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Bombay (film)

Bombay is a 1995 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film written and directed by Mani Ratnam, starring Arvind Swamy and Manisha Koirala (in her Tamil film debut). The film tells the story of an inter-religious family in Bombay before and during the Bombay riots, which took place between December 1992 and January 1993 after the demolition of the Babri Masjid led to religious tensions between Hindu and Muslim communities. It is the second installment in Ratnam's trilogy of films that depict human relationships against a background of Indian politics, including Roja (1992) and Dil Se.. (1998).

Bombay was released on 10 March 1995. The film was well-received both critically and commercially successful. It was screened at many international film festivals including the Philadelphia Film Festival in 1996. The film's soundtrack earned composer A. R. Rahman his fourth consecutive Filmfare Best Music Director Award (Tamil), and is considered one of the greatest Indian soundtracks of all time. However, the film caused considerable controversy upon release in India and abroad for its depiction of inter-religious relations between a Muslim woman and a Hindu man. The film was banned in Singapore and Malaysia upon release.

In July 2005, a book on the film by Lalitha Gopalan was published by BFI Modern Classics, looking at the film's production, the several issues it covered, and its impact upon release in India and abroad. The film was ranked among the top 20 Indian films in the British Film Institute's rankings.

Plot
Shekhar is the son of an orthodox Hindu Narayana Pillai living in a coastal village in Tamil Nadu. A journalism student studying in Bombay, Shekhar visits home to be with his family. On one of his return trips, he notices Shaila Banu, a Muslim schoolgirl in the village and falls in love with her. Initially shy, Shaila seeks to distance herself from Shekhar, but after frequent run-ins, and days of pursuit, Shaila begins to like Shekhar. Eventually, they both fall in love.

Shekhar meets Shaila's father, Basheer, and says he wants to marry Shaila. Basheer refuses, citing differences in religions. Shekhar reveals his interest to his father, who becomes angry, meets Basheer, and gets into an abusive argument with him. Upset with rejection from both families, Shekhar returns to Bombay. Through a friend of hers, he sends Shaila a letter and a ticket for her to travel to Bombay. However, she is undecided; Basheer learns of her regular letters from Shekhar and plans to marry her off to stop this relationship from growing further. Left with no choice, Shaila leaves the village with the ticket and reaches Bombay.

Shekhar and Shaila marry and lead a happy life. In a year, Shaila conceives and delivers twin boys who are named Kabir Narayan and Kamal Basheer. The twins are raised in both religions. Shekhar continues to work as a journalist, while Shaila takes care of her home and children. In six years, Shekhar and Shaila firmly settle down in their lives and begin the process of re-establishing a relationship with their respective families.

When the Babri Masjid is demolished on 6 December 1992, riots break out in Bombay. Kabir and Kamal, who had gone to buy groceries, get caught in the riots; eventually, Shekhar and Shaila save them and reach home safely. Narayana Pillai, who receives the news of the riots, rushes to Bombay to meet his son and his family. He reconciles with his son and everyone is happy with his arrival, and he stays with them. Soon, Basheer also comes with his wife and all of them live together happily for a few days. Both Pillai and Basheer are happy with their grandchildren; they try to get both into their religions and wish to be with them.

On 5 January 1993, when two murders are propagated as communal killings, another riot breaks out in Bombay, raising tensions between religious communities. Hindus and Muslims clash in the streets, resulting in hundreds of deaths on both sides. During the conflict, arsonists set fire to the apartment where Shekhar lives with his family. Shekhar tries to evacuate everyone, but Narayana Pillai, Basheer and his wife fail to escape in time and are killed in an explotion. In the confusion of the panicking crowds, Kamal and Kabir are separated from their parents.

Kamal is saved by a transgender woman who cares for him and protects him, while Kabir searches aimlessly for his brother. Shekhar and Shaila begin to search for them, and they go through several tense moments, as they check the morgues and hospitals for their children. Shekhar grows emotional and participates in the movement to stop the riots with other moderate religious leaders, ultimately succeeding. When the riots end, Shaila and Shekhar are reunited with their children tearfully as the people on the streets join hands, regardless of age or religion.

Cast
Additionally, Sonali Bendre and Nagendra Prasad appear in the item number "Humma Humma".

Development
During the recording of the background score of Mani Ratnam's Thiruda Thiruda (1993), the Bombay riots broke out. Mani Ratnam planned on making a film in Malayalam about a boy who gets lost in the riots, and requested M. T. Vasudevan Nair to write the script. This was supposed to be Mani Ratnam's second Malayalam film after Unaroo (1985). But since the idea did not materialise, he decided to make it in Tamil as the film that would later be titled Bombay. According to Ratnam, Bombay was not originally planned as a political film: "It was a phase India was going through and these things affected me and found their way into my work."

Casting
Aishwarya Rai was considered for the female lead, but she opted out due to unavailability of dates, with the production schedules clashing with her Miss World pageant, a title she went on to win. Mani Ratnam held a photoshoot for the film with Vikram and Manisha Koirala, but eventually excluded Vikram as he was unwilling to shave his beard and long hair that he had grown for the production of another film during the period, Pudhiya Mannargal (1994); the role went to Arvind Swamy. Koirala has stated that, though some people advised her against accepting the project since she had to play a mother, she did not listen as there were others who said "it'll be foolish to refuse a Mani Ratnam film". Koirala's voice was dubbed by Rohini. Nassar, a Muslim in real life, was cast as the father of Swamy's character (a Hindu) while Kitty, a Hindu in real life, was cast as the father of Koirala's character (a Muslim). Ratnam deliberately cast them in those roles as a statement. Twins Harsha and Hriday were chosen to play the protagonists' twin sons, from over 70 twins that the director saw but was not impressed. Bombay remains Hriday's only release.

Filming
When Ratnam approached cinematographer Rajiv Menon to shoot Bombay, he described it as a film about the riots and said that he (Menon) needed to "(make what came before) the riots as beautiful as possible". So, Menon suggested shooting in the rains to achieve the effect. They shot the interiors of homes in Pollachi in Tamil Nadu and the exteriors were shot in Kasaragod, and Kannur village in Kerala. The song "Kannalane" was shot at Thirumalai Nayakkar Mahal, and "Uyire" was shot at Bekal Fort. The demolition of the Babri Masjid was shown onscreen through newspaper headlines and photographs, as the Censor Board did not want the makers to show the actual destruction.

Themes and influences
Mani Ratnam described Bombay as "a positive film about communal harmony". He said the Bombay riots were not the main focus of the film, but "a helpless, innocent man caught up in violence not of his own making." The film is the second installment in Ratnam's trilogy of films that depict human relationships against a background of Indian politics, including Roja (1992) and Dil Se.. (1998). Bangalore Mirror compared it to the theme of the 1990 movie Come See the Paradise.

Soundtrack
The soundtrack album for Bombay was composed by A. R. Rahman, in his third collaboration with Mani Ratnam after Roja and Thiruda Thiruda. The lyrics for the Tamil version were written by Vairamuthu. The soundtrack of the film became one of the best-selling Indian music albums of all time, with sales of 15million units. The soundtrack was included in The Guardian's "1000 Albums to Hear Before You Die" list, and the song "Kannalanae" sung by K. S. Chithra was included in their "1000 Songs Everyone Must Hear" list. "Bombay Theme" has appeared in various international films and music compilations, while the songs "Kannalanae" and "Bombay Theme" have been sampled by various international artists.

Release
Bombay was released on 10 March 1995. The Telugu-dubbed version was released on the same day. It was previously scheduled to release in January 1995, during Pongal. The film caused considerable controversy upon release in India and abroad for its depiction of inter-religious relations between a Muslim woman and a Hindu man. The film was banned in Singapore and Malaysia upon release. Two homemade bombs were thrown at the house of Mani Ratnam, who had to be hospitalised with shrapnel injuries.

Box office
The Hindi version of the film grossed inr 140000000, as reported by Box Office India, making it one of the year's ten highest-grossing Hindi films.

Critical reception
Ananda Vikatan, in a review dated 19 March 1995, rated the film 53 out of 100. Anand Kannan, writing for Planet Bollywood, said, "I wouldn't call this the best of Mani Ratnam [...] But good acting, a socially conscious theme and a quick pace make the movie well worth watching." In 1996, American critic James Berardinelli rated the film 3.5 out of 4 and said, "Largely because of their limited North American appeal and dubious quality, Indian movies are routinely ignored by distributors [...] Occasionally, however, a worthwhile picture causes enough people to take notice that it becomes a favorite on the international film festival circuit. One such movie is Bombay, the fourteenth feature from celebrated director Mani Rathnam." He concluded, "Director Rathnam has shown great courage in making this picture (bombs were thrown at his house after it opened in India), which speaks with a voice that many will not wish to hear. Bombay recalls how forceful a motion picture can be." R. P. R. of Kalki wrote that with far cry from average cinema, this film raises a thousand questions about social morality, not just Mani Ratnam; it has given every Indian a chance to be proud.

title: Bombay (film)


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Volvo B9TL

The Volvo B9TL is a low-floor double-decker bus built by Volvo from 2002 until 2018. It superseded the Volvo Super Olympian and the Volvo B7TL. The 2-axle version has been superseded by the Volvo B5TL in 2014 and the 3-axle version has been superseded by the Volvo B8L in 2018.

Chassis
The Volvo B9TL chassis shared the same design of the Volvo B7TL. The key difference from both its predecessors, the Volvo Super Olympian and Volvo B7TL, was a new 9.3-litre engine originally designed by Renault Trucks, now a subsidiary of Volvo. The radiator was located at the rear offside, similar to the smaller B7TL. The front module design was shared with other low-floor bus chassis built by Volvo, and independent suspension is fitted at the front axle (replaced by conventional front suspension after some years of production).

The B9TL was initially offered in three-axle format, and the two-axle variant was added in 2006 to replace the B7TL. The driveline comprises a Volvo D9A Euro III engine (rated at 300 bhp or 340 bhp), which was later replaced by the Volvo D9B Euro IV/V/EEV engine (using selective catalytic reduction technology; two versions were offered - the D9B260 rated at 260 bhp for two-axle version, and a higher powered D9B310, rated at 310 bhp, for three-axle version), and coupled to a ZF 5/6-speed gearbox. Volvo also offered the Voith four-speed gearbox as an alternative gearbox option.

The front wheels of the three-axle B9TL are usually supplied by Alcoa, but some buses (including the three prototypes) had all their wheels supplied by Alcoa.

Kowloon Motor Bus
A Volvo B9TL prototype with a Volgren CR223LD body was delivered to Hong Kong in July 2003 for Kowloon Motor Bus (KMB) as a demonstrator for the Eco-Driveline concept. It was put into service in April 2004 and registered as MF5119.

In early 2004, a Volvo B9TL prototype with a facelifted version of the TransBus Enviro500 body arrived in Hong Kong and registered as LU3721. It had a slightly different front and rear design, and its rear route box was moved beneath the upper deck rear window. After TransBus International was renamed Alexander Dennis in May 2004, it became the only TransBus Enviro-series bus with a non-Dennis chassis as well as the only facelifted version of the Enviro500 to be manufactured during this period.

Later in the same year, a Wright-bodied B9TL prototype was also delivered. The rear design of its Wright body was different from that of the Wright-bodied Volvo Super Olympian, with the number plate moved beneath (and a little to the right of) the rear route box. In 2005, KMB ordered 63 B9TL chassis with Wright bodywork and 50 with Enviro500 bodies. The Wright-bodied buses entered service between 2005 and 2006, and the Enviro500-bodied buses entered service in late 2006/2007. These were followed by another 35 buses with Enviro500 bodywork, they entered service in 2007/2008.

In 2009, KMB ordered 60 Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 bodied B9TLs, quickly followed by another 115, they have begun delivery as of early 2010. These were followed by an order for a further 115 Wright-bodied B9TLs in 2010. All these buses entered service between 2010 and 2012.

A 10.6-metre 2-axle B9TL was put into service by KMB in 2010. It was equipped with a Volvo D9B-310 engine and a ZF EcoLife 6AP1403B gearbox.

Starting from June 2017, some of the new B9TLs were painted with the new livery of red and silver stripes, with the motto "Heartbeat of the City" shown on the top of the vehicle. The last Wright-bodied 12-metre B9TL was put into service in August 2019.

KMB ordered three Gemilang bodied B9TLs in 2017. They were registered in September 2018 and entered service in March 2019.

As of July 2020, there are 953 Volvo B9TLs in service with KMB.

Long Win Bus
Long Win Bus operates 10 B9TL with Alexander Dennis Enviro500 bodywork which entered service in 2007/2008. All vehicles in this batch are almost identical to those with Kowloon Motor Bus.

Due to a surplus in Long Win's fleet, all of them have been transferred to KMB from 2020 to 2022.

Citybus and New World First Bus
Citybus received one Wright Eclipse Gemini 2-bodied two-axle B9TL (fleet number 7500) on 31 July 2010. This vehicle was first registered in November 2010 and entered service in the following month.

Citybus and New World First Bus placed an order for 51 Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 bodied tri-axle in March 2014, including 50 11.3-metre buses and a 12.8-metre bus for Citybus. They were assembled by Wrightbus's new partner, Masdef, in Malaysia.

Citybus and New World First Bus placed another order of 65 B9TLs in 2015, including 40 11.3-metre and 25 12-metres buses. All of these have been put into service since 2016.

DBTSL
Discovery Bay Transit Services (DBTSL) from Discovery Bay placed an order of six 12m Wright Eclipse Gemini 2-bodied B9TL in 2014. They are equipped with Volvo D9B-310 engine and ZF Ecolife 6AP1403B gearbox. All vehicles were delivered between June and July 2015. They entered service on 16 August 2015.

MTR Bus
MTR Bus took delivery of 68 11.3-metres Wright Eclipse Gemini 2-bodied B9TLs in 2016/2017. This batch of buses are equipped with Volvo D9B-310 engine and Voith DIWA 864.5 gearbox. They are used to replace the aged Dennis Tridents buses.

Singapore
SBS Transit of Singapore placed an order for 150 B9TL chassis on 28 December 2004, then the largest single order, which were fitted with bodywork from ComfortDelGro Engineering (CDGE), part of SBS Transit's parent company. An additional order for 50 more chassis was placed in 2006 at a cost of S$29 million soon after putting its first B9TLs into operation, bringing the total fleet size to 200. These buses were delivered by October 2007. These were the only SBS Transit buses during the lifespan to be repainted into Lush Green livery. All these buses began to be retired from March 2021 to September 2023 except for one bus which was converted as a Bus Engineering Lab at ITE College West.

On 13 August 2009, SBS Transit announced an order of 150 Volvo B9TL, with Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 bodies, replacing 55 Leyland Olympian 3-Axles and 8 Volvo Olympian 2-Axles. Those were delivered between 13 September 2010 and 26 August 2011. One of the demonstrator was built by Wrightbus in August 2010, whereas all other buses were bodied by ComfortDelGro Engineering at Hougang. On 6 September 2010, SBS Transit ordered another 300 Wright-bodied Volvo B9TLs, delivered between 21 September 2011 and 28 December 2012, replacing the rest of Leyland Olympian 3-Axles and 3 Volvo Olympian 3-Axles (Batch 1). 30 buses were delivered as low-entry, while the remaining 270 buses were delivered completely low-floor. In 2012, 30 of the low-floor buses were diverted to the Land Transport Authority's Bus Service Enhancement Programme (BSEP).

On 9 July 2012, SBS Transit ordered another 565 Wright-bodied Volvo B9TLs, delivered between 30 January 2013 and 18 June 2015, to replace most of their older buses, as well as fleet additions and introduction of new bus routes under the BSEP. SBS Transit's final order of 415 Volvo B9TLs was announced on 1 July 2014, two years before the transition of Singapore's bus industry to the Land Transport Authority's (LTA) Bus Contracting Model in 2016 having only 94 units delivered. The orders for the remaining 321 Volvo B9TLs were subsequently inherited by the LTA for the BCM and additional 176 Volvo B9TLs were also subsequently ordered by the LTA, and were operated by all public transport operators. The last batch of Volvo B9TLs to be delivered were registered on 27 December 2017.

Australia
Volgren bodied B9TLs were purchased by CDC Melbourne and Thompsons Bus Service.

United Kingdom
In three-axle form, the B9TL made its debut in the United Kingdom when Weavaway Travel of Newbury placed an order for six B9TL with East Lancs Myllennium Nordic bodywork in late 2004 and put them into service in April/May 2005. Since then, two more were sold to Roadliner of Poole and Provence Private Hire of St Albans for school contracts and commercial work.

The two-axle Volvo B9TL did not make its debut in the United Kingdom until the middle of 2006. The first demonstrator, with Wright Eclipse Gemini body, was delivered to London General in July 2006 for evaluation, it is used on route 11. The first order was secured from Delaine Buses for two examples with the new East Lancs Olympus bodywork. The first Olympus-bodied B9TL, along with an Alexander Dennis Enviro400-bodied version, were both unveiled at the 2006 Euro Bus Expo at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham during November.

Initial sales of the two-axle version were slow in Britain, particularly in London, after falling foul with the noise and capacity requirements imposed by Transport for London. Eventually orders were also received for the Volvo B9TLs by First London, Go-Ahead London and Metroline. The B9TL had success with Lothian Buses, FirstGroup, East Yorkshire Motor Services, Highland Scottish, Yorkshire Coastliner and Flights Hallmark, Tower Transit where orders were received from 2007 to 2014.

The first order from Arriva was for 10 East Lancs Visionaire open top buses for The Original Tour in January 2007; and delivered in April - November 2007. An additional 16 buses were delivered in October 2011 - February 2012.

It was followed by an order for 16 buses with Darwen Olympus bodywork in high specification featuring leather seats for Arriva Yorkshire entering service between January and May 2008.

London General brought three buses on the Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 bodies for use on route 85. They are now at Sutton Bus Garage, operating on routes 93, 151, 154, and 213.

In Northern Ireland, Translink purchased 125 Volvo B9TLs, all bodied by Wrightbus.

Ireland
Dublin Bus of Dublin, Ireland placed an order for 20 B9TL with single-door Alexander Dennis Enviro500 bodywork in early 2005. These buses were the largest in the fleet and also the first tri-axle double deckers for the Irish capital, the first of them entered service in December 2005. They were withdrawn and sold in December 2018.

In 2007, Dublin Bus ordered 50 B9TL with Alexander Dennis Enviro400 bodywork and another 50 B9TL with Alexander Dennis Enviro500 bodywork for delivery in 2007/2008. The two-axle buses entered service in summer/autumn 2007, and the three-axle buses entered service in December 2007/early 2008. Later Dublin Bus ordered 50 B9TL with Alexander Dennis Enviro400 bodywork and 50 B9TL with Wright Eclipse Gemini bodywork for delivery in 2008/2009. In 2012, Dublin Bus received 80 B9TL with Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 bodywork, but retaining the older Eclipse Gemini front. A further 80 B9TL with Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 bodywork, were received by Dublin Bus in 2013.

Bus Éireann also put 10 Wright Eclipse Gemini-bodied Volvo B9TL into service in late 2008, and a further 10 Wright Eclipse Gemini 2-bodied Volvo B9TL in 2012.

Other European cities
A number of two-axle Volvo B9TL open top buses were sold to a number of cities in Europe for sightseeing purposes.

Successors
The 2-axle Volvo B9TL was replaced by the Volvo B5TL in 2014. The 3-axle Volvo B9TL was replaced by the Volvo B8L in 2018.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Volvo B9TL


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Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is the development of thrombocytopenia (a low platelet count), due to the administration of various forms of heparin, an anticoagulant. HIT predisposes to thrombosis (the abnormal formation of blood clots inside a blood vessel). When thrombosis is identified the condition is called heparin-induced thrombocytopenia and thrombosis (HITT). HIT is caused by the formation of abnormal antibodies that activate platelets, which release microparticles that activate thrombin, leading to thrombosis. If someone receiving heparin develops new or worsening thrombosis, or if the platelet count falls, HIT can be confirmed with specific blood tests.

The treatment of HIT requires stopping heparin treatment, and both protection from thrombosis and choice of an agent that will not reduce the platelet count any further. Several alternatives are available for this purpose; mainly used are danaparoid, fondaparinux, argatroban, and bivalirudin.

While heparin was discovered in the 1930s, HIT was not reported until the 1960s.

Signs and symptoms
Heparin may be used for both prevention and the treatment of thrombosis. It exists in two main forms: an "unfractionated" form that can be injected under the skin (subcutaneously) or through an intravenous infusion, and a "low molecular weight" form that is generally given subcutaneously. Commonly used low molecular weight heparins are enoxaparin, dalteparin, nadroparin and tinzaparin.

In HIT, the platelet count in the blood falls below the normal range, a condition called thrombocytopenia. However, it is generally not low enough to lead to an increased risk of bleeding. Most people with HIT, therefore, do not experience any symptoms. Typically, the platelet count falls 5–14 days after heparin is first given; if someone has received heparin in the previous three months, the fall in platelet count may occur sooner, sometimes within a day.

The most common symptom of HIT is enlargement or extension of a previously diagnosed blood clot, or the development of a new blood clot elsewhere in the body. This may take the form of clots either in arteries or veins, causing arterial or venous thrombosis, respectively. Examples of arterial thrombosis are stroke, myocardial infarction ("heart attack"), and acute leg ischemia. Venous thrombosis may occur in the leg or arm in the form of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and in the lung in the form of a pulmonary embolism (PE); the latter usually originates in the leg, but migrates to the lung.

In those receiving heparin through an intravenous infusion, a complex of symptoms ("systemic reaction") may occur when the infusion is started. These include fever, chills, high blood pressure, a fast heart rate, shortness of breath, and chest pain. This happens in about a quarter of people with HIT. Others may develop a skin rash consisting of red spots.

Mechanism
The administration of heparin can cause the development of HIT antibodies, suggesting heparin may act as a hapten, thus may be targeted by the immune system. In HIT, the immune system forms antibodies against heparin when it is bound to a protein called platelet factor 4 (PF4). These antibodies are usually of the IgG class and their development usually takes about five days. However, those who have been exposed to heparin in the last few months may still have circulating IgG, as IgG-type antibodies generally continue to be produced even when their precipitant has been removed. This is similar to immunity against certain microorganisms, with the difference that the HIT antibody does not persist more than three months. HIT antibodies have been found in individuals with thrombocytopenia and thrombosis who had no prior exposure to heparin, but the majority are found in people who are receiving heparin.

The IgG antibodies form a complex with heparin and PF4 in the bloodstream. The tail of the antibody then binds to the FcγIIa receptor, a protein on the surface of the platelet. This results in platelet activation and the formation of platelet microparticles, which initiate the formation of blood clots; the platelet count falls as a result, leading to thrombocytopenia. In addition, the reticuloendothelial system (mostly the spleen) removes the antibody-coated platelets, further contributing to the thrombocytopenia.

Formation of PF4-heparin antibodies is common in people receiving heparin, but only a proportion of these develop thrombocytopenia or thrombosis. This has been referred to as an "iceberg phenomenon".

Diagnosis
HIT may be suspected if blood tests show a falling platelet count in someone receiving heparin, even if the heparin has already been discontinued. Professional guidelines recommend that people receiving heparin have a complete blood count (which includes a platelet count) on a regular basis while receiving heparin.

However, not all people with a falling platelet count while receiving heparin turn out to have HIT. The timing, severity of the thrombocytopenia, the occurrence of new thrombosis, and the presence of alternative explanations, all determine the likelihood that HIT is present. A commonly used score to predict the likelihood of HIT is the "4 Ts" score introduced in 2003. A score of 0–8 points is generated; if the score is 0–3, HIT is unlikely. A score of 4–5 indicates intermediate probability, while a score of 6–8 makes it highly likely. Those with a high score may need to be treated with an alternative drug, while more sensitive and specific tests for HIT are performed, while those with a low score can safely continue receiving heparin, as the likelihood that they have HIT is extremely low. In an analysis of the reliability of the 4T score, a low score had a negative predictive value of 0.998, while an intermediate score had a positive predictive value of 0.14 and a high score a positive predictive value of 0.64; intermediate and high scores, therefore, warrant further investigation.

The first screening test in someone suspected of having HIT is aimed at detecting antibodies against heparin-PF4 complexes. This may be with a laboratory test of the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay type. This ELISA test, however, detects all circulating antibodies that bind heparin-PF4 complexes, and may also falsely identify antibodies that do not cause HIT. Therefore, those with a positive ELISA are tested further with a functional assay. This test uses platelets and serum from the patient; the platelets are washed and mixed with serum and heparin. The sample is then tested for the release of serotonin, a marker of platelet activation. If this serotonin release assay (SRA) shows high serotonin release, the diagnosis of HIT is confirmed. The SRA test is difficult to perform and is usually only done in regional laboratories.

If someone has been diagnosed with HIT, some recommend routine Doppler sonography of the leg veins to identify deep vein thromboses, as this is very common in HIT.

Treatment

Given the fact that HIT predisposes strongly to new episodes of thrombosis, simply discontinuing the heparin administration is insufficient. Generally, an alternative anticoagulant is needed to suppress the thrombotic tendency while the generation of antibodies stops and the platelet count recovers. To make matters more complicated, the other most commonly used anticoagulant, warfarin, should not be used in HIT until the platelet count is at least 150 × 109/L because a very high risk of warfarin necrosis exists in people with HIT who have low platelet counts. Warfarin necrosis is the development of skin gangrene in those receiving warfarin or a similar vitamin K inhibitor. If the patient was receiving warfarin at the time when HIT is diagnosed, the activity of warfarin is reversed with vitamin K. Transfusing platelets is discouraged, as a theoretical risk indicates that this may worsen the risk of thrombosis; the platelet count is rarely low enough to be the principal cause of significant hemorrhage.

Various nonheparin agents are used as alternatives to heparin therapy to provide anticoagulation in those with strongly suspected or proven HIT: danaparoid, fondaparinux, bivalirudin, and argatroban. Not all agents are available in all countries, and not all are approved for this specific use. For instance, argatroban is only recently licensed in the United Kingdom, and danaparoid is not available in the United States. Fondaparinux, a factor Xa inhibitor, is commonly used off label for HIT treatment in the United States.

According to a systematic review, people with HIT treated with lepirudin showed a relative risk reduction of clinical outcome (death, amputation, etc.) to be 0.52 and 0.42 when compared to patient controls. In addition, people treated with argatroban for HIT showed a relative risk reduction of the above clinical outcomes to be 0.20 and 0.18. Lepirudin production stopped on May 31, 2012.

Epidemiology
Up to 8% of patients receiving heparin are at risk to develop HIT antibodies, but only 1–5% on heparin will progress to develop HIT with thrombocytopenia and subsequently one-third of them may develop arterial or venous thrombosis. After vascular surgery, 34% of patients receiving heparin developed HIT antibodies without clinical symptoms. The exact number of cases of HIT in the general population is unknown. What is known is that women receiving heparin after a recent surgical procedure, particularly cardiothoracic surgery, have a higher risk, while the risk is very low in women just before and after giving birth. Some studies have shown that HIT is less common in those receiving low molecular weight heparin.

History
While heparin was introduced for clinical use in the late 1930s, new thrombosis in people treated with heparin was not described until 1957, when vascular surgeons reported the association. The fact that this phenomenon occurred together with thrombocytopenia was reported in 1969; prior to this time, platelet counts were not routinely performed. A 1973 report established HIT as a diagnosis, as well as suggesting that its features were the result of an immune process.

Initially, various theories existed about the exact cause of the low platelets in HIT. Gradually, evidence accumulated on the exact underlying mechanism. In 1984–1986, John G. Kelton and colleagues at McMaster University Medical School developed the laboratory tests that could be used to confirm or exclude heparin-induced thrombocytopenia.

Treatment was initially limited to aspirin and warfarin, but the 1990s saw the introduction of a number of agents that could provide anticoagulation without a risk of recurrent HIT. Older terminology distinguishes between two forms of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia: type 1 (mild, nonimmune mediated and self-limiting fall in platelet count) and type 2, the form described above. Currently, the term HIT is used without a modifier to describe the immune-mediated severe form.

In 2021 a condition resembling HIT but without heparin exposure was described to explain unusual post-vaccination embolic and thrombotic events after the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. It is a rare adverse event (1:1 million to 1:100,000) resulting from COVID-19 vaccines (particularly adenoviral vector vaccines). This is also known as thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome or TTS.

title: Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia


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Talk:Saishū Onoe

Untitled
For an October 2004 deletion debate over this page see Votes for deletion/Saishu Onoe

Why is Saishu Onoe in the Wikipedia? My recommendation is that it should probably be deleted.

When I did a Google search, I found only a very small number of pages that were not Wikipedia mirrors, and those were Japanese pages that only had birth and death dates for Saishu Onoe and not much more. It looks like he is probably a rather insignificant tanka poet. I would say that as a rough rule of thumb, if a 20th century tanka poet isn't in Makoto Ueda's Modern Japanese Tanka, Columbia Univ. Press ISBN 0-231-10433-2, then they probably shouldn't be in the Wikipedia. Currently only three of the poets in Ueda's book are in the Wikipedia, Masaoka Shiki, Yosano Akiko, and Tawara Machi. There are probably three or four more from Ueda's list that might be added. Yosano Tekkan should probably be one -- not so much for his own poetry, but for his work as an editor, and for starting the rehabilitation nad rediscovery of tanka/waka poetry. gK 17:23, 10 Oct 2004 (UTC)

I did some more digging and found a few more tanka poets from Ueda's book. Since they were primarily fiction writers, they were listed only under Category:Japanese authors and not under category:Japanese poets. They are: Mori Ogai, Ishikawa Takuboku, and Kenji Miyazawa. That makes seven of the twenty in Ueda's book. I'll be adding an entry for Yosano Tekkan since he already has a link under List of Japanese authors:Y. gK 08:14, 11 Oct 2004 (UTC)

Furthermore, if there isn't an entry in the Japanese Wikipedia, that is also probably a good sign that this an insignificant entry. gK 12:28, 13 Oct 2004 (UTC)

I initiated a Vote for Deletion on Oct 13 2004. Below is some of what I wrote.

 * gK again: I'm still pretty new at this wikipedia stuff, and this is my first nomination for deletion. In looking through all Votes for deletion, I haven't seen the nominator come back with further argument, but I'm going to do it anyway. I probably didn't make my reason for nominating this article very clear. This is a waka (or tanka) poet who has never been translated into English as far as I can tell. The odds are that he may not get translated into English, and I feel pretty certain he will never have a book of his poetry translated into English. It does look like there is at least one book of his in print in Japan -- another search at   the Japanese amazon.com found two books . He may be worthy of entry in the Japanese Wikipedia (sooner or later) &, but I think that an entry in the English version is pretty useless at the moment.  gK 09:17, 15 Oct 2004 (UTC)
 * PS: As for Maeda Yugure, it does look like he has some significance as both a poet and editor, so he should at least be in the Japanese Wikipedia. See: Memorial Room of Yugure Maeda at the Hadano Municipal Library. gK
 * PSS: I just checked the modern era volume from Donald Keene's monumental four volume history of Japanese Literature, Dawn to the West. Onoe Saishû gets two very brief mentions, so I could probably rewrite that info to turn the Onoe substub into a stub if the final vote is to keep (by my vote is still for delete). Maeda Yûgure gets three pages as one of the "Naturalist Poets", but doesn't rate his own chapter subhead, so even he is probably a candidate for only the Japanese Wikipedia, although I did enjoy the few poems of his in Keene's book. gK

The Vote for Deletion failed. I guess if the if the Wikipedia can have over a dozen separate articles on different characters in Frank Herbert's SF novel Dune, then there is room for this poet as well. I still think that this poet is a good candidate for deletion from the English-language Wikipedia, and suggest that someone else take up the challenge after three months has passed. gK 08:07, 26 Oct 2004 (UTC)

Page move
(from WP:RM)

Saishu Onoe → Onoe Saishu

 * Currently the main article is at Saishu Onoe and the redirect is at Onoe Saishu. Unfortunately this is backwards since the normal name order for Japanese names is surname, clan name, or family name first, and then the given name or penname, so his name is Onoe Saishu. This is a fairly obscure early 20th century Japanese tanka poet, so we don't have to worry about how he is known in the Western world (where modern authors and politicians, for example, are usually referred to using the Western order of naming). gK 06:44, 28 Oct 2004 (UTC)
 * Maybe I'm not understanding the point of this page, but couldn't this just be proposed on the article's talk page and then moved. I moved it since the redirect had no history and the move would create no double redirects. If anyone objects, they can just move it back. Angela. 03:21, Oct 30, 2004 (UTC)
 * I see that this is now fixed (although the change didn't show up in my Watch List). Thank you. I asked for the move because I'm pretty new at all this Wikipedia stuff, and quite frankly, when I looked up how to do a move, the instructions made little sense to me (and I had also seen problems caused when newbies have done it incorrectly). The reason I asked for the move is the way it was previously listed was like having George Washington under Washington George. gK
 * The problem here is that there is no good standard in the West for how to write Japanese names. If you use, people who don't know anything about Japan (the majority of our readers) get it horribly wrong. (Which is exactly why newspapers write about Japanese politicians, etc using  .) My personal opinion is to follow that, so that unless they are well-known in the West under the Japanese-order name, the article should go at the Western-order, with a redirect (if desired) from the Japanese order. After all, we aren't writing the names the way these people would, either - we are transliterating into English characters - and this is an English-language encyclopaedia. With  order, most Japan-savvy people will recognize the likely family and individual names, and figure out which order they are in, which is something the ordinary readers cannot do. Noel (talk) 19:24, 31 Oct 2004 (UTC)
 * Yes there is a very good standard. If you look at Manual of Style (Japan-related articles) it says "use the form of a person's name that is most widely known and used by English speakers". There are very few cases where this doesn't provide a very clear standard. That means that for almost everybody except for recent Japanese politicians and business people, and some recent Japanese authors that person is know, even to English speakers, by their family name-given name order. This is true, for example, for noted haiku poets such as Matsuo Basho and Masaoka Shiki. The same family name-first name order is used for all Japanese historical names, such as Murasaki Shikibu. The current Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, however, is referred to in the given name-family name order, as well as the modern author Banana Yoshimoto. On the other hand, if you look at Category:Japanese authors you will see that almost everyone except Banana Yoshimoto, including the highly popular modern Japanese tanka poet Tawara Machi are in family name-first name order. [Personal opinion: The fact that newspapers refer to Japanese politicians and business men by their first name-last name order is highly inconsistent since they refer to Korean and Chinese politicians by their last name-first name order.] gK 21:41, 31 Oct 2004 (UTC)

title: Talk:Saishū Onoe


text:
Concept art

Concept art is a form of visual art used to convey an idea for use in film, video games, animation, comic books, television shows, or other media before it is put into the final product. Concept art usually refers to world-building artwork used to inspire the development of media products, and is not the same as storyboard, though they are often confused.

Concept art is developed through several iterations. Multiple solutions are explored before settling on the final design. Concept art is not only used to develop the work but also to show the project's progress to directors, clients, and investors. Once the development of the work is complete, concept art may be reworked and used for advertising materials.

History
The term "concept art" was used by the Walt Disney Animation Studios as early as the 1930s. A concept artist is an individual who generates a visual design for an item, character, or area that does not yet exist. This includes, but is not limited to, film, animation, and more recently, video game production. Being a concept artist takes commitment, vision, and a clear understanding of the role.

While it is necessary to have the skills of a fine artist, a concept artist must also be able to work under strict deadlines in the capacity of a graphic designer. Some concept artists may start as fine artists, industrial designers, animators, or even special effects artists. Interpretation of ideas and how they are realized is where the concept artist's individual creativity is most evident, but subject matter is often beyond their control. Many concept artists work in a studio or from home remotely as freelancers. Working for a studio has the advantage of an established salary. In the United States, the average annual gross salary for a concept artist in video game industry was $60,000-$70,000 a year in 2017.

Materials
Concept art has embraced the use of digital technology. Raster graphics editors for digital painting have become more easily available, as well as hardware such as graphics tablets, enabling more efficient working methods. Prior to this, any number of traditional mediums such as oil paints, acrylic paints, markers and pencils were used. Many modern paint packages are programmed to simulate the blending of color in the same way paint would blend on a canvas; proficiency with traditional media is often paramount to a concept artist's ability to use painting software. Popular programs for concept artists include Photoshop and Corel Painter. Others include Manga Studio, Procreate and ArtRage. Most concept artists have switched to digital media because of ease of editing and speed. A lot of concept work has tight deadlines where a highly polished piece is needed in a short amount of time.

Themes and styles
Concept art has always had to cover many subjects, being the primary medium in film poster design since the early days of Hollywood, but the two most widely covered areas are science fiction and fantasy. Since the recent rise of its use in video game production, concept art has expanded to cover genres from fantasy to realistic depending on the final product.

Concept art ranges from stylized to photorealistic depending on the needs of the project. Artists working on a project often produce a large turnover in the early 'blue sky' stage of production. This provides a broad range of interpretations, most being in the form of sketches, speed paints, and 3D overpaints. Later pieces, such as matte paintings, are produced as realistically as required. Concept artists will often have to adapt to the style of the studio they are hired for. The ability to produce multiple styles is valued in a concept artist.

Specialization
There are many concept art generalists, but there are also many specialized concept artists. The various specializations include, but are not limited to, drafting of characters, as well as creatures, as well as environments, or even industry-related designs. Specialization is regarded as better for freelancers than concept artists who want to work in-house, where flexibility is key. Knowing the foundations of art, such as anatomy, perspective, color theory, design, and lighting are essential to all specializations.

title: Concept art


text:
Crowbar (disambiguation)

A crowbar is a tool with a curved end used for prying objects apart.

Crowbar may also refer to:

 * Digging bar, called a crowbar in the UK and Australia, a straight metal bar used for post hole digging or for leverage

Music

 * Crowbar (American band), a sludge metal band from Louisiana, who formed in 1988
 * Crowbar (album), the self-titled 1993 album by the American band
 * Crowbar (Canadian band), a rock band from the 1970s, from Hamilton, Ontario

People

 * Crowbar (wrestler) (born 1974), a ring name of professional wrestler Christopher Ford
 * The nickname of one-legged BMX rider Kurt Yaeger

Other uses

 * Crowbar (circuit), a type of electrical circuit
 * Crowbar (alcoholic beverage), a type of cocktail
 * Crowbar (comics), a member of the DC Comics supervillain group The Cadre

title: Crowbar (disambiguation)


text:
Wilm Hosenfeld

Wilhelm Adalbert Hosenfeld (2 May 1895 – 13 August 1952), originally a school teacher, was a German Army officer who by the end of the Second World War had risen to the rank of Hauptmann (captain). He helped to hide or rescue several Polish people, including Jews, in Nazi-German occupied Poland, and helped Jewish pianist and composer Władysław Szpilman to survive, hidden, in the ruins of Warsaw during the last months of 1944, an act which was portrayed in the 2002 film The Pianist. He was taken prisoner by the Red Army and died in Soviet captivity in 1952.

In October 2007, Hosenfeld was posthumously honoured by Lech Kaczyński, the President of Poland, with a Commander's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta. In June 2009, Hosenfeld was posthumously recognized by Yad Vashem (Israel's official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust) as one of the Righteous Among the Nations.

Early life and World War I
Hosenfeld was born into the family of a Roman Catholic schoolmaster living near Fulda. His family life had a Catholic character, and Christian charitable work was emphasised during his education. He was influenced by the Catholic Action and Church-inspired social work, and also by Prussian obedience, by German patriotism, and, during his marriage, by the increasing pacifism of his wife, Annemarie. He was also influenced by the Wandervogel movement (a German youth political group) and its adherents. From 1914, he saw active service in the First World War, and after being severely wounded in 1917, Hosenfeld received the Iron Cross Second Class.

World War II
Hosenfeld was drafted into the Wehrmacht in August 1939 and was stationed in Poland from mid-September 1939 until his capture by the Soviet Army on 17 January 1945. His first destination in Poland was Pabianice, where he was involved in the building and running of a POW camp. Next, he was stationed in Węgrów in December 1939, where he remained until his battalion was moved another 30 km away to Jadów at the end of May 1940. He was finally transferred to Warsaw in July 1940, where he spent the rest of the war, for the most part, attached to Wachbataillon (guard battalion) 660, part of the Wach-Regiment Warschau (Warsaw Guard Regiment) in which he served as a staff officer and as the battalion sports officer. He was responsible for sports events at the Army Stadium in Warsaw.

A member of the Nazi Party since 1935, as time passed Hosenfeld grew disillusioned with the party and its policies, especially as he saw how Poles, and especially Jews, were treated. He and several fellow German Army officers felt sympathy for all peoples of occupied Poland. Ashamed of what some of their countrymen were doing, they offered help to those they could whenever possible.

Hosenfeld befriended numerous Poles and even made an effort to learn their language. He also attended Mass, received Holy Communion, and went to confession in Polish churches, even though this was forbidden. His actions on behalf of Poles began as early as autumn 1939, when against regulations he allowed Polish prisoners of war access to their families and even pushed successfully for the early release of at least one.

During his time in Warsaw, Hosenfeld used his position to give refuge to people, regardless of their background, including at least one politically persecuted anti-Nazi ethnic German, who were in danger of persecution, even arrest by the Gestapo, sometimes by getting them the papers they needed and jobs at the sports stadium that was under his oversight. Beginning in August 1944, the pianist Władysław Szpilman was hiding out in an abandoned building at Aleja Niepodległości Street 223. In November, he was discovered there by Hosenfeld. To Szpilman's surprise, the officer did not arrest or kill him; after discovering that the emaciated Szpilman was a pianist, Hosenfeld asked him to play something on the piano that was on the ground floor. Szpilman played Chopin's Nocturne No. 20 in C♯ minor. After that, the officer brought him bread and jam on numerous occasions. He also offered Szpilman one of his coats to keep warm in the freezing temperatures.

Hosenfeld surrendered to the Soviets at Błonie, a small Polish city about 30 km west of Warsaw, with the men of a Wehrmacht company he was leading.

Imprisonment and death
He was sentenced to 25 years of hard labor for alleged war crimes, on account of his unit affiliation. In a 1946 letter to his wife in West Germany, Hosenfeld named the Jews who he had saved, and begged her to contact them and ask them to arrange his release.

In 1950, Szpilman learned the name of the German officer who had offered him assistance in 1944–45. After much soul searching, Szpilman sought the intercession of a man who he privately considered "a bastard", Jakub Berman, the head of the Polish secret police. Several days later, Berman paid a visit to Szpilman's home and said that there was nothing he could do. He added, "If your German were still in Poland, then we could get him out. But our comrades in the Soviet Union won't let him go. They say your officer belonged to a detachment involved in spying – so there is nothing we can do about it as Poles, and I am powerless".

Szpilman never believed Berman's claims of powerlessness. In an interview with Wolf Biermann, Szpilman described Berman as "all powerful by the grace of Stalin," and lamented, "So I approached the worst rogue of the lot, and it did no good." Hosenfeld died in a Soviet prison camp on 13 August 1952, shortly before 22:00, from a rupture of the thoracic aorta, possibly sustained during torture.

Commemorations
In 2002, The Pianist, a film based on Szpilman's memoirs of the same name, portrayed Hosenfeld's rescue of Władysław Szpilman. Hosenfeld was played by Thomas Kretschmann.

In October 2007, Hosenfeld was posthumously honoured by the president of Poland Lech Kaczyński with a Commander’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta (Krzyż Komandorski Orderu Odrodzenia Polski).

Szpilman's son, Andrzej Szpilman, had long called for Yad Vashem to recognize Hosenfeld as a Righteous Among the Nations, non-Jews who risked their lives to rescue Jews. On 25 November 2008, Yad Vashem posthumously recognised Hosenfeld as Righteous Among the Nations. On 19 June 2009, Israeli diplomats presented Hosenfeld's son, Detlev, with the award, in Berlin.

On 4 December 2011, a commemorative plaque in Polish and English was unveiled at 223 Niepodległości Avenue in Warsaw, the place where Hosenfeld discovered Szpilman, in the presence of Hosenfeld's daughter Jorinde.

Awards and decorations

 * Iron Cross of 1914, 2nd class (1917)
 * Honor Cross of World War 1914/1918
 * Wound Badge in Black (1918)
 * SA-Sports Badge in Bronze
 * Commander’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta (Poland, October 2007)
 * Righteous Among the Nations (25 November 2008)

title: Wilm Hosenfeld


text:
Doctor Spectrum

Doctor Spectrum is the name of several fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. There have been five versions of the character to date—three supervillains from the mainstream Marvel Universe belonging to the team Squadron Sinister (Earth-616) and two heroes from different alternate universes. The two heroes each belong to a version of the team Squadron Supreme, the Squadron Supreme of Earth-712 and the Squadron Supreme of Earth-31916 respectively). Doctor Spectrum is a pastiche of DC's Green Lantern.

Squadron Sinister
The first version of the character, Kenji Obatu, appears in The Avengers #69 (Oct. 1969), and is created by Roy Thomas and Sal Buscema. The story arc introduced the supervillain team the Squadron Sinister, whose four members were loosely based on heroes in DC Comics' Justice League of America, with Doctor Spectrum based on Green Lantern.

The Squadron Sinister are created by the cosmic entity the Grandmaster to battle the champions of the time-traveling Kang—the superhero team the Avengers. Doctor Spectrum battles the Avenger Iron Man, and is defeated when the hero deduces that the villain's Power Prism (a sentient entity called Krimonn) is vulnerable to ultra-violet light. The Avengers eventually defeat the Squadron and they in turn are abandoned by the Grandmaster. Doctor Spectrum reappears in the title Iron Man and after a series of battles is defeated when Iron Man crushes the Power Prism. A powerless Obatu is arrested and deported back to his native Uganda. During a subsequent battle with The Thing, Black Panther and Brother Voodoo, Obatu accidentally falls to his death.

Unknown to Iron Man, the Power Prism reforms and is found by a sanitation worker, who eventually brings it to evangelist Billy Roberts, who after learning of the Prism's abilities becomes the second Doctor Spectrum.

The Squadron reappear in the title Defenders, reunited by the alien Nebulon (although the team is unaware of the fact that this is a new Doctor Spectrum). The villains receive greater power in exchange for the planet Earth, and create a giant laser cannon in the Arctic to melt the polar ice caps, thereby covering the entirety of the Earth's surface in water. The superhero team the Defenders prevent the scheme and defeat the Squadron (and Nebulon), with Doctor Strange defeating Doctor Spectrum. After this defeat Doctor Spectrum and his two remaining teammates are teleported off world by Nebulon, returning with an energy-draining weapon. The Squadron Sinister plan to threaten the Earth again but are defeated once again by the Defenders and the Avenger Yellowjacket.

The Power Prism is kept by Yellowjacket, who decides to modify the gem and present it to his wife Janet van Dyne (the Wasp) as a gift. Krimonn, the entity within the Power Prism, possesses Jan and transforms her into a villainous female Doctor Spectrum, who battles several Avengers but is then defeated by the Vision's use of the Prism's ultraviolet weakness (Krimonn assumed in his arrogance that Iron Man had kept that information to himself rather than sharing it with others, thus 'giving up an advantage'). The prism itself bonds to the Wasp in an attempt to save itself, but is eventually removed by Billy Roberts after he is located by the Avengers. Roberts becomes Doctor Spectrum once more, although on this occasion the Power Prism is in control and seeks to bond with the most powerful Avenger, the Thunder God Thor. The Power Prism succeeds in taking Thor as a host, infecting Mjolnir to use as a focal point to control him and defeat the other Avengers, but fails to take into account that to wield Mjolnir, Thor must be "worthy". No longer worthy to wield the hammer due to him being tainted by the gem, Thor drops Mjolnir and reverts to his mortal alter-ego Donald Blake during a fight with Iron Man, which results in the Power Prism losing control and becoming inert, apparently forever.

The Grandmaster later reforms the Squadron Sinister, bringing in Henry Pym's former lab assistant Alice Nugent to be the new Doctor Spectrum. Courtesy of a phenomenon known as the "Wellspring of Power"—an interdimensional source of superhuman abilities—the Grandmaster increases the Squadron Sinister's powers and they battle the New Thunderbolts. Thunderbolts team leader Baron Zemo defeats the Grandmaster, and in the ensuing chaos Doctor Spectrum and the members of the Squadron Sinister scatter and escape.

Squadron Supreme
Roy Thomas and penciller John Buscema created an alternate-universe team of heroes called the Squadron Supreme, who debut in The Avengers #85 (Feb. 1971). After an initial skirmish with four Avengers, the teams unite to stop a common threat. The characters (including Doctor Spectrum) were identical in name and appearance to the Squadron Sinister, which caused confusion in Marvel's production department, as the covers of The Avengers #85 and #141 (Nov. 1975) advertised appearances by the Squadron Sinister, when in fact it was the Squadron Supreme that appeared in both issues.

The Squadron Supreme have another series of skirmishes with the Avengers engineered by the group the Serpent Cartel, but eventually team together and prevent the use of the artifact the Serpent Crown. The character and his teammates briefly feature in the title Thor, when the evil version of Hyperion attacks the Earth-712 version and then Thunder God Thor. The Squadron are mind-controlled by the entities the Overmind and Null the Living Darkness, but are freed by the Defenders and aid the heroes in defeating the villains.

The character features with the Squadron Supreme in a self-titled 12-issue miniseries (Sept. 1985–Aug. 1986) by writer Mark Gruenwald. Gruenwald revealed each member's origin, with Joseph Ledger being a former astronaut who saves a Skrull in space. The grateful Skrull, called the Skrullian Skymaster, rewards Ledger with the Power Prism. The series also explains why the Squadrons Sinister and Supreme are similar: the Grandmaster creates the Squadron Sinister modelled on the already-existing Squadron Supreme of the Earth-712 universe. Gruenwald, Ryan, and inker Al Williamson created a graphic-novel sequel which maroons the team in the mainstream Marvel universe. Doctor Spectrum and teammates encounter the hero Quasar, and relocate to the government facility Project Pegasus. After another encounter with the Overmind and a visit to the laboratory world of the Stranger, the group attempts to return to their universe, and battles the entity Deathurge.

The entire Squadron Supreme appear in a two-part story with the Avengers that finally returns them to their home universe, where they disband for a time. Doctor Spectrum rejoins his teammates to aid the interdimensional team the Exiles.

Supreme Power
The mature-audience Marvel MAX imprint showcases the adventures of the Earth-31916 version of the Squadron Supreme. The title Supreme Power relates how Joseph Ledger, a soldier in the United States Army, accidentally bonds with a crystal found in the vessel that brings Hyperion to Earth. The story continues in the limited series Doctor Spectrum, written by Sara Barnes and art by John Dell and Travel Foreman, with the experience placing Ledger in a coma, and after reliving his life in his mind for the benefit of the apparently sentient crystal, the character awakens and adopts the codename of Doctor Spectrum. Operating in a military-style uniform as opposed to a prismatic costume, Doctor Spectrum encounters and battles Hyperion, forming a truce with him to hunt down super-powered serial killer Michael Redstone. Doctor Spectrum also begins a tentative romance with fellow superhuman Amphibian. Both eventually join the US-backed Squadron Supreme in the 2006 title of the same name. Joseph is later killed during a battle with a version of the Squadron Sinister. The Squadron Sinister's Nighthawk is later seen examining the crystal embedded in his corpse.

Squadron Supreme of America
A variation of the Joseph Ledger version of Doctor Spectrum appears as a member of the Squadron Supreme of America. This version is a simulacrum created by Mephisto and programmed by the Power Elite. In his personal time, he works as a colonel in the United States Air Force.

In the team's first mission, Doctor Spectrum led the Squadron Supreme of America in fighting Namor and the Defenders of the Deep, when they targeted a Roxxon oil platform off the coast of Alaska.

Then, the Squadron Supreme of America visited another oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico, where Doctor Spectrum used his powers to melt areas of the oil rig to secure it from an attack by Namor. The Squadron Supreme then made short work of Namor and the Defenders of the Deep.

During the War of the Realms storyline, Joseph was at his desk until he and the other members of the Squadron Supreme of America were summoned to Washington D.C., where Phil Coulson brought them up to speed with Malekith the Accursed's invasion. Doctor Spectrum leads the Squadron Supreme of America in fighting an army of Rock Trolls and Frost Giants. After the Squadron Supreme caused the Frost Giants to retreat, Phil Coulson sends them to Ohio, which has become a battleground.

Doctor Spectrum led the Squadron Supreme in an attempt to apprehend Black Panther, when he infiltrated the Pentagon to confront Phil Coulson.

Powers and abilities
All versions of Doctor Spectrum derive their abilities from an alien gem called the Power Prism. The original prism, used by the Kenji Obatu and Billy Roberts versions of Doctor Spectrum, is a sentient being called Krimonn. Krimonn was originally a Skrull who, after failing to usurp the Skrull Emperor, was transformed into a living prism as punishment. When the Grandmaster requires champions to battle the Avengers, he retrieves the prism and grants Krimonn several energy-based powers that can be used in conjunction with a host. Kenji Obatu is the first to coin the term "Power Prism", and discovers that although trapped in prism form, Krimonn remains aggressive and asserts his will via telepathy. Krimonn's mind is "muted" by Nebulon when the Power Prism is given to Billy Roberts, although Krimonn reasserts itself during the quest to find and bond with the character Thor. When the plan fails and the gem is shattered, Krimonn's consciousness apparently dissipated forever.

Krimonn could bestow on a host the ability to project and manipulate light energy in various colors; create light energy constructs of various shapes, sizes and colors; flight; protection from the rigors of space and the ability to become intangible. The Power Prism is vulnerable to ultra-violet light.

The Earth-712 Doctor Spectrum gains his power the Skrullian Power Prism given to him by the Skrullian Skymaster. When the Power Prism later exploded and fragments of it were embedded in Doctor Spectrum, his skin, hair, and costume were bleached chalk-white. The Earth-712 Power Prism possesses the same abilities as the Earth-616 version.

The Earth-31916 Power Prism is a sentient power source removed from the spacecraft that brings Hyperion to Earth.

Secret Wars (2015)
An alternate version of the original Doctor Spectrum later appears on Battleworld. This version of the character is Japanese rather than Ugandan.

Great Society (Earth-4290001)/Squadron Supreme (Earth-616)
An alternate, female version of Doctor Spectrum appears as a member of the Great Society, a team of Justice League analogues from Earth-4290001. After the Illiuminati destroy their Earth to stop the Incursion, she is marooned in Marvel's mainstream reality after Secret Wars ends, then becomes a member of the Earth-616 Squadron Supreme, composed of members from numerous realities.

In other media
The Billy Roberts incarnation of Doctor Spectrum appears in Avengers Assemble, voiced by Phil LaMarr. This version is an alien and a member of the Squadron Supreme who they previously forced to destroy their home planet, with him subsequently being controlled by the Power Prism's consciousness. After the Avengers free him from the Prism's control, Roberts joins a S.H.I.E.L.D. space program to find a suitable new planet to reside on while the Power Prism forms its own body, assumes the Doctor Spectrum mantle, and reunites with the Squadron. In "Avengers Underground", the Power Prism is defeated by Ant-Man and used by Captain America to convert the Sun's effects and render Hyperion powerless.

title: Doctor Spectrum


text: Template:Regions of Namibia

title: Template:Regions of Namibia


text:
Xiao He

Xiao He (257 BC – 16 August 193 BC ) was a Chinese calligrapher and politician of the early Western Han dynasty. He served Liu Bang (Emperor Gao), the founder of the Han dynasty, during the insurrection against the Qin dynasty, and fought on Liu's side in the Chu–Han Contention against Liu's rival, Xiang Yu. After the founding of the Han dynasty, Xiao He became the chancellor and held office until his death. For his contributions, he is also known as one of the "Three Heroes of the early Han dynasty" (漢初三傑), along with Han Xin and Zhang Liang.

Early life
Xiao He was born in Fengyi County, Sishui Commandery (present-day Feng County, Jiangsu). In his early days, he served as a gongcao (功曹; magistrate's secretary) in the administrative office of Pei County. He was studious, tactful and amiable. He was well versed in law and had a wide network of friends and acquaintances, among whom include Liu Bang, Cao Shen, Fan Kuai, Xiahou Ying and Zhou Bo.

Insurrection against the Qin dynasty
Once, Liu Bang released some prisoners he was escorting to Mount Li to be labourers, and became a fugitive. He hid in an outlaw stronghold on Mount Mangdang (in present-day Yongcheng, Henan) and maintained secret contact with Xiao He and Cao Shen. In 209 BC, Chen Sheng and Wu Guang started the Dazexiang Uprising to overthrow the Qin dynasty, and was followed by numerous other rebellions throughout China. The magistrate of Pei County considered rebelling as well, so he heeded Xiao He and Cao Shen's advice to invite Liu Bang back to support him. However, he changed his mind later and denied Liu Bang's party entry into the city. As he was afraid that Xiao He and Cao Shen might open the gates for Liu Bang, he intended to have them executed, but Xiao and Cao escaped and joined Liu. As suggested by Xiao He, Liu Bang had letters sent to the townsfolk, fired into the city on arrows, urging them to join him. The people responded to Liu Bang's call and killed the magistrate and welcomed him back into the city.

After returning to Pei County, the townsfolk wanted Liu Bang to lead them to overthrow the Qin dynasty. However, Liu Bang expressed reluctance in taking up the leadership position and the people agreed to decide their leader by luck. Xiao He was in charge of the process and he had the names of ten respectable men in town, including Liu Bang, written on separate pieces of paper and shuffled. Xiao He then asked Liu Bang to pick any piece from the pile, without seeing the name on it, and Liu picked his own name by chance. Liu Bang looked at Xiao He and wanted to decline again. Xiao He immediately grabbed the remaining pieces of paper, put them into his mouth and chewed them to shreds, after which he proclaimed Liu Bang as their leader. Liu Bang became known as the "Duke of Pei" and built his rebel army in Pei County, with Xiao He and his friends supporting him. Liu Bang learnt from Xiao He later that actually all the ten pieces of paper contained his name, and Xiao had deliberately tampered with the system to help him.

In 206 BC, the Qin dynasty collapsed after the last Qin ruler, Ziying, surrendered to Liu Bang. Liu Bang's army occupied the Qin capital Xianyang. Upon entering the Epang Palace, Liu Bang and most of his men seized treasures and women for themselves, while Xiao He rushed to the chancellor's office and ordered it to be heavily guarded. Xiao He then brought a few men with him to collect all official documents in the office and bring them out safely. Xiao He later explained that the documents were more valuable than riches and women, because they contained crucial information about the Qin Empire and would be useful in intelligence.

Recommending Han Xin
Liu Bang was forced to retreat from Xianyang later as Xiang Yu's army arrived and occupied the city. After plundering Xianyang and destroying the palace, Xiang Yu divided the former Qin Empire into the Eighteen Kingdoms. Liu Bang received the title of "King of Han" and was relocated to the remote Bashu region (in present-day Sichuan), with Xiao He and his followers accompanying him. Liu Bang was unhappy and wanted to attack Xiang Yu because the land of Guanzhong rightfully belonged to him, according to an earlier promise by Emperor Yi of Chu, but was granted by Xiang to three surrendered Qin generals instead. However, Xiao He and others managed to persuade Liu Bang to temporarily remain in Bashu and build up his forces in preparation for a battle for supremacy with Xiang Yu later. Xiao He was appointed by Liu Bang as the chancellor of the Han kingdom.

During that time, Xiao He met Han Xin, who had recently joined Liu Bang's army and was serving as a low-ranking soldier, and recognised Han Xin's brilliance in military strategy. Not long later, many of Liu Bang's men deserted as they were unable to cope with living in remote Bashu, and Han Xin also left as he was disappointed because he felt his talent would go to waste in Liu Bang's camp. When Xiao He learnt that Han Xin had left, he immediately rushed to find Han and bring him back, without managing to inform Liu Bang in time. Xiao He caught up with Han Xin after trailing him for a few days, even at night, and succeeded in persuading Han to return. Meanwhile, Liu Bang thought that Xiao He had also deserted him and was shocked, but was relieved when he saw Xiao returning with Han Xin days later. Liu Bang asked Xiao He, "Of all those who deserted, why did you choose to bring back Han Xin only?" Xiao He then strongly recommended Han Xin to Liu Bang, saying that Han's talent was unmatched. Liu Bang heeded Xiao He's suggestion and appointed Han Xin as a general.

Conquest of the Three Qin
In 206 BC, Liu Bang conquered the Three Qins and left Xiao He in charge of Guanzhong and Bashu, while he led his army eastward to attack Xiang Yu's Western Chu kingdom. Xiao He governed those territories effectively and provided support to Liu Bang's army at the warfront in the form of supplies, provisions and reinforcements. While in Guanzhong, Xiao He restored peace and order by implementing a new system of governance and reconstructing destroyed buildings. Under the new system, taxes were readjusted to reduce the burden on the poor; land that used to belong to the Qin aristocracy was redistributed to peasants, in order to increase agricultural output; capable and respectable men were selected from among commoners to assist government officials in administration.

Battle of Gaixia
Liu Bang eventually defeated Xiang Yu at the Battle of Gaixia in 202 BC and unified China under his rule. He was proclaimed "Emperor" and became historically known as "Emperor Gaozu of Han". The following year, when Gaozu rewarded his subjects according to their contributions, Xiao He received the title of "Marquis of Zan" (酇侯) in addition to his appointment as chancellor. Besides, Gaozu also granted Xiao He a rare special privilege: Xiao was allowed to enter the imperial court carrying a sword and with his shoes on, and not required to walk in briskly while others had to.

In service during the Western Han dynasty
In 201 BC, Emperor Gaozu wanted to build his capital in Luoyang but Zhang Liang suggested Xianyang instead, because it was surrounded by natural defences such as mountain passes, and had fertile land for agriculture. Gaozu put Xiao He in charge of the constructions in Xianyang. Two years later, the project was completed and Xiao He took Gaozu on a tour of Xianyang. The new palace was called Weiyang Palace and served as the central imperial palace throughout the Western Han dynasty and Xin dynasty. Gaozu also renamed Xianyang to "Chang'an", which meant "long-lasting peace".

Role in Han Xin's downfall
In 196 BC, while Gaozu was away on a military campaign to suppress a rebellion by Chen Xi, one of Han Xin's servants reported to Empress Lü Zhi that his master was involved in a conspiracy with Chen Xi and was planning a coup in Chang'an. Empress Lü approached Xiao He for help and they formulated a plan to lure Han Xin into a trap. Xiao He had an imperial edict sent to Han Xin, announcing news of Gaozu's victory over Chen Xi, asking Han to meet the emperor and offer his congratulations. As soon as Han Xin arrived in Changle Palace, he was arrested and executed in a torturous manner for alleged treason.

Later life and death
In 195 BC, Xiao He saw that Chang'an was becoming more congested and the imperial garden was full of uncultivated land, hence he suggested to Gaozu to carve out parts of the garden and grant them to peasants as farmland. Gaozu was unhappy and accused Xiao He of accepting bribes and dishonouring imperial authority. Xiao He was arrested and imprisoned, but was released later after Gaozu was convinced that Xiao He had the people's interests at heart. Gaozu summoned Xiao He to see him and he said with jest and embarrassment, "The chancellor was asking for the fields in the imperial garden out of interest for the people, but I did not approve. This showed that I'm only like Jie and Zhou (Emperors of the Xia and Shang dynasties), and that you're the most understanding chancellor. Therefore, I intentionally imprisoned you to show the people that I'm a tyrant."

After the death of Gaozu, Xiao He continued serving Gaozu's successor Emperor Hui as chancellor until he died in 193 BC. Before his death, Xiao He recommended Cao Shen to succeed him. Cao Shen inherited the system of governance left behind by Xiao He and maintained it well but did not implement any new changes.

Descendants
Xiao He's great-grandson, Xiao Biao (蕭彪), moved to Lanling (near present-day Zaozhuang, Shandong) and led a reclusive life there.

Two of his descendants would later found imperial dynasties during the Southern and Northern Dynasties period. Xiao Daocheng would found the Southern Qi, while his distant cousin Xiao Yan would found the subsequent Liang dynasty.

Legacy
Some Chinese idioms and sayings originated from the events in Xiao He's life and are listed as follows:

 * Xiao He chases Han Xin under the moonlight (蕭何月下追韓信): Originated from the event where Xiao trailed Han Xin for a few days, even at night, in order to catch up with the latter and bring him back to Liu Bang. It is used to describe an urgent situation in which action has to be taken immediately without notification.
 * Success is due to Xiao He, downfall is also due to Xiao He (成也蕭何 敗也蕭何 Hangul: 성야소하 폐야소하): Xiao He helped Han Xin become a general, which enabled Han to put his talent to good use. However, Xiao also played an important role in Han's death. It is used to describe a situation where one's success and failure are both due to the same factor.
 * Cao following Xiao's rules (萧规曹随): Cao Shen, Xiao He's successor as chancellor, inherited the system of governance left behind by Xiao and maintained it well but did not implement any new changes. It is used to describe the continuation of the work of one's predecessor.

Modern references
Xiao He is one of the 32 historical figures who appear as special characters in the video game Romance of the Three Kingdoms XI by Koei. He also appears as a non-playable character in the action RPG Prince of Qin.

title: Xiao He


text:
George Rostrevor Hamilton

Sir George Rostrevor Hamilton FRSL (1888 - 1967) was an English poet and critic. He worked as a civil servant and Special Commissioner. He was knighted in the 1951 King's Birthday Honours List.

He had a classical education at the University of Oxford, and later compiled anthologies of Latin and Greek verse for Nonesuch Press. He was a published war poet of World War I, known for A Cross in Flanders.

His book The Tell-Tale Article on the Auden Group made an impact by the expedient of counting the proportion of definite articles in Auden's verse, remarking that it was much higher than in older styles. In general he was a steady conservative in matters of literature.

He was a director of the Poetry Book Society, Vice-President of the Royal Society of Literature, and well connected as a correspondent of many literary and philosophical figures; including Walter de la Mare, C. S. Lewis, Wilfrid Meynell, Roy Fuller, Henri Bergson, E. R. Eddison and Owen Barfield.

Works

 * Stars and Fishes (1916) poems
 * Escape and Fantasy 1918) poems
 * Bergson and Future Philosophy: An Essay on the Scope of Intelligence (1921)
 * Pieces of Eight (1923) poems
 * The Soul of Wit (1924) anthology of epigrams
 * The Making (1926)
 * The Latin Portrait: An Anthology (1929) Nonesuch Press edited with Charles Stonehill.
 * Light in Six Moods (1930)
 * John Lord, Satirist (1934)
 * Wit's Looking-Glass (1934) anthology of French epigrams
 * The Greek Portrait (1934) Nonesuch Press editor
 * Unknown Lovers (1935)
 * Poetry and Contemplation: A New Preface to Poetics (1937)
 * Memoir 1887-1937 (1938)
 * The Sober War and Other Poems of 1939 (1940)
 * Apollyon and other poems of 1940 (1941)
 * The Trumpeter of Saint George (1941) poems
 * Landmarks: A Book of Topographical Verse for England and Wales (1943) edited with John Arlott
 * Hero or Fool? A Study of Milton's Satan (1944)
 * Death in April (1944) poetry
 * Selected Poems and Epigrams (1945)
 * The Inner Room (1947) poetry
 * The Tell-Tale Article: A Critical Approach to Modern Poetry (1949)
 * Essays & Studies 1950 editor
 * The Carved Stone (1952) poetry
 * The Russian Sister (1955)
 * Essays by Divers Hands XXVII (1955) editor
 * Essays & Studies Jubilee Volume (1956) editor
 * Guides and Marshals (1956)
 * Collected Poems and Epigrams (1958)
 * Walter Savage Landor (1960)
 * Landscape of the Mind (1963)
 * English Verse Epigram (1965)
 * Rapids of Time, sketches from the past (1965)

title: George Rostrevor Hamilton


text:
Canberra Nature Park

The Canberra Nature Park is a series of thirty three separate protected areas in and around Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, ranging from bushland hills to lowland native grassland. Many of the areas have previously been cleared for grazing, but many are now being returned to native bushland through revegetation and rehabilitation programs.

Canberra's inner hills Black Mountain, Mount Ainslie, Mount Majura, Mount Pleasant, Russell Hill, Red Hill, Mount Mugga, O'Connor Ridge, Bruce Ridge, Aranda Bushland, Mount Painter, The Pinnacle, Lyneham Ridge, Oakey Hill, Mount Taylor, Isaacs Ridge, Mount Stromlo, Mount Arawang, Neighbour Hill, Wanniassa Hill, and Narrabundah Hill are protected from development by the National Capital Plan and almost all are now part of the Canberra Nature Park system. These hills provide a scenic backdrop and natural setting for Canberra's urban areas, as originally set out in the Walter Burley Griffin Plan.

Most people in Canberra live within easy walking distance of a Canberra Nature Park area.

The areas are typically enclosed by simple wire fences, or by house fences. Gates are provided for people to walk or run in the parks; motorbikes are excluded. Some parks with mountains have reservoirs, as part of ACT Electricity and Water's supply network.

title: Canberra Nature Park


text:
Langkasuka

Langkasuka was an ancient Hindu-Buddhist kingdom located in the Malay Peninsula. Langkasuka flourished from the 200's to the 1500's as the oldest kingdom in the Malay Peninsula, believed to have been established by descendants of Ashoka the Great. The name is Sanskrit in origin; it is thought to be a combination of langkha for "resplendent land" -sukkha for "bliss". The kingdom, along with Old Kedah, is among the earliest kingdoms founded on the Malay Peninsula. The exact location of the kingdom is of some debate, but archaeological discoveries at Yarang near Pattani, Thailand suggest a probable location. The kingdom is proposed to have been established in the 1st century, perhaps between 80 and 100 AD.

According to the legend given in the Kedah Annals, the kingdom was founded and named by Merong Mahawangsa. Another proposal suggests that the name may have been derived from langkha and Ashoka, the Mauryan Hindu warrior king who eventually became a pacifist after embracing the ideals espoused in Buddhism, and that the early Indian colonizers of the Malayic Isthmus named the kingdom Langkasuka in his honour. Chinese historical sources provided some information on the kingdom and recorded a king Bhagadatta who sent envoys to the Chinese court.

Historical records
The earliest and most detailed description of the kingdom comes from the Chinese Liang dynasty (502–557) record Liangshu, which refers to the kingdom of "Lang-ya-xiu" (, Middle Chinese: ). The record mentions that the kingdom was founded over 400 years earlier, which made its founding likely some time in the late 1st or early 2nd century. According to Liangshu, "Lang-ya-xiu" or Langkasuka was 30 days' journey from east to west, and 20 from north to south, 24,000 li in distance from Guangzhou. It mentions that Aloeswood (Aquilaria) and camphor were abundant in the kingdom, and its capital was described as being surrounded by walls to form a city with double gates, towers and pavilions. Both men and women in Langkasuka wore sarongs with their torsos bare and their hair loose, although the king and senior officials covered their shoulders with cloth and wore gold earrings and belts of gold cord. Women of high status wrapped themselves in cloth and wore jeweled girdles. It gives further information on some of its kings and also relates a story on a succession:

"When the king goes forth he rides upon an elephant. He is accompanied by banners, fly-whisks, flags and drums and he is shaded with a white parasol. The soldiers of his guard are well-appointed. The inhabitants of the country say that their state was founded more than four hundred years ago. Subsequently the descendants became weaker, but in the king's household there was a man of virtue to whom the populace turned. When the king heard of this he imprisoned this man, but his chains snapped unaccountably. The king took him for a supernatural being and, not daring to injure him, exiled him from the country, whereupon he fled to India. The king of India gave him his eldest daughter in marriage. Not long afterwards, when the king of Lang-ya died, the chief ministers welcomed back the exile and made him king."

This king then ruled for more than 20 years. He was succeeded by his son, King Bhagadatta, who sent the first ambassadorial mission to China in 515. Further emissaries were sent in 523, 531, and 568. The transcription of the kingdom's name in Chinese records changed over time. In the late seventh century, the Buddhist monk Yi Jing mentioned encountering three Chinese monks who lived in a place named Lang-jia-shu (郎伽戍).

A Song dynasty work Zhu fan zhi (published in 1225) gives a description of the country of Ling-ya-si-jia (凌牙斯加). It mentions that its people cut their hair and wrapped themselves in a piece of cloth, its products included elephant tusks, rhinoceros horns, types of wood and camphor, and their merchants traded in wine, rice, silk and porcelain. It also says that the country paid tribute to a country named Sanfoqi, which is usually interpreted to be Srivijaya.

Langkasuka was known as "Long-ya-xi-jiao" (龍牙犀角) in Daoyi Zhilüe from the Yuan dynasty (1279–1368); and "Lang-xi-jia" (狼西加) during the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), as marked in Admiral Zheng He's 1621 Mao Kun map. Daoyi Zhilüe mentions that the natives of Langkasuka made salt from seawater and ferment rice wine, and produced hornbill casques, lakawood, honey and gharuwood. The people wore cotton from the Philippines and printed cloth from India and local sources.

"Langkasuka" was mentioned in the Malay text Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa, and it was referred to as "Lengkasuka" in the Javanese poem Nagarakretagama. Tamil sources name "Ilangasoka" as one of Rajendra Chola's conquests in his expedition against the Srivijaya empire. It was described as a kingdom that was "undaunted in fierce battles". Thai sources made no reference to Langkasuka, but Pattani was identified as one of the twelve Naksat cities under the influence of Nakhon Si Thammarat in Thai chronicles.

Outline of Langkasuka's history
A brief outline of the history of Langkasuka can be determined from the limited historical records available. The kingdom is thought to have been founded some time early in the 2nd century AD. It then underwent a period of decline due to the expansion of Funan in the early 3rd century. In the 6th century it experienced a resurgence and began to send emissaries to China. King Bhagadatta first established relations with China in 515 AD, with further emissaries sent in 523, 531 and 568. By the 8th century it had probably come under the control of the rising Srivijaya empire. In 1025 it was attacked by the armies of King Rajendra Chola I in his campaign against Srivijaya. In the 12th century, Langkasuka was a tributary to Srivijaya. The kingdom declined and how it ended is unclear with several theories being put up.

The late 13th-century Pasai Annals, mentioned that Langkasuka was destroyed in 1370. However, other sources mentioned that Langkasuka remained under the control and influence of the Srivijaya Empire until the 14th century when it was conquered by the Majapahit Empire. Langkasuka was probably conquered by Pattani as it ceased to exist by the 15th-century. Several historians contest this and believe that Langkasuka survived up to the 1470s. The areas of the kingdom that were not under the direct rule of Pattani is thought to have embraced Islam along with Kedah in 1474.

Location
Chinese and Arab sources placed the ancient kingdom on the east coast of the Malay Peninsula. The New Book of Tang mentions that Langkasuka bordered Pan Pan, and a map in the Ming dynasty military treatise Wubei Zhi locates it south of Songkla near the Pattani River. A 15th century Arab text similarly places the kingdom between Kelantan and Songkla. The only contradictory information comes from a later Malay text Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa which placed it on the west coast as the predecessor of modern Kedah, although its sovereign had some association with Pattani. Chinese, Arab and Indian sources all considered Kedah and Langkasuka to be separate geographical entities. The Javanese poem Nagarakretagama placed it north of Saiburi, however it appears to imply that it was originally located on the west coast but was transferred later to the east.

In 1961, taking account of the various sources, the geographer and historian Paul Wheatley concluded that Langkasuka should be located near the modern town of Pattani. French archaeologist and historian Michel Jacq-Hergoualc'h concurred, and proposed the former estuary of the Pattani River near Yarang as the likely location of Langkasuka. He also suggested that whole area between Pattani, Saiburi and Yala may have been part of Langkasuka. Modern archaeological explorations have uncovered ruins near Yarang, a village fifteen kilometers south of Pattani, which may be of the city described in Liangshu. The city was located inland 10 miles from the coast and connected to the rivers leading to the sea via canals. Silting of the waterways may have led to its decline.

Archaeology
Several archaeological expeditions were conducted in the 1960s to locate Langkasuka following Paul Wheatley's suggestion of its likely location. In 1963, Stewart Wavell led a Cambridge expedition to locate Langkasuka and Tambralinga, the details of this expedition are described in The Naga King's Daughter.

An archaeological investigation of the Yarang area began in 1989 by the Fine Arts Department of Thailand. The majority of the ruins were clustered in the vicinity of a hamlet called Ban Wat, and may have formed the nucleus of the city. Others were scattered further to the North at Ban Jalæ, and a couple more at Ban Prawæ. The excavations found various Buddhist structures and objects including votive tablets and sculptures, indicating a strong Buddhist presence in the kingdom. Objects related to Hindu worship were also found.

Many Chinese and Arab coins made of bronze have been found in the region, an indication of the commercial activity of the kingdom. Two silver Sassanid coins have also been found.

Popular culture

 * Raja Bersiong (or The Fanged King), a 1968 Malaysian film directed by Jamil Sulong with input from Malaysia's Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman.
 * Queen of Pattani or Queens of Langkasuka, a 2008 Thai movie directed by Nonzee Nimibutr loosely based on a south Pattani myth.
 * The Malay Chronicles: Bloodlines (also known by its local title Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa), a 2011 Malaysian film directed by Yusry Abdul Halim. The film is loosely based on the origins of Merong Mahawangsa, said to be the first King of Langkasuka.

title: Langkasuka


text:
Fairview, Alberta

Fairview is a town in Peace Country, Alberta, Canada. It is located 82 km southwest of Peace River and 115 km north of Grande Prairie at the intersection of Highway 2 and Highway 64A.

History
In 1928, the railroad extended west from Whitelaw through the Beaver Indian Reserve across a stubble field where the Hamlet of Fairview was established. The community of Waterhole, five miles to the south, was packed onto skids and wagons and relocated to the railroad site. The first train rolled into Fairview on November 2, 1928. The hamlet was incorporated as a village on April 22, 1929. In 1949, the village was incorporated into the Town of Fairview.

Climate
Fairview experiences a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfb).

Demographics
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Town of Fairview had a population of 2,817 living in 1,201 of its 1,376 total private dwellings, a change of NaN% from its 2016 population of 2,998. With a land area of 10.67 km2, it had a population density of in 2021.

In the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Town of Fairview recorded a population of 2,998 living in 1,251 of its 1,363 total private dwellings, a NaN% change from its 2011 population of 3,162. With a land area of 11.36 km2, it had a population density of in 2016.

Arts and culture
Fairview hosts the following events:
 * Agriculture Society Fair
 * Fairview & District Lions Club Annual Old Time Country Music Festival
 * The Annual Waterhole Pro Rodeo and Parade
 * Malanka Ukrainian New Year
 * The Peace Classic Wheels Car Show
 * Annual Summers End Festival
 * Emergency Services Regimental Ball

Attractions

Fairview offers indoor swimming at the Fairview Aquatic Centre, golfing at the Fairview Golf Course, skating at the Fairplex, skiing at the Fairview Ski Hill, as well as curling, and bowling.

The Fairview Regional Aquatic Centre was a $3.4M collaborative project taken on by the Town of Fairview and the M.D. of Fairview No. 136. The facility has a waterslide, a zero depth wading pool, a 25m lap pool, a Tarzan swing, monkey bars, a whirlpool, and a climbing wall. The Fairview Olympians swim club is located there, and offers various programming.

Sports
The Fairview Flyers were established in 2012, and compete in the North West Junior Hockey League.

Government
The Town of Fairview is governed by a mayor (Gord MacLeod) and six councillors. Fairview is part of the federal electoral district of Peace River—Westlock, and is represented in the House of Commons by Arnold Viersen of the Conservative Party of Canada. Provincially, Fairview is part of the electoral district of Central Peace-Notley and is represented in the Legislative Assembly by Todd Loewen of the United Conservative Party.

Education
Fairview has several schools, including:
 * St. Thomas More Catholic School (K-12)
 * EE Oliver School (K-6)
 * Fairview High School (7-12)
 * Grande Prairie Regional College - GPRC (Fairview Campus), formerly known as Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT), which formerly existed as Fairview College (post-secondary).

Media
The Fairview Post is local newspaper that covers the town and surrounding area. It was founded by Hec MacLean, a renowned sportswriter who formerly worked for the Calgary Herald. It is now owned by Sun Media Corporation, under Quebecor. Fairview is also served bi-weekly by an alternative newspaper, The Vault Magazine.

Notable people

 * Jordan Peterson, cultural critic, author, clinical psychologist, and University of Toronto psychology professor.
 * Rachel Notley, leader of the Alberta New Democratic Party and Premier of Alberta, 2015–2019.

title: Fairview, Alberta


text:
Venissa

Venissa (Gwenissa, Genissa, Genvissa, Genuissa), according to Geoffrey of Monmouth's 12th century Historia Regum Britanniae, was a daughter of the Roman Emperor Claudius, whom he gave in marriage to the British king Arvirargus once he had submitted to Rome.

According to Geoffrey's account she was very beautiful, and so enchanted Arvirargus that he preferred her company to anyone else's. He founded Gloucester, supposedly named after Claudius, in her honour. When Arvirargus fell out with Rome and Vespasian was sent to enforce a reconciliation, Venissa acted as mediator between them.

Venissa cannot be considered historical. She is not mentioned in authentic Roman history; her supposed husband Arvirargus is known only from a cryptic reference in a 2nd-century satirical poem by Juvenal; and it is in any case inconceivable that a daughter, even an illegitimate daughter, of a Roman emperor could be given in marriage to a barbarian without attracting comment. Nonetheless, she and her husband, identified with the historical Caratacus, appear in many uncritical genealogies originating in the Tudor period.

title: Venissa