Clara Vale

# Clara Vale

## Abstract

Clara Vale is a village situated on the south bank of the River Tyne in Tyne and Wear, England. Once an independent village in County Durham it became incorporated into the new metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear in 1974 as part of the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead.

## Location

Clara Vale stands on the south bank of the River Tyne in a low-lying and quite secluded spot. Crawcrook borders the hamlet to the south. Across the river (in Northumberland) are Close House to the north and the village of Wylam to the west. It is notable for being the first settlement in Tyne and Wear that the river Tyne passes after leaving Northumberland.

## Politics

In local government, Clara Vale is located in the 'Crawcrook, Greenside ward' of Gateshead Council. The ward is at the far west of Gateshead and borders part of Northumberland. The ward is served by three councillors (three Labour). Gateshead Council is Labour controlled.

Clara Vale is located within the parliamentary constituency of Blaydon. Its current MP is Labour's Liz Twist.

## History

Before the colliery and village were developed, a water-driven corn mill called Crawcrook Mill stood near the centre of the current village, with two small stone cottages and a mill dam apparently fed from Edington Well. This 'pot-pie' well is damaged but still stands near the road to the south of the village.

Stannerford Road is the only vehicular route into Clara Vale, named after a former ford across the River Tyne which it led to, linking Crawcrook to the south and Heddon-on-the-Wall to the north.

Maps from 1850 show a farmhouse called Stanner (or Stannar) House, which was later divided into two dwellings and demolished in the mid 1960s.

Clara Vale was purpose built as a colliery community by the Stella Coal Company around the time the coal mine was opened in July 1893. The colliery and settlement were named after the wife of colliery owner John Bell Simpson, Clara was Atkinson (née Draper). There are early references to Claraville and some old maps refer to the village as Claravale.

An Anglican 'tin tabernacle', the Church of the Good Shepherd stood in the centre of the village from 1886 to 1979. Two successive miners' institutes were on adjacent land, the last being demolished in the early 1990s.

A peak of 1221 employees were recorded at the colliery in 1925, declining to 562 in 1965, shortly before closure in February 1966 (around the same time as many other nearby pits such as Emma, Greenside and Stargate).

Like many former pit communities, Clara Vale was then given 'Category D' status by Durham County Council, meaning capital investment was discouraged and the settlement was expected to decline over time.

Many derelict colliery buildings remained until demolition in the 1980s, though the original ambulance shed remains. The former pithead baths building was repurposed for use by a succession of light industrial companies, and was a sound recording studio for some years. It was damaged and ultimately destroyed by fires in the 2010s.

## Modern-day Clara Vale

By avoiding the suburbanisation experienced by nearby towns and villages such as Crawcrook, Greenside and Ryton. Clara Vale has largely retained its rural character, with farms and countryside surrounding the village. This includes a Local Nature Reserve on the site of the old colliery, actively managed by the volunteers of Clara Vale Conservation Group to promote biodiversity.

Clara Vale has very little in the way of modern development. A bungalow was built on the site of the former village shop in the 1980s and in 1997 a short terraced street was built, more in the traditional style of the village. The former Co-Op building stood empty for decades but was converted to flats in the mid 2010s. Also around that time, the Methodist chapel was converted to a private residence and the adjacent Sunday school was converted to an Airbnb holiday rental.

The former village school is well established as a community centre and village hall, offering a range of activities and amenities including sport and event hire, craft, fitness and wellbeing classes, community meals and occasional music and theatre events.

In the 2010s, part of the village hall was converted to small office units which are leased out, providing regular income to maintain the whole building.

Clara Vale has no shops, but Crawcrook, Ryton and Wylam offer a range of shops and services within walking distance; so whilst Clara Vale remains secluded, it is by no means isolated.

## Sport

The village recreation ground was originally provided by the pit owners for the miners' welfare, originally including a bowling green and tennis courts. These became derelict and were subsumed by the local nature reserve, but the football pitch, cricket pitch and pavilion remain in active use. Clara Vale Cricket Club play matches there on Saturdays during the Summer, with Ovingham Bridge End Cricket Club playing on some Sundays and Merz and McLellan Cricket Club on some Wednesday evenings. Ryton and Crawcrook Albion (Youth) Football Club also use the football pitch.

Ryton Golf Club, to the north edge of the village, was established in 1891 (on riverside land known as Doctors Stanners), expanding in 1982 to use the former sites of allotment gardens and colliery railway works. Tyneside Golf Club is based in Ryton but its course borders Clara Vale's eastern edge. Close House golf club is to the north, over the river.


Parramatta Eels Women

# Parramatta Eels Women

## Abstract

Parramatta Eels Women are a rugby league team, representing the Parramatta region of Sydney. The team is part of the Parramatta Eels club and plays in the National Rugby League Women's Premiership. The club announced their first player signings in late June 2021.

## Seasons

The Parramatta Eels Women's team entered the National Rugby League Women's Premiership in the postponed 2021 season on 27 February 2022.

## Head-to-head records

Notes

- Share % is the percentage of points For over the sum of points For and Against.

- Clubs listed in the order than the Eels Women first played them.

- Last updated: 16 September 2024

## Current squad

The team is coached by Steve Georgallis.

Jersey numbers in the table reflect the Eels' Round 8 Team List. Table last updated on 15 September 2024 (after their Round 8 game).

Notes:

- The following players were signed on a Development contract for 2024 Aaliyah Haumono (Parramatta Eels, U19 8 games in 2024) Chelsea Makira Yasmine Baker

- Aaliyah Haumono (Parramatta Eels, U19 8 games in 2024)

- Chelsea Makira

- Yasmine Baker

- The following players were signed on a Development contract for 2023 Tallara Bamblett Chloe Jackson Lindsay Tui Taneka Todhunter

- Tallara Bamblett

- Chloe Jackson

- Lindsay Tui

- Taneka Todhunter

- Boss Kapua appeared as Noaria Kapua in the 2023 NRLW season.

- Breanna Eales had played 4 matches in the first 5 rounds of the 2024 HNWP prior to her selection on the extended bench for NRLW Round 3. Eales played for Wentworthville Magpies, the second of the Eels' NRLW two feeder-teams.

The Parramatta Eels announced player signings in several instalments from February 2024 to 9 July 2024.

## Club records

### Player records

Lists and tables last updated: 10 September 2024 (after their Round 7 game).

Most Games for the Eels

- Abbi Church — 24, Kennedy Cherrington — 23, Zali Fay — 22, Cassey Tohi-Hiku — 20, Mahalia Murphy — 16, Madeline Jones — 15.

Most Tries for the Eels

- Monique Donovan — 8, Simaima Taufa — 5, Kimberley Hunt — 5, Zali Fay — 5, Abbi Church — 5, Kennedy Cherrington — 5, Mahalia Murphy — 4, Tiana Penitani — 4.

Most Points for the Eels (20+)

Most Points in a Season (16+)

### Margins and streaks

Biggest winning margins

Biggest losing margins

Most consecutive wins

- 2 — (18 September 2022 — 25 September 2022)

- 2 — (11 August 2024 — 18 August 2024)

Most consecutive losses

- 6 — (20 March 2022 — 10 September 2022)

- 6 — (2 October 2022, and 23 July 2023 to 20 August 2023)

## Players

The following players have appeared in NRL Women's Premiership matches for the Eels. Table last updated: 16 September 2024.


Sameer Siddiqui

# Sameer Siddiqui

## Abstract

Sameer Siddiqui is an Indian screenwriter and playwright.

His father is Javed Siddiqui, a Hindi and Urdu screenwriter, dialogue writer and playwright. He is also related to Mohammad Ali Jouhar and Maulana Shaukat Ali.

## Films (Written)

- The Sholay Girl, A Film for Zee 5

- Tum Milo Toh Sahi

- Khanna & Iyer

- Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon

## Television (Written)

- Rabb se hai Dua on Zee

- Ishq Mein Marjawan 2 on Voot

- ’’ Ishq Subhan Allah A Daily Soap on Zee TV

- ’’ Ishq Mein Marjawan A Daily Soap on Colours

- Udaan - a daily soap on Colours

- Cloud 9 - 125 episode screenplay

- Dhoom Machao Dhoom

- Ayushmaan

- CID

- Gutur Gu a silent comedy

## English to Hindi Translation

- Bolt

- Race to Witch Mountain

## Theatre, Drama

- Chiller Room - a play based on delinquent children

- Dhakkan - a comic play based on two brothers who break away from their disciplined father but eventually realizing right from wrong, turn back to become just like their father


Tahj Brooks

# Tahj Brooks

## Abstract

Tahj Brooks (born May 13, 2002) is an American football running back for the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

## High school career

Brooks attended Manor High School in Manor, Texas. During his career, he rushed for over 4,400 yards and had 65 total touchdowns. He committed to Texas Tech University to play college football.

## College career

As a true freshman at Texas Tech in 2020, he rushed for 255 yards on 69 carries with four touchdowns over 10 games. As a sophomore in 2021, he started four of nine games and led the team with 568 yards on 87 carries with seven touchdowns. He again finished as the team's leading rusher in 2022, finishing with 691 yards on 147 carries and seven touchdowns over 13 games and six starts.

Brooks returned as the starter his senior year in 2023. In the first half of the 2023 season, Brooks finished with 100-yards rushing in four consecutive games, becoming the first Texas Tech running back to do so in the 21st century. Brooks had his sixth 100-yard rushing game of the season against TCU, becoming the first Texas Tech running back to eclipse 1,000 yards in a single season since DeAndré Washington in 2015. Brooks was named a semifinalist for the 2023 Doak Walker Award.

On December 11, 2023, Brooks announced that he would be returning for the 2024 season.


2024 Go Bowling at The Glen

# 2024 Go Bowling at The Glen

## Abstract

The 2024 Go Bowling at The Glen was a NASCAR Cup Series race that will be held on September 15, 2024, at Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, New York. Contested over 92 laps -- extended from 90 laps due to an overtime finish Contested over 90 laps on the 2.45-mile (3.94 km) road course, it will be the 28th race of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season, the second of the 2024 NASCAR playoffs, and the second race of the Round of 16. Chris Buescher won the race, his first win since the 2023 Coke Zero Sugar 400. Shane Van Gisbergen finished 2nd, and Carson Hocevar finished 3rd. Ross Chastain and Zane Smith rounded out the top five, and Chase Briscoe, Michael McDowell, Corey LaJoie, Ryan Preece, and Austin Cindric rounded out the top ten.

## Report

### Background

Watkins Glen International (nicknamed "The Glen") is an automobile race track located in Watkins Glen, New York at the southern tip of Seneca Lake. It was long known around the world as the home of the Formula One United States Grand Prix, which it hosted for twenty consecutive years (1961–1980), but the site has been home to road racing of nearly every class, including the World Sportscar Championship, Trans-Am, Can-Am, NASCAR Cup Series, the International Motor Sports Association and the IndyCar Series.

Initially, public roads in the village were used for the race course. In 1956 a permanent circuit for the race was built. In 1968 the race was extended to six hours, becoming the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen. The circuit's current layout has more or less been the same since 1971, although a chicane was installed at the uphill Esses in 1975 to slow cars through these corners, where there was a fatality during practice at the 1973 United States Grand Prix. The chicane was removed in 1985, but another chicane called the "Inner Loop" was installed in 1992 after J.D. McDuffie's fatal accident during the previous year's NASCAR Winston Cup event.

The circuit is known as the Mecca of North American road racing and is a very popular venue among fans and drivers. The facility is currently owned by NASCAR.

#### Entry list

- (R) denotes rookie driver.

- (P) denotes playoff driver.

- (i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points.

## Practice

Tyler Reddick was the fastest in the practice session with a time of 1:12.018 seconds and a speed of 122.469 mph (197.095 km/h).

## Qualifying

Ross Chastain scored the pole for the race with a time of 1:12.130 and a speed of 122.279 mph (196.789 km/h).

## Race

### Race results

#### Stage results

Stage One Laps: 20

Stage Two Laps: 20

### Final Stage results

Stage Three Laps: 50

### Race statistics

- Lead changes: 11 among 9 different drivers

- Cautions/Laps: 7 for 21 laps

- Red flags: 0

- Time of race: 2 hours, 38 minutes, and 41 seconds

- Average speed: 80.226 miles per hour (129.111 km/h)

## Media

### Television

USA covered the race on the television side as part of a Radio style Broadcast for the race. Leigh Diffey and Steve Letarte called the race from the broadcast booth. MRN broadcaster Mike Bagley called the race from the Esses, Dillon Welch called from Turn 5 to 9, and Jeff Burton called the race from Turn 10 & 11. Kim Coon, Parker Kligerman and Marty Snider handled the pit road duties from pit lane.

### Radio

Motor Racing Network radio called for the race, which was also simulcasted on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio. Alex Hayden, Jeff Striegle, and former crew chief Todd Gordon covered the action when the field raced down the front straightaway. Dave Moody called the race when the field raced thru the esses. Kyle Rickey covered the action when the field raced thru the inner loop and turn 5 and Jason Toy covered the action in turn 6 & 7. Steve Post, Brienne Pedigo, Chris Wilner & Jacklyn Drake called the action from the pits for MRN.

## Standings after the race


Kara Dansky

# Kara Dansky

## Abstract

Kara Dansky is an American women's rights activist, public speaker, writer, consultant, and gender critical feminist who advocates for protecting women and girls on the basis of sex in law and throughout society by opposing allowing biological men in spaces where women and girls are vulnerable: locker rooms, bathrooms, dressing rooms, rape crises centers and shelters for women victims of male violence. She is the president of the American chapter of the feminist organization, Women's Declaration International. From 2016 to 2020, she served on the board of the women’s rights group, Women's Liberation Front. She supports keeping safe spaces for women, which is referred to by those opposed to spaces exclusively for biological women as trans-exclusionary radical feminism or TERFs. She is an advocate for sex-based women's rights.In November 2021, she published "The Abolition of Sex: How the 'Transgender' Agenda Harms Women and Girls". She currently serves as President of the U.S. chapter of Women’s Declaration International (WDI), which seeks to promote the Declaration on Women's Sex-Based Rights. She served on the board of the Women's Liberation Front from 2016 to 2020. Dansky is also an attorney with a Juris Doctor Degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and a Bachelor of Arts from Johns Hopkins University, and an extensive background in criminal justice law and policy.

## Education

Dansky received a BA from Johns Hopkins University and a JD from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

## Career

Dansky was the executive director of the Stanford Criminal Justice Center.

In 2014, Dansky authored the ACLU study War Comes Home: The Excessive Militarization of American Policing which concluded that the increasing application of military tactics and weapons by American police was unnecessarily putting civilians at risk of injury and death.

From 2016 to 2020, Dansky served on the board of the Women's Liberation Front. She has appeared on Tucker Carlson 's Fox program to discuss her views.

In 2021, Dansky authored the book The Abolition of Sex: How the 'Transgender' Agenda Harms Women and Girls.

In 2023, Dansky published The Reckoning: How the Democrats and the Left Betrayed Women and Girls.

Dansky is the current president of the American chapter of Women's Declaration International.

## Personal life

Dansky is a Shambhala International certified meditation instructor.


The Machinist

# The Machinist

## Abstract

The Machinist is a 2004 psychological thriller film directed by Brad Anderson and written by Scott Kosar. It stars Christian Bale as the title character, a machinist struggling with paranoia and delusion after being unable to sleep for an entire year. Jennifer Jason Leigh, Aitana Sánchez-Gijón, John Sharian, and Michael Ironside appear in supporting roles.

The film drew attention due to Bale's commitment, having lost 62 pounds (28 kg) in preparation for his role. Upon release, The Machinist was well received by critics, with praise for Bale's performance, and grossed $8.2 million on a $5 million budget. In later years it has gained a cult status.

## Plot

Trevor Reznik is a machinist whose insomnia has led to him becoming emaciated. His appearance and behavior keep his coworkers away, and they eventually turn against him when he is involved in an accident, which causes his coworker, Miller, to lose his left arm. Trevor, who was distracted by an unfamiliar coworker named Ivan, is blamed for the accident. No one at the factory knows of Ivan and there are no records of him. Trevor seems to find comfort in the arms of Stevie, a prostitute with genuine affection for him, and with Maria, a waitress at an airport diner he frequents. He is haunted by brief flashes of recurring imagery, and things such as his car cigarette lighter take on a menacing air. A mysterious series of post-it notes appears on his refrigerator, depicting a game of hangman.

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

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

Trevor sees Ivan take Nicholas into Trevor's apartment and, fearing the worst, sneaks inside. Nicholas is nowhere to be seen and doesn't respond to Trevor's calls. Trevor confronts Ivan in the bathroom, and Ivan tells him "you know he's dead". Trevor, believing Ivan has killed Nicholas and his body is in the bathtub, attacks and seemingly kills him. He pulls back the shower curtain, only to find the bathtub empty. He goes to the refrigerator and opens it to find rotting fish, matching those in the fishing photo, which he at last realizes was of himself with Reynolds, just as Stevie claimed; Trevor hallucinated Ivan's presence in the photo. Trevor takes a rolled-up carpet containing Ivan's body to the ocean to dispose of it, only for the rug to unroll as he does so and reveal nothing inside. Ivan, unharmed, approaches Trevor from behind, and laughs as he tells Trevor that he has some explaining to do.

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

## Cast

- Christian Bale as Trevor Reznik

- Jennifer Jason Leigh as Stevie

- John Sharian as Ivan

- Aitana Sánchez-Gijón as Maria

- Michael Ironside as Miller

- Lawrence Gilliard Jr. as Jackson (as Larry Gilliard)

- Reg E. Cathey as Jones

- Anna Massey as Mrs. Shrike

- Matthew Romero as Nicholas

- Robert Long as Supervisor Furman

- Colin Stinton as Inspector Rogers

- Craig Stevenson as Tucker

## Production

Despite its setting in California, the film was shot in its entirety in and around Barcelona, Spain. It was produced by the Fantastic Factory label of Filmax and Castelao Productions.

Christian Bale strenuously dieted for over four months prior to filming, as his character needed to look drastically thin. According to a biography of Bale written by his former assistant, this daily diet consisted of "water, an apple and one cup of coffee per day, with the occasional whiskey" (approximately 55–260 calories). According to the DVD commentary, he lost 62 pounds (28 kg), reducing his body weight to 120 pounds (54 kg). Bale wanted to continue down to 99 pounds (45 kg), but the filmmakers would not allow it due to health concerns. In fact, the target weight to which the 6 ft (183 cm) Bale dropped was intended for a much shorter actor, but Bale insisted on seeing if he could make it anyway. At the end of filming he was left with just six weeks to regain enough mass to be ready for the screen test for his role in Batman Begins, which he achieved through weightlifting and binging on pizzas and ice cream.

Brad Anderson hurt his back during filming and directed much of the film while lying on a gurney.

The name Trevor Reznik is derived from Trent Reznor, the founder and primary creative force behind the industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, and the original script had Nine Inch Nails lyrics on the first page. Other Nine Inch Nails tributes include early press articles describing Reznik as experiencing a " downward spiral ".

However, the strongest literary influence is the Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky. In the DVD commentary, writer Scott Kosar states that he was influenced by Dostoyevsky's novel The Double.

- The character Reznik is shown reading Dostoyevsky's The Idiot early in the film.

- When Reznik is riding the "Route 666" attraction, one of the faux marquees reads Crime and Punishment.

- The number plate Reznik is reading from the red convertible (743 CRN) is the reverse of his Dodge (NRC 347).

- In Dostoyevsky's The Brothers Karamazov, the character who is visited by a devil is named Ivan. In the 1969 film, Ivan and his devil are played by the same actor (Kirill Lavrov). At the end of the film, as Reznik is sitting in his cell, he's wearing a shirt reading "Justice Brothers".

## Reception

### Box office

The Machinist opened on 22 October 2004 in three theatres in North America and grossed $1,082,715 with an average of $21,553 per theatre ranking 45th at the box office. The film's widest release was 72 theatres and it grossed $1,082,715 in North America and $7,120,520 in other countries for a total of $8,203,235.

### Critical response

The Machinist has a score of 77% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 142 reviews and an average rating of 6.6/10. The critical consensus states: "Brad Anderson's dark psychological thriller about a sleepless factory worker is elevated by Christian Bale's astonishingly committed performance." On Metacritic the film has a score of 61 based on reviews from 32 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

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


Table tennis rubber

# Table tennis rubber

## Abstract

Table tennis rubber is a type of rubber used as covering on a racket in table tennis. Modern table tennis rubber is usually composed of two layers: a layer of foam ("sponge") underneath and a layer of actual rubber on the surface. There are four common types of table tennis rubbers: short pips, long pips, antispin, and inverted. The thickness and density of the sponge layer underneath also affects how the rubber will handle the ball.

Because of the large variety of table tennis rubbers, there are a larger variety of playing styles in table tennis than in other racket sports.

## History

Good morning this is the peen gripper

## Types of rubber

Table tennis rubber has four common types: inverted and short pips rubber are primarily offensive, while long pips and antispin are primarily defensive. The word "pip" refers to the usually conic-shaped raised bumps on top of the rubber in short and long pips rubber or the bumps on the inside attached to the foam on inverted or antispin rubber.

### Inverted

Inverted rubber is an offensive rubber and the most popular type of rubber. They are smooth on the outside, leaving the pips on the inside touching the foam, which is why it is called inverted. Inverted rubber's wide variety of speeds and spins make it a favorite among players. Manufacturers will provide speed and spin ratings to differentiate their type of inverted rubber from others. The faster the speed rating, the harder it is to control.

#### Tensioned rubber

Before 2007, professional players often used speed glue on their inverted rubber to increase both speed and spin. After the ITTF banned speed glue due to health concerns, manufacturers have employed different methods to create inverted rubber with similar effects of speed glue. These new types of inverted rubber are called tensioned rubber, also called high tension, pre-tensed, or tensor rubber. They come in two types: mechanically tensioned rubber and chemically tensioned rubber. The two types differ mainly in the manufacturing process; mechanically tensioned rubber is made by gluing the rubber topsheet in a vacuum to cause the rubber to expand, and chemically tensioned rubber soaks the bottom foam layer in chemicals that cause the same effect as speed glue on the foam, but lasts longer.

### Short pips

Short pips rubber, also called pips out rubber, is a more controlled attack rubber that provides more speed but less spin to an attack than inverted rubber. Due to the small contact surface with the ball, short pips rubber is not easily affected by the opponent's spin; instead, it will knock a ball away. Therefore, the rubber is usually used for blocking, hitting, and counterattack strokes.

### Long pips

Long pips rubber is a defensive rubber. As its name suggests, the rubber has longer pips than short pips, and usually it also has thinner pips. The flexibility of the pips creates a low friction effect. As a result, it provides little spin because the spinning ball slips on the rubber. When provided with a heavy topspin ball from an opponent's rubber, the opponent's spin is returned. However, if the opponent sends backspin, the spin is again returned but will be topspin to the opponent which can cause confusion as inverted rubber or short pips rubber would return backspin for the same stroke. This is called "spin reversal" though in fact the spin does not reverse from the point of view of the bystander. The occasion when spin reverses is actually when both players are executing backspin or both executing topspin.

### Antispin

Antispin rubber is a defensive rubber with a smooth surface and very soft sponge. Due to the soft sponge, this rubber dampens speed of the ball and returns the ball at a low speed. It is usually used by defensive players on one side of their racket only. Unlike inverted rubber, it does not grip the ball, so opponents' balls are returned with little spin. However, against heavy spin, antispin rubber will return the ball with an opposite spin, similar to long pips.

### Other rubbers

#### Medium pips

Medium pips rubber is a mainly offensive rubber with pips out like the long and short pips rubber. It is more attack-oriented and has less spin than the long pips rubber, but is not as offensive as the short pips rubber.

## Sponge thickness and density

The thickness of the sponge and the density of the sponge layer underneath the rubber also affects the handling of the ball. These affect inverted and antispin rubbers the most, because they rely on sponge for spin and speed more than short and long pips rubber.

### Thickness

Sponge thickness affects the overall rubber speed and control. As a rule of thumb, the thinner the sponge, the more control you have, and the thicker the sponge, the faster it is. Rubbers labeled MX or MAX, short for maximum, have the maximum amount of sponge under the rubber without going over the ITTF regulation of 4.0 mm (0.16 inch). Rubbers labeled OX, short for orthodox, have no sponge beneath the rubber. Usually, inverted and antispin rubber have a larger foam thickness while pip rubber have a smaller thickness.

### Density

Sponge density, also called sponge hardness, affects the over rubber spin. As a rule of thumb, a lower density sponge, will have more spin at lower speeds, while a higher sponge density will have more spin at higher speeds. The sponge density affects antispin rubbers the most, for they rely on a soft sponge and a hard rubber surface to reverse spin.

## Picking the right rubber

Choosing the right table tennis rubber can be a complex process due to the various factors players must consider, such as playing style, speed, spin, and control. Traditionally, players often seek professional advice by visiting specialized table tennis shops, where experts can guide them through the selection process. These shops offer a hands-on experience and tailored advice, which is invaluable for both novice and experienced players.


Maximal-ratio combining

# Maximal-ratio combining

## Abstract

In telecommunications, maximum-ratio combining (MRC) is a method of diversity combining in which:

- the signals from each channel are added together,

- the gain of each channel is made proportional to the rms signal level and inversely proportional to the mean square noise level in that channel.

- different proportionality constants are used for each channel.

It is also known as ratio-squared combining and predetection combining. Maximum-ratio combining is the optimum combiner for independent additive white Gaussian noise channels.

MRC can restore a signal to its original shape. The technique was invented by American engineer Leonard R. Kahn in 1954.

MRC has also been found in the field of neuroscience, where it has been shown that neurons in the retina scale their dependence on two sources of input in proportion to the signal-to-noise ratio of the inputs.

This has the advantage of producing an output with acceptable SNR even when none of the individual signals are themselves acceptable.

## Example: Least Squares estimate in the case of Rx diversity

We consider an example of which the receiver is endowed with N antennas. In this case, the received vector y {\displaystyle y} is

where n {\displaystyle n} is noise vector n ∼ C N (0, I N × N) {\displaystyle n\sim CN(0,I_{N\times N})}. Following the ML detection criterion the detection procedure may be written as

where M {\displaystyle {\mathcal {M}}} is the considered constellation of s {\displaystyle s} and s ^ {\displaystyle {\hat {s}}} is the least square solution to the above model.

The least square solution in this case is also known as maximum-ratio-combining (MRC). In the case of N antennas the LS can be written as

which means that the signal from each antenna is rotated and weighted according to the phase and strength of the channel, such that the signals from all antennas are combined to yield the maximum ratio between signal and noise terms.


Table tennis rubber


Maria Koepcke

# Maria Koepcke

## Abstract

Maria Koepcke (born Maria Emilie Anna von Mikulicz-Radecki, 15 May 1924 – c. 24 December 1971) was a German ornithologist known for her work with Neotropical bird species. Koepcke was a well-respected authority in South American ornithology and her work is still referenced today. For her efforts, she is commemorated in the scientific names of four Peruvian bird species and, along with her husband, a Peruvian lizard species.

## Biography

Maria Emilie Anna von Mikulicz-Radecki was born in Leipzig, Saxony, Germany on 15 May 1924, the daughter of Felix von Mikulicz-Radecki, a university professor of gynaecology, and Käthe Finzenhangen. Her father's family descended from Polish nobility and the Polish surgeon Jan Mikulicz-Radecki was a relative of hers.

As a young woman, Koepcke set out to study animals. It was in 1949 that Koepcke obtained her doctorate in zoology from the University of Kiel. During her time in Kiel, she met her future husband, Hans-Wilhelm Koepcke, also a student of zoology. After receiving their degrees, the two traveled to Peru in order to study birds and other wildlife native to the area and they were married there in 1950. They lived in Miraflores, a suburb of Lima, and managed Casa Humboldt, a visitor's centre, until it closed in 1967. The Koepckes' only child, a daughter named Juliane Margaret Beate Koepcke, was born in Lima in 1954.

Koepcke died at the age of 47 following the crash of LANSA Flight 508 in the Peruvian jungle. On 24 December 1971, she and Juliane boarded the flight to travel to Pucallpa, where Hans-Wilhelm was working at the time, to spend Christmas there with him. The plane crashed due to a lightning strike during a heavy storm. Separated during the crash, it later was determined that Koepcke had been mortally wounded and died several days afterwards from her injuries. Her daughter, Juliane, was the only survivor of the crash, having fallen from 3,000 m (10,000 ft), still strapped into her seat that, apparently, cushioned her landing. Although injured, without food, and unable to find her mother, the teenager then hiked for eleven days through the rainforest until she found help.

At the time of her death, Koepcke was a department head for a natural history museum affiliated with the National University of San Marcos in Lima and a member of the German Ornithologists' Society.

After Koepcke's death, Hans-Wilhelm and Juliane both left Peru for Germany, Juliane in 1972, and Hans-Wilhelm in 1974. Hans-Wilhelm lived in Hamburg, teaching zoology at the University of Hamburg until his death in 2000. Like her parents, Juliane studied zoology at the University of Kiel. She became a mammalogist, specializing in the study of bats.

## Ornithology

Koepcke moved to Lima in 1950 at the age of 26 to work at the Javier Prado museum. Along with her husband, she made expeditions across the region. The couple named their home in Lima as "Casa Humboldt." She collected more than 1500 specimens in the region, describing 14 taxa between 1954 and 1971. The new species she described included Zaratornis stresemanni, Synallaxis zimmeri and Asthenes cactorum. She illustrated many of her papers herself. Several species were also named after her.

- Koepcke's screech owl, Megascops koepckeae

- Koepcke's hermit, Phaethornis koepckeae

- Koepke's hairy-nosed bat, Mimon koepckeae

- Selva cacique, Cacicus koepckeae

- Sira curassow, Pauxi koepckeae

- Frost's iguana, Microlophus koepckeorum (genitive plural, named in honor of both Maria and her husband Hans-Wilhelm)


Chiranjeevi

# Chiranjeevi

## Abstract

Konidela Chiranjeevi (born Konidela Sivasankara Varaprasad; 22 August 1955) is an Indian actor, politician and philanthropist known for his work in Telugu cinema. Known as the " Mega Star ", he is widely regarded as one of the most successful and influential actors in the history of Indian cinema. Chiranjeevi holds the record for the most "Industry Hits" in Telugu cinema, with eight films emerging as the top-grossers of their time—a feat unmatched by any actor in the industry's 100-year history. He is also celebrated as one of the finest dancers in Indian cinema. He has received numerous honours, including the Padma Bhushan in 2006 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2024 from the Government of India, as well as the IFFI Indian Film Personality of the Year Award in 2022. His other accolades include the Raghupathi Venkaiah Award, three Nandi Awards, and nine Filmfare Awards South, including the Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2013, CNN-IBN recognized him as one of "the men who changed the face of the Indian Cinema".

Chiranjeevi made his acting debut in 1978, initially gaining recognition for his supporting, anti-hero, and antagonist roles. He later transitioned to lead roles with notable success. His breakthrough came with the 1983 film Khaidi, which became the highest-grossing Telugu film at the time and established him as a leading actor in the industry. Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, Chiranjeevi starred in various "Industry Hits" — highest-grossers of all time — like Pasivadi Pranam (1987), Yamudiki Mogudu (1988), Attaku Yamudu Ammayiki Mogudu (1989), Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari (1990), Gang Leader (1991), and Gharana Mogudu (1992). Notably, Gharana Mogudu was the first South Indian film to earn over ₹ 10 crore in distributor share, prompting The Week magazine to label him "Bigger than Bachchan " and "the new money machine."

For his role in Aapadbandhavudu (1992), Chiranjeevi was paid ₹ 1.25 crore, making him the highest-paid actor in India at the time and the first Indian actor to command a ₹ 1 crore remuneration for a film. During this period, he received widespread critical acclaim for his performances in Swayamkrushi (1987), Rudraveena (1988), and Aapadbandhavudu (1992), showcasing his versatility as an actor who excelled in both commercial blockbusters and critically acclaimed films. Notably, Swayamkrushi was screened at the Moscow International Film Festival, while Rudraveena, which he co-produced, won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Chiranjeevi continued to dominate the box office with films like Master (1997), and Choodalani Vundi (1998). His 2002 film Indra was the highest-grossing Telugu film for many years, and socially impactful films like Tagore (2003) and Shankar Dada M.B.B.S. (2004) became major blockbusters, further cementing his legacy.

On 2 October 1998, Chiranjeevi established the Chiranjeevi Charitable Trust, which operates the largest blood and eye banks in the Telugu states. The trust has restored eyesight to over 9,000 individuals through cornea transplants and provides 70% of collected blood free to the poor. It has received several accolades, including the "Best Voluntary Blood Bank Award" from the Government of Andhra Pradesh for five consecutive years from 2002 to 2006. In 2002, he was honoured with the Samman Award by the Income Tax Department, for being the highest income tax payer in the profession category for the assessment year 1999–2000.

In 2008, Chiranjeevi founded the Praja Rajyam Party and led it in the 2009 Andhra Pradesh elections, where it won 18 seats and secured over 16% of the vote, making it the third-largest party in the state. The party merged with the Indian National Congress in 2011. Chiranjeevi served as a Rajya Sabha MP from 2012 to 2018 and was appointed Minister of Tourism in the central cabinet of India in October 2012, holding the position until May 2014. After a hiatus from cinema, he returned with the blockbuster hit Khaidi No. 150 (2017), followed by successful films such as Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy (2019) and Waltair Veerayya (2023).

## Early and personal life

Chiranjeevi was born as Konidela Sivasankara Varaprasad Rao on 22 August 1955 in a Telugu family to Konidela Venkata Rao and Anjana Devi in Mogalthur, West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh. His father Konidela Venkata Rao worked as a constable and was transferred on a regular basis. He spent his childhood in his native village with his grandparents.

Chiranjeevi did his schooling in Nidadavolu, Gurazala, Bapatla, Ponnur, Mangalagiri and Mogalthur. He was an NCC cadet and had participated in the Republic Day Parade in New Delhi in the early 1970s. He was interested in acting from a young age. He did his Intermediate at C. S. R. Sarma College in Ongole. After graduating with a degree in commerce from Sri Y N College at Narsapuram, Chiranjeevi moved to Chennai and joined the Madras Film Institute in 1976 to pursue a career in acting.

On 20 February 1980, Chiranjeevi married Surekha, the daughter of Telugu comic actor Allu Ramalingaiah. They have two daughters, Sushmitha and Sreeja, and a son, Ram Charan, also an actor in Telugu cinema. Chiranjeevi has two brothers, Nagendra Babu, a film producer and actor, and Pawan Kalyan, an actor-politician who founded Jana Sena, a regional political party. Allu Aravind, his brother-in-law, is a film producer. Chiranjeevi is the uncle to actors Allu Arjun, Varun Tej, Niharika, Sai Dharam Tej, and Panja Vaisshnav Tej.

## Acting career

### 1978–1981: Early career

Since his family worshipped Anjaneya (Hanuman), a Hindu deity, his mother advised him to take the screen name " Chiranjeevi ", meaning "Immortal", a reference to the belief of Hanuman living forever.

Chiranjeevi started his film career with Punadhirallu (1979). However, his first released film was Pranam Khareedu (1978). Mana Voori Pandavulu (1978), directed by Bapu, gave Chiranjeevi recognition from the Telugu audience. He played a small role in Tayaramma Bangarayya (1979). He played the anti-hero in films I Love You (1979) and K. Balachander 's Idi Katha Kaadu (1979), starring Kamal Haasan.

In a remake of the Tamil film Avargal (1977), Chiranjeevi portrayed the character played by Rajinikanth in the original. In 1979, Chiranjeevi had eight major film releases and then 14 films in the following year. In 1981, he played lead antagonist in works such as Mosagadu, Rani Kasula Rangamma, 47 Natkal / 47 Rojulu, Nyayam Kavali and Ranuva Veeran.

### 1982–1986: Breakthrough with leading roles

Chiranjeevi began to appear in leading roles with films such as Intlo Ramayya Veedhilo Krishnayya (1982), directed by Kodi Ramakrishna, which was a hit at the box office. Later, he starred in Subhalekha (1982), directed by K. Viswanath, which dealt with the social malady of the dowry system. It brought him his first Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu and Viswanath's third Filmfare Award for Best Director – Telugu. In 1982, he also appeared in movies such as Idi Pellantara, Sitadevi, Tingu Rangadu, Bandhalu Anubandhalu and Mondi Ghatam. He acted in multi-star movies such as Patnam Vachina Pativrathalu and Billa Ranga, and later appeared in Manchu Pallaki.

Khaidi (1983) was a box office success and Chiranjeevi attained stardom with this movie. In 1984, he continued doing action films. A series of box office hits at this time include; Mantri Gari Viyyankudu, Sangharshana, Goonda, Challenge, Hero, Donga, Jwala, Adavi Donga, Kondaveeti Raja, Rakshasudu. In 1985, he received his second Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu for his performance in Vijetha.

### 1987–2007: Commercial success

Chiranjeevi received his first Nandi Award for Best Actor for Swayamkrushi (1987), directed by K. Viswanath. Pasivadi Pranam (1987), Yamudiki Mogudu (1988) and Manchi Donga (1988) also did well at the box office. He co-produced and acted in Rudraveena (1988), which won the Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration, and the Nandi Special Jury Award. The title "Megastar" appeared for the first time in the title cards of the 1988 release Marana Mrudangam, marking its association with Chiranjeevi. He then experimented with Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari (1990), a socio-fantasy directed by K. Raghavendra Rao and produced by Aswini Dutt. Other experimental works at this time include works such as Kondaveeti Donga (1990), the first Telugu film to be released on a 70mm 6-Track stereophonic sound, the western genre Kodama Simham (1990) and the social problem action film Gang Leader (1991), which were box-office hits and led to Chiranjeevi being regarded as the "boss of Telugu cinema". The 1992 film Gharana Mogudu was the first South Indian and Telugu film to collect over ₹ 10 crore in distributor share at the box office. The film was screened at the 1993 International Film Festival of India in the mainstream section.

Chiranjeevi's Bollywood performances were appreciated in Pratibandh and Aaj Ka Goonda Raaj. For his role in Aapadbandhavudu (1992), he received his second Nandi Award for Best Actor and third Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu. The mid-1990s saw a career dip for Chiranjeevi with box office duds such as S. P. Parasuram, The Gentleman, Big Boss and Rikshavodu. There were exceptions, such as Muta Mestri, which fetched him a fourth Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu; Mugguru Monagallu and Alluda Majaka were also successful. In 1996, he appeared in a guest role in the Kannada film Sipayi. After a brief lull, Chiranjeevi bounced back with Hitler, Master, Bavagaru Bagunnara?, Choodalani Vundi and Sneham Kosam, for which he received his fifth Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu. In 1999, Chiranjeevi was to appear in a Hollywood production directed by Dushan Garsi, and produced by Rameshkrishna Murthi. The Telugu version was directed by Suresh Krissna. The movie, which was titled The Return of the Thief of Baghdad, had its filming suspended for undisclosed reasons.

Chiranjeevi's new decade started with Annayya (2000). After a brief gap, Chiranjeevi starred in Indra, released in 2002, which broke all his previous box office records of Tollywood and won him his third Nandi Award for Best Actor and sixth Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu. After that, he appeared in films with an underlying message and a social cause, including Tagore; Shankar Dada M.B.B.S., for which he won his seventh and latest Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu; and Stalin. He was awarded the Filmfare Special Award – South in 2006 and the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award – South at the 58th Filmfare Awards South in 2011 for his contributions to the film industry.

### 2008–2016: Hiatus in film career

Following his last film in the lead role, 2007's Shankar Dada Zindabad, Chiranjeevi did not star in any film for approximately 10 years, during which he embarked on his political career. During these 10 years, his appearances in films were limited to cameo roles. He appeared as himself in two films, starring his son Ram Charan, namely Magadheera (2009) and Bruce Lee: The Fighter (2015). He also narrated Varudu (2010) and Rudhramadevi (2015).

### 2017–present: Comeback

From 2013 onwards, he was on the lookout for the right script to mark his comeback into cinema, in what would coincidentally happen to be his 150th film as an actor. A year following the release of the highly successful 2014 Tamil film Kaththi, Chiranjeevi chose to remake that film in Telugu as his comeback film. The remake, titled Khaidi No. 150, directed by V. V. Vinayak, was released during the Sankranti holiday in 2017, about six months short of a decade following Shankar Dada Zindabad, to positive reviews. Critics have singled out Chiranjeevi in particular, praising him for both his performance and appearance, especially following a decade of absence from cinema. The movie collected ₹ 41.75 crore on its opening day and grossed ₹ 164 crore in its lifetime. In 2019, he starred in his first period film Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy based on the life of Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy; it was directed by Surender Reddy. The movie made on a budget more than ₹ 200 – 270 crore, grossed more than ₹ 240 crore (equivalent to ₹ 337 crore or US$40 million in 2023) in its theatrical run.

Chiranjeevi had two releases in 2022. His first film was Acharya directed by Koratala Siva co-starring Chiranjeevi’s son Ram Charan. His second release was GodFather directed by Mohan Raja. The film had Salman Khan in an extended cameo role and was largely successful. GodFather subsequently released on Netflix.

Chiranjeevi then starred in the 2023 film Waltair Veerayya directed by Bobby Kolli which released during the Sankranti festival. The film also starred Ravi Teja in an important role, reuniting them on screen after 23 years since the 2000 film Annayya. The film met huge commercial success. Waltair Veerayya later released on Netflix for streaming. In the same year, he also appeared in Bhola Shankar, a remake of the 2015 Tamil blockbuster, Vedalam. However, it opened to unanimously negative reviews and was a huge disaster at the box-office.

He announced his next film, Vishwambhara (2025), with Mallidi Vassishta of Bimbisara (2022) fame.

## Other work

Chiranjeevi is one of the co-owners of the Indian Super League club Kerala Blasters FC.

### Television career

Chiranjeevi made his debut as a Television host with the fourth season of Meelo Evaru Koteeswarudu. The first episode of the fourth season was aired on 13 February 2017 on Star Maa. The game show is a Telugu-language adaptation of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?.

## Political career

In August 2008, Chiranjeevi launched his political party, Praja Rajyam Party, in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. At the launch, he stated that social justice was the main agenda of his party. In the 2009 Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly elections, the party won 18 of the 294 seats and secured a vote share of over 16%. He contested from Tirupati and Palakollu constituencies winning in Tirupati but losing out in Palakollu, in West Godavari district.

On 6 February 2011, the Praja Rajyam Party merged with the Indian National Congress after two weeks of talks with Congress President Sonia Gandhi. The merger was influenced by the Congress party's concerns over a no-confidence motion in the Andhra Pradesh state assembly, spurred by the rise of Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy 's YSR Congress Party and the ongoing Telangana agitation. On 29 March 2012, Chiranjeevi was nominated to the Rajya Sabha, where he was elected and took his oath as a member on 3 April. Later that year, on 28 October, he was sworn in as the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Tourism. In 2013, Chiranjeevi inaugurated the Incredible India Exhibition, a collaboration between the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, at the 66th Cannes Film Festival. He also represented Incredible India at the 14th IIFA Awards ceremony held in Macau that same year.

After the split of the state of Andhra Pradesh leaving the residuary state with huge debt and little revenue in June 2014, most members of the Andhra Pradesh wing of Congress party left in protest. Chiranjeevi, however, remained with Congress and campaigned for it as chairman of Election Campaign Committee for 2014 parliamentary and assembly elections in the residual state of Andhra Pradesh. However, he refrained from contesting in elections. There was also speculation that he did not campaign wholeheartedly due to the one-sided decision taken to split Andhra Pradesh. His younger brother, Pawan Kalyan, a former Praja Rajyam Party youth wing leader, launched his own political party, Jana Sena Party, and campaigned vigorously against Congress and in favour of Telugu Desam Party and Bharatiya Janata Party. Due to the strong anti-Congress sentiment prevailing in Andhra Pradesh, its candidates were defeated in all parliamentary and state assembly seats of Andhra Pradesh.

Since the 2014 elections, he has stayed away from active politics and since then, has not attended any meetings of the Congress party, on a regional or national level. His tenure as a Rajya Sabha member ended in April 2018. Although he is currently not active in politics, he was issued with a new All India Congress Committee identity card in 2022 leading to the speculation of his political comeback.

## Humanitarian work

Chiranjeevi established the Chiranjeevi Charitable Trust (CCT) on 2 October 1998, with the motto that no one should lose their life due to a lack of blood. The trust includes a blood bank and an eye bank and is the largest recipient of blood and eye donations in Andhra Pradesh. As of September 2022, CCT has collected over 930,000 units of blood, with 70% of it provided to the poor free of charge. It has restored eyesight to over 9,060 individuals through 4,580 cornea transplants, and more than 350,000 people have pledged their eyes to CCT. The trust has received several accolades, including the "Best Voluntary Blood Bank Award" from the Andhra Pradesh State Government for five consecutive years from 2002 to 2006. On 10 June 2006, the then President of India, A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, inaugurated the Chiranjeevi Charitable Foundation (CCF) at Jubilee Hills in Hyderabad. Chiranjeevi has supported the trust's activities through his earnings, including those from television commercials and promotions.

After Chiranjeevi's entry into politics, actor couple Rajasekhar and Jeevitha made allegations against the Chiranjeevi Blood Bank, accusing it of engaging in financial irregularities. In response, the Andhra Pradesh state government formed a high-level committee to investigate the claims. The committee, guided by the project director of the AP State AIDS Control Society and composed of experts from finance and technical fields, thoroughly examined records related to blood collection and disposal, blood grouping, screening, sterilization, medical waste management, conducted camps, blood expiry, quality control, storage facilities, and equipment purchases. Following the investigation, the blood bank was cleared of any wrongdoing. Authorities confirmed that the blood bank operates in full compliance with the guidelines set by the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO). In 2023, a Nampally court sentenced Rajasekhar and Jeevitha to one year in jail and imposed a fine of ₹5 lakh for their defamatory remarks against the blood bank. The couple, however, obtained bail.

In May 2021, Chiranjeevi set up oxygen banks and ambulances across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to meet the needs of patients affected by COVID-19.

## Awards, honours and recognitions

Director K. Balachander said, "Chiranjeevi has both Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth in him. Not only can he do action, he can also act." Chiranjeevi received the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian honour in India in the year 2006. In the same year, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Andhra University for his contribution to films and his social service through the Chiranjeevi Charitable Trust. He is a nine-time winner of Filmfare Awards South and a three-time winner of Nandi Awards. In 2013, CNN-IBN recognized him as one of "the men who changed the face of the Indian Cinema". In 2014, he was awarded International Face of Indian Cinema at the 3rd South Indian International Movie Awards by Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor. He was the first actor from South India to be invited to the Oscars ceremony in 1987.

### Civilian honours

- 2006 – Padma Bhushan from the Government of India

- 2024 – Padma Vibhushan from the Government of India

### National honours

- 2022 – IFFI Indian Film Personality of the Year Award

### State honours

- 2016 – Raghupathi Venkaiah Award from the Government of Andhra Pradesh

### Acting honours

- Best Actor – Swayam Krushi (1987)

- Best Actor – Khaidi No. 150 (2017)

- Best Actor – Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy (2019)

- 2006 – Honorary doctorate from the Andhra University

- SIIMA Awards - International Face of Indian Cinema – (2014)


2024–25 AFC Wimbledon season

# 2024–25 AFC Wimbledon season

## Abstract

The 2024–25 season is the 23rd season in the history of AFC Wimbledon and their third consecutive season in League Two. In addition to the domestic league, the club would also participate in the FA Cup, the EFL Cup, and the EFL Trophy.

## Transfers

## Pre-season and friendlies

On 7 May, The Dons announced they would return to Alicante for a five-day warm weather training camp. A month later, four pre-season friendlies were confirmed, against Charlton Athletic, Maidenhead United, Metropolitan Police and Barnet. On June 21, a home friendly fixture against Brentford was added. Peterborough United were confirmed as the opponents for the training camp.

Win Draw Loss Fixtures

## Competitions

### League Two

#### League table

#### Results summary

Last updated: 31 August 2024. Source: Soccerway

#### Results by round

#### Matches

On 26 June, the League Two fixtures were announced.

Win Draw Loss Fixtures

### FA Cup

Win Draw Loss Fixtures

### EFL Cup

On 27 June, the draw for the first round was made, with Wimbledon being drawn away against Bromley. In the second round, they were drawn at home to Ipswich Town. In the third round, a home tie against Newcastle United was confirmed.

Win Draw Loss Fixtures

### EFL Trophy

In the group stage, Wimbledon were drawn into Southern Group B alongside Crawley Town, Wycombe Wanderers and Brighton & Hove Albion U21.

Win Draw Loss Fixtures

## Statistics

### Appearances and goals

List includes all first team players and any other matchday squad players


Witch Watch

# Witch Watch

## Abstract

Witch Watch (Japanese: ウィッチウォッチ, Hepburn: Witchi Wotchi) is a Japanese fantasy and romantic comedy manga series written and illustrated by Kenta Shinohara. It has been serialized in Shueisha 's Weekly Shōnen Jump since February 2021, with its chapters collected into eighteen tankōbon volumes as of September 2024. By November 2022, the manga had over 1.1 million copies in circulation. An anime television series adaptation produced by Bibury Animation Studios is set to premiere in April 2025.

## Synopsis

The series focuses on Nico Wakatsuki, a teenage witch who, after completing her magical training, moves into a house with her childhood friend Morihito Otogi, a human-looking ogre. Due to their families' ancestral history, Morihito is to become Nico's familiar and protect her. Nico also hopes this will help them become a couple, as he is her longtime crush. As the story progresses, Nico and Morihito find themselves forced to deal with the various supernatural and legendary beings they encounter while also trying to solve all the unpredictable problems Nico's magic causes in their daily lives.

## Characters

## Production

Kenta Shinohara revealed that it takes five days to draw the characters in Witch Watch, while the storyboards take two and a half days. In January 2023, Shinohara stated on Twitter that Witch Watch would probably be his last weekly serial. He explained that he is "physically unable" to do one, even if he wanted to. The February 6, 2023, chapter of the manga began a crossover with Shinohara's previous Weekly Shōnen Jump series, Sket Dance.

## Media

### Manga

Witch Watch is written and illustrated by Kenta Shinohara. The manga began its serialization in Shueisha 's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump on February 8, 2021. Shueisha has collected its chapters into individual tankōbon volumes. The first volume was released on June 4, 2021. As of September 4, 2024, eighteen volumes have been released.

Witch Watch has been licensed for simultaneous publication in North America as it is released in Japan, with its chapters being digitally launched by Viz Media on its Shonen Jump website. Shueisha also simulpublishes the series in English for free on the Manga Plus app and website. Viz Media also publishes its volumes in digital format.

#### Chapters not yet in tankōbon format

These chapters have yet to be published in a tankōbon volume.

- "#simpleliving" (シンプルライフ, Shinpuru Raifu)

- "Textbook Love" (恋は教科書のように, Koi wa Kyōkasho no yō ni)

- "The Birthday Present King" (誕プレ王決定戦, Tanpure-ō Kettei-sen)

- "Stuck-On Smile" (貼り付けた笑顔, Haritsuketa Egao)

- "Class 1-2's Newsletter Team" (1年2組新聞係, 1-nen 2-kumi Shinbun-gakari)

- "Enter the Animation"

- "Chami's Secret" (秘密のチャミー, Himitsu no Chamī)

- "The Secret Chami" (チャミーの秘密, Chamī no Himitsu)

- "Nico's Kanshi and Kanshi's Nico" (ニコがカンシでカンシがニコで, Niko ga Kanshi de Kanshi ga Niko de)

- "Morihito's Vintage Devotion" (モイちゃんのヴィンテージ道, Moi-chan no Vintēji Dō)

### Anime

An anime television series adaptation was announced on August 19, 2024. It will be produced by Bibury Animation Studios and directed by Hiroshi Ikehata, with assistant direction by Masao Kawase, scripts written by Deko Akao, characters designed by Haruko Iizuka, and music composed by Yukari Hashimoto. The series is set to premiere in April 2025.

## Reception

### Popularity and sales

In June 2021, Witch Watch was nominated for the seventh Next Manga Award in the Best Printed Manga category and placed tenth out of 50 nominees. It was also nominated for the same award and placed second out of 50 nominees in 2022. By November 2022, the first eight volumes of the manga had over 1.1 million copies in circulation.

### Critical response

Timothy Donohoo of Comic Book Resources compared Witch Watch to Kouji Miura 's Blue Box and Shigure Tokita's Don't Blush, Sekime-san! due to both series having concepts and romantic aspects similar to Witch Watch ' s.


Andrew Baines

# Andrew Baines

## Abstract

Andrew Baines (born 1963) is an Australian artist based in Adelaide, South Australia, known for his "quasi-surrealist" paintings of politicians in exposed positions and bowler-hatted office workers on beaches, and " living statues ". He does a lot of work for charities, particularly those focussed on the plight of homeless people.

## Early life and education

Baines was born in Colchester, Essex, England, in 1963, then migrated to South Australia with his parents as an infant.

Baines grew up in the beachside suburb of Grange, spending school holidays at various other coastal places, including Coobowie on the Yorke Peninsula, Rapid Bay, Normanville and Kangaroo Island. His father was a semi-professional soccer player and electrician. His mother was a housewife, who loved painting, reading and music. He has two younger brothers. His mother placed drawing materials in his hands as soon as he could sit up and Baines showed great aptitude, astonishing a kindergarten teacher with his aerial perspective drawing of the area they lived in.

He attended Grange Primary, and attended painting classes at the Henley and Grange Art Society when he was ten years old. Baines became the cartoonist for the Western Suburbs Schools Soccer Newsletter that same year, earning two dollars a cartoon. He was also an unpaid profile artist for the Grange Primary newsletter. By age eleven, he was selling pencil sketches for A$5 to teachers and parents at the Grange Primary School.

He then went to Seaton High School, developed a passion for soccer player and worked for John Martins after finishing school at the age of 16, in 1979. There he produced artwork for the "Magic Cave" and backdrops for window displays, and met his future wife, Jacqueline.

In 1980 and 1981 Baines spent two years at the South Australian School of Art at Underdale, but clashes with his soccer training schedule caused him to drop out and he returned to work at John Martins.

## Career

In his twenties Baines discovered the works of Andy Warhol, David Hockney, Pro Hart and Ken Done, and saw the life he wanted.

In 1984, he resigned from John Martins to start Baines Graphics (set up in 1983), producing murals, cartoons, and other artworks for high-profile companies, such as BP Australia, Australian Grand Prix, and the S.A. Soccer Federation.

In 1999, he became a full-time painter, on the advice of his wife Jacqueline.

During the 2007–2008 financial crisis, Baines accumulated a lot of debt, and almost found himself homeless.

Baines's work has attracted media attention through his "human sculptures" on coasts around the country, which have parallels with the work of Storm Thorgerson, known for his Pink Floyd album covers.

Baines' work is represented by many major commercial galleries and is held in many collections across Australia and abroad, but as of July 2022 Baines his work has not made it into the Art Gallery of South Australia. A solo exhibition, The Search for Sanity, is mounted by BMGArt in July–August 2022.

As of July 2022 Baines lives and works in Grange, with his wife Jacqueline.

## Art practice and works

Baines describes himself as a "quasi-surrealist painter and installation artist". He particularly admires the work of Andy Warhol, David Hockney, Ken Done, Pro Hart and Jeffrey Smart.

He has put Alexander Downer in a red door on the beach; Natasha Stott Despoja, Steven Marshall and Kirsten Alexander, mayor of the City of Charles Sturt in full mayoral gown and gold chains, in the sea, drinking tea; two dozen leaders of various faiths holding hands along the water's edge, including both the Anglican and Catholic Archbishops; arranged for the West Australian Symphony Orchestra to play a symphony in the sea; put a herd of cows in the Indian Ocean; stood former prime minister of Australia Malcolm Turnbull and over 100 suited volunteers holding umbrellas aloft in the dawn surf at Bondi Beach, then replicated this with former Western Australian premier Colin Barnett and suited volunteers at Cottesloe beach; seated twelve suited volunteers on toilets reading papers along the water's edge, including Australian politician, Amanda Vanstone; and provided brightly coloured sheep to the SA branch of the United Nations Association of Australia "to mark the International Year of Family Farming". Since 2005, he has created dozens of installations on Australian beaches, collaborating with Hills Hoist, West Australian Symphony Orchestra, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Leigh Warren Dance Company, Holstein Australia, the Western Australian State Gallery, Anglicare, Flinders Medical Centre Foundation and Wirra Wirra Vineyards. Volunteer subjects have included Sir James & Lady Hardy, and Sir Eric & Lady Neal, among many others.

Busselton Bovines (February 2011) involved placing five Holstein Friesian cattle in the sea at Busselton, Western Australia. It came about when Baines was approached by representatives of the national Dairy Innovators' Forum at a gallery opening in Perth. A few local dairies agreed to take on the challenge of introducing their cows to the sea. Two months later the cows stood happily in the shallows, long enough for photographs to be taken. Local media embraced the event and news of the installation went global.

Post Modern Backyard (May 2011) involved transporting eight full size Hills Hoists to Bondi Beach, New South Wales from Adelaide, and have them erected. Hills loved the concept and organised two professional erecters and eight Hills hoists to be in place at 5 am on Bondi beach.

In Waiting for the Bus (September 2012) one hundred " bowler hat -wearing, classic 'Englishmen'" lined up along Henley Beach and struggled to read the newspaper in the wind.

The Coalition of the Constipated (August 2012) at Henley Beach, South Australia was a political statement, made to highlight the need for toilet facilities at the popular beach. Amanda Vanstone and radio personality, Bob Francis, were involved in the installation. Vanstone had purchased his paintings, for herself and the Australian Embassy in Rome, when she was Ambassador, and Baines had painted Bob Francis' portrait as an entry in the Archibald Prize competition. Soho Galleries Sydney described it as his " most famous installation/photo shoot... a guerrilla protest that featured 12 suited people sitting on toilets reading papers, on the water's edge at Henley ".

Doorways to Potential (January 2013) was a fundraiser, developed to raise awareness for non-profit charity Common Ground Adelaide, which provides assistance and aid to homeless people in the area. Local men, including former politician Alexander Downer, contributed A$1,500 each to the charity to participate, dressing in suits and bowler hats and gathering together on the beach, as a symbol of the possibilities that the future holds.

Sea of Knowledge (February 2014) gathered people aged in their 70s, 80s and 90s on Henley Beach for a photoshoot to "portray their lives, roles and sea of knowledge in a bid to challenge the stereotypes of ageing".

### Commissions

Amongst others, Baines has been commissioned to paint a book cover for Surf Life Saving in S.A., a wine label painting for Wirra Wirra Vineyard, a CD cover painting for ABC Classics, featuring the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra 's Principal tuba player Peter Whish-Wilson, and the cover for Steven Ogden's book I Met God in Bermuda.

He cites his favourite commission as a portrait of John Dawkins, former Liberal member of the South Australian Legislative Council, which hangs in Parliament House, Adelaide.

In January 2023, after being commissioned by Lutheran Care to create a work of art that would highlight the plight of homeless people in Adelaide, Baines created a "living art installation " featuring seven well-known South Australians covered in gold paint, as living statues in Rundle Mall in Adelaide city centre. Baines chose gold as a mark of irony, as it is associated with wealth. The subjects represented various forms of homelessness experienced by a variety of people, played by AFLW player Erin Phillips; Adelaide Fringe director Heather Croall; Kaurna elder Uncle Mickey O'Brien; Human Services Minister Nat Cook; and former A-League striker Bruce Djite.

## Other activities

Baines was appointed as an art advisor to the UN, and as of July 2022 is working on a project about micro-plastics in the ocean, for Harmony Day. He commits himself to two charities per year, in particular those which assist the homeless. He has imagined the concept of statues of homeless "trolley women" in the city, with QR code that lead to the stories of their lives.

## Film, video and TV

A 2009 episode of Landline features Baines's interest in painting cows.

Ash Starkey uploaded a three-minute screener to YouTube in 2010, which contains scenes from a half-hour documentary, Edge of Nothingness, that he made about Baines.

In 2013, Photography Life released a one-minute time lapse film on Vimeo of Baines setting up his installation, Doorways to Potential, on Henley Beach in South Australia.

Anna Creoddity released a short film (2014) on YouTube called Art Day! Andrew Baines, in which she shows and discusses his art work.

In 2014, Baines, Aaron Schuppan and Carlo Petraccaro, produced a short film called Escape of the Corporate Battery Hens, which shows many South Australian identities in unguarded moments, including Amanda Vanstone, Steven Marshall, Vickie Chapman and Kirsten Alexander, former mayor of the City of Charles Sturt. The film, along with a short documentary, The Existentialist, about Baines' philosophy on life and art, were screened at The Arts Theatre in Angas Street, Adelaide, on 18 January 2015.

## Awards

As of 2022 Baines has not yet won a major art prize, but has been a finalist in several, including:

- Adelaide Cathedral Art Prize, SA (2006)

- Adelaide Fringe Festival Poster Competition, SA (2006)

- Corangamarah Art Prize, VIC (2008)

- Cromwell's Art Prize, NSW (2004)

- Doug Moran National Portrait Prize, NSW (2004 & 2006; semi-finalist, 2013)

- Fleurieu Art Prize (2004, 2006 & 2008)

- Gray Mast Art Prize, SA (2004)

- Heysen Prize for Landscape, SA (2005)

- Maritime Art Awards, VIC (2009)

- Mortimore Art Prize for Surrealism, NSW (2012)

- Nora Heysen Art Prize for Still Life, SA (2011)

- Spirit of the Outback, QLD (2005)

- Waterhouse Natural History Art Prize, SA (2004, 2006 & 2007)

- Whyalla Art Prize, SA (2007 & 2009)

## Collections

Baines' work is held in various collections, including:

- University of Adelaide

- Advertiser Newspapers

- ANZ Bank, Singapore

- Australian Embassy, Rome, Italy

- National Dairies

- Nichi Engineering, Malaysia

- Roseworthy College

- St Aloysius College

- St Hilda's Anglican School for Girls

- State Emergency Service South Australia

- Smorgan Collection

- Wirra Wirra Winery, South Australia

## Exhibitions

His paintings have been exhibited in many private galleries, including

- Accent Fine Art, NSW

- Accent Fine Art, WA

- Adelaide Hilton International Gallery, SA

- Art Images Gallery, SA

- Aviva Fine Art Gallery, Vic

- Axia Modern, VIC

- Bay Discovery Gallery, SA

- BMG Art, SA

- Framed the Darwin Gallery, NT

- Gallows Gallery, WA

- Glenn Gallery, SA

- Greenaway Gallery, Vic

- Greenhill Galleries, SA

- Greenwood Gallery, VIC

- Harrison Galleries, NSW

- Hester Gallery, NSW

- Jahroc Gallery, WA

- Jenny Pihan Fine Art, VIC

- Lombard Art Gallery, SA

- Lynne Wilton Gallery, VIC

- Maree Mizon Gallery, NSW

- Monsoon Gallery, WA

- Paint Box Fine Art, ACT

- Pilbara Fine Art Gallery, WA

- Pivotal Gallery, VIC

- Raglan Gallery, NSW

- Red Dot Gallery, SA

- Redhill Gallery, QLD

- Rembar Gallery, Vic

- Richard Martin Gallery, NSW

- Rushcutters Bay Gallery, NSW

- Stafford Studios of Fine Art, WA

- Xanadu Gallery, WA

- Shayne Gallery, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

- Karin Weber Gallery, Hong Kong

- International Surrealism Now, Lisbon, Portugal

- Artery Gallery, St Andrews, Scotland

- Red Sea Gallery, Singapore

- Galerie TOAAC Switzerland

- Dart Gallery Devon, United Kingdom

- Blackheath Gallery, London, United Kingdom

- Susan Street Fine Art Gallery, California, US

- Gallery Diamante, California, USA

- Joanne Coia Gallery, Florida, USA

## Publications

Baines is listed in the Lexikon der phantastischen Künstler.

His paintings have appeared in such publications as ArtSlant New York, and Glow Magazine.


Thomas Land (Drayton Manor)

# Thomas Land (Drayton Manor)

## Abstract

Thomas Land is a themed area at Drayton Manor Resort in Staffordshire, England, based on the popular long-running children's television series, Thomas & Friends. It stands on the former site of Robinsons Land, a themed area sponsored by the soft drinks brand of the same name. The construction began while the park was still open in September 2007, and many of the Robinsons Land rides were moved to other areas of the park for the remainder of the season. Many of the rides housed in Robinsons Land except the Veteran Cars (now Sodor's Classic Cars) were sold to Funland in Hayling Island. Thomas Land officially opened to the public on 15 March 2008. An expansion of Thomas Land with additional attractions and private party rooms opened on 8 April 2015.

## Rides

Thomas Land is set in 3 acres (12,000 m) of parkland and features many themed rides, alongside outdoor and indoor play areas and the "Discover Thomas & Friends Exhibition".

## Train rides

Models of Thomas, Percy and Rosie are used on a 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge railway that takes visitors through the park. The line features Tidmouth Sheds with stationary facades of other engines, Knapford Station, which serves as the main station and a refreshment stand, Dryaw and Tidmouth Hault. It also has many sidings and sheds along the way, one of which used to feature a "sleeping" model of James, which was moved to where the James and the Red Balloon ride is in 2017, akin to the ride's opening.


Rey de Parejas

# Rey de Parejas

## Abstract

The Rey de Parejas (Spanish for "King of Tag Teams") is a professional wrestling round-robin tag team tournament held by Dragongate. It was created in 2003 by Toryumon Japan to determine the strongest tag team of the promotion. In 2004, after Último Dragón left Toryumon with the name and trademarks associated, the Toryumon Japan roster and staff formed Dragon Gate and a second Rey de Parejas tournament was held to establish the inaugural Open the Triangle Gate Championship as a spiritual successor to the UWA World Trios Championship.

From 2007 to 2016, the tournament was held as the Summer Adventure Tag League. In 2011, it was held as a single-elimination tournament under the name of Summer Adventure Tag Tournament. In 2012, the tournament featured trios instead of tag teams. In 2023, the tournament was revived as the Rey de Parejas once again.

The tournament is held under a points system, with 2 points for a win, 1 for a time limit draw, and 0 for a loss, no contest or double decision. The two top-scoring teams in each block advance to a single-elimination playoff to determine the winners of the Rey de Parejas.

## Results

### 2003

The first Rey de Parejas featured eight teams in a single block and was held from October 5 to October 26, 2003.

### 2004

The 2004 edition of the Rey de Parejas took place from October 3 to November 7. The tournament featured seven trios competing in a single block to win the newly created Open the Triangle Gate Championship. From October 28 onward, Ryo Saito replaced Magnum Tokyo who suffered an injury.

### 2007

The 2007 Summer Adventure League featured ten teams, and was held from 5 August to 26 August. The top four ranked teams from the round robin round qualified for the single-elimination semi-finals. The two winners of the semi-finals met in the final to decide the winner.

### 2008

The 2008 Summer Adventure League featured nine teams, and was held from 9 August to 28 August. The top four ranked teams from the round robin round qualified for the single-elimination semi-finals. The two winners of the semi-finals met in the final to decide the winner.

### 2009

The 2009 Summer Adventure League featured nine teams, and was held from 1 August to 26 August. The top four ranked teams from the round robin round qualified for the single-elimination semi-finals. The two winners of the semi-finals met in the final to decide the winner.

### 2010

The 2010 Summer Adventure League featured ten teams, and was held from 30 July to 25 August. The round robin round featured two blocks of five teams each, and the top two teams from each block qualified for the single-elimination semi-finals. The two winners of the semi-finals met in the final to decide the winner.

### 2011

The 2011 Summer Adventure League featured twelve teams, and was held from 3 August to 7 August, covering three shows; the format of the League was changed to a single-elimination tournament. Four teams received a bye into the second round. Kotoka qualified to be Don Fujii's partner by beating Shisa BOY, Super Shenlong and Eita Kobayashi.

### 2012

The 2012 Summer Adventure League featured eight teams with three members instead of the usual two. The round robin round features two blocks of four teams each, and the top team from each block will qualify for the finals to decide the winner of the tournament while the last team from each block will face each other to determine the last placed team. Super Shenlong III qualified to be Shingo Takagi and YAMATO's partner by beating Chihiro Tominaga. The tournament was held from 2 August to 19 August.

Mondai Ryu, Kzy and Cyber Kong lost to Ryo "Jimmy" Saito, Genki Horiguchi H.A.Gee.Mee!! and Naoki Tanizaki in 16:31 to become the last placed team

Akira Tozawa, BxB Hulk and " Naoki Tanisaki " pinned CIMA, Gamma and Magnitude Kishiwada in 23:21 to become champions

### 2013

The 2013 Summer Adventure League reverted to teams of two members, and was held from 7 September to 28 September. The round robin round featured two blocks of four teams each, and the top team from each block qualified for the finals. The Block A match between Shingo Takagi and Akira Tozawa versus Naruki Doi and Masato Yoshino ended in a no contest with no points awarded when Doi turned on Yoshino and joined Mad Blankey. This caused Yoshino to team up with the Former Super Shenlong III: Yosuke Watanabe for his final Block A match against Masaaki Mochizuki and Don Fujii.

T-Hawk and Eita defeated Yamato and BxB Hulk in 19:26 to become the interim Open the Twin Gate Champions.

### 2014

The 2014 Summer Adventure Tag League and was held from 5 September to 23 September. The round robin round featured two blocks of four teams each, and the top team from each block qualified for the finals. During the tournament Kotoka was injured on their last match and was replaced by Yuga Hayashi.

Ryotsu Shimizu and Yuga Hayashi lost to Kzy and Naruki Doi in 11:53 to become the last placed team

### 2015

The 2015 Summer Adventure Tag League and was held from 5 September to 27 September. The round robin round featured two blocks of four teams each, and the top team from each block qualified for the finals. On September 9 Cima was injured and was replaced by Takehiro Yamamura.

Knockout round

### 2016

On July 7 it was announced the 2016 Summer Adventure Tag League and it will be held from August 6 to September 10. The round robin round featured two blocks of six teams each, and the top team from each block qualified for the finals. On July 24 it was announced that Kotoka would miss the tournament due to facial injuries and Cyber Kong will replace him as Shingo Takagi 's place and Osaka06 (CIMA and Gamma) replaced the team of Mondai Ryu and Cyber Kong.

Knockout round


Walt Disney Home Video (VHS)

# Walt Disney Home Video (VHS)

## Abstract

Walt Disney Home Video is a discontinued video line launched to release Disney animated features on home video. This was done by a division of the same name under the parent Walt Disney Telecommunications and Non-Theatrical Company (WDTNT). As an entity, the name Walt Disney Home Video is now known as Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. The scope of this list is mostly limited to Disney's North American live action movie releases. Cartoon collections were concurrently released as Walt Disney Cartoon Classics which include the "Limited Gold Editions". The initial price for early Disney cassettes at the time was "prohibitory expensive" for many, this changed in the mid-1980s when VCRs became affordable.

## History

Disney started out by establishing its own video distribution operation in 1980 as part of Walt Disney Telecommunications and Non-Theatrical Company (WDTNT) with Jim Jimirro as its first president. WDTNT Co. also handled marketing of other miscellaneous ancillary items such as short 8 mm films for home movies. When Disney started with video cassettes, "Home video" was not considered to be a major market by them at the time. Their first releases on videotape were 13 titles that were licensed for rental to Fotomat on March 4, 1980. Disney was unusual among the major studios in offering a program for authorized rentals. Most of the other studios involved in the videocassette market at the time were trying to find ways to stop dealers from renting out their movie tapes. Magnetic Video (with titles from 20th Century Fox and others) ceased doing business with Fotomat after Fotomat began renting Magnetic Video cassettes without authorization.

The switchover from rental to sales was a "thorny" issue that was solved by giving dealers an option on the type of outlet they desired. For those who just wanted to rent video cassettes, a title was given (for US$52) on a 13-week cycle. The dealer could then set the price as many times as they wanted in those 13 weeks before purchasing a new title from Disney. Video cassette rentals were more "functionally" packaged with a heavier box and less elaborately detailed illustrations. For those who wanted to sell video cassettes, a "fairly straightforward" program involved 4 color packaging and a suggested retail price. In order to separate the two mediums, the cassette either featured " FOR RENTAL ONLY/Not intended for Sale " or "FOR SALE ONLY/Not intended for Rental". The 13 titles that had been licensed for rental to Fotomat subsequently became available for purchase.

Throughout their release history, "Walt Disney Home Video" cassettes were promoted by Disney. An early example is the 1981 release of "A Walt Disney Christmas" where a "Free Mickey Mouse Plush Toy" was offered as an incentive. Disney later offered a promotion for Summer 1982 called "Disney's American Summer", where they sold some of their cartoon collections on cassettes for a discounted price. At the time this promotion was done in an effort to make video cassettes more affordable, and boosted the video software involved. Marketing included a 7 foot tall gazebo which was set up in stores and a free mug as an incentive. Towards the end of 1984, Disney did a “Wrapped And Ready to Give” christmas promotion which included 7 newly released titles on video cassette. Later promotions include Disney's 1986 "Wonderland Campaign" as a further attempt to bring prices down.

When the Disney Channel was launched on April 18, 1983 it gave the company an opportunity to air made for TV films such as Tiger Town and Gone Are the Dayes, both of which were released to home video in 1984. During that same year Disney also started releasing their animated feature films under the Walt Disney Classics line starting with Robin Hood. On March 8, 1985 Disney released " Love Leads the Way " which became their first title that went straight to Home Video. The Walt Disney Home Video division was legally incorporated as Buena Vista Home Video on February 13, 1987. This name change however, did not stop some VHS releases under the Walt Disney Home Video line from being released throughout the year.

## North American releases

## Worldwide releases

Disney first offered Dumbo, Mary Poppins, Mi Amigo El Dragon (Pete's Dragon), Su Mas Fiel Amigo (Old Yeller), La Montana Embrujada (Escape to Witch Mountain), Los Tres Caballeros (The Three Caballeros), Mickey's Christmas Carol, and 2 cartoon collections in Spanish on November 30, 1985 In the United Kingdom, titles from the "Walt Disney Home Video" product line such as Mary Poppins, Pete's Dragon and Bedknobs and Broomsticks were not released to video cassette until November 26, 1988. Additional VHS releases in other countries under the "Walt Disney Home Video" are possible, but need further sourcing.

## Rarity

In terms of consignment, Heritage Auctions has placed in their "Vintage VHS Tapes Value Guide" that the most desirable VHS tapes released between 1979 and 1990 are still in their original factory shrink wrap. When VCRs were first released in 1977, they were priced between $1,000 to $1,400 which would roughly equal $4,900 to $6,900 in 2023 USD. As this amount was initially unattainable for most homes fewer people were buying VHS tapes, which in turn meant fewer copies being produced. A "likely sum of money for a video cassette at the time was between $80 and $100 or $400+ in 2023 USD. These higher costs lasted until 1985 when VCRs finally began dropping in price. While this meant more tapes were produced, it did not mean that they became any less of a rarity.

In regard to Disney "Only the earliest of Disney VHS cassettes produced prior to 1985 hold any value to most collectors." Titles such as "Tron" which remains "elusive" for early copies have sold for high amounts in mint condition. Things to look for in general include a sealed tape, a studio logo on the shrink-wrap, and if the latest year listed on the back of the cover is prior to 1986.


CCDC47

# CCDC47

## Abstract

Coiled-coil domain 47 (CCDC47) is a gene located on human chromosome 17, specifically locus 17q23.3 which encodes for the protein PAT complex subunit CCDC47. The protein itself contains coiled-coil domains, the SEEEED superfamily, a domain of unknown function (DUF1682) and a transmembrane domain. The function of the protein is unknown, but it has been proposed that CCDC47 is involved in calcium ion homeostasis and the endoplasmic reticulum overload response.

## Gene

The CCDC47 gene itself is located on the minus strand of human chromosome 17 and contains 13 exon splice sites and 14 distinct introns. After removal of exons, the gene is 3445 base pairs in length. No evidence for micro RNA or pseudogenes has been found. The gene does not have various isoforms, only transcript variant 1X exists.

## Protein

### Structure

The protein encoded by CCDC47 is 483 amino acids in length and contains both a signal peptide and transmembrane domain. It is rich in negatively charged amino acids such as aspartic acid and glutamic acid giving it an acidic isoelectric point of 4.56. The protein is also rich in methionine. In total, it weighs 55.9 kDal which is conserved through various orthologs. CCDC47 also contains the SEEEED superfamily and domain of unknown function 1682 (DUF1682). The SEEEED superfamily is a short, low complexity region which is composed mainly of serine. The family routinely lies on the clathrin adaptor complex 3 beta-1 subunit proteins. The exact function of DUF 1682 is unclear but one member of the family has been described as an adipocyte-specific protein.

There are two predicted disulfide bonds in the structure of CCDC47 at cysteines 209 to 214 and cysteines 215 to 283, respectively. The C-terminal portion of the protein is highly charged and its secondary structure is predicted to be that of an alpha helix region. This region also contains coiled coil domains which are structural motifs in which 2-7 alpha helices are coiled together and are subsequently involved in biological expression. These domains typically follow the pattern HxxHCxC where H is a hydrophobic amino acid, C is a charged amino acid and x is any amino acid. Many amino acid sequences following this pattern are seen in the C-terminal region of CCDC47 where the highest conservation through orthologs is represented.

### Regulation and translation

CCDC47 is regulated by the promoter GXP43413. The promoter is 819 base pairs in length and is highly conserved in mammals. Conserved binding sites in mammals which are located on this promoter include nuclear respiratory factor 1 (NRF1), cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB), PAR bZIP family and Sp4 Transcription Factor. NRF1 encodes a protein which homodimerizes and activates expression of key metabolic genes. CREB binds to cAMP response elements thereby increasing or decreasing the transcription of downstream genes while PAR bZIP family is involved in the regulation of circadian rhythms. In regards to the mRNA, translation begins at base pair 337 and ends at 1728. There is a strong stem loop located in the 5' UTR from bases 289-318 which likely is involved in regulation of the mRNA due to its close proximity to the start codon.

### Cellular distribution

The final protein is thought to be translated from the endoplasmic reticulum into the cytoplasm of the cell. The protein is anchored in the membrane of the ER at the transmembrane domain located from amino acid 137 to 165. The portion of the protein which extends into the cytosol is predicted to be highly phosphorylated as the protein's phosphorylation sites are conserved into the bony fish orthologs. Research has shown that CCDC47 is expressed in the response to an ER overload making this close proximity to the ER important.

### Post translational modification

In addition to the high levels of phosphorylation seen in CCDC47, three sulfation sites are predicted and conserved in mammals, reptiles and birds but not in fish, amphibians or invertebrates. Five potential sumoylation sites are also seen and conserved back to the bony fish. There is no glycosylation of the protein as it is not predicted to extend into the extracellular space.

## Expression

Microarray tissue expression patterns from GEO were analyzed and showed that CCDC47 appears to be an ubiquitously expressed at moderate levels in many different human tissues. Although the protein is ubiquitously expressed, the highest levels of expression are seen in neuronal tissues such as the superior cervical ganglion, brain amygdala and ciliary ganglion. Elevated expression is also seen in the thyroid and CD34 cells.

## Homology

CCDC47 has no known paralogs through text based queries, BLAST and BLAT. The gene has many orthologs extending back to invertebrates such as C. elegans and is highly conserved in mammals with a percent identity greater than 95%. CCDC47 has been sequenced in a wide taxonomy of organisms including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, bony fish and invertebrates. Percent identity of human CCDC47 to a specific ortholog declines with increasing years of divergence, as expected. Homologous genes of CCDC47 are also present in mosquitos, mushrooms, arabidopsis and Asian rice. These homologs contain the same DUF1682 which is found in CCDC47.