaign for the governorship remained open.  Republican Congressman C.L. "Butch" Otter, a former lieutenant governor himself, was heavily favored to succeed Risch. On May 23 he easily won a four-way Republican primary, receiving 70% of the vote. In the general election, he faced newspaper publisher Jerry Brady, who was the Democratic nominee for the second consecutive gubernatorial election. Although Brady won the state's most populous county (Ada County, the location of Boise) in 2002, he was decisively defeated by Kempthorne statewide. He was expected to fare similarly against Otter; however, the race became fairly competitive, possibly due to a national trend towards the Democratic party.  Republican nominee Butch Otter was elected with 53% of the vote. Brady received 44%, making this gubernatorial election the closest in Idaho since 1994.

Mitt Romney (Massachusetts).

With his approval ratings down, Governor Mitt Romney opted not to seek a second term. Romney endorsed his lieutenant governor, Kerry Healey, in her bid to succeed him. Healey was unopposed in the Republican primary. Deval Patrick, a former U.S. Assistant Attorney General who headed the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division, won the Democratic primary with 50% of the vote against Thomas Reilly and Chris Gabrieli. Third party candidates included Grace Ross of the Green-Rainbow Party and independent Christy Mihos, a former Republican and Board member on the state Turnpike Authority. Over the course of the campaign, Patrick was the victim of several smears by the Healey campaign, including reports of his brother-in-law's criminal history that were leaked to the press.  On November 7, Deval Patrick was elected with 56% of the vote. He became the first African American governor ever elected in the history of the state, and just the second in the nation's history (the first was Douglas Wilder, a Democrat from Virginia, who served as Governor of Virginia from 1990 to 1994). Patrick was also the first Democratic governor of Massachusetts since Michael Dukakis left office in 1991.

Kenny Guinn (Nevada).

Governor Kenny Guinn, a moderate Republican, was term-limited. His retirement resulted in competitive primaries in both parties. The Democratic nominee was State Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, who won the primary with 54% of the vote over Henderson mayor Jim Gibson. The Republican nominee was Congressman Jim Gibbons, who won the primary with 48% of the vote, defeating state senator Bob Beers and Lieutenant Governor Lorraine Hunt. Gibbons, who then represented Nevada's 2nd congressional district, had a strong base in northern Nevada. Titus had a strong base in the Las Vegas Valley due to her legislative and education careers. An October 17 Rasmussen Reports poll put Gibbons ahead of Titus with a 51% to 43% lead. Polls in late October conducted by Mason-Dixon and Research 2000 indicated that Gibbons was on track to win the election.  Republican nominee Jim Gibbons was elected with 48% of the vote, a plurality. Titus received 44% of the vote and Christopher H. Hansen, the nominee of the Independent American Party of Nevada, received about 3%.

George Pataki (New York).

Governor George Pataki, a moderate Republican, opted not to seek a fourth term in office. Without an incumbent in the race, the Democratic nominee was heavily favored to win the election. New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer won the Democratic primary with 81% of the vote, defeating Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi. As attorney general, Spitzer became well known for prosecuting cases relating to corporate white collar crime, securities fraud, internet fraud and environmental protection. The Republican nominee was attorney John Faso, a former New York State Assembly minority leader. Throughout the race, polls showed Spitzer defeating Faso by a large margin.  Democratic nominee Eliot Spitzer was elected in a landslide, winning 58 out of the state's 62 counties and taking 65.3% of the vote.

Bob Taft (Ohio).

Term-limited incumbent Governor Bob Taft was viewed as one of the most unpopular Governors in the history of Ohio. Polls showed his approval rating in the vicinity of 10% to 25%. Congressman Ted Strickland won the Democratic primary with 79% of the vote, defeating state representative Bryan Flannery. The Republican primary, between Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell and Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro, was more competitive by far. Petro came under fire for switching positions on same-sex marriage and abortion, as well as allegedly taking business from lawyers who refused to give him campaign contributions. Blackwell and Petro also split over proposals to reduce state spending. Blackwell ultimately won the primary with 56% of the vote.  Blackwell was not a close ally of disgraced Governor Taft, but Taft's unpopularity still damaged his campaign. The negativity of the Republican primary also damaged Blackwell's general election campaign. In addition, in 2006 there was a nationwide trend towards the Democratic Party. An October 6 poll by Rasmussen Reports showed that Strickland led by 52% to 40%, a decline from September. By contrast, an October 12 SurveyUSA poll had Strickland leading Blackwell 60% to 32%.  Democratic nominee Ted Strickland was elected with 60% of the vote. He became the first Democratic Governor of Ohio since Dick Celeste.

Notable Democratic incumbents.

Rod Blagojevich (Illinois).

Incumbent Rod Blagojevich proven to be an incredible fundraiser, and governed a relatively strong blue state. But recent opinion polling showed that his approval rating at a rather dismal 44%. Blagojevich initially had the advantage in the general election, leading his Republican challenger, state Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka by eight percentage points in polls, although not reaching the fifty percent "safe zone" for incumbents. In March, Topinka won the GOP primary by 38% to 32% over dairy magnate Jim Oberweis. Meanwhile, a former Chicago Alderman named Edwin Eisendrath won a surprising 30% in the Democratic primary. During the election United States Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald was looking into the hiring practices of Governor Blagojevich.  An October 15 Rasmussen Reports poll showed Blagojevich dropping 4 points, to end with 44% and Topinka staying at 36%. An October 22 SurveyUSA poll had Blagojevich leading Topinka 44% to 34% with 8% undecided. However, an October 31 Mason-Dixon poll showed Blagojevich leading Topinka only 44% to 40% with 9% undecided. Democratic incumbent Rod Blagojevich was re-elected. Green Party candidate Rich Whitney showed one of the best showings of a third party candidate in all the 2006 election and it place the Green Party on the ballot as one of the major parties he got 10% 361,336 votes.

John Baldacci (Maine).

In February 2006, Baldacci was given a mere 41% approval rating by the voters of Maine in one poll. But when the GOP unexpectedly choosing conservative state Senator Chandler Woodcock over the more moderate state Senator Peter Mills and former Congressman Dave Emery, Baldacci was handed a huge boost.  Polls consistently showed Baldacci with a small lead. An October 17 Rasmussen Reports poll had Baldacci with 44% and Woodcock at 34%. Meanwhile, a Voice of the Voter poll announced by WCSH on November 6, one day before the election, gave John Baldacci his smallest lead yet with only 36%, with Senator Chandler Woodcock 30% and the now leading independent Barbara Merrill 22%, more than doubling her share. Green Independent candidate Pat LaMarche polled at 11%.  Baldacci was reelected with 38% of the vote compared to Woodcock's 30%, with 21.55% going to independent Barbara Merrill.

Jennifer Granholm (Michigan).

Michigan, like many other Midwestern states, had been unable to take advantage of reported national economic and job growth. A string of plant and factory closings by big name companies such as General Motors in Granholm's state led to growing disapproval of her among voters. Opposing her was wealthy Republican businessman Dick DeVos. Throughout the race polls showed the election to be close, but in the last days Granholm pulled ahead. According to a November 1 EPIC-MRA poll, Granholm led DeVos 52% to 43% with 5% undecided. A November 4 SurveyUSA poll had Granholm leading DeVos 51% to 45%. Ultimately, Democratic incumbent Jennifer Granholm was re-elected with 56 percent of the vote.

Ted Kulongoski (Oregon).

Democratic Governor Ted Kulongoski was elected in 2002 barely defeating former State Representative Kevin Mannix. Kulongoski leads his challenger, former Portland Public School Board member Ron Saxton 51% to 44%. Oregon has not elected a Republican as governor since 1982, when Kulongoski lost to then-Governor Victor Atiyeh. Democratic incumbent Ted Kulongoski was re-elected.

Jim Doyle (Wisconsin).

In 2002, Doyle was elected with only 45 percent of the vote because of an unusually strong challenge from the Libertarian party. Although his early 2006 approval rating was a mildly unfavorable 45 percent, he led both Republican challengers, Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker and Congressman Mark Green by six to nine points in polls; he has not been able to poll greater than fifty percent. Green got a big break when Walker dropped out of the race. And more recent polls show that Green has pulled even. Wisconsin is a swing state in the strongest sense, with George W. Bush losing the state by some 5,700 votes in 2000 and around 12,400 votes in 2004, although they hadn't voted for a Republican for president since 1984, and they hadn't had a Republican senator since 1993. An October 18 Rasmussen Reports poll has Doyle leading Green 48% to 44% and an October 31 Research 2000 poll has Doyle leading Green 50% to 44%. Democratic incumbent Jim Doyle was re-elected.

Notable Republican incumbents.

Arnold Schwarzenegger (California).

Arnold Schwarzenegger won the 2003 recall election and replaced Gray Davis. Despite his failed special election and budget cuts, Arnold Schwarzenegger seemed to be ahead in the polls against Phil Angelides. Schwarzenegger's aggressive push for environment-friendly legislation, his support for stem cell research, gay rights and opposition to sending the National Guard to the border has made him very popular among the voters. Republican incumbent Arnold Schwarzenegger was re-elected.

Bob Ehrlich (Maryland).

Bob Ehrlich's approval rating was 48%, which suggested a close election. Martin O'Malley, Mayor of Baltimore City, who was expected to run for governor almost as soon as the 2002 election was over, was initially expected to be a shoo-in for the Democratic nomination, but he was challenged by Montgomery County Executive Doug Duncan, who then unexpectedly dropped out of the race, citing a recent diagnosis of clinical depression, saving Democrats from a costly and potentially divisive primary.  A November 2 SurveyUSA poll had O'Malley leading Ehrlich 48% to 47% with 2% undecided. A November 3 Mason-Dixon poll has O'Malley and Ehrlich tied at 45% with 9% undecided. Democratic nominee Martin O'Malley was elected.  When Ehrlich unexpectedly beat his Democratic challenger, Lt. Governor Kathleen Kennedy in 2002, and became first Republican Governor of Maryland since Spiro T. Agnew, he was regarded by many as potential presidential candidate for 2008.  O'Malley defeated Ehrlich in the general election, 53% to 46%.

Tim Pawlenty (Minnesota).

Pawlenty's approval rating was measured at 56% on September 21, 2006. In 2002, Pawlenty won the governor's mansion with only 44% of the vote, facing a strong challenge from DFL Party candidate Roger Moe and Independence Party candidate Tim Penny, a former DFLer himself. Pawlenty has been criticized by some Minnesotans for budget cuts to programs such as MinnesotaCare to balance the budget (and controversial moves such as deferring required payments to the state's education and health care funds to later budget biennia to make the budget appear balanced when it was actually not). Pawlenty faces another strong DFL challenge this year in state Attorney General Mike Hatch, who fended off a liberal primary challenge from State Senator Becky Lourey. Pawlenty and Hatch were virtually neck and neck, with between 40-45% support for both candidates as recently as September, until the Mark Foley scandal hit the papers late that month, and 5-6% for Independence Party candidate Peter Hutchinson.  An October 23 SurveyUSA poll has Hatch leading Pawlenty 45% to 44% and Hutchinson with 7%. A November 1 Saint Cloud Times poll has Hatch at 46% and Pawlenty at 36%. Republican incumbent Tim Pawlenty was re-elected.

Donald Carcieri (Rhode Island).

Recent polls have shown Carcieri running even with his Democratic challenger, Lieutenant Governor Charles J. Fogarty, and Carcieri is a Republican governor in one of the most liberal states in the country. Carcieri's approval rating is currently 52%. Judging from recent polling, many voters may be willing to punish Carcieri for their displeasure with President George W. Bush. A November 2 Mason-Dixon poll has Carcieri leading Fogarty 50% to 42% with 8% undecided. Republican incumbent Donald Carcieri was re-elected.

Rick Perry (Texas).

Challenges from two popular independents, coupled with Perry's mediocre approval ratings, made the race interesting. Populist state Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn decided to defect from the GOP and run against Perry, her bitter political foe, as an independent. Six weeks after the announcement of her candidacy, she moved to within single digits of Perry in polls. In addition to Perry and Strayhorn, former Congressman Chris Bell ran as the Democratic candidate, with country singer and Texas icon Kinky Friedman as another independent. This resulted in a peculiar four-way race (technically, a six-way race including the Libertarian candidate and a write-in candidate) in which no run-off would take place. Perry was elected to a second full term with just 39% of the vote.

Felix Camacho (Guam).

In the U.S. territory of Guam, in the western Pacific Ocean, Republican Governor Felix P. Camacho was challenged by Democrat Robert Underwood. A former Guam Delegate-at-Large in the U.S. House of Representatives, Underwood had previously represented Guam from 1993 to 2003. The race was a rematch of the 2002 gubernatorial election in which Camacho handily defeated Underwood and won his first term in office by 10 points (see Politics of Guam). However, the race was significantly more close and competitive in 2006, with Camacho narrowly winning reelection by a 2-point margin over Underwood.

Election ratings.

Incumbents who were term-limited or chose not to run for reelection have parentheses around their name. Those who ran for reelection but lost in the primary have an asterisk next to their name.

List of elections.

This is a complete list of states with a gubernatorial election in 2006.  Key: "(D/DFL) Democratic/Democratic–Farmer–Labor, (R) Republican, (AIP) American Independent, (Con) Conservative (NY), (C) Constitution, (G) Green, (GRP) Green-Rainbow, (IPM) Independence Party of Minnesota, (L) Libertarian, (PF) Peace and Freedom, (Ne) Nebraska Party, (Pop) Populist Party of Maryland, (Ref) Reform, (S) Socialist, (V) Veterans, (I) Independent, (CC) Concerned Citizens Party, (AI) Alaskan Independence Party, (LU) Liberty Union Party, (SW) Socialist Workers Party"

Close races.

States where the margin of victory was under 5%:  States where the margin of victory was under 10%:

References.

CNN

United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 7, 2006 in 36 states and two territories. The elections coincided with the midterm elections of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives.

Les élections des gouverneurs américains de 2006 se sont tenues le dans 36 États américains, 22 détenus par des Républicains et 14 par des Démocrates.


Materials.

Many materials make suitable shim stock (also often styled shimstock), or base material, depending on the context: wood, stone, plastic, metal, or even paper (e.g., when used under a table leg to level the table surface). High quality shim stock can be bought commercially, for example as laminated shims, but shims are often created ad hoc from whatever material is immediately available.  Laminated shim stock is stacked foil that can be peeled off one layer at a time to adjust the thickness of the shim.

Applications.

In automobiles, shims are commonly used to adjust the clearance or space between two parts. For example, shims are inserted into or under bucket tappets to control valve clearances. Clearance is adjusted by changing the thickness of the shim.  In assembly and weld fixtures precision metal shims are used between two parts so that the final production parts are created within the product drawing's specified tolerances.  In carpentry, small pieces of wood may be used to align gaps between larger timbers. In luthiery, shims made of various materials are often used to adjust neck alignment and can be used beneath a nut or saddle to raise the height of either.  In masonry, small stones may be used to align or fill gaps between larger bricks or slabs.  On printed circuit boards, special CPU shims are used to protect the central processing unit when installing a heat sink.  In nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, ""shimming" an NMR magnet" is a procedure to generate homogeneous magnetic field along the sample volume to obtain pure Lorentzian line shapes of various resonances in the spectrum. This is accomplished by manual shimming of individual shims, or automatic shimming procedure.

A shim is a thin and often tapered or wedged piece of material, used to fill small gaps or spaces between objects. Shims are typically used in order to support, adjust for better fit, or provide a level surface. Shims may also be used as spacers to fill gaps between parts subject to wear.

Une cale d'épaisseur est un objet servant à combler un vide ou à immobiliser une partie mobile afin qu'elle ne puisse plus bouger. En mécanique on dit alors qu'on supprime les degrés de liberté de la pièce calée.


Location and history.

The shopping centre was located formerly the part of Tai Hom Village squatter areas, it began to develop into a residential and shopping centre after the demolition of squatter area in mid-1990s.  Plaza Hollywood and its associated residential development - Galaxia was opened officially in 1998, became a landmark shopping malls and regional indicators of housing.  Plaza Hollywood is located at Tai Hom, Kowloon. Surrounded by Fung Tak Road, Lung Poon Street, Tai Hom Road and Sheung Yuen Street. It near Diamond Hill MTR station, and next to Lung Cheung Road, which is one of the main trunk road in Hong Kong.

Architectural design.

Plaza Hollywood by the related product concept in United States, hope to bring the colorful shopping experience to customers. Its large atrium "Star Plaza" was located in the center of the shopping centre, construction area near 10,000 square feet, the large scale which is rare in other shopping centres among in Kowloon East.  The floor is follow the design of Avenue of Stars, laying 60 Hong Kong entertainment celebrities who received awards from Hong Kong Film Awards. The top of atrium was filled with polygon stained glass for the design, the bright colors as well as the design of three hollow atrium.

Facilities.

There is a public underground transport interchange, providing multiple bus and minibus routes were between the major housing estates in Hong Kong and Wong Tai Sin district.  There had the entrances and exits in Diamond Hill MTR station, facilitate the public to use the MTR system to getting around Hong Kong. In addition, there had travel agencies also has a branch in the ground floor.  The main attraction of this shopping centre is the Stars Atrium. It is often home to many promotional features, including the 1 vs. 100 feature during the month of August in 2006. It also features a large LED screen.  Each levels were connected by multiple sets of escalators and air-conditioning systems, providing a comfortable shopping environment to the customers. The fourth floor was the attic, which including the sales office of the shopping centre, cinemas and restaurants, all of which are independently connected via the elevator of third floor.

Stores.

Plaza Hollywood has boutiques everywhere, there has multiple brands under i.t.'s.  Level 1 are the large fashion apparels, jewelry and jewelry stores concentrated.  Level 2 are mainly for skin care, cosmetics, clothing, home appliances and telecoms shops.  Level 3 are restaurants, children's clothing, cinemas and household personal care stores.  There has over 30 restaurants, including Pizza Hut and Wing Wah. It also has over 100 clothing, electronics, and retail stores.

Transport.

Plaza Hollywood is served by:

Plaza Hollywood () is a large shopping centre in Tai Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong. It is part of Galaxia, a residential estate of Wharf Holdingss.

Plaza Hollywood (荷里活廣場) est un ensemble de logements et un centre commercial constitué de cinq tours identiques appelée Galaxia Block de 158 mètres de hauteur situées à Hong Kong, en Chine. L'ensemble comporte un total de 1 684 logements.


History.

18901920.

The company was founded as George A. Hormel & Company in Austin, Minnesota by George A. Hormel in 1891. It changed its name to Hormel Foods in 1993.  George A. Hormel (born 1860 in Buffalo, New York) worked in a Chicago slaughterhouse before becoming a traveling wool and hide buyer. His travels took him to Austin and he decided to settle there. He borrowed $500 and opened a meat business. Hormel handled the production side of the business and his partner, Albert Friedrich, handled the retail. Their partnership dissolved in 1891 as Hormel started his own meat packing operation in northeast Austin in a creamery building on the Cedar River.  To make ends meet in those early days, Hormel continued to trade in hides, eggs, wool, and poultry. The name was first used in 1903. In the first decade of the 20th century distribution centers were opened in St. Paul, Minneapolis, Duluth, San Antonio, Dallas, Chicago, Atlanta, and Birmingham.  In 1915, Hormel began selling dry sausages under the names of Cedar Cervelat, Holsteiner and Noxall Salami. Hormel products began appearing in national magazines such as "Good Housekeeping" as early as 1916.

19201950.

In 1921, when George's son Jay Hormel returned from service in the First World War, he uncovered that assistant controller Cy Thomson had embezzled $1,187,000 from the company over the previous ten years. The embezzlement scandal provided George Hormel with additional incentive to professionalize his company. He did so by arranging for more reliable capital management, by dismissing unproductive employees, and by continuing to develop new products, reportedly with the mantra “Originate, don't imitate." In 1926, the company introduced Hormel Flavor-Sealed Ham, America's first canned ham, and added a canned chicken product line in 1928. Throughout the 1930s, Hormel ads were featured on the radio program "The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show".  Hormel Chili and Spam were introduced in 1936 and 1937 respectively. In 1938, Jay C. Hormel introduced the "Joint Savings Plan" which allowed employees to share in the profits of the company. In 1933, workers, led by itinerant butcher Frank Ellis, formed the Independent Union of All Workers and conducted one of the nation's first successful sit-down strikes; the union would later join the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO, later AFL-CIO).  By 1942, George and Jay established The Hormel Foundation to act as trustees of the family trusts. The Foundation funded the Hormel Institute at the University of Minnesota, initially started with a study of the food value of soybeans. The Institute's scope later grew towards studying nutrition, animal diseases and food technology. Hormel's production increased to aid in World War II and 65% of its products were purchased by the U.S. government by 1945.

19502000.

In 1959, Hormel was the first meatpacker to receive the Seal of Approval of the American Humane Society for its practice of anesthetizing animals before slaughter. Little Sizzlers sausages were introduced in 1961 and Cure 81 hams were introduced in 1963. Unfortunately Little Sizzler's sausage has been discontinued per 10/10/19 email from Hormel's Customer Service.  Not-So-Sloppy-Joe Sloppy Joe sauce made its debut in 1985. In 1986, Hormel Foods acquired Jennie-O Foods and also began an exclusive licensing arrangement to produce Chi-Chi's brand products. The following year, Hormel Foods introduced the Top Shelf line of microwavable non-frozen products. The company added to their poultry offerings by purchasing Chicken by George, created by former Miss America Phyllis George, in 1988. That same year, Hormel Foods also introduced microwave bacon. In 1984, Hormel introduced the Frank 'n Stuff brand of stuffed hot dogs.  In August 1985, Hormel workers went on strike at the Hormel headquarters in Austin, Minnesota. In the early 1980s, recession impacted several meatpacking companies, decreasing demand and increasing competition which led smaller and less-efficient companies to go out of business. In an effort to keep plants from closing, many instituted wage cuts. Wilson Food Company declared bankruptcy in 1983, allowing them to cut wages from $10.69 to $6.50 and significantly reduce benefits. Hormel Foods had avoided such drastic action, but by 1985, pressure to stay competitive remained.  Workers had already labored under a wage freeze and dangerous working conditions, leading to many cases of repetitive strain injury. When management demanded a 23% wage cut from the workers they decided to begin the strike. It became one of the longest strikes of the 1980s.  The local chapter of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, Local P-9, led the strike, but was not supported by their parent union. A commemorative mural painted by Mike Alewitz and P-9 workers during the strike was destroyed by the UFCW months after the strike ended. The strike gained national attention and led to a widely publicized boycott of Hormel products. The strike ended in June 1986, after lasting 10 months.

20002010.

The Spam Museum in Austin, Minnesota, was opened in 2001. That same year, Hormel Foods acquired The Turkey Store, the business was combined with Jennie-O Foods to form Jennie-O Turkey Store.  According to Triple Pundit, Hormel Foods began CSR reporting in 2006. The company has been included in "Corporate Responsibility" magazine's list of the "100 best corporate citizens" for 10 consecutive years.  In 2008 an article in the "New York Times", "SPAM Turns Serious and Hormel Turns Out More", detailed an overwhelming spike in the demand for SPAM, perhaps due to the flagging economy. In 2009 Hormel and Herdez del Fuerte created the joint venture MegaMex Foods to market and distribute Mexican food in the United States. Brands included in the venture include Herdez, La Victoria, Chi Chi's, El Torito, Embasa, Wholly Guacamole, Del Fuerte, Dona Maria, Bufalo, and Don Miguel.  In September 2008, animal rights organization PETA released a video recorded over the course of three months showing workers at a pig factory farm in Iowa abusing pigs. The factory farm was owned by Natural Pork Production II LLP of Iowa until August 18, 2008, at which point ownership had transferred to MowMar LLP. Hormel spokeswoman Julie Henderson Craven, who responded to the PETA video, called the videotaped abuses "completely unacceptable." In their 2007 Corporate Responsibility Report, Hormel Foods stated that all suppliers are expected to comply with several welfare programs to ensure that the hogs purchased are treated humanely. Because of the investigation, several employees of the farm were fired and six individuals faced charges due to the abuse.

2010present.

In 2011, Hormel Foods announced a two-for-one stock split. In 2013, Hormel Foods purchased Skippy—the best-selling brand of peanut butter in China and the second-best-selling brand in the world—from Unilever for $700 million; the sale included Skippy's American and Chinese factories.  In May 2015, Hormel revealed it would acquire meat processing firm Applegate Farms for around $775 million, expanding its range of meat products.  In 2015, the Hormel Health Labs division of Hormel Foods launched its Hormel Vital Cuisine line of packaged ready to eat meals, nutrition shakes and whey protein powders geared towards cancer patients and made available for home delivery. The line was developed in concert with three parties, as "Hormel brought food formulation, packaging and shelf stability knowledge, (chef de cuisine) Ron DeSantis brought taste and texture expertise, and the Cancer Nutrition Consortium offered the nutritional framework."  In 2015, SPAMMY became available for purchase under Title I for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) feeding programs and Title II for U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) programs under the name fortified poultry-based spread (FPBS). Four years earlier, the company had made an initial three-year commitment to deliver 1 million cans of this product to in-need families in Guatemala.  Also in 2015, after an undercover investigation by a group known as Compassion Over Killing at an Austin, Minnesota processing plant, Hormel Foods announced it was "bringing humane handling officers to a Quality Pork Processors Incorporated facility to ensure compliance with its own animal welfare standards." It has also told QPP to provide extra training, enhance compliance oversight and increase third-party auditing. According to Reuters, "in one scene of the video, pigs covered in feces or pus-filled abscesses are sent down the plant’s conveyor belt. At one point, a knife is used to cut open abscesses on dead pigs."  In 2016, Peak Rock Capital purchased the Diamond Crystal Brands Inc. unit, purchased by Hormel in 2002 for $155 million from Imperial Sugar. Also in 2016, Hormel acquired the nut butter producer Justin’s for 280 million.  In 2016, 2017, and 2018, the company was named as one of the Human Rights Campaign's Best Places to Work for LGBT equality. In 2019, Hormel was again named to one of the best places to work for LGBT equality, as the company obtained a 95 out of 100 score in the Human Rights Campaign's "Corporate Equality Index". The almost-perfect score was due to the area of "equivalency in same and different-sex domestic partner medical and soft benefits", where Hormel received half-credit for providing parity in some, but not all, benefits.  In 2017, Hormel sold Clougherty Packing, owner of the Farmer John and Saag's brands, to Smithfield Foods.  In October 2017, Hormel announced it would acquire deli meat company Columbus Manufacturing for $850 million.  In 2017, Mercy For Animals released undercover video footage of pigs being abused at The Maschhoffs LLC., a Hormel pork supplier in Hinton, Oklahoma, with piglets being castrated and having their tails cut off without any anesthetic, piglets left to suffer from untreated illness or injuries, and mother pigs crammed into gestation crates unable to move. In response, Hormel temporarily suspended its buying from the supplier.  According to the Military Times, the company has been listed in the top 100 Best for Vets Employers category consistently since 2013.  In April 2019, together with Harvard University Dining Services, the company hosted the Small Change Big Impact Food Summit at Harvard University.  In September 2019, Hormel Foods announced that they had achieved their non-renewable energy use reduction goal a year ahead of schedule.  Also in September 2019, the company launched a vegetarian meat alternative called Happy Little Plants for foodservice and retail customers.

Covid-19 pandemic.

On April 18, 2020, local health officials shut down a Hormel Foods plant in Rochelle, Illinois, that employed 800 people after at least 24 workers tested positive for coronavirus. On April 21, Hormel announced the closure of three meat processing plants, including its Alma Foods plant in Alma, Kansas. That plant employs about 100 workers and at least one worker tested positive for the coronavirus. Hormel also closed its Don Miguel Foods factory in Dallas, Texas, which is a joint venture with a Mexico City company, Herdez Del Fuerte. The plant made pork, beef and chicken burritos and tacos, and employed about 700 workers. On April 24, Hormel announced the closure of two plants in Willmar, Minnesota, after 14 workers tested positive for coronavirus. These Jennie-O turkey plants employed over 1,200 workers.

Hormel Foods Corporation is an American company founded in 1891 in Austin, Minnesota, by George A. Hormel as George A. Hormel & Company. Originally focusing on the packaging and selling of ham, Spam, sausage and other pork, chicken, beef and lamb products to consumers; by the 1980s, Hormel began offering a wider range of packaged and refrigerated foods. The company changed its name to "Hormel Foods" in 1993. Hormel serves 80 countries with brands such as Applegate, Columbus Craft Meats, Dinty Moore, Jennie-O and Skippy.

Hormel Foods Corporation est une entreprise agro-alimentaire américaine basée à Austin dans le sud-est du Minnesota (Comté de Mower). Elle est connue pour ses produits de masse et surtout la marque de viande précuite SPAM commercialisée depuis 1926. Elle commercialise des produits sous différentes marques dont Chi-Chi's, Dinty Moore, Jennie-O, Lloyd's, SKIPPY, SPAM, Stagg et Hormel. La société est cotée au New York Stock Exchange et est classée dans le "Fortune 500".


Background.

Due to Switzerland's status as a neutral country bordering on Germany and Austria, many Jews fleeing the Holocaust deposited large amounts of money and valuables in Swiss banks. However, when survivors' or victims' heirs tried to recover their money following the war, many faced bureaucratic stonewalling by the banks which often seemed not to recognize the special conditions which had been experienced by Holocaust victims. A number of times after the end of World War II, Swiss banks came under criticism for their behaviour, particularly over the issue of the handling of dormant accounts, most of which were presumed to have belonged to victims of the Holocaust. During the next forty years, a number of rather feeble responses were undertaken. However, during the 1990s it became clear that there was a need for a more robust response to the criticism.

Memorandum of Understanding.

The Commission was established by a memorandum of understanding on May 2, 1996, between the World Jewish Restitution Organization, the World Jewish Congress and the Swiss Bankers Association. The MOU indicated two objectives for the committee: "(a) to identify accounts in Swiss banks of victims of Nazi persecution that have lain dormant since World War II or have otherwise not been made available to those victims or their heirs; (b) to assess the treatment of the accounts of victims of Nazi persecution by Swiss banks."

Methodology.

The committee used the services of five independent accounting firms with international reputations who were licensed to audit banks in Switzerland. The investigation covered a period of some 60 years, from 1933 to 1995. Some 254 Swiss banks existing in 1945 were investigated, which covered 82% of the banking system. External costs which were borne by the Swiss banks totaled some CHF 300 million and some 650 accountants participated in the study. At the outset, there was a certain uneasiness in some of the banks with such an intrusive process. However, this changed, and the committee was able to report that only one bank, the Banque Cantonale de Geneve, refused to cooperate with the investigation.  The raw materials for the work was provided by identifying all accounts that were open or opened in Swiss banks during the period 1933-1945. This yielded some 4.1 million accounts. There were no remaining records for 2.8 million additional accounts. The account names were compared by computers with the names of Nazi victims drawn from lists held by Holocaust researchers. Secondly, a selective non-automated examination of account-by-account analysis of available documentation.

Results.

In 1999, the Volcker Commission found 53,886 Swiss bank accounts that likely belonged to victims of the Holocaust, in addition to the 5,570 accounts first discovered during the 1997 self-audit. 10,471 of the newly discovered accounts were Category 1 accounts, which meant that they were matched to the names of known Holocaust victims, or Category 2 accounts, which meant there was probable relationship between the account holder and Nazi persecution. These accounts together contained an estimated value of 31.5 million Swiss Francs, however many accounts lacked necessary fiscal information to make a sound determination. Category 3 and 4 accounts, which had weaker and weakest Holocaust nexus respectively, added 43,415 accounts and 4.2 million Swiss Francs to the tally.  In 1998, a United States class-action lawsuit resulted in a settlement of $1.25 billion by the two largest Swiss Banks, which is supposed to cover claims by victims and their heirs.

The Volcker Commission, also known as the Independent Committee of Eminent Persons (ICEP), was established in 1996 to investigate the accounts lying dormant since the Second World War in various banks in Switzerland. The committee was headed by former United States Chairman of the Federal Reserve Paul Volcker and was composed of three representatives from the Swiss Bankers Association and three appointed by Jewish organizations.

L'Affaire des comptes en déshérence ou affaire des fonds juifs en déshérence est une affaire financière qui a éclaté durant les années 1990 en Suisse puis dans le monde, concernant l’argent des comptes de Juifs disparus durant la Seconde Guerre mondiale.