title: Weber Piano Company

abstract: The Weber Piano Company is a former piano manufacturing company based in New York City and East Rochester, New York from the middle of the 19th century through the beginning of the 20th century, and continued as a division of Aeolian-American at East Rochester, New York until 1985, when Aeolian went out of business. The Weber name was then sold to South Korean piano company Young Chang, which in turn sold the Weber name to Samsung Group in 1987. Young Chang remains responsible for manufacturing the pianos, which are sold in two product lines: Weber, with entry-level and mid-level pianos, and Albert Weber, with higher-level products.

text:
# Weber Piano Company

The **Weber Piano Company** is a former piano manufacturing company based in New York City and East Rochester, New York from the middle of the 19th century through the beginning of the 20th century, and continued as a division of Aeolian-American at East Rochester, New York until 1985, when Aeolian went out of business.

The Weber name was then sold to South Korean piano company Young Chang, which in turn sold the Weber name to Samsung Group in 1987. Young Chang remains responsible for manufacturing the pianos, which are sold in two product lines: *Weber*, with entry-level and mid-level pianos, and *Albert Weber*, with higher-level products.

## History

### Weber Piano Company under Albert Weber Sr.

The Weber Piano Company was founded in 1852 by Albert Weber (born: July 8, 1829, Heiligenstadt, Bavaria; died: June 25, 1879, New York). Weber emigrated to the United States at the age of 16, and while his first intent was to support himself by teaching music and playing the organ, he soon was employed first as an apprentice of Charles J. Holder, a piano builder, and then as a piano builder by the D.J. Van Winkle piano company. During this time, Weber supplemented his income by giving music lessons in the evenings, and by playing the organ in churches on Sundays. In 1851, he set up a small piano business on West Broadway and White Street, in Manhattan. On October 1, 1851, Weber completed his first piano, working with two assistants, and by the beginning of 1852, they had completed five additional pianos. In 1852, Weber moved to a larger facility at 103 W. Broadway & 28 Jones Street.

A fire destroyed Weber's Broadway workshop in 1854, but Weber stayed in the Manhattan area, moving to 103rd & 105 W. Broadway, and later to 155 W. Broadway. By 1864 Weber had achieved some success with the then-popular "square grand piano", and opened a larger factory nearby at 41 Wooster Street in Manhattan, and later expanded that facility several times. Between 1864 and 1869, Weber's pianos became popular in New York music circles. In 1869, Weber opened a large, luxurious showroom on 108 Fifth Avenue and 16th street in New York City. This was seen as a bold move by Weber's larger competitors, but it paid off, establishing the Weber brand as a premium product in the mind of customers. This new location became a "rendezvous of musical people" and Weber became wealthy. Weber's products were arguably some of the highest-quality pianos of their day, famous for fine materials and exacting attention to detail. Lacking a background in piano construction, Weber focused on proven methods of piano construction as opposed to innovative new ideas. Weber's pianos were also some of the most expensive of the day – the price of a Rococo Weber Grand Piano in 1874 was $1,400, approximately the cost of a large mansion.

As Weber's business grew, his pianos received recognition. The company received medals at the Philadelphia Worlds Fair (1876), the London World's Fair (1887) and the Paris World's Fair (1889). Weber also advertised his pianos aggressively, and is believed to have coined the term "Baby Grand" to describe a small grand piano. Weber was described as a skilled pianist, with genuine enthusiasm for music. He was well-educated and well-read, and was described as "a keen observer of men and things, \[and\] a most interesting entertainer". Weber was also a socialite, founding the Arcadian Club in New York, as well as being a member of the Manhattan Club, the Palette Club, the Arion Society, and the Liederkranz Society.

Albert Weber died relatively young, at the age of 50. Like many creative professionals, Weber was highly passionate about his work; however, this came at a cost to his health. He worked long hours, and also attended opera, theaters, and clubs at night. Described as having a "Bohemian" temperament, it may be that Weber's health failed due to his hard work and restlessness, or it may that he taxed his body with various vices such as smoking and drinking. According to his obituary, he was ill for nearly a year before he died, with the final nine weeks being serious enough to cause him to withdraw from his business.

At the time of his death, Weber lived at No. 32 West Nineteenth Street in New York, and his remains were interred at Green-Wood Cemetery. Weber's funeral was attended by over 300 employees, friends, and family. Weber's fortune, estimated at over $1 million (about $24 million in 2012 dollars), provided a comfortable living for his widow, Martha Weber (Maiden name: Martha Woodward), and his three children, Albert Weber Jr., Martha Weber, and Robina Weber.

Less than a year after Weber's death, however, a suit was brought against the estate by an alleged illegitimate child – Miss Josephine Todd – who claimed that she was Weber's daughter and that he had supported her throughout her life and had promised to name her in his will. Miss Todd asked for a settlement of $30,000 (about $702,983 in 2012 dollars.) The jury found in favor of Miss Todd, and a New York State appeals court affirmed the judgement for a total of $10,868 with interest from the time of Weber's death.

#### Competition with Steinway and Sons

Steinway & Sons, arguably one of today's most recognized piano manufacturers, was founded by German immigrant Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg in 1853, only a few years after Albert Weber founded his company.

The two businesses have many similarities. Both companies were founded by German immigrants, both started building primarily square pianos, both focused largely on high-quality, top-of-the-line instruments, and both companies were based in the lucrative piano market of New York City. During the latter half of the nineteenth century, Steinway and Weber competed closely. For example, in a New York Times piano buying guide in 1874 (which was possibly a paid advertisement), Steinway and Weber are the top two brands with the longest paragraphs. The article also includes other high-quality piano makers of the day, including Chickering, Knabe, and Decker Bros.

One example of Weber's ongoing feud with Steinway comes to light in the piano industry's attempts to reign in unauthorized, counterfeit pianos. By 1876, the piano was a popular home entertainment device, with sixty to seventy thousand pianos and organs being manufactured and sold in the United States per year. Many strong brands were established, and despite the protection of trademarks, many counterfeit pianos were also being produced with low-quality materials and sold at a deep discount.

| Brand | Counterfeit Names Used |
| --- | --- |
| Chickering & Sons | "Chickring & Sons", "Chichering & Sons" |
| Decker Bros. | "Decker and Bros.", "Becker Bros." |
| Hazelton Bros. | "Hazeltine Bros.", "Hazelman & Co." |
| Mason & Hamlin | "Nason and Hammin" |
| Steinway & Sons | "Stanley & Sons", "Steinman & Sons", "Steinmetz & Sons", "Steinmay & Sons" |
| Weber | "Webber", "Weber & Co.", "Weber Scale" |

In an attempt to curtail the trade in counterfeit pianos, representatives of sixty-five piano and organ manufacturers met to form the *Piano, Organ, and Music Trade Association of New York* on January 31, 1876. When voting for the directors of this group, an upset occurred when Joseph P. Hale and Albert Weber were elected as leaders. Albert Weber later wrote that all sixty-five firms voted openly, and the results were counted openly, but "the men who expected to get elected did not get votes enough!" Weber, an admirer of the American system of social mobility that had allowed him to rise so far in society, quipped: "The poorest is as much entitled to an office as the richest, *if he gets the votes.*

The election of Weber and Hale offended some of the largest piano and organ makers of the day, who sought to control this industry group. The representatives of Chickering, Decker Brothers, Mason & Hamlin, Steinway & Sons and some smaller piano and organ makers resigned from the group, forming their own *Piano-forte and Organ Manufacturers' and Dealers' Protective Association of New-York*.

The likely cause of the upset was that, with sixty-five companies present, the smaller piano companies controlled the majority of the votes and voted for those that they believed would represent the interests of smaller companies. Weber was seen as an upstart success story – someone who had risen rapidly from a sole proprietorship to one of the most prominent piano makers in New York, with lavish showrooms on Fifth Avenue and prominent endorsements. As far as Joseph P. Hale, he too had traveled a similar path, but focused on production efficiency and assembly-line work methods. His bold new ideas made him rich, made the piano more affordable for the middle class, and made him strongly disliked by his competitors. Both Weber and Hale could therefore be seen as credible threats to the larger and more established companies like Steinway.

Weber, ever bold, did not believe that protection of an industry group was even necessary at all (even though he was elected to lead it), writing:

"About a month ago a society was projected. I did not believe in it. I had fought my way up to the top, felt secure in my position, and believed that each manufacturer would accomplish more by being untrammeled.... The name "Webber", with two "bs," "Weber & Co." "Weber Scale," had appeared on a number of bogus pianos, but I did not whine about it or hire a scurilous publication... to tell the world my griefs, as they did.... I found the place where the bogus "Webber" instruments were made, and put a stop to the work. Those of the bogus makers who proved obstinate I handed over to my attorneys... who speedily procured an injunction on the work and recovered judgement. The same law protects my neighbors' rights, and will act as effectually in their case as it did in mine."

Although Weber's boldness had benefited him, and allowed him to win many battles, Steinway & Sons ultimately won the war. Unlike Steinway, Weber focused his efforts on refining quality, materials and worksmanship rather than technological innovation. The key difference between the two founders (Albert Weber and Heinrich Steinweg) was that Weber had trained and studied as a pianist, and not as a businessman or piano builder. Steinweg, on the other hand, worked and trained primarily as a builder of a variety of instruments and not as a musician. As a builder first and foremost, Steinweg, and later his family members, discovered many technological innovations in piano construction and design that helped them versus against other piano builders. Further, Steinweg was better able to delegate control of his burgeoning empire to his family members, while Weber struggled with micro-management and had difficulty stepping back from the minutiae of day-to-day operations.

Weber Company's position against Steinway & Sons further weakened with Weber's relatively early death at the age of only 50. While Weber outlived his rival, his family was smaller and far less prolific than the Steinway family, and due to his tendency toward micro-management, Weber's death was a large loss to the company. Unlike Steinweg, Albert Weber's heir was a poor reflection of the original, and did damage to the Weber name.

### Weber Piano Company under Albert Weber Jr.

In 1879, Albert Weber Jr. (born: 1858; died: 1908) succeeded his father as the head of Weber Piano Company after his father's death. Although Weber took control of the company at the age of only 21, his father had provided a formal education as well as training in piano-making.

Steeped in the piano industry from an early age, Weber Jr. became a skilled businessman, and continued improving production techniques and designs. Under his leadership, the company established the first Weber showroom in Chicago in 1880, and built a larger version in 1883, the Weber Concert Hall. In 1890, Weber again expanded in Chicago, opening a large showroom at 248 Wabash Avenue. Throughout the 1880s, Weber continued to expand in the American South and West, and in 1887, Weber opened a factory in England.

In 1867, during Albert Weber Sr.'s management, the company established a large factory located at 119 7th Avenue & 17th Street, about two blocks away from the company's main showroom on 5th Avenue and 16th Street. By 1890, under the management of Albert Weber Jr., this factory had expanded to a street frontage of 400 feet, a depth of 40 feet, and six stories in height.

However, having grown up in wealth, Albert Weber Jr. did not quite measure up to his father's savvy business management or personal skills. He incurred many debts, having personal financial troubles as early as 1883 that required his father's estate to provide the funds to rescue him. Weber incurred these debts due to his "playboy" style of living as a socialite and "well-known man about town" by spending money on women, gambling, and speculative investments. His first marriage, in June 1881, to the daughter of a prominent Manhattan dentist, was dissolved in November 1884, and seven months later he married the "charming soubrette" Irene Perry to whom he was serially unfaithful. In 1883 he was accused by his creditors of having pianos removed from his Fifth Avenue showrooms and stored in other locations around the city to "cheat and defraud his creditors".

According to one documented court proceeding in 1894, where Weber Jr. was being prosecuted for failing to pay a debt of $300 despite a large salary and having received $50,000 in cash and $200,000 in shares when his company went public, Weber Jr. was involved in the following: furnishing an extravagant apartment for the burlesque performer and "last word in female magnificence" Nina Farrington, who had overspent the amount he had guaranteed the store Hilton, Hughes & Co; failing to pay Hilton, Hughes & Co. any of the money he had guaranteed, prompting a lawsuit; being obligated to pay alimony to his first wife; frequenting illegal poker and gambling establishments; being present in a gambling house when it was raided by police; and guaranteeing money to others when he knew that he was, in fact, insolvent. In the 1894 court proceeding, Weber Jr. admitted that he had been sued "about seventy-five times" for failing to pay his debts.

Lacking the business focus of Albert Weber Sr., but not his energy and zest for life, Weber Jr. was also known as something of a hothead and even spent a night in jail for assault. This 1896 assault charge, when Weber Jr. was 38 years old, gives some insight into his character, with the magistrate remarking "You had no right to call this man names, and you also had no right to flourish a loaded revolver in that dangerous manner. I fine you $5." Unfortunately for Weber, the only thing in his pockets was a bean shooter, so he spent the night in jail as he failed to produce the necessary $5. This incident occurred at the Weber Company's showrooms on Fifth Avenue in September 1896. Only a few weeks later, Weber had a mental breakdown that required he be taken to Bellevue Hospital's insane pavilion, although this may have been an attempt to escape from his creditors. His second wife, Irene Perry, had divorced him in April that year.

Despite his wild style of living, Weber Jr. also furnished the foundation many dramatic and literary publications in New York, and did oversee the expansion of the Weber Piano Company for many years. Like his father, Albert Weber Jr. lived only 50 years, dying October 16, 1908 in McIntosh, Florida. Weber retired from the piano-making business to seek his health (or possibly escape his creditors) in Florida, but contracted malaria there, which killed him.

#### Endorsements

Weber Jr. continued the aggressive advertising practices of his father, including traditional advertising, "World's Fair"-type judging competitions, securing the endorsements of celebrities and royalty, and exhibition by well-known pianists in large cities. Weber received the endorsements of pianists such as Madeline Schiller, Constantin Ivanovich von Sternberg, Moriz Rosenthal and August Wilhelmj, as well as opera conductor Colonel James Mapleson. In 1887, the eleven-year-old prodigy Josef Hofmann toured America for the first time, playing a Weber piano (Hofmann would later endorse Steinway).

Weber pianos were also played and endorsed by Polish pianist (and later Prime Minister) Ignaz Paderewski after he had a quarrel with Steinway & Sons, as well as the King of Spain Alfonso XIII, Pope Pius X and Pope Pius XI, the latter of whom designated the Weber Piano as the official piano of the Vatican. Other royal families, including those of England, Wales, France, Italy, Belgium, and Sweden also selected the Weber Piano as their official piano, including Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, Wilhelm II of Germany.

### Weber Piano Company under William E. Wheelock

In 1892, the Weber company was taken over by William E. Wheelock (1852–?), Charles B. Lawson (1855–?), and John W. Mason (1842–1919). The company was renamed the Weber-Wheelock Company and public stock was issued the following year.

Wheelock began manufacturing pianos in 1873, and founded *William E. Wheelock & Company* in 1877, with operations in New York City. Wheelock was a successful businessman, and expanded his operations in New York several times. Wheelock's partner since 1880, Charles B. Lawson, helped Wheelock succeed in becoming a reputable and established piano maker in New York City. After the Weber-Wheelock merger, Lawson helped manage Weber as vice president until 1906, when he launched his own firm, Lawson and Company, manufacturing the Lawson piano.

Following Wheelock's merger with Weber, the company was organized into three separate divisions, with three separate factories: the Weber Piano, the highest quality, made in the Weber factory; the Wheelock piano, a good-quality instrument made in the Wheelock factory; and the Stuyvesant, a medium-priced piano line, which Wheelock had introduced in 1886. In 1896, in the depths of the economic depression known as the Panic of 1893, the Weber-Wheelock Company almost went out of business, but managed to survive despite declaring bankruptcy.

### Weber Piano Company under Aeolian

The *Aeolian, Weber Piano & Pianola Company* was founded in 1903 as a merger of the existing Aeolian Company and the Weber-Wheelock Company. Wheelock became Treasurer of the new company, and retained his position as president of Weber, Wheelock, and Stuyvesant companies.

Following the merger with Weber, the newly created company controlled several subsidiaries: The Aeolian Company (London), The Choralion Company (Berlin), The Aeolian Company, Ltd. (Paris), The Pianola Company Proprietary, Ltd. (Melbourne and Sydney), The Weber Piano Company (New York and London), George Steck & Company, Wheelock Piano Company, Stuyvesant Piano Company, Chilton Piano Company, Technola Piano Company, Votey Organ company, Vocalian Organ Company, and the Universal Music Company (a maker of rolls for player pianos). This new company become one of the largest piano companies of the day, with about 5,000 employees, multiple factories, and total capital of about $15.5 million.

In 1932, after the merger of Aeolian with the American Piano Company, Weber Piano Company signed a brand management contract with the new company to operate as the exclusive flagship brand of what was then the world's largest piano company. While Weber maintained a high-quality focus, Aeolian-American's piano sales slumped during the Great Depression, and the company struggled, culminating the company's CEO William H. Alfring committing suicide in 1937 by jumping in front of a New York City passenger train.

The Aeolian-American Company collapsed in bankruptcy in 1985, after navigating the decades-long waning popularity of the piano as a home entertainment device in favor of the radio and then the television. During that time, the Weber name continued to be a top-quality brand in Aeolian's lineup.

### Weber Piano Company – Sale to Young Chang

Following the Aeolian bankruptcy, the company's assets were sold off. The Weber name was sold to Korean piano company Young Chang, which in turn sold the Weber name to Samsung Group in 1987. Young Chang itself was purchased by Hyundai Development Company in 2006.

## Weber Pianos Today

Instruments built by Young Chang today are modern designs, and have little in common with the original nineteenth-century Weber designs, which would be considered dated today, especially considering efficiency of manufacturing.

Young Chang remains responsible for manufacturing Weber pianos, which are sold in two product lines: *Weber*, with entry-level and mid-level pianos, and *Albert Weber*, a high-quality line of pianos.

*Albert Weber* pianos are premium instruments, and are some of the best pianos made by Young Chang. Beginning in 1995, the Albert Weber line was designed by an international team under the auspices of Joseph Pramberger, who was formerly the Vice President of Manufacturing for Steinway & Sons. Pramberger died in 2003, but Young Chang has retained the rights to his designs.

Today's Albert Weber instruments are manufactured in South Korea on a separate production line from other Young Chang instruments, using parts from the Americas, Europe and Asia. The pianos have a solid AAA Alaskan Sitka spruce soundboard, Renner Blue hammers, Renner action, and Roslau strings. The Albert Weber pianos differ from similar-sized Young Chang pianos in that they use better-quality materials and have lower tension strings and softer hammers, both of which contribute to a "warmer" sound that is more reminiscent of the warm "Weber Tone" that Weber advertised heavily in the late nineteenth century. Albert Weber pianos also carry a longer warranty (fifteen years) than their Young Chang and Weber counterparts (ten years).

Today's *Weber* pianos are entry-level and mid-level instruments, and are more affordable than the *Albert Weber* line. In general, these pianos are similar to their Young Chang counterparts in all but the name. This similarity is because, in 2008, Young Chang hired American piano designer Delwin D. Fandrich to redesign their product lines, including both the Weber and Young Chang piano lines. From 2013, both Albert Weber and Weber are made by Hyundai Development Company as Premium Edition models.

### Weber Piano Models

#### Summary of Grand Piano Models

| Brand | Model Number and Description | Length (feet, inches) | MSRP as of March 2013 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Albert Weber | AW51 Conservatory Artist Grand | 5'1" | ? |
| Albert Weber | AW57 Regal Artist Grand | 5'9" | ? |
| Albert Weber | AW60/AW185 Conservatory Artist Grand | 6'1" | $35,097 – 36,717 |
| Albert Weber | AW69/AW208 Semi-Concert Artist Grand | 6'10" | $45,357 – 47,517 |
| Albert Weber | AW76/AW228 Semi-Concert Artist Grand | 7'6" | $63,717 – 65,877 |
| Albert Weber | AW90/AW275 Concert Artist Grand | 9'0" | $113,397 |
| Weber | W150 Classic Grand / Baby Grand | 4'11" | $15,643 – 17,782 |
| Weber | W157 Classic Grand / Baby Grand | 5'2" | $17,939 – 18,632 |
| Weber | W175 Classic Grand / Baby Grand | 5'9" | $19,489 – 20,330 |
| Weber | W185 Classic Grand / Baby Grand | 6'1" | $22,727 – 23,748 |

#### Summary of Upright Piano Models

| Brand | Model Number and Description | Length (feet, inches) | MSRP as of March 2013 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Albert Weber | AW48/AW121 Professional Upright | 4'0" | $10,797 – 12,147 |
| Albert Weber | AW49 Professional Upright | 4'1" | ? |
| Albert Weber | AW52/And W131 Professional Upright | 4'4" | $13,335 – $14,577 |
| Weber | W112 Contemporary Console | 3'8" | ? |
| Weber | W112F Designer Console | 3'8" | ? |
| Weber | W114 Contemporary Console | 3'9" | $6,246 – 7,606 |
| Weber | W116 Studio Upright | 3'10.5" | ? |
| Weber | W121 Professional Upright | 4'0" | $6,905 – 7,968 |
| Weber | W131 Professional Upright | 4'4" | $7,564 – 7,894 |

## Serial Numbers

Historical serial numbers and approximate date of manufacture for Weber (New York) Pianos:

| Year | Serial Number | Average annual growth in units over previous five years |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1860 | #1900 |  |
| 1865 | #3000 | 9.57% |
| 1870 | #6000 | 14.87% |
| 1875 | #10000 | 10.76% |
| 1880 | #16300 | 10.26% |
| 1885 | #27900 | 11.35% |
| 1890 | #32000 | 2.78% |
| 1895 | #41000 | 5.08% |
| 1900 | #49400 | 3.80% |
| 1905 | #57000 | 2.90% |
| 1910 | #64500 | 2.50% |
| 1915 | #71900 | 2.20% |
| 1920 | #76000 | 1.12% |
| 1925 | #78900 | 0.75% |
| 1930 | #81300 | 0.60% |
| 1935 | #86000 | 1.13% |
| 1940 | #90700 | 1.07% |
| 1945 | #94000 | 0.72% |
| 1950 | #94600 | 0.13% |
| 1955 | #95400 | 0.17% |
| 1960 | #96850 | 0.30% |
| 1965 | #99100 | 0.46% |
| 1970 | #100082 | 0.20% |

## InfoBox

Weber Piano Company
|
|  |
| Company type | Privately held company (1851–1995) <br>Brand (1985–present) |
| Industry | Musical instruments |
| Founded | 1852 (1852) |
| Founder | Albert Weber, Sr. |
| Fate | Brand name acquired by Young Chang in 1985 |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Grand pianos<br>Upright pianos<br>Square pianos |
| Parent | Young Chang |
| Website |  |


title: Włodzimierz Juszczak

abstract: Włodzimierz Roman Juszczak OSBM is the current bishop ordinary of the Wrocław-Gdańsk Eparchy of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.

text:
# Włodzimierz Juszczak

**Włodzimierz Roman Juszczak** OSBM (born 19 July 1957 in Legnica, Poland) is the current bishop ordinary of the Wrocław-Gdańsk Eparchy of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.

## Biography

Włodzimierz Juszczak‘s parents were deported from a village near Gorlitz called Bednarek in the Lemko region as a result of the Operation Vistula in 1942 to forced labor in Germany. On the way back from exile, the family learned that, on 11 April 1945, 180 people were killed there, of Ukrainian nationality, together with the pastor, Fr. Biłykiem. In this situation, for a time he stopped in the village of Rosochata near Legnica, where in 1947, met with displaced persons from the Lemko. His parents met themselves in 1956 and entered into a marriage.

## Childhood and youth

The first son Roman, received the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation in the Greek-Catholic parish in Legnica, where he served as the pastoral care of Fr. Vladimir Hajdukiewicz, and mentioned in the baptismal registry as number one. He attended elementary school in 1972 in Rosochata and attended the Ukrainian High School in Legnica in the care of Jarosławy Kisielewski, dedicated and outstanding teacher. Legnica parish pastor and youth minister at the time was Father John Martyniak, now Greek Catholic Archbishop of Przemyśl-Warsaw.

## Religious life

After graduation, on 31 August 1976, Juszczak joined the Basilian Order, while studying in secondary school. He took the religious name Vladimir and his novitiate under the spiritual leadership of Father Josaphat Romanyka. His first vows were on 18 June 1978, and he studied philosophy and theology at the Major Seminary in Warsaw, where he graduated in 1983 and on 1 May made his final vows. On 8 May he was ordained a deacon and was ordained priest on May 28 in Legnica, Wroclaw at the hands of Archbishop Henry Cardinal Gulbinowicz then worked as a parish priest in Bartoszyce opened in 1982 by Fr Julian Yokel and a parish in Asunach (Warmia-Mazury province), existing since 1957. In 1984 Juszczak began extramural studies at the Catholic Theological Academy in Warsaw in the Faculty of Canon Law and obtained a BA in 1990. In 1989 the Provincial Father Wasyl Medwit, the current Eparch of Kyiv appointed him to the Monastery of Warsaw, to include the duties of master of novices, and brothers prefect of students. His service in the Monastery of Warsaw took place at a time when Greek Catholic Church in Ukraine and all former communist countries went out from the underground (the modern catacombs). To give a helping hand to the Basilian communities that have just come out of hiding, and thus the whole Church, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church decided to open a monastery for Basilian novices and students from Ukraine, Romania and Slovakia.

In autumn 1993 he moved to the monastery in Węgorzewo, where he took the Greek Catholic parish duties, and became the dean of Olsztyn. After Father Basil Medwit's elevation to the rank of bishop, since July 1994 he became a protoihumena (provincial) of a Basilian community in Poland and returned to Warsaw. With the help of Father Jehoshaphat Romanyka, Father Meletius Biłyńskiego, Father Mark Peel, as well as the monks take case of the students, the life of the province, while performing duties of the Greek Catholic parish in Warsaw. His particular attention was devoted in 1996 to a Basilian monastery and church in Zasanie in the industry to a dedicated co-worker here in the person of superior Fr Timothy Fesza.

On 24 April 1999, by decision of Pope John Paul II Juszczak was appointed Bishop of the Wroclaw-Gdansk eparchy of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and was enthroned on 19 June 1999.

In 2009, the World Union Army of the Volhynia District asked the Archbishops Stanislaw Dziwisz, Kazimierz Nycz and Jozef Michalik to support a protest against the behavior of Volodymyr Juszczak and Greek Catholic Archbishop Jan Martyniak, accusing them of slander persons as Father Tadeusz Isakowicz-Zaleski, falsification of history and the development of proper ground for the rebirth of Ukrainian nationalism.

1. This is a reference to the Anaphora of the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom

2. 27 Division Army Volyn" Information Bulletin, No. 1 (101), January–March 2009, Warsaw, pp. 51–54

## InfoBox

| Włodzimierz Juszczak | |
| --- | --- |
| Archbishop-Metropolitan of Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Wrocław-Gdańsk | |
|  | |
| Church | Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church |
| Appointed | 24 April 1999 |
| Predecessor | Teodor Majkowicz |
| Successor | Incumbent |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 28 May 1983 (Priest)
by Henryk Roman Gulbinowicz |
| Consecration | 19 June 1999 (Bishop)
by Jan Martyniak |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Włodzimierz Roman Juszczak
(1957-07-19) 19 July 1957
Legnica, Poland |


title: Whitworth Hall Country Park

abstract: Whitworth Hall Country Park is a parkland based set in 73 acres (300,000 m⁲) 8 miles (13 km) from Durham in England, which rests on the outskirts of the town of Spennymoor in County Durham. The park includes Whitworth Hall, a Grade II listed stately mansion hotel, deer park, lake and Shafto's Inn. The park includes a Victorian walled garden which contains England's most northerly vineyard. The current building was rebuilt in the 19th century.

text:
# Whitworth Hall Country Park

**Whitworth Hall Country Park** is a parkland based set in 73 acres (300,000 m2) 8 miles (13 km) from Durham in England, which rests on the outskirts of the town of Spennymoor in County Durham.

The park includes Whitworth Hall, a Grade II listed stately mansion (the ancestral home of Bobby Shafto an 18th-century MP) hotel, deer park, lake and Shafto's Inn. The park includes a Victorian walled garden which contains England's most northerly vineyard. The current building was rebuilt in the 19th century.

## InfoBox

| Whitworth Hall Country Park | |
| --- | --- |
| The Deer Park | |
| Whitworth Hall Country Park Whitworth Hall Country Park shown within County Durham | |
| OS grid | NZ236347 |
| Coordinates | 54°42′25″N 1°38′02″W / 54.707°N 1.634°W / 54.707; -1.634 |


title: Navy Spy

abstract: Navy Spy is a 1937 American thriller film directed by Joseph H. Lewis and Crane Wilbur and starring Conrad Nagel, Eleanor Hunt and Judith Allen. It was one of a series of four films featuring Nagel as a federal agent released by Grand National Pictures.

text:
# Navy Spy

***Navy Spy*** is a 1937 American thriller film directed by Joseph H. Lewis and Crane Wilbur and starring Conrad Nagel, Eleanor Hunt and Judith Allen. It was one of a series of four films featuring Nagel as a federal agent released by Grand National Pictures.

## Plot

A federal agent tackles a gang of international criminals attempting to sabotage the American navy.

## Cast

## Bibliography

* Backer, Ron. *Mystery Movie Series of 1930s Hollywood*. McFarland, 2012.

## InfoBox

| Navy Spy | |
| --- | --- |
|  | |
| Directed by |  |
| Written by | Crane Wilbur |
| Produced by |  |
| Starring |  |
| Cinematography | Mack Stengler |
| Edited by | Tony Martinelli |
| Music by | Abe Meyer |
| Production<br>company | George A. Hirliman Productions |
| Distributed by | Grand National Pictures |
| Release date | * March 13, 1937 (1937-03-13) |
| Running time | 72 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |


title: Secrets of Eden

abstract: Secrets of Eden is a 2012 suspense television film directed by Tawnia McKiernan, based on a book by Chris Bohjalian and published in 2010. The film was set and recorded in Toronto, Canada.

text:
# Secrets of Eden

***Secrets of Eden*** is a 2012 suspense television film directed by Tawnia McKiernan, based on a book by Chris Bohjalian and published in 2010. The film was set and recorded in Toronto, Canada.

## Plot summary

Pastor Steven Drew's faith is shattered after one of his newly baptized members, Alice Hayward, is murdered by her abusive husband George, who then seems to commit suicide. The pastor meets an author/Detective, Catherine Benincasa, working on a book about angels who helps him face his demons, and the law. Evidence surfaces that there was an affair between Alice and Reverend Drew. Katie, the Haywards’ orphaned 15-year-old daughter, is the only key to uncover the disturbing secrets of what happened behind closed doors on that fateful night and the suffering they endured as a “not so perfect” family.

## Cast

## InfoBox

| *Secrets of Eden* | |
| --- | --- |
| Written by | Anne Meredith |
| Directed by | Tawnia McKiernan |
| Starring | John Stamos
Anna Gunn
Sonya Salomaa |
| Music by | Lawrence Shragge |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Producers | Craig Anderson
Dean Schramm |
| Cinematography | Michael Storey |
| Running time | 85 minutes |
| Production company | Craig Anderson Productions |
| Original release | |
| Release | February 4, 2012 (2012-02-04) |


title: Seibu Keisatsu Special

abstract: Seibu Keisatsu Special is a television drama produced by Ishihara Promotions and broadcast on TV Asahi. The show aired on Japanese television on October 31, 2004, in conjunction with the 17th anniversary of the death of Yujiro Ishihara. It carries on the Seibu Keisatsu series, which was broadcast from 1979 to 1984. It portrays the efforts of the Hatomura Force (鳩村軍団) in combating terrorism.

text:
# Seibu Keisatsu Special

***Seibu Keisatsu Special*** (西部警察 SPECIAL, *Western Police Special*) is a television drama produced by Ishihara Promotions (石原プロモーション, *Ishihara Puromōshon*) and broadcast on TV Asahi (テレビ朝日, *Terebi Asahi.*). The show aired on Japanese television on October 31, 2004, in conjunction with the 17th anniversary of the death of Yujiro Ishihara. It carries on the *Seibu Keisatsu* series, which was broadcast from 1979 to 1984. It portrays the efforts of the *Hatomura Force* (鳩村軍団) in combating terrorism. (Kogure's death means Daimon replaces him as *Section Chief* (課長) with Hatomura assuming the position of *Force Leader* (団長))

## Synopsis

Kazuma Tachibana, a Tokyo Police detective on liaison with the NYPD, and his partner, New York City Police detective Bob Anderson, chase a criminal named Chan in New York City. Upon his arrest, they learn that one of Chan's associates is a career criminal named Masaomi Niimi, wanted by Interpol on charges of passport fraud. They arrest Niimi, but in the process Anderson is fatally wounded and dies in Kazuma's arms. Overwhelmed by guilt and determined to avenge the loss of his partner, Kazuma joins his superior, Eiji 'Hato' Hatomura to escort Niimi back to Tokyo where he will stand trial.

Meanwhile, back in Tokyo, Section Chief Keisuke Daimon arrives at the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Western Division headquarters. Here Daimon receives news of Niimi's arrest. Bomb squad officer Naomi Kusaka is introduced. They are briefed by Chief Inspector Kengo Kusaka, supervisor of the counter-terrorism division. He tells them that a criminal known as "Makoto Suzuki" has been traveling to Chechnya regularly to purchase weapons from the Chechen Mafia, and was an associate of Niimi. Later that night, Daimon and Kengo go to a bar run by Naomi Kusaka's mother, Aiko, who plays the piano there. In the pub are several tagged bottles, one labeled 'Kogure-sama' (木暮 様). Daimon drinks a toast to Kogure, his late friend and superior. Meanwhile, Chan is killed by a mysterious Japanese man.

After escorting Niimii to headquarters, Kazuma is introduced to Section Chief Daimon and later, the officers interrogate Masaomi about several murders, for which he is wanted in addition to his passport fraud. While on the roof, Kazuma and Hato chat regarding what happened in New York City.

Kengo, Daimon, Hatomura and the other detectives are in the meeting room, where Kengo has brought information regarding Makoto Suzuki: he is currently in Japan and may be planning a terrorist attack. Acting on this tip the Hatomura Force (鳩村軍団) head for Miyazaki Prefecture, just as several officials, escorted by Kengo, arrive in Miyazaki for a counter-terror conference. Their arrival is watched by the same man who had killed Masaomi's associate in New York plus two of his cronies. The three are caught on airport security cameras. Hatomura now fears the worst.

The next morning his fears are confirmed when a terrorist group called 'Black Hawk' takes the investigators (including Kusaka) hostage and brings them into one of the hotel's dining rooms, in which one of the Japanese counter-terror officials is fatally shot. After the terrorists close the blinds to darken the room, their leader, Makoto Suzuki, arrives.

Eiji heads to Daimon's office and confirms the attack. In Miyazaki, Suzuki contacts the police with his only condition: release Niimii Masaomi or the hostages will be executed. Knowing the threat, the higher-ups reject the demand and proceed with plans to try to end the siege. An officer who tries to photograph the gunmen on a balcony of the hotel gets shot while Hatomura and Naomi arrive to assess the situation to plan a rescue for the hostages. They conclude that a direct assault is too risky, while a stealth operation is impossible with the tight security.

While covering up the dead, Japanese official Kengo silently takes his cell phone just as Suzuki activates a bomb that will go off in 8 hours. Kengo is able to get hints to the bomb's location when he sees the wording 'NS-990VR' on the back of a computer screen for the device's timer, while the team goes attempts to identify other gang associates.

A mechanic at the local Autobacs branch finds a paper with writing on it in the back seat of a vehicle he was cleaning. It turns out to belong to Toshio Hiura, a computer hacker who works for the gang. After confronting Hiura in an Internet cafe, he jumps to his death, the team learns that NS-990VR is the number for a tour bus that is currently in the city. They evacuate the bus but without enough time for Naomi to defuse it. Kazuma drives the empty bus, escorted by police units and a fire truck into a field with piles of sand. He jumps out a second before the bomb detonates.

Back in interrogation, Niimi reveals the existence of a second bomb planted by the group. He demands to be released if he discloses its location. This time they comply and show him to the gang, offering Kengo as proof of life. There they learn that Niimii and Suzuki are brothers whose parents were taken by foreign soldiers and executed.

Meanwhile, Kengo tries to get the location of the second bomb using the technique that helped determine the location of the first explosive device. He gets caught with the dead official's cell phone. While trying to flee, he is shot and killed by Makoto, much to the horror of the investigators. They decide to make the exchange in the lobby: Niimii for the other hostages while the other members of the Hatomura Force get into position to ambush the terrorists. After a brief brotherly hug Suzuki opens fire on Hato and a gun battle erupts, with a number of terrorists killed and most of the investigators wounded. The surviving terrorists escape in SUVs, triggering car chases that destroy several police cars.

Meanwhile, Naomi finds the body of her late father and superior and cries over it, but his death is not in vain as he was able to write on his hand the words *Marine Express*, a ferry where the second bomb is planted. While the remaining members go after Suzuki, Niimii and their cronies, Naomi locates the bomb. She is forced to remove her gear due to a laser scanner system that will trigger the bomb.

After following them to a quarry, Hatomura fatally shoots Nasaomi just as Suzuki gets him onto a helicopter.

Wearing only her latex suit Naomi crawls through the lasers and stops the bomb by jamming the trigger with her late father's pen. Back at the quarry, the police begin the assault on the Black Hawk headquarters, losing several police cars getting to rocket launcher-wielding terrorists. Under cover from the riot squad, they enter the HQ, where they subdue or kill the terrorists.

Inside the building however, Suzuki holds Kazuma at gunpoint, forcing Hato to disarm. However, Tachibana provides a distraction enabling him to escape and drawing Makoto and Hatomura into a fist fight until a pile of gravel nearly lands on them both. Suzuki is able to get the carbine, forcing Eiji to shoot him. However, while he calls out for Tachibana, the criminal mastermind is reaching for his Walther P99. This is however spotted by Kazuma and he shoots the ringleader. In spite of his injuries, Suzuki triggers the a bomb in the complex. The bomb detonates just as the Hatomura Force escapes, destroying HQ.

## Cast

### Western Division officers

* Tetsuya Watari as Section Chief Keisuke Daimon: The Section Chief of the Daimon Force after Kogure's death.
* Hiroshi Tachi as Eiji 'Hato' Hatomura: The leader of the Hatomura Force and the officer in charge of the Tokyo-New York liaison.
* Satoshi Tokushige as Kazuma Tachibana: A Tokyo Police detective who is on liaison with the NYPD, later resumes duties back in Tokyo after the death of his partner.
* Naho Toda as Naomi Kusaka: A bomb squad officer who is the only female member of the Hatomura Force.
* Ryosei Tayama as Kosaku "Ban" Bando: A Sub-Inspector with the Western Division's investigative bureau; he is seen more as a supervisor in the office.
* Kimura Noboru as Osamu Mikami, the division's cyber-crime expert.
* Tsutomu Ikeda as Takayuki "Matsu" Matsuyama: The division's heavy weapons expert.
* Kenji Kaneko as Shohei Horiuchi: A very talkative loner who considers himself a rival to Tachibana.

### Superior Officers

* Ren Osugi as Chief Inspector Kengo Kusaka: ad of the Counter-terror Division and Naomi's father plus a colleague of Daimon's who also respects the late Kogure, even having a fountain pen with his name just like Daimon. He later gives the team intel on the plans of Black Hawk during the Phoenix Seagaia siege but ends up sacrificing himself to ensure the success of the op.
* Kunio Murai as Uryu Shinsuke: Assistant Commissioner of the Western Division who is in charge of the investigation into Niimi and interrogator.

### Antagonists

* Masaki Kanda as Makoto Suzuki (real name: Akira Niimi): Leader of the terrorist group Black Hawk and brother of Masaomi Niimi.
* Tokuma Nishioka as Masaomi Niimi: Brother of Makoto Suzuki. He was formerly a high-ranking officer of the Japanese Police but lost his job after a scandal, forcing him to turn to terrorism where he also learns about his long lost brother Akira (now named Makoto Suzuki), who had survived after their parents were executed by foreign soldiers when they were still young. He later dies just as Makoto gets him into a helicopter outside the Black Hawk terrorist HQ, forcing the chopper to leave with Masaomi's body in the rear.
* Kyosei Iwamoto as Member of Antagonist

### Other Member

* Keiko Takahashi as Aiko: She runs the Corner Lounge, the bar that also has bottles of alcohol with tags that are hung in memory of Kogure.

## InfoBox

| *Seibu Keisatsu Special* | |
| --- | --- |
| Created by | Tetsuya Watari |
| Directed by | Toru Murakawa |
| Starring |  |
| Country of origin | Japan |
| Production | |
| Running time | 2 hours |
| Original release | |
| Network | TV Asahi |
| Release | October 31, 2004 (2004-10-31) |


title: Seibu Department Stores

abstract: The Seibu Department Stores, Ltd. is a Japanese department store. The first store to trade under the name opened its doors in 1949. Seibu is typical of Japanese department stores with a wide variety of stores doing business on several floors. The company is now a subsidiary of Sogo & Seibu Co., Ltd., owned by the U.S. investment fund Fortress Investment Group. It was a member of the International Association of Department Stores from 1972 to 1990.

text:
# Seibu Department Stores

**The Seibu Department Stores, Ltd.** (株式会社西武百貨店, *Kabushiki-gaisha Seibu Hyakkaten*) is a Japanese department store. The first store to trade under the name opened its doors in 1949. Seibu is typical of Japanese department stores with a wide variety of stores doing business on several floors. The company is now a subsidiary of Sogo & Seibu Co., Ltd., owned by the U.S. investment fund Fortress Investment Group.

It was a member of the International Association of Department Stores from 1972 to 1990.

## Japan

The Seibu Department Stores flagship store is located in Ikebukuro. In Tokyo, there are stores in Shibuya and Ikebukuro. As of 2020, there are 8 stores in the whole country. In August 2020, Seibu will close its stores in Okazaki and Otsu while downsizing its stores in Akita and Fukui due to poor sales.

In addition to department stores, Seibu operates the specialty store Loft and The Garden/Shell Garden supermarket, both are also part of Seven & I Holdings Co., The Garden/Shell Garden supermarket was sold alongside Sogo & Seibu to the U.S. investment fund Fortress Investment Group in September 2023. Seibu previously operated Parco, now operated by J. Front Retailing, Muji (operating independently), and Seiyu Group, now owned by Walmart. Seibu, Parco, and Seiyu were previously part of the now-defunct Seibu Saison group, while Muji had been Seiyu's private brand.

### Automobile imports

From 1960 until 1995, Seibu Department stores sold imported European and American cars. Competing with Yanase, Seibu sold Citroen, Saab, Chevrolet, Fiat, Ferrari, Holden, and Peugeot. It was originally called Western European Cars starting in 1963 until Seibu assumed operations as Seibu Motors in 1971. Successor company Shin Seibu Car Sales took over in 1995 and kept importing Citroëns until the company was dissolved in 2002.

## International

### Indonesia

#### First foray

Seibu's first foray in Indonesia as Jakarta Seibu was opened in 1995 in the Mega Pasaraya (now Pasaraya Blok M) complex, located near a busy terminal, Blok M, in Jakarta. It occupies four levels of the eight-story building, offering upscale shopping experience for the upper-class, with an atrium at the centre. The department store is operated by ALatief Corporation (formerly PT. Pasaraya Nusakarya), a company that manages a major local department store, Pasaraya. The two department stores are adjacent and a pedestrian bridge connects the buildings. The department store, widely regarded as one of the most luxurious to ever open in the nation, had in-store boutiques of brands such as Yves Saint Laurent, Aigner, Versace, A. Testoni, Kenzo, Escada, Trussardi, and more - completed by beauty counters of Prada, Dior, etc. However, due to the 1997/8 recession and location, Jakarta Seibu failed to attract its targeted market along with numerous factors, and closed down in 1999.

#### Re-entry

Seibu re-entered the country on 9 May 2007, occupying four levels of the west mall area of Grand Indonesia Shopping Town. Similar to its predecessor, Seibu is once again segmented for the Indonesia's upper-mid class market, providing an array of upscale brands such as Calvin Klein Jeans, Tommy Hilfiger, Dolce & Gabbana Beauty's flagship store, and many more - along with accommodating services. Now operated by PT. Mitra Adiperkasa Tbk, who also operates the Indonesian Sogo (Seibu's sister department store chain) and Galeries Lafayette department store; the grand opening of store was held together with the mall on 20 May 2009, despite soft-opening the store two years earlier. It is the oldest continuous Seibu operating outside Japan despite the 8-year hiatus since the original Blok M store's closure in 1999.

A second branch of Seibu is opened in Pondok Indah Mall 3 on 17 December 2021. The 1-storey high store features an Apple premium reseller confirmed to open inside.

### Malaysia

The first Seibu store in Malaysia opened in November 2023 at The Exchange TRX shopping mall in Kuala Lumpur.

Spanning 250,000 square feet, it features over 400-500 retail brands (100 of them are new brands entering Malaysia for the first time) across 4 levels and it is the first international luxury department store in Malaysia to house various mix of contemporary fashion brands and Japanese fashion brands that are new to Malaysia, largest collection of children's luxury fashion brands, and Malaysia's first Japanese food hall.

### Former

#### Hong Kong

Seibu opened their first non-Japanese location in Hong Kong at its flagship store at the Mall at the Pacific Place on the former Victoria Barracks, but sold their operations to Dickson Concepts in 1996. The store operated until September 2013. Another location was at the Windsor House in East Point.

#### United States

In 1962, Seibu opened a branch at the corner of Wilshire and Fairfax in Los Angeles. It was the first Japanese department store in the mainland United States. Despite much publicity, the store attracted little more than curiosity and closed after only two years. The building was later occupied by Ohrbach's and is currently home to the Petersen Automotive Museum.

## InfoBox

The Seibu Department Stores Ltd.
|
|  |
|
| Number of locations | 8 (2023) |
| Area served |  |
| Parent | Sogo & Seibu |
| Website | sogo-seibu.jp |


title: Section 2 (album)

abstract: Section 2 is the second album by The Howling Hex. It was released as an LP by Drag City in 2004.

text:
# Section 2 (album)

***Section 2*** is the second album by The Howling Hex. It was released as an LP by Drag City in 2004.

## Track listing

### Side one

1. "Where's the Party at, Peaches & Cream? It's Been a While" (Howling Hex)
2. "Rock-a-Doodle-Doo" (Linda Lewis)
3. "You Remind Me That I'm Hanging by a Moment" (Howling Hex)

### Side two

1. "Turn Off the Light, Like a Hero Living It Up" (Howling Hex)
2. "Breakaway" (William Truckaway)

## InfoBox

| Section 2 | |
| --- | --- |
|  | |
| Studio album by The Howling Hex | |
| Released | April 20, 2004 |
| Genre | Rock |
| Label | Drag City |
| The Howling Hex chronology | |
| *Introducing the Howling Hex*
(2003) ***Section 2***
(2004) *The Return of the Third Tower*
(2004) | |


title: Self-competition

abstract: In business, self-competition is competition by a company with itself for customers. This can include one product or retail location competing with another.

text:
# Self-competition

In **business**, **self-competition** is competition by a company with itself for customers. This can include one product or retail location competing with another.

## Types

### Product self-competition

Any company which provides multiple products may suffer from product self-competition. Similar products are more likely to have this issue. For example, a bakery which offers raspberry muffins and then adds blackberry muffins will likely see a decline in sales of the original product, although the total sales of both products will likely be higher than the original single product. If total sales do not increase, then this will have a negative impact on the business. However, even if total sales do increase slightly, this may still lower profits, as producing two products increases costs over a single product. Therefore, only a large increase in total sales would justify the addition of the new product.

In order to limit self-competition, new products should ideally be significantly different from existing products. In the bakery example, bran muffins would create less competition with raspberry muffins. Adding whole loaves of bread to the product mix would create even less competition.

### Retail location self-competition

A related issue involves two retail locations for the same company that are situated close to one another. The first location will likely see a decline in business when the new location is added. Just how far away two locations must be to avoid this effect depends on the type of business. For newspaper stands, they could be relatively close, as customers are often on foot and unlikely to walk more than block or two. For amusement parks, the distances must be much larger, as people are willing to drive long distances to spend the day at such an attraction. In the case of ski resorts, people are even willing to fly long distances. Furthermore, franchisers, like McDonald's, do not actually allow for their products to be placed within a certain mile radius of an already established franchise.

### Proximity-based

Sometimes, there will be two separate instances of a retail business less than a half mile apart. For instance, Subway has become a densely populated fast food franchise, and the opening of Wal-Mart stores has resulted in internal competition with separate Subway restaurants nearby since Subway has been integrated into Wal-Mart stores.

### As a stop-gap measure

Sometimes, brief internal competition can be a consequence of having clearance items in a store's inventory, in which prices are decreased to encourage customers to clear out the clearance items. Other tactics can involve delaying introduction of some versions of certain products since it can also save some companies money.

## Causes

### Effects of mergers and acquisitions on self-competition

Self-competition is a common side-effect of mergers and acquisitions, as the new combined business often has similar products and nearby retail locations. The success of the business often depends on their ability to eliminate similar products and redundant retail locations. Ideally, the most profitable products and locations should be kept, regardless of the source company. In some cases, the best attributes of each product may be retained. For example, one company may offer a superior food product, but the other may have better packaging, perhaps a resealable bag.

### Effects of scale on self-competition

While any company which offers more than a single product can suffer from the effects of self-competition, the larger a company becomes, in terms of market share, the more it becomes an issue. In the case of General Motors, they were eventually forced to drop their entire Oldsmobile line, as it was largely redundant with Buick, and to a smaller extent Chevrolet, though Pontiac which also later got axed as well had a sporty flare to it which made it look less redundant.


title: Self-cleaning surfaces

abstract:
Self-cleaning surfaces are a class of materials with the inherent ability to remove any debris or bacteria from their surfaces in a variety of ways. The self-cleaning functionality of these surfaces are commonly inspired by natural phenomena observed in lotus leaves, gecko feet, and water striders to name a few. The majority of self-cleaning surfaces can be placed into three categories:
  - superhydrophobic
  - superhydrophilic
  - photocatalytic.

text:
# Self-cleaning surfaces

**Self-cleaning surfaces** are a class of materials with the inherent ability to remove any debris or bacteria from their surfaces in a variety of ways. The self-cleaning functionality of these surfaces are commonly inspired by natural phenomena observed in lotus leaves, gecko feet, and water striders to name a few. The majority of self-cleaning surfaces can be placed into three categories:

1. superhydrophobic
2. superhydrophilic
3. photocatalytic.

## History

The first instance of a self-cleaning surface was created in 1995. Paz et al. created a transparent titanium dioxide (TiO2) film that was used to coat glass and provide the ability for the glass to self-clean. The first commercial application of this self-cleaning surface, Pilkington Activ, was developed by Pilkington glass in 2001. This product implements a two-stage cleaning process. The first stage consists of photocatalysis of any fouling matter on the glass. This stage is followed by the glass becoming superhydrophilic and allowing water to wash away the catalyzed debris on the surface of the glass. Since the creation of self-cleaning glass, titanium dioxide has also been used to create self-cleaning nanoparticles that can be incorporated into other material surfaces to allow them to self-clean.

## Surface characteristics

The ability of a surface to self-clean commonly depends on the hydrophobicity or hydrophilicity of the surface. Whether cleaning aqueous or organic matter from a surface, water plays an important role in the self-cleaning process. Specifically, the contact angle of water on the surface is an important characteristic that helps determine the ability of a surface to self-clean. This angle is affected by the roughness of the surface and the following models have been developed to describe the "stickiness" or wettability of a self-cleaning surface.

### Young's model

Young and colleagues proposed Young's model of wetting that relates the contact angle of a water droplet on a flat surface to the surface energies of the water, the surface, and the surrounding air. This model is typically an oversimplification of a water droplet on an ideally flat surface. This model has been expanded upon to consider surface roughness as a factor in predicting water contact angle on a surface. Young's model is described by the following equation:

$cos(\theta \_{0})=\left({\frac {\gamma \_{SA}-\gamma \_{SL}{\gamma \_{LA}\right)}}}$

$\theta \_{0}$ = Contact angle of water on the surface

$\gamma \_{SA}$= Surface energy of the surface-air interface

$\gamma \_{SL}$= Surface energy of surface-liquid interface

$\gamma \_{LA}$= Surface energy of liquid-air interface

### Wenzel's model

When a water droplet is on a surface that is not flat and the surface topographical features lead to a surface area that is larger than that of a perfectly flat version of the same surface, the Wenzel model is a more accurate predictor of the wettability of this surface. Wenzel's model is described by the following equation:

$cos(\theta )=R\_{f}cos(\theta \_{0})$

$\theta $ = Contact angle of water predicted by Wenzel's model

$R\_{f}$ = Ratio of surface area of rough surface to the surface area of a flat projection of the same surface

### Cassie-Baxter's model

For more complex systems that are representative of water-surface interactions in nature, the Cassie-Baxter model is used. This model takes into consideration the fact that a water droplet may trap air between itself and the surface that it is on. The Cassie-Baxter model is described by the following equation:

$cos(\theta \_{CB})=R\_{f}cos(\theta \_{0})-f\_{LA}(R\_{f}cos(\theta \_{0})+1)$

$\theta \_{CB}$ = Contact angle of water predicted by Cassie-Baxter's model

$f\_{LA}$ = Liquid-air fraction, the fraction of the liquid droplet that is in contact with air

## Mechanisms

### Use of water

Control over surface wettability is a critical aspect of self-cleaning surfaces. Both superhydrophobic and superhydrophilic surfaces have been used as self-cleaning materials.

#### Superhydrophobic

Superhydrophobic surfaces can be created in a number of different ways including plasma or ion etching, crystal growth on a material surface, and nanolithography to name a few. All of these processes create nano-topographical features which imbue a surface with superhydrophobicity. The ultimate goal in developing superhydrophobic surfaces is to recreate the self-cleaning properties of the Lotus Leaf that has the inherent ability to repel all water in nature. The basis for superhydrophobic self-cleaning is the ability of these surfaces to prevent water from spreading out when in contact with the surface. This is reflected in a water contact angle nearing 180 degrees. Superhydrophobic self-cleaning surfaces also have low sliding angles which allows for water that is collected on the surface to easily be removed, commonly by gravity. While superhydrophobic surfaces are great for removing any water-based debris, these surfaces likely will not be able to clean away other types of fouling matter such as oil.

#### Superhydrophilic

Superhydrophilicity allows for surfaces to clean away a wide variety of dirt or debris. This mechanism is very different than the aforementioned superhydrophobic surfaces. For superhydrophilic self-cleaning surfaces, cleaning occurs because water on the surface is able to spread out to a great degree (extremely low water contact angle) to get between any fouling debris and the surface to wash away the debris.

### Photocatalysis

One of the most commonly used self-cleaning products, titanium dioxide, utilizes a unique self-cleaning mechanism that combines an initial photocatalytic step and subsequent superhydrophilicity. A titanium dioxide coating, typically on glass windows, when exposed to UV light, will generate free electrons that will interact with oxygen and water in the air to create free radicals. These free radicals will in turn breakdown any fouling organic matter deposited on the surface of the glass. Titanium dioxide also changes the normally hydrophobic glass to a superhydrophilic surface. Thus, when rainfall occurs, instead of water beading up on the window surface and instantly falling down the glass, rain drops will rapidly spread out on the hydrophilic surface. The water will then move down the surface of the window, as a film rather than a droplet, essentially acting like a squeegee to remove surface debris.

### Joule Heating

Heating of the surfaces via passing current through a conductive transparent film has been shown to repel and remove contamination. It has been used in inkjet printers to reduced ink contamination on sensor windows.

### Electric curtain

Cleaning surfaces in environments without water has been a challenge. Electric curtain devices were designed to remove particles by creating electric fields on the surface and carrying away particles due to their charged nature. It has been used in solar panels as well as 3D printers.

## In nature

### Plants

#### Lotus leaf

The lotus flower has been known as a symbol of purity in some Asian cultures. The lotus leaves (Nelumbo nucifera) are water-repellent and poorly adhesive which keep them free from contamination or pollution even being immersed in dirty water. This ability, called self-cleaning, shields the plant from dirt and pathogens and plays a vital role in providing resistance towards invading microbes. Indeed, numerous spores and conidia of pathogenic life forms, mainly fungi, need water for germination and taint leaves within the first signs of water. It had been a curiosity how lotus flower could remain clean even in muddy water, until German botanists, Barthlott and Neinhuis, introduced the unique dual structure of leaves with the help of a scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Papillose epidermis cells carpet the exterior of a plant, particularly the leaf. These cells generate papillae or microasperties which make surface very rough. On top of microscale roughness, the papillae surface is superimposed with nanoscale asperities consisting of three-dimensional (3-D) hydrophobic hydrocarbons: epicuticular waxes. Basically, the plant cuticle is a composite material composed of a network of cutin and low surface energy waxes, designed at different hierarchical levels. The various leveled surface of lotus leaves is made out of convex cells (looks like bumps) and a much smaller layer of waxy tubules. The water beads on plant leaves rest on the apex of the nanofeatures since air is enclosed in the valley of convex cells which minimizes the contact area of water droplet. Hence, the lotus leaves represent remarkable superhydrophobicity. Static contact angle and contact angle hysteresis of the lotus leaf are determined around 164° and 3°, respectively. With small tilting angles, water droplets on the leaf roll off and take any dirt or contaminant along, leading to self-cleaning. The ability of drops to form and roll off, depends not only on hydrophobicity, but also on contact angle hysteresis.

In plants world, the lotus leaf is not the only example of natural superhydrophobic surfaces. For instance, taro (Colocasia esculenta) leaves were found to exhibit self-cleaning behavior, too. They have a binary roughness built up by averagely 10 μm elliptical protrusions in diameter and nano-sized pins. India canna (Cannageneralis bailey) leaves and the rice leaves (whatever the kind of rice) also represent superhydrophobicity, arising from the hierarchical surface morphology.

#### *Nepenthes* pitcher plants

The *Nepenthes* carnivorous pitcher, widespread in a lot of countries such as India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Australia, possesses a superhydrophilic surface, on which wetting angle approaches to zero to create uniform water film. Therefore, it increases the slipperiness of the surface and the prey slides off from its rims (peristome). Surface topography of Nepenthes rim demonstrates multiple scale radial ridges. The second order ridges are quite small in size and generated by straight rows of overlapping epidermidis cells. The surface of epidermidis cells are smooth and wax-free. The absence of wax crystals and microscopic roughness enhance the hydrophilicity and capillary forces, in doing so, water can swiftly wet the surface of rim.

### Animals

#### Butterfly wings

Butterfly wings possess not only ultra-hydrophobic trait but also directional adhesive characteristics. If the water bead is along the radial outward (RO) direction from the body’s central axis, it rolls off and cleans the dirt away, leading to self-cleaning. On the other hand, if droplets stand against the opposite direction, they are pinned at the surface, leading adhesion and securing the flight stability of the butterfly by preventing deposit of dirt on the wings near the center of the body. SEM micrographs of wings exhibit hierarchy along the RO direction, arising from aligned microgrooves, covered by fine lamella-stacking nanostripes.

#### Water striders (*Gerris remigis*)

Water striders (*Gerris remigis*), most commonly called Jesus bugs, have an extraordinary ability that lets them walk on the water. In a fashion similar to superhydrophobic plants, their legs are highly water repellent due to their hierarchical morphology. They are built up with hydrophobic waxy microhairs, microsetae, and each hair is covered with nanogrooves. As a result, air is entrapped between micro- and nanohairs, which repels water. Feng et al. measured how deep the leg can dip into water and the contact angle of the leg. They found the contact angle at least 168° and the maximum depth reported 4.38 ± 0.02 mm.

#### Gecko feet

Gecko feet are the most famous reversible adhesion mechanism in nature. The anti-fouling ability of feet allows geckos to run on dusty ceilings and corners without the accumulation of dirt on their feet. In 2000, Autumn et al. revealed the origin of gecko’s strong adhesion by investigating the surface features of the toes under electron microscope. They observed a hierarchical morphology of each foot which is composed of millions of small hair called setae. Moreover, each setae is composed of a smaller hair, and each hair is tailed with a flat spatula and these spatulae are bonded by the van der Waals forces. This surface feature, regardless of the surface type (hydrophobic, hydrophilic, dry, wet, rough etc.), enables geckos to stick the surface. In addition to strong adhesion, the gecko foot has a unique self-cleaning property which does not require water as the lotus leaf.

#### Shark skin

Shark skin is another example of antifouling, self-cleaning and low adhesion surfaces. This hydrophobic surface allows sharks to maneuvers fast in water. Shark skin is composed of periodically arranged diamond-shape dermal denticles, superimposed with triangular riblets.

## Fabrication and characterization

To fabricate synthetic self-cleaning surfaces, there are a variety of methods used to obtain the desired nanotopography and then characterize surface nanostructure and wettability.

### Templating strategies

Templating utilizes a mold to add nanostructure to a polymer. Molds can come from a variety of sources including natural sources, such as the lotus leaf, due to their self-cleaning properties.

#### Nanocasting

Nanocasting is a method based on soft lithography which uses elastomeric molds to make nano-structured surfaces. For example, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) was cast over the lotus leaf and used to make a negative PDMS template. PDMS was then coated with an anti-stick monolayer of trimethylchlorosilane and used to make a positive PDMS template from the first. As the natural lotus leaf structure enables pronounced self-cleaning ability, this templating technique was able to replicate the nanostructure, resulting in a surface wettability similar to the lotus leaf. Further, the ease of this methodology enables translation to mass replication of nano-structured surfaces.

#### Imprint nanolithography

Imprint nanolithography also utilizes templates, pressing a hard mold into a polymer above the polymer glass transition temperature (Tg). Thus, the driving forces for this type of fabrication are heat and high pressure. Porous templates consisting of aluminum with anodized aluminum oxide (a hard mold) were used to imprint polystyrene. To achieve this, the polystyrene was heated well above its Tg to 130 degrees Celsius and pressed against the template. The template was then removed by dissolving the aluminum and producing either nanoemboss or nanofiber surfaces. Increasing the aspect ratio of the nanofibers disrupted the uniform hexagonal pattern and caused the fibers to form bundles. Ultimately, the longest nanofibers resulted in the greatest surface roughness, which significantly decreased surface wettability.

#### Capillary nanolithography

Similar to imprint nanolithography, capillary nanolithography employs a patterned elastomeric mold. However, instead of utilizing high pressure, when the temperature is raised above the Tg, capillary forces enable the polymer to fill the voids within the mold. Suh and Jon used molds made from poly(urethane acrylate) (PUA). These were placed on spin coated, water-soluble polymer, polyethylene glycol (PEG), which was raised above PEG's Tg. This study found that the addition of nanotopography increased the contact angle, and this increase was dependent on the height of the nanotopography. Often, this technique produces a meniscus on the tip of the protruding nanostructures, characteristic of capillary action. The mold can later be dissolved away. Combinatorial lithography approaches are also used. One study used capillarity to fill PDMS molds with PUA, first partially curing the polymer resin with UV light. After microstructures were formed, pressure was applied to fabricate nanostructures, and UV curing was used again. This study is a good example of the use of hierarchical structures to increase surface hydrophobicity.

#### Photolithography or X-ray lithography

Photolithography and X-ray lithography have been used to etch substrates, often silicon. A resist, or photosensitive material, is coated onto a substrate. A mask is applied above the resist that often consists of gold or other compounds that absorb X-rays. The region exposed to light either becomes soluble in a photoresist developer (e.g. radical species) or insoluble in a photoresist developer (e.g. crosslinked species), ultimately resulting in a patterned surface. X-ray sources are beneficial over UV-visible light sources as the shorter wavelengths enable production of smaller features.

### Other fabrication strategies

#### Plasma treatment

Plasma treatment of surfaces is essentially a dry etching of the surface. This is achieved by filling a chamber with gas, such as oxygen, fluorine, or chlorine, and accelerating ions species from an ion source through plasma. The ion acceleration towards the surface forms deep grooves within the surface. In addition to the topography, plasma treatment can also provide surface functionalization by using different gases to deposit different elements on surfaces. Surface roughness is dependent on the duration of plasma etching.

#### Chemical deposition

Generally, chemical deposition uses liquid or vapor phases to deposit inorganic materials or halides onto surfaces as thin films. Reagents are supplied in the appropriate stoichiometric amounts to react on the surface. Types of chemical deposition include chemical vapor deposition, chemical bath deposition, and electrochemical deposition. These methodologies produce thin crystalline nanostructures. For example, brucite-type cobalt hydroxide crystalline surfaces were produced by chemical bath deposition and coated with lauric acid. These surfaces had individual nanofiber tips with diameters of 6.5 nm, ultimately resulting in a contact angle as high as 178 degrees.

### Surface characterization methods

#### Scanning electron microscopy (SEM)

SEM is used to examine morphology of fabricated surfaces, enabling the comparison of natural surfaces with synthetic surfaces. The size of nanotopography can be measured. To prepare samples for SEM, surfaces are often sputter coated using platinum, gold/palladium, or silver, which reduces sample damage and charging and improves edge resolution.

#### Contact angle

As described above, contact angle is used to characterize surface wettability. A droplet of solvent, typically water for hydrophobic surfaces, is placed perpendicular to the surface. The droplet is imaged and the angle between the solid/liquid and liquid/vapor interfaces is measured. Samples are considered to be superhydrophobic when the contact angle is greater than 150 degrees. Refer to section on Wenzel and Cassie-Baxter models for information on the different behaviors of droplets on topographical surfaces. For drops to roll effectively on a superhydrophobic surface, Contact angle hysteresis is an important consideration. Low levels of contact angle hysteresis will enhance the self-cleaning effect of a superhydrophobic surface.

#### Atomic force microscopy (AFM)

Atomic-force microscopy is used to study the local roughness and mechanical properties of a surface. AFM is also used to characterize adhesion and friction properties for micro- and nano-patterned superhydrophobic surfaces. Results can be used to fit a curve to the surface topography and determine the radius of curvature of nanostructures.

## Biomimetic synthetic surfaces

Biomimicry is the imitation, or mimicry, of biological systems, models, or structures, in synthetic areas. Oftentimes, biological materials can produce structures, that have properties and qualities far exceeding what synthetic materials can achieve. Biomimicry is being used to create comparable properties in synthetic materials, particularly in wettability and self-cleaning abilities of self-cleaning surfaces.

### Superhydrophobic biomimetic surfaces

There are several biological surfaces that have superhydrophobic properties far superior to any synthetic materials: lotus leaves, rice leaves, cicadia wings, and butterfly wings.

#### Lotus leaf

Researchers have been using carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to mimic the papillae of lotus leaves. CNT nanoforests can be made using chemical vapor deposition techniques. CNT’s can be applied on a surface to modify its water contact angle. Lau et al. created vertical CNT forests with a polytetrafluroethylene (PTFE) coating that was both stable and superhydrophobic with an advancing and receding contact angle of 170° and 160°. Jung and Bhushan have created a superhydrophobic surface by spray coating CNTs with an epoxy resin. The spacing and alignment of the CNTs have been shown to impact the degree of hydrophobicity a surface has. Sun et al., have found that CNTs aligned vertically with a medium spacing display the best hydrophobic properties. Small and large spacing shows increased drop spreading, while horizontal orientation may even display hydrophilic properties.

Glass silica beads in an epoxy resin, and the electrochemical deposition of gold into dendritic structures has also created synthetic biomimetic surfaces similar to lotus leaves.

#### Rice leaves

Carbon nanotubes have also been used to create surfaces similar to rice leaves. Similar to the lotus leaf, a hierarchical structure provides the hydrophobicity of rice leaf. Unlike the lotus leaf, rice leaves have an anisotropic structure. When CNT’s are made to mimic rice leaf papillae patterns, the contact angle to differ along the CNT direction or perpendicular. Sun et al. observed anisotropic dewetting of this CNT film. They then hypothesized and tested a three-dimensional anisotropic CNT array, which in fact exhibited anisotropic dewetting depending on the CNT spacing.

#### Cicadia wing

Cicadia wings have a surface of hexagonally close packed nanopillars that have been shown to have self-cleaning properties. Similarly templated nanopatterned silica arrays have been shown to have hydrophobic, anti-reflective, and self-cleaning properties. These silica arrays begin as non-close packed monolayers, and are patterned in a series of etching steps involving chlorine and oxygen reactive ion etching, and a hydrofluoric acid wash. These properties have implicated that this surface pattern may prove to be useful in solar cell applications. Biomimetic materials based on the cicadia wing have also been made from polytetrafluoroethylene films with carbon/epoxy supports treated with argon and oxygen ion beams. A nanoimprint patterned surface based on the cicadia wings has been made by electrochemically templating and aluminum sheet with alumina oxide, and using this template to pattern a polymer surface.

#### Butterfly wing

Butterfly wings also exhibit anisotropic self-cleaning, superhydrophobic properties. The butterfly wings exhibit anisotropy on a one dimensional level, compared to the other biological materials, which exhibited the anisotropy on a two dimensional level. Butterfly wings are composed of overlapping layers of scales, that have the best self-cleaning properties in the radial directions. This anisotropic interface my prove important for fluid controllable interfaces. Alumina layers patterned from the original butterfly wing have been used to mimic the structure and properties of the butterfly wings. Additionally, butterfly wing mimetic structures have used to fabricate anatase titania photoanodes. Butterfly wing structures have also been made using layer-by-layer sol-gel-based deposition and soft lithography molding.

#### Gecko feet

Gecko feet are hydrophobic, but that is not the only property that assists in their self-cleaning nature. Estrada and Lin created polypropylene, polyethylene, and polycaprolactone nanofibers using a porous template. These nanofiber geometries were shown to be self-cleaning in fiber dimensions of 5, 0.6, and 0.2 microns. However, a hydrophobic surface alone does not explain the perpetually clean toe pad of the gecko, even in dry environments, where water is not available for self-cleaning. This resulting fouling is a common problem for reversible adhesives modeled after the gecko toe pad. Digital hyperextension, or a movement of the toe with each gecko step, contributes to the self-cleaning. A surface or system that mimics this dynamic self-cleaning process has yet to be developed.

### Hydrophilic biomimetic surfaces

#### Snail shell

Snail shell is an aragonite-protein composite, with a hierarchical groove structure. The regular roughness of the structure creates a hydrophilic structure, a thin layer of water trapped on the surface, that doesn’t allow oil to attach to the snail shell, thereby keeping the shell clean. These surface properties of snail shell have inspired the use of similar surface patterns on ceramic tiles and ceramic structures by the INAX corporation, which applies these techniques to kitchens and bathrooms.

#### Fish scale

Fish scales are calcium phosphate composites coated with a mucus layer. Fish scale properties have been mimicked by polyacrylamide hydrogels, which are both hydrophilic and mimic the mucus’ retention of water. Additionally, fish scales have been used as a template for a casting technique, and as a model for a lithography and chemical etching techniques on silicon wafers that exhibited oleophobic contact angles of oil in water of 163° and 175°, respectively.

#### Shark skin

Molded and laser-ablated shark skin replicas have been fabricated, and shown to be oleophobic in water. The molded replicas use a negative made of polyvinylsiloxane dental wax and the positive replica was made of epoxy. These replicas have also shown that the structure of shark skin reduces the fluid drag caused by turbulent flow. The fluid dynamic properties of sharkskin have been mimicked in swimsuit, nautical, and aerospace applications.

### Super hydrophilic biomimetic surfaces

#### Pitcher plant

Wong et al. developed a surface inspired by the system on the pitcher plant. This surface, named “slippery liquid-infused porous surfaces” (SLIPS) is a micro- or nano-porous substrate, with a lubricating liquid locked in place. For the system to work, the lubricating liquid must fully wet the substrate, the solid must be preferentially wetted by the lubricating substrate when compared to the repelling substrate, and the lubricating and encroaching liquid must be immiscible. Although the concept of SLIPS was biomimetic of the pitcher plant, it is not superhydrophilic with a contact angle of 116°, though it does repel blood and oil.


title: Seemannia

abstract: Seemannia is a New World genus in the flowering plant family Gesneriaceae. There are four species in the genus, primarily found in the Andean regions of South America. The name honors the German botanist Berthold Carl Seemann.

text:
# Seemannia

***Seemannia*** is a New World genus in the flowering plant family Gesneriaceae. There are four species in the genus, primarily found in the Andean regions of South America. The name honors the German botanist Berthold Carl Seemann.

## Taxonomic history

*Seemannia* was created in 1855 by Regel for the species *Seemannia ternifolia* (now considered a synonym of *S. sylvatica*). In 1976 *Seemannia* was synonymized under the genus *Gloxinia* by gesneriad specialist Hans Wiehler but has more recently been revived following phylogenetic and morphological research on relationships of *Gloxinia* and related genera, which suggested that Wiehler's generic concept of *Gloxinia* was overly broad and polyphyletic. Although now recognized as a separate genus, *Seemannia* is closely related to *Gloxinia* and hybrids between the two genera are fertile although the two genera are very distinct morphologically.

Although all of the species occur in the Andes, *Seemannia purpurascens* is unusual in having a disjunct distribution, with populations in northern South America (Guyana, French Guiana, and northern Brazil) widely separated from Andean populations in southern Peru and Bolivia.

## Species

Four species are accepted.

* Roalson, E.H., J.K. Boggan, L.E., Skog, & E.A. Zimmer. 2005. Untangling the Gloxinieae (Gesneriaceae). I. Phylogenetic patterns and generic boundaries inferred from nuclear, chloroplast, and morphological cladistic data sets. *Taxon* 54 (2): 389-410.
* Roalson, E.H., J.K. Boggan & L.E. Skog. 2005. Reorganization of tribal and generic boundaries in the Gloxinieae (Gesneriaceae: Gesnerioideae) and the description of a new tribe in the Gesnerioideae, Sphaerorrhizeae. *Selbyana* 25 (2): 225-238.
* Wiehler, H. 1976. A report on the classification of *Achimenes*, *Eucodonia*, *Gloxinia*, and *Anetanthus* (Gesneriaceae). *Selbyana* 1 (4): 374-404.

## InfoBox

| *Seemannia* | |
| --- | --- |
|  | |
| *Seemannia sylvatica* | |
|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| *Clade*: | Tracheophytes |
| *Clade*: | Angiosperms |
| *Clade*: | Eudicots |
| *Clade*: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Gesneriaceae |
| Genus: | *Seemannia*<br>Regel (1855), nom. cons. |
|
| Species | |
| See text | |
| Synonyms | |
| *Fritschiantha* Kuntze (1898) | |


title: Seksyen 7 Shah Alam LRT station

abstract: The Seksyen 7 Shah Alam LRT station is a Light Rapid Transit (LRT) station that serve the Seksyen 7 in Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia. It serves as one of the stations on the Shah Alam line, which are planned to be opened on 2025. The station is an elevated rapid transit station forming part of the Klang Valley Integrated Transit System The station is marked as Station No. 15 along the RM9 billion line project with the line's maintenance depot located in Johan Setia, Klang. This station was expected to be operational in February 2024, but Transport Minister Anthony Loke mentioned that the overall line would be expected to be operational by 1st March 2025 adding more delays to the opening of the Shah Alam Line. It will have facilities such as public parking, kiosks, restrooms, elevators, taxi stand and feeder bus among others.

text:
# Seksyen 7 Shah Alam LRT station

The **Seksyen 7 Shah Alam LRT station** (Interim Name: *i-City/Hospital Shah Alam*) is a Light Rapid Transit (LRT) station that serve the Seksyen 7 in Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia. It serves as one of the stations on the Shah Alam line, which are planned to be opened on 2025. The station is an elevated rapid transit station forming part of the Klang Valley Integrated Transit System

The station is marked as Station No. 15 along the RM9 billion line project with the line's maintenance depot located in Johan Setia, Klang. This station was expected to be operational in February 2024, but Transport Minister Anthony Loke mentioned that the overall line would be expected to be operational by **1st March 2025** adding more delays to the opening of the Shah Alam Line. It will have facilities such as public parking, kiosks, restrooms, elevators, taxi stand and feeder bus among others.

## Locality landmarks

* Hospital Shah Alam
* Medan Selera Seksyen 7
* I-City Shah Alam
* Central I-City Shopping Mall
* Pusat Komersial Jalan Plumbum
* Giant Seksyen 7 Shah Alam
* UiTM Gate 2, Akademi Pengajian Bahasa
* Laman Seni 7
* Jakel Shah Alam
* Apartment PKNS Seksyen 7
* Unisel Shah Alam

## InfoBox

| **SA15**  Seksyen 7 Shah Alam | |
| --- | --- |
| | *Future* LRT station | |
| General information | |
| Location | Section 7, Shah Alam, Selangor<br>Malaysia |
| Owned by | *Prasarana Malaysia*; operated by Rapid Rail. |
| Line(s) | 11 Shah Alam |
| Tracks | 2 |
| Construction | |
| Structure type | Elevated |
| Parking | Available |
| Other information | |
| Status | Under construction |
| Station code | **SA15** |
|  | |
| Services | |
| Preceding station  Following station  UiTM Shah Alamtowards Bandar Utama  *Shah Alam Line**Future service (opening 2025)*  Bukit Raja Selatantowards Johan Setia | |
|  | |
|  | |
|  | |


title: Seilala Lam

abstract: Leon Seilala Lam is a professional rugby union player who plays as a hooker for Top 14 club Perpignan. Born in New Zealand, he represents Samoa at international level after qualifying on ancestry grounds.

text:
# Seilala Lam

**Leon Seilala Lam** (born 18 February 1989) is a professional rugby union player who plays as a hooker for Top 14 club Perpignan. Born in New Zealand, he represents Samoa at international level after qualifying on ancestry grounds.

## Early life

Seilala was born in New Zealand, but was raised in Australia.

## Club career

He began his professional career in 2010, where he played with Randwick in The Shute Shield. He played the following season with Eastern Suburbs RUFC in The Shute Shield, During his time there he trained with the Waratahs where Head Coach at the time Michael Cheika suggested for him to change from an openside flanker into hooker before the 2014 National Rugby Championship season for the Canberra Vikings.

In 2015 Lam joined USO Nevers in France, playing 23 games for the club over 18 months before joining USA Perpignan in 2017.

## International career

Seilala Lam was first selected for Samoa in 2016, Later being named in Samoa's final 31 Man squad for the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

https://rugbynews.net.au/hard-hitting-lam-takes-a-shot-at-nrc-with-canberra-vikings/

## InfoBox

Seilala Lam
| Full name | Leon Seilala Lam |
| --- | --- |
| Date of birth | (1989-02-18) 18 February 1989 |
| Place of birth | Hamilton, New Zealand |
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) |
| Weight | 110 kg (243 lb; 17 st 5 lb) |
| School | St. Edmund's College |
| Notable relative(s) | Jack Lam (brother)
Ben Lam (cousin)
Pat Lam (cousin)
Seilala Mapusua (uncle) |
| Rugby union career | |
| **Position(s)** Hooker  **Current team** Perpignan  Senior career  **Years** **Team** **Apps** **(Points)**  2010 Randwick  18  (20)  2014 Eastern Suburbs  9  (10)  2014 Canberra Vikings  6  (0)  2015–2017 Nevers  23  (25)  2017– Perpignan  114  (70)  Correct as of 28 August 2023  International career  **Years** **Team** **Apps** **(Points)**  2008–2009 Australia U20  7  (5)  2016– Samoa  24  (15)  Correct as of 28 August 2023 | |


title: Seila

abstract: Seila is a genus of minute sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs or micromolluscs in the family Cerithiopsidae.

text:
# Seila

***Seila*** is a genus of minute sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs or micromolluscs in the family Cerithiopsidae.

## Species

According to the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS), the following species with valid names are included within the genus *Seila*:

The Indo-Pacific Molluscan database also includes the following species with names in current use:

Species brought into synonymy * *Seila attenuata* Hedley, 1900: synonym of *Seilarex turritelliformis* (Angas, 1877)
* *Seila bulbosa* Suter, 1908: synonym of † *Seila (Hebeseila) bulbosa* Suter, 1908
* *Seila capitata* Thiele, 1925: synonym of *Proseila capitata* (Thiele, 1925)
* *Seila chathamensis* Suter, 1908: synonym of *Seila (Lyroseila) cinctum* (Hutton, 1885)
* *Seila cochleata* Suter, 1908: synonym of *Seila chathamensis* Suter, 1908
* *Seila dissimilis* Suter, 1908: synonym of *Specula styliformis* (Suter, 1908)
* *Seila huttoni* Suter, 1915: synonym of *Seila chathamensis* Suter, 1908
* *Seila reunionensis* Jay & Drivas, 2002: synonym of *Cerithiella reunionensis* (Jay & Drivas, 2002)
* *Seila terebralis* (C. B. Adams, 1840): synonym of *Seila adamsii* (H.C. Lea, 1845)

* Gofas, S.; Afonso, J.P.; Brandào, M. (Ed.). (S.a.). *Conchas e Moluscos de Angola = Coquillages et Mollusques d'Angola*. \[*Shells and molluscs of Angola*\]. Universidade Agostinho / Elf Aquitaine Angola: Angola. 140 pp.
* Gofas, S.; Le Renard, J.; Bouchet, P. (2001). Mollusca, in: Costello, M.J. et al. (Ed.) (2001). *European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification*. Collection Patrimoines Naturels, 50: pp. 180–213
* Rolán E., 2005. *Malacological Fauna From The Cape Verde Archipelago*. Part 1, Polyplacophora and Gastropoda.

## InfoBox

| *Seila* | |
| --- | --- |
|  | |
| A shell of *Seila crocea* | |
|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Caenogastropoda |
| *Clade*: | Hypsogastropoda |
| Suborder: | Ptenoglossa |
| Superfamily: | Triphoroidea |
| Family: | Cerithiopsidae |
| Genus: | *Seila*
A. Adams, 1861 |
|
| Type species | |
| *Triphoris dextroversus* A. Adams & Reeve, 1850
 | |
| Synonyms | |
| * *Cerithiella (Seila) ·* * *Cerithiopsis (Seila)* A. Adams, 1861 * *Cinctella* Monterosato, 1884 * *Hebeseila* Finlay, 1926 * *Lyroseila* Finlay, 1928 * *Notoseila* Finlay, 1926 * *Seila (Hebeseila)* Finlay, 1926 * *Seila (Lyroseila)* Finlay, 1928 * *Seila (Notoseila)* Finlay, 1926 | |


title: Selenite Peak

abstract: Selenite Peak is a 7,115-foot elevation (2,169 m) summit located in Pershing County, Nevada, United States.

text:
# Selenite Peak

**Selenite Peak** is a 7,115-foot elevation (2,169 m) summit located in Pershing County, Nevada, United States.

## Description

Selenite Peak is the fifth-highest peak of the Selenite Range which is a subset of the Great Basin Ranges. This peak is set on land managed by the Bureau of Land Management, and is the highest point of the BLM's Selenite Mountains Wilderness Study Area. It is situated six miles (9.7 km) southeast of the town of Gerlach, and five miles (8.0 km) northeast of Empire. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 3,100 feet (940 meters) above the valley floor in three miles. This landform's toponym has been officially adopted by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.

## Climate

Selenite Peak is set in the Black Rock Desert which has hot summers and cold winters. The desert is an example of a cold desert climate as the desert's elevation makes temperatures cooler than lower elevation deserts. Due to the high elevation and aridity, temperatures drop sharply after sunset. Summer nights are comfortably cool. Winter highs are generally above freezing, and winter nights are bitterly cold, with temperatures often dropping well below freezing.

## InfoBox

| Selenite Peak | |
| --- | --- |
| Northwest aspect, from Gerlach | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 7,115 ft (2,169 m) |
| Prominence | 1,775 ft (541 m) |
| Parent peak | Luxor Peak (7,420 ft) |
| Isolation | 8.11 mi (13.05 km) |
| Coordinates | 40°36′22″N 119°15′58″W / 40.6060128°N 119.2660165°W / 40.6060128; -119.2660165 |
| Naming | |
| Etymology | Selenite |
| Geography | |
| Selenite PeakLocation in NevadaSelenite PeakSelenite Peak (the United States) | |
| Location | Black Rock Desert |
| Country | United States of America |
| State | Nevada |
| County | Pershing |
| Parent range | Selenite Range<br>Great Basin Ranges |
| Topo map | USGS *Empire* |
| Geology | |
| Mountain type | Fault block |


title: Xanthomonas euvesicatoria

abstract: Xanthomonas euvesicatoria is a species of bacteria.

text:
# Xanthomonas euvesicatoria

***Xanthomonas euvesicatoria*** is a species of bacteria.

## InfoBox

| *Xanthomonas euvesicatoria* | |
| --- | --- |
|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Bacteria |
| Phylum: | Pseudomonadota |
| Class: | Gammaproteobacteria |
| Order: | Xanthomonadales |
| Family: | Xanthomonadaceae |
| Genus: | *Xanthomonas* |
| Species: | ***X. euvesicatoria*** |
| Binomial name | |
| ***Xanthomonas euvesicatoria***<br>Jones *et al.* 2006 | |
|


title: McArthur Public Library

abstract: McArthur Public Library is a public library in Biddeford, Maine. It opened in October 1863 as a department within Biddeford City Hall, and has been in its current location since 1902. It is one of the oldest tax-supported libraries in New England, and the oldest in the state of Maine.

text:
# McArthur Public Library

**McArthur Public Library** is a public library in Biddeford, Maine. It opened in October 1863 as a department within Biddeford City Hall, and has been in its current location since 1902. It is one of the oldest tax-supported libraries in New England, and the oldest in the state of Maine.

## History

McArthur Public Library first opened in 1863. It was located in a room in Biddeford City Hall, which burned down in 1894. The Mayor of Biddeford recommended that a private association maintain the facility for the benefit of its patrons. The major benefactor for this association was Robert McArthur. The congregation of the Third Congregational Church (previously known as the Pavilion Church) sold their building to McArthur for conversion into a new library. The new library opened on October 13, 1902, and contained 6,000 books. A new entrance was added to the front of the building in 1995, funded by the local Rotary Club.

## Robert McArthur

Born in 1838, Robert McArthur emigrated to the United States. At the age of 8, McArthur began working in the Textile Mills of New England as well as New Jersey, and worked his way to the top rank of agent of the Laconia and Pepperell Mills in the state of Maine. McArthur was a self-educated man who believed that public libraries and their services should be made available to all. In honor of this belief, McArthur purchased the Pavilion Congregational Church and set up a fund for the maintenance of the building, a tradition that his daughters continued upon their deaths.

## Library services

Through the support of benefactors, McArthur Public Library provides many services for the people of Biddeford. The facility offers nearly 60,000 printed books, 7,000 e-books, a large audio book collection, as well as DVDs, CDs, and magazines. The library provides free WiFi services, public access computers, and hands-on classes for both youth and adults and is connected to many of Maine's Colleges and the University of Maine. The library hosts programs for infants through teens including story time and summer reading programs. The library also hosts a showing of unique photographs of the city and its surrounding areas.

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