title: Pleuromeia dubia

abstract: Pleuromeia dubia is a tall species for the genus, with distinctive elongate leaf scars, and known from the Early Triassic of Australia and South Africa. Like other species of Pleuromeia it was a survivor of the marked greenhouse spike at the end of the Early Triassic. It was originally assigned to the genus Gregicaulis, and its placement in the genus Pleuromeia has been questioned, due to its significant differences to the core Eurasian members of the genus.

text:
# Pleuromeia dubia

***Pleuromeia dubia*** is a tall species for the genus, with distinctive elongate leaf scars, and known from the Early Triassic of Australia and South Africa. Like other species of *Pleuromeia* it was a survivor of the marked greenhouse spike at the end of the Early Triassic. It was originally assigned to the genus *Gregicaulis*, and its placement in the genus *Pleuromeia* has been questioned, due to its significant differences to the core Eurasian members of the genus.

## InfoBox

| *Pleuromeia dubia*
Temporal range: | |
| --- | --- |
|  | |
| Life restoration | |
|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| *Clade*: | Tracheophytes |
| *Clade*: | Lycophytes |
| Class: | Lycopodiopsida |
| Order: | Isoetales |
| Family: | Pleuromeiaceae |
| Genus: | *Pleuromeia* |
| Species: | ***P. dubia*** |
| Binomial name | |
| ***Pleuromeia dubia***
(Anderson and Anderson, 1985) | |
|
| Synonyms | |
| *Gregicaulis dubius* | |


title: Merenius

abstract: Merenius is a genus of corinnid sac spiders first described by Eugène Simon in 1910.

text:
# Merenius

***Merenius*** is a genus of corinnid sac spiders first described by Eugène Simon in 1910.

## Species

As of April 2019 it contains twelve species:

## InfoBox

| *Merenius* | |
| --- | --- |
|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Corinnidae |
| Genus: | *Merenius*
Simon, 1910 |
|
| Type species | |
| *M. plumosus*
Simon, 1910 | |
| Species | |
| 12, see text | |


title: Pops Mohamed

abstract:
Pops Mohamed is a South African multi-instrumentalist, jazz musician and producer. Born in Benoni, Gauteng, Pops Mohamed had a career in music that was the logical outcome of an early exposure at Dorkay House to the likes of Abdullah Ibrahim and Kippie Moeketsi. Mohamed's father was a Muslim of Portuguese and Indian heritage and his mother was of Xhosa and Khoisan heritage. He grew up in the Indian community of Johannesburg. He started his first band The Valiants, at the age of 14. Known by fans as the "Minister of Music", he plays a wide variety of instruments: African mouth bow, bird whistle, berimbau, didgeridoo, guitar, keyboard, kora, and the thumb piano. He is also known for his wide range of musical styles which include kwela, pop, and soul. He produced Finding One's Self, the late Moses Taiwa Molelekwa's award-winning album.
Pops has received a lifetime achievement award in 2023 pops is also known for visiting a wide number of countries Pops has also performed regularly with and sits on the board of the Johannesburg Youth Orchestra Company Pops has 3 children,7 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren

text:
# Pops Mohamed

**Pops Mohamed** (born Ismail Mohamed-Jan) is a South African multi-instrumentalist, jazz musician and producer.

Born in Benoni, Gauteng, Pops Mohamed had a career in music that was the logical outcome of an early exposure at Dorkay House to the likes of Abdullah Ibrahim and Kippie Moeketsi. Mohamed's father was a Muslim of Portuguese and Indian heritage and his mother was of Xhosa and Khoisan heritage. He grew up in the Indian community of Johannesburg. He started his first band *The Valiants*, at the age of 14. Known by fans as the "Minister of Music", he plays a wide variety of instruments: African mouth bow, bird whistle, berimbau, didgeridoo, guitar, keyboard, kora, and the thumb piano. He is also known for his wide range of musical styles which include kwela, pop, and soul. He produced *Finding One's Self*, the late Moses Taiwa Molelekwa's award-winning album. Pops has received a lifetime achievement award in 2023 pops is also known for visiting a wide number of countries

Pops has also performed regularly with and sits on the board of the Johannesburg Youth Orchestra Company

Pops has 3 children,7 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren

## Discography

* *Kalamazoo* \- 1991
* *Sophiatown Society* \- 1992 (with Morris Goldberg)
* *Ancestral Healing* \- 1995
* *How Far Have We Come* \- 1996
* *Music With No Name* \- 1996
* *Society Vibes* \- 1997 (with McCoy Mrubatha)
* *Timeless* \- 1997
* *Millennium Experience* \- 2000 (with Zena Edwards)
* *Pops Mohamed Meets "The LondonSound Collective"* \- 1999
* *Africa Meltdown* \- 2001
* *Yesterday, Today And Tomorrow* \- 2002
* *Mood Africa* \- 2005


title: Pistulya

abstract: Pistulya is an Indian Marathi-language short film written and directed by Nagraj Manjule and jointly produced by Aatpat Production and New Arts DCS. The film won National Film Award for Best First Non-Feature Film of a Director and Best Child Artist Award in Non-feature Film category at the 58th National Film Awards. The film features Suraj Pawar in the title role, Vaishali Kendale, and Nagraj Manjule in pivotal roles. The film focuses on the story of a village boy, struggle to educate himself against the odds. Nagraj Manjule created the film as part of his mass communication course at Pune University, aiming to capture the ethos of a marginalized community living as tramps and address social stigma while expressing a desire for reform. The film was shot over two days in Ahmednagar, with a production cost of ₹1.5 lakh funded by Manjule's friends and family. The film was screened at Vaanam Art Festival on 8 April 2023.

text:
# Pistulya

***Pistulya*** is an Indian Marathi-language short film written and directed by Nagraj Manjule and jointly produced by Aatpat Production and New Arts DCS. The film won National Film Award for Best First Non-Feature Film of a Director and Best Child Artist Award in Non-feature Film category at the 58th National Film Awards. The film features Suraj Pawar in the title role, Vaishali Kendale, and Nagraj Manjule in pivotal roles. The film focuses on the story of a village boy, struggle to educate himself against the odds.

Nagraj Manjule created the film as part of his mass communication course at Pune University, aiming to capture the ethos of a marginalized community living as tramps and address social stigma while expressing a desire for reform. The film was shot over two days in Ahmednagar, with a production cost of ₹1.5 lakh funded by Manjule's friends and family.

The film was screened at Vaanam Art Festival on 8 April 2023.

## Plot

Pistulya, an 8-year-old boy from the backward Waddar community, burdened by his father's demise and his mother's solitary struggle to provide, finds himself ensnared in the allure of quick cash, falling into the clutches of local thugs. However, amidst his illicit endeavors in the village, a chance encounter with a school assembly scene stirs something profound within him. Observing peers of his age, clad in school uniform, reciting prayers, he glimpses a world beyond his current existence. Through the wire-meshed compound, a vision of a brighter future dawns on Pistulya. Remarkably, it's the memory of his younger sister, Lali, that kindles his aspiration for education, sparking a newfound determination to break free from the cycle of vice and pave a path towards a better life for both of them.

## Cast

* Suraj Pawar as Pistulya
* Vaishali Kendale as Laxmi, Pistulya's mother
* Prashant Kamble as Bhiku Anna
* Vitthal Bulbule as Maruti
* Sanket Pavase as Sugrya
* Nagraj Manjule as Ambadas

## Production

### Development

Manjule created the film as part of his mass communication course at Pune University. He mentions the challenge of capturing the ethos of a community living the life of tramps and dealing with social stigma, while also expressing a desire for reform. Nagraj credits his own life experiences for helping him achieve this effect within a 15-minute timeframe.

### Filming and casting

The film was shot over a two-day period in Ahmednagar, with a production cost of ₹1.5 lakh, which was contributed by Manjule's friends and family. The cast is drawn from Nagraj's own group of friends. He stated "It was perhaps easy for me to identify with the characters shown in the film, because I myself come from the Waddar community (those who hammer and break stone slabs) to which the protagonist, Pistulya, belongs." Suraj Pawar was offered the role when the director visited his school in Karmala. Nagraj intends to expand this 15-minute project into a full-length feature film to deliver a compelling social message that he believes will resonate with numerous marginalized and stigmatized communities across the country.

## Critical response

Aishwarya Raj of *The Mooknayak* wrote "Instead of a happy ending or a sad ending, the film ends with hope, a bitter truth and a question." A reviewer from *The Indian Wire* is highlighting the impactful storytelling of the short film. He emphasize how the film sheds light on the struggles and challenges faced by the protagonist, Pistulya, and his widowed mother. He also commend the unexpected yet effective ending of the film.

## Accolades

### Awards

#### National Film awards

#### Other

* Maharashtra Times – Best Short Film Award
* Aarohi Film festival Mumbai 2009 – Best Short Film and Best Actor Award
* Nashik International Film Festival 2009 – Best Actor and Golden Camera Award
* Hyderabad Film festival 2010 – Best Short Film Award
* 20th IDPA Film festival Mumbai 2009 – Certificate of Merit
* Pratibimb Short Film Festival, Ahmednagar 2009 – Second Best Short Film Award

### Nominations

## InfoBox

| Pistulya | |
| --- | --- |
| Official release poster | |
| Directed by | Nagraj Manjule |
| Written by | Nagraj Manjule (Story, Screenplay) |
| Produced by | Nagraj Manjule |
| Starring |  |
| Cinematography | Gargee Kulkarni
Kutub Inamdar |
| Edited by | Kutub Inamdar |
| Music by | Santosh Khatmode |
| Production
companies |  |
| Release date | * 2009 (2009) |
| Running time | 18 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Marathi |
| Budget | ₹1.5 lakh |


title: Martin John O'Connor

abstract: Martin John O'Connor was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as rector of the Pontifical North American College from 1946–1964 and president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications from 1948–1971.

text:
# Martin John O'Connor

| Styles of
**Martin John O'Connor** | |
| --- | --- |
|  | |
| Reference style | His Excellency |
| Spoken style | Your Excellency |

**Martin John O'Connor** (May 18, 1900  December 1, 1986) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as rector of the Pontifical North American College from 1946–1964 and president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications from 1948–1971.

## Biography

### Early life and education

Martin O'Connor was born on May 18, 1900, in Scranton, Pennsylvania, to Martin John and Belinda Catherine (née Caffrey) O'Connor. His parents died when he was young. He received his early education at James Madison Elementary School, but was later transferred to the district's administration building to attend advanced classes. O'Connor entered St. Thomas High School in Scranton at age 12, and enrolled at St. Thomas College three years later. He graduated from St. Thomas with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1918.

O'Connor began his studies for the priesthood at St. Mary's Seminary in Baltimore, Maryland. He continued his studies at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. While a student, he enlisted in the U.S Army after the United States entered World War I. Discharged in 1919, he resumed his studies at the university. After his college graduation, O'Connor went study at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. He earned a Doctor of Theology degree from the Pontifical Urban University in Rome in 1925.

### Priesthood

On March 15, 1924, O'Connor was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Scranton by Archbishop Giuseppe Palica at the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome Following his return to Scranton, he was assigned as a curate at St. Peter's Cathedral Parish, serving there from 1925 to 1927. O'Connor then returned to Rome to earn a Doctor of Canon Law degree from the Apollinare University in 1929.

Returning to Pennsylvania in 1929, O'Connor was appointed secretary to Bishop Thomas O'Reilly and as chancellor of the diocese. He served as an associate editor of the diocesan newspaper, *Catholic Light*, from 1929 to 1932.From 1934 to 1943, O'Connor was pastor of St. Peter's Cathedral Parish. He was named a papal chamberlain in 1931, and raised to the rank of domestic prelate in 1936. In addition to his pastoral duties, O'Connor became vicar general of the diocese in 1938.

### Auxiliary Bishop of Scranton

On November 14, 1942, O'Connor was appointed as an auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Scranton and titular bishop of *Thespiae* by Pope Pius XII. He received his episcopal consecration on January 27, 1943, from Bishop William Hafey, with Bishops Gerald O'Hara and George L. Leech serving as co-consecrators, at St. Peter's Cathedral. As an auxiliary bishop, he continued to serve as vicar general of the diocese, a post which he held until 1946. He also served as pastor of St. Mary's Parish in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, from 1943 to 1946.

### Rector of the Pontifical North American College

O'Connor was named rector of the Pontifical North American College in Rome on November 26, 1946, then still closed in the aftermath of World War II. O'Connor reopened the college in 1948, having supervised its construction of new campus on Janiculum Hill in Rome. Supposedly, O'Connor once said that his mission was "to educate others in gracious dining and papal protocol," to which U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom Joseph Kennedy Sr. responded, "Don't be such an ass." O'Connor allegedly disapproved of Archbishop Egidio Vagnozzi's appointment as apostolic delegate to the United States.

### Curial official

With the establishment of the curial office of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, Pius XII named O'Connor as its first president in January 1948. He was named an assistant at the pontifical throne in 1953. In November 1954, O'Connor was appointed as a counselor of the Congregation of Seminaries and Universities.

O'Connor was raised to titular archbishop of *Laodicea in Syria* on September 5, 1959. O'Connor attended all four sessions of the Second Vatican Council between 1962 and 1965. During the preparatory stages of the Council, he was named to head the press secretariat in June 1960. As head of the secretariat, he drafted a constitution dealing with the press, motion pictures, radio, and television. In September 1963, in response to complaints by journalists about the lack of news sources, he was appointed to head a new press committee for the second session of the Council.

### Apostolic Nuncio to Malta

He became the first Nuncio to Malta on December 15, 1965. According to his *Los Angeles Times* obituary, "the appointment marked the first time a papal ambassador had been sent to a country in the United Kingdom since the Protestant Reformation 400 years earlier" – although technically, Malta was no longer in the United Kingdom after 1964.

### Retirement

O'Connor resigned his diplomatic post in May 1969 and his curial post on September 8, 1971. He returned to Pennsylvania in 1980.Martin O'Connor died on December 1, 1986, at Mercy Hospital in Wilkes-Barre at age 86.

## InfoBox

| The Most Reverend
Martin John O'Connor | |
| --- | --- |
| Titular Archbishop of Laodicea | |
| Archbishop O'Connor accompanies First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy during her 1962 trip to the Vatican | |
| Other post(s) | Auxiliary Bishop of Scranton
Rector of the Pontifical North American College
(1946–1964)
President of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications
(1948–1971)
Apostolic Nuncio to Malta
(1965–1969) |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | March 15, 1924
by Giuseppe Palica |
| Consecration | January 27, 1943
by William Joseph Hafey |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1900-05-18)May 18, 1900
Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Died | December 1, 1986(1986-12-01) (aged 86)
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |


title: Navy Exchange

abstract: Navy Exchange is a retail store chain owned and operated by the United States Navy under the Navy Exchange Service Command (NEXCOM), part of the Naval Supply Systems Command. The Navy Exchange offers goods and services to active military, retirees, and certain civilians on Navy installations in the United States, overseas Navy bases, and aboard Navy ships. The Navy Exchange is a type of base exchange, but is separate from the others.

text:
# Navy Exchange

**Navy Exchange** is a retail store chain owned and operated by the United States Navy under the **Navy Exchange Service Command** (**NEXCOM**), part of the Naval Supply Systems Command. The Navy Exchange offers goods and services to active military, retirees, and certain civilians on Navy installations in the United States, overseas Navy bases, and aboard Navy ships. The Navy Exchange is a type of base exchange, but is separate from the others (Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES), Marine Corps Exchange, and Coast Guard Exchange).

## History

The beginnings of the Navy Exchange, referred to by Sailors as the "NEX," started in the 1800s, when enterprising citizens would greet a Navy ship coming into port by sailing out to meet it in what were called "bumboats." These merchants would sell goods to Sailors, often at inflated prices and reportedly shoddy quality.

In 1896, a "Canteen" was opened on the USS *Indiana*, purportedly to help keep the Sailors' money on the ship, and to ensure that they were receiving a fair deal. The Naval Appropriations Act of March 3, 1909 established the first official stores and Commissaries on ships. This pressure on bumboat operators caused some to change tactics, and begin offering services, such as haircuts and shoe repair, to sailors. This led to a separate type of retail operation, a "ship services store," to be created aboard naval vessels. The two types of retail outlets were later combined to increase efficiency and save space.

As retail options on ships grew, so did their shore-side counterparts. In 1946, a committee, headed by Captain Wheelock H. Bingham, recommended that the shore-side retail operations be rolled into the same bureau as the ship-based retail locations. In 1946, these recommendations led to the creation of the Navy Ship's Store Office, the precursor to the modern Navy Exchange.

Today, the Navy Exchange operates much like many other major retailers, selling goods and clothing, as well as providing services such as barbering, floral arrangement, and laundry (depending on location). Most Navy Exchanges are located on military bases, though some lease private buildings, while others, called "Ship's Stores," operate on Navy vessels such as Aircraft Carriers.

NEXCOM, the Navy Exchange Service Command, operates multiple business lines, including Navy Exchange Retail Stores, Navy Lodge Hotels, Navy Gateway Inns & Suites hotels, the Navy Uniform Project Management Office (UPMO), Navy Clothing Textile and Research Facility (NCTRF), the Ship's Stores Program, and the Telecommunications Program Office (TPO).

On January 13 2017, the Department of Defense announced that all honorably discharged Veterans would be eligible to shop tax-free online Military Exchanges starting November 11, 2017. The expanded benefit is expected to make online Exchange privileges available to as many as 13 million Veterans. Six-months later, the Military Exchanges launched VetVerify.org, an online service where Veterans can verify their eligibility to shop online Exchanges, on June 5, 2017. It was concurrently announced that some Veterans who register would be selected to shop ahead of the November 11 launch as beta testers.

## InfoBox

Navy Exchange
|
|  |
| Company type | Federal agency |
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | Brooklyn, New York (1946) |
| Headquarters | Virginia Beach, Virginia |
| Number of locations | 300+ |
| Area served | Worldwide |
| Key people | R. Adm. (Ret.) Robert J. Bianchi (CEO) |
| Products | Discount department store, superstore |
| Revenue | $3.2 billion (2014) |
| Number of employees | 14,000 |
| Parent | Naval Supply Systems Command |
| Website | mynavyexchange.com |


title: Ici (magazine)

abstract: ici was an alternative weekly French language magazine distributed in print in Montreal, Quebec, and online through the Canoe.ca network from 1997 to 2009. It had an audience of 89,000 readers a week. On April 29, 2009, Quebecor Media announced that it would cease publication of the magazine, with the last issue being published on April 30, 2009. It would live on as ici Week-end, a weekly insert in 24H and on its website.

text:
# Ici (magazine)

***ici*** was an alternative weekly French language magazine distributed in print in Montreal, Quebec, and online through the Canoe.ca network from 1997 to 2009.

It had an audience of 89,000 readers a week. On April 29, 2009, Quebecor Media announced that it would cease publication of the magazine, with the last issue being published on April 30, 2009. It would live on as *ici Week-end*, a weekly insert in *24H* and on its website.


title: Poison Kiss

abstract: Poison Kiss is the only studio album by the American rock band The Last Goodnight, and the only album released under that moniker. It released in August 2007. After their 2008 tour, the band was dropped by Virgin, and disbanded shortly after.

text:
# Poison Kiss

Professional ratings
| Review scores | |
| --- | --- |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  |
| *Entertainment Weekly* | B− |

***Poison Kiss*** is the only studio album by the American rock band The Last Goodnight (formerly Renata), and the only album released under that moniker. It released in August 2007. After their 2008 tour, the band was dropped by Virgin, and disbanded shortly after.

## Singles

## Track listing

1. "Poison Kiss" – 3:47
2. "Back Where We Belong" – 3:50
3. "Pictures of You" – 3:10
4. "Stay Beautiful" – 3:14
5. "This Is the Sound" – 3:18
6. "One Trust" – 3:55
7. "Return to Me" – 3:10
8. "Good Love" – 3:40
9. "If I Talk to God" – 3:36
10. "Push Me Away" – 3:00
11. "In Your Arms" – 3:31
12. "Incomplete" – 3:41
13. "When It All Comes Down" (bonus track) – 2:58

## Charts

Chart performance for *Poison Kiss*
| Chart (2007–2008) | Peak<br>position |
| --- | --- |
| Australian Albums (ARIA) | 90 |
| Italian Albums (FIMI) | 75 |
| US Heatseekers Albums (*Billboard*) | 5 |

## Release history

Release history and formats for *Poison Kiss*
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label | Ref. |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Australia | February 11, 2008 |  | EMI |  |

## InfoBox

| Poison Kiss | |
| --- | --- |
|  | |
| Studio album by The Last Goodnight | |
| Released | August 28, 2007 |
| Genre | Pop rock, alternative rock |
| Length | 41:51 |
| Label | Virgin |
| Producer | Jeff Blue |


title: Pirates Island

abstract: Pirates Island is a 1990 Australian film about a group of children who are swept away in a balloon to an island where pirates run amok.

text:
# Pirates Island

***Pirates Island*** is a 1990 Australian film about a group of children who are swept away in a balloon to an island where pirates run amok.

## Cast

## InfoBox

| *Pirates Island* | |
| --- | --- |
| Written by | Rick Maier |
| Directed by | Viktor Ritelis |
| Starring | Beth Buchanan
Brian Rooney
Les Hill
David Argue |
| Country of origin | Australia |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Producer | Philip East |
| Production company | Grundy Television |
| Budget | $1 million |
| Original release | |
| Release | 1990 (1990) |


title: Populous (company)

abstract: Populous, legally Populous Holdings, Inc., is a global architectural and design practice specializing in sports facilities, arenas and convention centers, as well as the planning and design of major special events. Populous was created through a management buyout in January 2009, becoming independently owned and operated. It is reported to be one of the largest architecture firms in the world. Populous formerly operated as HOK Sport Venue Event, which was part of the HOK Group.

text:
# Populous (company)

**Populous**, legally **Populous Holdings, Inc.**, is a global architectural and design practice specializing in sports facilities, arenas and convention centers, as well as the planning and design of major special events.

Populous was created through a management buyout in January 2009, becoming independently owned and operated. It is reported to be one of the largest architecture firms in the world. Populous formerly operated as **HOK Sport Venue Event**, which was part of the HOK Group.

## History

### Company development

In 1983, HOK under Jerry Sincoff created a sports group (initially called the Sports Facilities Group and later changed to HOK Sport Venue Event). The firm initially consisted of eight architects in Kansas City, and grew to employ 185 people by 1996. The HOK Sport studio was led by architect Ron Labinski, who has been described as "the world's first sports venue architect."

On several projects, HOK Sport had teamed with international design practice LOBB Partnership, which maintained offices in London, England, and Brisbane, Australia. On HOK Sport's 15th anniversary in November 1998, the firm merged with LOBB. The new practice retained headquarters in all three cities.

The Kansas City, Missouri, office was first based in the city's Garment District in the Lucas Place office building. In 2005, it moved into its headquarters at 300 Wyandotte in the River Market neighborhood in a new building it designed, on land developed as an urban renewal project through tax incentives from the city's Planned Industrial Expansion Authority. It was the first major company to relocate to the neighborhood in several decades. In March 2009, HOK Sport Venue Event changed its name to Populous after a managers' buyout by HOK Group.

In October 2015, Populous relocated to its new Americas headquarters at the newly renovated Board of Trade building at 4800 Main street near the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City. In August 2024, the Kansas City Business Journal reported that Populous was moving its Americas headquarters back downtown into the new 1400KC building in the Power and Light District.

The company is one of several Kansas City-based sports design firms that trace their roots to Kivett and Myers which designed the Truman Sports Complex which was one of the first modern large single purpose sports stadiums (previously, stadiums were designed for multipurpose use). Other firms with sports design presence in Kansas City that trace their roots to Kivett include Ellerbe Becket Inc. and HNTB Corp. 360 Architecture is also based in Kansas City.

### "Retro" era of baseball parks

Populous is credited for spearheading a new era of baseball park design in the 1990s, beginning with Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore. At Camden Yards, and in other stadiums built by Populous soon thereafter, such as Coors Field in Denver and Progressive Field in Cleveland, the ballpark was designed to incorporate aesthetic elements of the city's history and older "classic ballparks." Camden Yards's red brick facade emulates the massive Baltimore & Ohio Warehouse at Camden Yards that dominates the right field view behind Eutaw Street, whereas Progressive Field's glass and steel exterior "call\[s\] to mind the drawbridges and train trestles that crisscross the nearby Cuyahoga River." Starting with Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati in 2003, a number of Populous Sport's stadiums featured more contemporary and even futuristic designs. Subsequent stadium exteriors featuring this motif opened in Washington, D.C., and Minnesota.

In addition to moving away from the concrete exteriors of the "cookie-cutter" multi-purpose stadiums that preceded the new parks, Populous incorporated other innovative touches: natural grass playing surfaces (instead of artificial turf), asymmetrical field dimensions, various park-specific idiosyncrasies (like Tal's Hill in Houston), and less foul territory that would keep fans farther from the diamond. And because the stadiums were designed for baseball instead of several sports, the sightlines were "uniformly excellent."

Camden Yards was hugely popular with baseball fans, and its success convinced many cities to invest public funds in their own new ballparks to help revitalize struggling urban neighborhoods. From 1992 to 2012, HOK Sport/Populous were the lead architects on 14 Major League Baseball stadiums and helped renovate four existing stadiums.

## Criticism

Populous's designs across Major League Baseball have become so prevalent that some critics have asserted that the distinctiveness that was originally found in early retro-classic ballparks is impossible to maintain. Some older ballparks like Fenway Park have strange dimensions because of the small parcels of land on which the parks were built. Most new stadiums are built on larger, dedicated land parcels. One sportswriter said the attempt to emulate the old parks' quirks is "contrived."

Some commentators have criticized a tendency to cater new ballparks toward wealthier ticket buyers, such as with expanded numbers of luxury suites. Several writers have noted that upper deck seating at new ballparks may actually be farther away from the field than in the older parks, partly as a result of these new upper decks being pushed higher by rows of luxury suites. One writer in *The New Yorker* said it is "not quite right to credit or blame Populous" for trends in their new stadiums—as it is ultimately team owners that plan what they want in future stadiums—but that the firm "certainly enabled" such changes.

## Venue projects

### Indoor arenas

### Convention and civic centers

### Music and entertainment venues

## InfoBox

Populous Holdings, Inc.
|
|  |
| Industry | Architecture |
| Founded | 2009 |
| Headquarters |  |
| Area served | Worldwide |
| Services | Sports, entertainment, events, conference and exhibition center architecture |
| Website | populous.com |


title: Pistruieni

abstract: Pistruieni is a commune in Teleneşti District, Moldova. It is composed of three villages: Hîrtop, Pistruieni and Pistruienii Noi.

text:
# Pistruieni

**Pistruieni** is a commune in Teleneşti District, Moldova. It is composed of three villages: Hîrtop, Pistruieni and Pistruienii Noi.

## InfoBox

| Pistruieni | |
| --- | --- |
| Commune | |
| Pistruieni | |
| Coordinates: 47°41′31″N 28°29′17″E / 47.6919444444°N 28.4880555556°E / 47.6919444444; 28.4880555556 | |
| Country | Moldova |
| District | Telenești District |
| Population (2014) | |
| Total | 994 |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |


title: Optimization Toolbox

abstract: Optimization Toolbox is an optimization software package developed by MathWorks. It is an add-on product to MATLAB, and provides a library of solvers that can be used from the MATLAB environment. The toolbox was first released for MATLAB in 1990.

text:
# Optimization Toolbox

**Optimization Toolbox** is an optimization software package developed by MathWorks. It is an add-on product to MATLAB, and provides a library of solvers that can be used from the MATLAB environment. The toolbox was first released for MATLAB in 1990.

## Optimization algorithms

Optimization Toolbox has algorithms for:

## Applications

### Engineering Optimization

Optimization Toolbox solvers are used for engineering applications in MATLAB, such as optimal control and optimal mechanical designs.

### Parameter Estimation

Optimization can help with fitting a model to data, where the goal is to identify the model parameters that minimize the difference between simulated and experimental data. Common parameter estimation problems that are solved with Optimization Toolbox include estimating material parameters and estimating coefficients of ordinary differential equations.

### Computational Finance

Portfolio optimization, cashflow matching, and other computational finance problems are solved with Optimization Toolbox.

### Utilities and Energy

Optimization Toolbox solvers are used for security constrained optimal power flow and power systems analysis.

## Further reading

## InfoBox

Optimization Toolbox
| Developer(s) | MathWorks |
| --- | --- |
|  | |
| Stable release | R2018a / March 16, 2018 (2018-03-16) |
|  | |
| Operating system | Cross-platform |
| Type | List of optimization software |
| License | Proprietary |
| Website | Optimization Toolbox |


title: Navia semiserrata

abstract: Navia semiserrata is a plant species in the genus Navia. This species is endemic to Venezuela.

text:
# Navia semiserrata

***Navia semiserrata*** is a plant species in the genus *Navia*. This species is endemic to Venezuela.

* Holst, Bruce K. (1 February 1994). "Checklist of Venezuelan Bromeliaceae with Notes on Species Distribution by State and Levels of Endemism". *Selbyana*. **15** (1). ISSN 2689-0682. JSTOR 41759858.

## InfoBox

| *Navia semiserrata* | |
| --- | --- |
|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| *Clade*: | Tracheophytes |
| *Clade*: | Angiosperms |
| *Clade*: | Monocots |
| *Clade*: | Commelinids |
| Order: | Poales |
| Family: | Bromeliaceae |
| Genus: | *Navia* |
| Species: | ***N. semiserrata*** |
| Binomial name | |
| ***Navia semiserrata***<br>L.B.Sm. | |
|


title: Plutonium Glow

abstract: Plutonium Glow is a 1997 studio album by American vocalist Vanessa Daou that was re-released in 1998. The album was an early example of Internet-based marketing for music and has received positive reviews from critics.

text:
# Plutonium Glow

***Plutonium Glow*** is a 1997 studio album by American vocalist Vanessa Daou that was re-released in 1998. The album was an early example of Internet-based marketing for music and has received positive reviews from critics.

## Reception

Editors at AllMusic rated this album 4 out of 5 stars, with critic Stanton Swihart writing that "*Plutonium Glow*... while still intensely sweaty, shifts its focus to the stars" and "Daou has a voice like a feather that literally floats off into the crisp night air, leaving the listener with a sweet but sometimes sorrowful aftertaste". A review in *Billboard* calling this a "fine" album that "meld\[s\] sensual, often enlightening lyrics with smooth, warmly ambient dance grooves". A 2022 review from Imran Khan of *PopMatters* of the 1998 re-release edition of this album stated that this album was influential on subsequent rave music culture and he praised the music's "subtle change in dynamics" and "coolly-mannered, thoughtful, and thought-provoking poetry".

## Track listing

All songs written by Peter Daou and Vanessa Daou.

**1997 Handprint Entertainment release**

1. "Life on a Distant Star" – 4:12
2. "Plutonium Glow" – 3:58
3. "Peculiar" – 3:50
4. "Make Believe" – 3:53
5. "Lightening" – 1:55
6. "Zero G" – 4:18
7. "Mouth to Mouth" – 3:59
8. "Red Dawn" – 3:04
9. "Cherries in the Snow" – 3:41
10. "Flower of My Fears" – 2:03
11. "How Far" – 3:50
12. "Visions of You" – 4:01
13. "Truth Remains" – 2:56
14. "Back to the World" – 5:58

**1998 Oxygen Music re-release**

1. "Alive" – 4:09
2. "Make Believe" – 3:51
3. "Peculiar" – 3:49
4. "Back to the World" – 5:57
5. "Life on a Distant Star" – 4:12
6. "Zero G" – 4:18
7. "Mouth to Mouth" – 3:59
8. "Truth Remains" – 2:54
9. "Lightening" – 1:53
10. "Plutonium Glow" – 3:58
11. "Flower of My Fears" – 2:02
12. "Cherries in the Snow" – 3:42
13. "How Far" – 3:49
14. "Red Dawn" – 3:05

## Personnel

## InfoBox

| Plutonium Glow | |
| --- | --- |
| Cover to the more available Oxygen Music 1998 re-release | |
| Studio album by Vanessa Daou | |
| Released | 1997 (1997) |
| Genre |  |
| Length | 51:29 |
| Language | English |
| Label | Handprint Entertainment |
| Producer | Peter Daou |
| Vanessa Daou chronology | |
| *Slow to Burn*
(1995) ***Plutonium Glow***
(1997) *Dear John Coltrane*
(1999) | |


title: Walters, Minnesota

abstract: Walters is a city in Faribault County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 73 at the 2010 census.

text:
# Walters, Minnesota

**Walters** is a city in Faribault County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 73 at the 2010 census.

## History

A post office called Walters was established in 1901, and remained in operation until it was discontinued in 1996. The city was named for a railroad official.

## Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.20 square miles (0.52 km2), all land.

County Highways 30 and 31 are two of the main routes in the community. Minnesota State Highway 22 is nearby.

## Demographics

Historical population
| Census | Pop. | Note |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1910 | 103 |  |  |
| 1920 | 116 |  | 12.6% |
| 1930 | 105 |  | −9.5% |
| 1940 | 154 |  | 46.7% |
| 1950 | 139 |  | −9.7% |
| 1960 | 133 |  | −4.3% |
| 1970 | 152 |  | 14.3% |
| 1980 | 118 |  | −22.4% |
| 1990 | 86 |  | −27.1% |
| 2000 | 88 |  | 2.3% |
| 2010 | 73 |  | −17.0% |
| 2020 | 69 |  | −5.5% |
| U.S. Decennial Census | | | |

### 2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 73 people, 31 households, and 20 families living in the city. The population density was 365.0 inhabitants per square mile (140.9/km2). There were 36 housing units at an average density of 180.0 per square mile (69.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 98.6% White and 1.4% from other races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.4% of the population.

There were 31 households, of which 22.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.8% were married couples living together, 3.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 35.5% were non-families. 25.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.75.

The median age in the city was 43.8 years. 19.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.7% were from 25 to 44; 24.7% were from 45 to 64; and 21.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 54.8% male and 45.2% female.

### 2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 88 people, 34 households, and 24 families living in the city. The population density was 440.2 inhabitants per square mile (170.0/km2). There were 38 housing units at an average density of 190.1 per square mile (73.4/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 96.59% White, 1.14% Native American, and 2.27% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.82% of the population.

There were 34 households, out of which 38.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.0% were married couples living together, 14.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.5% were non-families. 20.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 2.88.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 33.0% under the age of 18, 3.4% from 18 to 24, 21.6% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $28,750, and the median income for a family was $26,563. Males had a median income of $21,250 versus $20,000 for females. The per capita income for the city was $10,472. There were 17.4% of families and 22.9% of the population living below the poverty line, including 50.0% of under eighteens and none of those over 64.

## InfoBox

| Walters | |
| --- | --- |
| City | |
| Location of Walters, Minnesota | |
| Coordinates: 43°36′18″N 93°40′28″W / 43.60500°N 93.67444°W / 43.60500; -93.67444 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Minnesota |
| County | Faribault |
| Area | |
| Total | 0.20 sq mi (0.523 km2) |
| Land | 0.20 sq mi (0.523 km2) |
| Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,257 ft (383 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
| Total | 69 |
| Density | 343.28/sq mi (132.72/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code | 56097 |
| Area code | 507 |
| FIPS code | 27-67900 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2397184 |


title: Pirates Constructible Strategy Game

abstract: The Pirates Constructible Strategy Game is a tabletop game manufactured by WizKids, Inc., released in early July 2004, and discontinued in 2008.

text:
# Pirates Constructible Strategy Game

The **Pirates Constructible Strategy Game** is a tabletop game (or constructible strategy game) manufactured by WizKids, Inc., released in early July 2004, and discontinued in 2008.

## History

The game was created by Jordan Weisman, and designed by Mike Mulvihill, Ethan Pasternack, James Ernest, and Mike Selinker. It was released in early July 2004. With aspects of both miniatures game and collectible card game genres, Pirates is described by the producers WizKids as a constructible strategy game, referring to the mechanics of creating game pieces from components that punch out of styrene cards.

*Pirates of the Spanish Main* won a Vanguard Award at the 2005 Origins Awards.

In November 2008, Topps, the owner of Wizkids, announced that it would be closing the company and all of its product lines. On September 14, 2009, the National Entertainment Collectibles Association (NECA) announced the purchase of Wizkids name and its intellectual properties from Topps, including the *Pirates* line, which was then cancelled.

## Gameplay

The general goal of Pirates is to collect more gold than one's opponents, or with variants, to achieve a given objective or destroy all enemy ships. Additional scenarios also exist, created by WizKids and others. The game's pieces include ships, forts, sea monsters, crew, islands and other terrain markers, events, gold and other treasure tokens.

A feature of Pirates is the 'constructible' element of the game; each game piece (except for terrain) is created by removing small polystyrene pieces from placeholder cards and assembling them. As the ship, fort or sea monster is damaged by enemies during the course of game play, pieces of it are removed to record how much damage it has sustained.

## Other media

An online computer game was also created, by Sony Online Entertainment, called *Pirates CSG Online* (based on *Pirates of the Spanish Main*), which ended on January 31, 2011. In 2007 Pinnacle Entertainment Group released *The Pirates of the Spanish Main*, a source book for their Savage Worlds role playing game, set in the same world as the CSG.

## Releases and expansion sets

* *Pirates of the Spanish Main* \- first release, on July 28, 2004.
* *Pirates of the Crimson Coast* \- second set and the first expansion to the *Pirates of the Spanish Main*, released March 2, 2005.
* *Pirates of the Spanish Main—Unlimited Edition* \- released March 15, 2005, as a second reprint of the cards from the original "Pirates of the Spanish Main".
* *Pirates of the Revolution* \- third installment of Pirates of the Spanish Main, released in June 2005
* *Pirates of the Barbary Coast* \- released October 26, 2005
* *Pirates of the South China Seas* \- released February 22, 2006
* *Pirates of Davy Jones' Curse* \- released May 31, 2006
* *Pirates of the Mysterious Islands* \- released November 15, 2006
* *Pirates of the Frozen North* \- released February 14, 2007
* *Pirates at Ocean's Edge* \- ninth expansion in the series, released April 18, 2007
* *Pirates of the Caribbean PocketModel Game* \- released November 6, 2007 as a tie-in to the Pirates of the Caribbean movies
* *Rise of the Fiends* \- released January 30, 2008
* *Fire and Steel* \- released April 9, 2008
* *Savage Shores* \- final expansion, released November 5, 2008
* *Return to Savage Shores* \- scheduled for release in early 2009, but never released

## InfoBox

Pirates Constructible Strategy Game
| Oversized Pirates models at Gen Con Indy 2007 | |
| --- | --- |
| Players | 2–9 |
| Setup time | varies, usually 10 minutes |
| Playing time | 30–180 minutes |
| Chance | Considerable |
| Age range | 8+ |
| Skills | Strategy, Dice rolling, Collecting |


title: Port Clarence Bay

abstract: Port Clarence Bay is a waterway in the U.S. state of Alaska. It has the only harbor and safe anchorage for large vessels in Seward Peninsula. The bay is located 25 miles southeast of York. It is a large body of comparatively deep water, nearly circular in outline, and cut off from the sea by a long, low sand spit, which terminates in Point Spencer at the entrance to the bay. Along the north side of Port Clarence Bay, there is a shallow lagoon, separated from the bay by a narrow sand spit. This lagoon extends several miles west of the entrance to Port Clarence. The hamlet of Port Clarence, Alaska is situated on the bay.

text:
# Port Clarence Bay

**Port Clarence Bay** is a waterway in the U.S. state of Alaska. It has the only harbor and safe anchorage for large vessels in Seward Peninsula. The bay is located 25 miles southeast of York. It is a large body of comparatively deep water, nearly circular in outline, and cut off from the sea by a long, low sand spit, which terminates in Point Spencer at the entrance to the bay. Along the north side of Port Clarence Bay, there is a shallow lagoon, separated from the bay by a narrow sand spit. This lagoon extends several miles west of the entrance to Port Clarence. The hamlet of Port Clarence, Alaska is situated on the bay.

## Geography

The harbor at Port Clarence Bay, close to the strait, is free from ocean swell, and was the rendezvous for the Arctic whaling fleet. The bay itself is clear of ice about June 25 to 30. There were three native settlements on the northeast side of the bay, and the dwellers assembled on Point Spencer in the early part of July for trade with the whaling vessels.

The bay is formed by a sand spit which extends from the mainland west and then north, terminating in Point Spencer. The end of the point is quite bold-to and can be approached as close as 1 mile, with depth of 7 fathoms. The channel between Point Spencer and Point Jackson, on the north shore, is about 4 miles wide, clear of danger, and carries from 7 to 9 fathoms. One and one-half miles south of Point Spencer a shoal makes into the bay from the sand spit, having depths of 2.5 fathoms 1 mile off. The northern half of the bay has a general depth of 7 fathoms as close as 1 mile from the shore; the southern half of the bay shoals gradually from this depth toward the shore, and the extreme southern part is very shoal. The north shore is clear of danger, and can be approached as close as i mile, the soundings decreasing regularly to the beach.

Port Clarence connects at its northeast end with Grantley Harbor, which is 3 to 4 miles wide, about 12 miles long, and connects at its eastern end by a narrow, difficult channel with a large lake farther inland. The mouth of the harbor is formed by two sand spits which slightly overlap. The water westward of the sand spits is shoal, but there is a channel close to the north one which can be used by vessels drawing 12 feet or less, but which should be sounded out before attempting to enter. Inside the harbor, the depths range from 2£ to 3 fathoms, and it is probable that a draft of 12 feet can be taken through the channel to the lake. Vessels have gone into Grantley Harbor to heave down and repair on the north sand spit.

Fresh water can be obtained in several places in Port Clarence, the best being from a stream on the east side south of Cape Riley and bearing east-southeast from Point Spencer.

The anchorage used by the whaling fleet is in 5 fathoms, just inside Point Spencer.

In this vicinity, fog is quite prevalent and very dense in summer.

Southwesterly winds increase and northeasterly winds decrease the height of tide.

Outside of Point Spencer the current sets northwestward with a velocity of 1 to 2 knots.

A shoal having a least reported depth of 1.5 fathoms lies nearly 5 miles offshore and about halfway between Cape Douglass and Point Spencer, and vessels should keep well outside of it. Extending about west-northwest from this shoal toward Cape York is a ridge having hard bottom and depths ranging from 4 fathoms near its southeastern end to 5 fathoms in about the latitude of Point Spencer. This ridge extends nearly to the north shore.

* This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: A. J. Collier's "The Tin Deposits of the York Region, Alaska" (1904)
* This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: U.S. Coast & Geodetic Survey and D. H. Jarvis' "Alaska: Coast Pilot Notes on the Fox Islands Passes, Unalaska Bay, Bering Sea, and Arctic Ocean as Far as Point Barrow" (1900)

05°16′40″N 166°4′50″W / 5.27778°N 166.08056°W / 5.27778; -166.08056


title: Pitchipoi

abstract: Pitchipoi is the imaginary place where displaced Jews in France believed they would be deported to, while they were interned in the Drancy internment camp awaiting transport to Auschwitz. In her biography of the painter Charlotte Salomon, who was transported from Drancy to Auschwitz in September 1943, Mary Felstiner quotes from the testimony of Holocaust survivors the following points: For some, Pitchipoi was the nonsense name of a Polish ghetto, a Yiddish name used by Polish Jews; for some, the word "resonated like an eternal curse"; for others, "Pitchipoi was a place of compulsory forced labor". It was Nazi policy to keep Jewish prisoners in a state of ignorance about their final destination, so Pitchipoi was invented to fill this vacuum in their knowledge. Most prisoners were murdered on arrival at the death camps organised by the Germans.

text:
# Pitchipoi

**Pitchipoi** is the imaginary place where displaced Jews in France believed they would be deported to, while they were interned in the Drancy internment camp awaiting transport to Auschwitz.

In her biography of the painter Charlotte Salomon, who was transported from Drancy to Auschwitz in September 1943, Mary Felstiner quotes from the testimony of Holocaust survivors the following points:

For some, Pitchipoi was the nonsense name of a Polish ghetto, a Yiddish name used by Polish Jews; for some, the word "resonated like an eternal curse"; for others, "Pitchipoi was a place of compulsory forced labor".

It was Nazi policy to keep Jewish prisoners in a state of ignorance about their final destination, so Pitchipoi was invented to fill this vacuum in their knowledge. Most prisoners were murdered on arrival at the death camps organised by the Germans.

* Felstiner, Mary Lowenthal (1994). *To Paint Her Life: Charlotte Salomon in the Nazi Era*. HarperCollins. ISBN 0060171057.


title: Vasily Demut-Malinovsky

abstract: Vasily Ivanovich Demut-Malinovsky was a Russian sculptor whose works represent the quintessence of the Empire style.

text:
# Vasily Demut-Malinovsky

**Vasily Ivanovich Demut-Malinovsky** (Russian: Василий Иванович Демут-Малиновский; 2 March 1778 – 16 July 1846) was a Russian sculptor whose works represent the quintessence of the Empire style.

## Biography

He entered the Imperial Academy of Arts at the age of six and studied under Mikhail Kozlovsky for fifteen years. Upon the death of his teacher, he won a competition to design his tomb and departed for Rome to study with Canova. Success came to him with two colossal statues for the Kazan Cathedral in St Petersburg.

In the aftermath of the Russian victory over Napoleon, Demut-Malinovsky executed a number of patriotic pieces, including a tomb and a large statue of Barclay de Tolly in Estonia. Later Alexander I assigned to him the task of preparing bas-reliefs symbolizing the Neva and the Volga for the Alexander Column on Palace Square.

Demut-Malinovsky also designed statuary and decorations for other St Petersburg churches, palaces, and public monuments, especially those designed by Carlo Rossi: the General Staff Building, the Bourse, the Admiralty, the Mining Institute, the Egyptian Gate, the Narva Gate, and the Mikhailovsky Palace.

## Works

## Bibliography

* С. Н. Кондаков (1915). *Юбилейный справочник Императорской Академии художеств. 1764-1914* (in Russian). Vol. 2. p. 251.

Media related to Vasily Demut-Malinovsky at Wikimedia Commons

## InfoBox

| Vasily Demut-Malinovsky | |
| --- | --- |
| Василий Иванович Демут-Малиновский | |
|  | |
| Born | (1778-03-02)March 2, 1778
Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire |
| Died | July 16, 1846(1846-07-16) (aged 68)
Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire |
| Education | Member Academy of Arts (1807) |
| Alma mater | Imperial Academy of Arts (1800) |
| Known for | Sculpture |
| Awards |  |


title: Order of the Smile

abstract: The Order of the Smile is an international award given by children to adults distinguished in their love, care and aid for children.

text:
# Order of the Smile

The **Order of the Smile** (Polish: *Order Uśmiechu*) is an international award given by children to adults distinguished in their love, care and aid for children.

## History

The idea of the Order of the Smile was established in 1968 by the Polish magazine *Kurier Polski*, inspired by Wanda Chotomska. In 1979 (announced by the UNESCO as the International Year of the Child) the Secretary-General of the United Nations Kurt Waldheim officially recognized the Order. From then, the Order of the Smile became an international order.

In 1996, in Rabka, the Order of the Smile Museum was established on the grounds of the family park known as "Rabkoland." After the region had been given the official status of the "City of Children from around the World," an initiative was put forward to open a permanent Polish Santa's Village, which would accept letters addressed to Santa Claus from children across Poland.

In 2003 an International Chapter of the Order of the Smile session took place outside the Warsaw headquarters in Świdnica, where the Child Friendship Center was being erected. Świdnica had been officially titled the "Capital of Children's Dreams," and September 21, 2003, was declared Order of the Smile Children's Day.

## Design

Chotomska's television series *Jacek i Agatka* announced a competition to submit a design for the Order of the Smile. The award's logo was created and developed by a nine-year-old girl from Głuchołazy, Ewa Chrobak. Using a plate as a template, she drew a sun, and added uneven rays of light. The design, one of 45,000 that had been submitted, was chosen by Szymon Kobyliński, who elaborated it into its current form.

## Nomination

All candidates for the Order of Smile should be nominated by children. Nominations can come from a single child or collectively from many children. Nominations can be submitted from all around the world. The candidates should be people of extraordinary love and work for children. Nominations should be sent to the International Chapter of the Order of Smile (ICOS). Afterwards the candidates are chosen to be Laureates by the Chapter.

The Order is awarded twice a year: in spring and in fall. Laureates of the Order of Smile include now about 1000 people from almost 50 countries (state of April 2016).

## Decorating

The medal - which is a badge representing a smiling sun - is awarded in Warsaw, Poland by the International Chapter of the Order of the Smile. There is a special procedure of the decoration. In special cases the decoration could be held outside Poland, in the country of the laureate. The right to use the title of the "Knight of the Order of Smile" is guaranteed only to those who were decorated at an official ceremony organized by the Chapter.

Traditionally, upon being awarded with the medal, each recipient must drink a glass or cup of lemon juice while smiling throughout the process.

## International Chapter

Although most of the 59 members of the Chapter are of Polish descent, it includes representatives from other countries such as Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Romania, Serbia, Sudan, Tunisia, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and the United States.

At the forefront of the International Chapter of the Order of Smile stands the Chancellor, Marek Michalak, who remains in this position since 19 January 2007. Previous Chancellors include: Ewa Szelburg-Zarembina (from 1968 to 1976), Radoslaw Ostrowicz (from 1982 to 1990), and Cezary Leżenski (from 1976 to 1981, and again from 1992 to 2006).

On 16 November 1992, the International Chapter of the Order of Smile was officially registered in Poland as an association.

## Recipients

## Further reading

* Pagan, M. (1989, January 25). Helping children with sick hearts. The Record, pp. 49–49. .Retrieved 2022-3-25.

## InfoBox

| Order of the Smile
*Order Uśmiechu*
 | |
| --- | --- |
| Awarded by the International Chapter
of the Order of the Smile | |
| Type | Single grade order |
| Established | 1968 |
| Motto | *Dobro wszystkich dzieci na świecie najwyższym celem ludzi szlachetnych*
(The welfare of all children in the world is the highest goal of noble people) |
| Eligibility | Adults |
| Status | Currently awarded |
| Chancellor | Marek Michalak |
| Grades | Knight |
| Website | orderusmiechu.pl |
|
Ribbon bar of the order

 | |


title: Yusif Sulemana

abstract: Yusif Sulemana is a Ghanaian politician and member of the Seventh Parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana representing the Bole in the Northern Region on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress. He was born in Ghana.

text:
# Yusif Sulemana

**Yusif Sulemana** (born 29 July 1972) is a Ghanaian politician and member of the Seventh Parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana representing the Bole in the Northern Region on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress. He was born in Ghana.

## Early life and education

Sulemana hails from Bole. He holds a certificate in Monitoring and Evaluation from GIMPA and a B.S.C and an E.M.B.A from the University of Ghana.

## Personal life

Yusif Sulemana is a Muslim.

## Politics

Sulemana is a member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and represented the Bole Bamboi constituency in the Savanna Region in the Seventh and Eighth Parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana.

### 2016 election

Sulemana contested the Bole Bamboi parliamentary seat on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress during the 2016 Ghanaian general election and won with 17,326 votes representing 73.85% of the total votes. He was elected over Alele Veronica Heming of the New Patriotic Party who polled 5,711 votes which is equivalent to 24.34%, parliamentary candidate for the PPP Akwesi Osman Daniel had 284 votes representing 1.21% and the parliamentary candidate for the Convention People's Party Issahaku Siiba had 141 votes representing 0.60% of the total votes.

#### 2020 election

Sulemana was re-elected as a member of parliament for Bole constituency on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress during the 2020 Ghanaian general election and won with 26,350 votes out of 38,935 total valid votes representing 67.68% over David Sei Damah of the New Patriotic Party who had 12,585 votes, representing 32.32% of the total valid votes.

### Committees

Sulemana is a member of Trade Industry and Tourism committee and Public Accounts committee.

## InfoBox

| HonYusif Sulemana | |
| --- | --- |
|  | |
|  | |
| Member of the Ghana Parliament
for Bole | |
| **Incumbent** | |
| **Assumed office**
7 January 2021 | |
|  | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Yusif Sulemana
(1972-07-29) 29 July 1972
Bole, Ghana |
| Political party | National Democratic Congress |
| Alma mater | University of Ghana |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Committees | Trade, Industry and Tourism Committee, Public Accounts Committee |
|  | |


title: Navia scirpiflora

abstract: Navia scirpiflora is a plant species in the genus Navia. This species is endemic to Venezuela.

text:
# Navia scirpiflora

***Navia scirpiflora*** is a plant species in the genus *Navia*. This species is endemic to Venezuela.

* Holst, Bruce K. (1 February 1994). "Checklist of Venezuelan Bromeliaceae with Notes on Species Distribution by State and Levels of Endemism". *Selbyana*. **15** (1). ISSN 2689-0682. JSTOR 41759858.

## InfoBox

| *Navia scirpiflora* | |
| --- | --- |
|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| *Clade*: | Tracheophytes |
| *Clade*: | Angiosperms |
| *Clade*: | Monocots |
| *Clade*: | Commelinids |
| Order: | Poales |
| Family: | Bromeliaceae |
| Genus: | *Navia* |
| Species: | ***N. scirpiflora*** |
| Binomial name | |
| ***Navia scirpiflora***<br>L.B. Smith, Steyermark & Robinson | |
|


title: Walters, Oklahoma

abstract: Walters is a town in Cotton County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 2,412 as of the 2020 United States census. The city, nestled between twin creeks, is the county seat of Cotton County. The city's motto is "Small town; Big heart".

text:
# Walters, Oklahoma

**Walters** is a town in Cotton County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 2,412 as of the 2020 United States census. The city, nestled between twin creeks, is the county seat of Cotton County. The city's motto is "Small town; Big heart".

## History

The land that is present-day Oklahoma was first settled by prehistoric American Indians including the Clovis 11500 BCE, Folsom 10600 BCE and Plainview 10000 BCE cultures. Western explorers came to the region in the 16th century, with Spanish explorer Francisco Vásquez de Coronado visiting in 1541. Most of the region during this time was settled by the Wichita and Caddo peoples. Around the 1700s, two tribes from the North, the Comanches and Kiowas, migrated to the Oklahoma and Texas region.

For most of the 18th century, the Oklahoma region was under French control as part of Louisiana. In 1803, the Louisiana Purchase by Thomas Jefferson brought the area under United States control. In 1830, Congress passed the Indian Removal Act, which removed American Indian tribes and relocated them to Indian Territory. The southern part of the territory was originally assigned to the Choctaw and Chickasaw, until the 1867 Medicine Lodge Treaty allotted the southwest portion of the Choctaw and Chickasaw's lands to the Comanche, Kiowa, and Apache.

The City of Walters was organized on August 6, 1901, under the original name of McKnight, Indian Territory. Application for a post office was made, and it was determined that a town in Harmon County had already taken the name of McKnight. This required that the name be changed. The name of Walters was chosen, in honor of W. R. Walters, but the "s" was not included on the post office application, so the post office was named Walter.

The city finally grew large enough to meet the requirements for a government patent, and one was granted in June 1904. On August 12, 1912, an election was held to form a new County (Cotton) from a portion of Comanche County. The election was successful and Cotton County became the last county formed in Oklahoma on August 28, 1912. Shortly thereafter, another election was held to determine whether Walters or Temple would become the county seat; on December 2, 1912, Walters won by 282 votes, officially becoming the seat of Cotton County. The names of Walter and Walters were used interchangeably and confusingly until June 1917, when an application was made to Congress to officially change the post office name to Walters.

## Geography

The city is lies in the Taovayan Valley, the area between the Wichita Mountains and the Red River. Consisting of grassland, oak savannahs and rolling hills, the city lies within an ecotone on the western edge of the Cross Timbers, which are located to the east. Monsoon-like rains are common in the spring months, while periods of drought can occur throughout other parts of the year. The city is about 19 miles (31 km) south of Lawton, situated between two tributaries of the Red River, the East and West Cache Creeks. The bottom lands around the creeks are thickly surrounded by Burr oak, Escarpment live oak, Shumard oak, Pecan, Eastern Redbud, American Persimmon, and American Elm.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.4 square miles (22 km2), of which 8.1 square miles (21 km2) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km2) (2.75%) water.

For tourism purposes, the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department has designated Southwestern Oklahoma, including Cotton County, as Great Plains Country.

| Climate data for Walters, Oklahoma | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 52.5
(11.4) | 58.4
(14.7) | 66.7
(19.3) | 76.2
(24.6) | 83.2
(28.4) | 91.5
(33.1) | 96.7
(35.9) | 96.7
(35.9) | 88.5
(31.4) | 77.6
(25.3) | 64.7
(18.2) | 54.8
(12.7) | 75.6
(24.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 28
(−2) | 32.4
(0.2) | 39.4
(4.1) | 49.4
(9.7) | 58.7
(14.8) | 67.5
(19.7) | 71.1
(21.7) | 70.4
(21.3) | 62.9
(17.2) | 51.5
(10.8) | 39.2
(4.0) | 30.6
(−0.8) | 50.1
(10.1) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 1.4
(36) | 1.6
(41) | 3.2
(81) | 3.8
(97) | 4.7
(120) | 4.8
(120) | 2.4
(61) | 2.6
(66) | 3.4
(86) | 3.3
(84) | 1.7
(43) | 1.5
(38) | 34.4
(870) |
| Source 1: weather.com | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Source 2: Weatherbase | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

## Demographics

Historical population
| Census | Pop. | Note |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1910 | 1,377 |  |  |
| 1920 | 3,032 |  | 120.2% |
| 1930 | 2,262 |  | −25.4% |
| 1940 | 2,238 |  | −1.1% |
| 1950 | 2,743 |  | 22.6% |
| 1960 | 2,825 |  | 3.0% |
| 1970 | 2,611 |  | −7.6% |
| 1980 | 2,778 |  | 6.4% |
| 1990 | 2,519 |  | −9.3% |
| 2000 | 2,657 |  | 5.5% |
| 2010 | 2,551 |  | −4.0% |
| 2020 | 2,412 |  | −5.4% |
| U.S. Decennial Census | | | |

As of the census of 2000, there were 2,657 people, 1,063 households, and 721 families residing in the city. The population density was 326.6 inhabitants per square mile (126.1/km2). There were 1,256 housing units, for an average density of 154.4 per square mile (59.6/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 84.38% White, 0.38% African American, 10.24% Native American, 0.08% Asian, 1.02% from other races, and 3.91% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.42% of the population.

There were 1,063 households, out of which 33.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.1% were married couples living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.1% were non-families. 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.05.

In age the city's the population was spread out, with 27.8% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 18.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $25,771 and the median income for a family was $31,532. Males had a median income of $27,578 versus $18,669 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,398. About 15.9% of families and 19.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.4% of those under age 18 and 17.9% of those age 65 or over.

## Historic Buildings

All NRHP-listed buildings in Cotton County, Oklahoma are located in Walters:

* The First United Methodist Church, built in 1917.
* The Cotton County Courthouse, a Classical Revival structure from 1925.
* The Walters Rock Island Depot. In 1984 the city bought the Rock Island Depot, and the Cotton County Art Council rehabilitated the building, turning it into a museum.

## Culture

*The Walters Herald*, the local newspaper published since 1925, promotes itself as "The Voice of Cotton County".

Walters has many annual festivals that take place throughout the year. Festivals are centered around the arts, agriculture, western Cowboy culture, and Native American culture.

### Spring

The CCAC Arts & Crafts Festival is a judged arts and crafts festival sponsored by the Cotton County Art Council and the Oklahoma Arts Council.

### Summer

Comanche Nation Homecoming Powwow, which features multiple categories of traditional American Indian dancing including gourd, cloth, buckskin, straight, fancy and more. Food and merchandise vendors are also on-hand.

Round Up Club Rodeo, which besides the actual multi-day rodeo features a parade with decorated cars, trucks, tractors and floats.

## Notable people

## Utilities

Telephone, Internet, and Digital TV is provided by Hilliary Communications.

## InfoBox

| Walters, Oklahoma | |
| --- | --- |
| City | |
| Cotton County Courthouse in 2014 | |
| Motto(s): "Small town; Big heart" | |
| Location of Walters, Oklahoma | |
| Coordinates: 34°21′40″N 98°21′24″W / 34.36111°N 98.35667°W / 34.36111; -98.35667 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Oklahoma |
| County | Cotton |
| Area | |
| Total | 8.33 sq mi (21.57 km2) |
| Land | 8.07 sq mi (20.89 km2) |
| Water | 0.26 sq mi (0.68 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,066 ft (325 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
| Total | 2,412 |
| Density | 299.00/sq mi (115.44/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code | 73572 |
| Area code | 580 |
| FIPS code | 40-78150 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2412177 |


title: Vasily Demchenko

abstract: Vasili Demchenko is a Russian professional ice hockey goaltender for Admiral Vladivostok of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).

text:
# Vasily Demchenko

**Vasili Demchenko** (born March 16, 1994) is a Russian professional ice hockey goaltender for Admiral Vladivostok of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).

## Playing career

Demchenko originally played as a youth within local club, Traktor Chelyabinsk. Undrafted, he made his professional debut in the Kontinental Hockey League, appearing in 1 game during the 2013–14 season.

Assuming starting goaltender duties from the 2015–16 season, Demchenko made 198 appearances with Traktor Chelyabinsk before transferring during the 2019–20 season to Metallurg Magnitogorsk on December 3, 2019. He made 14 further appearances with Magnitogorsk, collecting just 2 wins.

As a free agent on 21 April 2020, Demchenko was signed to a one-year, entry-level contract with the Montreal Canadiens. In the pandemic delayed 2020–21 season, Demchenko was re-assigned to join the Canadiens American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Laval Rocket. With his season interrupted through injury, Demchenko appeared in just 4 games with the Rocket, posting 3 wins.

On 19 May 2021, Demchenko as an impending restricted free agent opted to leave the Montreal Canadiens and return to Russia in signing a one-year contract with newly crowned KHL Champions, Avangard Omsk.

## Career statistics

|  | | |  | Regular season | | | | | | | | |  | Playoffs | | | | | | | |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Season | Team | League | | GP | W | L | OT | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | | GP | W | L | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% |
| 2010–11 | Belye Medvedi | MHL | | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 85 | 3 | 0 | 2.12 | .927 | |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| 2011–12 | Belye Medvedi | MHL | | 53 | 16 | 28 | 7 | 2844 | 158 | 0 | 3.33 | .887 | |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| 2012–13 | Belye Medvedi | MHL | | 53 | 35 | 14 | 2 | 3014 | 112 | 7 | 2.23 | .924 | | 5 | 2 | 3 | 275 | 14 | 0 | 3.05 | .901 |
| 2013–14 | Belye Medvedi | MHL | | 28 | 24 | 2 | 2 | 1658 | 37 | 5 | 1.34 | .947 | | 15 | 10 | 5 | 895 | 29 | 2 | 1.94 | .922 |
| 2013–14 | Traktor Chelyabinsk | KHL | | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 2 | 0 | 4.24 | .857 | |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| 2013–14 | Chelmet Chelyabinsk | VHL | | 9 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 539 | 23 | 0 | 2.56 | .898 | |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| 2014–15 | Chelmet Chelyabinsk | VHL | | 12 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 665 | 24 | 1 | 2.16 | .926 | |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| 2014–15 | Traktor Chelyabinsk | KHL | | 18 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 978 | 41 | 0 | 2.51 | .912 | | 3 | 1 | 1 | 151 | 6 | 0 | 2.39 | .891 |
| 2014–15 | Belye Medvedi | MHL | | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 60 | 2 | 0 | 2.00 | .931 | | 6 | 4 | 2 | 335 | 16 | 0 | 2.86 | .910 |
| 2015–16 | Traktor Chelyabinsk | KHL | | 48 | 16 | 20 | 10 | 2797 | 108 | 3 | 2.32 | .922 | |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| 2016–17 | Traktor Chelyabinsk | KHL | | 35 | 15 | 14 | 5 | 1922 | 69 | 4 | 2.15 | .933 | | 1 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 1 | 0 | 1.60 | .941 |
| 2017–18 | Traktor Chelyabinsk | KHL | | 28 | 13 | 10 | 3 | 1418 | 58 | 2 | 2.45 | .931 | | 5 | 2 | 3 | 278 | 11 | 0 | 2.37 | .943 |
| 2018–19 | Traktor Chelyabinsk | KHL | | 46 | 21 | 18 | 2 | 2507 | 92 | 5 | 2.20 | .932 | | 2 | 0 | 2 | 119 | 8 | 0 | 4.05 | .889 |
| 2019–20 | Traktor Chelyabinsk | KHL | | 22 | 7 | 11 | 1 | 1203 | 56 | 0 | 2.79 | .908 | |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| 2019–20 | Metallurg Magnitogorsk | KHL | | 14 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 554 | 25 | 0 | 2.71 | .906 | |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| 2020–21 | Laval Rocket | AHL | | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 240 | 9 | 0 | 2.25 | .905 | |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| 2021–22 | Avangard Omsk | KHL | | 9 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 475 | 15 | 1 | 1.89 | .928 | | 2 | 0 | 0 | 53 | 1 | 0 | 1.12 | .958 |
| 2022–23 | Avangard Omsk | KHL | | 55 | 30 | 16 | 4 | 3182 | 106 | 3 | 2.00 | .928 | | 14 | 9 | 5 | 882 | 29 | 0 | 1.97 | .933 |
| 2023–24 | Avangard Omsk | KHL | | 11 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 568 | 31 | 1 | 3.28 | .872 | |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| 2023–24 | Admiral Vladivostok | KHL | | 22 | 6 | 11 | 3 | 1225 | 54 | 1 | 2.65 | .920 | |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| KHL totals | | | | 309 | 126 | 122 | 33 | 16,858 | 657 | 20 | 2.34 | .923 | | 27 | 12 | 11 | 1,520 | 56 | 0 | 2.21 | .929 |

## InfoBox

| Vasily Demchenko | | | |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Born | (1994-03-16) March 16, 1994
Chelyabinsk, Russia | | |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) | | |
| Weight | 165 lb (75 kg; 11 st 11 lb) | | |
| Position | Goaltender | | |
| Catches | Left | | |
| KHL team
Former teams | *Admiral Vladivostok*
Traktor Chelyabinsk
Metallurg Magnitogorsk
Avangard Omsk | | |
| NHL draft | Undrafted | | |
| Playing career | 2013present | | |


title: Oral pigmentation

abstract:
Oral pigmentation is asymptomatic and does not usually cause any alteration to the texture or thickness of the affected area. The colour can be uniform or speckled and can appear solitary or as multiple lesions. Depending on the site, depth, and quantity of pigment, the appearance can vary considerably. Oral pigmentation is found in the following places:
  - Lower vermillion border
  - Tongue
  - Oral mucosa
  - Gingivae
  - Palate Oral pigmentation affects about 3% of the population and is most likely seen in those with dark skin; however people with light skin have, on average, 30 local pigmented areas and in some circumstances will present intra-orally. They are more often found in females than males and the typical age at presentation is 40 years although they can appear at any age.

text:
# Oral pigmentation

**Oral pigmentation** is asymptomatic and does not usually cause any alteration to the texture or thickness of the affected area. The colour can be uniform or speckled and can appear solitary or as multiple lesions. Depending on the site, depth, and quantity of pigment, the appearance can vary considerably.

Oral pigmentation is found in the following places:

* Lower vermillion border (the exposed pink or reddish margin of a lip)
* Tongue
* Oral mucosa
* Gingivae
* Palate

Oral pigmentation affects about 3% of the population and is most likely seen in those with dark skin; however people with light skin have, on average, 30 local pigmented areas and in some circumstances will present intra-orally. They are more often found in females than males and the typical age at presentation is 40 years although they can appear at any age.

## Causes

### Racial pigmentation

Oral pigmentation affects about 3% of the population and is most likely seen in those with dark skin; however, people with light skin have, on average, 30 local pigmented areas and in some circumstances will present intra-orally. They are more often found in females than males and the typical age at presentation is 40 years, although they can appear at any age.

### Black hairy tongue

Black hairy tongue is a harmless condition which causes blackening pigmentation on the dorsum of the tongue. It is a very common oral condition and affects 13% of the world population. It is often due to poor oral hygiene which leads to accumulation of oral bacteria and build up of keratin on the tongue surface. Black hairy tongue can also be associated with the use of certain medications such as antibiotics, prolonged coffee/tea drinking habit, or smoking.

### Amalgam tattoo

The amalgam tattoo is mostly found on the alveolar or gingival mucosa (however can sometimes found on the buccal mucosa) and is more commonly found in females and older patients. It appears as painless, blue/gray/black, nonulcerated, soft macule without any erythematous reaction surrounding it. The tattoos greatest diameter is usually less than 0.5 cm and some lesions containing larger particles may be identifiable on certain radiographs.

Some patients exhibit a long-term inflammatory response and if so they may produce discoloured, small papules. The discoloured patch may enlarge over time in patients demonstrating a strong macrophage response

Amalgam deposits can be found within bone occasionally. This can be caused during a surgical procedure e.g. tooth extraction or endodontic surgery, which has caused the material to become inadvertently dislodged from a restoration in an adjacent tooth. These deposits become blackened and can lead to blackening of the adjacent bone.

### Peutz–Jeghers syndrome

The autosomal dominant disorder Peutz–Jeghers syndrome is characterized by 'intestinal hamartomatous polyps in association with mucocutaneous melanocytic macules'. These macules often vary in shades of brown, size and are confluent, Although any oral site can be affected, in almost all cases pigmented macules appear on the buccal mucosae, lips and around the mouth. Pigmented macules on the face are less common. The extent of oral involvement and degree of pigmentation varies between each individual case.

An individual who has this syndrome has a relative risk fifteen times greater of developing cancer in comparison to the general population.

In older patients, the main consequence of the syndrome is cancer. The sites mainly affected include the pancreas, stomach, lungs, colon, small intestine, uterus, breasts and the ovaries and breasts. Additionally, Peutz–Jeghers Syndrome can be associated with other reproductive site cancers including  sertoli cell tumours and adenoma malignum of the cervix.

In young patients, intussusception and obstruction of the small intestinal obstruction and are the main complications, these are caused by the small intestinal location of the polyps.

### Addison's disease

Addison's disease can be caused by a variety of pathological processes. It is an endocrinal disorder where there is an increased amount of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) as a result of deficient amounts of hormones being produced from the adrenal cortex. Due to this, dark pigmentation may be visible on the oral mucosa or skin. Most common oral sites include: buccal mucosa, lips, gums, hard palate or tongue. Intraoral sites are usually seen as the first sign and they usually develop prior to the skin lesions. In developing countries, this disease is often associated with tuberculosis, where the infection can lead to destruction of the adrenal gland.

#### Systemically oral melanosis can also be associated with the following;

### Kaposi's sarcoma

This is an intermediate neoplasm which affects the skin and mucous membranes; usually arising in patients with HIV. The stages of this type of pigmentation start from an early patch stage, to become plaque-like which then develop into larger nodules- known as the tumour stage. It is common to have oral involvement with this disease and frequently this is associated with a poor prognosis.

### Smoker's melanosis

Smoker's Melanosis, benign melanocytic pigmentation of the oral mucosa, most commonly seen in the lower labial gingiva and interdental papillae of smokers. Smoking results in an increase of melanin deposit in the oral mucosa through physical thermal damage and chemical interaction between melanin and nicotine compounds, but this is not the only risk factor towards the pigmentation, it is also associated with other aetiology factors.

### Oral melanoacanthoma

Oral melanoacanthoma are benign pigmented lesions due to dendritic melanocyte proliferation and superficial epithelium acanthosis. Clinically characterized by a rapidly growing macular brown lesion that appears suddenly.

### Melanocytic nevi

Oral nevi or oral melanocytic nevi, are result of benign proliferations of nevus cells present either in the epithelial layer, the submucosal layer or both. Most commonly seen presentation of oral nevi are intramucosal nevi, these are dome shaped brown papules accounting for 64% of all reported case of oral nevi. Other presentation of oral nevi includes: Blue nevus, junctional nevus and compound nevus.

### Melanotic macules

Melanotic macules can be found on the buccal mucosa, lip, palate, alveolar ridge and gingiva. Melanotic macules are benign pigmented lesions that are found in the oral cavity, caused by an increase in pigmentation in the basal cell layer of the epithelium and the lamina propria. Clinically presentation of melanotic macules are typically a brown, black, blue or grey area that is well circumscribed, lesions are usually less than 10 mm in diameter but can be larger in some cases. Vermillion border of the lips is the most common site to find melanotic macules.

### Oral melanoma

This type of oral malignancy is very rare. It is caused by proliferation of malignant melanocytes within the connective tissues. Most common oral sites include the hard palate and gums. The presentation of oral melanoma can vary; some could be asymptomatic pigmented areas, whilst others could be rapidly growing areas of ulceration with symptoms such as, bone destruction, pain and bleeding.

To stage oral melanoma, the TNM clinical staging system is used. This stands for 'Tumor – Nodes – Metastasis'. It highlights the three stages: stage I is a primary tumor; stage II is a metastatic tumor which has spread to regional lymph nodes and; stage III is a metastatic tumor which has spread to distant sites.

## Pathogenesis

Many different diseases can cause melanin pigmented lesions in the mouth through

1. Increase in the number of melanocytes or melanocytosis
2. Increased melanin production with or without melanocytosis

Melanin is an endogenous pigment synthesized by melanocytes that are located in the basal layer of epithelium. Melanin is then transferred to keratinocytes in melanosomes. Nevus cells in the skin and oral mucosa also produce melanin. Oral melanosis can present as black, gray, blue or brown lesions depending on the site and amount of melanin deposition in tissues.

### Physiological

Increased melanin production without increase in melanocytes

### Peutz–Jeghers syndrome

Increased production of melanin without increase in number of melanocytes

### Addison's disease

Decrease in blood adrenocortical hormone level causes increased levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone secreted by anterior pituitary gland. As a result, melanocyte-stimulating hormone is induced which causes oral melanosis.

### Smoker's melanosis

Increased melanin production to defend against damage from tobacco smoke

### Oral melanoacanthoma

Increased number of dendritic melanocytes

### Melanocytic nevi

Accumulation of nevus cells at the basal layer of the epithelium or in the connective tissue or both

### Oral melanoma

Increased number of malignant melanocytes

## Diagnosis

Diagnosis of oral pigmentation is by a complete history taken by the clinician followed by a thorough clinical examination. Management of such lesions is typically by close clinical monitoring, photographs and measuring tools. A biopsy may be indicated where the following features are present: large or new-pigmented lesions and those with a papular appearance or irregular colouration.

## Management

### Physiological oral pigmentation

Physiological pigmentation is considered of normal variation. However, for some individuals, the brown/black discolouration may be aesthetically displeasing. It may cause embarrassment or discomfort for some, particularly when smiling or talking. Some methods used to eliminate or reduce this pigmentation include gingivectomy, laser therapy and cryosurgery. There are pros and cons for each type of management strategy.

Cryotherapy is one of the most successful and popular treatments for oral melanosis. Cryotherapy damages the tissue by freezing its internal components – thereby jeopardising the cells' optimum temperature; leading to denaturation of enzymes and proteins required for cell function. Minimum temperature needed for cell damage is cell specific, and melanocytes are very sensitive to low temperatures at −4 °C to −7 °C where cell death can occur. This procedure is relatively pain free, so local anaesthesia is generally not needed. Immediately after, slight erythema of the gingiva becomes apparent. Superficial necrosis is observed over the next few days and a whitish slough could be separated from the underlying tissue leaving a clean pink ulcer bed. Within a week, the gingiva returns to normal and is fully healed in next few weeks minus the pigmentation. In conclusion, cryotherapy has been described as the most suitable treatment options for physiological oral melanosis. It is simple yet effective method for treating oral pigmentation with minimal trauma to the patient.

Alternatively, lasers can be used to treat physiological oral melanosis. There are many different lasers available on the market to purchase, each with their own individual benefits and disadvantages. These lasers are expensive therefore, not commonly available in a hospital or clinical setting. However, lasers allow for controlled cutting with a limited depth of necrosis. Studies have shown the diode laser is a safe method and is the preferred laser when no other short pulse lasers are available. The diode laser is specific and is absorbed only by the melanin meaning more selective destruction and less damage to surrounding normal tissue with comparison to CO2 lasers.

### Systemic conditions associated with oral pigmentation

Oral melanosis caused by systemic diseases may be the first sign a dentist or medical professional may pick up to cause suspicion for any underlying systemic disease. Most diseases are treated with the relevant medications which leads to a gradual decrease in oral melanosis. For example, Addison's disease causes hyperpigmentation in the mouth and may be noticed during an exam followed alongside other systemic symptoms. An oral biopsy alongside other relevant tests (i.e. bloods) should be taken and confirmed for diagnosis for any type of oral melanosis which you suspect to be caused by an underlying disease. For Addison's, the specific treatment option would be to treat with glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids.

Alternatively, the continuous exposure to high concentrations of corticosteroids increases susceptibility to Cushing's syndrome which is also a cause of oral melanosis. The patterns of pigmentation are very similar to those with Addison's. The management of these depend on the severity and can be removed by surgical, radiation or drug therapy i.e. Pasierotide.

With regards to oral melanosis caused by systemic diseases, the most important thing to do is to refer the patient to their GMP if there is a suspicion of any underlying systemic cause. If suitable, then it would be appropriate to carry out the relevant investigation to come to a definitive diagnosis. From here it will be easier to manage the cause with the relevant medication or therapy.

### Kaposi's sarcoma

There is a variety of different treatment options for Kaposi sarcoma. The appropriate therapy options may vary depending on the variation of disease and the patients immune status. If the lesion is localised, usually found in classical Kaposi sarcoma, and not systemic treatments can be any from lasers, cryotherapy, non-intervention, chemotherapy and immune upregulation. For generalized and systemic cases chemotherapeutic drugs are used. HAART is also a recognised treatment if the patient is known to have AIDS-related Kaposi sarcoma. For cases of iatrogenic Kaposi sarcoma any immunosuppressive medication should be stopped or reduced if able.

### Smoker's melanosis

Smokers melanosis may resolve over several years following smoking cessation.

### Oral melanoma

An initial biopsy of the lesion may be carried out first to determine correct diagnosis. Following this there is a number of different treatment options available. The combination used will be based on the individual patient and presenting melanoma. Surgical resection is most commonly carried out. This involves cutting out the lesion and ensuring complete removal from the oral cavity. Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy are considered first line management and they may be used in conjunction with surgery. Another option available is Immunotherapy. The aim of this is to target cells or molecules in the immune system in an effort to destroy tumours. This can be done by suppressing or stimulating the patients immune system. After treatment has been carried out patients should be seen for regular follow ups to manage any reoccurrence early and ensure complete healing following surgeries. If the melanoma has progressed extensively and metastasised, treatment, for example surgery, would be carried out in a palliative nature only.

## Epidemiology

Oral pigmentation also be classified as two categories, melanocytic or non-melanocytic. (Melanocytic being the genesis due to the increase in melanotic pigments and non-melanocytic origin being the genesis from non melanotic causes). The prevalence of melanocytic and non-melanocytic causes of oral melanosis was roughly 1:1.

### Physiological

Oral pigmentation affects about 3% of the population and is most likely seen in those with dark skin

### Peutz–Jeghers syndrome

For Peutz–Jeghers syndrome the frequency is approximately 1 case per 60,000–300,000 people in the US. Equal occurrence in both sexes and all races. Average age of diagnosis being 23 years in men and 26 years in women.

### Smokers melanosis

Smoker's melanosis is present in all age groups, has no observed sex or race predilection.

### Melanotic macule

For hyperplastic or neoplastic processes, the mean age of oral melanotic macule (hyperplastic- increase in malanoticpigments without an increase in malanocytes) is 43.1 years with the mean size of the lesion was about 6.8mm. The female: male ratio is 2:1 and lower lip being the most common location. For oral melanoma (neoplastic) the mean age was 53.8 years with equal ratio of female:male and most common location being in the palate or gingiva.

### Oral melanoma

For oral melanoma (neoplastic lesion), the mean age was 53.8 years with equal ratio of female:male and most common location being in the palate or gingiva.

### Cumulative frequency

The occurrence of oral malanosis on the cheeks were (21%), alveolar mucosa (16.6%), gingiva (11.8%). Amalgam tattoo being majority of the cases (46.3%), malanotic macules (22.9%) and nevus (20.5%).


title: Yusif Sadykhov

abstract: Yusif Madat oglu Sadykhov was an Azerbaijani Red Army Starshina and Hero of the Soviet Union. Sadykhov was a gun commander in an artillery battalion and was awarded the title for his actions during the Vistula–Oder Offensive. In the offensive, he was credited with knocking out several German armored vehicles and suppressing firing positions, enabling the creation of a bridgehead. He was discharged in 1945 and returned to Tovuz, becoming director of an oil depot.

text:
# Yusif Sadykhov

**Yusif Madat oglu Sadykhov** (Azerbaijani: Yusif Mədət oğlu Sadıqov; 1918 – 11 June 1971) was an Azerbaijani Red Army Starshina and Hero of the Soviet Union. Sadykhov was a gun commander in an artillery battalion and was awarded the title for his actions during the Vistula–Oder Offensive. In the offensive, he was credited with knocking out several German armored vehicles and suppressing firing positions, enabling the creation of a bridgehead. He was discharged in 1945 and returned to Tovuz, becoming director of an oil depot.

## Early life

Sadykhov was born in 1918 in the village of Ağdam to a peasant family. He received secondary education and afterwards worked as a farmhand. In 1938, he was drafted into the Red Army.

## World War II

Sadykhov fought in combat from February 1942. He fought on the Voronezh Front. He became a gun commander in the 19th Guards Mechanized Brigade's Artillery Battalion. In 1943, he joined the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. During the summer of 1943 during the Battle of Kursk Sadykhov's battery was attacked by 40 German tanks supported by infantry. Despite being wounded twice, Sadykhov reportedly did not leave the front line and replaced the badly wounded gunner. In this action, his gun reportedly knocked out nine German vehicles, five of which were personally destroyed by Sadykhov. Fire from the gun also reportedly killed hundreds of German soldiers.

During the summer of 1944, Sadykhov fought in Operation Bagration and then the Lublin–Brest Offensive. Around this time, he reportedly captured a German infantry division staff officer. From January 1945, he fought in the Vistula-Oder Offensive. On 16 January 1945, during Soviet efforts to the breakthrough German defenses around the Magnuszew bridgehead in Nowe Miasto nad Pilicą he was reportedly among the first to cross the Pilica. His gun suppressed German firing points, contributing to the formation of the bridgehead. On 18 January, near Zgierz while repulsing counterattacks Sadykhov's gun reportedly knocked out a tank and two armored personnel carriers, as well as killing a group of German soldiers. He was wounded in these battles and returned to the brigade two months later. Sadykhov was awarded the Medal "For Courage" on 21 February. On 15 March, he was awarded the Order of the Red Star.

Sadykhov fought in the Battle of Berlin. On 26 April, 25 tanks and an infantry battalion attacked the positions of his battery. The German troops attempted to break through the encirclement and reach Baruth. In two hours, the battery reportedly destroyed eight tanks and killed over 200 German soldiers. Sadykhov was seriously wounded in the head but reportedly did not leave the battlefield. He received the Medal "For Courage" on 16 May. On 31 May, he was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union and the Order of Lenin.

## Postwar

In 1945, Sadykhov was discharged. He returned to Tovuz and became director of an oil depot. He died on 11 November 1971 and was buried in Agdam.

A street in Tovuz is named for Sadykhov. A bust of him was erected in the village of Bozargan in Tovuz District.

1. "Yusif Sadykhov". *Герои страны ("Heroes of the Country")* (in Russian).
2. Shkadov, Ivan, ed. (1988). *Герои Советского Союза: Краткий биографический словарь* \[*Heroes of the Soviet Union: A Brief Biographical Dictionary*\] (in Russian). Vol. 2 Lyubov-Yashchuk. Moscow: Voenizdat. ISBN 5203005362.
3. Order No. 13, 8th Guards Mechanized Corps, available online at pamyat-naroda.ru
4. Order No. 10, 19th Guards Mechanized Brigade, available online at pamyat-naroda.ru
5. Order No. 16, 19th Guards Mechanized Brigade, available online at pamyat-naroda.ru
6. Hero of the Soviet Union citation, available online at pamyat-naroda.ru

## InfoBox

| Yusif Madat oglu Sadykhov | |
| --- | --- |
|  | |
| Native name | Yusif Mədət oğlu Sadıqov |
| Born | 1918
Agdam |
| Died | 11 December 1971
Tovuz, Azerbaijan SSR, Soviet Union |
| Allegiance | Soviet Union |
| Service/branch | Red Army |
| Years of service | 1938–1945 |
| Rank | Starshina |
| Unit | 19th Guards Mechanized Brigade |
| Battles/wars |  |
| Awards | Hero of the Soviet Union |


abstract: The National Temperance Society and Publishing House was a publishing house which advocated personal alcohol temperance and a governmental ban on the personal consumption of alcohol. It was based in New York City.

text:
# National Temperance Society and Publishing House

The **National Temperance Society and Publishing House** was a publishing house which advocated personal alcohol temperance and a governmental ban on the personal consumption of alcohol. It was based in New York City.

## Foundation

It was founded in 1865 following a two-day, non-denominational conference of temperance advocates Saratoga Springs, New York. Among its founders were William E. Dodge, Neal Dow and James Black. Dodge was elected president and held the position until his death in 1883.

## Publications

During its first 60 years, it published over a billion pages of literature in support of the temperance movement. Its three monthly magazines had a combined circulation of about 600,000. They were *The National Temperance Advocate* for adults, *The Youth's Temperance Banner* for adolescents, and *The Water Lily* for children. The Society also published over 2,000 books and pamphlets in addition to textbooks, posters and flyers.

The group's archive is held by the Presbyterian Historical Society in Philadelphia.

## Notable people

* James Black (prohibitionist) (1823-1893), American temperance movement activist and a founder of the Prohibition Party.
* Julia Colman (1828–1909), American temperance educator, activist, editor, writer
* Sara Jane Crafts (1845–1930), educator, author, social reformer
* George Cruikshank (1792-1878), British caricaturist and book illustrator
* William E. Dodge (1805-1883), American businessman, politician and activist who served as the organization's founding president (1865-1883)
* William E. Dodge Jr. (1832-1903), American copper magnate, activist, and philanthropist. He was the son of William E. Dodge
* Neal Dow, (1804-1897), American temperance advocate and politician
* James J. Spelman (1841-1894), American was a journalist and politician in New York and Mississippi

## InfoBox

National Temperance Society and Publishing Company
| Founded | 1865 |
| --- | --- |
| Country of origin | United States |