History.

Foundation.

Originally named Direction, the party emerged as a breakaway from the post-communist Party of the Democratic Left (SDĽ) on 8 November 1999. Under Fico, at the time one of the most popular politicians in the country, it quickly became one of the most popular parties in Slovakia, while the SDĽ, which was the successor of the original Communist Party of Slovakia and was the governing party from 1998 to 2002, was steadily decreasing in popularity. In the 2002 election, its first outing, it became the third-largest party in the National Council of the Slovak Republic, with 25 out of 150 seats. In 2003 it changed its formal name to Direction (Third Way) (). In 2005, it absorbed SDĽ, Social Democratic Alternative; a small social-democratic party that split from the SDĽ somewhat later than "Smer" did, and the Social Democratic Party of Slovakia; founded in 1990, the party became known under the leadership of Alexander Dubček, and adopted its current name. Following the party's victory in 2006, "Smer" entered into a coalition with the nationalist Slovak National Party (SNS). "Smer" was readmitted into the PES in 2008. It later formed another coalition with the SNS in 2016.

Government (2006–2010).

In the parliamentary election of 17 June 2006, the party won 29.1% of the popular vote and 50 out of 150 seats. Following that election, Smer-SD formed a coalition government with the People's Party – Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS) and Slovak National Party (SNS), a nationalist party. "Smer" was then temporarily suspended from membership in the Party of European Socialists (PES) on 12 October 2006. The resolution to suspend "Smer" referred specifically to the PES Declaration "For a modern, pluralist and tolerant Europe", adopted by the PES Congress in 2001 in Berlin which states: "all PES parties adhere to the following principles... to refrain from any form of political alliance or co-operation at all levels with any political party which incites or attempts to stir up racial or ethnic prejudices and racial hatred". The PES Chairman, Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, explained in The Slovak Spectator that "Most of our members stood solidly behind our values, according to which forming a coalition with the extreme right is unacceptable." "Smer" was readmitted on 14 February 2008 after Smer-SD chairman Robert Fico and SNS leader Jan Slota pledged in a letter to respect European values, human rights and all ethnic minorities.

Opposition (2010–2012).

Although the party won the most votes in the 2010 parliamentary election, with a lead of 20% over the second-place Slovak Democratic and Christian Union – Democratic Party (SDKÚ), they had not been able to form a government because of losses sustained by their coalition partners. Their result, 34.8%, gave them 62 seats in the National Council, but the HZDS failed to cross the 5% threshold, losing all their seats, and the Slovak National Party was reduced to nine seats. As a result, the four opposition centre-right parties – SDKÚ, Freedom and Solidarity (SaS), the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) and "Most–Híd" – were able to form a new government.

Government (2012–2020).

In the parliamentary election held on 10 March 2012, Smer-SD won 44.4% of the votes and became the largest party in the National Council, with an absolute majority of 83 seats (out of 150). The Smer-SD formed the first single-party government in Slovakia since 1993.  In the 2014 European Parliament elections, Smer-SD came in first place nationally, receiving 24.09% of the vote and electing 4 MEPs.  Despite suffering a significant loss in support as a result of strikes by teachers and nurses earlier in the year, Smer-SD won the 5 March 2016 parliamentary election with 28.3% of the vote and 49 out of 150 seats, and subsequently formed a coalition government with the Slovak National Party, Most-Híd, and Network.  Prime Minister Robert Fico resigned in the wake of the political crisis following the murder of Ján Kuciak and was replaced by Peter Pellegrini, with the same majority. However, Fico remained leader of Smer-SD.

Back into opposition (2020–present).

Smer-SD suffered further losses in the 2020 parliamentary election, arriving second and winning 18,29% of votes, losing to Ordinary People; furthermore, all of its allies (Slovak National Party, Most–Híd, and the Slovak Conservative Party) did not re-enter parliament, thus erasing the government's majority. Following brief consultation, Ordinary People formed a coalition with We Are Family, Freedom and Solidarity and For the People, forcing Smer-SD back into opposition after eight years in government.

Current representatives.

Smer-SD provided the following members of the government (2016–2020):

Direction – Social Democracy (, Smer – SD) is a social-democratic and left-wing populist political party in Slovakia. It is led by former Prime Minister of Slovakia Robert Fico. Smer-SD was the largest party in the National Council following the parliamentary election held on 5 March 2016, but has since dropped to being the 2nd-largest party after the parliamentary election held on 29 February 2020.


Biography.

Theodorus "Theo" van Gogh was born on 1 May 1857 in the village Groot-Zundert in the province of North Brabant, Netherlands. He was the son of Theodorus van Gogh and Anna Cornelia Carbentus. His elder brother was artist Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890).

Business.

Theo worked for some years at the Dutch office of the Parisian art dealers Goupil & Cie in The Hague. Theo joined the Brussels office on 1 January 1873 as their youngest employee. After Theo was transferred to the London office, he moved to the office in The Hague, where he developed into a successful art dealer. By 1884, he was transferred to the Paris main office. Beginning in the winter of 1880–1881, he sent painting materials as well as monthly financial support to his brother and painter Vincent van Gogh, who was then living in the Netherlands.

Private life.

In Paris, Theo met Andries Bonger and his sister Johanna. He married Johanna in Amsterdam on 17 April 1889 and they moved to Paris. Their son Vincent Willem was born in Paris on 31 January 1890. On 8 June, the family visited Vincent, who was living near Paris in Auvers-sur-Oise. Vincent died in July 1890 at age 37. Theo suffered from dementia paralytica, an infection of the brain, and his health declined rapidly after Vincent's death. Weak and unable to come to terms with Vincent's absence, he died six months later (25 January 1891) at age 33 in Den Dolder.  Theo's great-grandson, also named Theo van Gogh, was a controversial film director, who was murdered on the streets of Amsterdam in 2004 by an Islamic extremist after making a short film critical of Islam.

Relationship with Vincent.

Theo admired his elder brother Vincent for his whole life, but communicating with him proved to be difficult, even before Vincent opted to follow his artistic vocation. The communication between both brothers suffered from diverging definitions of standards, and it was evidently Theo who kept on writing letters. Vincent is known to have not kept the letters Theo sent; on the other hand, Theo kept every scrap of correspondence from his brother (651 letters addressed to Theo in total). Therefore, mostly Vincent's answers survived and few of Theo's. (32 letters from Theo to Vincent remain) Theo was often concerned about Vincent's mental condition and he was amongst the few who understood his brother. It is known that Theo helped Vincent maintain his artist lifestyle by giving him money. He also helped Vincent pursue his life as an artist through his unwavering emotional support and love. The majority of Theo's letters and communications with Vincent are filled with praise and encouragement. Vincent would send Theo sketches and ideas for paintings, along with accounts of his day to day experiences, to the delight and eager attention of Theo.

Dealer and artist.

While Theo is best known for being the brother of Vincent van Gogh and one of his major roles in art was his influence on Vincent's career, Theo himself made many important contributions. Theo played a vital role in the introduction of contemporary Dutch and French art to the public: Theo was instrumental in the popularity of Impressionist artists such as Claude Monet and Edgar Degas by persuading his employers, Goupil & Cie, to exhibit and buy their works.  In 1886, Theo invited Vincent to live with him in Paris, and from March they shared an apartment in Montmartre. Theo introduced Vincent to Paul Gauguin, Paul Cézanne, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Henri Rousseau, Camille Pissarro and Georges Seurat, and in 1888 he persuaded Gauguin to join Vincent, who had moved to Arles. Theo not only conspired with Vincent as the liaison between Vincent and Gauguin, but was the deciding factor in his move to Arles seeing as it was Theo Van Gogh who planned and eventually committed to supporting them both financially. (Letter 616, Monday 28 or Tuesday 29 May 1888). He paid for living and professional expenses as well as for the travel expenses Gauguin accumulated to get from Pont Aven, Brittany, to Arles. Theo was equally the one with whom Gauguin communicated when his relationship with Vincent turned volatile and unmanageable, notably the severing of the ear fiasco. Theo was the source of stability and the intermediate between the two artists and allowed them to create prolifically for a couple of months (63 days) ; paintings we would otherwise have been deprived of. (Letter 852).

Correspondence.

The two brothers maintained an intensive correspondence, with Theo often encouraging his depressed brother. Theo was one of the few people who Vincent could talk to and confide in. These letters are one of the few sources of information about Vincent's life, providing detailed accounts of not only the occurrences but also the thoughts and feelings in Vincent's life. Over three-quarters of the more than 800 letters Vincent wrote during his life were to Theo, including his first and his last letters.  It is largely thanks to Theo and his wife, Johanna, who, in 1914, decided to publish the letters between Theo and Vincent, that these letters are available to us today. Hardly any of Theo's letters remain because Vincent failed to keep them. It can also be noted that the two-year period where Vincent and Theo lived together in the neighborhood of Montmartre in Paris, is also the least documented period of Vincent's artistic career, because of the lack of letters exchanged between the two brothers. These letters witness both the emotional and professional state of Vincent throughout his life as early as 1874 and serve as a diary for his everyday encounters. The letters have been collected and published in book form as "The Letters of Vincent van Gogh".  The relationship between the two brothers was the subject of the movie "Vincent & Theo" (1990), directed by Robert Altman. It also formed an important part of the film "Lust for Life" (1956), which was directed by Vincente Minnelli. Theo was played by the British actor James Donald and Vincent by the Hollywood star Kirk Douglas. The delivery of Vincent's final letter to Theo after Vincent's death and the circumstances surrounding his death was the subject of the 2017 film "Loving Vincent", which was animated by oil paintings made with Van Gogh's techniques.

Death.

Theo's health deteriorated in the months after the death of his brother. He was admitted to the Willem Arntz Hospital, a psychiatric hospital, in Den Dolder on 18 November 1890. He had been diagnosed in Paris as suffering from a progressive and general paralysis. Initial examination confirmed this diagnosis.  By 1 December his medical notes confirmed he presented all the symptoms of "dementia paralytica", a disease of the brain. He died on 25 January 1891. The cause of death was listed as "dementia paralytica" caused by "heredity, chronic disease, overwork, sadness". In 1914, Theo's body was exhumed from his resting place in Utrecht, Netherlands, and reburied with his brother at Auvers-sur-Oise at the wish of his widow, Johanna, so the brothers could lie together eternally.

Theodorus "Theo" van Gogh (; 1 May 1857 – 25 January 1891) was a Dutch art dealer. He was the younger brother of Vincent van Gogh, and Theo's unfailing financial and emotional support allowed his brother to devote himself entirely to painting. Theo died at the age of 33, six months after his brother died at the age of 37.


Early life and education.

Brady was born in Pinehurst, North Carolina, to Ann and Charles Brady, Sr. He grew up in the small town of Robbins, where his father was a physician. Brady attended local public schools, graduating from North Moore High School in Robbins in 1969. He had become an Eagle Scout and received the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award.  Brady studied pre-med at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, graduating in 1971. He received his medical degree from Duke University in 1975. From Duke, he went to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville for his internship.

Career.

In 1978 Brady started as the team physician in sports medicine for Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. He continued in sports medicine and family practice for the next seven years, working as a team physician at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina.

Military career.

He joined the U.S. Navy in 1986, receiving training as a flight surgeon at the Naval Aerospace Medical Institute at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. In June 1986 Brady reported to Carrier Air Wing Two on board the aircraft carrier USS "Ranger"; he was assigned to Attack Squadron 145 (VA-145) and Aviation Electronic Countermeasures Squadron 131 (VAQ-131).  In 1988 Brady was selected for the Blue Angels, the Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, and served with them as flight surgeon through 1990. He was serving in Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 129 (VAQ-129) when he learned he had been selected for the astronaut program.

NASA career.

Brady was selected by NASA in March 1992, and reported to the Johnson Space Center in August 1992. He was qualified for selection as a Mission Specialist on future Space Shuttle flight crews. Technical assignments included: working technical issues for the Astronaut Office Mission Development Branch; flight software testing in the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory (SAIL); astronaut representative to the Human Research Policy and Procedures Committee; deputy chief for Space Shuttle astronaut training; and chief for Space Station astronaut training in the Mission Operations Division. He flew on STS-78 in 1996 and logged over 405 hours, more than 16 days, in space.  As an astronaut and amateur radio enthusiast, callsign N4BQW, Brady was one of the pioneers of the Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment (SAREX), and a member of the American Radio Relay League.

STS-78.

STS-78 launched on June 20, 1996 and landed 16 days and 21 hours later on July 7, 1996, becoming the longest Space Shuttle mission to date. (Later that year the STS-80 mission broke that record by nineteen hours). The Life and Microgravity Spacelab mission served as a model for future studies on board the International Space Station. The mission included studies sponsored by ten nations, and five space agencies, and the international crew included a Frenchman, a Canadian, a Spaniard, and an Italian.  While with NASA, Brady held a number of jobs with the agency's astronaut office. He was chief of space station astronaut training before leaving to return to Navy duty, where he reached the rank of captain. He enjoyed canoeing, kayaking, tennis, biking, and amateur radio operating.

Later years.

In 2000, Brady was assigned as flight surgeon to Whidbey Island Naval Air Station in Washington state. He retired from the Navy in March 2006, after suffering for years from a severe kind of arthritis. He had enjoyed an active outdoor life and made several expeditions with a ham radio group to small islands in the South Pacific. Brady died on July 28, 2006. He was survived by his fiancée, Susen Oseth, their son, Charles "Charlie" Brady III, his mother Ann Brady, and sister Jery Ann Kennedy. His father was deceased. When NASA announced his death, it said he had suffered from a lengthy illness, and this was reported by most major sources. A few days later, the "Houston Chronicle" reported the county sheriff's statement that Brady had died of self-inflicted wounds after suffering a long illness related to arthritis. He was buried near his father in Robbins, North Carolina.  It was not until a year later, in the context of reporting on other astronauts, that the media reported more widely that Brady had committed suicide. NASA internal emails related to Brady, which were released under the Freedom of Information Act, documented health issues and noted there was an investigation of his suicide, including interviews with family and friends.

Westport (, historically anglicised as "Cahernamart") is a town in County Mayo in Ireland. It is at the south-east corner of Clew Bay, an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean on the west coast of Ireland. Westport is a popular tourist destination and scores highly for quality of life. It won the Irish Tidy Towns Competition three times in 2001, 2006 and 2008. In 2012 it won the Best Place to Live in Ireland competition run by "The Irish Times".


Early life and family.

Emanuele Filiberto was born in Geneva, Switzerland, the only child of Vittorio Emanuele, a disputed head of the House of Savoy, and his wife, Marina Ricolfi Doria, a Swiss former water ski champion.  On 10 November 2002, he accompanied his father and mother to Italy, following revocation of the provision in the Italian constitution that forbade the male Savoy descendants of kings of Italy from setting foot in the country. On the three-day trip, he accompanied his parents on a visit to the Vatican for a 20-minute audience with Pope John Paul II. He also appeared in a TV commercial for a brand of olives, in which he said they made you "feel like a king".  On 10 July 2003, the engagement of Emanuele Filiberto to Clotilde Courau, a French actress, was announced. The couple married on 25 September of that year at the Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri in Rome; the bride was about six months pregnant. There were some 1,200 guests at the wedding; among them were Pierre Cardin and Valentino Garavani, who had designed the wedding dress.  Emanuele Filiberto and Clotilde Courau have two daughters: On December 28, 2019, their grandfather announced that the line of succession was to be changed to absolute primogeniture. On the same date he created them Princess of Carignano and Marchioness of Ivrea (Vittoria) and Princess of Chieri and Countess of Salemi (Luisa).  Emanuele Filiberto received the "America Award" of the Italy-USA Foundation in 2019.

Controversies.

In 2015 Emanuele Filiberto engaged in a public spat on Twitter with aristocratic journalist Beatrice Borromeo who broke the story of his father's confession on video regarding the death of Dirk Hamer. Vittorio Emanuele had sued the newspaper for defamation, but in 2015 after it won the case, Borromeo tweeted <nowiki>"</nowiki>Vincere una causa è sempre piacevole, ma contro Vittorio Emanuele di Savoia la goduria è doppia! ("Winning a case is always nice, but against Victor Emmanuel of Savoy there is double the pleasure"), and "caro @efsavoia goditi questa sentenza" ("dear @efsavoia enjoy this judgement") which provoked Emanuele Filiberto to defend his father. She had earlier publicly confronted him on camera with a copy of a book on the murder by Hamer's sister, whose preface she had written.  In 2018 Emanuele Filiberto revealed that he is contemplating the launch of a royalist party to advocate for restoration of monarchy in Italy. The comment was made during the prince's interview with the news daily "Libero", following release of polling data by the "Istituto Piepoli" that showed 15 percent of Italians (nearly 12 million people) favor the concept, while eight percent expressed support for Emanuele Filiberto as future king.

Titles, styles and honours.

Titles and styles.

Emanuele Filiberto is, by strict primogeniture in the male-line, the heir apparent of the House of Savoy, Italy's former ruling dynasty. In June 2006 his distant cousin Amedeo, 5th Duke of Aosta, declared himself to be head of the house and rightful Duke of Savoy, maintaining that Vittorio Emanuele had forfeited his dynastic rights when he married Emanuele Filiberto's mother, Marina Ricolfi Doria, in 1971 without the legally required permission of his father and sovereign-in-exile, Umberto II. Emanuele Filiberto and his father applied for judicial intervention to forbid Amedeo from using the title "Duke of Savoy". In February 2010, the court of Arezzo ruled that the Duke of Aosta and his son must pay damages totalling 50,000 euros to their cousins and cease using the surname "Savoy" instead of "Savoy-Aosta". The Duke of Aosta appealed the ruling and the dynastic dispute is still unresolved.

Prince Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy, Prince of Venice (Emanuele Filiberto Umberto Reza Ciro René Maria di Savoia; born 22 June 1972), usually called Emanuele Filiberto di Savoia, is a member of the House of Savoy. He is the son and heir of Vittorio Emanuele di Savoia and only male-line grandson of Umberto II, the last King of Italy. In his latter days, Umberto II created and gave the title of "Prince of Venice" to his grandson Emanuele Filiberto, but as heir-apparent to the disputed headship of the House of Savoy, Emanuele Filiberto also styles himself as "Prince of Piedmont".


Topography.

Die Gutenstein Alps are separated in the north from the Vienna Woods by the valleys of the Gölsen and Triesting. In the east they descend to the Vienna Basin. Their boundary with the Rax-Schneeberg Group to the south is formed by the valley of the Sierningbach between Ternitz and Puchberg am Schneeberg, the saddle near the Mamauwiese and the Voisbach and Schwarza valleys. To the west, from the Seebach stream near St. Aegyd am Neuwalde, the boundary with the Türnitz Alps runs along the Unrecht Traisen and the Traisen.  The highest elevations in the Gutenstein Alps are, from west to east:  Near Ebenwald, in the municipality of Kleinzell, is the northernmost thousander in the Alps: the Sengenebenberg (1,104 m).  The eastern part of the Gutenstein Alps is split by the valley of the River Piesting. Other important rivers are the Traisen in the west, the Gölsen and the Triesting in the north and the Schwarza south of the mountain range.

Geology.

Most of the Gutenstein Alps consists of limestones of the Eastern Alpine formation ("Decke"), in particular, Gutenstein limestone and dolomite from the lower and middle Triassic. These relatively coarse-grained rocks almost always indicate a significant layering ("Bankung") and a number of coloured layers. In the southeast and northwest, conglomerate rock from the Cretaceous period is found.  Numerous caves are found in the limestone rock. Of these, the Unicorn Cave in Dreistetten and the Eisenstein Cave in Brunn an der Schneebergbahn are show caves which are accessible to the public.  Gutenstein dolomite is so named after its occurrence in this region. It may be fine and coarse-grained and contain siliceous or argillaceous components. The gray to brown, usually layered sediment was formed in the lagoons of the Triassic and is related to Bunt dolomite. Its highly variable forms are common in the west as far as the Dachstein Mountains.

Landscape and settlement.

With the exception of the Piesting valley (municipalities of Gutenstein, Pernitz, Markt Piesting) and the Puchberg Basin, only the valleys on the edge of the Gutenstein Alps and the plains on the eastern edge are densely populated. Important places are Traisen, Hainfeld and Berndorf in the north, Wöllersdorf, Neunkirchen and Ternitz in the east, and St. Aegyd am Neuwalde and Lilienfeld in the west.  Most of the Gutenstein Alps is heavily wooded and is used for forestry. Spruce and larch dominate the higher places. Lower down the mountains, beech is the dominant species together with pine in the drier areas. The district of Lilienfeld, which incorporates the northwestern part of the Gutenstein Alps, has the highest percentage of forest of all the districts in Austria.

Tourism.

The Gutenstein Alps are an important recreational area for the population of the urban areas of Vienna, Wiener Neustadt and St. Pölten. In particular, the Hohe Wand in the east is accessible by a variety of paths, scrambles and climbs, and has numerous mountain inns and huts. Especially popular are the Myra Falls and Steinwandklamm Gorge (between Pernitz and Furth). There are ski slopes in the area of the Muckenkogel near Lilienfeld and in the south-eastern of the Unterberg.

The Gutenstein Alps () are a mountain range in the Eastern Alps in Central Europe, and the northeasternmost part of the Northern Limestone Alps, reaching heights over 1,000 m.


Structure.

The main gate is located north of the station, on Piłsudski street (), with two additional entrances located at either end of the main hall. The back gate is located on the far side of the tracks, in the south facing Sucha street. The station has six parallel platforms (platforms I through IV with two tracks, platform V with one track and one short one, platform VI with one track). Each has two subway exits, which lead to the main hall. Since all platforms and tracks are above the street level, the tunnels are located at the same level as outside pavements.

History.

The station was built in 1855 - 1857, as the starting point of the "Oberschlesische Eisenbahn" (Upper Silesian Railway), as well as the line from Breslau to Glogau via Posen. It replaced the earlier complex of the "Oberschlesischer Bahnhof" (Upper Silesian Railway Station, built 1841-1842). Its designer was the royal Prussian architect Wilhelm Grapow, and in the mid-19th century, it was located near the southern outskirts of the city, as the areas to the south had not yet been urbanized. The original concourse was located where the passenger hall now is, and was adjacent to the station yard. When construction finished in the mid-19th century, the station only had one platform, but the platform hall was some 200 metres long, and it was regarded as one of the biggest structures of this kind in Europe. By the entrances were luggage lockers, telephone and telegraph facilities. In the station complex was a restaurant and three waiting rooms (1st, 2nd, and 3rd class). There was also a special room and a separate hallway for VIPs.  In the late 19th century, when the government of the German Empire heavily invested in railway construction, the station was extended. Prices of real estate around the station grew, as the city began to develop southwards. In 1899, the construction of five new platforms began, four of them covered by a large roof. The number of passenger platforms within the station grew to 13 and all were elevated. The facade of the main hall was remodelled in 1899–1904.  During World War II, Polish resistance from the group Zagra-Lin successfully attacked a Nazi troop transport on the station on 23 April 1943. A commemorative plate honouring their actions was placed after Nazi Germany was defeated and Breslau, together with Silesia, was incorporated into Poland, its German population expelled. After the war, Breslau Central ("Breslau Hauptbahnhof") was renamed Wroclaw Central ("Wrocław Główny").  On 8 January 1967, the popular Polish actor Zbigniew Cybulski died on platform 3. Cybulski was trying to jump into a train that was already departing, but fell instead under its wheels. On the 30th anniversary of this event, Andrzej Wajda unveiled a plaque on the platform in memory of Cybulski.  In 2010-2012 the station was extensively refurbished for the Euro 2012 championships.

Train services.

Train services are operated by PKP Intercity, Przewozy Regionalne and Koleje Dolnośląskie.  Until mid-December 2014 the station was also served by EuroCity "Wawel", which used to run once daily between Berlin Hauptbahnhof and Wrocław Główny, formerly even further to Kraków Główny.

Long Distance International.

'ÖBB Nightjet"- Berlin-Charlottenburg – Berlin Hbf – Frankfurt – Wrocław – Ostrava – Vienna - One train pair daily  LEO Praha Hlavny - Pardubice - Wrocław - Friday, Saturday, Sunday

Wrocław Główny (Polish for "Wrocław main station") is the largest and most important passenger station of the southwestern Polish city of Wrocław. Built in the mid-19th century near the centre of the city, until 1945 it was known as "Breslau Hauptbahnhof" ("Breslau Main station"). It also is the largest railway station of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship, located at the junction of several important routes.


Origin, distribution, and ecology.

"C. colocynthis" is a desert viny plant that grows in sandy, arid soils. It is native to the Mediterranean Basin and Asia, and is distributed among the west coast of northern Africa, eastward through the Sahara, Egypt until India, and reaches also the north coast of the Mediterranean and the Caspian Seas. It grows also in southern European countries as in Spain and on the islands of the Grecian archipelago. On the island of Cyprus, it is cultivated on a small scale; it has been an income source since the 14th century and is still exported today. It is an annual or a perennial plant (in wild) in Indian arid zones and has a great survival rate under extreme xeric conditions. In fact, it can tolerate annual precipitation of 250 to 1500 mm and an annual temperature of 14.8 to 27.8 °C. It grows from sea level up to 1500 meters above sea level on sandy loam, subdesert soils, and sandy sea coasts with a pH range between 5.0 and 7.8.

Characteristics and morphology.

Roots and stems.

The roots are large, fleshy, and perennial, leading to a high survival rate due to the long tap root. The vine-like stems spread in all directions for a few meters looking for something over which to climb. If present, shrubs and herbs are preferred and climbed by means of auxiliary branching tendrils.

Leaves.

Very similar to watermelon, the leaves are palmate and angular with three to seven divided lobes.

Flowers.

The flowers are yellow and solitary in the axes of leaves and are borne by yellow-greenish peduncles. Each has a subcampanulated five-lobed corolla and a five-parted calyx. They are monoecious, so the male (stamens) and the female reproductive parts (pistils and ovary) are borne in different flowers on the same plant. The male flowers’ calyx is shorter than the corolla. They have five stamens, four of which are coupled and one is single with monadelphous anther. The female flowers have three staminoids and a three-carpel ovary. The two sexes are distinguishable by observing the globular and hairy inferior ovary of the female flowers.

Fruits.

The fruit is smooth, spheric with a 5– to 10-cm-diameter and extremely bitter taste. The calyx englobe the yellow-green fruit which becomes marble (yellow stripes) at maturity. The mesocarp is filled with a soft, dry, and spongy white pulp, in which the seeds are embedded. Each of the three carpels bears six seeds. Each plant produces 15 to 30 fruits.

Seeds.

The seeds are grey and 5 mm long by 3 mm wide. They are edible but similarly bitter, nutty-flavored, and rich in fat and protein. They are eaten whole or used as an oilseed. The oil content of the seeds is 17–19% (w/w), consisting of 67–73% linoleic acid, 10–16% oleic acid, 5–8% stearic acid, and 9–12% palmitic acid. The oil yield is about 400 l/hectare. In addition, the seeds contain a high amount of arginine, tryptophan, and the sulfur-containing amino acids.

Cultivation.

"C. colocynthis", a perennial plant, can propagate both by generative and vegetative means. However, seed germination is poor due to the extreme xeric conditions, so vegetative propagation is more common and successful in nature. In the Indian arid zone, growth takes place between January and October, but the most favorable period for the vegetative growth is during summer, which coincides with the rainy season. Growth declines as soon as the rains and the temperature decrease and almost stops during the cold and dry months of December and January. Colocynth prefers sandy soils and is a good example of good water management which may be useful also on research to better understand how desert plants react to water stress. To enhance production, an organic fertilizer can be applied. Colocynth is also commonly cultivated together with cassava (intercropping) in Nigeria. Cultivated colocynth suffers of climatic stress and diseases such as cucumber mosaic virus, melon mosaic virus, "Fusarium" wilt, etc. as any other crop. To improve it, a relatively new protocol for regeneration has been developed with the aim of incorporating disease and stress resistance to increase yield potential and security avoiding interspecific hybridization barriers.

Uses.

"C. colocynthis" can be eaten or elaborated for further uses in medicine and as energy source, e.g. oilseed and biofuel. The characteristic small seed of the colocynth have been found in several early archeological sites in northern Africa and the Near East, specifically at Neolithic Armant, Nagada in Egypt; at sites dating from 3800 BC to Roman times in Libya; and the pre-pottery Neolithic levels of the Nahal Hemar caves in Israel. Zohary and Hopf speculate, "these finds indicate that the wild colocynth was very probably used by humans prior to its domestication."

Traditional medicine.

Colocynth has been widely used in traditional medicine for centuries. In premodern European medicine, it was an ingredient in the electuary called "confectio hamech", or diacatholicon, and other laxative pills.  In Arabia the colocynth had numerous uses in traditional medicine, such as a laxative, diuretic, or for insect bites. The powder of colocynth was sometimes used externally with aloes, unguents, or bandages. Troches made of colocynth were called "troches of alhandal" used as an emetic.  In traditional Arab veterinary medicine, colocynth sap was used to treat skin eruptions in camels.

Culinary uses.

The seeds of colocynth, which must be heated to make edible, have been used since antiquity as a food source in areas of the Sahara and Sahel where crops frequently fail or regular farming is impossible. The enigmatic early Egyptian ceramic Clayton rings found in the Western Desert may have been portable ovens for roasting colocynth seeds. The desert Bedouin are said to make a type of bread from the ground seeds. The closely related watermelon ("Citrullus lanatus" (Thunb)) was domesticated in Ancient Egypt, and may have been developed for edible seed from cultivated colocynth. In West Africa, some confusion exists between this species and watermelon, whose seeds may be used in much the same way. In particular, the name "egusi" may refer to either or both plants (or more generically to other cucurbits) in their capacity as seed crops, or to a popular soup made from these seeds. The seed flour is rich in micronutrients, and could therefore be used in food formulations especially in regions with endemic micronutrient deficiencies, such as West Africa.

Other uses and research.

The oil obtained from the seeds (47%) can be used for soap production. The production is not very time- and energy-consuming due to the ability of colocynth to grow on poor soils with just a little moisture and organic fertilizer. The fruits are harvested still unripe by hand, the rind is removed by peeling and the inner pulp filled with seeds is dried in the sun or in ovens. The seeds yield is about 6.7-10 t/ha, which means that for an oil profit of 31-47%, oil yields may reach up to 3 t/ha.  Oleic and linoleic acids isolated from "C. colocynthis" petroleum ether extracts show larvicidal activity against mosquitoes.

Citrullus colocynthis, with many common names including colocynth, bitter apple, bitter cucumber, desert gourd, egusi, vine of Sodom, or wild gourd, is a desert viny plant native to the Mediterranean Basin and Asia, especially Turkey (especially in regions such as İzmir), and Nubia.


Biography.

The 16th Karmapa was born in Denkhok in the Dergé province in Eastern Tibet, Kham, near the Dri Chu or Yangtze River. The previous Karmapa Khakhyab Dorje (1871-1922) left a letter setting forth the circumstances of his next incarnation. The Karmapa's attendant, Jampal Tsultrim, possessed the letter of prediction, which matched exactly with the proceeding the 11th Tai Situpa was already undertaking to find the 16th Karmapa Rangjung Rigpe Dorje.  He was taken to the Palpung Monastery where the 11th Tai Situpa, Pema Wangchok, gave him ordination, the Bodhisattva vows and many teachings. Beru Khyentse Lodro Miza Pampa'i Gocha taught him the tantras. Bo Kangkar Rinpoche taught him the sutras. Jamgon Palden Kyentse Oser taught him Mahamudra and the Six Yogas of Naropa. He regarded the 11th Tai Situpa, Pema Wangchok, and the 2nd Jamgön Kongtrül Khyentse Öser as his root gurus. In 1931, at the age of seven, he performed his first Black Crown ceremony. He received his hair cutting ceremony at age thirteen from Thubten Gyatso, 13th Dalai Lama.  During his education he received all the Kagyu transmissions and was also taught by the Sakya Trizin for many years. In the beginning of 1940 he went into retreat, and in 1947 started a pilgrimage to India together with Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama. Rangjung continued his education with the 10th Mindrolling Trichen of the Nyingma School and it was concluded with the Kalachakra initiation of the Gelugpa School. Rangjung had therefore received all the major teachings of all the major Tibetan Buddhist schools.  The 16th Karmapa continued his predecessor's activities, travelling and teaching throughout Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal, Sikkim, India and parts of China. His activity also included locating the rebirths of high reincarnate lamas spontaneously, without meditation.

Escape from Tibet.

Political circumstances altered Tibet radically with the 1950 takeover by China. Karmapa, along with the Dalai Lama, government officials, and other high lamas, attended talks in Beijing to negotiate a settlement. This succeeded for a while, but in 1959 the Chinese government insisted on land reform, and the conflict with the lamas who owned a lot of land accelerated.  In February of that year Karmapa took 160 students from Tsurphu Monastery and escaped to Bhutan, taking the lineage's most sacred treasures and relics with them.  Tashi Namgyal, the King of Sikkim, offered land to the Karmapa near the site where the 14th Karmapa had established a monastery. It was here that his new seat, Rumtek Monastery, was built in 1966. The traditional seat of the Karmapa, Tsurphu Monastery, still exists, but the number of monks is restricted.

Focus on the West.

In the beginning of the 1970s the Karmapa made the prediction that Tibet would have a hard struggle gaining independence and even if it did, it would not allow the refugees to return. Rumtek would not be a good place either, and although Sikkim and Bhutan are still stable, they can deteriorate as well. However the Western world will embrace Buddhism, so he sent Lama Gendün to Europe.  In 1974, with the help of Freda Bedi, he embarked on his first world tour. On September 15, The Karmapa left Rumtek with an entourage of Tulkus and monks, including Tenga Rinpoche, Bardor Tulku Rinpoche and Lama Jigme Rinpoche. He was welcomed in London September 17, by Chime Rinpoche, Akong Rinpoche and others, including Hannah Nydahl and Lama Ole Nydahl. The Karmapa traveled to Europe, Canada and the United States, where he was welcomed by Chögyam Trungpa. He established Dhagpo Kagyu Ling in France as the central seat of activity, gave several Black Crown ceremonies, and attended an audience granted by Pope Paul VI. In 1976-77 he began a more exhaustive tour, giving extensive teachings, visiting nearly every major city in Europe.  In May of 1980, Karmapa again visited the West, stopping for lectures and ceremonies in London, New York, San Francisco, and Boulder, Colorado.  The sixteenth Karmapa helped foster the transmission of Tibetan Buddhism to the West. He established Dharma centers and monasteries in various places around the world in order to protect, preserve, and spread Buddha's teachings. As part of an initiative by the Tibetan government-in-exile to consolidate the organizations of Tibetan Buddhism, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje became the first formal head of the Kagyu School, although the earlier Karmapas had long been considered the most prestigious and authoritative lamas of that school.

Death.

In 1980-81 the Karmapa began his last world tour, giving teachings, interviews and empowerments in South East Asia, Greece, Great Britain, Canada and the United States. Rangjung Rigpei Dorjé died on November 5, 1981 in the United States in a hospital in Zion, Illinois. Doctors and nurses at the hospital remarked on his kindness and how he seemed more concerned with their welfare than his own.  According to buddhism-affiliated sources, one doctor was also struck by the Karmapa's refusal of pain medication and the absence of any signs of feeling the profound pain that most patients in his condition report. Upon his death, against hospital procedure but in keeping with Tibetan tradition and with special permission from the State of Illinois, his body was left in the hospital for three days.  He was cremated in Rumtek.

Legacy.

Like his predecessors, he was primarily a spiritual figure and therefore not involved in politics. He instead made efforts to keep the spiritual traditions of Tibet intact and in this way helped to preserve the identity of Tibet as a unique and individual culture.  Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, as with all other Karmapas and tulkus, is accepted by Tibetan Buddhists as a manifestation of an enlightened being.

The sixteenth Gyalwa Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje (August 14, 1924 – November 5, 1981) (Wylie Rang 'byung rig pa'i rdo rje) was spiritual leader of the Karma Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, and was also consulted by high lamas of other lineages. He was given many names expressing this respect, including “King of the Yogis”.


Overview.

Archaeologists now believe that the Bent Pyramid represents a transitional form between step-sided and smooth-sided pyramids (see Step pyramid). It has been suggested that due to the steepness of the original angle of inclination the structure may have begun to show signs of instability during construction, forcing the builders to adopt a shallower angle to avert the structure's collapse. This theory appears to be borne out by the fact that the adjacent Red Pyramid, built immediately afterwards by the same Pharaoh, was constructed at an angle of 43 degrees from its base. This fact also contradicts the theory that at the initial angle the construction would take too long because Sneferu's death was nearing, so the builders changed the angle to complete the construction in time. In 1974 Kurt Mendelssohn suggested the change of the angle to have been made as a security precaution in reaction to a catastrophic collapse of the Meidum Pyramid while it was still under construction.  It is also unique amongst the approximately ninety pyramids to be found in Egypt, in that its original polished limestone outer casing remains largely intact. British structural engineer Peter James attributes this to larger clearances between the parts of the casing than used in later pyramids; these imperfections would work as expansion joints and prevent the successive destruction of the outer casing by thermal expansion.  The ancient formal name of the Bent Pyramid is generally translated as "(The)-Southern-Shining-Pyramid," or "Sneferu-(is)-Shining-in-the-South". In July 2019, Egypt decided to open the Bent Pyramid for tourism for the first time since 1965. Tourists will be able to reach two 4600-year-old chambers through a 79-metre narrow tunnel built from the northern entrance of the pyramid. The 18-metre-high "side pyramid", which is assumed to have been built for Sneferu's wife Hetepheres will also be accessible. It is the first time this adjacent pyramid has been opened to the public since its excavation in 1956.

Interior passages.

The Bent Pyramid has two entrances, one fairly low down on the north side, to which a substantial wooden stairway has been built for the convenience of tourists. The second entrance is high on the west face of the pyramid. Each entrance leads to a chamber with a high, corbelled roof; the northern entrance leads to a chamber that is below ground level, the western to a chamber built in the body of the pyramid itself. A hole in the roof of the northern chamber (accessed today by a high and rickety ladder long) leads via a rough connecting passage to the passage from the western entrance.  The western entrance passage is blocked by two stone blocks which were not lowered vertically, as in other pyramids, but slid down 45° ramps to block the passage. One of these was lowered in antiquity and a hole has been cut through it, the other remains propped up by a piece of ancient cedar wood. The connecting passage referenced above enters the passage between the two portcullises.

Pyramid temple.

On the east side of the pyramid there are the fragmentary remains of the pyramid temple. Like the pyramid temple of the Meidum pyramid, there are two stelae behind the temple, though of these only stumps remain. There is no trace of inscription to be seen. The temple remains are fragmentary but it is presumed to be similar to that of the Meidum temple.

Satellite pyramid.

A satellite pyramid, suggested by some Egyptologists to have been built to house the pharaoh's "ka", is located 55 metres south of the Bent Pyramid. The satellite pyramid originally measured 26 metres in height and 52.80 metres in length, with faces inclining 44°30'. The structure is made of limestone blocks, relatively thick, arranged in horizontal rows and covered with a layer of fine limestone from Tura. The burial chamber is accessible from a descending corridor with its entrance located 1.10 metres above the ground in the middle of the north face. The corridor, inclined at 34°, originally measured 11.60 metres in length. A short horizontal passage connects the corridor with an ascending corridor, inclined at 32° 30', leading up to the chamber.  The design of the corridors is similar to the one found in the Great Pyramid of Giza, where the Grand Gallery takes up the place of the ascending corridor. The corridor leads up to the burial chamber (called this despite that it most probably never contained any sarcophagus). The chamber, located in the center of the pyramid, has a corbel vault ceiling and contains a four metres deep shaft, probably dug by treasure hunters, in the southeast part of the chamber.  Like the main pyramid, the satellite had its own altar with two stelae located at the eastern side.

The Bent Pyramid is an ancient Egyptian pyramid located at the royal necropolis of Dahshur, approximately 40 kilometres south of Cairo, built under the Old Kingdom Pharaoh Sneferu (c. 2600 BC). A unique example of early pyramid development in Egypt, this was the second pyramid built by Sneferu.


Club career.

The goalkeeper played 57 matches in the German top-flight for former East German powerhouse Dynamo Dresden a couple of years after reunification between East and West.

International career.

Cherchesov played for Russia at the 1994 World Cup and 1996 Euro. He made 39 appearances for the team after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Cherchesov also made one appearance for the FIFA team in the charity game against America in 1995, and for Europe vs Africa in 1997.

Managerial career.

Cherchesov was the manager of FC Kufstein from January to November 2004 and the manager of FC Wacker Tirol from November 2004 to May 2006. In June 2006 – June 2007 he was the sporting director of FC Spartak Moscow. From 19 June 2007 to 14 August 2008 he was the manager of FC Spartak Moscow. Manager of Amkar Perm since June 2013 to April 2014.  On 8 April 2014, Cherchesov left Amkar Perm.  On 9 April 2014, Cherchesov was named as manager of FC Dynamo Moscow replacing Dan Petrescu. He left Dynamo by mutual consent on 13 July 2015.  On 6 October 2015, he became the manager of Polish side Legia Warsaw. That season he won the top Polish professional league championship and Cup double for Legia Warsaw  In August 2016, Cherchesov was named as the new head coach of Russia on a two-year contract through to the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Under his management Russia would beat Saudi Arabia 5–0, Egypt 3–1, and Spain 1-1 (pen. 4-3), reaching the quarterfinals for the first time since 1970. He has become the first ever Russian manager, since the collapse of USSR, to bring Russia into the knockout stage of a major tournament for the second time (Dutchman Guus Hiddink led Russia to the UEFA Euro 2008 semi-finals), which others like Pavel Sadyrin, Oleg Romantsev, Georgi Yartsev and Leonid Slutsky have failed to do.  On 27 July 2018, he signed a new contract with the Russian national team, on a two-year term with a further two-year extension option. On 12 March 2020, he extended the contract until 30 December 2022. It will be extended to 31 July 2024 if Russia qualifies for the knockout stage at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Personal life.

Cherchesov is married and has two children. His son, Stanislav, is also a goalkeeper. Having taken career in Germany and Austria, he has learnt to speak fluent German and has taken up coaching education in Germany.  He was named "Coach of the Year" in the nomination "Pride of Russia" by the Ministry of Sport of Russia.

Honours.

Player.

Spartak Moscow  FC Tirol Insbruck  Individual

Manager.

Legia Warsaw  Russia

Stanislav Salamovich Cherchesov (, / Ĉerĉesty Salamy fyrt Stanislav; born 2 September 1963) is a Russian football manager and former international footballer of Ossetian descent who played as a goalkeeper for USSR and Russia. In August 2016 he was appointed as head coach of the Russia national team and helped his team reach the quarter-finals of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.


Life.

He was born at Montaigu (Vendée), the son of J. B. de la Révellière. He adopted the name Lépeaux from a small property belonging to his family, and he was known locally as M. de Lépeaux. He studied law at Angers and Paris, being called to the bar in 1775. A deputy to the Estates-General of 1789, he returned at the close of the session to Angers, where with his school-friends J. B. Leclerc and Urbain-René Pilastre he sat on the council of Maine-et-Loire, and had to deal with the first Vendéen outbreaks. In 1792 he was returned by the "département" to the Convention, and on 19 November he proposed the famous decree by which France offered protection to foreign nations in their struggle for liberty.  Although La Révellière-Lépeaux voted for the death of Louis XVI, he was not in general agreement with the extremists. He was proscribed with the Girondins in 1793, and remained in hiding until the revolt of 9 Thermidor (27 July 1794). After serving on the commission to prepare the initiation of the new constitution he became in July 1795 president of the Assembly, and shortly afterwards a member of the Committee of Public Safety. His name stood first on the list of directors elected, and he became president of the Directory.  Of his colleagues he was in alliance with Jean-François Rewbell and to a lesser degree with Barras, but the greatest of his fellow-directors, Lazare Carnot, was the object of his undying hatred. His policy was marked by a bitter hostility to the Christian religion, which he proposed to supplant as a civilizing agent by theophilanthropy, a new religion invented by the English deist David Williams. The credit of the "coup d'état" of 18 Fructidor (4 September 1797), by which the allied directors made themselves supreme, La Révellière-Lépeaux arrogated to himself in his "Mémoires", which in this as in other matters must be read with caution.  Compelled to resign by the Coup of 30 Prairial Year VII (18 June 1799), he lived in retirement in the country, and took no further part in public affairs even after his return to Paris ten years later.

Louis Marie de La Révellière-Lépeaux (24 August 1753 – 24 March 1824) was a deputy to the National Convention during the French Revolution. He later served as a prominent leader of the French Directory.


Early life and education.

Hofer was born in Vorau, Austria, the son of a local Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) councillor and electric power station director. He was raised in a middle-class family in Pinkafeld, Burgenland.  He finished secondary school at the HTBLA Eisenstadt with specialization in aeronautics. From 1990 until 1991, Hofer fulfilled his military service. From 1991 until 1994 he worked as an aeronautical engineer at Lauda Air Engineering.

Political career.

Hofer worked his way up the ranks of the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) and became a close advisor to Heinz-Christian Strache, who took over the leadership of the Freedom Party from Jörg Haider in 2005.  From 1996 to 2007, Hofer was provincial party secretary of the FPÖ in Burgenland and, from 1997 to 2007, council member of the City of Eisenstadt. Since 2006 he has been deputy regional party chairman. From 2008 to 2012, Hofer served as vice president for Burgenland of the Österreichischer Zivilinvalidenverband. He was energy and environmental speaker from 2006 to 2015, as well as FPÖ spokesman for the disabled in the National Council.  Hofer became Third President of Austria's National Council on 29 October 2013. He succeeded Martin Graf in this function.

Austrian presidential election, 2016.

On 28 January 2016, the FPÖ presented him as its candidate for the 2016 presidential elections. He won the first round of the election, held on 24 April. He placed close second in a neck-and-neck race with Alexander Van der Bellen, the former Green Party spokesman.  He ran on his promise of "putting Austria first" and received the highest number of votes in the first round with 35.1 percent, putting him in a runoff. 24 April vote total was the best-ever result for the Freedom Party at federal level since 1956. Hofer benefited from the recent migrant crisis, where around 90,000 migrants applied for asylum in Austria, straining the country's resources and public empathy. The Freedom Party had opposed the government's original "welcoming culture" and during the summer of 2015 began to lead opinion polls.  Hofer campaigned to dissolve Parliament in order to call new elections. During the campaign he also stated that he would refuse to approve certain laws, such as a planned free-trade agreement between the European Union and the United States, and that he may attend, along with Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann, EU summits.  Right-wing parties and politicians across Western Europe celebrated Hofer's first-place finish. Those parties and politicians included: Marine Le Pen of France's National Front; Frauke Petry of Alternative for Germany; Geert Wilders of the Dutch Party for Freedom; and Matteo Salvini of Italy's Lega Nord. The second round election was held on 22 May 2016, with 49.7% of votes cast for Hofer while Van der Bellen, his opponent, received 50.3%, – a margin of victory of only 30,863. Evidence was subsequently presented to the Constitutional Court of Austria that approximately 78,000 absentee ballots were improperly counted too early, which theoretically could have influenced or altered the outcome. Consequently, on 1 July, the Court annulled the second round results and thereby precluded Van der Bellen being sworn into office, and ordered the election be re-run. Incumbent president Heinz Fischer left office on 8 July, and so the three presidents of the National Council – Doris Bures (Social Democratic Party of Austria), Karlheinz Kopf (ÖVP) and Hofer – became joint acting presidents of Austria.  The Court-ordered election was held on 4 December 2016, with Van der Bellen again emerging as the victor. Despite predictions that election fatigue and cold temperatures would lead to a reduction in participation, voter turnout actually increased from 72.7% in May to 73.8%; expectations for a similarly-close result also proved wrong, with the margin of victory for Van der Bellen increasing by approximately a factor of ten as he was supported by around 53.3% of voters. Hofer conceded soon after the first exit polls were reported, posting on Facebook: "I congratulate Alexander Van der Bellen for his success and ask all Austrians to pull together and work together" and added that he "would have liked to look after Austria" and confirmed his intention to run again in 2022. His campaign manager, Herbert Kickl, who is also the secretary of the Freedom party, attributed the defeat to "the establishment – which pitched in once again to block, to stonewall and to prevent renewal." Hofer remained as joint acting President until Van der Bellen was sworn into office, which is due to occur on 26 January 2017. Political scientist Farid Hafez argued that nevertheless, it was a huge success for the FPÖ and Norbert Hofer to reach 47% of the votes, while normally, the FPÖ reaches up to 30% at most at a national parliamentary election.

Federal minister.

The FPÖ performed well in the 2017 Austrian legislative election, and it formed a government coalition with the Austrian People's Party. Hofer was chosen to lead the Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology.

Private career.

Hofer serves on the board of directors of Eurosolar Austria, has served on the boards of Mapjet AG (2010–2011) and International Sky Services AG (2011–2012) and was executive chairman of PAF private trust (2011–2012).

Ideology and political positions.

Most mainstream press sources describe Hofer as "far-right". Writer Michael Toner of the centrist online news publication "International Business Times" referred to Hofer as a neo-fascist. However, other media outlets and political commentators have referred to Hofer as the face of the more moderate wing of the FPÖ and less hard-line compared to former party leader Heinz-Christian Strache.  Hofer himself has stated that he is not a nationalist but a patriot, and that the FPÖ is not an extreme-right movement but "a centre-right party with a high degree of social responsibility.” He has also cited former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher as one of his political influences.  In February 2015, Hofer proposed that South Tyrol, an autonomous German-speaking province administered by Italy and formerly part of Austria-Hungary, should be absorbed into Austria. In 2016, Hofer stated that he would want Austria to hold a referendum on its membership of the European Union if the European Parliament were to assume more powers or Turkey acceded to the bloc. Hofer has also defended the right to gun ownership.

Personal life.

Hofer is in his second marriage and has four children – two daughters, Anna-Sophie and Vivien and two sons, Yanik and Jeremie. He was raised as a Catholic but converted to Protestantism; his wife and children are Catholic. His main residence is in southern Burgenland.  Hofer is an honorary member of the conservative school fraternity ("pennal-conservative Burschenschaft") "Marko-Germania zu Pinkafeld" and an honorary knight of the Ancient Order of St. George.  In August 2003 Hofer crashed a paraglider in Stubenberg and received severe spinal injuries. He engaged in six months of rehabilitation, moving from a wheelchair to the use of a cane to walk.  He is a gun enthusiast and carries a Glock handgun.  In addition to his native German, Hofer also speaks English.

Norbert Gerwald Hofer (; born 2 March 1971) is an Austrian politician serving as the leader of the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) since September 2019. Prior to that, he was Third President of the National Council from 2013 to 2017, his party's candidate in the 2016 Austrian presidential election and Minister for Transport, Innovation and Technology in the first Kurz government from 2017 until 2019.


Principle.

Immunoassays rely on the ability of an antibody to recognize and bind a specific macromolecule in what might be a complex mixture of macromolecules. In immunology the particular macromolecule bound by an antibody is referred to as an antigen and the area on an antigen to which the antibody binds is called an epitope.  In some cases, an immunoassay may use an antigen to detect for the presence of antibodies, which recognize that antigen, in a solution. In other words, in some immunoassays, the analyte may be an antibody rather than an antigen.  In addition to the binding of an antibody to its antigen, the other key feature of all immunoassays is a means to produce a measurable signal in response to the binding. Most, though not all, immunoassays involve chemically linking antibodies or antigens with some kind of detectable label. A large number of labels exist in modern immunoassays, and they allow for detection through different means. Many labels are detectable because they either emit radiation, produce a color change in a solution, fluoresce under light, or can be induced to emit light.

History.

Rosalyn Sussman Yalow and Solomon Berson are credited with the development of the first immunoassays in the 1950s. Yalow accepted the Nobel Prize for her work in immunoassays in 1977, becoming the second American woman to have won the award.  Immunoassays became considerably simpler to perform and more popular when techniques for chemically linked enzymes to antibodies were demonstrated in the late 1960s.  In 1983, Professor Anthony Campbell at Cardiff University replaced radioactive iodine used in immunoassay with an acridinium ester that makes its own light: chemiluminescence. This type of immunoassay is now used in around 100 million clinical tests every year worldwide, enabling clinicians to measure a wide range of proteins, pathogens and other molecules in blood samples.  By 2012, the commercial immunoassay industry earned and was thought to have prospects of slow annual growth in the 2 to 3 percent range.

Labels.

Immunoassays employ a variety of different labels to allow for detection of antibodies and antigens. Labels are typically chemically linked or conjugated to the desired antibody or antigen.

Enzymes.

Possibly one of the most popular labels to use in immunoassays is enzymes. Immunoassays which employ enzymes are referred to as enzyme immunoassays (EIAs), of which enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) and enzyme multiplied immunoassay technique (EMIT) are the most common types.  Enzymes used in ELISAs include horseradish peroxidase (HRP), alkaline phosphatase (AP) or glucose oxidase. These enzymes allow for detection often because they produce an observable color change in the presence of certain reagents. In some cases these enzymes are exposed to reagents which cause them to produce light or Chemiluminescence.

Radioactive isotopes.

Radioactive isotopes can be incorporated into immunoassay reagents to produce a radioimmunoassay (RIA). Radioactivity emitted by bound antibody-antigen complexes can be easily detected using conventional methods.  RIAs were some of the earliest immunoassays developed, but have fallen out of favor largely due to the difficulty and potential dangers presented by working with radioactivity.

DNA reporters.

A newer approach to immunoassays involves combining real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT qPCR) and traditional immunoassay techniques. Called real-time immunoquantitative PCR (iqPCR) the label used in these assays is a DNA probe.

Fluorogenic reporters.

Fluorogenic reporters like phycoerythrin are used in a number of modern immunoassays. Protein microarrays are a type of immunoassay that often employ fluorogenic reporters.

Electrochemiluminescent tags.

Some labels work via electrochemiluminescence, in which the label emits detectable light in response to electric current.

Label-free immunoassays.

While some kind of label is generally employed in immunoassays, there are certain kinds of assays which do not rely on labels, but instead employ detection methods that don't require the modification or labeling the components of the assay. Surface plasmon resonance is an example of technique that can detect binding between an unlabeled antibody and antigens. Another demonstrated labeless immunoassay involves measuring the change in resistance on an electrode as antigens bind to it.

Classifications and formats.

Immunoassays can be run in a number of different formats. Generally, an immunoassay will fall into one of several categories depending on how it is run.

Competitive, homogeneous immunoassays.

In a competitive, homogeneous immunoassay, unlabelled analyte in a sample competes with labelled analyte to bind an antibody. The amount of labelled, unbound analyte is then measured. In theory, the more analyte in the sample, the more labelled analyte gets displaced and then measured; hence, the amount of labelled, unbound analyte is proportional to the amount of analyte in the sample.

Competitive, heterogeneous immunoassays.

As in a competitive, homogeneous immunoassay, unlabelled analyte in a sample competes with labelled analyte to bind an antibody. In the heterogeneous assays, the labelled, unbound analyte is separated or washed away, and the remaining labelled, bound analyte is measured.

One-site, noncompetitive immunoassays.

The unknown analyte in the sample binds with labelled antibodies. The unbound, labelled antibodies are washed away, and the bound, labelled antibodies are measured. The intensity of the signal is directly proportional to the amount of unknown analyte.

Two-site, noncompetitive immunoassays.

The analyte in the unknown sample is bound to the antibody site, then the labelled antibody is bound to the analyte. The amount of labelled antibody on the site is then measured. It will be directly proportional to the concentration of the analyte because the labelled antibody will not bind if the analyte is not present in the unknown sample. This type of immunoassay is also known as a sandwich assay as the analyte is "sandwiched" between two antibodies.

Examples.

Clinical tests.

A wide range of medical tests are immunoassays, called immunodiagnostics in this context. Many home pregnancy tests are immunoassays, which detect the pregnancy marker human chorionic gonadotropin. Other clinical immunoassays include tests that measure levels of CK-MB to assess heart disease, insulin to assess hypoglycemia, prostate-specific antigen to detect prostate cancer, and some are also used for the detection and/or quantitative measurement of some pharmaceutical compounds (see Enzyme multiplied immunoassay technique for more details).

Sports anti-doping analysis.

Immunoassays are used in sports anti-doping laboratories to test athletes' blood samples for prohibited recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH, rGH, hGH, GH).

Research.

Photoacoustic Immunoassay.

The photoacoustic immunoassay measures low-frequency acoustic signals generated by metal nanoparticle tags. Illuminated by a modulated light at a plasmon resonance wavelength, the nanoparticles generate strong acoustic signal, which can be measured using a microphone. The photoacoustic immunoassay can be applied to lateral flow tests, which use colloidal nanoparticles.

External links.

"The Immunoassay Handbook", 3rd Edition, David Wild, Ed., Elsevier,2008

An immunoassay is a biochemical test that measures the presence or concentration of a macromolecule or a small molecule in a solution through the use of an antibody (usually) or an antigen (sometimes). The molecule detected by the immunoassay is often referred to as an "analyte" and is in many cases a protein, although it may be other kinds of molecules, of different size and types, as long as the proper antibodies that have the adequate properties for the assay are developed. Analytes in biological liquids such as serum or urine are frequently measured using immunoassays for medical and research purposes.


General appearance and characteristics.

The animal is easily identified by its markings, most notably the light-colored patch that extends from its shoulders to its rear end. The rest of its hair is black, except for the tips of its ears, which, as with other tapirs, are rimmed with white. This pattern is for camouflage; the disrupted coloration makes it more difficult to recognize it as a tapir, and other animals may mistake it for a large rock rather than prey when it is lying down to sleep.  Malayan tapirs grow to between in length, not counting a stubby tail of only in length, and stand tall. They typically weigh between, although some adults can weigh up to. The females are usually larger than the males. Like the other types of tapir, they have small, stubby tails and long, flexible proboscises. They have four toes on each front foot and three toes on each back foot. The Malayan tapir has rather poor eyesight, but excellent hearing and sense of smell. They have a large sagittal crest, a bone running along the middle of the skull that is necessary for muscle attachment. They also have unusually positioned orbits, an unusually shaped cranium with the frontal bones elevated, and a retracted nasal incision. All of these modifications to the normal mammal skull are, of course, to make room for the proboscis. This proboscis caused a retraction of bones and cartilage in the face during the evolution of the tapir, and even caused the loss of some cartilages, facial muscles, and the bony wall of the nasal chamber.

Vision.

Malayan tapirs have very poor eyesight, making them rely greatly on their excellent sense of smell and hearing to go about in their everyday lives. They have small, beady eyes with brown irises on either side of their faces. Their eyes are often covered in a blue haze, which is corneal cloudiness thought to be caused by repetitive exposure to light. Corneal cloudiness is a condition in which the cornea starts to lose its transparency. The cornea is necessary for the transmitting and focusing of outside light as it enters the eye, and cloudiness can cause vision loss. This causes the Malayan tapir to have very inadequate vision, both on land and in water, where they spend the majority of their time. Also, as these tapirs are most active at night and since they have poor eyesight, it is harder for them to search for food and avoid predators in the dark.

"T. i. brevetianus" variation.

A small number of melanistic (all-black) Malayan tapirs have been observed. In 1924, an all-black tapir was sent to Rotterdam Zoo and was classified as a subspecies called "Tapirus indicus brevetianus" after its discoverer, Captain K. Brevet. In 2000, two melanistic tapirs were observed during a study of tigers in the Jerangau Forest Reserve in Malaysia. The cause of this variation may be a genetic abnormality similar to that of black panthers that appear in populations of spotted leopards or spotted jaguars. However, unless, and until, more "T. i. brevetianus" individuals can be studied, the precise explanation for the trait will remain unknown.

Lifecycle.

The gestation period of the Malayan tapir is about 390–395 days, after which a single offspring, weighing around 15 pounds (6.8 kg), is born. Malayan tapirs are the largest of the four tapir species at birth and grow more quickly than their congeners. Young tapirs of all species have brown hair with white stripes and spots, a pattern that enables them to hide effectively in the dappled light of the forest. This baby coat fades into adult coloration between four and seven months after birth. Weaning occurs between six and eight months of age, at which time the babies are nearly full-grown, and the animals reach sexual maturity around age three. Breeding typically occurs in April, May or June, and females generally produce one calf every two years. Malayan tapirs can live up to 30 years, both in the wild and in captivity.

Behaviour.

Malayan tapirs are primarily solitary creatures, marking out large tracts of land as their territory, though these areas usually overlap with those of other individuals. Tapirs mark out their territories by spraying urine on plants, and they often follow distinct paths, which they have bulldozed through the undergrowth. Exclusively herbivorous, the animal forages for the tender shoots and leaves of more than 115 species of plants (around 30 are particularly preferred), moving slowly through the forest and pausing often to eat and note the scents left behind by other tapirs in the area. However, when threatened or frightened, the tapir can run quickly, despite its considerable bulk, and can also defend itself with its strong jaws and sharp teeth. Malayan tapirs communicate with high-pitched squeaks and whistles. They usually prefer to live near water and often bathe and swim, and they are also able to climb steep slopes. Tapirs are mainly active at night, though they are not exclusively nocturnal. They tend to eat soon after sunset or before sunrise, and they will often nap in the middle of the night. This behavior characterizes them as crepuscular animals.

Habitat, predation, and vulnerability.

The Malayan tapir was once found throughout the tropical lowland rainforests of Southeast Asia, including Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, and Vietnam. However, its numbers have decreased in recent years, and today, like all tapirs, it is in danger of extinction. Because of their size, tapirs have few natural predators, and even reports of killings by tigers are scarce. The main threat to the Malayan tapirs is human activity, including deforestation for agricultural purposes, flooding caused by the damming of rivers for hydroelectric projects, and illegal trade. In Thailand, for instance, capture and sale of a young tapir may be worth US$5500.00. In areas such as Sumatra, where the population is predominantly Muslim, tapirs are seldom hunted for food, as their physical similarity to pigs has made tapir meat a taboo, but in some regions they are hunted for sport or shot accidentally when mistaken for other animals. Protected status in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand, which seeks to curb deliberate killing of tapirs but does not address the issue of habitat loss, has had limited effect in reviving or maintaining the population.

The Malayan tapir ("Tapirus indicus"), also called the Asian tapir, Asiatic tapir, Oriental tapir, Indian tapir, or piebald tapir, is the largest of the four widely-recognized species of tapir and the only one native to Asia. The scientific name refers to the East Indies, the species' natural habitat. In the Malay language, the tapir is commonly referred to as "cipan", "tenuk" or "badak tampung".


Life.

Edmund was born in London, a son of Henry III of England and Eleanor of Provence. He was a younger brother of Edward I, Margaret, and Beatrice, and an elder brother of Catherine.  He was invested ruler of the Kingdom of Sicily by the Bishop of Bologna in 1255, on behalf of Pope Alexander IV. In return, his father undertook to pay the papacy 135,541 marks and fight a war to dislodge the Hohenstaufen king Manfred. Henry's barons refused to contribute to what they called the "Sicilian business", and ultimately Henry was only able to pay 60,000 marks. Steven Runciman says the grant of the kingdom was revoked by Pope Alexander IV on 18 December 1258; Baines and Harland state that this occurred in 1263, under Pope Urban IV.  However, Edmund soon obtained important possessions and dignities, for soon after the forfeiture of Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester on 25 October 1265, Edmund received the Earldom of Leicester and later that of Lancaster. He was granted the honour of the Stewardship of England and the lands of Nicolas de Segrave. He also acquired the estates of Robert de Ferrers, 6th Earl of Derby, that included the Honour of Hinckley Castle.  In 1267, Edmund was granted the lordship of Builth Wells, in opposition to the then holder, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd (the last prince of an independent Wales). To help him conquer the land, he was also granted his elder brother's lordships of the Trilateral of Skenfrith, Grosmont and White Castle, all in Monmouthshire, together with Monmouth. After the civil war in 1267, he was appointed High Sheriff of Lancashire. Henry III created his second son Earl of Leicester in 1267, granting the honour and privileges of that city. The following year he was made Constable of Leicester Castle, a royal possession in the king's name. Crouchback by now had a reputation as a ruthless and ferocious warrior, but he was not in England fighting de Montfort.  In 1271, Edmund accompanied his elder brother Edward on the Ninth Crusade to Palestine. Some historians, including the authors of the Encyclopædia Britannica article on him, state that it was because of this that he received the nickname 'Crouchback' (which means "cross-back"), indicating that he was entitled to wear a cross stitched into the back of his garments.  On his return from the Crusade of 1271–2, he seems to have made Grosmont Castle his favoured home and undertook much rebuilding there. His son Henry, 3rd Earl of Lancaster was apparently born there in 1281.  Edmund remained loyal to his brother, Edward I; the Charter grants of 1265, 1267, and 1268–9 were confirmed by the King in a document of "Inspeximus" in 1284, and by Parliament in the Great Charter of Leicester. Also in 1284, on the marriage of his stepdaughter, he renounced the title of earl of Champagne, although he continued in possession of his wife's dowerlands. Edmund frequently acted as an ambassador abroad. He was sent as Governor of Ponthieu in 1291, on behalf of his second wife, Blanche of Artois.  His duty to the church included the foundation of a Nuns of Clara or Poor Clares nunnery at Minories, St Aldate's. In 1291, his estate paid for the establishment for the Chapel of Savoy, in memory of his mother, near St Clement Danes. Filial piety was part of the chivalric code of an honourable knight. Edmund was a generous benefactor to the monastery of Grace Dieu in Leicestershire, and to the nuns at Tarrant Crawford. He also helped establish a major Greyfriars monastery at Preston in the duchy of Lancaster.  In 1281, he supervised the construction of Aberystwyth Castle for King Edward I to subjugate the Welsh. The following year Edmund accompanied Roger Mortimer on campaign against Llywelyn, defeating and capturing the prince.  In 1294 the French king, Philip IV, through trickery, defrauded King Edward out of his lands in Gascony. Edward immediately began to plan an invasion, but ran into difficulties. First, some of the Welsh rebelled against him, then the Scots rebelled. Finally, by the end of 1295, he was ready to take up the conflict with Philip. He wanted to send Edmund to lead a small force ahead of the main army he was gathering, but Edmund fell ill in that autumn and was unwell until Christmas. Finally Edmund was able to go to Bordeaux for his brother. Amongst the nobles was the Earl of Lincoln and 26 banneret knights. During the siege of Bayonne the English ran out of money, so the army melted into the countryside. Broken-hearted, the warrior-prince Edmund Crouchback died on 5 June. His body was carried to England and was interred on 15 July 1296 at Westminster Abbey, London.

Family.

Edmund married firstly on 8 April 1269 Aveline de Forz, daughter of William de Forz, 4th Earl of Albemarle and Isabella de Fortibus, Countess of Devon. She died just four years after the marriage, at the age of 15, and was buried at Westminster Abbey. The couple had no children, though some sources believe she may have died in childbirth or shortly after a miscarriage.  He married secondly on 3 February 1276 Blanche of Artois, in Paris, widow of King Henry I of Navarre, and daughter of Robert I of Artois and Matilda of Brabant. With Blanche he had three children:

Edmund Crouchback (16 January 12455 June 1296), Earl of Lancaster, Leicester, and Derby was a member of the House of Plantagenet. He was the second surviving son of King Henry III of England and Eleanor of Provence. In his childhood he had a claim on the Kingdom of Sicily; however, he never ruled there. He was granted all the lands of Simon de Montfort in 1265, and from 1267 he was titled Earl of Leicester. In that year he also began to rule Lancashire, but he did not take the title Earl of Lancaster until 1276. Between 1276 and 1284 he governed the counties of Champagne and Brie with his second wife, Blanche of Artois, in the name of her daughter Joan, and he was described in the English patent rolls as earl of Lancaster and Champagne. His nickname, "Crouchback" (meaning "cross-back"), refers to his participation in the Ninth Crusade.


Rationale.

The sophistication of the analysis performed by tools varies from those that only consider the behaviour of individual statements and declarations, to those that include the complete source code of a program in their analysis. The uses of the information obtained from the analysis vary from highlighting possible coding errors (e.g., the lint tool) to formal methods that mathematically prove properties about a given program (e.g., its behaviour matches that of its specification).  Software metrics and reverse engineering can be described as forms of static analysis. Deriving software metrics and static analysis are increasingly deployed together, especially in creation of embedded systems, by defining so-called "software quality objectives".  A growing commercial use of static analysis is in the verification of properties of software used in safety-critical computer systems and locating potentially vulnerable code. For example, the following industries have identified the use of static code analysis as a means of improving the quality of increasingly sophisticated and complex software:  A study in 2012 by VDC Research reports that 28.7% of the embedded software engineers surveyed currently use static analysis tools and 39.7% expect to use them within 2 years. A study from 2010 found that 60% of the interviewed developers in European research projects made at least use of their basic IDE built-in static analyzers. However, only about 10% employed an additional other (and perhaps more advanced) analysis tool.  In the application security industry the name "Static Application Security Testing" (SAST) is also used. SAST is an important part of Security Development Lifecycles (SDLs) such as the SDL defined by Microsoft and a common practice in software companies.

Tool types.

The OMG (Object Management Group) published a study regarding the types of software analysis required for software quality measurement and assessment. This document on "How to Deliver Resilient, Secure, Efficient, and Easily Changed IT Systems in Line with CISQ Recommendations" describes three levels of software analysis.  A further level of software analysis can be defined.

Formal methods.

Formal methods is the term applied to the analysis of software (and computer hardware) whose results are obtained purely through the use of rigorous mathematical methods. The mathematical techniques used include denotational semantics, axiomatic semantics, operational semantics, and abstract interpretation.  By a straightforward reduction to the halting problem, it is possible to prove that (for any Turing complete language), finding all possible run-time errors in an arbitrary program (or more generally any kind of violation of a specification on the final result of a program) is undecidable: there is no mechanical method that can always answer truthfully whether an arbitrary program may or may not exhibit runtime errors. This result dates from the works of Church, Gödel and Turing in the 1930s (see: Halting problem and Rice's theorem). As with many undecidable questions, one can still attempt to give useful approximate solutions.  Some of the implementation techniques of formal static analysis include:

Data-driven static analysis.

Data-driven static analysis uses large amounts of code to infer coding rules. For instance, one can use all Java open-source packages on GitHub to learn a good analysis strategy. The rule inference can use machine learning techniques. For instance, it has been shown that when one deviates too much in the way one uses an object-oriented API, it is likely to be a bug. It is also possible to learn from a large amount of past fixes and warnings.

Static program analysis is the analysis of computer software that is performed without actually executing programs, in contrast with dynamic analysis, which is analysis performed on programs while they are executing. In most cases the analysis is performed on some version of the source code, and in the other cases, some form of the object code.


History.

"DETAIL" was first published in 1961. In 2008, in its 48th year, ten issues of the journal are published per annum. From 2009, the number increased to 12 a year.

Brief description.

"DETAIL" is an international professional journal for architects, construction engineers, building authorities and developers. Its title highlights a central feature of the content, which consists of the documentation and description of building developments of all kinds. Emphasis is placed on the depiction of constructional and architectural relationships. "DETAIL" comprises five main sections under the headings Discussion, Reports, Documentation, Technology and Products. It thus represents an important source of information for architects and planning offices. Two special "DETAIL" Concept issues highlight not only the ideas underlying the design of outstanding buildings, but the entire planning and construction process.

Content.

The journal contains commentaries and topical articles, professional discussions and special reports, as well as documentations of specific buildings, in which spatial and urban relationships are described in the form of photos, drawings and explanatory texts, details of the technology involved, and product information relating to the construction, fitting out and furnishing of the buildings. In many cases, the product information is complemented by illustrations as well. There are also reports on various events, on building and planning law and building physics. Each issue of the journal concentrates on a specific aspect of construction, illustrating this with up-to-date examples from around the world. The selected projects show the range of the topic under discussion. Together with the Documentation section, the projects form the central part of each issue. The opening Discussion section, which contains interviews, critical statements and historical analyses, serves as an introduction to the main theme of each issue. The subsequent technical considerations with specialist contributions serve to intensify the treatment of the subject. The journal ends with a product information section.

Publication.

"DETAIL" is published ten times a year (from 2009 there will be 12 issues per annum) and is distributed to 80 different countries around the world in a bilingual (German-English) edition. In addition to this international edition, the journal appears six times a year in a purely English version. Copies sent abroad contain an inserted brochure with translations of the most important articles into French, Russian and Italian. Since 2002, an exclusively Spanish edition of the journal has been published in Spain with a full translation of the contents. Dates of publication: each issue appears in the first week of a month. Advertising planning deadline: six weeks prior to date of publication Deadline for receipt of material: five weeks prior to date of publication

Circulation.

The print run for the German-language edition is 38,844 copies. The average circulation over the year is 33,076 copies (IVW 3/06–2/07); English edition: 12,000 copies; Spanish edition: 10,000 copies; Chinese/English edition: 6,000 copies; Japanese edition: 10,000 copies (publisher’s information 1/07).

Readership.

The readership includes architectural practices, joint architectural and engineering offices, construction-planning departments in industry, banks, etc., planning departments of public building offices, construction and housing development organizations, building firms, mechanical-service engineers and structural engineers.

"DETAIL" internationally.

The journal is read in more than 80 countries and is published in three different languages:

DETAIL Network.

The "DETAIL" journal forms part of Detail Network, which includes Detail X, Detail360.de, Detail360.com, Deutscher Baukatalog (DBK), "DETAIL" (the journal) and Detail Online. The network functions as a community, databank, reference tool and marketplace for specialist information in the field of architecture and building construction.  DETAIL.de: Architects and building engineers can find topical everyday reports on architecture and details of current events as well as information on building law, building physics and construction materials in this "DETAIL" gateway to architecture. The archive contains articles published in past issues of the journal which can be downloaded. Every Monday, the job-service facility contains new offers of employment from the European building sector. These can also be obtained – sorted according to professional groups – by means of a Newsletter subscription. In addition, DETAIL Topics and DETAIL Plus provide two platforms free of charge with specialist information on matters related to planning and other professional fields.  DETAIL X : DETAIL X is a free internet gateway run by students of architecture for students of architecture. Here, access to expert knowledge is provided in a compact form for students of the various building disciplines. This facility also serves as a platform for a mutual exchange of ideas and for the presentation of students’ projects and special interests. The editorial contents are taken from the architectural journal DETAIL and are also contributed by the users themselves. In this way, an extensive databank is built up, containing lots of basic information, university papers and specialist knowledge from DETAIL. The forum, together with the integrated weblog, stimulates interactive communication and the exchange of information. University profiles and rankings provide an overview of the schools of architecture in German-speaking countries.  DETAIL 360°: DETAIL360.com provides scope for architects, specialist planners, interior designers and consultants to present their offices and projects in a visual form and to describe them in their own words. The professional community is a platform for making new contacts or deepening relationships with existing partners and clients. In May 2008, DETAIL360.com was established on an international basis. Offices can now present themselves and their projects across borders and find partners on a global scale.  Deutscher Baukatalog (German Building Catalogue): The DETAIL Deutscher Baukatalog (DBK) is a cost-free research tool for product information in the realm of architecture and building construction. Here, architects can find the products of more than 45,000 manufacturers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. In this way, one has an overview of all building products available in these countries, as well as concise descriptions of and contact data to the relevant companies in this market. An intelligent search facility allows simple access to the relevant planning data. The products and services on offer are accessible via more than 2,000 specific keywords. Forming part of the DETAIL network, the Deutscher Baukatalog provides a databank to aid architects in choosing the most suitable products for their own projects.

DETAIL is the international professional journal for architecture and construction details produced by Detail publishers. Each issue deals with a specific aspect of building, such as concrete construction, roof structures or refurbishment, whereby emphasis is placed on the quality of the building details. Up-to-date examples are selected from schemes around the world, and these are illustrated with plans and details drawn to a consistent scale as well as with photographs. The journal focuses on the depiction of new developments in the form of descriptive texts, constructional drawings and photos. The target group comprises above all architects, engineers and other specialists from the field of construction.


Career.

Theobald was the son of Count Stephen II of Blois and Adela of Normandy, and the elder brother of King Stephen of England. Although he was the second son, Theobald was appointed above his older brother William. Several historians have painted William as mentally deficient, but this has never been substantiated. However, we know that his mother found him stubbornly resistant to control and unfit for wide-ranging comital duties. Theobald had no such problems. Theobald accompanied his mother throughout their domain on hundreds of occasions and, after her retirement to Marcigney in 1125, he administered the family properties with great skill. Adela died in her beloved convent in 1136, the year after her son Stephen was crowned king of England.  King Louis VII of France became involved in a war with Theobald by permitting Count Raoul I of Vermandois and seneschal of France, to repudiate his wife Eleanor, Theobald's sister, and to marry Petronilla of Aquitaine, sister of Louis VII's wife, Eleanor. The war, which lasted two years (1142–1144), was marked by the occupation of Champagne by the royal army and the capture of Vitry-le-François, where many persons perished in the deliberate burning of the church by Louis. The scholastic Pierre Abélard, famous for his love affair with and subsequent marriage to his student Héloïse d'Argenteuil, sought asylum in Champagne during Theobald II's reign. Abelard died at Cluny Abbey in Burgundy, a monastery supported by the Thebaudians for many centuries.

Marriage and issue.

In 1123 he married Matilda of Carinthia, daughter of Duke Engelbert of Carinthia.  Their children were:  Thibaut had an illegitimate son,

Theobald the Great (French: Thibaut de Blois) (1090–1152) was Count of Blois and of Chartres as Theobald IV from 1102 and was Count of Champagne and of Brie as Theobald II from 1125. Theobald held Auxerre, Maligny, Ervy, Troyes, and Châteauvillain as fiefs from Duke Odo II of Burgundy.