title: Calcium signaling

text: Contractions of smooth muscle fiber are dependent on how a Ca2+ influx occurs. When a Ca2+ influx occurs, cross bridges form between myosin and actin leading to the contraction of the muscle fibers. Influxes may occur from extracellular Ca2+ diffusion via ion channels. This can lead to three different results. The first is a uniform increase in the Ca2+ concentration throughout the cell. This is responsible for increases in vascular diameters. The second is a rapid time dependent change in the membrane potential which leads to a very quick and uniform increase of Ca2+. This can cause a spontaneous release of neurotransmitters via sympathetic or parasympathetic nerve channels. The last potential result is a specific and localized subplasmalemmal Ca2+ release. This type of release increases the activation of protein kinase, and is seen in cardiac muscle where it causes excitation-concentration coupling. Ca2+ may also result from internal stores found in the SR. This release may be caused by Ryaodine (RYRs) or IP3 receptors. RYRs Ca2+ release is spontaneous and localized. This has been observed in a number of smooth muscle tissues including arteries, portal vein, urinary bladder, ureter tissues, airway tissues, and gastrointestinal tissues. IP3 Ca2+ release is caused by activation of the IP3 receptor on the SR. These influxes are often spontaneous and localized as seen in the colon and portal vein, but may lead to a global Ca2+ wave as observed in many vascular tissues.


title: Calcium signaling

text: Ca2+ influx during fertilization has been observed in many species as a trigger for development of the oocyte. These influxes may occur as a single increase in concentration as seen with fish and echinoderms, or may occur with the concentrations oscillating as observed in mammals. The triggers to these Ca2+ influxes may differ. The influx have been observed to occur via membrane Ca2+ conduits and Ca2+ stores in the sperm. It has also been seen that sperm binds to membrane receptors that lead to a release in Ca2+ from the ER. The sperm has also been observed to release a soluble factor that is specific to that species. This prevents cross species fertilization to occur. These soluble factors lead to activation of IP3 which causes a Ca2+ release from the ER via IP3 receptors. It has also been seen that some model systems mix these methods such as seen with mammals. Once the Ca2+ is released from the ER the egg starts the process of forming a fused pronucleus and the restart of the mitotic cell cycle. Ca2+ release is also responsible for the activation of NAD+ kinase which leads to membrane biosynthesis, and the exocytosis of the oocytes cortical granules which leads to the formation of the hyaline layer allowing for the slow block to polyspermy.


title: Rocket Forces and Artillery (Ukraine)

text: "On the eve of the professional holiday, the 19th rocket brigade, which is stationed in |Khmelnytskyi city, conducted the main examination of the year - the final test for 2010–2011. All servicemen passed a final exams for professional, military and physical training. The history of the brigade began in 1943 at Stalingrad by establishing the 7th Artillery brigade of the Reserve of the Supreme High Command. During the Great Patriotic War 27 soldiers, sergeants and officers of the division were nominated for the award "Hero of the Soviet Union". After the declaration of Ukrainian independence and choice of the non-nuclear status, servicemen swore allegiance to people of Ukraine. In November 1997, the division gained the status of a brigade and until 2004 it was subordinated to the 1st Rocket Division of the Ukrainian Ground Forces. For the last 8 years, the brigade is directly subordinated to the command of the land forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, armed with the "Tochka" missile. is the only rocket military unit in the Armed Forces of Ukraine."


title: Rocket Forces and Artillery (Ukraine)

text: After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Ukrainian Rocket Forces and Artillery were left over from the Cold War era. This means that most of its equipment is some 30 years old. There has been little development of new systems from 122mm or 152mm to 155 mm calibre. Of Ukrainian 155mm weapons built only the 2S22 Bohdana has been produced, with only one unit completed before the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. The ammunition stockpiles that Ukraine inherited from the Soviet Union were the subject of sabotage. According to Radio Free Europe six stockpiles, a total of some 210,000 tons of ammunition, was destroyed between 2015 and 2019. Since late April 2022 the U.S. State Department has sold artillery ammunition to Ukraine. Ukrainian artillery has relied on old stockpiles in former Eastern Block countries for ammunition. Of 40 shells supplied by the Czech Republic only 3 worked. What the U.S. government calls "nonstandard ammunition" that can be fired from Ukrainian weapons such as 122 mm, 152 mm artillery shells, 120 mm mortar rounds and other smalls weapons. Ukraine claims that it is firing 6,000 projectiles daily in fighting. This compares to Russia firing an estimated 70,000 projectiles.


title: Rocket Forces and Artillery (Ukraine)

text: Ukraine has asked for and been supplied with various NATO artillery firing 155 mm calibre ammunition, such as the Panzerhaubitze 2000 and "M777, FH70, M109, AHS Krab, and the CAESAR self-propelled howitzer." The UK and Germany have supplied M270 MLRS to Ukraine and the U.S. has supplied the HIMARS system, however, in batches of single digits. Ukrainian forces consider 155 mm weapons such as the M777 to be superior to their older systems: "They work beautifully. They have the precision of a sniper rifle while firing a 155mm shell. Their range is much greater than our own weapons and we can hit their positions, supply lines, and munitions depots farther away." Russian Ministry of Defence has made point of showing the destruction of Western-supplied weapons, mainly the M777. While acknowledging their effect: "General Konashenkov stressed that in recent days the Ukrainian armed forces have used M777 intensively, subjecting massive artillery strikes to Russian positions in the region." Ukraine spends 30,000 rounds of 155 mm in two weeks, an amount fired by the US in a year.


title: Shadowzone (film)

text: Van Fleet, Kidwell, and Hickock enter the test lab and move the female subject's sleep chamber into the computer lab when Wiley notices a fifth life form present on the heat-signature screen. Erhardt tells them to get out and that "John Doe" has arrived. Van Fleet seals himself in the lab and is attacked and killed. Erhardt explains their sleep experiment uncovered a gateway through the unconscious mind to a parallel dimension where they made contact with a life form (dubbed John Doe). She theorizes that John Doe has entered their dimension through the remaining male test subject. Wiley finds John Doe is no longer on the lab's heat signature and theorizes the creature can expand and contract its molecular structure at will (making it essentially a shapeshifter) and escaped through a drain pipe. The creature, also mildly radioactive, triggers the site's emergency airlock, installed as a failsafe for the nuclear research done in the '60s, sealing them underground. Wiley and Hickock go to fix the transformer and Shivers and Kidwell go to get the site cook, Mrs. Cutter, while Erhardt stays with Jenna, the female subject (who cannot be woken until the main power is restored), to monitor her.


title: Shadowzone (film)

text: In the computer lab, Erhardt is fascinated by the creature and theorizes that John Doe not only shapeshifts but can take the form of human thought; Kidwell was searching for the monkey when encountering it and Dr. Van Fleet, before he ran off, called out a phobia that was recorded in his psych evaluation, indicating it took the form of his worst fear before killing him. The power suddenly returns as does the creature to the test lab. It takes control of the computer system and tells them it's dying and needs to return to its own dimension, willing to spare them if they help it get home. Hickock hooks up the female subject to the test lab and they induce EDS to the same parametres that killed the first two patients, opening a portal to the other dimension. Erhardt insists on seeing it in person and sticks a metal rod into portal, watching as it's pulled through. She steps in, briefly disappearing, before stepping back out, saying excitedly, "There's thousands of them!" The metal rod is shoved out the portal and through her chest. The creature steps out, examines Jenna's pod, roars at Hickock, and pulls Erhardt's body through the portal with it. Hickock sets to destroying all the computers with a fire axe before an electric shock throws him back and he's knocked unconscious. He wakes up to find the female subject awake and he lets her out of the sleep chamber as the credits roll.


title: Angel Fashion

text: Angel's first official feud was against Rikochet. Angel later formed a tag team with Tommy Diablo, which at the time held WWC's world-wrestling-council-wwc. WWC World Junior Heavyweight Championship. Wanting a shot for this title, Angel turned on Tommy and challenged him for the title, which he won on May 10, 2014, in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. Angel lost the title to Mike Mendoza on June 21, 2014, but recovered it one week later. He then lost it to Tommy Diablo on August 9, 2014, and recovered it on September 6, 2014. Angel won the WWC Puerto Rico Heavyweight Championship from Miguel Pérez, Jr. on January 23, 2016. He lost it to El Sensacional Carlitos on March 19, 2016, but recovered it one week later. He then lost it on May 28, 2016, to El Chicano. Some of Angel's most notable feuds have been against Tommy Diablo, Rikochet, Mike Mendoza and Ray González Jr., among many others. On the 2016 event "Camino A La Gloria, Angel Fashion caused Chicano to lose to Gilbert. At the 2016 event Summer Madness Angel Fashion was involved in a 3-way match against Mr. 450 and Sensacional Carlitos. The winner of the match would be able to challenge any champion for any title, MR. 450 won. On WWC's event Lockout, which took place on December 3, 2016, Angel Fashion defeated TNA's Robbie E. Angel is usually accompanied to the ring by his valet Vanilla Vargas. Vanilla occasionally wrestles in Mexico for CMLL under the name Lady Boricua In April 2017 he left WWC.


title: Indian Education for All

text: These seven understandings are as follows: Firstly, there are twelve sovereign tribal nations in Montana, each one of whom possesses a diversity of language, culture, history, and government, in addition to a unique cultural heritage that contributes to contemporary Montana. Tribal sovereignty refers to the inherent right of tribes to self-governance, and their governments provide services similar to those of federal, state, and local governments. Secondly, American Indians, as individuals, are unique and lie on a continuum of identity, from assimilated to traditional. Indian identity is generally recognized through biological ancestry and tribal recognition, though no universal rule exists. For millennia, tribes used indigenous methods to educate their children, but federal assimilation policies, including boarding schools, disrupted this tradition. Students who maintain pride in their culture and language tend to experience school better, and ideally, school curricula will recognize and value students' home cultures. Thirdly, the traditional systems of Indian spirituality persist to the present time, are practiced by American Indians, and are integrated into the manner of their management of affairs. Spirituality for Indigenous peoples generally reflects a worldview where all things are connected, distinct from the concept of religion. While educators do not need to fully understand all aspects of modern American Indian cultures, they must recognize their existence and influence on Native thinking. Fourthly, reservations are lands that have been acquired by Indian tribes for their own use through treaties, statutes, and executive orders. Tribes have actively fought to protect their lands, including through American courts and the Indian Claims Commission. Two key treaties impacted Montana tribal lands: the Fort Laramie Treaties and the Hellgate Treaty of 1855. After 1871, Congress ended treaty-making and the federal government employed other methods to reduce Indian land. Fifthly, there have been many federal policies throughout American history which have affected Indian people, and much of American Indian history can be understood from these phases. Early on, Congress held significant authority over Native Americans, enacting over 400 treaties and statutes, making them the most regulated population in the U.S. Understanding key legislative components offers valuable context for the present-day experiences of Native students. Sixthly, history as told from an Indian perspective often conflicts with the accounts of mainstream historians. Providing students with textbooks, primary source documents, and oral traditions, will develop a more objective understanding of history. Seventhly, Indian tribes, under the legal system of the United States, possess sovereign powers, which are independent of the federal and state governments, the total extent of which, however, differs for each tribe. Sovereignty is a key element of tribal independence.


title: Guitar Hero: Aerosmith

text: The game is considered an expansion in the Guitar Hero series, extending upon the general features of Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. As with other games in the series, the player uses a guitar-shaped controller to simulate the playing of rock music by playing in-time to scrolling notes on-screen. Aerosmith songs comprise approximately 70% of the soundtrack, while the remaining songs are from bands that have been influenced by or opened for Aerosmith. The single player Career mode allows the player to follow the history of the band through several real-world-inspired venues, interspersed with interviews from the band members about their past. Aerosmith re-recorded four songs for this game, and have participated in a motion capture session to create their in-game appearances. Guitar Hero: Aerosmith is the final installment of the series to only feature guitar and bass as possible instrument choices. The next entry (Guitar Hero World Tour) would introduce other roles to create a full band experience.


title: Guitar Hero: Aerosmith

text: A departure from other games in the franchise, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith follows the career of Aerosmith, by playing significant songs in their catalog in a 'rough chronological fashion'. The gameplay follows the band through various periods in its history, spanning from its first show at Mendon Nipmuc Regional High School in 1970 to the 2001 Super Bowl XXXV halftime show, to their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 19, 2001. The player starts as Joe Perry, and will eventually be able to unlock Brad Whitford and Tom Hamilton. The game does not focus on the internal strife and stress within the band; guitarist Joe Perry stated that the game would focus on the positive aspects of Aerosmith's history. Perry has stated that "Having a game built around Aerosmith has been a huge honor and really a great experience for us. We've put a lot of ideas into the game so that fans can have fun interacting with our music, getting inside our body of work and learning about the band's history."


title: Guitar Hero: Aerosmith

text: The gameplay in Guitar Hero: Aerosmith is based on the same gameplay elements from Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. Players use a guitar controller to hold down fret keys and strum on the strum bar in time with the note patterns as they scroll down the screen in order to complete a song. The player's performance is tracked by a Rock Meter, and if it falls too low, the song ends prematurely. Star Power can be collected by completing marked note phrases correctly, and by using the whammy bar during sustained notes; Star Power is released by lifting the guitar controller vertically or by pressing the Select button in order to double the scoring multiplier and dramatically affect the Rock Meter. The player is rated after successfully completing a song from 3 to 5 stars, and can examine statistics related to their performance, and in Career mode, awarded money to be used to unlock ten bonus songs in "The Vault" and additional guitars, outfits, and other videos about the band. Each song can be played at one of four difficulties: Easy, Medium, Hard, and Expert.


title: Guitar Hero: Aerosmith

text: The game offers several gameplay modes. Career mode is broken into six tiers of five tracks, each based on a period in Aerosmith's history. Furthermore, within each tier, there are two Opening Acts, featuring non-Aerosmith songs, that must be completed before the Aerosmith songs can be played; the final song in each tier is an encore once the other four songs are completed. As the player completes this mode, they will also be presented with video clips talking about the band and other trivia about the band. The Career mode features one Boss Battle (against Joe Perry) as introduced in Guitar Hero III. Any unlocked song can be played in Quick Play mode, Co-operative mode, with one player on lead guitar and the other on bass, and Competitive mode, including the Battle modes. Unlike Guitar Hero III, there is no Co-Operative Career mode. One significant upgrade from Guitar Hero III is the addition of score balancing in Pro Face Off multiplayer mode, which allows each player to choose their own difficulty while still allowing each side to play the full note chart, instead of switching back and forth within regular Face Off. This is the first Guitar Hero game compatible with Rock Band controllers.


title: Guitar Hero: Aerosmith

text: The idea for Guitar Hero: Aerosmith came about during the development of Guitar Hero III. Originally, a cover version of "Same Old Song and Dance" was present in the game, but Neversoft president Joel Jewett noted that the quality of the recording was poor. After getting in contact with Joe Perry, Perry was able to provide the original masters for the song, and, according to Neversoft developer Alan Flores, "that sort of established the relationship." This also came at a time where Activision was attempting to expand the Guitar Hero franchise, and fans expressed a strong interest in playing a game focused solely on Aerosmith's works, according to RedOctane's Dusty Welch. Another producer for the game, Aaron Habibipour, stated that Aerosmith was one of the five "holy grail" musical groups as polled by Activision. Newsweek reported that Aerosmith's license allows for exclusive use of their songs within the Guitar Hero series for a limited amount of time, preventing their use within other rhythm games such as Rock Band. This is not the first time Aerosmith have appeared video games. The band was previously featured in both Quest for Fame and Revolution X.


title: Guitar Hero: Aerosmith

text: The game has received generally mixed reviews. Many reviews found the game avoided some of Aerosmith's "more popular sugar-coated hits...like 'Amazing', 'Crazy', or 'I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing' ", but felt that other major Aerosmith songs could have also been included. Game Informer noted that "creating a band specific game was smart", but that "very little has changed from the base game". They also complimented the great job that Activision did with their motion captures of Aerosmith. The difficulty of the game was not to be found as hard as Guitar Hero III due to the "very riff-friendly guitarist" Joe Perry; while reviewers felt this was a good correction from the previous game, they also noted that the easiness of Guitar Hero: Aerosmith led to some bland tiers, repetitive musical sections, and lack of any significant difficulty curve. The length of the game was poorly received, with reviewers commenting that it is difficult to justify the title priced equivalently as other next-generation console full games. Eurogamer commented that one's appreciation for the game "lives or dies based on fondness for Aerosmith", and that ultimately, with other available music games that offer additional downloadable songs, a game that focuses on a single band would need "to offer gameplay innovations, spectacular fan service, or a lot more material" than what Guitar Hero: Aerosmith provides. Reviews also noted the sparseness of downloadable content.


title: Tonkinese Rifles

text: One expedient adopted by General Millot to speed recruitment was to make use of deserters from the Black Flag Army. Several hundred Black Flag soldiers surrendered in July 1884, in the wake of the French capture of Hưng Hóa and Tuyên Quang, and offered their services to the French. General Millot allowed them to join one of the Tonkinese Rifle regiments as a separate company, and they were sent to an isolated French post on the Day River and placed under the command of a sympathetic French marine infantry officer, Lieutenant Bohin. Many French officers were appalled at Millot's willingness to trust the Black Flags, and Bohin was henceforth christened le condamné à mort. In fact the Black Flags responded well to his kind treatment and for several months gave good service, taking part in a number of sweeps against Vietnamese insurgents and bandits. However, during the night of 25 December 1884 they deserted en masse with their weapons, uniforms and equipment and made off towards the Black River. They killed a Tonkinese sergeant to prevent him from giving the alarm, but left Bohin sleeping peacefully in his bed. It seems likely that, impressed by the advance of the Chinese armies in Tonkin, they had lost faith in a French victory and decided to rejoin the Black Flag Army, then taking part in the Siege of Tuyên Quang. Millot's unfortunate experiment was not repeated by his successor General Brière de l'Isle, and no further attempts were made by the French to integrate Black Flag soldiers into the Tonkinese rifle regiments.


title: Pre-emption right

text: In practice, the most common form of pre-emption right is the right of existing shareholders to acquire new shares issued by a company in a rights issue, usually a public offering. In this context, the pre-emptive right is also called subscription right or subscription privilege. It is the right but not the obligation of existing shareholders to buy the new shares before they are offered to the public. In that way, existing shareholders can maintain their proportional ownership of the company and thus prevent stock dilution. In many jurisdictions, subscription rights are automatically provided for by statute, such as in the United Kingdom, but in other jurisdictions, there arise only if provided for under the constitutional documents of the relevant company. In the United States, for example, it is rare for publicly-listed companies to grant pre-emptive rights to shareholders, but it is common for unlisted companies to grant pre-emptive rights to venture capital and private equity investors. The European Union has brought an infringement action against Spain based on the claim that the lack of statutory pre-emptive rights under Spanish law violates the Second Company Law Directive.


title: Leo Isacson

text: During the election, the Greater New York CIO Council charged that FBI agents had been visiting offices of "left wing" CIO locals to "intimidate them and curtail their political activity in behalf of Henry A. Wallace". In contrast, the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America (ACWA), a more conservative CIO union opposed to Wallace, confirmed that FBI agents had visited many of its locals to investigate possible violations of the Hatch Act of 1939, regarding political activities, and declared the FBI had given the ACWA a "clean bill of health". The spokesman said similar inquiries had been made among other CIO and AFL unions pursuant to the law. The council also telegraphed U.S. Attorney General Tom C. Clark to ask him to call off further FBI investigation. The Council admitted that, while FBI agents had always asked permission to check records of CIO-PAC contributions, these records were already available from the Secretary of State of New York and the New York City Board of Elections, leading the council to question the FBI's motives. The Council claimed that the FBI's investigation was "an obvious and reprehensible attempt to intimidate and harass unions and union members in the exercise of their political rights, particularly with respect to the 1948 Presidential and Congressional elections". Nathan Witt, the council's legal counselor, disagreed, stating, "There could not possibly be any technical violation in 1948 except for the Isacson election and the FBI agents made clear they were not investigating that."


title: Benin ivory mask

text: The Oba of Benin commissioned works from his guild of ivory and wood carvers, the Igbesanmwan. Their works were customized for their ruler, between the material connotations of ivory and the visual motifs in the carvings. At least two of the masks feature Portuguese imagery (although this imagery outlasted the actual Portuguese presence) and thus were likely created during Esigie's early-16th century rule , either during Idia's life or soon after her death. The similarities between the masks indicate that they were likely created at the same time by the same artist. Their details match the comparable carving qualities of ivory spoons and salt cellars commissioned during the same period, the early period of Benin art, the phase of strongest affiliation with Ife or Yoruba art. Ivory works from Benin were mainly for the Oba to use in ritual. The masks may have been used in ceremonies including the Ugie Iyoba commemoration of the Oba's mother, as well the Emobo purification ceremony to expel bad spirits from the land. Similar pendant masks are mainly used in contemporary Emobo ceremonies focused on bad spirits, though the traditions of Emobo may have changed throughout history.


title: Benin ivory mask

text: The openwork of the tiara and collar represent tiny heads of Portuguese men in the tiara of both the Met and the British Museum examples, with eleven figures in the British Museum mask, and in the Met mask seven figures of Portuguese men alternating with six representations of mudfish, the West African lungfish. The Portuguese, who had only recently arrived in the area, were a symbol of power and affluence to the royal court. Their iconography is identifiable by their long hair, hanging mustaches (often described as bearded), and domed hats. Benin art historian Barbara Blackmun interprets these crown adornments as a reference to Idia's ability to conduct the Portuguese power to her son's favor. Mudfish were a common theme in Benin royal arts, and reflected the divinity of the Oba. Edo cosmology believed that spirits crossed the ocean to reach the afterlife, where their leaders lived like gods. As creatures who could live on land and sea, the mudfish symbolized the duality needed for the leader's final journey, and this duality represents the seafaring Portuguese as well. The mudfish also appear in a pattern on the Linden Museum mask's crown, while the private collection mask's crown has bird elements, also formerly present on the similar Seattle Art Museum mask. The masks also differ in pattern along their bottom, collar edges. The collar of the Met example is similarly decorated with eleven Portuguese men (with damage on its proper right side), while the collar of the British Museum mask is instead an abstract guilloché latticework.


title: Benin ivory mask

text: The Met's mask was acquired in 1972 as a gift of Nelson Rockefeller. He founded the Museum of Primitive Art in 1954 after the Metropolitan Museum did not reciprocate his interest in Precolumbian art. The museum collected works for their artistic—and not anthropological—value, contrasting with the earlier history of African art in Western collections. The Queens College art historian Robert Goldwater became its director and recommended acquisitions. His argument to collect the ivory pendant mask was among his longest, at the end of 1957. He called it "the best object of its kind known, nor will any others ever turn up". Goldwater wrote that the mask was higher in quality than the similar, renowned one owned by the British Museum. The mask, he predicted, would redefine the collection and go on permanent display, on par with the Museum of Modern Art's well-known Sleeping Gypsy by Henri Rousseau. Rockefeller purchased the mask at a record price and unveiled it in September 1958. The purchase solidified a policy that Goldwater believed the museum should center around permanent collections of masterworks.


title: Coat of arms of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham

text: The supporters are male griffins, their gender being distinguished by their lack of wings. The griffins are irradiated, which means they have bursts of golden rays coming out from their bodies. They may symbolize dynamism or vigilance. The griffins have an escallop shell and a cross crosslet respectively hanging around their necks. The cross is from the coat of arms of Edward Latymer, who died in 1626 and left lands for the benefit of the poor in Hammersmith and for the education of poor boys. The escallop is for George Pring, a surgeon in Hammersmith who projected the first Hammersmith Bridge over the Thames, but he died three years before the project was completed in 1827. This suspension bridge contributed greatly to the town's development, opening new markets on both sides of the river; it was replaced by a new suspension bridge at the same site in 1887, the current-day Hammersmith Bridge. In the coat of arms of the former Metropolitan Borough of Hammersmith, the cross crosslet and the escallop shell were used as charges on the shield.


title: Ruby and Rata

text: Ruby (Yvonne Lawley) is an 83-year-old woman who has just failed her driving test and is worried about her ability to cope with day-to-day life at her age. She asks her nephew Buckle (Simon Barnett), posing as a real estate agent, to arrange to lease part of the house she owns to a potential housemate to assist her with various chores. The new tenant is Rata (Vanessa Rare)—a well-dressed, smooth-talking young woman of Māori descent who works for a large finance company. Once she has moved in, it becomes apparent that Rata is actually a cleaner at the firm, has a young son named Willie (Lee Metekingi), and is in trouble with social services over welfare payments. Rata is also hoping to make it big as a singer in a punk band, The Apocalypse, which is reliant on her accessing the supposed "fortune" of her new housemate/landlady to pay for sound equipment. An unusual relationship develops between Ruby, Rata and Willie, with each of them manipulating the others in some way, but forming a bond and dependence on each other.


title: Alexander Nevsky (prize)

text: The main aim of the founders is to revive the interest in Russian history among Russian and international community, and popularization of historical literature and memorial museums. This initiative is widely supported by outstanding public figures, famous historical scientists, heads of major publishing houses and directors of the leading Russian museums. Thus, the commission of awarding of the prize "Alexander Nevskiy" and advisory board include such outstanding cultural and literature officials as Nikolay Skatov – corresponding member and advisor of Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladimir Tolstoy – director of The memorial estate of Leo Tolstoy "Yasnaya Polyana" and president of the Russian committee of International Council of Museums, Alexander Sokolov – director of the Russian State Historical Archive, Konstantin Chechenev – president of the Russian Book Publishers Alliance, Georgy Velinbakhov – head of the Russian Heraldic Presidential Council and deputy director of The State Hermitage Museum.


title: Alexander Nevsky (prize)

text: During last 7 years dozens of talented writers, historical scientists, members of major museums and enthusiasts from school and national museums have been honored with the prize. Among them outstanding writers, literati, historians, cultural workers, statesmen, public and cultural figures became the laureates of Russian National historical-literary prize "Alexander Nevsky": Anastasia Shirinskaya – legendary woman, who managed to save heritage of the last moorage of the Imperial Black sea Fleet in Bizerte (Tunisia), Vladimir Karpov, Pyotr Stegniy – Russian Ambassador Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary in Israel, Boris Tarasov – rector of Maxim Gorky Literature Institute, Aza Takho-Godi – professor, doctor of philological Science, widow of famous Russian philosopher Alexey Losev, Ilya Glazunov – famous painter, member of Russian Academy of Arts, founder and rector of Russian Fine Arts Academy, Andrey Sakharov – director of Institute of Russian History of Russian Academy of Science. Museum workers award list includes both major museums and reservations: "Kizhi", "Pavlovsk", "Khmelita", "Borodinskoye pole" and small ones: house-museum of Ioann Kronshtadsky, museums of Far-Eastern Technological University (Vladivostok), Museum of Russian script of O.N.Trubachev (Volgograd).


title: Henry Jones of Oxfordshire

text: At the Battle of the Dunes Jones was attached to Lockhart's New Model Army regiment. The regiment was under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Roger Fenwick when it attacked veteran Spanish soldiers ensconced on top of 150 feet (46 m) dune (sand-hill). The sides of the dune were so steep that attacking English had to scramble up on hands and knees. The English, after two volleys and push of pike, drove the Spanish from the crest of the dune and then pursued them down the far side. They were then in turn attacked by Anglo-Spanish cavalry who were unable to break the English formation and were themselves then driven off by French cavalry. By then all the regimental officers were either dead, or wounded. Jones himself had been, shot through the shoulder and wounded in two other places, but this did not deter him from seizing a loose French cavalry horse and joining the French cavalry in the counter-attack on the Anglo-Spanish cavalry. However, Jones pursued the enemy too far and was captured.


title: Giovanni Palatucci

text: Hagiographers also claim that he managed to destroy all documented records of some 10,000 Jewish refugees living in the town, issuing them false papers and providing them with funds. This theory has been questioned by several historians, including Marco Coslovich and Silva Bon. The latter, in her "The Jewish Communities of Fiume and the Carnaro" argued that, based on official records, the Germans and the RSI police conducted the arrests of the Jews through the lists of the Italian police. The arrests began in October 1943 and were organized first as round-ups and then as targeted operations in which the Italian Questura provided information to both locate and identify Fiume Jews. Both German and Italian records indicate that by June 1944 hardly any Jews had remained in Fiume. Moreover, if local records had been destroyed, something of which there is no sign, those refugees would still appear in the central police archive that kept copies of all local police headquarters as well as in the records of the Italian DP camps after the war, which is not the case.


title: Giovanni Palatucci

text: The historian of Early Modern Europe Anna Foa of Sapienza University of Rome wrote in a June 2013 article for the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano that the decision to re-classify Palatucci, a Catholic, as a collaborator was hasty, bur conceded that more study was needed. She asserted that the target of the move against Palatucci was the papacy of Pope Pius XII, and wrote that "in targeting Palatucci the desire was essentially to hit a Catholic involved in rescuing Jews in support of the idea that the Church spared no effort to help the Jews — a person whose cause of beatification was under way. ... But this is ideology and not history." Foa argued that "Palatucci may have saved only a few dozen lives instead of the 5,000 attributed to him". She agreed that Palatucci's achievements have at times been exaggerated based on the limited evidence, but noted that scholars should be cautious about jumping to conclusions given the paucity of evidence. Foa claimed that there are many testimonies in favor of Palatucci and concluded that before a definitive determination can be made about Palatucci's role in the Holocaust, the documentation used by the Primo Levi Center would have to be made available for other historians to review. The New York Times reported a reply from Centro Primo Levi's director, Natalia Indrimi, stating that the documents have been available to the scholarly community since the inception of the project, and that, if testimonies are available, they should be made public.


title: Sharp MZ

text: The Sharp MZ-80K was one of the popular early consumer-level microcomputers, with an architecture based on the Zilog Z80 8-bit microprocessor. It was introduced into Europe in 1979. The machine had 48KB of RAM, 32KB of which was available for user programs (the actual figure was dependent on the memory configuration and the system languages being used). It could run a variety of high-level languages including BASIC, Pascal and FORTRAN, which had to be loaded into RAM before any programming could be undertaken. It could also be programmed directly in assembly code or machine code. The machine had an inbuilt monochrome display and a cassette tape drive. The display, keyboard and cassette drive lifted on hinges to expose the motherboard and circuitry underneath. Graphics capability was primitive, with only preset shapes and icons being available and no native hi-res capability. This was not unusual for a late-1970s vintage microcomputer. The main drawback, however, of the MZ-80K was the non-standard keyboard, which was difficult to use.


title: Nepotism

text: Nepotism at work can mean increased opportunity at a job, attaining a job or being paid more than other similarly situated people. Arguments are made both for and against employment granted due to a family connection, which is most common in small, family run businesses. On one hand, nepotism can provide stability and continuity. Critics cite studies that demonstrate decreased morale and commitment from non-related employees, and a generally negative attitude towards superior positions filled through nepotism. An article from Forbes magazine stated "there is no ladder to climb when the top rung is reserved for people with a certain name." Employing intimate people favors perpetuating the ideas or goals of those who employ them, knowing that the people around them will face up to them. However, it can lead to a lack of competent staff or a reduction in productivity because even if the employees are not the best options for their functions, they will be protected by those who employ them. Some businesses forbid nepotism as an ethical matter, considering it too troublesome and disruptive. Most Companies' Codes of Conduct include severe disciplinary sanction for Conflicts of Interest. However, in Nepotistic practices, these are rarely observed or implemented.


title: Nepotism

text: Since the 1980s, Indian politics has become dynastic, possibly due to the absence of elected party organization, independent civil society associations that mobilize support for a party, and centralized financing of elections. One example of dynastic politics has been the Nehru–Gandhi family which produced three Indian prime ministers. Family members have also led the Congress Party for most of the period since 1978 when Indira Gandhi floated the then Congress(I) faction of the party. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party also features several senior leaders who are dynasts. Dynastic politics is prevalent also in a number of political parties with regional presence such as All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), Jammu & Kashmir National Conference (JKNC), Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party (JKPDP), Janata Dal (Secular) (JD(s)), Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), National People's Party (NPP), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), Samajwadi Party (SP), Shiromani Akali Dal (SKD), Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) (SS(UBT)), Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), Yuvajana Shramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) and Telugu Desam Party (TDP).


title: Nepotism

text: Suharto, Indonesia's second president, is involved in nepotism, alongside corruption and collusion (together, they are known as the KKN in Indonesian: korupsi, kolusi, dan nepotisme). Companies belonging to Suharto's children, particularly Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana ("Tutut"), Hutomo Mandala Putra ("Tommy"), and Bambang Trihatmodjo, were given lucrative government contracts and protected from market competition by monopolies. Examples include the toll-expressway company Jasamarga (monopolized by Tutut), the national car project Timor (monopolized by Bambang and Tommy), and the cinema market (monopolized by 21 Cineplex, which is owned by Suharto's cousin Sudwikatmono). The family is said to control about 36,000 km2 (14,000 sq mi) of real estate in Indonesia, including 100,000 m2 (1,100,000 sq ft) of prime office space in Jakarta and nearly 40% of the land in East Timor. Additionally, Suharto's family members received free shares in 1,251 of Indonesia's most lucrative domestic companies (mostly run by Suharto's ethnic-Chinese cronies), while foreign-owned companies were encouraged to establish "strategic partnerships" with the former Indonesian president's family companies.


title: Nepotism

text: Since the first democratic elections in 1948, the field of politics in Mauritius has been marked by a handful of families who have controlled the four major political parties which exist to this day. They are often referred to as the "modern dynasties" of Mauritian politics such as the Duval, Bérenger, Curé, Uteem, Mohamed, Boolell, Ramgoolam and Jugnauth families. The Boolell family's involvement in politics started with Satcam Boolell in 1955, paving the way for his son Arvin Boolell, nephews Satish Boolell, Anil Gayan, and Sanjay Bhuckory, and son-in-law Sushil Kushiram to enter politics. The Duval dynasty started with ex-Lord mayor and minister Gaetan Duval, followed by his sons Xavier and Richard as well as grandson Adrien. Lall Jugnauth was the first of his clan to enter politics in the 1950s and was followed by his cousins Aneerood and Ashock as well as nephew Pravind. Abdool Razack Mohamed, who migrated from India in the 1930s, became Lord Mayor and minister; his son Yousuf and grandson Shakeel were also elected and served as ministers. Roshi Bhadain, who was a minister of the MSM government, is the nephew of former Labour Party minister Vasant Bunwaree. Roshi Bhadain and Akilesh Deerpalsing (Bhadain's advisor and campaign manager, who is also the son of former minister Kishore Deerpalsing), were investigated by ICAC in 2019 for suspicious recruitment practices when he was a minister.


title: Loss of Life

text: In a 6.9/10 review for Pitchfork, Andy Cush wrote, "Resurrecting old schlock in queasy new definition is not a novel pursuit in 2024. Loss of Life distinguishes itself through its use of this soft-rock accelerationist aesthetic to bolster the thematic punch of Goldwasser and VanWyngarden's songs, which come across as equally awed and aghast at our era's technological splendor and the crushing dehumanization it inflicts upon all but the most fortunate. Their palette of references serves a dual function: The arrangements' gaudy spectacle reflects the feeling of life in a wonderland of convenience, entertainment, and alienation, even as their palpable sense of yearning earnestly suggests the possibility that love could help us to transcend this well-appointed hell we've made. At its best, this unification of sounds and ideas also serves to heighten the experience of these songs as songs, not only on the intellectual plane, but also in that more mysterious place, closer to our hearts, where we take stock of pop music's innumerable variables, then subject their product, through a chain of involuntary and intuitive reactions, to one more-or-less binary judgment: Is it hitting or not?"


title: Sportswear (fashion)

text: Sportswear is an American fashion term originally used to describe separates, but which since the 1930s has come to be applied to day and evening fashions of varying degrees of formality that demonstrate a specific relaxed approach to their design, while remaining appropriate for a wide range of social occasions. The term is not necessarily synonymous with activewear, clothing designed specifically for participants in sporting pursuits. Although sports clothing was available from European haute couture houses and "sporty" garments were increasingly worn as everyday or informal wear, the early American sportswear designers were associated with ready-to-wear manufacturers. While most fashions in America in the early 20th century were directly copied from, or influenced heavily by Paris, American sportswear became a home-grown exception to this rule, and could be described as the American Look. Sportswear was designed to be easy to look after, with accessible fastenings that enabled a modern emancipated woman to dress herself without a maid's assistance.


title: Sportswear (fashion)

text: The curator Richard Martin put on an exhibition on sportswear in 1985 at the Fashion Institute of Technology, in which he described sportswear as "an American invention, an American industry, and an American expression of style." For Martin, American sportswear was an expression of various predominantly middle-class aspects of American culture, including health ideals, the concept of democracy, ideas of comfort and function, and innovative design which might refer to historical concepts or leisure attributes. The establishment of a five-day working week and an eight-hour working day in America in the mid-20th century led to the need for clothing which enabled the fullest possible enjoyment of such increased leisure time, and was designed accordingly. A subsequent exhibition of 1930s-70s sportswear, also curated by Martin, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1998, was introduced by Philippe de Montebello as showing pioneering garments, whose modesty, comparative simplicity, and wearability treated fashion as a "pragmatic art." de Montebello carefully explained how significant American designers such as Norman Norell, Pauline Trigère, Charles James and Mainbocher, were not considered sportswear designers, as they were not dedicated to the design principles of versatility, accessibility and affordability in the way that Claire McCardell or Emily Wilkens were.


title: Sportswear (fashion)

text: Sportswear originally described activewear: clothing made specifically for sport. Part of the evolution of sportswear was triggered by 19th-century developments in female activewear, such as early bathing or cycling costumes, which demanded shorter skirts, bloomers, and other specific garments to enable mobility, whilst sports such as tennis or croquet could be played in barely-modified conventional dress. One of the first couturiers to specialise in sports-specific clothing was the British John Redfern who in the 1870s began designing tailored garments for increasingly active women who rode, played tennis, went yachting, and did archery. Redfern's clothes, although intended for specific sporting pursuits, were adopted as everyday wear by his clients, making him probably the first sportswear designer. Also in the late nineteenth century, garments associated with activewear and/or modified from menswear, such as the shirtwaist began to form part of the working woman's wardrobe. Prior to 1920, men and women could both demonstrate their being at leisure simply by removing a jacket, either literally in the case of menswear, or metaphorically by a woman wearing a shirtwaist blouse that resembled a man's shirt worn without a jacket.


title: Sportswear (fashion)

text: While 1920s Paris designers offered haute couture designs that could be considered sportswear, it was typically not their design focus. A notable exception was the tennis player Jane Régny (the pseudonym of Madame Balouzet Tillard de Tigny), who opened a couture house specialising in clothing for sport and travel. Another famous tennis player, Suzanne Lenglen, was director of the sportswear department at Jean Patou. In contrast to the flexibility of American sportswear, these expensive couture garments were typically prescribed for very specific circumstances. Many couturiers began designing clothing that, whilst suitable for sport, could be worn in a wider range of contexts. Coco Chanel, who promoted her own active, financially independent lifestyle through relaxed jersey suits and uncluttered dresses, became famous for clothes of "the sports type." In 1926 Harper's Bazaar reported upon Chanel's sporty garments, noting the absence of equivalent apparel from New York fashion presentations. However, Martin has noted that while Chanel was undeniably important and influential, her work was always based on couture construction rather than the easy-wear nature of American sportswear.


title: Sportswear (fashion)

text: As more generic, versatile sportswear became more prominent in the Paris collections, the press increasingly promoted the wearing of such garments in an everyday context. By the mid-1920s, American advertisers also began actively pushing the idea that sporty clothing was just as appropriate for regular daywear as it was for active pursuits, presenting it as the epitome of modernity and the American ideal. One advertisement put out by Abercrombie & Fitch in Vogue in 1929 suggested that while men might admire a girl in an glamorous evening gown, they would be less intimidated by her approachable, friendly appearance in good-quality sportswear. Sportswear was also presented as an accessible version of resort wear, a term for the luxurious travelling clothing and holiday wear worn by those who could afford a leisurely lifestyle with multiple vacations, such as cruises, yachting, and skiing. Affordable, well-designed all-American sportswear was presented as a way of enabling a less wealthy customer to feel part of that same lifestyle. However, at first, American apparel firms mostly copied French styles.


title: Sportswear (fashion)

text: Despite the acceptance of fashionable sportswear as a form of casual dressing in French fashion in the 1920s, the American garment industry went on to become the most prominent producers of such clothing. The key difference between French and American sportswear was that French sportswear was usually a small part of a high-end designer's output, while the American sportswear designers focused on affordable, versatile, easy-care garments that could be mass-produced and were relevant to the customer's lifestyle, enabling the modern, increasingly emancipated woman to dress herself without a maid's assistance. Although the influence of Europe, particularly Parisian high fashion and English tailoring, was always significant, the Great Depression which started in 1929 acted as a trigger to encourage American fashion to focus on homegrown style and design – particularly sportswear. With 13 million Americans left unemployed by the Depression, it was necessary to create jobs and reduce the competition from imported goods in order to improve the American economy. At the same time, the growth of female athleticism and increased female employment fueled a need for simpler and less expensive clothing.


title: Sportswear (fashion)

text: The precursors of true sportswear emerged in New York before the Second World War. Clare Potter and Claire McCardell were among the first American designers in the 1930s to gain name recognition through their innovative clothing designs, which Martin described as demonstrating "problem-solving ingenuity and realistic lifestyle applications". Garments were designed to be easy-to-wear and comfortable, using practical fabrics such as denim, cotton, and jersey. McCardell in particular has been described as America's greatest sportswear designer. Her simple, practical clothes suited the relaxed American dress code, neither formal nor informal, that became established during the 1930s and 1940s. McCardell once proclaimed: "I belong to a mass production country where any of us, all of us, deserve the right to good fashion." Martin credits the 1930s and 40s sportswear designers with freeing American fashion from the need to copy Paris couture. Where Paris fashion was traditionally imposed onto the customer regardless of her wishes, American sportswear was democratic, widely available, and encouraged self-expression. The early sportswear designers proved that the creation of original ready-to-wear fashion could be a legitimate design art which responded stylishly to utilitarian requirements.


title: Sportswear (fashion)

text: In the 1930s and '40s, it was rare for clothing to be justified through its practicality. It was traditionally thought that Paris fashion exemplified beauty, and therefore, sportswear required different criteria for assessment. The designer's personal life was therefore linked to their sportswear designs. Another selling point was sportswear's popularity with consumers, with department store representatives such as Dorothy Shaver of Lord & Taylor using sales figures to back up their claims. Maxwell and Potter were two of the first three sportswear designers, along with Helen Cookman, to be showcased and name-checked in Shaver's window displays and advertisements for Lord & Taylor. Between 1932 and 1939, Shaver's "American Look" program at Lord & Taylor promoted over sixty American designers including McCardell, Potter and Merry Hull. Shaver advertised her American designers as if they were French couturiers, and promoted their lower costs as a positive feature, rather than a sign of inferiority. One of Shaver's retail experiments was a 'College Shop' section in the store, opened in the early 1930s and run by her assistant Helen Maddock, with the intent of offering casual but flattering clothing to young female college students. The stock, however, ended up selling swiftly to adult women as well as to the students.


title: Sportswear (fashion)

text: Among the key designs produced by this new generation of American designers were capsule wardrobes such as McCardell's group of five wool jersey pieces from 1934, comprising two tops, long and short skirts, and a pair of culottes; and Maxwell's "weekend wardrobe" of five tweed and flannel garments. Both were designed to accommodate formal and informal occasions depending on how they were assembled and accessorised. McCardell also became well known for designs such as the Monastic and Popover dresses which were versatile enough to work in multiple contexts from swimsuit cover-ups to party dresses. Other McCardell signatures included ballet slippers (made by Ben Sommers of Capezio) as everyday footwear and functional pockets in skirts and trousers. Dressy garments made from casual fabrics, such as McCardell and Joset Walker's evening dresses and dress-and-coat ensembles made out of cotton, became a key sportswear look. The American couturier Norman Norell declared that McCardell could make a smart dress to wear anywhere out of "five dollars worth of common cotton calico." Other sportswear designs often incorporated elements of sporty informal or casual wear, as exemplified by Clare Potter's evening sweater worn with a long skirt draped like a sidesaddle riding habit.


title: Sportswear (fashion)

text: After the Second World War, the emergence in Paris of the luxurious "New Look" popularised by Christian Dior, with its emphasis on accessorising and femininity, was in direct contrast to the relaxed, easy-wear American look. Sally Kirkland, a fashion editor at Vogue and LIFE, noted that McCardell and others had already been thinking along the lines of longer and fuller skirts and fitted bodices, but that unlike Dior's heavily stiffened and corseted designs, they used bias-cut bodices and lightweight, easy-wear circle or pleated skirts to reproduce the same silhouette. Unlike traditional made-to-measure French couture fashion, designed for specific silhouettes, American sportswear was designed to accommodate a variety of body shapes and enable freedom of movement. With the lifting of fabric rationing and restrictions following the War, American designers were able to use unlimited fabric and the development of permanent pleating meant that pleated dresses and full skirts were easy to look after. In addition to this, American stores had begun to recognise the commercial value of separates, with LIFE reporting in 1949 that separates made up an all-time-high of 30% of clothing sales in the States that Fall.


title: Sportswear (fashion)

text: In the 1950s and 1960s, designers continued to develop the theme of affordable, practical and innovative sportswear, producing clothing that focused on wearability rather than fashion fads, including Anne Fogarty's coat-and-dress sets and dresses made with removable waistcoats to alter their look. The film costume designer Bonnie Cashin, who started producing ready-to-wear clothing in 1949, is considered one of the most influential American sportswear designers. She was known for her extremely practical layered ensembles inspired by ethnographic garments and textiles such as the Japanese kimono and happi, ikats, and the South American poncho. Her designs incorporated leather bindings, pockets with purse clasps, hooded jersey dresses and tops, and industrial zippers and fastenings. She put a brass clip resembling those used on dog leashes, on a long formal skirt so that it could be securely hitched up to enable the wearer to run up and down stairs, and her ponchoes and hoods (which could be rolled down to form elegant cowl-collars) were originally designed for driving on cool mornings. Cashin became one of the first American designers to have an international reputation. Alongside Cashin, Rudi Gernreich emerged in the 1950s as a key name in sportswear design, first becoming known for his swimsuits, but then expanding into geometrically cut, graphic clothes and knitwear that Kirkland described as the epitome of the "new California."


title: Sportswear (fashion)

text: During the 1970s, Lauren, Calvin Klein and Perry Ellis became particularly known for their sportswear designs, made in all-natural fibres such as wool, combed cotton, and linen, which placed them at the top tier of American fashion design alongside the Anne Klein label (designed by Donna Karan and Louis Dell'Olio). Newsweek in 1975 described Calvin Klein as having styled his clean, casual separates with the authority of a couture designer, and by 1985, Martin described him as "one of the great American stylists" with a solid international reputation and worldwide influence entirely based on his skills as a sportswear designer. The industry empires of Lauren and Calvin Klein would be joined in the mid-1980s by Donna Karan's own-name label and Tommy Hilfiger, each of whom created distinctive wardrobes for the American woman based upon stylish but wearable, comfortable and interchangeable multi-purpose clothes that combined practicability with luxury. These clothes were also designed to have a long, stylish and undated life, rather than to only be fashionable for one season. In 1976, the designer Zoran brought out the first of a number of collections of extremely simple garments made of the finest quality fabrics; garments that barely changed over the years and which became cult objects to his wealthy clientele. In 1993, the fashion journalist Suzy Menkes declared Zoran's less-is-more sportswear prophetic of the early 1990s modernist trend, whilst Zoran stated that the work of Calvin Klein, Karan, and the Anne Klein label epitomised the "comfort, simplicity, and practicality" associated with sportswear. Most early 21st century sportswear design follows in the footsteps of these designers. Other notable sportswear designers of the late 20th century include Norma Kamali, whose 1980s fashionable garments made from sweatshirt fabric were highly influential; Marc Jacobs, whose eponymous label renowned for layered informality in both day and evening wear was founded in 1986, and Isaac Mizrahi, who presented his first collection in 1987.


title: Sportswear (fashion)

text: In the 1970s, Geoffrey Beene, one of the first significant male sportswear designers, incorporated relaxed layering and elements of menswear into his women's clothing, details that continue to widely influence early 21st century industry designers. In 1970, Bill Blass, whose fashion career began in 1946, founded his own company, Bill Blass Limited. Blass's wearable designs were designed to be worn day and night and he was said to have raised American sportswear to the highest possible level. Like Beene, he introduced menswear touches to his sportswear, which was described as clean, modern and impeccable in style. Kirkland commented in 1985 that sportswear designers such as Liz Claiborne and Joan Vass were no longer "borrowing from the boys," but had begun making menswear too. In addition to the high-end names who produced apparel in large quantity, a more personal level of sportswear was offered in the early 1980s by smaller designers such as Mary Jane Marcasiano and Vass, who specialised in hand-knits in wool and cotton. By the mid-1980s, sportswear had become a key part of the international fashion scene, forming a large part of America's contribution to the twice-yearly fashion presentations alongside top-end collections from Paris, Milan and London.


title: Alcide Segoni

text: He was born in Florence, Grand Duchy of Tuscany, and began his studies at the Academy of Fine Arts of Florence under the direction of professor Antonio Ciseri. His first canvas was the Recovery of the body of Catiline, following the battle near Pistoia, awarded gold medal at the Triennial contest of 1871, and later displayed in the Modern Gallery in Florence. In 1874, he completed a large canvas of Death of Filippo Strozzi, afterwards he painted a Michelangelo and Vittoria Colonna; Il Maresciallo d'Anere at the Court of the Regent Queen Maria; and Napoleon I awards a dragoon the Legion of Honor. Other works, among them include a Dopo la vincita, exhibited in Turin in 1880. L'agguato was exhibited at the 1881 Exhibition of Fine Arts in Milan, along with an oil canvas of Un Ratto, and another painting depicting a costume of the 18th century. At the 1877 National Artistic Exposition in Venice he exhibited a canvas titled Antiquarian. Other paintings of note are: The Curious; How will it end?; The vindicated Honor; An Interrogation; The interrupted confession; Questo non si tocca; The interrogation; Dichiarazione, in cantina; La storia d'un moschettiere; Una partita a scacchi; L'ordine per il campo; Presentazione della sposa allo zio cardinale.


title: René Caillié

text: Caillié returned to Saint-Louis in 1824 with a strong desire to become an explorer and visit Timbuktu. In order to avoid some of the difficulties experienced by the earlier expeditions, he planned to travel alone disguised as a Muslim. He persuaded the French governor in Saint-Louis to help finance a stay of 8 months with the nomadic people in the Brakna Region of southern Mauritania where he learned Arabic and the customs of Islam. He failed to obtain further funding from either the French or the British governments, but encouraged by the prize of 9,000 francs offered by the Société de Géographie in Paris for the first person to return with a description of Timbuktu, he decided to fund the journey himself. He worked for a few months in the British colony of Sierra Leone to save some money, then travelled by ship to Boké on the Rio Nuñez in modern Guinea. From there in April 1827 he set off across West Africa. He arrived in Timbuktu a year later and stayed there for two weeks before heading across the Sahara Desert to Tangier in Morocco.


title: René Caillié

text: Caillié left home at the age of 16 with 60 francs that he had inherited from his grandmother. He made his way to the port of Rochefort, 50 km (31 mi) from Mauzé-sur-le-Mignon on the River Charente. There he signed up as a crew member on the Loire, a French naval storeship that was to accompany the frigate Méduse and two other vessels on a voyage to reclaim the French colony of Saint-Louis from the British under the terms of the 1814 and 1815 Paris Treaties. The four ships left their anchorage near the Île d'Aix at the mouth of the Charente River in June 1816. The Méduse went ahead of the Loire and was wrecked on the Bank of Arguin off the coast of present-day Mauritania. A few survivors were picked up by the other vessels. The shipwreck received a large amount of publicity and was the subject of a famous oil painting, The Raft of the Medusa, by Théodore Géricault. When the three remaining French ships arrived at Saint-Louis they found that the British governor was not ready to hand over the colony so the ships continued southwards and moored off the island of Gorée, near Dakar. Caillié spent some months in Dakar, then only a village, before returning by ship to Saint-Louis. There he learned that an English expedition led by Major William Gray was preparing to leave from the Gambia to explore the interior of the continent. Caillié wished to offer his services and set off along the coast with two companions. He intended to cover the 300 km (190 mi) on foot but found the oppressive heat and lack of water exhausting. He abandoned his plan at Dakar and instead obtained a free passage on a merchantman across the Atlantic to Guadeloupe.


title: René Caillié

text: Continuing eastwards he reached the Kong highlands, where at the village of Tiémé in present-day Ivory Coast, he was detained for five months by illness. Resuming his journey in January 1828 he went north-east and reached the city of Djenné, where he stayed 11–23 March. Djenné lies 5 km (3.1 mi) north of the Bani River to which it is connected by a narrow channel that is only navigable in the wet season. Caillié confused the Bani with the Niger River (which he referred to as the Dhioliba). The Bani joins the Niger 115 km (71 mi) downstream from Djenné at Mopti (Caillié's Isaca). From Djenné he continued his journey to Timbuktu on a boat transporting merchandise and 20 slaves. After two days they arrived at the village of Kouna where the cargo was transferred to a larger vessel. The boat crossed Lac Débo and then followed the more easterly and smaller branch of the river, the Bara-Issa. At the busy port of Sa they were joined by 30 or 40 other vessels also heading for Timbuktu as travelling in a flotilla provided some degree of protection against bandits. He arrived in Timbuktu on 20 April 1828.


title: Lebesgue's number lemma

text: Since f {\displaystyle f} is continuous on a compact set, it attains a minimum δ {\displaystyle \delta } . The key observation is that, since every x {\displaystyle x} is contained in some A i {\displaystyle A_{i}} , the extreme value theorem shows δ > 0 {\displaystyle \delta >0} . Now we can verify that this δ {\displaystyle \delta } is the desired Lebesgue's number. If Y {\displaystyle Y} is a subset of X {\displaystyle X} of diameter less than δ {\displaystyle \delta } , choose x 0 {\displaystyle x_{0}} as any point in Y {\displaystyle Y} , then by definition of diameter, Y ⊆ B δ ( x 0 ) {\displaystyle Y\subseteq B_{\delta }(x_{0})} , where B δ ( x 0 ) {\displaystyle B_{\delta }(x_{0})} denotes the ball of radius δ {\displaystyle \delta } centered at x 0 {\displaystyle x_{0}} . Since f ( x 0 ) ≥ δ {\displaystyle f(x_{0})\geq \delta } there must exist at least one i {\displaystyle i} such that d ( x 0 , C i ) ≥ δ {\displaystyle d(x_{0},C_{i})\geq \delta } . But this means that B δ ( x 0 ) ⊆ A i {\displaystyle B_{\delta }(x_{0})\subseteq A_{i}} and so, in particular, Y ⊆ A i {\displaystyle Y\subseteq A_{i}} .


title: Dark fibre

text: During the dot-com bubble, a large number of telephone companies built optical-fibre networks, each with the business plan of cornering the market in telecommunications by providing a network with sufficient capacity to take all existing and forecast traffic for the entire region served. This was based on the assumption that telecoms traffic, particularly data traffic, would continue to grow exponentially for the foreseeable future. The advent of wavelength-division multiplexing reduced the demand for fibre by increasing the capacity of a single fibre by a factor of as much as 100. According to Gerry Butters, the former head of Lucent Technologies's Optical Networking Group at Bell Labs, the amount of data that could be carried by an optical fibre was doubling every nine months at the time. This progress in the ability to carry data over fibre reduced the need for more fibres. As a result, the wholesale price for data communications collapsed and a number of these companies filed for bankruptcy protection. Global Crossing and Worldcom are two high-profile examples in the United States.


title: Louisiana Highway 182

text: LA 182-2 began at the intersection of East Main Street and South De Porres Street in downtown Broussard. The highway continued east along Main Street, crossing the BNSF/Union Pacific Railroad tracks on the east side of town, coming to a wye intersection with East 2nd Street (former LA 731). Past 2nd Street, LA 182-2 curved south, paralleling US 90 to the east, before arriving at a junction with Albertson Parkway. The route was effectively cut in half by Albertson Parkway with the two sections being in-traversable from one another. From Alberston Parkway, the southern portion of LA 182-2 continued straight south to an entrance/exit ramp controlled junction with St. Etienne Road and the west frontage road of US 90, which serves as the eastbound lanes of LA 182. Southeast of this intersection, northbound LA 182 can be reached via a turnaround lane underneath the US 90 railroad overpass. LA 182-2 could not be directly accessed by westbound LA 182 traffic. As the route was not connected directly with LA 182 proper, and LA 731 had been retired in 2021, LA 182-2 was entirely cut off from the rest of the state highway system. On August 10, 2022, LA 182-2 was retired after ownership of the route was transferred to the city of Broussard.


title: Blackstar (song)

text: The film was shot in September 2015 in a studio in Brooklyn. The filmmaking process was highly collaborative, with Bowie making many suggestions and sending Renck sketches of ideas he wanted incorporated. While both men agreed to leave the video open to interpretation (Renck initially refused to confirm or deny that the astronaut in the video was Major Tom), Renck has offered several details regarding its meaning. Renck later said on a BBC documentary "to me, it was 100% Major Tom." It was Bowie who requested that the woman have a tail, his only explanation being "it's kind of sexual". Renck has speculated that Bowie may have been contemplating his own mortality and relevance to history while developing the video, but said that the crucified scarecrows were not intended as a messianic symbol. Renck has also stated that Bowie portrays three distinct characters in the video: the introverted, tormented, blind "Button Eyes"; the "flamboyant trickster" in the song's middle section; and the "priest guy" holding the book embossed with the "★" symbol. Saxophonist Donny McCaslin said that Bowie had told him the song was about ISIL, although an official spokesperson for Bowie denied that the song was inspired in any way by the Middle East situation.


title: .iq

text: A .ac .ad .ae .af .ag .ai .al .am .ao .aq .ar .as .at .au .aw .ax .az B .ba .bb .bd .be .bf .bg .bh .bi .bj .bm .bn .bo .br .bs .bt .bw .by .bz C .ca .cc .cd .cf .cg .ch .ci .ck .cl .cm .cn .co .cr .cu .cv .cw .cx .cy .cz D .de .dj .dk .dm .do .dz E .ec .ee .eg .er .es .et .eu F .fi .fj .fk .fm .fo .fr G .ga .gd .ge .gf .gg .gh .gi .gl .gm .gn .gp .gq .gr .gs .gt .gu .gw .gy H .hk .hm .hn .hr .ht .hu I .id .ie .il .im .in .io .iq .ir .is .it J .je .jm .jo .jp K .ke .kg .kh .ki .km .kn .kp .kr .kw .ky .kz L .la .lb .lc .li .lk .lr .ls .lt .lu .lv .ly M .ma .mc .md .me .mg .mh .mk .ml .mm .mn .mo .mp .mq .mr .ms .mt .mu .mv .mw .mx .my .mz N .na .nc .ne .nf .ng .ni .nl .no .np .nr .nu .nz O .om P .pa .pe .pf .pg .ph .pk .pl .pm .pn .pr .ps .pt .pw .py Q .qa R .re .ro .rs .ru .rw S .sa .sb .sc .sd .se .sg .sh .si .sk .sl .sm .sn .so .sr .ss .st .su .sv .sx .sy .sz T .tc .td .tf .tg .th .tj .tk .tl .tm .tn .to .tr .tt .tv .tw .tz U .ua .ug .uk .us .uy .uz V .va .vc .ve .vg .vi .vn .vu W .wf .ws Y .ye .yt Z .za .zm .zw


title: Loop heat pipe

text: Loop heat pipes overcome some of the shortcomings of conventional heat pipes, which while being excellent heat transfer devices are mainly confined to transferring relatively small heat loads over relatively short distances when the evaporator and condenser are at same horizontal level. This limitation on the part of heat pipes is mainly related to the major pressure losses associated with the liquid flow through the porous structure, present along the entire length of the heat pipe, and viscous interaction between the vapor and liquid phases, also called entrainment losses. For the applications involving transfer of large heat loads over long distances, the thermal performance of the heat pipes is badly affected by increase in these losses. For the same reason conventional heat pipes are very sensitive to the change in orientation in gravitational field. For the unfavorable slopes in an evaporator-above-condenser configuration, the pressure losses due to the mass forces in gravity field adds to the total pressure losses and further affect the efficiency of the heat transfer process.


title: Bexagliflozin

text: The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved bexagliflozin based on evidence from nine clinical trials that enrolled 4,462 adults (2,578 of these participants received bexagliflozin). The nine trials were conducted at 428 sites in 16 countries including the United States, Mexico, Colombia, Japan, the Czech Republic, Poland, Spain, Hungary, France, Canada, Netherlands, Denmark, South Korea, Taiwan, Russia, and Germany. All nine trials were used to assess safety and six of these trials (enrolling 3,346 participants of the 4,462 participants) were used to assess the efficacy of bexagliflozin. The efficacy of bexagliflozin was evaluated in six clinical trials, while the safety of bexagliflozin was evaluated in nine clinical trials of adults with type 2 diabetes whose blood sugar was not well controlled. All participants were required to follow diet and exercise recommendations, but the trials differed with respect to which other drugs participants were allowed to use for diabetes treatment. In four trials, participants were randomly assigned to receive either bexagliflozin or placebo by mouth once daily. In two trials, they received either bexagliflozin or a different diabetes medicine. Neither the participants nor the healthcare providers knew which treatment participants received until after the trial was completed. The benefit of bexagliflozin was evaluated by the change in hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) between the bexagliflozin and the comparator (either placebo or another diabetes medicine) at the end of the treatment period.


title: Organised crime in Singapore

text: Organised crime groups were posing huge problems to the routine and security of people, which forced the British authorities to curb the growing problem. These secret societies intensified their criminal activities from 1850s steadily evolving into organized crimes. They started with simple acts of crime extortion, trafficking and opium dealings before expanding to bigger criminal ventures like running illegal gambling dens and brothels. Organised crime groups started to scuffle with other gangs in order to take over their "turf" and threatened other citizens to pay protection money in return for their so-called 'protection'. The most ferocious organized crime group was Ghee Hin Kongsi; estimated to have 800 members, this group was largely made of the Cantonese. Other secret societies involved in crime include the Hai San, a gang that rivalled the Ghee Hin group in competition for land houses and business opportunities. Major legislative development in the colonial government led to the suppression of secret societies as law enforcement authorities thwarted the activities of organized crime.


title: Organised crime in Singapore

text: In Singapore, just like any other country in the world, organized crime is considered a criminal act. This includes running unlicensed money lending facilities and operating illegal gambling dens, among other crimes. Given the severe penalty attached to organized crime, Singapore records an average low crime rate compared to the rest of the world. However, some smaller groups have come together to form some secret groups that takes after the past secret groups like "Hui". These groups' memberships consist primarily of adolescent teenagers. Singapore has registered an increase in gang related activities in the recent past with drug trafficking being the major organized crime in the recent times owing to its immense profits. Since the 1970s these groups have emerged at different times running various illegal activities and engaging in violent activities in the pursuit of their interests which includes unlicensed money lending and drug trafficking. Salakau gang is also another recent example of organized crime. This group drew its members from the Indians and Malays and made huge amounts of money through engaging in extortion and prostitution. Gang rivalry and conflicts between different gangs is a common phenomenon. Even in the present days, there is still a growing number of rebellious youths who subscribe to the ideologies of gang stars thinking being in a gang makes people look cool. A typical example can be traced back to 1990 where some teenagers in "pseudo street gangs" were obsessed with Salaku believing that such an affiliation was cool. These teenagers would be heard chanting the Salakau slogans in their squabbles without being its group members.


title: Organised crime in Singapore

text: Since 1890, Singapore has witnessed declining rates of organised crime through the years. This has been made possible by the enactment of strict laws and legislation such as the 'Societies Ordinance Act' that spelled severe penalties for the offenders. However, there is no denying that organised gangs still exist and it may not be possible to fully wipe them out. The significant decline in gang related activities is attributable to the reforms that have taken place within the law enforcement agencies. The police force has a branch called the Secret Society Branch (SSB) which is mandated primarily to suppress these gangs and destroy them. Among the strategies they employ in dealing with these gangs include surprise raids on their dens deterring any potential offenders. The Singaporean Criminal law dictates that any person found guilty of a criminal offence involving unlawful society is liable to five years of imprisonment and five strokes of cane. In the event that the crime involves a person with authority or a leader within the group then the penalty could be doubled or even tripled. Additionally, certain offences such as drug trafficking are considered capital offences and could lead to death penalty under the penal code. Young offenders below the age of 21 years who join criminal gangs would be liable to life imprisonment while gang robberies would also attract five years behind bars under the code. Accordingly, strict legislation has been the biggest deterrence of criminal gangs effectively and efficiently reducing crime in the country.


title: Organised crime in Singapore

text: The parliament of Singapore is credited for enacting legislation addressing organised crime in the country. The Organised Crime Act 2015 is one of the recent statutes that was designed to help reduce criminal activities by organised gangs. It took full effect in June 2016 having been passed by the parliament in 2015. The law grants power to law enforcement authorities to detect and prevent criminal activities with minimal interference. Under this law, the public prosecutor is allowed to confiscate assets obtained from criminal activities before sentencing following an application from the High Court. This move helps in the investigation of suspected criminals, as they are denied the financial freedom that would jeopardize investigations. Suspected criminals planning to flee overseas using material gains from criminal activities may be apprehended by law enforcement authorities. However, it was worth noting that the public prosecutor has the responsibility to prove that a suspect was involved in criminal activities before being granted permission for civil confiscation.


title: Organised crime in Singapore

text: The Organised Crime Act 2015 also provides for statutory laws that contain preventive orders. These are orders used by the public prosecutor to prevent the likelihood of a suspect engaging in future criminal activities. There are three orders that fall within the preventive orders provided in the act namely disqualification order, financial reporting order and the Organised crime prevention order. The disqualification order restricts suspects from getting involved in the management of companies. If suspects are found guilty, they are automatically disqualified by the court from acting as directors for companies. This order is drawn from the fact that one may use the corporate form as a shield while engaging in criminal activities in the background. The privileges emanating from the limited liability feature of a company may pose a challenge in the investigation of a suspect. Financial reporting order is issued on suspects demanding them to submit their financial reports to relevant authorities. Such orders are issued on individuals serving their sentence and may be extended even after the jail term. The public prosecutor is also legally permitted to demand these reports from suspects who have not been found guilty by the courts. This law prevents the sentenced members of secret societies from funding criminal activities while serving their sentence. Organised crime prevention order grants permission to law enforcement authorities to monitor the activities of suspects including those not found guilty. It has helped reduce organised crime by monitoring the activities of former criminals as well as persons of interest.


title: Fountain darter

text: They primarily occupy the sandy tops of lesser flowing springheads or flat rock surfaces absent of rooted plants, or decaying plant matter and spawn within the vibrantly abundant and healthy vegetation that thrives in these unique, pristine, springfed river systems. An extra worry for the future of fountain darters is the parasitic, non-native trematode (Centrocestus formosanus), whose impact on the darter population is not yet known. As of 2011, only the Comal population is seriously affected by the parasite. The National Fish Hatchery and Technology Center in San Marcos keeps a reserve population of 500 adults as a hedge against a man-made or natural event wiping out the fish in the wild. The IUCN rates this species as "Endangered". Conservation efforts include encouraging people to use less water in order to maximise water flow from the springs and to keep the rivers free from trash. The continued survival of wild fountain darter is dependent upon the integrity of the subterranean Edwards Aquifer.


title: Howard the Duck (film)

text: Howard was initially intended to be a fully computerized character but these attempts proved unsuccessful. The idea of fully puppeteering Howard was explored, but the filmmakers determined they would need an actor in a suit to portray him for much of the film. Lucasfilm built animatronic suits, costumes and puppets. Because of the limited preparation time, varied "ducks" created for the film would explode or lose feathers, and multiple ducks were built with the wrong proportions. On the first day of shooting, the crew realized the poor quality when they found that the inside of the puppet's neck was visible when its mouth opened. Huyck repeatedly reshot scenes involving Howard as the animatronics were improved. Because multiple puppeteers were in charge of controlling different parts of the animatronic body, Huyck was unable to coordinate the shoot properly. The opening sequence where Howard's chair is propelled out of his apartment used wires that were later digitally erased by a computer. This was the first use of this technique, which soon became popular and was used in films such as Back to the Future Part II, Terminator 2: Judgment Day and The Matrix. The effect of the feathers on Howard's head becoming erect during the love sequence took months to prepare.


title: Howard the Duck (film)

text: Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune gave one star out of four, called it a "stupid film" and said, "the story has no center; the duck is not likable, and the...special effects...are less impressive than a sparkler on a birthday cake." On their television show, both Siskel and his co-host Roger Ebert complained that the movie was not enough of a comedy and that Howard should have been given either the Groucho Marx–like personality from his comic books or a fun Donald Duck–like persona. Ebert also criticized the soundtrack for being downbeat and bittersweet. Orange Coast writer Marc Weinberg and Leonard Maltin criticized the decision to shoot the film in live action. Maltin described the film as "hopeless .... a gargantuan production which produces a gargantuan headache". People magazine seemed to agree: "Lucasfilm promised us The Mallard Who Fell to Earth; the result turned out to be more like Xanaduck...Who'd have imagined that Howard T. Duck, the same web-footed wiseacre who conquered the incredible Space Turnip and the horrible Hellcow, might be done in by something even more ridiculous: Hollywood?"


title: Howard the Duck (film)

text: According to Ed Gale, he was hired to work on Spaceballs because Mel Brooks had said, "Anybody who's in Howard the Duck can be in my movie." Gale also said he receives more fan mail for his Howard the Duck portrayal than for his Chucky performances, the antagonist in the Child's Play horror film series. After the film's release, Huyck and Katz chose to work on more dramatic projects to separate themselves from Howard the Duck. Katz said Lucas continued to support the film after its failure because he felt it would later be seen in a better light than it had been at the time of its release. Huyck said he later encountered fans and supporters of the film who felt that it had been unfairly treated by critics. Lea Thompson has stated that she had fun making the film and is happy to find fans "celebrating Howard the Duck in all its great silliness and blemishes." Jeffrey Jones also said he is happy with his role in the film. In retrospect, Huyck and Katz suggested that the film "could have had a more Ted-like tone" and "been edgier and dirtier," but that at the time "Universal wanted a family-friendly movie."


title: Lucban

text: Sampaloc used to be the Barrio Dingin of Lucban, Quezon consisting of three sitios. It was later renamed into Sampaloc because of the presence of a large tamarind tree found in the center of the settlement during the earlier days. The name was also changed in Alfonso Trece for a time to honor the King of Spain. In 1873, Capt. Pedro Cadelina of Lucban recommended to change the barrio into a municipality but due to lack of residents, it was only made into a "visita". "Teniente Mayores" were appointed to head the "visita", the first of whom was from Polilio, followed by Arcadio Veluya, Laureano Nanola, Silverio Abueva and Juan Saludades. Through the efforts of Juan Pineda, Sampaloc became a municipality in 1892. He was elected as the first Capitan. He was succeeded by Diego Gagan followed by Teofilo Daya in 1901. During Daya's term in the office, three more barrios from Mauban – Banot, Bilucao and San Bueno, became a part of Sampaloc through the efforts of Ireneo Domeo, the municipal secretary. The town was also renamed to Sampaloc during this time.


title: Dharamyudh (Sikhism)

text: The first part of the term dharamyudh comes from Punjabi dharm or dharam (ਧਰਮ), which is usually translated as 'religion', although it is said to 'encapsulate a wider understanding of appropriate conduct, moral order, and bodily discipline' than the words 'religion' and 'religious practice' in English do. It is derived from Sanskrit dhárma (धर्म), which has various possible meanings including 'morality', 'justice', 'law', 'religion', 'devotion' and 'sacrifice'. The second part is a cognate of Hindi yuddh (युद्ध, meaning 'war'), derived from Sanskrit yuddhá (युद्ध, meaning 'battle', 'fight' or 'war'). The meaning of the term dharamyudh appears to have been somewhat ambiguous in the writings of the early Sikh Gurus, ranging from 'an interior, individual, spiritual struggle' to 'a war to defend one's beliefs', but by the 18th century, it was increasingly interpreted as 'a religiously sanctioned war against Muslims in particular', which scholars attribute to the changing political circumstances that the Sikhs found themselves in, or moved themselves into.


title: Dharamyudh (Sikhism)

text: Sikhism, founded in the late 15th century by Guru Nanak in the Punjab region, which was conquered by the Mughal Empire in the early 16th century, is generally considered to have been pacifist until the early 17th century. Perceiving the growth of the Sikhs as a threat, the Mughal authorities began to persecute them, and in 1606 Sikh leader Guru Arjan was executed by Mughal emperor Jahangir, apparently for refusing to convert to Islam, though this remains disputed. Sikhism split into two movements: one led by Guru Arjan's son Guru Hargobind began to regard Guru Arjan as a martyr, became more political and militaristic, and started organising armed rebellions against the Mughals; the other, the Minas led by Guru Arjan's older brother Prithi Chand, would be concerned with defining themselves as maintainers of the precept of interiorization, rejecting uprisings against the state. The militarized Sikhs justified armed conflict as self-defence against Mughal oppression, trained themselves to become warriors and nihangs, and organised themselves in jathas. In 1621, the first acts of open rebellion led to the eruption of the Mughal-Sikh Wars.


title: Dharamyudh (Sikhism)

text: The Dharam Yudh Morcha ("righteous campaign"; morcha meaning "agitation") was a political movement launched in 1982 by the Sikh political party Akali Dal in partnership with Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, with its stated aim being the fulfillment of a set of devolutionary objectives based on the Anandpur Sahib Resolution . While this movement advocated for more autonomy for Punjab within India, the more radical separatist Khalistan movement also emerged, demanding a fully independent Sikh state. As the protest movement gained momentum, the government began to run out of room in jails for the over 25,000 peaceful volunteer protestors. Over 150,000 protestors would be arrested over the course of the morcha. The central government, instead of preempting the agitation regarding Punjab state by constitutionally referring all the legal issues to the Supreme Court of India as demanded, played up the threat to law and order, and was ineffective in resolving the issues politically. Extrajudicial killings by police forces of orthodox Sikh youth in rural areas during the summer and winter of 1982 and early 1983 resulted in retaliatory violence. Progressively, violent actions by Sikh militants to achieve their demands also took place. In June 1984, the movement reached its zenith during Operation Blue Star, when Indian security forces stormed the holiest Sikh site, the Golden Temple in Amritsar, where militants had set up their headquarters. In retaliation, the two Sikh bodyguards of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi assassinated her in October 1984. The killing was followed by many massacres of Sikhs as well as more Sikh militant attacks which cost dozens of lives. In the end, Sikh militancy did not bring about a separate state, and the Indian Government achieved victory in 1995.


title: The Machinist

text: These vague incidents send him further into paranoia, but he nonetheless attempts to establish a relationship with Maria. Meeting her at an amusement park, Trevor goes with her son Nicholas on a dark ride called "Route 666". The ride starts as a harmless scare ride, but begins to show increasingly disturbing images as it advances, until its flashing lights cause Nicholas to suffer an epileptic seizure. No longer able to think clearly, Trevor suspects that the bizarre events are a concerted effort to drive him insane, as do recurring clues such as a photo of Ivan fishing with Trevor's coworker Reynolds, which he discovers in Ivan's wallet when Ivan leaves it unattended in a pub. Another near-accident at work causes Trevor to lash out in rage at his coworkers; as a result, he is immediately fired. Increasingly distracted and alienated, Trevor forgets to pay his utility bills and his electricity is disconnected. A dark, viscous liquid begins trickling out of the freezer, coating the refrigerator door with streaks of what appears to be blood.


title: The Machinist

text: After several attempts to confront Ivan, Trevor tries to trace his license plate, but runs out of gas while in pursuit of his car. When a DMV clerk insists that personal information cannot be released unless a crime has been committed, Trevor throws himself in front of a car in order to accuse Ivan of committing a hit and run. He files a police report with Ivan's plate number, only to be baffled when he is told that the car in question is his own, and that he had reported it totaled one year ago. He flees the police and goes to Stevie, who bathes and clothes him, but he is disturbed by the discovery of the photo of Ivan and Reynolds framed in her home. Trevor accuses her of conspiring against him. Confused, Stevie says the picture is of Reynolds and Trevor, but he refuses to look at it, and after a violent argument, Stevie throws him out. He goes to the airport diner, but is told by an unfamiliar waitress that they've never had an employee named Maria. The waitress at the counter tells Trevor she has served him every day for a year, and, in all that time, he spoke so little that she thought he was mute.


title: The Machinist

text: Trevor stares into a mirror at home, repeating the words, "I know who you are." He remembers that one year prior, a then-healthy Trevor ran over and killed a boy (identical to Nicholas) after taking his eyes off the road to use the car's cigarette lighter, which was witnessed by the boy's mother (identical to Maria). Trevor fled the scene in his car, and the resulting guilt became the root of his insomnia, emaciation and repressed memories. Ivan was a figment of Trevor's imagination and a manifestation of his guilt. He fills the missing letters on the hangman note, spelling out "killer". The next day, he puts all his personal items in boxes meant to be donated, as he tells his landlord. He briefly considers going to the airport to escape, but instead drives to police headquarters. He is accompanied by a silent but encouraging Ivan, who bids him an approving farewell outside the station as he enters and confesses to the hit-and-run. Two police officers escort Trevor to a cell, where after stating that he only wants to sleep, he does, for the first time in a year.


title: The Machinist

text: Roger Ebert gave the film three stars out of four and stated in his review for the film: "The director Brad Anderson, working from a screenplay by Scott Kosar, wants to convey a state of mind, and he and Bale do that with disturbing effectiveness. The photography by Xavi Gimenez and Charlie Jiminez is cold slates, blues and grays, the palate of despair. We see Trevor's world so clearly through his eyes that only gradually does it occur to us that every life is seen through a filter. We get up in the morning in possession of certain assumptions through which all of our experiences must filter. We cannot be rid of those assumptions, although an evolved person can at least try to take them into account. Most people never question their assumptions, and so reality exists for them as they think it does, whether it does or not. Some assumptions are necessary to make life bearable, such as the assumption that we will not die in the next 10 minutes. Others may lead us, as they lead Trevor, into a bleak solitude. Near the end of the movie, we understand him when he simply says, 'I just want to sleep.'"


title: William Duncan MacMillan

text: He was born in La Crosse, Wisconsin, to D. D. MacMillan, who was in the lumber business, and Mary Jane McCrea. His brother, John H. MacMillan, headed the Cargill Corporation from 1909 to 1936. MacMillan graduated from La Crosse High School in 1888. In 1889, he attended Lake Forest College, then entered the University of Virginia. Later in 1898, he earned an A.B. degree from Fort Worth University, which was then a Methodist university in Texas. He performed his graduate work at the University of Chicago, earning a master's degree in 1906 and a PhD in astronomy in 1908. In 1907, prior to completing his PhD, he joined the staff of the University of Chicago as a research assistant in geology. In 1908, he became an associate in mathematics, then in 1909, he began instruction in astronomy at the same institution. His career as a professor began in 1912 when he became an assistant professor. In 1917, when the U.S. declared war on Germany, Dr. MacMillan served as a major in the U.S. army's ordnance department during World War I. Following the war, he became associate professor in 1919, then full professor in 1924. MacMillan retired in 1936.