title: Mercedes-AMG GT

text:
The Mercedes-AMG GT is a series of 2-door grand tourers produced by German automobile manufacturer Mercedes-AMG. The car was introduced on 9 September 2014 and was officially unveiled to the public in October 2014 at the Paris Motor Show. While not directly replacing the SLS AMG (competing in a different segment), it is the second sports car developed entirely in-house by Mercedes-AMG. The Mercedes-AMG GT went on sale in two variants (GT and GT S) in March 2015, while a GT3 racing variant of the car was introduced in 2015. A high performance variant called the GT R was introduced in 2016. A GT4 racing variant, targeted at semi-professional drivers and based on the GT R variant, was introduced in 2017. In 2021, a new variant called the AMG GT Black Series was released. All variants are assembled at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Sindelfingen, Germany.

On 28 October 2021, Mercedes-Benz announced the new Mercedes-AMG R232 SL-Class as the direct successor for the roadster version. The coupe version will be redesigned on the same platform as  the 2023 Mercedes AMG SL, but will retain the name AMG GT.

First generation (C190/R190)

The interior of the Mercedes-AMG GT was previewed on 16 April 2014. The car made its debut on 9 September 2014 and was officially unveiled to the public in October 2014 at the Paris Motor Show. The GT's exterior design was kept similar to that of the preceding SLS AMG, with wide wheel arches, lower bodywork, and fastback sloping roofline of the SLS AMG, but using conventional forward-opening doors instead of the iconic gullwing style pioneered by the 300 SL in the 1950s.

The vehicle structure is made up of 93% aluminium, with the front module base made up of magnesium. The exterior lead designer was Mark Fetherston, whose previous works include the W176 A-Class, the CLA-Class, and SLS AMG. The interior, designed by Jan Kaul, features a large centre console and decorative elements in a leather and carbon polymer design. The trunk offers room for a medium-sized suitcase.

Two engine power output options were offered: the GT, with , and the GT S with . The GT generates  of torque, and the GT S generates  of torque.

Shortly after its introduction, Mercedes-AMG CEO at the time, Tobias Moers promised a Black Series variant of the Mercedes-AMG GT. The new high performance variant was called the AMG GT R.

2017 facelift

The Mercedes-AMG family was given a facelift in 2017, along with the introduction of the GT C roadster variant and the Edition 50 model, which is a limited-edition derivative of the GT C variant. The key improvements made as part of the facelift include increased power output from the M178 engine for the GT and GT S variants (10 kW and 9 kW respectively) and the inclusion of the 'Panamericana' grille from the GT3, GT4 and GT R variants as standard equipment for all variants.

Specifications and performance

The GT uses a front mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout, with the engine positioned inside of the vehicle's wheelbase. The spaceframe chassis and body are made out of aluminium alloys, while the trunk lid is made of steel and the hood is made of magnesium. The suspension system is a double wishbone unit at the front and rear, with forged aluminium wishbones and hub carriers.

The car is powered by a 4.0-litre M178 twin-turbocharged V8 engine. The engine is in "hot inside V" configuration—with exhaust manifolds and turbochargers inside the cylinder banks to reduce turbo lag—and uses dry-sump lubrication. Power is sent to the rear wheels through a seven-speed AMG SPEEDSHIFT dual-clutch transmission; the GT S variant employs an electronically controlled mechanical limited-slip differential. In a road test executed by Car and Driver, the GT S accelerated from 0– in 3.0 seconds, completed the quarter mile in 11.2 seconds and attained a top speed of .

Variants

F1 Safety Car

The GT S was the Formula 1 safety car for the 2015, 2016 and 2017 seasons, having made its debut in that role at the 2015 Australian Grand Prix. The GT R was used as F1's safety car from 2018 to 2022. Since 2022, the GT R was replaced by the Black Series.

Mercedes-AMG GT (2015–2021)
The GT is the entry level variant of the Mercedes-AMG GT family. The M178 engine in this variant is tuned to an output of  and  of torque, with the key differences between this and its more expensive siblings being a mechanical limited-slip differential, an absorbent glass mat battery, the lack of the "Race Mode" setting in the AMG Dynamic Select adaptive drivetrain system, the lack of the AMG Ride Control adaptive suspensive system, and a passive AMG Sport Exhaust System. Keyless-Go is also an optional feature, as opposed to standard equipment. The GT is equipped with 19-inch wheels at the front and rear.

Mercedes-AMG GT S (2015–2020)

The GT S is a more highly equipped variant of the Mercedes-AMG GT. The M178 engine in this variant is tuned to an output of  and  of torque. The key mechanical differences the GT S gains over the GT include an electronically controlled limited-slip differential, "Race Mode" and "Race Start" mode settings in the AMG Dynamic Select adaptive drivetrain system, AMG Ride Control adaptive suspensive system, an AMG Performance Exhaust System with dynamic flaps, and a lithium-ion battery. Keyless-Go is standard equipment, as is a staggered set of wheels (19-inch at the front, 20-inch at the rear).

Mercedes-AMG GT C (2017–2021)
The GT C is a performance oriented variant of the Mercedes-AMG GT. The M178 engine in this variant is tuned to an output of  and  of torque. While the GT C retains the key mechanical differences the GT S gains over the GT, it also has a wider body () and active rear steering, which the GT S does not have (even as options). In the United States, the Lane Tracking and AMG Dynamic Plus option packages are standard equipment on the GT C.

A limited-edition model, the Edition 50, was released as part of the debut of the GT C variant at the 2017 Detroit Auto Show. The Edition 50 features: a choice of two shades of matte paint known as designo Graphite Grey Magno and designo Cashmere White Magno; black chrome exterior trim, headlight surrounds and forged / cross-spoke wheels; a two-tone silver pearl or black against grey quilted-leather interior which features a micro-suede wrapped steering wheel; and, "Edition 50" and "1 of 500" lettering on the steering wheel bezel and 12 o'clock mark in silver pearl. In the United States, the Edition 50 is limited in production to 50 coupes and 50 roadsters. Globally, the Edition 50 is limited to 500 units, which explains the "1 of 500" on the steering wheel.

Mercedes-AMG GT R (2017–2021)

The GT R is a high-performance variant of the Mercedes-AMG GT and was introduced at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on 24 June 2016. The M178 engine in this variant is tuned to an output of  at 6,250 rpm and  of torque at 5,500 rpm. The GT R accelerates from 0 to  in 3.6 seconds and has a claimed top speed of .

While the GT R retains the key mechanical differences the GT C gains over the GT S, it also gains manually adjustable coilover springs (in conjunction with the AMG Ride Control suspension of the base models), an active underbody fairing, a manually adjustable rear wing, and a 9-mode AMG Traction Control system. As befitting of a high-performance variant, the GT R loses Keyless-Go, the integrated garage-door opener, the heated and power-folding side mirrors, the auto-dimming interior and exterior mirrors and reverts to the basic light-weight 4-speaker audio system that the GT comes with, but these features can still be added as options.

When it was launched, the GT R had several cosmetic changes compared with the standard car, notably the vertical slats in the front grille, an adjustable rear wing, new front air intakes and new front and rear diffusers. The styling of the GT R is more comparable to that of the AMG GT3 race car. However, the base GT variant gained several of these cosmetic changes as part of a mild facelift in the 2017 model year. The GT R went on sale in November 2016, with deliveries beginning in 2017. For the 2018 Formula One World Championship, the GT R became the official Formula 1 safety car. During the 2020 Tuscan Grand Prix, the Safety Car ran a red livery rather than the traditional silver to commemorate Scuderia Ferrari's 1,000th Grand Prix start. For the 2021 F1 season, the GT R Safety Car permanently wears a red livery (along with the Mercedes F1 Team's sponsor CrowdStrike) rather than the traditional silver to increase the chances of drivers seeing the Safety Car in poor visibility. It will also share the role with the Aston Martin Vantage.

It completed a lap of the Nürburgring Nordschleife track in 7:10.92, in a test conducted by German magazine Sport Auto. making it the 5th fastest lap time for a road-legal production vehicle around the track at the time.

A roadster version was introduced in March 2019 and would be limited to 750 units. It was discontinued in 2021 when the Black Edition was released which it replaced.

Mercedes-AMG GT R Pro (2019–2020)

Mercedes-AMG introduced the GT R Pro at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show. The GT R Pro is a more track focused variant of the AMG GT line up and based on the GT R. This variant would be limited for 750 units worldwide with a starting price tag of USD $200,645. The GT R Pro retains all key mechanical differences of the GT R gains over the GT C with other minor upgrades, the GT R Pro uses the same engine and power output of the GT R, which is rated at  at 6,250 rpm and  of torque at 5,500 rpm. And retains the same 0 to  time 3.6 seconds and the top speed of .

New upgrades includes, new manually adjustable coil-over suspension setup, lightweight anti-roll bars, electronically controlled dynamic engine and transmission mounts, GT R's optional carbon-fiber roof and carbon ceramic brakes were became standard, new carbon-fibre bucket seats, lightweight forged wheels 19-inch on front and 20-inch on rear which were exclusive for the GT R Pro, same Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 semi-slick tires which were also used in the GT R, new carbon-fibre braced active aerodynamic front splitter and canards, new front fenders with GT3 inspired vents, new rear diffuser with canards, new side skirts, updated rear wing with a small gurney for increase downforce while reducing weight.

Interior upgrades includes, a 10.25-inch digital instrument binnacle and infotainment system, a Burmester surround sound system, keyless go and parking assist. On exterior, new racing stripes offered in Gloss Light Green when combined with the Selenite Gray Magno color exterior, or stripes in Matte Dark Gray with all other exterior colors. The unique accent stripes can also offered for the GT R Pro.

For the GT R Pro, Mercedes-AMG also offered a optional track package which adds a full steel roll-cage, four-point harnesses and a 2 kg fire extinguisher. With all these upgrades curb weight has been reduced by , and with track package equipped  of weight reduced over the GT R.

In November 2018, Mercedes-AMG conducted a test at Nürburgring Nordschleife for the new GT R Pro, and the car completed a lap time, driven by Maro Engel, set a lap time of 7:04.632 minutes around the track. Making it the 8th fastest lap time for a road-legal production vehicle around the track at the time.

Mercedes-AMG GT and GT C Roadster (2017–2021)

The GT and GT C roadsters are the roadster versions of the GT and GT C coupés, and were announced shortly after the introduction of the GT R variant. Both variants made their debut at the 2016 Paris Motor Show. The GT and GT C roadsters utilise the active air management system found on the GT R variant to help with cooling and airflow performance. The GT C roadster retains the wider bodywork of the GT C coupé, and the GT roadster has a slightly higher first and lower seventh gear with a longer final drive compared to the GT coupé. The GT and GT C roadsters feature a three-layer fabric roof built around an aluminum, magnesium and steel structure, available in black, red or beige, and which can open and close in 11 seconds up to speeds of . The GT C roadster, like the GT C coupé, has a limited "Edition 50" model, celebrating AMG's 50 years of existence.

2021 Mercedes-AMG GT Dark Night Edition
Mercedes-AMG official announced that its AMG GT Black Series and AMG GT Dark night officially listed special edition models, Mercedes-AMG GT models launched a total of 2, The prices are USD $576,612 and $229,594.

Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series (2021-2023)

The GT Black Series is a high-performance variant of the Mercedes-AMG GT and was officially revealed on Mercedes-AMG's YouTube channel on 9 July 2020. The M178 engine in this variant is tuned to an output of  at 6,700–6,900 rpm and  of torque at 2,000–6,000 rpm. Referred to as the M178 LS2, the engine has a slightly higher redline at 7,200 rpm compared to the GT R's 7,000 rpm, and uses a flat-plane crankshaft instead of a cross-plane crankshaft, turning out in different firing order. Additionally, the M178 LS2 uses a larger compressor wheel, resulting in an increase in boost from the GT R's . The GT Black Series accelerates from 0 to  in 3.2 seconds though it was tested at 3.0 seconds and has a claimed top speed of .

The suspension is unique, with a carbon-fibre anti-roll bar with two adjustment settings for the front axle, and an iron anti-roll bar with three adjustment settings for the rear axle. Like previous Black Series vehicles, the camber is manually adjustable for both the front and rear axles. Handling has been improved with carbon-fibre panels at the front and rear, as well as carbon-ceramic brake rotors and Black Series specific brake pads. The wing has an active aero flap, and contributes to a total maximum downforce of more than  at . The Michelin Pilot Cup 2 R tires are specific to the car, and are available in M01A soft and M02 hard compounds.

Carbon-fibre is used extensively for most of the body, including the hood, roof, hatch and underbody. The exterior gains an enlarged grille, based on the Mercedes-AMG GT3, large air outlets on the hood, manually adjustable front splitter, and upgraded rear wing as part of a major aerodynamic kit. The interior features standard AMG performance bucket seats, and uses microfiber for the steering wheel, door and instrument panels.

On 4 November 2020, The Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series recorded a lap time of 6:43.616 with driver Maro Engel behind the wheel at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, making it the fastest lap time ever recorded for a road-legal production vehicle around the track at the time.

Mercedes-AMG GT Track Series (2023–present)

Mercedes-AMG GT3 Edition 55 (2023–present)
Only 5 units of the Mercedes-AMG GT3 Edition 55 were sold, each costing €625,000.

Second generation (C192)

The second generation AMG GT was unveiled on 19 August 2023, at Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in America. It will use the same platform as the new SL and will only be offered as a coupe. It is bigger and heavier than its predecessor, will have all-wheel drive and a nine-speed automatic transmission, as well as a 2+2 cabin setup. At the beginning of sales, there will be two V8 models, the 469 hp GT55, and the 577 hp GT63, while the E-performance plug-in hybrid will follow later.

Motorsport

In March 2015, Mercedes-AMG presented the AMG GT3, a race version of the GT, at the Geneva Motor Show, which employs the M159  V8 naturally aspirated engine also used in the SLS AMG GT3. It consists largely of carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer to decrease the vehicle's weight to under  to comply with FIA regulations for races.
In 2016, AKKA ASP, Black Falcon, HTP Motorsport and Zakspeed compete in the Blancpain Endurance Series. Zakspeed also competes in the ADAC GT Masters. They claimed a 1-2-3-4 and 6 at the 24 Hours Nürburgring.

In the 2016 Super GT GT300 class, the AMG GT3s made their Super GT debut with Goodsmile Racing with Team UKYO, the number 11 GAINER team, LEON Racing, and Rn-sports opting to use the AMG GT3s in favor of the SLS AMG GT3s that they used in the previous season. Two Mercedes customer teams, R'Qs Motor Sports and Arnage Racing, opted to continue using the SLS AMG GT3s. Both of them would switch to AMG GT3s during the 2018 season, switching from SLS AMG GT3 and Ferrari 488 GT3 respectively.

New Zealand born driver Craig Baird gave the new AMG GT3 its first race win anywhere when he took out race 1 of round 2 of the 2016 Australian GT Championship at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit on 17 March 2016. The round was held as a support race to the 2016 Australian Grand Prix.

Riley Technologies entered two customer AMG GT3s in the 2017 IMSA SportsCar Championship GTD class. One of the teams cars finished 3rd in class and 20th outright at the 2017 24 Hours of Daytona before going on to win the GTD class and finish 16th outright in the 2017 12 Hours of Sebring.

A GT4 version of the Mercedes-AMG GT was presented at the 2017 24 Hours of Spa. This customer racing car is based on the GT R road version and it made its debut in the ROWE 6 Stunden ADAC Ruhr-Pokal-Rennen race, the fifth round of the 2017 VLN season.

As of June 2019, a total of 130 GT3 cars were sold.

An updated version of the GT3 was introduced at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring in June 2019 for the 2020 season of the FIA GT3 race. New technologies include an automatic data logger and analysis system, a function to automatically start the engine when the car is lowered from its in-built air jacks along with new brake and traction control systems. The design was also updated in line with the design of the new design update of the AMG GT road car with the changes being the new headlamps and the grille with the latter providing better protection for the radiator. The front splitter and rear wing were tweaked in order for faster adjustments. The car uses the same 6.2-litre V8 engine as the previous model rather than the 4.0-litre V8 engine of the road car it's the engineers stating the user friendliness and reliability of the engine as the main factor of its retention.

Production and sales

Official US Sales figures for 2019, 2020 and 2021 also include the X290 GT 4-door coupe.

References

Notes

Bibliography

External links

Cars introduced in 2014
Coupés
Grand tourers
GT
Roadsters
Sports racing cars
Front mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive vehicles
Vehicles with four-wheel steering
2020s cars


title: General Service Medal (Bophuthatswana)

text:
The General Service Medal was instituted by the State President of the Republic of Bophuthatswana in 1991, for award to all ranks for operational service inside Bophuthatswana.

The Bophuthatswana Defence Force
The Bophuthatswana Defence Force (BDF) was established upon that country's independence on 6 December 1977. The Republic of Bophuthatswana ceased to exist on 27 April 1994 and the Bophuthatswana Defence Force was amalgamated with six other military forces into the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).

Institution
The General Service Medal was instituted by the State President of Bophuthatswana in 1991.

Award criteria
The medal could be awarded to all ranks for operational service inside Bophuthatswana.

Order of wear

Since the General Service Medal was authorised for wear by one of the statutory forces which came to be part of the South African National Defence Force on 27 April 1994, it was accorded a position in the official South African order of precedence on that date. The position of the General Service Medal in the official order of precedence was revised twice after 1994, to accommodate the inclusion or institution of new decorations and medals, first in April 1996 when decorations and medals were belatedly instituted for the two former non-statutory forces, the Azanian People's Liberation Army and Umkhonto we Sizwe, and again upon the institution of a new set of honours on 27 April 2003.

Bophuthatswana Defence Force until 26 April 1994

 Official BDF order of precedence:
 Preceded by the Nkwe Medal.
 Succeeded by the Independence Medal.
 Bophuthatswana official national order of precedence:
 Preceded by the Nkwe Medal.
 Succeeded by the Independence Medal.

South African National Defence Force from 27 April 1994

 Official SANDF order of precedence:
 Preceded by the Nkwe Medal of the Republic of Bophuthatswana.
 Succeeded by the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal of the United Kingdom.
 Official national order of precedence:
 Preceded by the Nkwe Medal of the Republic of Bophuthatswana.
 Succeeded by the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal of the United Kingdom.

South African National Defence Force from April 1996

 Official SANDF order of precedence:
 Preceded by the Nkwe Medal of the Republic of Bophuthatswana.
 Succeeded by the Operational Medal for Southern Africa of Umkhonto we Sizwe and the Azanian People's Liberation Army.
 Official national order of precedence:
 Preceded by the Nkwe Medal of the Republic of Bophuthatswana.
 Succeeded by the Operational Medal for Southern Africa of Umkhonto we Sizwe and the Azanian People's Liberation Army.

The position of the General Service Medal in the order of precedence remained unchanged, as it was in April 1996, when a new series of military orders, decorations and medals was instituted in South Africa on 27 April 2003.

Description
Obverse
The General Service Medal is a medallion struck in nickel-silver, 38 millimetres in diameter and 3 millimetres thick at the rim, displaying the leopard emblem of the Bophuthatswana Defence Force surrounded by a laurel wreath.

Reverse
The reverse has the Coat of Arms of the Republic of Bophuthatswana.

Ribbon
The ribbon is 32 millimetres wide, with a 4 millimetres wide yellow band, a 2 millimetres wide red band and a 4 millimetres wide white band, repeated in reverse order and separated by a 12 millimetres wide red band in the centre.

Discontinuation
Conferment of the General Service Medal was discontinued when the Republic of Bophuthatswana ceased to exist on 27 April 1994.

References

Military decorations and medals of Bophuthatswana
Awards established in 1991
Awards disestablished in 1994
1991 establishments in Africa
1994 disestablishments in Africa


title: Rudolf Henke

text:
Rudolf Paul Maria Henke (born 5 June 1954) is a physician and politician of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) who served as a member of the German Bundestag from 2009 until 2021.

Education and early career
Born in Düren, Henke completed his Abitur at the Stiftisches Gymnasium in Düren before studying medicine at RWTH Aachen University between 1972 and 1979. The following year, he became assistant physician at St Antonius Hospital in Eschweiler, rising to become a consultant in hematology and oncology in September 1988.

Henke has been on the board of directors of the physicians' trade union Marburger Bund since 1989, becoming chair in 2007. He is a German delegate to the World Medical Association.

Political career
Henke joined the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in 1992 and became a member of the Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia in the 1995 state elections. He remained a member of the parliament until 2009, having been twice re-elected, holding positions on the Committee on Labour, Health and Social Affair and the Committee on Research and Technology. Between 2005 and 2009, he was deputy leader of the CDU parliamentary group.

Henke was directly elected to the Bundestag in the Aachen I constituency in 2009, receiving more votes than incumbent federal health minister Ulla Schmidt in the process. Throughout his time in parliament, he was a member of the Health Committee, serving as deputy chairman of the committee from 2014. Henke was re-elected in 2013. In the negotiations to form a coalition government under the leadership of Chancellor Angela Merkel following the 2017 federal elections, he was part of the working group on health policy, led by Hermann Gröhe, Georg Nüßlein and Malu Dreyer.

Other activities
In addition to his political work, Henke holds various positions that have contributed to making him one of the highest-earning members of the Bundestag, including the following:
 Allianz Private Krankenversicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft (APKV), Deputy Chairman of the Medical Advisory Board
 Deutsche Apotheker- und Ärztebank, Member of the Advisory Board
 Deutsche Ärzteversicherung, Member of the Advisory Board
 Federal Association for Children with Heart Diseases (BVHK), Member of the Scientific Advisory Board
 German-Israeli Association (DIG), Member
 UNITE – Parliamentary Network to End HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis and Other Infectious Diseases, Member (since 2017)

Political positions
In June 2017, Henke voted against Germany's introduction of same-sex marriage.

Ahead of the 2021 Christian Democratic Union of Germany leadership election, Henke publicly endorsed Armin Laschet to succeed Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer as the party’s chair.

Personal life
Henke is married with four children, and lives in Burtscheid, Aachen. He was deputy chair of the CDU in the city between 1999 and 2013.

References

Living people
1954 births
German hematologists
Members of the Bundestag 2017–2021
Members of the Bundestag for North Rhine-Westphalia
Members of the Bundestag 2013–2017
Members of the Bundestag 2009–2013
Members of the Bundestag for the Christian Democratic Union of Germany


title: 2014–15 NBL season

text:
The 2014–15 NBL season was the 37th season of competition since its establishment in 1979. A total of eight teams contested the league. The regular season was played between 10 October 2014  and 22 February 2015, followed by a post-season featuring the top four in late February and March 2015.

Australian broadcast rights to the season are held by free-to-air network Channel Ten and its digital sports sister station One, in the final year of a five-year deal. In New Zealand, Sky Sport are the official league broadcaster, in the final year of a three-year deal.

During the off-season the Melbourne Tigers were rebranded as Melbourne United.

Pre-season

Sydney Kings pre-season

Wollongong Hawks pre-season

Cairns Taipans pre-season

Melbourne United pre-season

Adelaide 36ers pre-season

Perth Wildcats pre-season

Townsville Crocodiles pre-season

New Zealand Breakers pre-season

2014 NBL Pre-Season Blitz
A pre-season tournament featuring all eight teams was held on 19–21 September 2014 at NAB Stadium, Brisbane. The winner will receive the second annual Loggins-Bruton Cup.

Townsville Crocodiles are pre-season champions.

Regular season

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

Round 5

Round 6

Round 7

Round 8

Round 9

Round 10

Round 11

Round 12

Round 13

Round 14

Round 15

Round 16

Round 17

Round 18

Round 19

Round 20

Ladder
The Cairns Taipans became the first regional centre team to win the minor premiership since the Geelong Cats did so in 1984.

Finals

The 2014–15 National Basketball League Finals will be played in February and March 2015, consisting of two best-of-three semi-final and final series, where the higher seed hosts the first and third games.

Playoff Seedings

 Cairns Taipans
 New Zealand Breakers
 Adelaide 36ers
 Perth Wildcats

The NBL tie-breaker system as outlined in the NBL Rules and Regulations states that in the case of an identical win–loss record, the results in games played between the teams will determine order of seeding.

Playoff bracket

Semi-finals

Grand final

Season statistics

Statistics leaders

Note: regular season only (minimum 14 games) and excluding negligible attempts

Top 10 Attendances

Awards

Player of the Week

Player of the Month

Coach of the Month

Pre-season
 Most Valuable Player (Ray Borner Medal): Mickell Gladness, Townsville Crocodiles

Season
 Most Valuable Player (Andrew Gaze Trophy): Brian Conklin, Townsville Crocodiles
 Rookie of the Year: Angus Brandt, Sydney Kings
 Best Defensive Player: Damian Martin, Perth Wildcats
 Best Sixth Man: Cameron Tragardh, Cairns Taipans
 Most Improved Player: Todd Blanchfield, Townsville Crocodiles
 Coach of the Year (Lindsay Gaze Trophy): Aaron Fearne, Cairns Taipans
 Referee of the Year: Michael Aylen
 All-NBL First Team:
 Cedric Jackson – New Zealand Breakers
 Scottie Wilbekin – Cairns Taipans
 Josh Childress – Sydney Kings
 Brock Motum – Adelaide 36ers
 Brian Conklin – Townsville Crocodiles
 All-NBL Second Team:
 Jamar Wilson – Adelaide 36ers
 Jordan McRae – Melbourne United
 Todd Blanchfield – Townsville Crocodiles
 Ekene Ibekwe – New Zealand Breakers
 Matthew Knight – Perth Wildcats

Finals
 Grand Final Series MVP (Larry Sengstock Medal): Cedric Jackson, New Zealand Breakers

References

Australia,NBL
2014–15 in Australian basketball
2015 in New Zealand basketball
2014 in New Zealand basketball


title: Las Vegas Historical Society

text:
The Las Vegas Historical Society was created in 2013 to collect, archive, and display photographs of Las Vegas and the Las Vegas Valley in Nevada, which have not yet been publicly showcased.

Online
The Society's website has an online photo archive organized by decade. The website also allows for local Las Vegans and the city's visitors to upload their historical photographs.

Museum
The Society is located in the Las Vegas Arts District in Downtown Las Vegas. It is open daily for viewing of select photos, put in chronological order by decades to create a timeline for the history of Las Vegas and the Las Vegas Valley in Clark County.

See also

References

External links

Historical societies in Nevada
History of Las Vegas
Museums in Las Vegas
History museums in Nevada
Downtown Las Vegas
Las Vegas Valley
2013 establishments in Nevada


title: Conner Bleackley

text:
Conner Bleackley (born February 7, 1996) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He is currently playing under contract with the Maine Mariners in the ECHL. Bleackley was originally selected by the Colorado Avalanche in the first round (23rd overall) of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, but was not signed to an entry-level contract, forcing him to re-enter the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, whereupon he was selected by the St. Louis Blues in the fifth round, 144th overall.

Playing career
Bleackley was selected by the Red Deer Rebels in the 1st round (21st overall) of the 2012 WHL Bantam Draft from AAA Bantam club the Okotoks Oilers. After playing a further half season of midget hockey with the UFA Bisons of Strathmore in the Alberta Midget Hockey League he made his WHL debut in the 2011–12 season.

In only his second full season with the Red Deer Rebels he was named team captain as a 17-year-old for the 2013–14 season. Bleackley whilst showing positional versatility broke out offensively with the Rebels, producing a career high 29 goals and 68 points in 71 games. His outstanding play was further rewarded when he was chosen to skate in the 2014 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game.

Bleackley draft stock rose and he finished the season rated as a top prospect who was viewed as a possible first round selection heading into the 2014 NHL Entry Draft before he was selected by the Colorado Avalanche. In Bleackley's first NHL training camp, the Avalanche were critical of his conditioning and promptly returned him to the WHL without an entry-level contract. In the 2014–15 season, Bleackley continued his scoring pace from previous seasons with 27 goals and 49 points in 51 games. On February 6, Bleackley suffered a strained groin, effectively ruling him out until the post-season in which Red Deer suffered a first-round exit.

During the off-season in the lead up to the 2015–16 season, Bleackley returned to the Avalanche rookie and training camp with ambition to earn an entry-level contract. With an improved physical performance, Bleackley was later returned for his final season of junior after competing in a pre-season game with the Avalanche. Prior to the commencement of the WHL season, Bleackley was relinquished of the captaincy by the Rebels, with coach Brent Sutter explaining the intent to focus on reaching his potential.  With a guaranteed berth at the 2016 Memorial Cup, Bleackley struggled in the early stages of the year offensively. Bleackley picked up his offensive production and scored 41 points in 47 games before suffering a broken kneecap against the Everett Silvertips on January 23, 2016.

With the Avalanche intending not to offer Bleackley a contract, at the trade deadline on February 29, 2016, his rights were included in a trade alongside Alex Tanguay and fellow prospect Kyle Wood to the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for Mikkel Boedker. Citing his injury history, the Coyotes also declined to offer Bleackley a contract and instead chose to receive a compensatory second-round draft pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft; Bleackley will be required to re-enter the same draft.

After his re-selection in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft by the St. Louis Blues, on July 2, 2016, Bleackley was finally signed to a three-year, entry-level contract.

At the conclusion of his entry-level contract, Bleackley was not tendered a qualifying offer by the Blues, releasing him to become a free agent on June 25, 2019. Unable to attract NHL interest, Bleackley was signed to a one-year ECHL contract with the Idaho Steelheads on September 3, 2019. He was invited to attend the Steelheads AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars training camp prior to the 2019–20 season. On October 5, 2019 after a successful camp he was signed to a professional try-out contract with Texas to remain on the roster. Bleackley opened the season with the Stars, scoring 2 goals in a 5-3 defeat to the Manitoba Moose on October 5, 2019. Showing initial success with the Stars, Bleackley remained with the club through 10 games, registering 5 points, before he was returned to the Idaho Steelheads. Bleackley compiled 13 points through 18 games with the Steelheads before he was dealt in a three-way trade to the Maine Mariners on January 14, 2020. Bleackley played well with Maine over the last 15 games of the 2019–20 season, recording 5 goals and 5 assists.

On January 2, 2021, Bleackley continued his career in the ECHL, signing a contract to play with the Allen Americans. In the 2020–21 season, Bleackley struggled to contribute offensively, posting 4 goals and 9 points through 32 regular season games. On April 13, 2021, he was traded by the Americans to the Indy Fuel to complete an earlier transaction. He did not report and feature with the Fuel.

As a free agent in the following summer, Bleackley opted to continue in the ECHL, returning to former club the Maine Mariners on September 29, 2021.

International play
As a 17-year-old he was chosen to compete with the team representing Canada Pacific at the World U-17 Hockey Challenge, and as an 18-year-old he help Team Canada capture the bronze medal at the 2014 IIHF World U18 Championships.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

Awards and honours

References

External links

1996 births
Living people
Allen Americans players
Canadian ice hockey centres
Chicago Wolves players
Colorado Avalanche draft picks
Hartford Wolf Pack players
Idaho Steelheads (ECHL) players
Maine Mariners (ECHL) players
Missouri Mavericks players
National Hockey League first-round draft picks
Red Deer Rebels players
St. Louis Blues draft picks
San Antonio Rampage players
Texas Stars players
Tulsa Oilers (1992–present) players


title: Luke Jackson (baseball)

text:
Luke Ray Jackson (born August 24, 1991) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the first round, 45th overall, of the 2010 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut in 2015 with the Rangers, and has also played for the Atlanta Braves.

Early life
Jackson attended Calvary Christian Academy in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. As a senior, he went 8-0 with an 0.90 earned run average (ERA) in  innings pitched with 87 strikeouts for the baseball team. He graduated in 2010.

Professional career

Draft and minor leagues
After his senior season, he was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the first round, 45th overall, of the 2010 Major League Baseball draft. Jackson signed with the Rangers, forgoing his commitment to play college baseball at the University of Miami, for a signing bonus of $1.545 million. He made his professional debut in 2011 for the Hickory Crawdads, for whom he was 5–6 with a 5.64 ERA.

Jackson started 2012 with Hickory, and was promoted to the High-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans during the season. Between the two teams he was 10–7 with a 4.65 ERA with 146 strikeouts, the second-most among Teas minor leaguers, in 129.2 innings, and had 10.1 strikeouts per 9 innings.

He started 2013 back with Myrtle Beach. He was named a CAR Mid-Season All-Star. Jackson was promoted to the Double-A Frisco RoughRiders during the season. Between the two teams he was 11-4 with a 2.04 ERA (the 8th-lowest ERA among all full season minor league pitchers) in 25 games (23 starts) in which he pitched 128 innings and struck out 134 batters. Batters hit .202 against him, the 7th-lowest batting-average-against among all full season pitchers. After the season, he was named the Nolan Ryan Minor League Pitcher of the Year, and an MiLB organization All Star. Baseball America rated him the 9th-best prospect in the Carolina League.

Jackson started 2014 back with Frisco. He was named a Texas Mid-Season All-Star. He was later promoted to Triple-A Round Rock Express. His aggregate 126 strikeouts were 3rd-most among Texas minor league pitchers.

In 2015, Jackson started the season with Round Rock. He converted to the bullpen in May after having started 97 of his first 101 professional games. He was called up to the majors for the first time on August 6, 2015. However, he was sent back down to Round Rock on August 11, before making an appearance with the Rangers.

Texas Rangers (2015–2016)
The Rangers again promoted Jackson to the major leagues on September 1. In 2015 with Texas he was 0-0 with a 10.80 ERA in 11.2 innings, and his fastball velocity of 96.8 mph was in the top 5% in baseball.

In 2016, Jackson split the season between Texas (8 games), the 15-day disabled list (back stiffness), and the minor leagues (with Double-A Frisco and Triple-A Round Rock; he was 1-1 with three saves and a 3.69 ERA in 46.1 innings over 36 relief appearances).

Atlanta Braves (2017–2021)
On December 8, 2016, the Rangers traded Jackson to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for pitchers Tyrell Jenkins and Brady Feigl.

In 2017 in the majors he was 2-0 with a 4.62 ERA in 50.2 innings over 43 relief appearances, and the hard-hit percentage against him was 41.5%, in the worst 2% in baseball. Jackson was designated for assignment on December 20, 2017.

Jackson had his contract purchased by Atlanta on April 4, 2018.  He was later designated for assignment on April 15, 2018. He cleared waivers and was outrighted to the Gwinnett Stripers. He had his contract purchased again on May 6, and was again removed from the roster two days later. On June 5, he was called up once again. Jackson was later designated for assignment again on June 13. He was called up once again on June 17. With AAA Gwinnett in 2018 he was 2-1 with a 1.69 ERA, in 21.1 innings in which he struck out 34 batters (14.3 strikeouts per 9 innings), in 10 games (one start). With Atlanta, he was 1-2 with a 4.43 ERA and one save and three holds in 40.2 innings in which he struck out 46 batters (10.18 strikeouts per 9 innings).  In 2018 he stopped throwing a changeup, threw a lower percentage of  four-seam fastballs and curveballs, and began to throw his slider more.

In 2019, he was 9–2 with 18 saves and nine holds, and a 3.84 ERA with 106 strikeouts (13.1 strikeouts per 9 innings) in  innings over 70 relief appearances. Jackson induced a 60.5% ground ball percentage, the third-highest in baseball (minimum 70 innings). He induced a chase rate of 35.1%, in the best 4% in baseball, and a whiff percentage of 36.7%, in the best 3%  of baseball.

In 2020, he was 2–0 with a 6.84 ERA in  innings over 19 relief appearances. He had a barrel percentage against of 3.1, in the best 5% in baseball.

In 2021, Jackson was 2–2 with a 1.98 ERA and 70 strikeouts in  innings in 71 games (sixth-most in the NL). His 31 holds ranked second in the major leagues. Between 2015 and 2021, he relied mostly on his 88 mph ground ball-inducing slider and 96 mph four-seam fastball, also throwing an 85 mph curveball. He won a championship ring that year as the Braves won the World Series in six games.

Prior to the 2022 season, the Braves disclosed that magnetic resonance imaging had revealed damage to the ulnar collateral ligament of Jackson's right elbow. He underwent successful Tommy John surgery on that elbow on April 13, 2022. In May, Jackson was granted a $3.6 million salary for the 2022 season via arbitration. He missed the entire 2022 season due to his surgery.

San Francisco Giants
On January 9, 2023, the San Francisco Giants announced that Jackson had been signed to a two-year contract, for a guaranteed $11.5 million, with a club option for a third season. He will earn $3 million in 2023, and $6.5 million in 2024. The Giants have an option for $7 million for 2025, with a $2 million buyout if the team declines to exercise it. Jackson will also make donations to the Giants Community Fund of $15,000 in 2023, $32,500 in 2024, and $35,000 in 2025 if the Giants exercise their option. After rehab stints with the Single-A San Jose Giants and Triple-A Sacramento River Cats, Jackson was activated from the injured list on May 30.

Personal life
Jackson and his wife Corinne welcomed a son in 2021.

References

External links

1991 births
Living people
Baseball players from Fort Lauderdale, Florida
American expatriate baseball players in the Dominican Republic
Major League Baseball pitchers
Texas Rangers players
Atlanta Braves players
San Francisco Giants players
Hickory Crawdads players
Myrtle Beach Pelicans players
Frisco RoughRiders players
Round Rock Express players
Leones del Escogido players
Gwinnett Braves players
San Jose Giants players
Sacramento River Cats players
Arizona Complex League Giants players
Calvary Christian Academy (Florida) alumni


title: Tandy Graphics Adapter

text:
Tandy Graphics Adapter (TGA, also Tandy graphics) is a computer display standard for the Tandy 1000 series of IBM PC compatibles, which has compatibility with the video subsystem of the IBM PCjr but became a standard in its own right.

PCjr graphics
The Tandy 1000 series began in 1984 as a clone of the IBM PCjr, offering support for existing PCjr software. As a result, its graphics subsystem is largely compatible.

The PCjr, released in 1983, has a graphics subsystem built around IBM's Video Gate Array (not to be confused with the later Video Graphics Array) and an MC6845 CRTC and extends on the capabilities of the Color Graphics Adapter (CGA), increasing the number of colors in each screen mode. CGA's 2-color mode can be displayed with four colors, and its 4-color mode can be displayed with all 16 colors.

Since the Tandy 1000 was much more successful than PCjr, their shared hardware capabilities became more associated with the Tandy brand than with IBM.

While there is no specific name for the Tandy graphics subsystem (Tandy's documentation calls it the "Video System Logic"), common parlance referred to it as TGA. Where not otherwise stated, information in this article that describes the TGA also applies to the PCjr video subsystem.

While EGA would eventually deliver a superset of TGA graphics on IBM compatibles, software written for TGA is not compatible with EGA cards.

Output capabilities

Tandy Video I / PCjr
Tandy 1000 systems before the Tandy 1000 SL, and the PCjr, have this type of video. It offers several CGA-compatible modes and enhanced modes.

CGA compatible modes:
  in 4 colors from a 16 color (4-bit RGBI) hardware palette. Pixel aspect ratio of 1:1.2.
  in 2 colors from 16. Pixel aspect ratio of 1:2.4
  with  pixel font text mode (effective resolution of )
  with  pixel font text mode (effective resolution of )
Both text modes could themselves be set to display in monochrome, or in 16 colors.

In addition to the CGA modes, it offers:
 160×200 with 16 colors (equivalent to the graphical quality of many contemporary 8-bit home computers and games consoles, using the same 16 KB memory size and machine bandwidth as the original CGA modes, and analogous to/somewhat able to share graphics assets with CGA's "composite color" mode whilst remaining displayable on RGB monitors)
  with 16 colors
  with 4 colors (from 16)
Some games detect the Tandy hardware and display enhanced graphics in Tandy mode even when their CGA display mode is selected, while others offer the option to select "Tandy" graphics.

Tandy Video II or ETGA

Tandy 1000 SL-series, TL-series, and RL-series models have this type of video.
It offers the same modes as Tandy Video I, plus one more non-CGA mode:
 with 16 colors

Popularity
With built-in joystick ports, 16-color graphics and multichannel sound, the Tandy 1000 was considered the best platform for IBM PC-compatible games before the VGA era, and the combination of its graphics and sound became a de facto standard, "Tandy compatible".

28 of 66 games that Computer Gaming World tested in 1989 supported Tandy graphics. Titles such as Cisco Heat, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Loom, Magic Pockets, Oh No! More Lemmings, Out of This World, Overkill, Prince of Persia, The Secret of Monkey Island and SimCity are indicated as supporting PCjr/Tandy graphics.

A display driver for Tandy graphics hardware was supplied with Windows 2.0, and could be used on Windows 3.0.

Hardware design

TGA graphics are built into the motherboards of Tandy computers. The PCjr uses a custom monitor with a unique 18-pin plug, but an adapter (with the same DE-9 connector and pinout as IBM's CGA/EGA) can connect it to the IBM Color Display or similar 4-bit digital (TTL) RGBI monitor. The Tandy 1000 provides the DE-9 connector directly.  The monitor is responsible for translating the 4-bit digital levels into 16 colors, as shown it the table "Tandy/CGA RGBI hardware palette" (actual colors could vary somewhat between monitors).

The later Tandy 1000 SL and TL models offers an enhanced version of the TGA, still capable of displaying 16 colors but at an improved resolution of .

Shared RAM
Unlike every other IBM-designed PC video standard, TGA uses some of the main system RAM as video RAM. The PCjr had 64 KB of built-in RAM on the mainboard, and an additional 64 KB can be installed via a special card that plugs into a dedicated slot on the PCjr mainboard. This 64 KB or 128 KB of base RAM is special in that it is shared with the PCjr video subsystem.

TGA video modes use either 16 KB or 32 KB of RAM. Text modes uses 16 KB divided into 4 or 8 pages, for 80×25 or 40×25 text formats respectively.

In graphical modes, the base 128 KB of RAM is divided into eight 16 KB banks. The PCjr can use any bank for video generation, in a video mode that uses 16 KB. In a mode that uses 32 KB, it can use any even bank concatenated with the next higher odd bank. The PCjr can also independently map any 16 KB bank of base RAM to address 0xB8000 for CPU access, for CGA compatibility.

Apart from address 0xB8000, the CPU can access any bank at any time via its native address in the first 128 KB of the address space. The first bank overlaps the interrupt vector table of the x86 CPU and the data area used by the BIOS, so it is generally not usable for graphics.

Using system memory has advantages: It saves the cost of dedicated video RAM, and the dynamic RAM is refreshed by the 6845 CRT controller as long as the video is running, so there is no need for separate DRAM refresh circuitry. In the IBM PC XT upon which the PCjr is based, DRAM refresh is performed by one channel of the 8237 DMA controller, triggered by one channel of the 8253 programmable timer, while in the PCjr the 8237 is eliminated and the timer channel is repurposed (to work around a complication of other cost-cutting in the keyboard interface).

Up to almost 128 KB of RAM can be used for video (if software is mostly in ROM—e.g. on PCjr cartridges—or in RAM above the first 128 KB), and the displayed video banks can be switched instantaneously to implement double-buffering (or triple-buffering, or up to 7-fold buffering in 16 KB video modes) for smooth full-screen animation, something the CGA cannot do.

The Tandy 1000 computers do not incorporate the PCjr's cost-cutting measures (most of them have an 8237 DMA controller), but for compatibility with PCjr video, they use the same RAM-sharing scheme.

Programmable palette
When operating in the CGA video modes which use 1 or 2 bits per pixel, TGA allows remapping of the 2 or 4 palette entries to any of the 16 colors in the CGA gamut via programmable palette control registers. This allows software to use the CGA modes without being constrained to the three hardwired palettes of the actual CGA.

The following improvements in color choice are available in the CGA graphics modes:

 in 4 colors: The three foreground colors can be freely chosen, in addition to the background color which could already be set on the CGA
 in 2 colors: The background color can be freely chosen, rather than always being black, in addition to the foreground color which could already be set on the CGA.
The palette mapping logic is always active, even in text modes, so it is possible to cause certain text to change in appearance (appear, disappear, cycle colors, etc.) just by changing the palette, without making any changes to the character attribute bytes in RAM.

The PCjr/TGA programmable palette was carried over to the IBM EGA, where it was extended to 6-bit entries for 64 colors, and so on for the expanded palette of VGA.

Incompatibilities

The PCjr video and Tandy 1000 graphics subsystems are not identical. One difference is in the size of the video memory aperture at address 0xB8000. While the PCjr video hardware can use up to 32 KB of RAM for the video buffer, it emulates the CGA precisely by making only 16 KB of this available at address 0xB8000. Like the true CGA, the 16 KB of RAM at 0xB8000 is aliased at address 0xBC000.

The Tandy hardware, in contrast, makes the full 32 KB of selected video RAM available at 0xB8000. This difference causes some software written for Tandy graphics not to work correctly on a PCjr, displaying images in  16-color or  with periodic black horizontal lines: a "venetian-blinds" effect.

It is possible that software for the PCjr that relies on the memory wrap-around at address 0xBC000 will not work correctly on a Tandy 1000.

See also
Plantronics Colorplus, a graphic board with similar capabilities
List of 8-bit computer hardware palettes
List of defunct graphics chips and card companies

References

Computer display standards
Graphics cards
RadioShack
Computer-related introductions in 1984


title: Prothoracibidion plicatithorax

text:
Prothoracibidion plicatithorax is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae. It was described by Martins in 1960.

References

Neoibidionini
Beetles described in 1960


title: Prothoracibidion flavozonatum

text:
Prothoracibidion flavozonatum is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae. It was described by Martins in 1960.

References

Neoibidionini
Beetles described in 1960


title: Prothoracibidion xanthopterum

text:
Prothoracibidion xanthopterum is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae. It was described by Martins in 1962.

References

Neoibidionini
Beetles described in 1962


title: Star Fox Zero

text:
is a 3D rail shooter video game developed by Nintendo and PlatinumGames for the Wii U. It is the sixth installment in the Star Fox series. Formally announced at E3 2015, the game was released in April 2016 to mixed critical reception, with the most polarizing aspect of the game being its control scheme. A standalone tower defense game, titled Star Fox Guard, was bundled with the game.

Gameplay

Star Fox Zero is a 3D rail shooter that largely follows the gameplay of its predecessors, predominantly Star Fox 64, in which the player controls Fox McCloud as he pilots his Arwing craft through various levels. The game is controlled using the Wii U GamePad, with the left control stick used to maneuver the craft while gyroscopic controls can be used to aim weapons. A cockpit view is displayed on the second screen to assist with aiming. The minus button on the GamePad can be used to swap the two displays at any time.

Some of the game's vehicles can transform in certain situations. For example, the Arwing can transform into a bipedal Walker (which originated in the cancelled Super NES game Star Fox 2) that lets the player freely walk around on platforms and in enclosed spaces. The Landmaster tank can transform into the Gravmaster, which can perform extended aerial maneuvers for a short time. A new vehicle introduced to the series is the Gyrowing, a dronelike helicopter which can lower a small robot called Direct-i that can enter small spaces, hack into computers, or latch onto explosive cubes that can then be dropped on enemies. Players can also add laser upgrades and smart bombs to their ships. Special techniques such as the charge shot, barrel roll, somersaults, and U-Turns can be performed. Two gameplay modes are featured in the game: the on-rails sections put the player in a predetermined path, while All-Range Mode allows the player to move freely in a closed-off space. If players lose all their ships (which serve as extra lives) in a mission, they must restart the entire mission in order to proceed.

Various elements return from previous games, including Fox's teammates, Falco Lombardi, Peppy Hare, and Slippy Toad, who can assist the player if they protect them from enemy attacks, as well as the rival team Star Wolf members Wolf O'Donnell, Leon Powalski, Pigma Dengar, and Andrew Oikonny. Several level locations have also returned, including Corneria, Zoness, Titania, Fichina, and Fortuna, while five new locations, Sector Alpha, Area 3, Sector Beta, Sector Gamma, and Sector Omega, have been added. The game is also compatible with Amiibo figures; players can scan the Fox and Falco Amiibo to respectively unlock the Retro Arwing, which is based on the model used in the original SNES game and cannot lock on but has a larger blast radius, and the Black Arwing, which sports a black and red color scheme and is stronger and faster but takes more damage. Both Arwings can also be unlocked by acquiring enough gold medals in the campaign.

Development

The game's development began with experimentation on leftover assets from a never-released Star Fox game for the Wii that had been worked on by a small group since about 2008. The Wii project never took form because, in the words of series creator Shigeru Miyamoto, the team could not come up with enough compelling new ideas for it. The game's existence was confirmed in a press sheet on June 8, two days before E3 2014 began. During the Electronic Entertainment Expo on June 10, Time leaked information about the game in the morning, then Nintendo announced the title publicly, and Nintendo's E3 presentation again hinted at its further details later. During an interview with Wired, Miyamoto expressed his desire to work with external developers for faster completion of the project.

In an interview with GameSpot, Miyamoto revealed that both Project Guard and Project Giant Robot were connected to Star Fox for Wii U in some fashion. During a Nintendo Direct presentation in March 2016, Project Guard was formally revealed as Star Fox Guard, and bundled both digitally and as a physical copy alongside Star Fox Zero. Project Giant Robot was never released and was canceled in 2017.

Miyamoto stated that the game's main storyline and overall presentation were structured episodically, taking inspiration from the 1960s television series Thunderbirds, with the main missions featuring traditional Star Fox gameplay acting as "primetime programming", while side-missions featuring more quirky, experimental gameplay mechanics (such as those found in Project Guard and Project Giant Robot) act as "late-night programming". Yusuke Hashimoto of PlatinumGames said they were approached by Nintendo about co-developing the game after requesting to add an Arwing-themed bonus level to Bayonetta 2. Hideki Kamiya of PlatinumGames had also previously expressed his desire for Nintendo to approach them about developing a new Star Fox game. According to Nintendo, the story of Zero is neither a prequel or a sequel to previous Star Fox games.

Release
In December 2014, Miyamoto stated that Star Fox Zero would be released before the new installment of The Legend of Zelda series in 2016. He also confirmed that the game would be compatible with Amiibo, but did not specify in what way. Star Fox was playable at E3 2015, and Miyamoto reiterated of the GamePad/monitor gameplay method, which would "allow for cinematic moments to blend with continuous gameplay". The planned release date was announced by Nintendo for November 20, 2015, but the game was subsequently delayed to the first quarter of 2016. The game was released in North America and Europe on April 22, 2016, and in Australia the next day.

Prior to the game's release, Nintendo of America began a contest called the "Star Fox Zero Intergalactic Art Event" that month. Entrants needed to create Star Fox Zero fan art and post it on the game's Miiverse page, with the best 40 entries winning Nintendo eShop credit. A Star Fox Zero home menu theme for the Nintendo 3DS was also released two days before the game's launch. An animated short based on the game, titled Star Fox Zero: The Battle Begins, was released online on April 20. The short was produced by Japanese animation studio Wit Studio, with assistance from Production I.G and Nintendo. The 3D CGI animation work was provided by Orange. In July, a free demo of the game was released on the Wii U eShop. The demo includes the training mode from the full game, as well as the Star Fox Zero: The Battle Begins animated short.

The game's credits hold a small tribute to former Nintendo president Satoru Iwata, who had passed away during the game's development. When asked if Star Fox Zero could potentially be ported to the Nintendo Switch, Atsushi Inaba of PlatinumGames stated that they did not know if it could happen, and he also said that they have not been approached by Nintendo about it. However when asked again in a later interview, he said that if there was chance, they would to think about porting it to Switch.

Reception

Star Fox Zero received mixed to positive reception, according to the review aggregator Metacritic.  Common points of discussion include the control scheme, the short length of the campaign, and the structural similarities to earlier entries in the series.

Jose Otero from IGN praised the levels and bosses, commenting that Star Fox Zero reimagines a classic Nintendo 64 game, but was critical of its awkward controls. Similarly, Damien McFerran from Nintendo Life observed that the players need to be patient to master its problematic controls before becoming attuned to them, comparing them to Splatoon. Peter Brown of GameSpots primary fault with the controls was that it forces the player to divide attention back and forth from the TV to the GamePad. However, Brown did conclude that the second run was more enjoyable than the first, praising the branching paths and level design.

Other reviewers, conversely, found the mandatory motion-based controls frustrating or actively detrimental to the experience. David Roberts of GamesRadar felt that the game was undermined by a slavish devotion to wrapping the core design around every feature of the Wii U's GamePad, regardless of whether it makes sense or feels good to play. Jim Sterling heavily criticized the game's controls and Nintendo's use of hollow gimmicks in order to sell their games, calling the game a bare-bones space shooter. Arthur Gies of Polygon declined to assign a final score because he found that it was too miserable to finish the game on account of its controls.

Reviewers were also divided about the game's length and high similarity to its predecessor, Star Fox 64. Some were not bothered by it; McFerran called it a retread of Star Fox 64 and its original game Star Fox, but found this aspect of the game "reassuringly familiar". On the other hand, Ray Carsillo of EGM said that the game failed to build on Star Fox 64 in new and exciting ways. He was disappointed by the choice to re-imagine an older game instead of creating a brand new installment. Steve Watts of Shacknews found the alternate vehicle missions, where the game sets itself apart from earlier titles, ultimately distracted from the core Arwing gameplay. McFerran concluded that Star Fox Zero is "easily on-par with the excellent N64 entry from which it draws so much inspiration". Dan Ryckert of Giant Bomb was more critical, considering the game a relic of 2002.

Sales
The game was the highest-selling game on Amazon.com on April 19, 2016 based on its preorders, a position it held for two days. Days after its launch in Japan, both the standalone and Star Fox Guard Double Pack sold 8,135 and 17,114 units respectively, individually placing fifth and eighth for that sales week. Sales of both combined was 25,249 units, making it the fourth best-selling game that week overall. During the same time frame, it was also the sixth best-selling game in the United Kingdom, the third best-selling in France and the fifth in Australia. According to the NPD Group, which tracks physical sales data, Star Fox Zero was the fifth best-selling video game on any platform during the month of April. However, sales were not nearly as strong in Japan, as it became the single worst-selling game in the franchise in the country. It was a commercial failure overall, selling less than half a million copies.

Notes

References

External links

2016 video games
Cancelled Wii games
Multiplayer and single-player video games
Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development games
PlatinumGames games
Rail shooters
Shooter games
Star Fox video games
Video game reboots
Video game remakes
Video games developed in Japan
Video games produced by Shigeru Miyamoto
Video games that use Amiibo figurines
Wii U eShop games
Wii U games
Wii U-only games


title: Pygmodeon andreae

text:
Pygmodeon andreae is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae. It was described by Ernst Friedrich Germar in 1824.

References

Neoibidionini
Beetles described in 1824


title: Pygmodeon boreale

text:
Pygmodeon boreale is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae. It was described by Martins in 1971.

References

Neoibidionini
Beetles described in 1971


title: Protoparvovirus

text:
Protoparvovirus is a genus of viruses in the Parvovirinae subfamily of the virus family Parvoviridae. Vertebrates serve as natural hosts. There are 15 species in the genus including Rodent protoparvovirus 1 for which the exemplar virus is minute virus of mice (MVM). This genus also includes canine parvovirus (CPV), which causes gastrointestinal tract damage in puppies that is about 80% fatal, and porcine parvovirus (PPV), which is a major cause of fetal death and infertility in pigs. The genus divides phylogenetically into two branches, one that contains many founder members of the family, such as MVM, CPV and PPV, which have been studied in considerable detail, and a second branch occupied exclusively by predicted viruses whose coding sequences were identified recently in the wild using virus discovery approaches, but whose biology remains minimally explored. This second branch currently contains two species whose members infect humans, called Primate protoparvovirus 1 and Primate protoparvovirus 3.
Until 2014, the genus was called Parvovirus, but it was renamed to eliminate confusion between members of this genus and members of the entire family Parvoviridae.

Taxonomy
15 species are currently recognized, many containing several named viruses, virus strains, genotypes or serotypes. When applied to viruses, the definition of species is a little unusual. It is simply an abstract taxonomic concept that clusters a selected range of genetic variants, helping to distinguish branches in a phylogenetic lineage, but it is not a physical entity like a virus that can infect an animal or be isolated. If the diversity level used to define a species is set very low, many will effectively contain a single virus, and the virus and species may even be given the same name, resulting in confusion between the two concepts in the literature, and marginalizing the phylogenetic role of the species taxon. To counter this problem, the diversity level now recognized for species in the Parvoviridae is relatively broad: species are defined as a cluster of similar viruses that encode a particular replication protein, typically called NS1, that is at least 85% identical to the protein encoded by other members of the species.

Recognized species in genus Protoparvovirus include:
Carnivore protoparvovirus 1 (which includes the viruses canine parvovirus and feline parvovirus);
Carnivore protoparvovirus 2
Carnivore protoparvovirus 3
Carnivore protoparvovirus 4
Chiropteran protoparvovirus 1 (megabat bufavirus 1);
Eulipotyphla protoparvovirus 1 (Mpulungu bufavirus);
Primate protoparvovirus 1 (the human bufaviruses);
Primate protoparvovirus 2 (the monkey virus Wuharv parvovirus 1);
Primate protoparvovirus 3 (cutavirus);
Primate protoparvovirus 4
Rodent protoparvovirus 1 (which includes H-1 parvovirus, Kilham rat virus, LuIII virus, minute virus of mice, mouse parvovirus, tumor virus X, and rat minute virus);
Rodent protoparvovirus 2 (rat parvovirus 1)
Rodent protoparvovirus 3 (rat bufavirus SY-2015);
Ungulate protoparvovirus 1 (porcine parvovirus)
Ungulate protoparvovirus 2 (protoparvovirus Zsana/2013/HUN);

Protoparvoviruses that infect humans were first discovered in 2012 in the feces of children from Burkina Faso, and named using the siglum bufavirus. Three genotypes of bufaviruses have so far been detected, circulating in Tunisia, Finland and Bhutan

A second virus in this genus that infects humans —cutavirus— was initially isolated from the feces of children with diarrhea.

A third potential human protoparvovirus —tusavirus 1— has been reported in the feces of a single human, but whether or not it is able to infect humans or was simply ingested remains to be clarified.

Structure
Viruses in genus Protoparvovirus have non-enveloped protein capsids around 18–26 nm in diameter, which show T=1 icosahedral symmetry. Genomes are single-stranded linear DNA between 4–6kb in length, with small (100–500b) imperfect palindromic sequences at each terminus that fold to form distinctive duplex hairpin telomeres.

The capsid is thought to be made up of 60 VP proteins (), both VP1 and VP2.

Genomic organization
The Protoparvovirus genome has two ORFs. The non-structural ORF (NS) is the "first" on the 5' side, with the structural (VP) on the 3' end. The genome is expressed by extensive alternative splicing. This not only allows for VP to be expressed, but also produces multiple alternatively spliced versions of each ORF, typically called NS1, NS2(P,Y,L), VP1, and VP2. Some examples of annotated proteins from UniProt are:

 NS1 of the Minute virus of mice (MVM),
 NS2 of MVM,
 VP1 of canine parvovirus (CPV),
 VP2 of CPV,

Life cycle
Viral replication is nuclear. Entry into the host cell is achieved by attachment to host receptors, which mediates clathrin-mediated endocytosis. Replication follows the rolling-hairpin model. In some virus/host cell combinations, progeny virions can be trafficked through the cytoplasm in vesicles and released from the parental host cell prior to cell death, while the remaining virions are released following cell lysis.
Vertebrates from 6 orders are currently known to serve as natural hosts. Transmission routes are typically fecal-oral and/or respiratory.

History
Kilham rat virus, isolated in 1959, was the first member of this family of small, linear, single-stranded DNA viruses to be identified.

In following years a series of physically similar viruses, including H1, LuIII, minute virus of mice and tumor virus X, were extracted from cells or tissues in routine use in research laboratories and porcine parvovirus, PPV, one of the major causes of reproductive failure in swine, was isolated from infected pigs. In 1971 these viruses were all recognized as part of a taxonomic genus called Parvovirus in the First Report of  the newly created International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV)

The Second ICTV Report, published in 1976, established the family Parvoviridae, which at that time included three genera, one of which retained the name Parvovirus and contained all of the aforementioned viruses plus feline panleukopenia virus (now called feline parvovirus, abbreviated to FPV), which had been shown to cause epidemics of enteritis, panleukopenia and congenital cerebellar ataxia in domestic cats. In 1978 a virus from the same species as FPV emerged that was able to infect dogs (called canine parvovirus or CPV), which rapidly spread globally, causing pandemics of severe intestinal and coronary disease.

Genus Parvovirus continued to accrue new viruses until 2014, when its name was changed to Protoparvovirus.

References

External links
 Viralzone: Protoparvovirus
 ICTV

Parvovirinae
Parvoviruses
Virus genera


title: Pygmodeon buscki

text:
Pygmodeon buscki is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae. It was described by Linsley in 1935.

References

Neoibidionini
Beetles described in 1935


title: Pygmodeon cribripenne

text:
Pygmodeon cribripenne is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae. It was described by Henry Walter Bates in 1880.

References

Neoibidionini
Beetles described in 1880


title: Pygmodeon ditelum

text:
Pygmodeon ditelum is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae. It was described by Henry Walter Bates in 1872.

References

Neoibidionini
Beetles described in 1872


title: Aleksander Zborowski

text:
Aleksander Zborowski (Jastrzebiec coat of arms) was a Polish szlachcic (nobleman), the Starosta of Miedzyrzecz, who commanded a unit of the Polish army during the Polish–Muscovite War (1605–18). Little is known about his life: he was the son of Samuel Zborowski and Zofia née Jordan.

In May 1610 he defeated German mercenaries in Russian service, and during the Battle of Klushino, he commanded his own regiment. In September 1610, Zborowski defeated Russian-German forces near Tver.

Zborowski married Magdalena Fredro, and had three children: daughters Anna and Konstancja, and son Adam, who became a Jesuit. He died in 1637.

Sources
 Leszek Podhorodecki, Stanislaw Zolkiewski, Ludowa Spóldzielnia Wydawnicza, 1988,

1637 deaths
16th-century Polish nobility
Polish people of the Polish–Muscovite War (1605–1618)
Military personnel of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
Year of birth missing
17th-century Polish nobility
17th-century Polish military personnel


title: Pygmodeon excelsum

text:
Pygmodeon excelsum is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae. It was described by Martins and Napp in 1986.

References

Neoibidionini
Beetles described in 1986


title: Pygmodeon involutum

text:
Pygmodeon involutum is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae. It was described by Bates in 1870.

References

Neoibidionini
Beetles described in 1870


title: Pygmodeon latevittatum

text:
Pygmodeon latevittatum is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae. It was described by Bates in 1885.

References

Neoibidionini
Beetles described in 1885


title: Pygmodeon m-littera

text:
Pygmodeon m-littera is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae. It was described by Martins in 1962.

References

Neoibidionini
Beetles described in 1962


title: Pygmodeon mutabile

text:
Pygmodeon mutabile is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae. It was described by Melzer in 1935.

References

Neoibidionini
Beetles described in 1935


title: Stanisław Czapliński

text:
Stanisław Czapliński (Drogoslaw coat of arms) was a colonel of the Polish Army in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, who participated in the Polish–Muscovite War (1605–18), the so-called Dymitriad. His date of birth is unknown, and he died in 1618.

In 1609, Czapliński commanded a cavalry unit in the army of False Dmitry II. In 1616, following the death of Aleksander Jozef Lisowski, he was named commander of the Lisowczycy. In 1617, together with his men, he captured the town of Meshchovsk, and destroyed the troops of Knyaz Dmitry Pozharsky near Kaluga. Czapliński was probably killed somewhere in Russia during the war.

Sources
 Kazimierz Pułaski: Kronika polskich rodów szlacheckich Podola, Wołynia i Ukrainy. Brody: Księgarnia Feliksa Westa, 1911.

1618 deaths
Polish nobility
Polish people of the Polish–Muscovite War (1605–1618)
Military personnel of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
Year of birth missing


title: David Latasa

text:
David Latasa Lasa (born 14 February 1974) is a Spanish retired road racing cyclist. He competed at the 2003 Tour de France.

Results at the Grand Tours

Tour de France
2003: 73°

Giro d'Italia
2001: 35°

Vuelta a España
2002: 84°
2003: 46°
2004: 50°
2005: 71°

References

1974 births
Living people
Sportspeople from Pamplona
Spanish male cyclists
Cyclists from Navarre


title: Léopards de Transfoot

text:
Léopards de Transfoot is a football club based in Madagascar, playing in the Malagasy Second Division.

In 2003, the team won the Coupe de Madagascar. The team plays at the Barikadimy Stadium.

Achievements
Coupe de Madagascar: 2003

Performance in CAF competitions
2004 CAF Confederation Cup: 1 appearance

Notable players
Jimmy Radafison
Mazinot Valentin

References

External links
Footballdatabase.eu
Fr.allafrica.com

Football clubs in Madagascar


title: Pygmodeon obtusum

text:
Pygmodeon obtusum is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae. It was described by Bates in 1874.

References

Neoibidionini
Beetles described in 1874


title: Sara Jackson-Holman

text:
Sara Jackson-Holman is an American singer-songwriter based in Los Angeles, CA. Born in 1988 or 1989, she is a classically trained pianist; her style has been compared to that of Feist, Adele, and Lana Del Rey. Her songs have been used in episodes of the television series Hemlock Grove, Castle, Grey's Anatomy, Bones, 90210, Pretty Little Liars, Orange Is the New Black, and The Fosters.

She relocated to Los Angeles, California, from her home in Portland, Oregon. She is currently represented by record label Expunged Records.

Discography
When You Dream (2010)
A Very Merry (EP, 2010)
Cardiology (2012)
River Queen (EP, 2014)
Didn't Go To The Party (2016)

Discovery
A fan post online that Jackson-Holman left for Portland, Oregon-based Indie-pop band Blind Pilot caught the attention of their label's president. She was soon signed to their label with no formal demo.

Jackson-Holman is a lifetime student of piano and a veteran classical performer. Her mother inspired her as a teen to write her own songs.

Artistry

Musical style
Sara Jackson-Holman's music fits in the Pop/Alternative music genre, and her musical style is described as slow, expansive ballads balancing against hip-hop inflected upbeat tracks, all with a slight classical tinge.
Her music has been compared to that of Feist, Adele, and Lana Del Rey.
However, much of her music is inspired by music by Chopin, Schumann and Bach. This is reflected in her minor, brooding tones and sense of musical structure. She adds strings and layers of warm and soulful melodies in each song.
Jackson-Holman's songs are also emotion-filled and often inspired by real-life experiences.

Her album When You Dream carries the common themes of love and longing, forgetting and remembering, the sky and trees, and dreams of the sea in a timeless manner.
While the themes of When You Dream were intended to be universal, Jackson-Holman's album Cardiology
was inspired by her own life experiences and heart. The album was conceived during a year in which Jackson-Holman's grandfather died. He had been a strong influence in her musical upbringing and his passing resulted in a difficult time for Jackson-Holman and her family.
Jackson-Holman reflects on her grandfather, saying, “My grandfather was a big part of my musical upbringing and his death came as a shock. When I was young he would drive three hours from Portland to Bend just to watch me play for seven minutes in my classical piano competitions, and when I had branched out into pop music, he'd come to my shows in Portland. I was in the midst of recording and needing to be creative, so the process became an outlet for my confusion and grief. His death was profoundly influential as I wrote the final songs for my album. 'Freight Train' is a song I wrote when I had no words to express my grief. 'Come By Fire', 'Can't Take My Love', and 'For Albert' (his middle name) were also all written within three weeks of his passing. ('For Albert' is derivative of the classical piece 'Für Elise', a sort of homage to my background). I miss him very much, and to me, his being so much a part of my songs keeps him and his memory close to my heart.”

While Cardiology primarily concerned grief and loss, River Queen centers around finding strength in vulnerability, having the will to fight, and learning to love fully and without regret. Speaking of her album River Queen, Jackson-Holman states, “I want this record to fill people with happiness and hope."

Concerts and tours
Sara Jackson-Holman's first concert was on June 3, 2010 at the Woods in Sellwood, Oregon, Jackson-Holman's home state.
Jackson-Holman has since performed mostly in states in the western United States, such as Washington, New Mexico, Texas, Wyoming, Montana, and California, but has also performed in states such as Kansas and Illinois as well.

References

External links
Official website

Living people
Whitworth University alumni
Singers from Portland, Oregon
Year of birth missing (living people)
People from Bend, Oregon
Songwriters from Oregon


title: Pygmodeon puniceum

text:
Pygmodeon puniceum is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae. It was described by Martins in 1970.

References

Neoibidionini
Beetles described in 1970


title: Pygmodeon staurotum

text:
Pygmodeon staurotum is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae. It was described by Martins in 1970.

References

Neoibidionini
Beetles described in 1970


title: List of Georgia State Panthers head football coaches

text:
The Georgia State Panthers college football team represents Georgia State University in the Sun Belt Conference (SBC). The Panthers compete as part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. The school has had 3 head coaches since it began play during the 2010 season. Since December 2016, Shawn Elliott has served as Georgia State's head coach.

Key

Coaches

References

Key

Georgia State

Georgia State Panthers football coaches


title: Kocher criteria

text:
The Kocher criteria are a tool useful in the differentiation of septic arthritis from transient synovitis in the child with a painful hip.  They are named for Mininder S. Kocher, an orthopaedic surgeon at Boston Children's Hospital and Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Harvard Medical School.

The original study used retrospective pediatric cases to develop the criteria over multiple years. The score is primarily used in orthopedic cases in which the symptoms experienced in septic arthritis and transient synovitis are similar. The criteria can be used on multiple joints — the hip being the most tested given its frequency of diagnosis and importance to the patient's mobility. The knee and the ankle can also experience these symptoms and the criteria can be applied to symptomatic joints such as these. Septic arthritis is an orthopedic emergency, which, if treatment is delayed, can lead to irreversible joint damage. Septic arthritis occurs more often in childhood than at any other time. Kocher Criteria are a useful guide to the diagnosis of septic arthritis in children, especially in the hip, one of the most frequently affected joints. However, the attending physician is requested to put this criteria into clinical context. For example, the attending physician has to use his own clinical judgement and experience to rule out the presence of concurrent acute hematogenous osteomyelitis in cases of proven septic arthritis. Further, children with septic arthritis - of hip - are highly unlikely to  be able to weight bear freely. Contrastingly, children with transient synovitis of the hip can occasionally.

Scoring

A point is given for each of the four following criteria:
 Non-weight-bearing on affected side
 Erythrocyte sedimentation rate > 40
 Fever > 38.5 °C
 White blood cell count > 12,000

See also
 Wheeless Online
 Kocher Criteria Online

References

Orthopedic clinical prediction rules


title: James Ross (Australian lawyer)

text:
James Hunter Ross (10 February 1788 – 18 September 1865) was a lawyer and politician in colonial Victoria, Australia.

Ross was born at Prestonpans, East Lothian, Scotland, the son of Major John Ross and Jean Buchan.

Ross practised as a lawyer at the Supreme Court in Scotland. He arrived in the Port Phillip District in August 1841. In 1841, Ross founded the law firm Blake & Riggall, the forerunner of Ashurst Australia.

On 31 October 1851 Griffith was nominated,
being sworn-in the following month, to the Victorian Legislative Council,
a position he held until resigning July 1852. He was replaced in the council by Thomas Turner à Beckett.

References

1788 births
1865 deaths
Members of the Victorian Legislative Council
Scottish emigrants to Australia
19th-century Australian politicians


title: Tom James (English footballer)

text:
Thomas James (born 17 October 1988) is an English footballer who plays as a defender.

Playing career

Watford
Following some impressive displays for Stratford Town, James was signed by Football League Championship side Watford on 5 August 2011.

Tom played his one and only game for Watford in an FA Cup tie against Bradford City on 7 January 2012, he came on as an 85th-minute substitute for Mark Yeates, Watford won the game 4–2.

Tom James was informed he would be released by Watford when his contract expired on 30 June 2012, and would be joined by teammates Rene Gilmartin, Chez Isaac and Michael Bryan.

Daventry Town
Tom signed for Southern Football League Division One Central side Daventry Town on 25 October 2013.

James went on to make 33 league appearances for Daventry Town and scored one goal.

Tamworth
On 10 June 2014, Tom James signed for Conference North side Tamworth.

References

External links

1988 births
Living people
English men's footballers
Men's association football defenders
Atherstone Town F.C. players
Stratford Town F.C. players
Watford F.C. players
Nuneaton Borough F.C. players
Leamington F.C. players
Daventry Town F.C. players
Tamworth F.C. players
Hednesford Town F.C. players
Rugby Town F.C. players
English Football League players
National League (English football) players
Sportspeople from Leamington Spa
Footballers from Warwickshire


title: Feedzai

text:
Feedzai is a data science company that develops real-time machine learning tools to identify fraudulent payment transactions and minimize risk in the financial services, retail, and e-commerce industries. The company has been classified as a unicorn startup since March 2021, after a Series D funding round pushed its value above $1 billion.

Feedzai is headquartered in Coimbra, Portugal. The company's U.S. headquarters is in San Mateo, California, in the Silicon Valley.

The company was founded in 2011 by Nuno Sebastião, Pedro Bizarro and Paulo Marques. The company first began selling its solutions for fraud detection and operational intelligence in Europe and later expanded to the United States in 2014.

References

Further reading
The Forrester Wave™: Anti-Money-Laundering Solutions, Q3 2022
The Forrester Wave™: Enterprise Fraud Management, Q1 2016
Cool Vendors in Analytics and Business Intelligence, 2011 (Gartner)
Market Guide for Online Fraud Detection, 2011 (Gartner)
Market Guide for Operational Intelligence Platforms, 2015 (Gartner)
Aite Matrix: Leading Fraud & AML Machine Learning Platforms  (2021)

Technology companies of Portugal
Organisations based in Coimbra


title: Pygmodeon validicorne

text:
Pygmodeon validicorne is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae. It was described by Bates in 1885.

Distribution and habitat
Pygmodeon validicorne is known to be found in Costa Rica.

References

Neoibidionini
Beetles described in 1885


title: North Carolina Highway 742

text:
North Carolina Highway 742 (NC 742) is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of North Carolina.  It connects the city of Wadesboro with the towns of Oakboro and Chesterfield, South Carolina.

Route description

NC 742 is a predominantly two-lane rural highway that begins at the South Carolina state line, where continuing south on South Carolina Highway 742 (SC 742) would lead to Chesterfield. In Wadesboro, it first runs concurrent with NC 109 before going through the downtown area.  At the intersection of Caswell and Greene Streets, NC 742 switches from NC 109, which continues north to Mount Gilead, onto U.S. Route 52 (US 52) and US 74.  later, NC 742 splits from US 74, which continues west towards Charlotte. After another  and passing over the CSX rail line (originally known as the Seaboard Line), NC 742 splits with US 52, which continues north towards Albemarle.

For the next , NC 742 travels through farmlands of northwestern Anson County, with the community of Burnsville located in the middle of it.  NC 742 continues through the northeastern corner of Union County for , with no major junctions.  After crossing the Rocky River, it enters Stanly County;  later it crosses into Oakboro city limits.  As it nears its end in downtown Oakboro, it connects with NC 138 which towards Aquadale and Albemarle.  Two blocks further, it ends at the intersection of Main and Second Street, with NC 205, which continues north to Red Cross and southwest to New Salem and Marshville.

History
NC 742 was established in 1936 as a new primary routing from US 74 in Wadesboro to NC 205 in Oakboro.  Around 1947, NC 742 was extended south, over part of US 74 and NC 109, to the South Carolina state line, where it continues south as SC 742 (originally SC 850).  In 1996, the routings of US 52 and NC 742 were adjusted in Wadesboro; they were removed from Salisbury Street and onto a new road further west that crossed over the railroad tracks.

Junction list

References

External links

 NCRoads.com: N.C. 742

742
Transportation in Anson County, North Carolina
Transportation in Union County, North Carolina
Transportation in Stanly County, North Carolina


title: Rhysium bimaculatum

text:
Rhysium bimaculatum is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae. It was described by Pascoe in 1866.

References

Neoibidionini
Beetles described in 1866


title: Rhysium bivulneratum

text:
Rhysium bivulneratum is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae. It was described by Thomson in 1867.

References

Neoibidionini
Beetles described in 1867


title: Rhysium guttiferum

text:
Rhysium guttiferum is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae. It was described by Thomson in 1867.

References

Neoibidionini
Beetles described in 1867


title: Rhysium spilotum

text:
Rhysium spilotum is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae. It was described by Martins and Galileo in 2007.

References

Neoibidionini
Beetles described in 2007


title: Black River (York Region)

text:
The Black River is a river in the Regional Municipality of York and the Regional Municipality of Durham in Central Ontario, Canada. It is part of the Great Lakes Basin, and is a tributary of Lake Simcoe; the entire watershed is under the auspices of the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority.

Watershed
The watershed is  in area and the mean flow reported at the community of Sutton, which encompassed  of the watershed, was  (max flow ; min flow ). The mean flow at a station further upstream at the community of Baldwin, which encompassed  of the watershed, was  (max flow ; min flow ).

Course
The river begins at an unnamed lake on the Oak Ridges Moraine in Whitchurch–Stouffville, York Region, near the community of Cedar Valley. It heads northwest, under the Canadian National Railway main line, and then north into East Gwillimbury, then flows northeast under Ontario Highway 48 to cross the northwestern corner of Uxbridge, Durham Region. It flows under the former Lake Simcoe Railway branch of the Toronto and Nipissing Railway,  before returning to Georgina in York Region. It heads north, passes over the Baldwin Dam at the community of Baldwin, flows through the community of Sutton, and reaches its mouth at Lake Simcoe between the communities of Briars Park to the west and Mossington Park to the east. Lake Simcoe flows via Lake Couchiching and the Severn River to Lake Huron.

Recreation
Baldwin Conservation Area is a  conservation area on a small reservoir formed by the Baldwin Dam. The Sutton-Zephyr rail trail occupies a portion of the abandoned Lake Simcoe Railway branch of the Toronto and Nipissing Railway that crosses the Black River.

Tributaries
Zephyr Creek (right)
Mount Albert Creek (right)
Harrison Creek (left)

See also
List of rivers of Ontario

References

Other map sources:

Rivers of the Regional Municipality of York
Rivers of the Regional Municipality of Durham
Tributaries of Lake Simcoe


title: Stenoidion amphigyum

text:
Stenoidion amphigyum is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae. It was described by Martins in 1970.

References

Neoibidionini
Beetles described in 1970


title: Stenoidion apicatum

text:
Stenoidion apicatum is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae. It was described by Martins in 1962.

References

Neoibidionini
Beetles described in 1962


title: Stenoidion corallinum

text:
Stenoidion corallinum is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae. It was described by Bates in 1870.

References

Neoibidionini
Beetles described in 1870


title: Stenoidion schmidi

text:
Stenoidion schmidi is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae. It was described by Martins and Galileo in 2009.

References

Neoibidionini
Beetles described in 2009


title: Sydax amazonicus

text:
Sydax amazonicus is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae. It was described by Martins in 1971.

References

Neoibidionini
Beetles described in 1971


title: Sydax confragus

text:
Sydax confragus is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae. It was described by Martins in 1971.

References

Neoibidionini
Beetles described in 1971


title: Sydax gibbus

text:
Sydax gibbus is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae. It was described by Joly in 1985.

References

Neoibidionini
Beetles described in 1985


title: Sydax inexpectatus

text:
Sydax inexpectatus is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae. It was described by Martins in 1981.

References

Neoibidionini
Beetles described in 1981


title: Sydax stramineus

text:
Sydax stramineus is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae. It was described by Lacordaire in 1869.

References

Neoibidionini
Beetles described in 1869


title: Tetraopidion geminatum

text:
Tetraopidion geminatum is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae. It was described by Martins in 1969.

References

Neoibidionini
Beetles described in 1969


title: Tetraopidion mucoriferum

text:
Tetraopidion mucoriferum is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae. It was described by Thomson in 1867.

References

Neoibidionini
Beetles described in 1867


title: Nkwe Medal

text:
The Nkwe Medal (Leopard medal) was instituted by the State President of the Republic of Bophuthatswana in 1990, for award to all ranks for operational service.

The Bophuthatswana Defence Force
The Bophuthatswana Defence Force (BDF) was established upon that country's independence on 6 December 1977. The Republic of Bophuthatswana ceased to exist on 27 April 1994 and the Bophuthatswana Defence Force was amalgamated with six other military forces into the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).

Institution
The Nkwe Medal (Leopard Medal) was instituted by the State President of Bophuthatswana in 1990.

Award criteria
The medal could be awarded to all ranks for operational service.

Order of wear

Since the Nkwe Medal was authorised for wear by one of the statutory forces which came to be part of the South African National Defence Force on 27 April 1994, it was accorded a position in the official South African order of precedence on that date.

Bophuthatswana Defence Force until 26 April 1994

Official BDF order of precedence:
 Preceded by the Marumo Medal, Class II.
 Succeeded by the General Service Medal.
Bophuthatswana official national order of precedence:
 Preceded by the Police Medal for Combating Terrorism.
 Succeeded by the General Service Medal.

South African National Defence Force from 27 April 1994

Official SANDF order of precedence:
 Preceded by the Defence Medal of the Republic of Ciskei.
 Succeeded by the General Service Medal of the Republic of Bophuthatswana.
Official national order of precedence:
 Preceded by the Defence Medal of the Republic of Ciskei.
 Succeeded by the General Service Medal of the Republic of Bophuthatswana.

The position of the Nkwe Medal in the order of precedence remained unchanged, as it was on 27 April 1994, when decorations and medals were belatedly instituted in April 1996 for the two former non-statutory forces, the Azanian People's Liberation Army and Umkhonto we Sizwe, and again when a new series of military orders, decorations and medals was instituted in South Africa on 27 April 2003.

Description
Obverse
The Nkwe Medal is an octagonal medal, struck in nickel-silver and 3 millimetres thick at the rim, to fit inside a circle 38 millimetres in diameter. It depicts a prowling leopard.

Reverse
The reverse has the Coat of Arms of the Republic of Bophuthatswana with the medal number impressed below. The reverse of the suspender is undecorated.

Ribbon
The ribbon is 32 millimetres wide, with a 4 millimetres wide red band, a 2 millimetres wide white band and a 4 millimetres wide red band, repeated and separated by a 12 millimetres wide dark yellow band in the centre.

Discontinuation
Conferment of the Nkwe Medal was discontinued when the Republic of Bophuthatswana ceased to exist on 27 April 1994.

References

Military decorations and medals of Bophuthatswana
Awards established in 1990
Awards disestablished in 1994
1990 establishments in Africa
1994 disestablishments in Africa


title: Tetraopidion venezuelanum

text:
Tetraopidion venezuelanum is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae. It was described by Martins in 1960.

References

Neoibidionini
Beetles described in 1960


title: Tetraopidion tetraophtalmum

text:
Tetraopidion tetraophtalmum is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae. It was described by Martins in 1960.

References

Neoibidionini
Beetles described in 1960


title: Combat Outpost San Juan

text:
Combat Outpost San Juan also called COP San Juan was a United States Army installation in the southwestern region of Baghdad, Iraq during the Iraq War.  Located at 33°13'43.9"N 44°15'25.1"E in a rural area approximately 4 kilometers southwest of Baghdad International Airport,  it served as a tactical operations center primarily for the 4th Battalion, 27th Field Artillery Regiment, Bravo Battery and the 1st Battalion, 77th Armored Regiment from 2005 until its destruction in 2007.

Facilities
Formerly a residence of Uday Hussein, OP San Juan consisted of an area 100 meters in diameter, fortified with Hesco barriers and concertina wire.  A largely destroyed 8-car garage was used as a makeshift barracks while a tower served as an observation point for surveillance and defense.  Facilities were rudimentary at best, with no running water, sewer, or sanitation services.  Electricity was provided by portable generators which necessitated regular dispatches to nearby Forward Operating Bases for fuel.  Waste disposal consisted of a burn pit for both trash and human waste.

Missions
OP San Juan was established by Multi-National Corps Baghdad (MND-B) in 2005 to provide overwatch and protection of the southern approach glide-path to the Baghdad International Airport (BIAP). This mission continued until mid 2006 when the main threat to Coalition forces became attack by Improvised Explosive Devices or crudely and often hastily placed roadside bombs.

The Soldiers and Officers manning the OP transitioned into the mission of Route Clearance and human intelligence collection during the summer of 2006. At times only as few as 18 service members were tasked with maintaining the safety of the roadways and local population in nearly 17 square miles of varying terrain consisting of dense urban and sparse rural land. At this time, Additional missions included providing a quick reactionary force to assist Iraqi Police when engaged by insurgent forces and providing security for the cordon of and fortification of southern Baghdad neighborhoods.

Operations at the OP were often on three shifts averaging six hours a piece. A typical day would begin with six hours of guard duty followed by six hours of "outside the wire" patrol. Soldiers would be given six hours of down time in which they were required to perform their assigned area maintenance and personal hygiene duties. After this the cycle would begin again. This cycle kept soldiers on a rolling cycle best facilitating 24-hour operations on, at best, a skeleton crew.

OP San Juan was located in a largely rural area of southwest Baghdad.  Troops patrolling from the outpost routinely were ambushed by insurgent attacks consisting largely of small arms fire and Improvised Explosive Device attacks, though it was not uncommon for the post to be attacked by mortars.

One of the primary missions for troops based out of the OP was to maintain positive relations with the residents of Al-Salam, a neighborhood approximately 6 kilometers southeast of OP San Juan.  The neighborhood was eventually overrun with and controlled by insurgents despite the soldiers efforts and is now referred to as Al-Radwaniyah.

Fate
The area of operations, (AO) surrounding OP San Juan grew steadily more hostile to U.S. and coalition troops throughout the latter half of 2006.  After taking over the AO in October 2006, the 1-77th Armored Regiment effectively closed and abandoned the OP in January 2007.

References

Iraq War
2005 in Iraq
2006 in Iraq
2007 in Iraq
Conflicts in 2005
Conflicts in 2006
Conflicts in 2007
Occupation of Iraq


title: Thoracibidion franzae

text:
Thoracibidion franzae is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae. It was described by Martins in 1968.

References

Neoibidionini
Beetles described in 1968


title: Thoracibidion galbum

text:
Thoracibidion galbum is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae. It was described by Martins in 1968.

References

Neoibidionini
Beetles described in 1968


title: Thoracibidion insigne

text:
Thoracibidion insigne is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae. It was described by Martins in 1968.

References

Neoibidionini
Beetles described in 1968