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Banking and Financial News
UPDATE 1-Brazil's Suzano predicts better pulp prices, savings from merger; shares rise
By Alberto Alerigi
(Adds context, Suzano exec quotes, share performance)
SAO PAULO, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Brazilian pulpmaker Suzano SA raised its estimates for cost savings from a merger with Fibria and said it expected higher pulp prices this year, sending shares up 3.7% in afternoon trading in Sao Paulo even as the broader market fell.
Suzano's director Carlos Anibal said he expects a recovery in pulp prices this year after a 30% drop in 2019 caused by excess inventories in Asia.
Anibal told journalists at an event on Thursday the company has not been adversely affected by the coronavirus outbreak in China, and expects a positive effect in the longer term, with higher demand for hygiene products made with tissue paper, for example.
"Chinese are now using paper towels to avoid touching knobs or elevator buttons directly," he said, adding that the company was keeping an eye on potential problems transporting exports from ports to clients in China.
Suzano's fourth-quarter results where within analysts expectations and the company raised estimates for the synergies from its merger with former rival Fibria. In a securities filing earlier on Thursday, it said it expects to reduce costs by up to 1.2 billion reais ($276 million) this and next year.
Anibal said pulp prices are now reaching an "inflection point" as clients begin to drawn down inventories.
Indeed, Suzano Chief Executive Walter Schalka said he expects to raise prices at some point this year, after the Chinese economy has weathered a slowdown caused by the coronavirus outbreak.
Schalka said the company will decide on building a new unit in Mato Grosso do Sul state after it reduces its leverage levels. Suzano's net debt was equivalent to five times its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, known as EBITDA, by the end of last year.
Schalka ruled out any asset sales for now, saying it would "destroy value" during a time of low pulp prices.
$1 = 4.3429 reais Reporting by Alberto Alerigi in Sao Paulo Editing by Chris Reese


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La Operación Sarajevo (en serbio-croata, Sarajevska operacija) es la denominación presente en las fuentes yugoslavas de la batalla librada en marzo-abril de 1945 en el área de Sarajevo, durante las etapas finales de la Segunda Guerra Mundial en el Frente Yugoslavo, entre los partidarios del Ejército. Liberación Popular de Yugoslavia y algunas divisiones alemanas, apoyadas por unidades colaboracionistas croatas y chetniks.

La batalla terminó después de una serie de violentos enfrentamientos a lo largo de las carreteras de acceso a la ciudad, con la retirada de las tropas alemanas del XXI Cuerpo de Montaña y la liberación de Sarajevo por los grupos partisanos yugoslavos.

El frente balcánico en la primavera de 1945

A finales de 1944, la situación estratégica general de la Wehrmacht en los Balcanes era ahora muy crítica; Después de la entrada en la guerra contra Alemania de Bulgaria y la llegada de las unidades pesadas del Ejército Rojo al sur del Danubio a la frontera oriental yugoslava, fue imposible defender aún más a Serbia y Belgrado fue liberado el 20 de octubre de 1944 por las fuerzas de partisanos yugoslavos de Tito en cooperación con las fuerzas blindadas soviéticas. Sin embargo, a pesar de las derrotas, el Alto Mando alemán había llevado a cabo las operaciones con gran habilidad, logrando no solo detener el avance yugoslavo en el frente del Sirmia, en la llanura de Panonia, sino también completar con éxito la retirada general del Grupo de Ejércitos E del El general Alexander Löhr que después de evacuar Grecia y Macedonia había logrado estabilizar un nuevo frente en Bosnia y Herzegovina se centró en las importantes posiciones estratégicas de Sarajevo.

En los primeros meses de 1945, el comando del Grupo de Ejércitos E del General Löhr propuso al cuartel general de la Wehrmacht organizar a tiempo una retirada metódica, evacuar Sarajevo y retirarse de Bosnia pasando al norte del Río Sava para recuperar todas las tropas involucradas en un el teatro se ha convertido en secundario en comparación con los dos principales frentes europeos. Sin embargo, el 15 de febrero de 1945, Adolf Hitler, decidido a no ceder terreno y, por el contrario, a planear nuevas contraofensivas, se negó obstinadamente a autorizar la retirada y prohibió absolutamente una directiva específica para ceder Sarajevo, que fue defendida indefinidamente por "razones políticas". El general Löhr mantuvo el mando del Grupo de Ejércitos E y Hitler le ordenó defender a Sarajevo hasta el final con las unidades del XXI Cuerpo del Ejército del General Ernst von Leyser.

Para enfatizar aún más la importancia de mantener la posesión de la ciudad, el 22 de febrero de 1945 el alto mando alemán designó a Sarajevo como "fortaleza", cuya evacuación habría sido posible solo con la autorización directa de Hitler. El costoso fracaso de la ofensiva alemana del lago Balatón que comenzó el 6 de marzo de 1945 cambió el marco estratégico general en el sector del frente del sur de los Balcanes; Para el 20 de marzo, la situación alemana se volvió aún más crítica con el comienzo de la ofensiva del 4.º Ejército Yugoslavo en Lika y el  Ejército Yugoslavo en Sirmia.

La defensa al extremo amargo de Sarajevo, profundamente acuñada en Bosnia y Herzegovina, mientras las dos alas se derrumbaron en el Srem y en la costa del Adriático, se volvió estratégicamente más y más inútil y peligroso. El Alto Mando alemán decidió autorizar al general Löhr, quien había tomado el mando de todo el teatro del sudoeste en lugar del mariscal de campo Maximilian von Weichs, quien había sido retirado el 25 de marzo después de que la operación Waldteufel ("diablo del bosque") fallara La ofensiva más allá del Río Drava contemporáneo hasta el ataque al Lago Balatón, para planificar una retirada que comience con la evacuación de los miles de heridos en la ciudad.

A principios de marzo de 1945, el Comando Supremo del Ejército Popular de Liberación, oficialmente llamado "Ejército Yugoslavo" el 1 de marzo, había decidido reunir sus fuerzas para el ataque final en Sarajevo; Con este fin, el II Korps de Radovan Vukanović, el III Korps de Pero Kosorić y el V Korps de Slavko Rodić se concentraron con el objetivo de alcanzar el valle del río Bosna y cortar las comunicaciones del XXI cuerpo del Ejército alemán que defendía Sarajevo. Para mejorar el control de las operaciones, el Comando Supremo estableció un cuartel general unificado el 17 de marzo, asignándole la dirección de la agrupación operativa especial de los tres cuerpos y asignando el comando superior de todas las fuerzas yugoslavas en el sector a Radovan Vukanović.

Los planes del Comando Supremo del Ejército Popular preveían atacar Sarajevo desde tres direcciones diferentes y rodear a todo el grupo de fuerzas alemanas que defendían la ciudad: el II Korps atacaría en el sector sur con tres divisiones de Konjic, Kalinovik y Jablanica marchando sobre Sarajevo a través de Ivan Sedlo, Ilidža y Trebević; III Korps con dos divisiones, comenzaría al este de la ciudad desde el campo Sokolac, Monte Romanija, el monte Ozren y sería movido hacia Sarajevo que pasa a través Makarska, Pale, Hreša, Vučja Luka; finalmente, el V Korps con otras dos divisiones, desde Semizovac y Jošanica, al norte de Sarajevo, llegaría a la ciudad a través de Rajlovac, Vogošća y Koševo. Todas las unidades yugoslavas ya estaban en contacto con las fuerzas alemanas, y el comando de Vukanović era comenzar la ofensiva el 28 de marzo de 1945.

Orden de batalla

Orden de batalla del Ejército Yugoslavo

 AVNOJ:

 Comandante en jefe de la agrupación de Sarajevo: Radovan Vukanović
 II comandante Korps: Radovan Vukanović
 3.ª División de Asalto
 29.ª División de Herzegovina
 37.ª División del Sangiaccato
 III Comandante Korps: Pero Kosorič
 27.ª División de Bosnia Oriental
 38.ª División de Bosnia Oriental
 V Comandante Korps: Slavko Rodić
 4.ª División de la Craina
 10.ª División de la Craina
 Grupo de lucha Zenica
 13.ª Brigada de la 39ª División de la Craina
 18.ª Brigada de la 53ª División Central de Bosnia

Orden de batalla del Eje

 Tercer Reich

 XXI Cuerpo de Ejército de Montaña (XXI. Gebirgs-Armeekorps), general Ernst von Leyser
 7. SS-Gebirgsdivision Prinz Eugen
 369° División Croata de Infantería
 181. División de Infantería
 909. Brigada Fortaleza
 964. Brigada Fortaleza
 969. Brigada Fortaleza
 Regimiento de policía SS "Nagel"
 226. Batallón Landesschützen
 880. Batallón Landesschützen
 803. Batallón Landesschützen
 834. Batallón Landesschützen
 920. Batallón Landesschützen
 935. Batallón Landesschützen
 5.º Cuerpo de Voluntarios Rusos (Russkaja osvoboditel'naja armija)

 Croacia

 1.ª Brigada Ustaša
 9.ª Brigada Ustaša
 11.ª Brigada Ustaša
 18.ª Brigada Ustaša
 9.ª División Domobrana (restos)
 2.ª Brigada de montaña domobrana

 República Social Italiana

 49ª Legión "San Marco" (dos batallones)

 Chetniks

 Cuerpo de Asalto Romanija
 Cuerpo de asalto Zenica
 Cuerpo de asalto Herzegovina

Operaciones preliminares alemanas

El Alto Mando alemán del Grupo de Ejércitos E se dispuso a defender Sarajevo de tropas insuficientes; mientras que las divisiones alemanas, en particular la 7.ª División de Montaña SS Prinz Eugen y la 369° la División "Diabólica" croata, seguían siendo eficientes, las otras fuerzas, formadas por voluntarios croatas, chetniks y voluntarios anticomunistas rusos y cosacos, fueron desmoralizados y debilitados. Los generales alemanes eran conscientes de la precaria posición de sus tropas alrededor de Sarajevo y de la dificultad de organizar una retirada metódica de tropas y heridos, además de salvar materiales y equipos; Gracias a las intercepciones de las comunicaciones enemigas, además, los alemanes conocieron muchos detalles del ataque en preparación y también supieron que la operación comenzaría el 28 de marzo de 1945. Por lo tanto, se volvió esencial para los alemanes anticipar la ofensiva yugoslava y salvaguardar las rutas de comunicación salientes desde Sarajevo; Con este fin, el comando alemán lanzó tres ataques locales en marzo para intimidar a los partisanos y ganar tiempo.

En la noche del 16 al 17 de marzo, una parte de la 7.ª División de las SS lanzó la operación Berggeist ("espíritu de la montaña") contra la 3.ª división de asalto partisano en el sector sur del Monte Igman y Presjenica; En los primeros días, los yugoslavos se sorprendieron y perdieron terreno; sin embargo, los alemanes pronto fueron contraatacados y para el 24 de marzo volvieron a sus posiciones iniciales Después de este éxito parcial, el comando alemán planeó una contraofensiva más ambiciosa con la participación del XXXIV Cuerpo de Ejército que se suponía que atacaría a Tuzla para bloquear el 2.º Ejército (operación Maigewitter, "Operación tormenta de mayo") cuyo avance podría haber tenido lugar peligro para las rutas de comunicación al norte de Sarajevo, mientras que la 7.ª División de las SS debería haber avanzado hacia Vareš (operación Osterglocke, "operación narciso). Esta ofensiva combinada estaba programada para el 28 de marzo de 1945 y comenzó de acuerdo con el plan, pero tuvo que ser suspendida pronto y la 7.ª División SS fue retirada rápidamente al sur; El ejército yugoslavo el mismo día había comenzado la gran ofensiva final para liberar a Sarajevo, poniendo en dificultades a algunas tropas alemanas.

La ofensiva del Ejército Popular Yugoslavo

La operación de Sarajevo del ejército yugoslavo comenzó el 28 de marzo de 1945 en el sector norte donde el V Korps de Rodić tenía la misión más exigente; Sus divisiones se desplegaron cerca de la aldea de Kakanj, en la orilla oriental del río Bosna, y deberían haber cruzado previamente el río y luego atacaron el sector norte de las posiciones fortificadas alemanas en Vogošća. Las dos divisiones del V Korps, la 4.ª División de la Craina y la 10ª División de la Craina, lograron en la noche del 28 al 29 de marzo cruzar el Bosna y atacaron a las principales fuerzas germano-croatas; Después de superar la resistencia enemiga, los partidarios de las dos divisiones formaron una cabeza de puente al oeste del río, antes de avanzar en profundidad para cortar a los alemanes en Sarajevo e interrumpir sus comunicaciones a través de la línea ferroviaria Sarajevo- Zenica.

El comando alemán decidió reaccionar de inmediato a la situación peligrosa; las operaciones de Osterglocke y Maigewitter fueron interrumpidas y la 7.ª División SS regresó para contraatacar y salvaguardar las líneas de comunicación y la línea ferroviaria. Los alemanes contraatacaron vigorosamente y, como resultado, el partisano V Korpus no pudo continuar el avance en el sector norte, los partisanos fueron bloqueados en la línea Vareš- Breza. Los violentos ataques de los alemanes y los ustašas croatas presionaron a las fuerzas yugoslavas y la maniobra de V Korpus se ralentizó; sin embargo, algunas formaciones de la 4.ª y 10.ª División de Craina lograron en los días siguientes llegar a los barrios del norte de Sarajevo y contribuyeron a la victoria del Ejército Popular de Liberación.

Mientras tanto, la batalla estaba en marcha con la máxima furia incluso al este de Sarajevo, donde el ataque de las unidades III Korpus de Pero Kosorić, la 27ª y 38ª División de Bosnia había comenzado; Estas fuerzas tenían la intención de derrotar a los alemanes en las áreas de Podromanija y Crvena-Stjiena y luego irrumpir en la ciudad directamente. Esta puerta de entrada al este de Sarajevo fue defendida por la 181a División Alemana que se opuso a una fuerte resistencia al ataque del III Korpus; en Podromanija, el 363º regimiento de infantería fue tenazmente defendido, lo que fue reforzado por el 14.º regimiento de la 7.ª División de las SS "Prinz Eugen". Algunas formaciones partidistas atacaron en el costado y detrás del 363° regimiento, mientras que la mayor parte del III Korpus se enfrentó al 14° regimiento de las SS que fue derrotado y casi completamente destruido.

Simultáneamente con la ofensiva del III Korps, en el sector sur del frente atacó al II Korpus con la 3° División de Asalto y la 29ª y 37ª División. En este sector, el avance partidista fue particularmente difícil y las pérdidas sufridas fueron pesadas; la 37ª División de Sangiaccato avanzó un poco, mientras que la 3.ª División de Asalto avanzó hacia Trnovo, pero Ivan Sedlo, la 29ª División de Herzegovina no avanzó y sufrió grandes pérdidas; El 1 de abril de 1945 los ataques contra Ivan Sedlo tuvieron que ser suspendidos. El 4 de abril de 1945, los partidarios comenzaron un segundo ataque, pero ahora los alemanes ya habían comenzado la retirada; el 5 de abril, la 29ª División pudo alcanzar la línea Kiseljak desde donde trató de perseguir a los alemanes de cerca. Ese mismo día, el general Vukanović y el comando general de la agrupación ya habían entendido que los alemanes estaban llevando a cabo una retirada ordenada de la ciudad y luego dieron órdenes de acelerar las operaciones e inmediatamente atacar la ciudad desde donde el enemigo estaba evacuando todas sus fuerzas. y su equipamiento.

Sarajevo fue alcanzado por primera vez por formaciones partisanas que avanzaban desde el este; en la tarde del 5 de abril de 1945, una parte del III Korpus, que continuaba persiguiendo y atacando a los alemanes, ingresó a la ciudad desde el este y el norte; Los yugoslavos prácticamente no encontraron gran resistencia y liberaron la parte central de Sarajevo y el área de Marijin Dvor por la noche . En cambio, las feroces luchas eran necesarias para la conquista de la central eléctrica; los partisanos sufrieron grandes pérdidas; la estación fue ocupada por un regimiento de la 181a división alemana que defendió el área hasta el 6 de abril cuando, ahora debilitado por las pérdidas sufridas, comencé a retroceder hacia el oeste. Mientras tanto, en el sector sur del frente, el II Korpus reanudó el progreso; la 37ª División liberó a Trebević y llegó a los barrios del sur de Sarajevo la noche del 5 al 6 de abril, formando una cabeza de puente en la orilla izquierda del Miljacka .

Mientras que las formaciones del III Korps liberaron la mayor parte de Sarajevo, desde el sur también se acercó a la 3.ª División de Asalto del II Korpus; Después de dos días de feroces combates, esta división también entró en la capital bosnia en la mañana del 6 de abril, mientras que otros departamentos yugoslavos persiguieron a los alemanes hacia Ilidža. La mayoría de las tropas alemanas del XXI Cuerpo del General von Leyser lograron retroceder a lo largo del valle de Bosna y alcanzaron la línea Busovača- Zenica, a unos 70 kilómetros al noroeste de Sarajevo. Sin embargo, los alemanes fueron inmediatamente atacados y derrotados por el "grupo de combate Zenica", intervino rápidamente desde el este y en la noche del 12 al 13 de abril, el último núcleo de resistencia alemán cerca de Zenica fue derrotado; Mientras tanto, la batalla por Sarajevo había terminado y la ciudad era completamente libre.

Presupuesto y conclusión

La "Operación Sarajevo" terminó con una prestigiosa victoria de campo del nuevo ejército yugoslavo que derrotó a un gran cuerpo de tropas alemanas en una gran batalla convencional. Las pérdidas sufridas por los partisanos fueron considerables, pero los alemanes y los colaboradores tuvieron pérdidas mucho mayores y algunos miles de soldados enemigos fueron capturados. Debido a la cantidad de pérdidas infligidas y los resultados logrados, la operación de Sarajevo fue una de las campañas más grandes y exitosas libradas por las fuerzas partisanas durante la guerra de liberación.

Sin embargo, desde un punto de vista estratégico, la batalla terminó sin una victoria definitiva y el ejército yugoslavo no pudo aprovechar la oportunidad favorable de rodear y destruir por completo el XXI Cuerpo del Ejército alemán; en gran parte, las fuerzas del general von Leyser lograron retroceder hacia el norte y después de unirse a las otras tropas del Grupo de Ejércitos E, participaron en la larga y dramática retirada final de las fuerzas del general Löhr que terminaría solo el 15 de mayo de 1945 con la rendición final a Poljana en la frontera entre Austria y Eslovenia.

Véase también

 Frente Yugoslavo
 Ejército Popular de Liberación de Yugoslavia
 Fin de la Segunda Guerra Mundial en Europa

Notas

Bibliografía

 Eddy Bauer, Historia controvertida de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, vol. VII, De Agostini 1971
 John Erickson, El camino a Berlín, Cassel 2003

 Helmut Heiber (editado por); Las actas de Hitler, LEG 2009

Enlaces externos

 Sarajevska operacija
 Operación Sarajevo
 Prikaz Sarajevske operacije na mapi

Conflictos en 1945
Wikipedia:Páginas con traducciones sin revisar
Batallas de la Segunda Guerra Mundial

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SPHERE at Engage
A research project from the University of Bristol received a finalist award in the national Engage Competition, run by the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement (NCCPE), for their public health and well-being engagement work.
SPHERE (Sensor Platform for HEalthcare in a Residential Environment), an EPSRC-funded engineering research project, is using a unique platform of sensors to quantify health-related behaviours over long periods to diagnose and help manage health and wellbeing conditions. The technology will aid early diagnosis, lifestyle change and the ability of patients to live at home while maintaining their privacy and independence. Future applications include detection of early stage dementia and enabling people to self-manage their health, for instance by predicting when someone might fall.
SPHERE's public engagement team have worked in partnership with future end users and local citizen scientists who will have the unique experience of living with these new technologies in 100 homes. Innovative and participatory methods of involvement, engagement and co-working enabled the technology and research processes to be acceptable, appropriate and relevant. SPHERE is a high-profile example of engaged responsible engineering research.
Winners of the six competition categories were announced last night [29 November] at an awards ceremony as part of Engage 2016, the NCCPE's annual conference.
The finalists were selected from over 180 entries and demonstrated a broad range of high-quality activities to inspire and involve public audiences. Finalists' work ranged from digitally reconstructing city histories to protecting endangered species; from working with older people as researchers to delivering hyper-local science festivals; from young children conducting their own research to influence the United Nations, to using theatre to improve oral health outcomes.
Dr Rachel Gooberman-Hill, Activity Co-Lead, User-Centred Design, said: 'We are hugely delighted that SPHERE was a finalist in the National Engage Competition. This means a lot to us and shows that members of Bristol's community are working closely with SPHERE to inform a key part of the University's world-leading research.'
Professor Nishan Canagarajah, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research) at the University of Bristol, said: 'Engagement is part of the University's strategy and the SPHERE project not only reflects that strategy but it also highlights the importance of engagement to staff, students and society. SPHERE is a great example of community collaboration and communication, which the University encourages.'
Paul Manners, Director of the NCCPE, added: 'The Engage Competition is a highlight of our work at the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement. It uncovers amazing people, projects, partners and research. This year did not disappoint. The quality of the applications has been higher than ever, showcasing the very best of engagement practice across all disciplines and participant groups – reaching from the very local to the global.'

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Fantasy Romance Teens
Wench
Wench was a promising title that ultimately fell short for me. I loved the idea of following a tavern wench as she tried to get back her tavern and found it was really interesting. I was also pleasantly surprised by the role magic played in the story. However, the book ultimately failed to please me. Tanya was the only character who had a real arc. Other characters felt unimportant and under-developed. They had very little backstory and served no purpose beyond helping Tanya. They didn't feel like real people. Relationships also suffered. Most of the relationships Tanya has by the end of the
Fantasy Teens Women's Fiction
Harry Potter thinks he is just a normal ten-year old boy living at his uncle and aunt's house. Harry thinks that his life is terrible, but what he does not know is that his life is about to get a whole lot more interesting. Harry finds out he is a wizard! When he goes to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, he becomes friends with Ron and Hermione. The Sorcerer's Stone is moved, which gives the wizard immortality. The Dark Lord is trying to steal the Sorcerer's Stone and Harry Potter is trying to protect it. Will Harry defeat Voldemort, and save the Wizarding World, or will he fail?
A Court of Thorns and Roses is the first installment in an ongoing book series by Manhattan author, Sarah J. Maas. It was first published in 2015. The series has four published books, with another, A Court of Silver Flames , expected to publish in January 2021. A Court of Thorns and Roses is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast  with a very dark twist. Nineteen-year-old Feyre's world is split in two. The immortal faeries to the north are deadly and vicious, while mortals have their own sort of cruelty. The only thing separating the two races is The Wall, an impenetrable force built
Outrun the Wind
By Elizabeth Tammi
Rated by Anne G
"Ugly words don't always mean ugly feelings."
― Elizabeth Tammi, Outrun the Wind
Elizabeth Tammi shows that she is a talented writer with this story about the Greek myth Atalanta. I enjoyed that this book addresses the harsh realities of Ancient Greek womanhood while also giving the women of steel protagonists a happy ending. There is not any shaming of women who are not as physically capable as the strong female Atalanta, which was a breath of fresh air. It is definitely a slow burn romance about Greek gods and goddesses, but the ending is worth it. If you grew up reading books about
Adrenaline Fantasy
By Shannon Hale
"... If we don't tell strange stories, when something strange happens we won't believe it."
― Shannon Hale, The Goose Girl
The Goose Girl is a nice Grimm fairy-tale inspired piece of fiction. The fantasy fiction is well written, and quite creative in its own way. I stayed up all night reading this leisurely paced book. This is absorbing, exciting, and has a descriptive writing style. It is a slow moving tale at first, and some might be tempted to stop reading in the opening chapters where we are introduced to the excessively timid Princess Ani. Ani is a girl taken from her position as
By Una McCormack
In The Undefeated we have a lovely novella with a leisurely pace by Una McCormack. This space opera is an introspective reminiscent view of a sixty-year-old's life. The novella blends science fiction life on other planets, colonialism's rise and fall, and an eerie near-apocalyptic setting.
The science fiction novella in the far future in which a woman travels to her childhood home as war looms between humans and modified humans called "jenjers" that humans have enslaved. Much of the story is the protagonist Monica and her homecoming. I enjoyed the lyrical writing style and the journey
Fantasy Paranormal
Akata Witch
By Nnedi Okorafor
Rated by admin
"Lesson one," Anatov said. "And this is for all of you. Learn how to learn. Read between the lines. Know what to take and what to discard."
― Nnedi Okorafor, Akata Witch
This young-adult culturally diverse fantasy, set within the modern times, centers on Sunny Nwazue, an adolescent born to Nigerian parents in the United States. A couple of years before our story begins, Sunny's family moved back to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, where our primary woman of steel currently lives with them just outside a tiny town. Sunny "confuse[s] people," she explains in her own voice, not only thanks
Fantasy Multicultural
The Winter Duke
As the daughter of the duke, Ekata was born into a world of cut-throat politics and tenuous alliances. Unlike her siblings, though, all she wants to do is escape and study the life sciences she finds so fascinating. Unfortunately, unforeseen circumstances throw her into the thick of the court politics she has tried all her life to avoid. She must learn quickly how to navigate her situation and hold her head high if she wants to retain her position- and her life. I love the political intrigue throughout the book. It's not something that I've found done in a compelling way in many YA books, but
Staying-At-Home... on the Planet of the Apes!
By Arthur P. Jacobs
Rated by Michael K
Shortly before the library closed due to the novel coronavirus, my co-worker, Adam, loaned me a set with all five of the original Planet of the Apes films - three of which are currently in the Johnson County Library collection, and two of which are available to stream from home on IndieFlix. This pentalogy (five!) of films includes Planet of the Apes (1968), Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970), Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971), Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972), and Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973). I really only had plans to watch the first film, and maybe try out
Fantasy Science Fiction
Ah, the one and only Brandon Sanderson. If you are a fan of high fantasy you are probably familiar with his works and can reminisce on the first Sanderson book you experienced. I say experienced- not read- because working the way through a Sanderson novel alongside his characters is an adventure. I started digging into Sanderson's works with the Mistborn trilogy, which I highly recommend. The trilogy is a great introduction to Brandon Sanderson's works as it is shorter, but still provides that intricate worldbuilding and thought provoking storytelling for which he is so well known. Since
Three Hands for Scorpio
By Andre Norton
Three Hands for Scorpio is the last adult book for young adults of Lifetime Grand Master of Fantasy, Andre Norton, who passed away on March 17, 2005 after a long and extremely fruitful career. Her magically detailed world-building skills, upright, against-all-odds characters, and fast pace will be sorely missed. Tor rushed a copy of this book of women-of-steel into print, so that the 93-year-old author could see it before she died. It is the last manuscript she penned alone, and has an action-packed storyline. I have read most of Ms. Norton's books, and especially enjoyed her women
By Robin McKinley
You know, sometimes you just need some escapist fantasy about self-discovery in women. McKinley's seventeen-year-old girl Lissar was just the ticket for me last night. Deesrkin is a beautiful, haunting, and sometimes painful coming-of-age story that ends with a message of hope. The first half of the fantasy fiction is really about the traumatic aftermath of a violent assault and rape by the heroine's own father. These dark themes are handled appropriately, realistically, and with great compassion but they do make for some hard reading in the gateway fantasy.
If you have any
Fantasy Women's Fiction
By Wrede, Patricia
"Well I'm not a proper princess then!" Cimorene snapped. "I make cherries jubilee and I volunteer for dragons, and I conjugate Latin verbs-- or at least I would if anyone would let me. So there!"
I have slowly been making my way through a long list of fantasy fiction books I have wanted to read or reread. Dealing with Dragons is one of those re-read upbeat books; possibly it was "the" book that honestly got me hooked on reading.
I cannot sing enough praises about this fast-paced book, in particular for its excellently written main character. This is one of the best "fractured fairy
The Secret Hour
By Scott Westerfeld
The Secret Hour has a very imaginative paranormal premise, and it was enjoyable to read; I finished this book for reluctant readers in two sittings. I love the idea of a hidden hour after midnight where only a select few can visit, and the continuing threads of mystery and "what's going on?" kept me reading this urban fantasy. The characters are not all best buddies, but are unique individuals with their own motivations which are shown in the fast pace.
The premise is original and interesting with a compelling writing style. It is definitely written with a young adult audience
The Gravity of Us
If you like romance, space, and getting back at greedy T.V. companies while saving NASA- this story is for you. The protagonist is witty, sarcastic, and likable, the side characters complex, and the plot is compelling. What more could you want? Stamper creates a story that revolves around very human experiences: the compulsion to fix what you love (even if it's not your job), the rush of young love, sticking up for yourself and others in the face of opposition, and a love of space travel. Hard to imagine a better book.
Crown of Coral and Pearl
Once a generation in the aquatic village of Varenia, when the prince of Ilara-a nearby kindgom-comes of age, the most beautiful girl of age is chosen to marry the prince. Nor and Zadie, two twins, and the most beautiful girls in Varenia, have been hounded by their mother for their entire lives to maintain their beauty, as she does not want to pass up the chance to have a princess as a daughter. Due to an accident years prior to this "choosing," Nor saves Zadie's life in an accident and receives a small scar, and her hopes of setting foot on land are destroyed... Until Zadie is injured, leaving
Middlegame
Rated by Heather C
I am not one that is normally drawn to the fantasy genre. I mean, sure, I read all of the Harry Potter books (because they were fantastic!). I am a huge fan of the Xanth series and don't even get me started with the Incarnations of Immortality series (if you haven't read that series, I highly highly recommend it) but I find myself drawn more to thrillers or mysteries or anything with vampires and witches. So, with that being said, I love how this book drew me in from the get go.
Just the blurb on the jacket alone got me excited to read this book:
Meet Roger. Skilled with words
Trickster's Choice
By Tamora Pierce
I previously read Trickster's Choice with courageous teenage girls a little over a decade ago, and I wanted to revisit it. I had forgotten just how easy it is to get drawn into Aly's adventures which cause her to become a slave as a girl, and I am so glad to have revisited because it was similar to visiting with an old friend. This is the story of Alianne Cooper, who wants to be a girl spy, and is the daughter of Spymaster Cooper and the famous Lioness of Tortall and champion of the throne. Certainly Tamora Pierce is one of my favorite writers in this genre, and Alianne (Aly) stands
Stormrise
Not unlike Disney's "Mulan", Rain, daughter of a Neshu grandmaster and a Neshu fighter herself, is unwilling to let her twin brother and father leave to fight in the war. Especially because when she'd been little, she and her brother had fallen sick, and Rain was accidentally given the medicine reserved for the family's only son- leaving her brother with slight cognitive scars. Certain that her brother won't return from the battlefield, Rain disguises herself as a man and goes in his place, making every move to remain undiscovered including taking a powder to hide her monthly bleed. Many of


text:
Sveta Planina – wieś w Słowenii, w gminie Trbovlje. W 2018 roku liczyła 121 mieszkańców.

Przypisy

Miejscowości w gminie Trbovlje


The beauty of this recipe is that you can cook the ribs a day or two before you plan on serving them, then finish them on the grill right before you want to eat. You can use Killer Hogs seasonings, or your favorite combination of flavors.
Use any smoker you have available. Make sure to spray the ribs with apple juice, to keep them from getting dry. Wrapping the ribs in butcher paper also helps to keep in moisture.
Prepare a smoker for indirect cooking at 250 degrees F (121 degrees C). Add 1 to 2 chunks cherry wood to hot coals for the smoke flavor.
Remove the membrane from each rib and trim excess fat. Season on both sides with the rubs.
Place each rib on the smoker and cook for 2 hours, spritzing with apple juice every 30 minutes.
Wrap each rib in butcher paper and place back on the smoker for 1 1/2 hours, or until tender.
Prepare a charcoal grill for directly grilling over medium-high heat.
Combine both sauces and brush over the back side of each rib. Place directly on the cooking grate, bone side-down, and brush the meat side with sauce.
Grill for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, then serve.
Pile O' Ribs are perfect if you love tailgating. These ribs are smaller, so you can fit more on your portable grill, which gives folks a big smile.


text:
Hood Coins
magazine News
Creditors of a South African crypto trading firm, Africrypt, have agreed to a proposal recently tabled by an unnamed investor who is seeking to resuscitate the collapsed company.
Africrypt's Intellectual Property
In addition to paying $4 million — which will be used to pay off some of the crypto firm's debts — the investor is also willing to part with $1 million which will go towards the acquisition of 51% of Africrypt's shares and the company's intellectual property rights.
As previously reported by Bitcoin.com News, an unnamed investor had proposed injecting a total of $5 million in the now-defunct crypto company. While a few of the creditors had voiced their disapproval of the investor's proposal to have criminal charges against Africrypt's two young directors dropped, there was an expectation that creditors would still accept the proposition.
'Not the Worst Deal'
Indeed, as the Moneyweb report explained, a majority of the creditors voted in favor of the offer because this represents a more realistic outcome for many of them. This sentiment is aptly summed up by Ruann Kruger who is the legal representative of Africrypt's liquidators. Kruger said:
There seems to be a belief among some that there is some useful intellectual property in the company, and the idea is that the company will acquire this as part of the compromise.
Meanwhile, according to one Africrypt investor who did not wish to be identified, the tabled bailout offer is not entirely a bad one.
"It's not the worst deal one could hope for. We get maybe 40c or 50c back in the rand, and the company may be revived in such a way that the other funds are recouped over time," the investor argued.
What are your thoughts about this story? Tell us what you think in the comments section below.
© 2022 Hood Coins.


Cisco has updated its security advisory on the recent issue on some affected version of Cisco IOS can be crashed by certain crafted SIP packets destined to port 5060. The issue is compounded by a related bug which allows traffic to TCP 5060 and UDP port 5060 on devices not configured for SIP.
Cisco reported that there are data streams that could appear to be unintentionally triggering the vulnerability as well.


text:
Abington Township police briefs: Week of Nov. 30
By Montgomery Media |
PUBLISHED: November 29, 2014 at 10:00 p.m. | UPDATED: September 24, 2021 at 12:32 p.m.
ARREST >> On Oct. 27, Brain Jackson, 41, of North 40th Street in Phildelphia, was charged with unauthorized use of a credit card, possession of a counterfeit credit card, theft by deception and receiving stolen property at Macy's in Willow Grove Park mall, police said. A total of $275 worth of merchandise was purchased fraudulently, police said.
RETAIL THEFT >> On Oct. 28 at 4 p.m., Taisha Dangerfield, 35, of East Montana Street in Philadelphia, was charged with retail theft, receiving stolen property, possession of an instrument of crime and false identification to law enforcement authorities at Nordstrom Rack at Willow Grove Park mall, police said. The total value of the theft was $362.58, police said.
ARREST >> On Oct. 29, Thomas Paul Craig III, of Wharton Road in Glenside, was charged with forgery, theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property, police said.
ARREST >> On Oct. 29 at 2:33 p.m. at Verizon Wireless at 1495 Old York Road, Rosa Pichardo-Lopez, 35, of Morrison Ave. in Bronx, N.Y., was charge with identification theft and false identification to law enforcement authorities, police said.
DUI >> On Nov. 2 at 2:21 a.m., Elizabeth Ann Sloan, 30, of Emerick Ave. in Roebling, N.J., was charged with DUI and careless driving as a result of a one-vehicle accident on Edgehill Road, police said.
RETAIL THEFT >> On Nov. 3 at 6:15 p.m. at H&M at Willow Grove Park mall, Marc Walker, 21, of South 33rd Street in Philadelphia, was charged with retail theft, theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property, police said.
RETAIL THEFT >> On Nov. 6 at 12:11 p.m., Darnell Lemonte Themay, 21 of West Nedro Avenue in Philadelphia, was charged with retail theft and theft by deception, police said.
RETAIL THEFT >> At Nov. 7 at 9:06 a.m. on the Target on Old York Road in Abington, Michel Mitchell, 19 of West Sparks Street in Philadelphia, was charged with retail theft, receiving stolen property, possession of an instrument of crime and disorderly conduct, police said.
ARREST >> On Nov. 7, Oliver Lewis, 20, of West Albert Street in Philadelphia, was charged with forgery, writing bad checks, theft by deception and possession of an instrument of crime at TD Bank in Willow Grove, police said.
RETAIL THEFT >> On Nov. 8, Teanna Giona, Pratt of North Mole Street in Philadelphia, was charged with retail theft and receiving stolen property, police said.
CITATION >> On Nov. 11 at 7:40 p.m., George Rivera, 63, of Airdrie Street in Philadelphia, was charged with disorderly conduct, public drunkenness on the 800 block of Old York Road, police said.
RETATIL THEFT >> On Nov. 12 and 12:47 p.m., Myeisha Cherry, 22, of Marvine Street in Philadelphia, was charged with retail theft at Macy's in Willow Grove Park mall, police said.
DUI >> On Nov. 13, Joseph McFadden, 38, of Whittier Drive in Warminster, was charged with DUI, failure to drive on the right side of the road, reckless driving, an accident involving injury and property damage and a DUI-drug combination on the 900 block of Highland Avenue, police said. The charges stem from an incident on Aug. 31, police said.
CITATION >> On Nov. 15 at 12:39 p.m., Lena Jolly Johnson, of Commerce Avenue in Willow Grove, was charged with disorderly conduct and public drunkenness on the 2500 block of Jenkintown Road, police said.
ARREST >> Freeman Kamper, 38, of North Bouvier Street in Philadelphia, was charged with unauthorized use of a credit card, receiving stolen property and theft by deception, police said.
Montgomery News Media
Montgomery Media


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25 years of PlayStation – Looking back at the games and memories
I'll still take on anyone in Tekken 3.
Colin Barry
On December 3, 1994, a fresh new video game console was unveiled to the world. It wasn't from Nintendo or Sega. It was from an entertainment conglomerate named Sony that wasn't quite a household name.
The console? The PlayStation and its laundry list of classic video series have left an impact on gamers around the world. Now on the silver anniversary of the PlayStation, the brand is now arguably one of the heaviest hitters in the gaming world. But, it's always important to go back to your roots and show respect to what made it great.
There's a lot to write about when it comes to looking back at the PlayStation, like how the DualShock is influential to controller design. But the most memorable feature of any console was, is, of course, the games.
And the PlayStation has those in droves.
A look back at the PlayStation's various games and genres
There are 1,300 PS1 games in North America. While it would be amazing to look back at all of them, I want to focus on the quintessential titles. The ones that made the console a standout and gave it its identity.
There are Sony-owned franchises like Gran Turismo, Jet Moto, Twisted Metal, Cool Boarders, MediEvil. The two big ones from them were Spyro the Dragon and Crash Bandicoot. Thanks to their latest remasters, both Crash and Spyro are back in the spotlight.
A ton of other genres became more in-demand with gamers through the PlayStation. Survival horror was popularized with Resident Evil and Silent Hill. Other game categories like stealth (headlined by the incomparable Metal Gear Solid) and "cinematic platformers" like OddWorld rounded out an already impressive library.
Arguably the biggest genre to became more well-known through the PlayStation is the console RPG. Final Fantasy VII found its home to the PlayStation after a much-publicized spat with Nintendo. Several other JRPGs found a home on the console and soon after, it was no longer a niche genre. Where are my Wild Arms fans at!?
READ MORE: Sony PlayStation is the best-selling console brand according to Guinness World Records
Final Fantasy wasn't the only classic franchise that received a breath of fresh air in the fifth-generation of home consoles. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night serves as a renaissance for the long-running series about killin' Dracula.
For anyone who is curious, my top ten personal favorite PS1 games in no particular order: Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage, Crash Bandicoot 2, Tekken 3, Metal Gear Solid, Mega Man 8, Resident Evil 2, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Strider 2, Final Fantasy Tactics, and WWF SmackDown! 2.
My personal history with the iconic console
Image: Alpha Coders
It is Christmas 1997. Titanic is still the highest-grossing movie of all-time. Elton John's Candle in the Wind 1997 made everyone cry. And Bill Clinton is still in the Oval Office.
And a five-year-old me finds a thin, squared box wrapped from Santa. I opened it and it was a video game.
The game in question? Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back. I remember the commercials of the character screwing around with Nintendo. My family and I spent the majority of that day trying to beat the first few levels. We also spent some time playing NHL Faceoff and NBA Live. With the PlayStation as a new sort-of centerpiece in our family room, my family started having family game nights with an obscure motorcycle racing game creatively titled Moto Racer and all the Crash Bandicoot sequels and spin-offs.
There are other great memories I have with the console, such as experiencing Metal Gear Solid for the first time (that opening song STILL gives me goosebumps!), sleeping over a friend's house to complete Spyro 2, and beating my neighborhood in Crash Team Racing.
READ MORE: PlayStation 2 servers shut down after 16 years
A big memory that will always stand out to me is with Tekken 3. Now, Tekken 3 is a phenomenal fighting game and probably the best in the series. It also marked the first time my two younger brothers and I poured all of our free time into a video game. There were weekends where we would try and trade-off secrets about hidden characters and moves. Most importantly, we all worked together to beat the game to 100% by unlocking every character, ending, mode, etc.
To this day, I don't think there is another video game console that has introduced me to so much stuff in gaming that I love now. Franchises like Mega Man, Castlevania, and Metal Gear rank among my all-time favorites.
Happy 25 PlayStation!
Jim Ryan, the current President & CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, released a blog giving his own perspective on how the brand has grown. While that sounds typical to what a corporate manager would do, Ryan is actually a long-time employee of Sony who joined the year the PlayStation was released.
As I was helping set up the business in Europe, I remember having to start from scratch with many things, from hiring employees to ordering furniture. Back then, we focused on catering to local markets to ensure that a gamer in Poland would feel a part of the broader PlayStation community just as much as someone in the UK, or Japan, or the U.S.
Ryan goes on to continuously thank the fans of PlayStation in a sincere manner, showing how proud to be part of something this awesome.
And I think myself, Mr. Ryan, and several million gamers out there want to give our thanks to this console.
GG, Sony. GG.
What do you think? Do you have any fond memories from the PlayStation line of consoles? Share them with us below or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.
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\section{INTRODUCTION}

The absorption of TeV photons on intergalactic distance scales via $\rm  \gamma \gamma \rightarrow  e^{+} \: e^{-} $ by the diffuse radiation from the extragalactic background light (EBL) is crucial for the understanding of  TeV $\gamma$-ray sources with significant redshift (Gould \& Schr\'eder 1967). Direct measurements of the EBL at near- to mid-IR wavelengths are greatly hampered by the presence of strong foreground emission from interplanetary dust and diffuse Galactic emission from unresolved stars and the interstellar medium. Consequently, our knowledge of the EBL consists mostly of lower limits derived from ground- and space-based galaxy counts or direct measurements  prone to substantial systematic uncertainties (Hauser \& Dwek 2001).

The catalog of TeV blazars now contains more than 20 objects (see, e.g., Hinton 2007) spanning a large range of redshifts between 0.03 and 0.536. Their observed energy spectra have therefore passed through different path lengths resulting in different degrees of attenuation. The observed TeV energy spectra of blazars  therefore contain information about their intrinsic spectra convolved with the absorption due to the EBL in the near-IR and mid-IR. Separating the intrinsic blazar spectra from the absorption effect to derive constraints to the EBL  has proven a difficult task (see Stecker et al. 1992; Dwek \& Krennrich 2005; Aharonian et al. 2006; Stecker et al. 2007;  Mazin \& Raue 2007)  and may require a significantly larger sample of TeV blazars. However, if successful,  the potential of providing constraints on the EBL density  using TeV energy spectra provides complementary  information to direct measurements of the EBL (see, e.g.,  Coppi et al. 1999).

Galaxy counts provide a firm lower limit on the EBL, and therefore a strong lower limit on the magnitude of absorption  present in a blazar spectrum.  Figure 1 presents 0.36, 0.45, 0.67, 0.82, 1.1, 1.6 and 2.2~\mic\ lower limits on the EBL determined from ground-based and {\it Hubble Space Telescope} (\hst) observations (filled triangles) presented  by Madau \& Pozetti (2000) (hereafter, MP00). At 3.6, 4.5, 5.8, and 8.0~\mic\ (open quadrangles), lower limits arise from galaxy counts using the IRAC instrument on the \spitz\ infrared space observatory (Fazio et al. 2004), and the 15 and 24~\mic\ \spitz/MIPS data, obtained by Metcalfe et al. (2003) and Papovich et al. (2004),  respectively (hollow circle and diamond). Recently, Levenson \& Wright (2008) (hereafter, LW08) used profile fitting techniques to estimate the contribution of the faint fuzzy fringes of galaxies to the total contribution of resolved galaxies, increasing the 3.6~\mic\ lower limit from 5.4~\nwat\ to 9.0$^{+1.7}_{-0.9}$~\nwat. This correction has brought the galaxies' contribution to the EBL to within $\sim 1\sigma$ of the EBL intensity determined from measurements made with the {\it Cosmic Background Explorer} (\cobe) satellite (Dwek \& Arendt 1998). In the following we treat the constraint by LW08 purely as a lower limit to the EBL at 3.6~micron, consistent with their interpretation of the result.

The same considerations that have resulted in a significant underestimate of the contribution of resolved galaxies to the 3.6~\mic\ EBL may also apply to the estimated integrated light from resolved galaxies obtained from standard aperture photometry (Bernstein et al. 2002; Wright 2001; Yoshi  1993; Bernstein 2007). The galaxies' contribution to the EBL could therefore be higher than the reported lower limits of MP00. The combination  of the new limit at 3.6~micron with potentially higher limits at shorter wavelengths (MP2.0+LW+MIR) will imply  more attenuation for $\gamma$-ray spectra at TeV energies and  harder intrinsic spectra.
In this paper we describe results from exploring a wide range of possible intrinsic energy spectra  compatible with EBL lower limits.

Only a limited number of blazar spectra at TeV energies at  sufficiently high redshift, and consequently substantial  absorption are available.  This lead us to select the energy spectra of  1ES~1218+30.4 (Albert et al. 2006) detected over the 0.08 to 0.7~TeV range, and also recently detected by VERITAS over an energy range of 0.18 to 1.5~TeV (Fortin et al. 2008)\footnote{We use the VERITAS spectrum as it extends to higher energies than that of MAGIC.}; 1ES1101-232 (Aharonian et al. 2006) detected over the 0.18 to 2.9~TeV range, and  1ES~0229+200 (Aharonian et al. 2007a) detected over the 0.6 to 11.5~TeV range.
Note that 3C~279, the most distant blazar at a redshift of 0.536, has only been observed over a very limited spectral range from 80 to 485~GeV, and has considerably larger statistical errors than those presented above (Albert et al. 2008).   Other blazars with adequately measured energy spectra are 1ES~1011+496 (Albert et al. 2007) and 1ES~0347-121 (Aharonian et al. 2007b) with redshifts of z=0.212 and z=0.188, respectively. The former is not relevant in the search for a limit to the hardness of blazar spectra since its measured energy spectrum is extremely soft, with $\Gamma = 4.0 \pm 0.5$.  The BL Lacertae 1ES~0347-121 has a spectrum that is slightly softer ($\Gamma = 3.10   \pm 0.23$ ) than that of 1ES~1101-232 and covers essentially the same energy range and therefore is slightly less constraining and  redundant.  We therefore limit our selection of blazars primarily to  1ES~1218+30.4, 1ES~1101-232 and 1ES~0229+200. They constitute a representative sample of the most distant, well measured blazar spectra, covering a wide energy range with data provided by three independent $\gamma$-ray  observatories (MAGIC, HESS \& VERITAS).    Because the cross section for the $\gamma-\gamma$ interaction peaks at energies $E_{\gamma}$(TeV)$\approx 0.8 \lambda$(\mic), the intrinsic spectrum of each blazar will be constrained by different spectral regions of the EBL.  The set of these three blazars  therefore allows us to determine the intrinsic hardness of blazar spectra over a wide range of energies.

The  aim of this study is to derive the range of possible spectral indices that characterize the intrinsic energy spectra of blazars.   This allows one to use observations to test the previously postulated theoretical paradigm, that the intrinsic spectra of blazars characterized by an energy spectrum of the form $\rm  dN/dE \propto E^{-\Gamma_{i}}$  in the TeV regime (Aharonian et al. 2006)  cannot exceed the hardness of $\Gamma_{i}= 1.5$.

\section{THE INTRINSIC BLAZAR SPECTRA FOR DIFFERENT EBL SCENARIOS}

In order to obtain the intrinsic spectrum of a blazar, the measured spectrum must be corrected for the effects of the EBL. Figure~1 shows a wide range of EBL intensities (shaded area)  considered for unfolding the intrinsic spectra.    The lower limits from galaxy counts restrict the possible EBL density as a function of wavelength.  A convenient parameterization of EBL scenarios  and a wide range of EBL spectra with different near-IR to mid-IR ratios was provided by Dwek \& Krennrich (2005) and are used in this study for deriving a limit to the hardness of the blazar spectra.
For illustrative purposes we use a low EBL scenario that is  called LLL for Low near-IR, Low mid-IR, Low far-IR which is consistent with the limits from MP00 but falls significantly  below the galaxy counts in the mid-IR.  Furthermore, we have considered a  variety of EBL scenarios  with different spectral indices and shapes that are within the boundaries of the shaded area in Figure~1.  The upper bound is somewhat arbitrary, however, as will become apparent, uniformly higher density EBL scenarios lead to even harder intrinsic spectra and are moot.  The shaded area also covers the EBL wavelength regime that is most sensitive to the blazar energy spectra in question, nevertheless, for completeness we also include the limits at 15~$\mu$m and at 24~$\mu$m.

  We also show results for an EBL spectrum that was presented in Aharonian et al. (2006) and is dubbed AHA0.65 (P0.65 in original paper).  In addition, we widen our range of EBL scenarios allowing for a scaling factor in $\rm \nu I_{\nu}$ which follows the name of the EBL scenario.   Finally, we also consider effects on the intrinsic energy spectra imposed by lower limits at 15~$\mu$m (Metcalfe et al. 2003) and 24~$\mu$m (Papovich et al. 2004).  Those scenarios carry the suffix 'MIR'.
  Also note that Figure 1 shows for sake of clarity only a limited set of the explored scenarios, the ones that are most relevant for the subsequent discussion. Figure 1 also illustrates our principal approach in exploring different spectral slopes between the near-IR and the mid-IR: the MP+LW+MIR and MP2.0+LW+MIR scenarios show two different spectral slopes while both spectra intersect with the lower limit at 3.6~$\mu$m. We also show a scenario MP+0.7LW+MIR  which falls substantially below the limit at 3.6~$\mu$m.
Two different EBL codes were used to derive the intrinsic spectra, which allowed us to test and verify the results independently.  The derived spectral indices characterizing the intrinsic blazar spectra for the different EBL scenarios are listed in Table 1.

The three selected blazars constrain the EBL in different wavelength regimes, so that the combination of the three, simultaneously probing different EBL scenarios in the  near-IR to  mid-IR, provides the strongest constraint to their intrinsic spectra.  The methodology to find a limit to the intrinsic spectra of these three by applying EBL scenarios goes as follows: we look for  the hardest spectral index that any of the three blazars show for a given EBL scenario and then search for the EBL scenario that allows for  the softest spectrum among those.

The results are presented in Table~1  showing the spectral indices $\rm \Gamma_{i}$ for power law fits to the absorption corrected (also referred to as intrinsic) energy spectra of 1ES~1101-232, 1ES~1218+30.4 and 1ES~0229+200 for a range of EBL scenarios.  To give the reader an idea about the dependence of spectral index on EBL density, we also show scenarios that fall below limits from galaxy counts, e.g., the LLL scenario. Those  are marked with an asterisk in Table~1 and are not viable, e.g., the LHL0.76, the LLL and the LLH scenarios, etc.
The ones that are still compatible with the lower limits from galaxy counts are shown in the two lower sections  of Table~1 (separated by double line) and  the absorption corrected $\gamma$-ray spectra collectively give a lower limit to the hardness of these blazar spectra. We furthermore show three additional scenarios (below single line in Table 1) that take into account lower EBL limits from galaxy counts at 15~$\mu$m and 24~$\mu$m: AHA0.65+MIR constitutes the standard AHA0.65 scenarios up to 10~$\mu$m plus an MIR component consistent with lower limits.  The MP+LW+MIR scenario is based on a fit through  the MP00 data, the LW08 data point and the MIR data. The MP2.0+LW+MIR differs from the last case by its level in the near-IR with the   MP00 values scaled up by a factor of two.

For example, when just considering 1ES~1218+30.4 by itself, its softest intrinsic spectrum among all EBL scenarios that obey the galaxy count limits, is described by a power law with index $\rm \Gamma_{i} = 1.83 \pm 0.40$ and corresponds to the LHL1.25 scenario.  However, for the same EBL scenario, the spectrum of 1ES~0229+200 would be extremely hard  showing a power law index of $\rm \Gamma_{i} = 0.59 \pm 0.34$.  By searching for the combination of intrinsic spectra of these three sources that yield the softest spectral indices, one finds that the AHA0.65 scenario gives a spectral index $\rm \Gamma_{i} = 1.28 \pm 0.20$ for 1ES~1101-232, $\rm \Gamma_{i} = 1.30 \pm 0.38$ for 1ES~1218+30.4,   while 1ES~0229+200 gives  $\rm \Gamma_{i} =  2.40 \pm 0.13$.  The spectral index of $\rm  \Gamma_{i} = 1.28 \pm 0.20$ corresponds to the least hard spectral index of all EBL scenarios (shaded region) consistent with the lower limits.
In other words, any other EBL scenario compatible with the lower limits from galaxy counts results in one of the three blazar spectra to be harder than  $\rm \Gamma_{i} = 1.28 \pm 0.20$.  The lower limit from LW08 is an  important new constraint to the intrinsic spectra;  the same analysis carried out with the lower limits provided by Fazio et al. (2004) lead to a spectral index of $\rm \Gamma_{i} = 1.78 \pm 0.20$ making it significantly less constraining than the recently improved lower limit.

The addition of an MIR component consistent with the  15~$\mu$m and 24~$\mu$m constraints does not change the result significantly.  Finally, we show the absorption corrected (AHA0.65) energy spectra of  1ES~1218+30.4, 1ES~1101-232 and 1ES0229+200  in Figure~2. The former two appear to have their peak energy above 2~TeV.  Since the EBL used for correcting for absorption is the AHA0.65 scenario, which is somewhat above the lower limits from HST galaxy counts, it is entirely possible that the source spectra of those two blazars are softer, however, in that case the source spectrum of 1ES~0229+200 would have to be significantly harder, again bringing the peak energy of 1ES~0229+200 well above 10~TeV.  Also note the presence of a bump in the corrected spectrum of 1ES~0229+200, although the probability for a power law fit is 5.5\%. The sharpness of this feature indicates that this feature is likely due to an over correction for EBL absorption.
However,  neither the AHA0.65+MIR, nor the MP+LW+MIR, the MP2.0+LW+MIR and the MP+0.7LW+MIR show  a significant bump, suggesting that this feature is only an artifact that disappears when the EBL is extended to include the mid-IR limits.

Our results for the intrinsic energy spectra of blazars is entirely based on observational data and therefore provides a firm limit to the hardness of the energy spectra of some of the most distant TeV blazars.  The simultaneous application of EBL scenarios to
 blazar spectra that provide sensitivity to two different EBL wavelength regimes, the 0.2 - 3.6~$\mu$m (1ES~1101-232, 1ES~1218+30.4) and the 0.7 - 14~$\mu$m (1ES~0229+200)\footnote{The power law indices of the blazar spectra of 1ES~1101-232, 1ES~1218+30.4 are primarily dominated by $\gamma$-ray energies of 0.18 to 1 TeV considering the statistical uncertainties making
these spectra mostly sensitive to 0.2 - 1.2~$\mu$m while the spectral index of 1ES~0229+200 is dominantly determined
by photon energies between 1 - 4 TeV making it mostly sensitive to 1.2 - 5~$\mu$m; the spectral coverage at $\gamma$-ray energies translates into complementary spectral constraints in the EBL waveband.} combined with the new lower limit at 3.6~$\mu$m leads to much stronger and unambiguous constraints to the intrinsic spectra than any previous study.

\section{Conclusions}

In this paper we have presented observational evidence that the absorption corrected energy spectra of individual TeV blazars are extremely hard, exhibiting spectra with an index of   $\rm \Gamma_{i} = 1.28 \pm 0.20$ or harder.  In fact the spectra are likely even harder considering that the lower limits from MP00 do not take into account the faint and fuzzy fringes of resolved galaxies. If  their lower limits will be scaled up by a factor of 2, then MP2.0+LW+MIR may be a more realistic EBL scenario,  a slightly harder intrinsic spectrum for 1ES~1101-232 with an index of   $\rm \Gamma_{i} = 1.18 \pm 0.20$.  One should also note that this  EBL scenario is similar to the EBL model from Primack (2005) used in Aharonian et al. (2006) to set upper limits to the EBL. The results of our studies show that the range of the intrinsic spectral indices of the three blazars is in the range of $\Gamma_{i} = 1.18 \pm 0.20$, and no softer than $1.29 \pm 0.20$ (AHA0.65+MIR). These results are a direct consequence of the new limit on the EBL, and pose a significant challenge to models that suggest that intrinsic blazar spectra cannot be harder than $\Gamma_{i} = 1.5$.  This result concurs well with a recent paper by Stecker et al. (2007) in which the authors show that the energy spectral index of the blazar 1ES~0229+200 could have  a hard intrinsic spectral index between $\rm 1.1 \pm 0.3 $ and $\rm 1.5 \pm 0.3$ if their EBL models are correct.   We confirm the hardness of the energy spectral indices based on a new observational constraint and a new analysis method.

Franceschini et al. (2008) provided a very detailed  compilation of the EBL based on a vast amount of survey data and a backward evolution model. They applied their model EBL that includes redshift evolution to the blazar data from 1ES~1101-232 yielding a spectral index of  $\Gamma_{i} = 1.6$.  However, the EBL model did not consider the recent limit from LW08.
As a consequence, our result of $\Gamma_{i} = 1.28 \pm 0.20 $ for the intrinsic spectra of the three blazars and their result are not conflicting, since the former is based on theoretical modeling and our result is based on observational constraints.

The notion of potentially hard intrinsic TeV blazar spectra and their implications for EBL constraints and relativistic jets has been extensively discussed in the literature with emphasis on theoretical models (Aharonian et al. 2006; Malkov \& O'C Drury 2001; Stecker et al. 2007; Katarzy\'nski et al. 2006;  B\"ottcher et al. 2008; Aharonian 2008).   Gamma-ray spectra of blazars with  $\Gamma_{i} \le 1.5 $ were considered inconsistent with TeV spectra that originate from processes that involve  diffusive shock acceleration (Aharonian et al. 2006; Malkov \& O'C Drury 2001).   Recent numerical simulations performed by Stecker et al. (2007) however seem to indicate that sufficiently  hard electron spectra could be generated by diffuse shock acceleration at relativistic shocks.
Even for a hard spectrum electron population,   it is argued by B\"ottcher et al. (2008) that in a Synchrotron-Self-Compton (SSC) scenario the resulting GeV - TeV $\gamma$-ray spectra would experience substantial softening  from Klein-Nishina effects making $\Gamma_{i} \le 1.5$ difficult to model.   Another solution to the problem  was proposed by Katarzy\'nski et al. (2006);  a high low-energy cutoff in the electron distribution could give the appearance of a hard $\gamma$-ray spectrum for a given energy regime. Aharonian al. (2008) show that $\rm \gamma\gamma$ absorption in the source due to narrow band emission from the AGN could lead to unusually hard  TeV spectra from AGNs.

Another interesting and potentially verifiable solution was given by B\"ottcher et al. (2008). They introduce an additional radiation component that arises from Compton up scattering of ambient photons from the Cosmic Microwave Background, occurring in a kiloparsec scale jet.  In this case, a substantial fraction of the jet power is transported by hadrons to the outer regions of the jet, where they are dissipated into ultrarelativistic electrons. Such a hard radiation component would be associated with the large scale of  the kpc jet without exhibiting the time variation that are typically seen in TeV emission from blazars.   Observations of 1ES~1101-232 (Aharonian et al. 2006), 1ES~1218+30.4 (Albert et al. 2006; Fortin et al. 2008) and 1ES~0229+200 (Aharonian et al. 2007a) in fact do not show flux variations, not inconsistent with this scenario. However, the flux levels are only a few \% of the Crab making the detection of flares at that level difficult.   More observations are required  and could provide a means of searching for a  hadronic component in TeV blazars.

The observational limit presented in this paper puts the notion of the possibility of extremely hard TeV blazar spectra on substantially more solid footing as we provide an  observational  limit of  $\Gamma_{i} \le 1.28 \pm 0.20 $ to the intrinsic spectra of a sample of three TeV blazars.  As this limit relies on the validity of recent lower limits of galaxy counts and the assumption of EBL absorption taking place in intergalactic space, it constitutes indirect evidence for extremely hard spectra of distant TeV blazars.

\subsection*{Acknowledgments}

This research is supported by grants from the U.S. Department of Energy. The authors would like to thank Wystan Benbow and Werner Hofmann for providing the spectral data for 1ES~1101-232 and 1ES~0229+200.  The authors  thank Pascal Fortin and the VERITAS collaboration for providing the data for the blazar 1ES~1218+30.4. E.D. acknowledges the support of NASA LTSA 03-0000-065.

\clearpage

\begin{figure}
\begin{center}
\includegraphics [width=0.70\textwidth]{f1.eps}
\end{center}
\caption{Shown are select EBL scenarios to find the softest possible intrinsic blazar spectrum constrained by the lower limits from galaxy counts by Madau \& Pozetti (2000) in the optical to near-IR (solid triangles), the Spitzer results (empty squares) in the mid-IR by Fazio et al. (2004), the lower limit at 3.6$\mu$m  by LW08, a limit at 15$\mu$m by Metcalfe et al. (2003) and one at 24$\mu$m Papovich et al. (2004). The AHA0.65+MIR is motivated by the EBL model from Primack (2005) and the work presented in Aharonian et al. (2006), the MP+LW+MIR is motivated by strictly considering the galaxy counts, and finally the MP2.0+LW+MIR is motivated by the fact that the galaxy counts in the optical to near-IR could also be underestimated because of the effects described by LW08.  Furthermore, we have explored a
wide range (shaded region) of EBL scenarios from Dwek \& Krennrich et al. (2005), results are shown in Table~1.   }\label{fig1}
\end{figure}

\clearpage

\begin{figure}
\begin{center}
\includegraphics [width=1.0\textwidth]{f2.eps}
\end{center}
\caption{Shown are the measured (filled circles) and absorption corrected (filled squares) energy spectra of 1ES~1101-232 (Aharonian et al. 2006),  1ES~1218+30.4 (Fortin et al. 2008) and 1ES~0229+200 (Aharonian et al. 2007).  Note that the latter two have been scaled for clarity. The absorption corrected spectra (solid squares) are given for the AHA0.65 scenario.  The intrinsic spectra of 1ES~1101+232 and 1ES~1218+30.4 are extremely hard, with $\rm \Gamma_{i}$ smaller than the limiting value of 1.5.}\label{fig2}
\end{figure}

\clearpage

\input{tab1.tex}

\clearpage

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


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