title: General Dynamics Ajax

text: In July 2015, the Ministry of Defence concluded their study into having final assembly of the Scout SV vehicles take place in the UK rather than General Dynamics' primary production facility in Spain. There was a business case for UK final assembly and testing. As part of a £390 million maintenance package running until 2024, General Dynamics moved production of the last 489 vehicles to Britain. General Dynamics bought a former forklift factory in Pentrebach in South Wales to assemble the Scout SV. Thales UK won the sight system contract for the Scout family, safeguarding engineering and manufacturing jobs at their site in Scotland.


title: General Dynamics Ajax

text: In early August 2015, Rheinmetall of Germany was contracted to manufacture the Scout SV turrets. Meggitt was to manufacture the Scout SV ammunition handling system.


title: General Dynamics Ajax

text: On 15 September 2015, Scout was renamed Ajax. The name Ajax applies to the family as a whole, but also to the turreted variant specifically. The reconnaissance support variant was named Ares; the command-and-control variant was named Athena; the equipment repair vehicle was named Apollo; the equipment recovery variant was named Atlas; and the engineering reconnaissance variant was named Argus.


title: General Dynamics Ajax

text: In April 2016, the main cannon and chain gun were fired successfully. In December 2016 manned firing tests of the three machine guns which can be fitted to the Ares vehicle were successfully carried out.


title: General Dynamics Ajax

text: The Ajax is manufactured and designed by General Dynamics UK and General Dynamics Santa Bárbara Sistemas (Spain), with the new turret and fire control system fitted on the Reconnaissance variant being designed and manufactured by Lockheed Martin UK. Lockheed Martin is working closely with the Defence Support Group for turret manufacture and assembly as well as Rheinmetall. 75% of turret and CT40 work will be carried out in the UK. The turret ring is in diameter, allowing for much more work-space than comparable AFVs. The Scout SV is also equipped with a state of the art ISTAR package with advanced sensors and space for further future growth. This advanced ISTAR package allows for automated search, tracking and detection, more than doubling stand-off range at which targets can be identified and tracked.


title: General Dynamics Ajax

text: The Ajax has a 20 Gbit/s Ethernet intelligent open architecture, which enables it to capture, process and store six TBs of information gathered by the sensors. It can then share this data, be it images or other information, via a real-time integrated BOWMAN communication system as fitted to the Challenger 2. Power for these systems comes from a silent auxiliary power generator.


title: General Dynamics Ajax

text: Eighty percent of the vehicle manufacture will be completed in the UK, with 70% of the supply chain companies UK-based. Five pre-production prototypes will be produced in Spain for further development and testing. The Ajax family will support 300 jobs at General Dynamics UK's facility in South Wales and an estimated further 1000 jobs in the UK supply chain.


title: General Dynamics Ajax

text: The first delivery was scheduled for 2017, while it was stated that the first British Army squadron "will be equipped by mid-2019" so that they could be deployed by the end of 2020.


title: General Dynamics Ajax

text: This was delayed due to design and testing problems. Test crews were required to wear noise cancelling headphones and be checked for hearing loss at the end of operations and the vehicles were unable to reverse over obstacles more than 20 centimeters high. As of March 2021, the British Army had taken deliveries of the Ares variant, whilst 12 Ajax variants are going through acceptance testing. In June 2021 it was revealed that trials of Ajax variants were halted from November 2020 to March 2021 due to excessive vibration and noise, leaving crews suffering from nausea, swollen joints and tinnitus. Test crews were then limited to 105 minutes inside and . The excessive vibration while moving was also damaging electronic systems and preventing armament from stabilising. Suspension issues on the Ajax variant meant turrets could not fire while moving. The hulls were of inconsistent lengths, and had non-parallel sides, which means the vibration problems do not manifest in a uniform manner making it exceedingly difficult to determine if vibration is from a fundamental design problem or build quality failures.


title: General Dynamics Ajax

text: A leaked report doubted whether the Ajax Armoured Vehicle programme would be delivered on time and within budget, and suggested that there was a real risk that the vehicles' credibility would be questioned by troops, and morale impacted. General Dynamics UK refused to comment on the report.


title: General Dynamics Ajax

text: In early 2021 MPs on the Defence Select Committee issued a report critical of the state of the Army's armoured vehicle programme—including Ajax—which had spent hundreds of millions of pounds with little to show for it. Some defence experts questioned whether Ajax would ever enter service, calling it "the Army's Nimrod MRA4" (an upgrade of which never entered service and was scrapped in 2010 at a cost of £3.8bn).


title: General Dynamics Ajax

text: "The Times" reported that as of mid-June 2021 the problems with noise and rough handling were so serious that all trials involving the Ajax had been suspended. The paper quoted Francis Tusa, editor of "Defence Analysis", concluding that the British Army, “are spending good money after bad for something that is arguably unfixable." On 20 July 2021, Minister for Defence Procurement Jeremy Quin told the Defence Select Committee that "we cannot be 100% certain that [the salvation of the programme] can be achieved". On 15 December 2021, Quin updated the Parliament and stated that “We are commissioning a senior legal figure to look more deeply at Ajax, and not just health and safety; to examine the cultural and process flaws that it has highlighted. We will leave no stone unturned to learn these lessons.” Quin also listed four key points for the review to consider, relating to safety concerns by MoD officials that were communicated to the manufacturer.


title: General Dynamics Ajax

text: In June 2022 a report by the UK parliament's Public Accounts Committee found that delays had been caused by a "litany of failures" and advised that the Ministry of Defence needed to either resolve ongoing issues or scrap the project, in order to prevent compromising national security.


title: South London

text: South London is the southern part of London, England, south of the River Thames. The region consists of the boroughs, in whole or in part, of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Richmond, Southwark, Sutton and Wandsworth.


title: South London

text: South London originally emerged from Southwark, first recorded as "Suthriganaweorc", meaning 'fort of the men of Surrey'. From Southwark, London then extended further down into northern Surrey and western Kent.


title: South London

text: South London began at Southwark at the southern end of London Bridge, the first permanent crossing over the river, with early development of the area being a direct result of the existence and location of the bridge.


title: South London

text: Southwark was first known as "Suthriganaweorc", the fortress of the men of Surrey, mentioned in the Burghal Hidage as part of military system created by Alfred the Great to defeat the Great Heathen Army of the Vikings. Southwark was also known as "the Borough" due to be it being an incorporated (nationally represented) Borough from 1295. From 1550 to 1899 it was administered as part of the City of London and referred to as the ward of Bridge Without.


title: South London

text: In 1720, John Strype's 'Survey of London' described Southwark as one of the then four distinct areas of London; in it he describes the City of London, Westminster (West London), Southwark (South London), and 'That Part Beyond the Tower' (East London). The area now usually referred to as North London developed later.


title: South London

text: As late as the mid 18th century, however, there were no other bridges crossing the river and as a result urban growth was considerably slower in the south than in areas north of the Thames.


title: South London

text: The opening of Westminster Bridge and other subsequent bridges to the west encouraged growth in the south-west, but only Tower Bridge was built to the east of London Bridge, so south-east London grew more slowly, at least until the Surrey Commercial Docks were built.


title: South London

text: The development of a dense network of railway lines in the mid nineteenth century significantly accelerated growth.


title: South London

text: A significant feature of south London's economic geography is that while there are more than thirty bridges linking the area with West London and the City, there is only one, Tower Bridge, linking the area with East London.


title: South London

text: Very little of London's underground rail network lies south of the river, largely due to the challenging geology; however, 21st-century technology makes tunnelling much cheaper (though stations are still expensive) and this may lead to an improved underground provision in south London with the Crossrail 2 line proposed alongside extensions to the Northern and Bakerloo Lines.


title: South London

text: South London contains an extensive overground rail network and all of London's trams operate within the area.


title: South London

text: A small area of land, on which the southern end of Blackfriars Bridge stands, is not part of Southwark. It forms part of the City of London, a sui generis local authority which is mainly located north of the Thames.


title: South London

text: The term 'south London' has been used for a variety of formal purposes with the boundaries defined according to the purposes of the designation.


title: South London

text: In 2017 the government asked the Boundary Commission for England to reconsider the boundaries of parliamentary constituencies. The commission's study, was to start with existing regions of England and then group the local authorities within that area into sub-regions for further sub-division. The south London sub-region included the 11 boroughs which lay south of the river, plus the parts of cross-river Richmond upon Thames that did so.


title: South London

text: An earlier 2013 study, whose recommendations were not adopted, took a different approach by including all of Richmond in its south London sub-region.


title: South London

text: For the purposes of progress reporting on the London Plan, there was a south London sub-region in operation from 2004 to 2008 consisting of Bromley, Croydon, Kingston, Merton, Richmond and Sutton. In 2001 this area had a population of 1,329,000. This definition is used by organisations such as Connexions.


title: South London

text: Between 2008 and 2011 it was replaced with a South East sub-region consisting of Southwark, Lewisham, Greenwich, Bexley and Bromley and a South West sub-region consisting of Croydon, Kingston, Lambeth, Merton, Sutton, Richmond and Wandsworth.


title: South London

text: In 2011 a new south London region was created consisting of Bromley, Croydon, the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, Richmond upon Thames, Merton, Sutton, Wandsworth, Bexley, Greenwich and Lewisham.


title: South London

text: South London is, like other parts of London and the UK in general, a temperate maritime climate according to the Köppen climate classification system. Three Met Office weather stations currently collect climate data south of the river; Kew, Hampton and Kenley Airfield, on the southern edge of the urban area. Long term climate observations dating back to 1763 are available for Greenwich, although observations ceased here in 2003.


title: South London

text: Temperatures increase towards the Thames, firstly because of the urban warming effect of the surrounding area, but secondly due to altitude decreasing towards the river, meaning the southern margins of south London are often a couple of degrees cooler than those areas adjacent to the Thames. Often snow can be seen to lie on the North Downs near Croydon when central London is snow free.


title: South London

text: The record high temperature at Greenwich is recorded during August 2003. Sunshine is notably lower than other London area weather stations (by about 50–100 hours a year), suggesting Greenwich may be a fog trap in winter, and that the hillier land to the south may obscure early morning and late evening sunshine.


title: South London

text: The highest temperature recorded across south London was on the same occasion at Kew Gardens. Although the Met Office accepts a higher reading from Brogdale in Kent, many have questioned the accuracy of this and regard the Kew reading as the most reliable highest UK temperature reading.


title: Single-nucleotide polymorphism

text: In genetics, a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP ; plural SNPs ) is a germline substitution of a single nucleotide at a specific position in the genome. Although certain definitions require the substitution to be present in a sufficiently large fraction of the population (e.g. 1% or more), many publications do not apply such a frequency threshold.


title: Single-nucleotide polymorphism

text: For example, at a specific base position in the human genome, the G nucleotide may appear in most individuals, but in a minority of individuals, the position is occupied by an A. This means that there is a SNP at this specific position, and the two possible nucleotide variations – G or A – are said to be the alleles for this specific position.


title: Single-nucleotide polymorphism

text: SNPs pinpoint differences in our susceptibility to a wide range of diseases, for example age-related macular degeneration (a common SNP in the CFH gene is associated with increased risk of the disease) or nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (a SNP in the PNPLA3 gene is associated with increased risk of the disease). The severity of illness and the way the body responds to treatments are also manifestations of genetic variations caused by SNPs. For example, the APOE E4 allele that is determined by two common SNPs, rs429358 and rs7412, in the APOE gene is not only associated with increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease but also younger age at onset of the disease.


title: Single-nucleotide polymorphism

text: A single-nucleotide variant (SNV) is a general term for single nucleotide change in DNA sequence. So a SNV can be a common SNP or a rare mutation, and can be germline or somatic and can be caused by cancer, but a SNP has to segregate in a species' population of organisms. SNVs also commonly arise in molecular diagnostics such as designing PCR primers to detect viruses, in which the viral RNA or DNA sample may contain SNVs.


title: Single-nucleotide polymorphism

text: Single-nucleotide polymorphisms may fall within coding sequences of genes, non-coding regions of genes, or in the intergenic regions (regions between genes). SNPs within a coding sequence do not necessarily change the amino acid sequence of the protein that is produced, due to degeneracy of the genetic code.


title: Single-nucleotide polymorphism

text: SNPs in the coding region are of two types: synonymous SNPs and nonsynonymous SNPs. Synonymous SNPs do not affect the protein sequence, while nonsynonymous SNPs change the amino acid sequence of protein.


title: Single-nucleotide polymorphism

text: SNPs that are not in protein-coding regions may still affect gene splicing, transcription factor binding, messenger RNA degradation, or the sequence of noncoding RNA. Gene expression affected by this type of SNP is referred to as an eSNP (expression SNP) and may be upstream or downstream from the gene.


title: Single-nucleotide polymorphism

text: More than 335 million SNPs have been found across humans from multiple populations. A typical genome differs from the reference human genome at 4 to 5 million sites, most of which (more than 99.9%) consist of SNPs and short indels.


title: Single-nucleotide polymorphism

text: The genomic distribution of SNPs is not homogenous; SNPs occur in non-coding regions more frequently than in coding regions or, in general, where natural selection is acting and "fixing" the allele (eliminating other variants) of the SNP that constitutes the most favorable genetic adaptation. Other factors, like genetic recombination and mutation rate, can also determine SNP density.


title: Single-nucleotide polymorphism

text: SNP density can be predicted by the presence of microsatellites: AT microsatellites in particular are potent predictors of SNP density, with long (AT)(n) repeat tracts tending to be found in regions of significantly reduced SNP density and low GC content.


title: Single-nucleotide polymorphism

text: There are variations between human populations, so a SNP allele that is common in one geographical or ethnic group may be much rarer in another. However, this pattern of variation is relatively rare; in a global sample of 67.3 million SNPs, the Human Genome Diversity Project "found no such private variants that are fixed in a given continent or major region. The highest frequencies are reached by a few tens of variants present at >70% (and a few thousands at >50%) in Africa, the Americas, and Oceania. By contrast, the highest frequency variants private to Europe, East Asia, the Middle East, or Central and South Asia reach just 10 to 30%."


title: Single-nucleotide polymorphism

text: Within a population, SNPs can be assigned a minor allele frequency—the lowest allele frequency at a locus that is observed in a particular population. This is simply the lesser of the two allele frequencies for single-nucleotide polymorphisms.


title: Single-nucleotide polymorphism

text: With this knowledge scientists have developed new methods in analyzing population structures in less studied species. By using pooling techniques the cost of the analysis is significantly lowered. These techniques are based on sequencing a population in a pooled sample instead of sequencing every individual within the population by itself. With new bioinformatics tools there is a possibility of investigating population structure, gene flow and gene migration by observing the allele frequencies within the entire population. With these protocols there is a possibility in combining the advantages of SNPs with micro satellite markers. However, there are information lost in the process such as linkage disequilibrium and zygosity information.


title: Single-nucleotide polymorphism

text: Variations in the DNA sequences of humans can affect how humans develop diseases and respond to pathogens, chemicals, drugs, vaccines, and other agents. SNPs are also critical for personalized medicine. Examples include biomedical research, forensics, pharmacogenetics, and disease causation, as outlined below.


title: Single-nucleotide polymorphism

text: One of main contributions of SNPs in clinical research is genome-wide association study (GWAS). Genome-wide genetic data can be generated by multiple technologies, including SNP array and whole genome sequencing. GWAS has been commonly used in identifying SNPs associated with diseases or clinical phenotypes or traits. Since GWAS is a genome-wide assessment, a large sample site is required to obtain sufficient statistical power to detect all possible associations. Some SNPs have relatively small effect on diseases or clinical phenotypes or traits. To estimate study power, the genetic model for disease needs to be considered, such as dominant, recessive, or additive effects. Due to genetic heterogeneity, GWAS analysis must be adjusted for race.


title: Single-nucleotide polymorphism

text: Candidate gene association study is commonly used in genetic study before the invention of high throughput genotyping or sequencing technologies. Candidate gene association study is to investigate limited number of pre-specified SNPs for association with diseases or clinical phenotypes or traits. So this is a hypothesis driven approach. Since only a limited number of SNPs are tested, a relatively small sample size is sufficient to detect the association. Candidate gene association approach is also commonly used to confirm findings from GWAS in independent samples.


title: Single-nucleotide polymorphism

text: Genome-wide SNP data can be used for homozygosity mapping. Homozygosity mapping is a method used to identify homozygous autosomal recessive loci, which can be a powerful tool to map genomic regions or genes that are involved in disease pathogenesis.


title: Single-nucleotide polymorphism

text: SNPs have historically been used to match a forensic DNA sample to a suspect but has been made obsolete due to advancing STR-based DNA fingerprinting techniques. However, the development of next-generation-sequencing (NGS) technology may allow for more opportunities for the use of SNPs in phenotypic clues such as ethnicity, hair color, and eye color with a good probability of a match. This can additionally be applied to increase the accuracy of facial reconstructions by providing information that may otherwise be unknown, and this information can be used to help identify suspects even without a STR DNA profile match.


title: Single-nucleotide polymorphism

text: Some cons to using SNPs versus STRs is that SNPs yield less information than STRs, and therefore more SNPs are needed for analysis before a profile of a suspect is able to be created. Additionally, SNPs heavily rely on the presence of a database for comparative analysis of samples. However, in instances with degraded or small volume samples, SNP techniques are an excellent alternative to STR methods. SNPs (as opposed to STRs) have an abundance of potential markers, can be fully automated, and a possible reduction of required fragment length to less than 100bp.[26]


title: Single-nucleotide polymorphism

text: Pharmacogenetics focuses on identifying genetic variations including SNPs associated with differential responses to treatment. Many drug metabolizing enzymes, drug targets, or target pathways can be influenced by SNPs. The SNPs involved in drug metabolizing enzyme activities can change drug pharmacokinetics, while the SNPs involved in drug target or its pathway can change drug pharmacodynamics. Therefore, SNPs are potential genetic markers that can be used to predict drug exposure or effectiveness of the treatment. Genome-wide pharmacogenetic study is called pharmacogenomics. Pharmacogenetics and pharmacogenomics are important in the development of precision medicine, especially for life threatening diseases such as cancers.


title: Single-nucleotide polymorphism

text: Only small amount of SNPs in the human genome may have impact on human diseases. Large scale GWAS has been done for the most important human diseases, including heart diseases, metabolic diseases, autoimmune diseases, and neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders. Most of the SNPs with relatively large effects on these diseases have been identified. These findings have significantly improved understanding of disease pathogenesis and molecular pathways, and facilitated development of better treatment. Further GWAS with larger samples size will reveal the SNPs with relatively small effect on diseases. For common and complex diseases, such as type-2 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and Alzheimer’s disease, multiple genetic factors are involved in disease etiology. In addition, gene-gene interaction and gene-environment interaction also play an important role in disease initiation and progression.


title: Single-nucleotide polymorphism

text: The International SNP Map working group mapped the sequence flanking each SNP by alignment to the genomic sequence of large-insert clones in Genebank. These alignments were converted to chromosomal coordinates that is shown in Table 1. This list has greatly increased since, with, for instance, the Kaviar database now listing 162 million single nucleotide variants (SNVs).


title: Single-nucleotide polymorphism

text: The nomenclature for SNPs include several variations for an individual SNP, while lacking a common consensus.


title: Single-nucleotide polymorphism

text: The rs### standard is that which has been adopted by dbSNP and uses the prefix "rs", for "reference SNP", followed by a unique and arbitrary number. SNPs are frequently referred to by their dbSNP rs number, as in the examples above.


title: Single-nucleotide polymorphism

text: The Human Genome Variation Society (HGVS) uses a standard which conveys more information about the SNP. Examples are:


title: Single-nucleotide polymorphism

text: SNPs can be easily assayed due to only containing two possible alleles and three possible genotypes involving the two alleles: homozygous A, homozygous B and heterozygous AB, leading to many possible techniques for analysis. Some include: DNA sequencing; capillary electrophoresis; mass spectrometry; single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP); single base extension; electrochemical analysis; denaturating HPLC and gel electrophoresis; restriction fragment length polymorphism; and hybridization analysis.


title: Single-nucleotide polymorphism

text: An important group of SNPs are those that corresponds to missense mutations causing amino acid change on protein level. Point mutation of particular residue can have different effect on protein function (from no effect to complete disruption its function). Usually, change in amino acids with similar size and physico-chemical properties (e.g. substitution from leucine to valine) has mild effect, and opposite. Similarly, if SNP disrupts secondary structure elements (e.g. substitution to proline in alpha helix region) such mutation usually may affect whole protein structure and function. Using those simple and many other machine learning derived rules a group of programs for the prediction of SNP effect was developed:


title: .17 HMR

text: .17 Hornady Magnum Rimfire, commonly known as the .17 HMR, is a rimfire rifle cartridge developed by Hornady in 2002. It was developed by necking down a .22 Magnum case to take a .17 caliber (4.5 mm) projectile. Commonly loaded with a 17 grain (1.1 g) projectile, it can deliver muzzle velocities in excess of 775 m/s (2,650 ft/s).


title: .17 HMR

text: The .17 HMR round is similar to rounds developed by dedicated rimfire wildcatters who worked to create a rimfire cartridge with an exceptionally flat trajectory. These wildcatters were seeking to match the ballistics of the obsolete 5mm Remington Rimfire Magnum, which was made from 1970 to 1974, and was to that point the fastest rimfire cartridge ever produced. With 5 mm diameter barrels and bullets being virtually unavailable at the time (the 5mm RMR was the last commercial 5 mm round until the 2004 release of the centerfire .204 Ruger), the commercially available .17 caliber became their bullet of choice. The .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire was the logical parent case, rather than the 5mm RMR (with its unique case head size, which requires a significantly different bolt and magazine) because it was commonly available, and it is a far larger and stronger case than the next largest, the .22 Long Rifle. The .17 caliber wildcats not only met but far exceeded the 5mm RMR's velocities and flat trajectory. The accuracy of these cartridges was also quite good. However, the downrange energy of the 5mm RMR is superior to both .22 WMR and .17 HMR, so there is still potential in the 5 mm rimfire for wildcatters.


title: .17 HMR

text: Hornady, in conjunction with Marlin Firearms and Sturm, Ruger & Co. (manufacturers in the rimfire rifle market), followed much the same path. With the .22 WMR case as the starting point, a simple barrel change was sufficient for most .22 WMR firearms to chamber the new cartridge. In 2002, the first rifles and ammunition began appearing on the market. While the ammunition was relatively expensive due to the high-performance .17 caliber bullets used, it was still cheaper than most centerfire ammunition. By 2004, CCI, Federal Cartridge and Remington had each introduced .17 HMR ammunition offerings.


title: .17 HMR

text: Cartridges for .17 HMR come with bullets that weigh , , and , and come in designs such as plastic-tipped bullets, hollow points, soft points, and FMJs. The terminal ballistics of the lightweight expanding bullets limit the .17 HMR to small game animals and varmints. .17 HMR ammunition is less common and more expensive than the .22 caliber rimfire rounds, but this is changing as the popularity of .17 HMR rifles gathers momentum.


title: .17 HMR

text: A growing number of companies offer .17 HMR ammunition. CCI Ammunition loads all of the .17 HMR ammunition for the CCI, Federal Cartridge, Hornady, and Remington brands. However, the ammunition is loaded with different bullets to different specifications. Ammunition is also available from Winchester, PMC and Sellier & Bellot.


title: .17 HMR

text: Examples of bolt-action or lever-action rifles that are chambered for (or have variants chambered for) .17 HMR include Armscor M1700, Browning T-Bolt, CZ 452, Ruger Model 96, Savage 93, Steyr Zephyr II, Marlin 917 and Weihrauch 60J.


title: .17 HMR

text: Citing safety concerns about the round's use in semi-automatic firearms, Remington issued a product safety warning and recall notice.


title: .17 HMR

text: Following the success of the .17 HMR, the .17 Hornady Mach 2 was introduced in early 2004. The .17 HM2 is based on the .22 LR (slightly shorter in case length) case necked down to .17 caliber using the same bullet as the HMR but at a velocity of approximately in the polymer tip loading.


title: Tito Puente

text: Ernest Anthony Puente Jr. (April 20, 1923 – June 1, 2000), commonly known as Tito Puente, was an American musician, songwriter, bandleader, and record producer of Puerto Rican descent. He is best known for dance-oriented mambo and Latin jazz compositions from his 50-year career. His most famous song is "Oye Como Va".


title: Tito Puente

text: Puente and his music have appeared in films including "The Mambo Kings" and Fernando Trueba's "Calle 54". He guest-starred on television shows, including "Sesame Street" and "The Simpsons" two-part episode "Who Shot Mr. Burns?".


title: Tito Puente

text: Tito Puente was born on April 20, 1923, at Harlem Hospital Center in the New York borough of Manhattan, the son of Ernest and Felicia Puente, Puerto Ricans living in New York City's Spanish Harlem. His family moved frequently, but he spent the majority of his childhood in Spanish Harlem. Puente's father was the foreman at a razorblade factory.


title: Tito Puente

text: As a child, he was described as hyperactive, and after neighbors complained of hearing seven-year-old Puente beating on pots and window frames, his mother sent him to 25-cent piano lessons. He switched to percussion by the age of 10, drawing influence from jazz drummer Gene Krupa. He later created a song-and-dance duo with his sister Anna in the 1930s and intended to become a dancer, but an ankle tendon injury prevented him from pursuing dance as a career. When the drummer in Machito's band was drafted to the army, Puente subsequently took his place.


title: Tito Puente

text: Puente served in the Navy for three years during World War II after being drafted in 1942. He was discharged with a Presidential Unit Citation for serving in nine battles on the escort carrier USS "Santee" (CVE-29). The GI Bill allowed him to study music at Juilliard School of Music, where he completed formal education in conducting, orchestration, and theory.


title: Tito Puente

text: During the 1950s, Puente was at the height of his popularity and helped to bring Afro-Cuban and Caribbean sounds like mambo, son, and cha-cha-chá, to mainstream audiences. Puente played popular Afro-Cuban rhythms so successfully that many people mistakenly identified him as Cuban. "Dance Mania", possibly Puente's most well-known album, was released in 1958.


title: Tito Puente

text: Among his most famous compositions is the cha-cha "Oye como va" (1963), popularized by Latin rock musician Carlos Santana and later interpreted, among others, by Julio Iglesias, Irakere and Celia Cruz. In 1969, he received the key to the City of New York from former Mayor John Lindsay. In 1992, he was inducted into the National Congressional Record, and in 1993 he received the James Smithson Bicentennial Medal from the Smithsonian.


title: Tito Puente

text: Tito Puente's name is often mentioned in a television production called "La Epoca", a film about the Palladium era in New York, Afro-Cuban music and rhythms, mambo and salsa as dances and music and much more. The film discusses many of Puente's, as well as Arsenio Rodríguez's, contributions and features interviews with some of the musicians Puente recorded with.


title: Tito Puente

text: Puente's son Richard "Richie" Puente was the percussionist in the 1970s funk band Foxy. Puente's youngest son, Tito Puente Jr., has continued his father's legacy by presenting many of the same songs in his performances and recordings. His daughter Audrey Puente is a television meteorologist for WNYW and WWOR-TV in New York City.


title: Tito Puente

text: After a show in Puerto Rico on May 31, 2000, he suffered a massive heart attack and was flown to New York City for surgery to repair a heart valve, but complications developed, and he died on June 1, 2000, at 2:27 am. He was posthumously awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003.


title: Tito Puente

text: Puente appeared in the two-part whodunit drama ""Who Shot Mr. Burns?"" in the sixth season finale and seventh season premiere of American comedy cartoon show "The Simpsons" in 1995. In the shows, Puente joins Springfield Elementary School as a music teacher after the school discovers it is located over an oil well. However, Mr. Burns manages to pump the oil first, which makes him the legal owner of the well. This causes the school to fall into debt with budget cuts to the music and maintenance departments, causing Puente to lose his job. When Burns is later shot, Puente becomes one of the prime suspects but manages to clear himself by performing one of his songs for Chief Wiggum. Seven alternative endings were filmed of various characters shooting Burns; Puente is one of the alternates. Although all endings were animated, the ending of Maggie Simpson shooting Burns was the ending chosen to air.


title: Tito Puente

text: The Emmy-nominated song "Señor Burns" from the episode is featured on the 1999 album, "Go Simpsonic with The Simpsons".


title: Nissan Almera

text: The Nissan Almera is a line of automobiles that has been manufactured by the Japanese car manufacturer Nissan since 1995. For its early generations, the Almera is a compact car (C-segment), essentially being the European export-market version of the Pulsar for the first-generation model (N15), and the Bluebird Sylphy for the second-generation model (N16). Since the third-generation model (N17), the Almera nameplate was repositioned to a subcompact or B-segment saloon based on the V platform. The N17 Almera is marketed globally with the usage of five other nameplates for various markets.


title: Nissan Almera

text: The Almera nameplate has also been used for several other unrelated models, including the South Korean-manufactured Samsung SM3 in various export markets worldwide, and for the second-generation Nissan Bluebird Sylphy in Russia.


title: Nissan Almera

text: The first Almera rolled off the production line in late 1995, as a replacement for the Nissan Sunny (N14), a nameplate which had been in use for nearly 30 years. The Almera was almost identical to the Nissan Pulsar (N15) sold in Japan, except with different trim options and petrol engine range.


title: Nissan Almera

text: Power came from 1.4-litre GA14DE and 1.6-litre GA16DE petrol and 2.0-litre CD20 diesel engines initially in 1995, but a year into production a 2.0-litre SR20DE-engined GTi was added to the range. The 1.4, 1.6 and 2.0D engines were available in a three- and five-door hatchbacks that were badge engineered versions of the Japanese market Nissan Pulsar Serie or a four-door saloon, whereas the GTi was only available in three-door hatch.


title: Nissan Almera

text: In the UK, the Almera was originally marketed by Nissan as "the car they don't want you to drive". Almost all Almeras sold in the United Kingdom were hatchbacks with three or five doors in contrast to regions such as Ireland, where the saloon version is substantially more commonplace. The level of specification was good, with all models getting power steering, driver airbag, electric mirrors and stereo as standard. Throughout the life of the Almera, many 'special editions' models were available but most of them didn't feature anything above other models.


title: Nissan Almera

text: The above all included 'high-spec' bumpers with foglights (Optional on the Si model), alloy wheels from 1996 onwards (Different size and design between Si/SRi 14" and GTi 15"), and rear roof lip spoilers (GTi models sported an integrated brake light, also spoilers were optional on the Si).


title: Nissan Almera

text: The 2.0-litre GTi had an optional 'aggressive-looking' factory bodykit, with BMW M3-style side skirts, and front/rear splitters. Non-bodykit models came with a simpler plastic front splitter. The GTi featured uprated suspension, front and rear strut braces and a quicker steering rack,


title: Nissan Almera

text: The Almera received a facelift for the 1998 model year. For the phase 2, the front bumpers were redesigned, front splitters were added on the Si/SRi, and the GTi had all-round body kit as standard (although there was also a delete option available), and now all of the lip spoilers had integrated brake lights. The original telescopic radio aerial was moved from the drivers A-pillar to the rear of the roof and was changed to a "bee-sting" type. On the GTi, the phase 2 headlights and front indicators featured a black surround.


title: Nissan Almera

text: The body kit itself was changed to a more subtle, straight design on the GTi, with the addition of vents on the rear splitter. Due to the high 'casualty rate' of Phase 1 splitters, due to the thin and brittle plastic used, Phase 2 body kits were much sturdier. As such, it is not uncommon to find Phase 1 GTi's with Phase 2 bumpers or no splitter at all.


title: Nissan Almera

text: Towards the end of production around the start of 1999, the GTi models came with all optional extras as standard from the factory such as ABS, A/C, updated interior trim, front seat pockets and so forth.


title: Nissan Almera

text: Launched in January 2000, the second-generation Almera differed from its predecessor with smooth, curved lines. Some still thought it bland in comparison with its rivals although the Almera was selling strongly worldwide.


title: Nissan Almera

text: For Europe, this generation of Almera was produced at the Sunderland factory, which had opened in 1986 and produced the Micra, Primera and originally the Bluebird.


title: Nissan Almera

text: The N16 Almera was based on Nissan's global MS platform, which was Nissan's first new platform to be developed after the partnership with Renault. The MS platform is also the base for the P12 Primera and Almera Tino.


title: Nissan Almera

text: The second-generation Almera was available in three different body styles, a three- or five-door hatch and a four-door saloon with 1.5 and 1.8 Nissan QG engine series petrol engines as well as a 2.2 direct injection turbodiesel (110 bhp) (YD22DDT) or common-rail turbodiesel (136 bhp) (YD22DDTi). Almeras can be also equipped with 1.5 common-rail turbodiesel (dCi) from the Renault Mégane II – Nissan had recently ventured with Renault and the Almera's diesel engine was one of the first instances of Nissan and Renaults sharing mechanicals. Early versions of the 1.5-litre engine were fitted with a mechanical throttle, which was later replaced by a drive-by-wire electronic throttle.


title: Nissan Almera

text: The Almera five-door hatchback was exported from the UK to Australia and New Zealand and sold as part of the Nissan Pulsar (N16) lineup in these countries. The Almera saloon is based on the Bluebird Sylphy, but has a different front end.


title: Nissan Almera

text: The N16 Almera offered great improvements over the previous generation Almera in terms of handling, tyre grip and drive dynamics. The N16 Almera felt much more sure-footed on the road and was exceptionally nimble for a plain family car.


title: Nissan Almera

text: While the previous generation Almera was considered spacious for its class, the N16 Almera was lacking in rear passenger legroom due to a slightly shorter than category average wheelbase although the Almera can still can be considered quite spacious and has the advantage of a bigger boot over the previous Almera.


title: Nissan Almera

text: In 2003, the Almera was facelifted with updated styling, retuned suspension, new engines and an updated interior.


title: Nissan Almera

text: First, the Almera's MacPherson strut front suspension and multi-link rear suspension (Nissan's name for its double lateral link twist beam suspension) had been retuned. This resulted in a quieter ride and a reduction in the amount of rear bump-through experienced when heavily laden, improving high-speed stability, driving dynamics and making the car more controllable after an emergency manoeuver. The new suspension tuning also proved to produce almost no body roll on tight turns. Overall, Nissan said, the Almera had slightly firmer damper settings and marginally stiffer spring ratings; though there had been no loss of ride comfort or increase in noise levels in normal motoring. The suspension revisions had been executed in such a way as to only come into play at the upper edge of the dynamic envelope.


title: Nissan Almera

text: The facelift also included new chrome, projector-style headlights that were set in a titanium-coloured surround with separate lights for main and low beams set behind an enlarged translucent cover. The front bumper now had an integrated engine air intake that ran almost the full width of the car while a honeycomb mesh grille added visual benefits to the frontal image. Some models also got small circular fog lights.


title: Nissan Almera

text: The interior of the facelifted Almera had also been redesigned with better quality materials and a large colour or monochrome centre screen which controlled all of the car's functions (climate control, CD player and trip computer) was fitted to most models apart from S and Pulse. Higher trim levels also included Nissan's Bird-eye GPS system. ESP (Electronic Stability Program) was fitted to SE, SVE and the range topping SXE (which also got a switch to turn the ESP on or off).


title: Nissan Almera

text: Additionally there was a change to the diesel model lineup. Nissan introduced new version of Common Rail 2.2 Diesel with 6-speed gearbox.


title: Nissan Almera

text: The facelifted Almera was built in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, UK, and exported to parts of the Asia-Pacific where it was sold as the Nissan Pulsar. In 2006 the second-generation Almera reached its sixth year of production but was still selling strongly worldwide. It was also sold in Mexico in three versions: a five-door manual five-speed, a five-door automatic three-speed "Comfort" model and a three-door "Sport" version equipped with side curtain air bags, fog lamps and a five-speed manual transmission.


title: Nissan Almera

text: The Almera finished production on 28 November 2007, but it was not instantly replaced. The Tiida was introduced in several countries as a replacement model throughout 2007 and 2008; although it has yet to be officially imported to the United Kingdom (where the Qashqai crossover is the only successor model on offer), it has been available there through the Arnold Clark dealership network since March 2009 with models sourced from the Republic of Ireland. There were several Almeras registered in 2008 in Ireland despite production ending in 2007.


title: Nissan Almera

text: The N17 Almera was first introduced in China at the Guangzhou Auto Show in December 2010, where it was marketed as the Nissan Sunny. It went on sale in January 2011. Based on the company's global V platform, the model was touted as a saloon for the global market, as it was gradually marketed across 170 countries with assemblies conducted in numerous American, African, and Asian countries.


title: Nissan Almera

text: In October 2011, Nissan debuted the model in Thailand as the Almera. It was positioned as an entry-level saloon for the Eco Car programme in Thailand, requiring for a 1.2-litre engine to be adopted. The Almera name is also used for the model in Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Australia, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, South Africa, and Nigeria.


title: Nissan Almera

text: In the Americas, it is badged as the Nissan Versa. It went on sale in North America in July 2011, and in Brazil in October 2011.


title: Nissan Almera

text: The Sunny nameplate is also used in India, Vietnam, and various Middle Eastern countries. The N17 Almera was also exported from Thailand to Japan since October 2012 until December 2016, where it was marketed as the . Under the joint venture established with Renault, the model was also marketed as the Renault Scala in India between 2012 and 2017, featuring minor redesigns.


title: Nissan Almera

text: After the release of the succeeding N18 model, the N17 saloon continued to be produced in several countries. In India, since 2020 the vehicle is no longer sold in the country, instead it is solely produced for export to GCC countries as the Sunny Classic. The model is also continued to be produced in Mexico where it is marketed as the Nissan V-Drive since 2019 to distinguish it with the N18 Versa. The V-Drive nameplate was also used in Brazil for the same purpose until its end of production in the country in September 2021. In Malaysia, the model is also sold alongside its successor as the Almera Black Series. Production of the N17 Sunny ended in China since 2019 without any successor.


title: Nissan Almera

text: The Japanese-market model was released as the Nissan Latio on 5 October 2012. Its release was delayed due to power shortages in Japan caused by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. Imported from Thailand, the Latio is equipped with a 1.2-litre engine producing and . It was offered with three trim levels. The Latio was discontinued in Japan on 26 December 2016 due to poor sales.


title: Nissan Almera

text: The Thai-specification model was released as the Almera on 7 October 2011 as part of the Eco Car programme. It uses the same 1.2-litre engine as the Nissan March, with a fuel consumption of , and has either a five-speed manual or a continuously variable transmission (CVT).


title: Nissan Almera

text: The Almera was also built in Santa Rosa, Laguna, Philippines. Other Asian countries receive the Almera, including Malaysia and Singapore where it was offered with the 1.5-litre "HR15DE" engine, mated with either a four-speed automatic or a five-speed manual transmission.


title: Nissan Almera

text: In Indonesia, the Almera was used only as a taxi fleet and was not sold for private consumers, citing low demand for supermini saloons in the country.


title: Nissan Almera

text: In Malaysia, the model is sold as the Almera and was launched in October 2012. Three variants were offered: E (manual and auto), V (auto only) and VL (auto only). All variants are powered by the 1.5-litre HR15DE engine. The facelift N17 Almera was launched in Malaysia in January 2015.


title: Nissan Almera

text: In India, the vehicle was marketed as the Sunny and was introduced in September 2011. Renault marketed a modified version as the Renault Scala, which was launched in August 2012. It was discontinued in May 2020, alongside the Micra supermini, due to both cars not being compliant with India's Bharat Stage VI emissions standards, while production continues for exports.


title: Nissan Almera

text: The Australian model was released as the Almera in August 2012. The model range is powered by a 1.5-litre petrol inline-four engine. Sales were low, with a high proportion of sales to fleet and rental car buyers. Nissan Australia discontinued the Almera in July 2014. Trim levels available were the entry-level ST with a five-speed manual or optional four-speed automatic and the automatic-only TI specification.


title: Nissan Almera

text: The US-spec model was unveiled at the 2011 New York International Auto Show as the second generation Nissan Versa. It is powered by a 1.6-litre petrol that delivers around of power and of torque. The fuel economy is estimated to be city and highway with the CVT-equipped model. In the US, the Versa saloon went on sale in August 2011. It was considered to be the least-expensive new car in the US market in 2013.


title: Nissan Almera

text: For the 2015 model year, the Versa received its facelift, with redesigned tail lights and larger headlights. The model was also sold in Latin America as the Versa, also with a 1.6-litre petrol engine.


title: Nissan Almera

text: It was succeeded by the Nissan Micra in 2014 for the Canadian market; the Versa was discontinued there due to slow sales.


title: Nissan Almera

text: In 2016, the Versa was positioned as the replacement of the discontinued Nissan Sunny B13 (known locally as Tsuru). As the result, the Versa became in 2017 the best-selling car in Mexico. In Mexico and Latin America, the N17 Versa was renamed as V-Drive since 2019 to avoid confusion with the new generation Versa launched in October 2019, dropping the Sense and Advance trim lines.


title: Nissan Almera

text: On 25 August 2021, the V-Drive was updated for the Mexican market, incorporating six airbags and stability control as standard.


title: Nissan Almera

text: All-new. Models available are the S (five-speed manual or CVT transmissions offered), SV (CVT only) and SL (CVT only). All are powered by the HR16DE 1.6 engine. Prices range from US$10,990 for the five-speed S to $15,560 for the top-line SL. For this first year, only the SL can be had with a split-folding rear seat. Calendar-year sales in the U.S. reached 113,327 units.


title: Nissan Almera

text: Enhancements are made to CVT-equipped models (low-rolling resistance tires, air intake guide, rear spoiler and air deflectors) allowing cars so equipped to reach 40 miles per gallon in highway driving. A four-speed automatic transmission becomes available for the base S saloon; the previous S with CVT is renamed the S Plus, and adds standard cruise control. New features are added to SV and SL models. Billed as America's best-selling entry saloon, Nissan sold 117,352 Versas for calendar 2013.


title: Nissan Almera

text: Trim upgrades for SV and SL models are made for the 2014 model year. Several new features are added to those models as well.


title: Nissan Almera

text: The 2015 model featured an updated exterior appearance and interior enhancements, along with more new features. Bluetooth phone connectivity is now standard across the board. Nissan sold 144,528 Versas in the U.S. for calendar year 2015, a 3.4% increase over 2014.


title: Nissan Almera

text: S saloons receive rear stereo speakers (previously these had only front door speakers). Additionally, body-coloured exterior mirrors became standard on all models, and the SL gained a leather-wrapped steering wheel. For calendar year 2016, Nissan sold 132,214 Versas in the U.S., down 8.5% from 2015.


title: Nissan Almera

text: The SV Special Edition package was made available, and adds 15-inch alloy wheels, fog lights, leather-wrapped steering wheel, upgraded audio system with five-inch colour display, SiriusXM satellite radio, Bluetooth streaming audio, hands-free text messaging assistant and backup camera, among other features, all for $500 over the standard SV's $15,720 price tag. After the beginning of the model year, the 4-speed automatic transmission option was removed from the S (base) saloon. For the first time since its 2012 introduction, Versa U.S. sales fell in 2017, to 106,772 units; a 19.2% decrease from 2016 levels.


title: Nissan Almera

text: The SL model, pushbutton start and Sandstone interior colour are discontinued. Only minor changes are made to the remaining S, S Plus and SV. The SV Special Edition package becomes the top-of-the-line. All now have adjustable front seat head restraints and variable-speed intermittent windshield wipers. In mid-model-year, the "2018.5" Versas – all models - added a 7" touchscreen stereo head unit and rear-view monitor as standard equipment. The new system included streaming Bluetooth audio, Siri Eyes Free, and USB/Aux inputs on S and S Plus models. Through August 2018, U.S. Versa sales had reached 54,301, a 23.8% drop from 2017.


title: Nissan Almera

text: Nissan's Intelligent Key (pushbutton starting) system returns, now as part of the SV Special Edition package, which also added to its stereo system NissanConnect, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM Satellite Radio, Bluetooth hands-free phone and text messaging.


title: Nissan Almera

text: The Versa in its most basic Latin American configuration with 2 airbags and no ESC received 3 stars for adult occupants and 2 stars for toddlers from Latin NCAP in 2016.


title: Nissan Almera

text: The fourth generation-N18 saloon was unveiled on 12 April 2019 at the Rock the Ocean's Tortuga Music Festival in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States, as the third generation Versa saloon, one week before its public debut at the 2019 New York International Auto Show. Sales began in August 2019, for the 2020 model year. It is based on the Renault–Nissan CMF-B, which is shared with the Renault Clio V, Renault Captur, fifth-generation Micra and the Kicks.


title: Nissan Almera

text: In the United States, the third-generation Versa is available in three trim levels: S, SV and SR. The new Versa include the Nissan Safety Shield of driver assistance technologies as standard equipment, as well as push-button ignition, 7-inch touchscreen audio system, cruise control, power windows, and power door locks. Up-level Versa trims offer features such as aluminium-alloy wheels, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration, SiriusXM Satellite Radio, a LCD instrument cluster display, LED daytime running accent lamps, Nissan Intelligent Key system, and combination Primatex (leatherette) and cloth seating surfaces.


title: Nissan Almera

text: The facelifted Versa was unveiled on 10 October 2022 for the 2023 model year. It features a redesigned front fascia and grille, and a new S Plus package, which adds Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to the S trim, was introduced.


title: Nissan Almera

text: In the Canadian market, the Versa has been on sale since November 2020. It was unveiled at the 2020 Canadian International Motor Show in Toronto. It replaces the Micra when Nissan discontinued it after the 2019 model year. It also marks the return of the Versa saloon in Canada since it was discontinued in 2014. In Canada, it is offered in four variants: S MT, S CVT, SV CVT, and SR CVT. All variants come with a 1.6 litre non-turbocharged engine.


title: Nissan Almera

text: The third generation Versa saloon came to the Mexican market on 1 October 2019. It comes in four trim lines: Sense, Advance, Exclusive, and Platinum. The previous generation Versa, albeit with fewer trim lines, continues to be sold in Mexico and in Latin America under the name of V-Drive.


title: Nissan Almera

text: The fourth generation Almera was launched in Thailand on 14 November 2019 and has also been set for introduction in Malaysia as well. In Thailand, the Almera is offered in 5 trims: S Turbo, E Turbo, EL Turbo, V Turbo and VL Turbo. All trims are powered by the "HRA0" turbocharged 1.0-litre engine.


title: Nissan Almera

text: The Almera Sportech-X was launched on 8 August 2022, it is Limited Edition available in VL trims and over 300 units.


title: Nissan Almera

text: In Malaysia, the Almera is offered in three trims: VL, VL Premium and VL Tech. All trim levels comes with Autonomous Emergency Braking as standard which includes Intelligent Forward Collision Warning (IFCW) and Intelligent Forward Emergency Braking (IFEB). All trims are powered by the "HRA0" turbocharged 1.0 L engine. According to Edaran Tan Chong Malaysia (TCMA), the Almera on offered in Malaysia has the highest specification in the ASEAN market.


title: Nissan Almera

text: In Brunei, the Almera was officially launched on 27 February 2020. The car is only available with the 1.0-litre turbocharger engine and Xtronic CVT in this market, in two different trims: Turbo Standard and the better equipped Turbo Premium.


title: Nissan Almera

text: The Vietnamese market Almera was officially launched on 4 August 2021. It is sold in three variants; E Turbo MT, EL Turbo CVT, and VL Turbo CVT. The Almera in Vietnam is fully imported from Thailand.


title: Nissan Almera

text: In the Philippines, it was launched on 8 October 2021 and is offered in three trims: EL Turbo (5-speed manual), VE Turbo (5-speed manual and CVT) and VL N-Sport Turbo (CVT only). All models are offered with the 1.0-litre turbocharged engine. The Almera is now imported from Thailand instead of being built locally as Nissan stopped production in the country.


title: Nissan Almera

text: The Sunny was also launched for Middle Eastern markets at the Dubai International Motor Show in November 2019.


title: Nissan Almera

text: In 2002, Renault Samsung Motors in South Korea started manufacturing the Renault Samsung SM3, sharing the Nissan Bluebird Sylphy N16 basis used for the Almera. It was facelifted in 2005, and from April 2006 it started selling as the Almera Classic in Ukraine and Russia, as the Almera B10 in Central America, Venezuela and Ecuador, and as the Sunny B10 in the Middle East. In Colombia, Mexico, Libya and Egypt, the car has been sold as the Renault Scala and in Chile as the Renault Samsung SM3.


title: Nissan Almera

text: In Russia, the Nissan Bluebird Sylphy G11 was marketed as the Nissan Almera. It received its world premiere at the 2012 Moscow International Automobile Salon on 29 August 2012, and uses the same design as the Bluebird Sylphy but a redesigned dashboard interior, adapted from the first-generation Dacia Logan. It has a 1.6-litre petrol engine (75 kW), with a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic transmission, and was manufactured locally at the AvtoVAZ plant since December 2012. Sales began in April 2013 and stopped in October 2018 just a month after the Pulsar was discontinued.


title: Flag of Cuba

text: The national flag of Cuba () consists of five alternating stripes (three blue and two white) and a red equilateral triangle at the hoist, within which is a white five-pointed star. It was designed in 1849 and officially adopted May 20, 1902. The flag is referred to as the "Estrella Solitaria", or the "Lone Star" flag. It is in the stars and stripes flag family.


title: Flag of Cuba

text: Fighting against the Spanish Crown with the rebel armies of Venezuela, Narciso López moved from his native Caracas to Havana, Cuba. His involvement in anti-colonial movements forced him into exile. In 1849 he moved to New York City, where he continued to advocate for an independent Cuba.


title: Flag of Cuba

text: The three blue stripes represent the three departments in which Cuba was divided at that time, the white – purity of the patriot cause, and the red triangle – a symbol of strength, constancy, and Mason influences (triangles are Masonic symbols for equality and were found in a number of other flags in the former Spanish empire).


title: Flag of Cuba

text: The poet Miguel Teurbe Tolón designed the flag alongside López, based upon the story of López's vision. Emilia Teurbe Tolón, Miguel's wife, sewed the first flag. López and Tolón, together with José Aniceto Iznaga Borrell, his nephew José María Sánchez Iznaga, Cirilo Villaverde and Juan Manuel Macías, settled upon the final design for the flag of Cuba: two white stripes, three blue, a red triangle, and a lone star.


title: Flag of Cuba

text: Narciso López used this same flag in 1850 to carry out his coup attempt to liberate Cuba from Spanish rule, which resulted in failure. The coastal town of Cardenas was the first town that saw the lone star flag hoisted on May 19, 1850, in the taking of the city by Cuban rebels.


title: Flag of Cuba

text: A year after the start of the Ten Years' War, the first Constituent Assembly of the Republic of Cuba met arms in Guáimaro, Camagüey Province. The debate focused on two flags of great symbolism, the Demajagua – which was very similar to the Chilean flag – created by Carlos Manuel de Céspedes to give start to the war of independence, and the Lone Star of Narciso López, the latter being chosen since Narciso López had taken the first step for the freedom of Cuba. The Demajagua flag was not scrapped, but instead, was put in the sessions of the House of Representatives and retained as part of the national treasure.


title: Flag of Cuba

text: On the morning of May 20, 1902, the day Cuba officially became an independent republic, Generalissimo Máximo Gómez had the honor of hoisting the flag on the flagpole of the castles of the Tres Reyes del Morro, Havana; therefore sealing with this act the end of the Cuban revolution, the end of struggle for Cuban independence, and at the same time justifying the sacrifice that so many offered to make this dream become reality.


title: Flag of Cuba

text: Both the flag and the coat of arms were designed by Miguel Teurbe Tolón. The design of both specifications were established by decree of the first President of Cuba, Tomás Estrada Palma, on April 21, 1906. The flag has remained unchanged since then even during and after the 1959 Cuban Revolution, which established the present-day communist state of the Republic of Cuba.


title: Flag of Cuba

text: In 2019 Cuba introduced the controversial "National Symbols Bill", which according to official press releases "would establish more flexible use of these items with a view toward promoting their greater presence in society, within a legally defined, respectful framework". Among the tenets that came with the bill was that the flag could be used "as a means of publicity only when the messages would contribute to the promotion and development of patriotic values in people and form a patriotic awareness of respect and veneration for them and the historical tradition of the nation".


title: Flag of Cuba

text: In August 2019 independent artists launched the "#LaBanderaEsDeTodos" campaign after repressive measures taken in response by the Cuban government, including the arrest of artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara. The artists, members of the San Isidro Movement, published a manifesto in which they advocated freer usage of Cuban national symbols, asking the public for assistance in opposing the Cuban government's attempts to restrict usage of the flag.


title: Flag of Cuba

text: In April 1869, Narciso López's flag was designated the national banner by the Congress of the Republic of Cuba. López's flag was the model for the flag of Puerto Rico adopted in 1892 by the Puerto Rican Revolutionary Committee, a pro-independence group that worked under the auspices of the Cuban Revolutionary Party.


title: Flag of Cuba

text: After the United States seized Cuba from Spain during the Spanish–American War, the U.S. flag flew from January 1, 1899, until independence was granted. On May 20, 1902, the Cuban national flag was hoisted as a symbol of independence and sovereignty. It has been used ever since, remaining unchanged after the Cuban Revolution of 1959. During the revolution, Cuban president Fidel Castro's 26th of July Movement created a party flag equally divided in red and black like the Angolan national flag usually in horizontal stripes and often with inscriptions, which is often flown on public buildings.


title: Flag of Cuba

text: The Cuban flag is at a length-to-width ratio of 2:1. The blue and white alternating stripes are of equal width. The red chevron is in the shape of an equilateral triangle that does not extend to the middle of the flag. The star within the chevron has a diameter that is the length of the hoist. Its middle is halfway up the flag.


title: The Railway Children (1970 film)

text: The Railway Children is a 1970 British family drama film based on the 1906 novel of the same name by E. Nesbit. The film was directed by Lionel Jeffries and stars Dinah Sheridan, Jenny Agutter (who had earlier featured in the BBC's 1968 dramatisation of the novel), Sally Thomsett and Bernard Cribbins in leading roles. The film was released to cinemas in the United Kingdom on 21 December 1970.


title: The Railway Children (1970 film)

text: The film rights were bought by Jeffries. It was his directorial debut and he wrote the screenplay. "The Railway Children" was a critical success, both at time of release and in later years.


title: The Railway Children (1970 film)

text: The storyline is episodic, reflecting the original serialisation of the novel. In 1905, the Waterburys are an affluent family who live in a luxurious villa in the suburbs of London. Charles Waterbury, the father, works at the Foreign Office. The day after Christmas, he is arrested on suspicion of being a spy. This is hidden from the rest of the family by his wife. The family become impoverished and are forced to move to a house called Three Chimneys in Yorkshire, which is near Oakworth railway station. When they arrive, they find the house in a mess and rat-infested. The three children, Roberta (known by her nickname Bobbie), Phyllis and Peter, find amusement in watching the trains on the nearby railway line and waving to the passengers. They become friends with Albert Perks, the station porter, and with an elderly gentleman who regularly takes the 9:15 train. To make ends meet, their mother works as a writer and also home schools the children.


title: The Railway Children (1970 film)

text: Mrs Waterbury falls ill with flu. Bobbie writes to the gentleman, who delivers food and medicine to the house to help their mother get better. They are admonished by their mother for telling others of their plight and asking for assistance. The following day, a man is found at the railway station. He speaks a language they cannot understand. The children figure out he can speak French, in which their mother is fluent. Mrs Waterbury discovers the man is an exiled Russian writer who has arrived in England to find his family who had fled there. He stays at their house. Bobbie writes another letter to the gentleman, asking him to help in finding the exile's family, who are soon found.


title: The Railway Children (1970 film)

text: One day, while watching the railway tracks, they notice there has been a landslide which has partially obstructed the tracks. The children fashion the girls' red petticoats into flags to warn the driver of the impending danger. The train stops due to their warning. The railway company and villagers hold a party for the children and thank them for their actions. The children are given personalised engraved watches and are dubbed "The Railway Children".


title: The Railway Children (1970 film)

text: The children find out that Mr Perks, the station porter, doesn't celebrate his birthday. They secretly ask for gifts from the villagers that he has helped in the past and deliver the gifts to his house. Mr Perks initially refuses the gifts as he doesn't accept charity. However, after the children explain that the gifts are from people that he has helped over the years, he thanks them for their kindness. In return the following day, he delivers old newspapers and magazines for them to read. Bobbie reads one of the newspapers and notices a story about their father being imprisoned. She discusses this with her mother who finally discloses that their father is in prison after having been falsely convicted of being a spy and selling state secrets. She speculates that a jealous colleague of his may be behind it. Bobbie again contacts the gentleman and asks him to help her father; he informs her that since meeting the children and reading about their father's case, he has been working to prove his innocence.


title: The Railway Children (1970 film)

text: A group of youths are playing a game of paper chase which the children observe. One of the boys injures his leg in a railway tunnel and is helped by the children. He is taken to their house where he recuperates from his injuries. The gentleman visits their house and reveals that the boy is his grandson, Jim, and thanks the family for looking after him. Jim and Bobbie grow close during his recuperation and promise to write to each other when he departs to his home.


title: The Railway Children (1970 film)

text: After Jim's departure, the children remark on their long hiatus from waving at the train passengers, and resolve to go to the railway the following morning. When they do so, all the passengers wave at them, and the gentleman gestures to a newspaper. Later, with a strange prescience, Bobbie excuses herself from her lessons and walks down to the station, where Perks hints that something special has happened. Confused, Bobbie stands on the station platform, where in the silent lingering smoke she sees her father, who has just alighted onto the platform after being exonerated and released from prison. She runs to greet him shouting "daddy; my daddy!". They return to 'Three Chimneys' and the family are reunited.


title: The Railway Children (1970 film)

text: The entire cast break the fourth wall and perform a curtain call as the credits roll. The camera moves slowly along a railway track towards a train which is decked in flags, in front of which all of the cast are assembled, waving and cheering to the camera. At the start of the credit sequence, a voice can be heard shouting "Thank you, Mr Forbes" to acknowledge producer Bryan Forbes. At the end, Bobbie Waterbury (Jenny Agutter) holds up a small slate on which "The End" is written in chalk.


title: The Railway Children (1970 film)

text: It was serialised for television in 1951, as a part of "Children's Hour", starring Jean Anderson. The 1951 script was reworked and adapted for television again in 1957 with location scenes filmed on the now-closed Cranleigh line. In 1968 a seven-part series to a fully-revised script was made. Jenny Agutter starred in the latter, and the fledgling Keighley & Worth Valley Railway with its station at Oakworth was used for location scenes.


title: The Railway Children (1970 film)

text: Lionel Jeffries read the book for the first time when he was returning to Britain by ship from the US to film "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang", in which he appeared as an actor. He had lost his own books and borrowed "The Railway Children" from his 13-year-old daughter Martha (he had two other children). He loved it, although he admitted "my personality is so different from the quiet romance of the story."


title: The Railway Children (1970 film)

text: However, he said "I found the climate of the... story just right for me, a way in which to start entertaining people and help not destroy our industry. There are hardly any films being made for children and for middle aged and older age groups. I thought this could be one."


title: The Railway Children (1970 film)

text: He bought a six-month option on the film rights for £300 and wrote a screenplay. "I've kept to the story," said Jeffries. "It would be an imposition not to – after all, E. Nesbit's survived 50 years."


title: The Railway Children (1970 film)

text: Jeffries succeeded in attracting financing from Bryan Forbes at EMI Films, who was interested in making family films. Forbes suggested Jeffries direct. "I knew there were slight bets among the technical staff as to how long I'd last," said Jeffries later.


title: The Railway Children (1970 film)

text: Jeffries later said "I knew we were taking a big, calculated risk in swimming against the permissive mainstream with such a story. All I could do was make it as honestly as possible: a Victorian documentary."


title: The Railway Children (1970 film)

text: Sally Thomsett was cast as the 11-year-old Phyllis, despite being 20 years old at the time. Her contract forbade her to reveal her true age during the making of the film and she was also not allowed to be seen smoking or drinking during the shoot. 17-year-old Jenny Agutter played her older sister, Roberta, and Gary Warren played their brother, Peter. Agutter had previously played the same role in the 1968 BBC Television adaptation of the story. Dinah Sheridan was cast as Mother and Bernard Cribbins as Perks the porter.


title: The Railway Children (1970 film)

text: Jeffries admitted he was tempted to play the role of Perks himself, but eventually decided to cast Cribbins "because of his lovely calm comedy."


title: The Railway Children (1970 film)

text: Inspired by the BBC's 1968 adaptation, Lionel Jeffries used the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway as the backdrop for the film, referring to it as per the original story as the "Great Northern and Southern Railway".


title: The Railway Children (1970 film)

text: At the time of filming, there were still very few heritage railways in Britain and only the KWVR could provide a tunnel, which is important in a number of scenes. The tunnel is a lot shorter in reality than it appears in the film, for which a temporary extension to the tunnel was made using canvas covers.


title: The Railway Children (1970 film)

text: Four of the already-preserved locomotives based on the Worth Valley Railway were chosen for use in the film's production in relation to role; MSC67 as the local train engine, newly-arrived 5775 (L89) as the Old Gentleman's engine, 52044 (preserved as L&Y 957) as 'The Green Dragon' express and 4744 (69523/1744) as the 'Scotch Flyer'. They were painted in period-inspired liveries for the filming: 5775 in brown, reminiscent of the Stroudley livery of the London Brighton and South Coast Railway; 957 in apple green, similar to liveries used by the North Eastern Railway; Great Northern Railway; and London and North Eastern Railway, and 4744 and MSC67 in plain black, as used by most railway companies in Britain at one time or another. 67 is now at the Middleton Railway in Leeds and 4744 is now with the North Norfolk Railway at Sheringham. 5775 and 957 are still on the Worth Valley Railway. As of 2021, 957 has returned to service after overhaul in its film guise, and 5775 is on static display at the Oxenhope Exhibition Shed having been repainted into its GN&SR livery. 4744 is undergoing a ten-yearly overhaul in Norfolk and 67 remains at Middleton but on display, having last operated in 2012.


title: The Railway Children (1970 film)

text: A wide variety of vintage rolling stock was used in the film, including examples from the Metropolitan and London and North Eastern railways. Although different carriages appeared in different liveries, the dominant one is white and maroon, which is reminiscent of the livery of the Caledonian Railway. The most important carriage in the film, the Old Gentleman's Saloon, was a North Eastern Railway Director's Saloon; it has also been used for the more recent stage production adaptation of the book. It and all the other carriages seen in the film are still at the KWVR, but tend to be used at special events only due to their age.


title: The Railway Children (1970 film)

text: A number of different locations were employed for various scenes. The house called "Three Chimneys" is in Oxenhope, just north of the Oxenhope railway station. The Bronte Parsonage in Haworth was used as the location for Doctor Forrest's surgery. The scenes of the children sitting on a bridge were filmed at Wycoller, near Colne. Mytholmes Tunnel, near Haworth, and the railway line running through it, were used extensively in the film, including being the location for the paper chase scene, as well as the famous landslide scene, in which the children wave the girls' petticoats in the air to warn the train about said blockage. The landslide sequence itself was filmed in a cutting on the Oakworth side of Mytholmes Tunnel and the fields of long grass, where the children waved to the trains, are situated on the Haworth side of the tunnel. A leaflet, "The Railway Children Walks", is available from KWVR railway stations or the Haworth Tourist Information Centre.


title: The Railway Children (1970 film)

text: The scenes in the Waterburys' London house, before their move to Yorkshire, were filmed at 4 Gainsborough Gardens in Hampstead, north-west London.


title: The Railway Children (1970 film)

text: The film was the ninth most popular film at the British box office in 1971 and recouped its cost in that country alone. It was one of the few financial successes of Bryan Forbes's regime at EMI Films. By June 1972 it had earned EMI a profit of £52,000.


title: The Railway Children (1970 film)

text: Since its release, the film has received universally positive reviews and holds a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on fifteen reviews.


title: The Railway Children (1970 film)

text: A 40th anniversary Blu-ray and DVD was released on 5 May 2010 with a new digitally remastered print. It includes new interviews with Sally Thomsett, Jenny Agutter and Bernard Cribbins. The planned commentary by director Lionel Jeffries was not completed due to his death in February 2010.


title: The Railway Children (1970 film)

text: "The Railway Children" received three nominations for awards at the 24th British Academy Film Awards ceremony. Bernard Cribbins was nominated in the category of Best Supporting Actor. However, in a category also featuring John Mills, Colin Welland and Gig Young, the award went to Welland for his role in the film "Kes". Sally Thomsett received a nomination for Best Newcomer in a Leading Role but again lost out to an actor from "Kes", in this case David Bradley. Johnny Douglas was also nominated for the Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music but the award was won by American Burt Bacharach for his film score for "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid".


title: The Railway Children (1970 film)

text: Hornby Railways produced a 00 gauge train set of the train from the film. It had a London, Midland and Scottish Railway 0–6–0 tank shunting locomotive in GN&SR livery with Synchrosmoke, two period coaches, an oval of track and a station.


title: The Railway Children (1970 film)

text: Bachmann Branchline currently produces a 00 gauge train pack from the film, albeit a more accurate set. It includes a GWR 5700 Class locomotive in GN&SR's brown livery, two LMS Period I carriages in GN&SR's maroon and white livery, and a model of the Oakworth station building.


title: The Railway Children (1970 film)

text: In 2010, to coincide with the 40th anniversary, a book was brought out called "The Making of the Railway Children" by Jim Shipley – a former volunteer station master of Oakworth Station. It detailed events that took place during filming and interviews from local people associated with it. In November 2012, a second updated version was printed with added information, in particular about Gary Warren, who disappeared in the mid-1970s after retiring from acting. He had been tracked down by a member of the official "Catweazle" fanclub and the author had permission to write a more updated version of what had happened to him.


title: The Railway Children (1970 film)

text: In 2013, the British Board of Film Classification released a statement saying that they had received and evaluated a complaint about the film in that it encouraged children to trespass on the railway tracks. The BBFC noted that the children did trespass on the line, but only to warn an approaching train of the danger of a landslide on the track ahead. They had, however, in an earlier scene walked along the track simply to get to the station. The BBFC also pointed out that the film was set in Edwardian times when access to railway lines was not under the same restrictions as modern times.


title: The Railway Children (1970 film)

text: The film has left a lasting impression on the British film industry and audiences. In 1999, the British Film Institute (BFI) put "The Railway Children" in 66th place in its list of the Top 100 British films of all time. Five years later, the film magazine "Total Film" named it the 46th greatest British film of the 20th century. In 2005, the British Film Institute included it in their list of 'The 50 films you should see by the age of 14'. In 2008, the film made it onto Channel 4's list of the 100 Greatest Family Films at number 30, just ahead of "Monsters, Inc." and just behind "Men in Black" and "Ghostbusters".


title: The Railway Children (1970 film)

text: On 28 March 2010, the Bradford International Film Festival concluded with a new restoration of "The Railway Children" film with the 40th anniversary digital premiere.


title: The Railway Children (1970 film)

text: Jenny Agutter also starred in a new TV adaptation of "The Railway Children" in 2000 in the role of Mother. Much of the publicity for the 2000 film focused on Agutter's involvement in both films which were made a generation apart.


title: The Railway Children (1970 film)

text: In 2021 BBC Radio 4 broadcast "The Saving of Albert Perks", a monologue by Bernard Cribbins in which the now adult Roberta returns to Oakworth with two Jewish refugee children who have escaped Nazi Germany on the Kindertransport.


title: The Railway Children (1970 film)

text: In May 2021, a sequel titled "The Railway Children Return" starring Jenny Agutter, started filming in and around Oakworth. It was released on July 15, 2022.


title: M79 grenade launcher

text: The M79 grenade launcher is a single-shot, shoulder-fired, break-action grenade launcher that fires a 40×46mm grenade, which uses what the US Army calls the High-Low Propulsion System to keep recoil forces low, and first appeared during the Vietnam War. Because of its distinctive report, it has earned the nicknames of "Thumper", "Thump-Gun", "Bloop Tube", "Big Ed", "Elephant Gun," and "Blooper" among American soldiers as well as "Can Cannon" in reference to the grenade size; Australian units referred to it as the "Wombat Gun". The M79 can fire a wide variety of 40 mm rounds, including explosive, anti-personnel, smoke, buckshot, flechette (pointed steel projectiles with a vaned tail for stable flight), and illumination. While largely replaced by the M203, the M79 has remained in service in many units worldwide in niche roles.


title: M79 grenade launcher

text: The M79 was a result of the US Army's Project Niblick, an attempt to increase firepower for the infantryman by having an explosive projectile more accurate with further range than rifle grenades, but more portable than a mortar. Project Niblick created the 40 x 46 mm grenade, but was unable to create a satisfactory launcher for it that could fire more than a single shot. One of the launchers at Springfield Armory was the three-shot "harmonica" T148 (not to be confused with the later, underbarrel XM148), which did see some limited production and fielding in Vietnam, but problems with the three-round magazine prevented widespread acceptance. The other design was a single-shot break-open, shoulder-fired weapon, the S-3. This was refined into the S-5, which resembled an oversized single-barrel shotgun. Unable to solve the problems with the multi-shot T148 launcher, the Army adopted the S-5 as the XM79. With a new sight, the XM79 was officially adopted as the M79 on December 15, 1960.


title: M79 grenade launcher

text: In 1961, the first M79 grenade launchers were delivered to the US Army. Owing to its ease of use, reliability, and firepower, the M79 became popular among American soldiers, who dubbed it "the platoon leader's artillery". Some soldiers would cut down the stock and barrel to make the M79 even more portable.


title: M79 grenade launcher

text: The M79 saw combat in the Vietnam War beginning in the early days, when M79 Grenadiers assigned to major Army divisions first arrived to see combat in Vietnam in 1965, including the 1st Cavalry Division, the 1st Infantry Division, the 101st Airborne Division, and the 173rd Airborne Brigade. M79s were assigned to the specialist 4 grenadier in both 4-5-man fire teams organic to an Army rifle squad headed by a squad leader. The Marines assigned one grenadier to their three-fire team 14-man rifle squad.


title: M79 grenade launcher

text: However, its single-shot nature was a serious drawback. Reloading after every shot meant a slow rate of fire and an inability to keep up a constant volume of fire during a firefight. This led the Navy to develop the China Lake Grenade Launcher, which was produced for deployed SEAL Teams. For close-in situations, the minimum arming range (the round travels 30 meters to arm itself) and the blast radius meant a grenadier had to use his .45 cal. (11.43 mm) pistol, or fire and hope that the grenade acted as a giant slow bullet. Special grenades for close-in fighting were created to compensate, though a soldier was not always able to load one in the heat of battle. Moreover, its size meant that a grenadier armed with the M79 could not carry a rifle, having only a sidearm to use in a firefight after expending his grenades, though some grenadiers opted to carry a slung M16 rifle in lieu of a sidearm.


title: M79 grenade launcher

text: Underbarrel grenade launchers, such as the XM148 and the M203, both designed as attachments for the M16 rifle, were developed during the Vietnam War, allowing the grenadier to also function as a rifleman. The XM148 was plagued with problems and the project was dropped. The M203 was however a success, and was standardized in 1969; it had replaced the M79 by the end of the war, though M79s were still used in Reserve and National Guard units.


title: M79 grenade launcher

text: Some US Navy SEALs and Army Special Forces in Iraq have been seen using the M79 in recent years, due to its greater accuracy and range compared to the M203 (350 meters effective versus 150 meters effective). The M79 has seen notable limited use during Operation Iraqi Freedom, such as for clearing IEDs. The grenade launcher also sees continued use as a mission-specific tool with Special warfare combatant-craft crewmen.


title: M79 grenade launcher

text: Visually, the M79 grenade launcher resembles a large bore, break-action, sawed-off shotgun, and is simple in design, having only five major parts: a receiver group, a fore-end assembly, a barrel group, a sight assembly, and a stock. The fore-end assembly beds the barrel to the receiver. The stock is made out of wood or fiberglass. A rubber pad affixed to the buttstock absorbs some recoil. The front sight is a fixed blade. The rear sight on the M79 is a folding ladder–style leaf sight. When folded, the leaf sight acts as a fixed sight at close range. A grenadier may simply point and shoot with high accuracy. When unfolded, the leaf sight can be adjusted for ranges from 75 to 375 meters, in 25-meter increments. Additionally, Appendix A of the U.S. Army field manual for the M203 includes instructions on attaching the M16 rifle grenade sight to the M79's stock and marking the sling for indirect fire at elevations greater than 40°.


title: M79 grenade launcher

text: While not manufacturers of the M79, Milcor and Denel Mechem of South Africa do re-manufacture M-79 grenade launchers to more modern standards. They replace the leaf sight with an optical one and replace the wooden stock with a modified R-4/R-5 stock.


title: M79 grenade launcher

text: The M79 is easy to operate. To load, the grenadier pushes the barrel locking latch on the receiver group to the right. Gravity will pull down the barrel, opening the action and exposing the breech. The hammer is cocked when the breech is opened. A round then may be loaded. The break action must then be closed manually. Closing the breech will cause the barrel locking latch to return to center. The safety must then be pushed to the forward position in order to ready the weapon for firing.


title: M79 grenade launcher

text: Many different ammunition types were produced for the M79 (and subsequently for the M203). Outside of the smoke and illumination rounds three main types emerge: explosive, close-range, and non-lethal crowd control. The break-open action of the M79 allows it to use longer rounds that the standard M203 cannot use without some difficulty.


title: M79 grenade launcher

text: The M406 40 mm HE (high explosive) grenades fired from the M79 travel at a muzzle velocity of 75 meters per second. The M406 contained enough explosive to produce over 300 fragments that travel at 1,524 meters per second within a lethal radius of 5 meters. This round incorporated a spin-activation safety feature which prevents the grenade from arming while still within range of the shooter; it armed itself after traveling a distance of about 14–27 meters. The round would not arm at point blank ranges and it usually did not have enough kinetic energy to kill, although it sometimes penetrated the abdomen or caused large hematomas.


title: M79 grenade launcher

text: For close range fighting, two styles of M79 rounds were developed. The first was a flechette or Bee Hive round (so named for the sound the flechettes made while in flight) that fired 45 10-grain steel flechettes. Flechettes proved to be ineffective because they would often not hit point-first and penetrate. Instead they would hit sideways and bounce off. About 1966, this was replaced by the M576 buckshot round. Containing twenty 24-grain metal pellets (M576E1) or twenty-seven 24-grain metal pellets (M576E2), this round could be devastating at close ranges. However, as range increased, the shot spread out so rapidly as to be ineffective. The M576E2, despite the greater number of shot, was less effective at range than the M576E1, because its shot spread out much more quickly and could completely miss the target.


title: M79 grenade launcher

text: The M79 has been used extensively also for crowd control purposes where it is desirable to have a weapon dedicated solely to non-lethal force. The three common less-lethal rounds are the M651 CS gas, the M1006 sponge grenade, and the M1029 Crowd Dispersal rounds.


title: Dutch disease

text: In economics, the Dutch disease is the apparent causal relationship between the increase in the economic development of a specific sector (for example natural resources) and a decline in other sectors (like the manufacturing sector or agriculture).


title: Dutch disease

text: The term was coined in 1977 by "The Economist" to describe the decline of the manufacturing sector in the Netherlands after the discovery of the large Groningen natural gas field in 1959.


title: Dutch disease

text: The presumed mechanism is that as revenues increase in the growing sector (or inflows of foreign aid), the given nation's currency becomes stronger (appreciates) compared to currencies of other nations (manifest in an exchange rate). This results in the nation's other exports becoming more expensive for other countries to buy, and imports becoming cheaper, making those sectors less competitive.


title: Dutch disease

text: While it most often refers to natural resource discovery, it can also refer to "any development that results in a large inflow of foreign currency, including a sharp surge in natural resource prices, foreign assistance, and foreign direct investment".


title: Dutch disease

text: The classic economic model describing Dutch disease was developed by the economists W. Max Corden and J. Peter Neary in 1982. In the model, there is a non-tradable sector (which includes services) and two tradable sectors: the booming sector, and the lagging (or non-booming) tradable sector. The booming sector is usually the extraction of natural resources such as oil, natural gas, gold, copper, diamonds or bauxite, or the production of crops, such as coffee or cocoa. The lagging sector is usually manufacturing or agriculture.


title: Dutch disease

text: In a model of international trade based on resource endowments as the Heckscher–Ohlin/Heckscher–Ohlin-Vanek, the Dutch disease can be explained by the Rybczynski Theorem.


title: Dutch disease

text: Using data on 118 countries over the period 1970–2007, a study by economists at the University of Cambridge provides evidence that the Dutch disease does not operate in primary commodity-abundant countries. They also show that it is the volatility in commodity prices, rather than abundance per se, that drives the resource curse paradox since the negative impact of commodity terms of trade volatility on GDP per capita is larger than the growth-enhancing effects of commodity booms. A study of the resource-rich Australian and Norwegian economies has shown that a booming resource sector can have positive effects (or 'spillovers') on non-resource sectors, which have not been captured in previous analysis. Construction and services, and to a lesser extent manufacturing, benefit from these spillovers.


title: Dutch disease

text: Simple trade models suggest that a country should specialize in industries in which it has a comparative advantage; so a country rich in some natural resources would be better off specializing in the extraction of those natural resources.


title: Dutch disease

text: However, other theories suggest that this is detrimental, for example when the natural resources deplete. Also, prices may decrease and competitive manufacturing cannot return as quickly as it left. This may happen because technological growth is smaller in the booming sector and the non-tradable sector than the non-booming tradable sector. Because that economy had smaller technological growth than did other countries, its comparative advantage in non-booming tradable goods will have shrunk, thus leading firms not to invest in the tradables sector.


title: Dutch disease

text: Also, volatility in the price of natural resources, and thus the real exchange rate, limits investment by private firms, because firms will not invest if they are not sure what the future economic conditions will be. Commodity exports such as raw materials drive up the value of the currency. This is what leads to the lack of competition in the other sectors of the economy. The extraction of natural resources is also extremely capital intensive, resulting in few new jobs being created.


title: Dutch disease

text: There are two basic ways to reduce the threat of Dutch disease: slowing the appreciation of the real exchange rate, and boosting the competitiveness of the adversely affected sectors. One approach is to sterilize the boom revenues, that is, not to bring all the revenues into the country all at once, and to save some of the revenues abroad in special funds and bring them in slowly. In developing countries, this can be politically difficult as there is often pressure to spend the boom revenues immediately to alleviate poverty, but this ignores broader macroeconomic implications.


title: Dutch disease

text: Sterilization will reduce the spending effect, alleviating some of the effects of inflation. Another benefit of letting the revenues into the country slowly is that it can give a country a stable revenue stream, giving more certainty to revenues from year to year. Also, by saving the boom revenues, a country is saving some of the revenues for future generations. Examples of these sovereign wealth funds include the Australian Government Future Fund, Iranian national development fund, the Government Pension Fund in Norway, the Stabilization Fund of the Russian Federation, the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan, Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund of Alberta, Canada, the Permanent School Fund of Texas, the Alaska Permanent Fund and the Future Generations Fund of the State of Kuwait established in 1976. Recent talks led by the United Nations Development Programme in Cambodia – International Oil and Gas Conference on fueling poverty reduction – point out the need for better education of state officials and energy CaDREs (Capacity Needs Diagnostics for Renewable Energies) linked to a sovereign wealth fund to avoid the resource curse (Paradox of plenty).


title: Dutch disease

text: Another strategy for avoiding real exchange rate appreciation is to increase saving in the economy in order to reduce large capital inflows which may appreciate the real exchange rate. This can be done if the country runs a budget surplus. A country can encourage individuals and firms to save more by reducing income and profit taxes. By increasing saving, a country can reduce the need for loans to finance government deficits and foreign direct investment.


title: Dutch disease

text: Investments in education and infrastructure can increase the competitiveness of the lagging manufacturing or agriculture sector. Another approach is government protectionism of the lagging sector, that is, increase in subsidies or tariffs. However, this could worsen the effects of Dutch disease, as large inflows of foreign capital are usually provided by the export sector and bought up by the import sector. Imposing tariffs on imported goods will artificially reduce that sector's demand for foreign currency, leading to further appreciation of the real exchange rate.


title: Dutch disease

text: It is usually difficult to be certain that a country has Dutch disease because it is difficult to prove the relationship between an increase in natural resource revenues, the real-exchange rate, and a decline in the lagging sector. An appreciation in the real exchange rate could be caused by other things such as productivity increases in the Balassa-Samuelson effect, changes in the terms of trade and large capital inflows. Often these capital inflows are caused by foreign direct investment or to finance a country's debt. However, evidence does exist suggesting that unexpected and very large oil and gas discoveries do cause the appreciation of the real exchange rate and the decline of the lagging sector across affected countries on average.


title: Darius McCrary

text: Darius Creston McCrary (born May 1, 1976) is an American actor, rapper, singer and producer. McCrary is known for his role as Edward "Eddie" Winslow, the oldest child of Carl and Harriette Winslow on the ABC/CBS television sitcom "Family Matters", which ran from 1989–1998.


title: Darius McCrary

text: He also played Scam in the 1987 comedy film "Big Shots", which was his film debut. He provided the voice of Jazz in the 2007 "Transformers" reboot. From December 2009 to October 2011, he portrayed photographer Malcolm Winters on the CBS daytime drama "The Young and the Restless".