X-rays and gamma rays.

Conventionally, the energy of diagnostic and therapeutic gamma- and X-rays is expressed in kilovolts or megavolts (kV or MV), whilst the energy of therapeutic electrons is expressed in terms of megaelectronvolts (MeV). In the first case, this voltage is the maximum electric potential used by a linear accelerator to produce the photon beam. The beam is made up of a spectrum of energies: the "maximum" energy is approximately equal to the beam's maximum electric potential times the electron charge. Thus a 1 MV beam will produce photons of no more than about 1 MeV. The "mean" X-ray energy is only about 1/3 of the maximum energy. Beam quality and hardness may be improved by X-ray filters, which improves the homogeneity of the X-ray spectrum.  Medically useful X-rays are produced when electrons are accelerated to energies at which either the photoelectric effect predominates (for diagnostic use, since the photoelectric effect offers comparatively excellent contrast with effective atomic number "Z") or Compton scatter and pair production predominate (at energies above approximately 200 keV for the former and 1 MeV for the latter), for therapeutic X-ray beams. Some examples of X-ray energies used in medicine are:  Megavoltage X-rays are by far most common in radiotherapy for the treatment of a wide range of cancers. Superficial and orthovoltage X-rays have application for the treatment of cancers at or close to the skin surface. Typically, higher energy megavoltage X-rays are chosen when it is desirable to maximize "skin-sparing" (since the relative dose to the skin is lower for such high-energy beams).  Medically useful photon beams can also be derived from a radioactive source such as iridium-192, caesium-137 or radium-226 (which is no longer used clinically), or cobalt-60. Such photon beams, derived from radioactive decay, are more or less monochromatic and are properly termed gamma rays. The usual energy range is between 300 keV to 1.5 MeV, and is specific to the isotope. Notably, photon beams deriving from radioisotopes are approximately monoenergetic, as contrasted with the continuous bremsstrahlung spectrum from a linac.  Therapeutic radiation is mainly generated in the radiotherapy department using some of the following equipment:

Electrons.

X-rays are generated by bombarding a high atomic number material with electrons. If the target is removed (and the beam current decreased) a high energy electron beam is obtained. Electron beams are useful for treating superficial lesions because the maximum of dose deposition occurs near the surface. The dose then decreases rapidly with depth, sparing underlying tissue. Electron beams usually have nominal energies in the range 4–20 MeV. Depending on the energy this translates to a treatment range of approximately 1–5 cm (in water-equivalent tissue). Energies above 18 MeV are used very rarely. Although the X-ray target is removed in electron mode, the beam must be fanned out by sets of thin scattering foils in order to achieve flat and symmetric dose profiles in the treated tissue.  Many linear accelerators can produce both electrons and x-rays.

Hadron therapy.

Hadron therapy involves the therapeutic use of protons, neutrons, and heavier ions (fully ionized atomic nuclei). Of these, proton therapy is by far the most common, though still quite rare compared to other forms of external beam radiotherapy, since it requires large and expensive equipment. The gantry (the part that rotates around the patient) is a multi-story structure, and a proton therapy system can cost (as of 2009) up to US$150 Million.

Multi-leaf collimator.

Modern linear accelerators are equipped with multileaf collimators (MLCs) which can move within the radiation field as the linac gantry rotates, blocking the field as necessary according to the gantry position. This technology allows radiotherapy treatment planners great flexibility in shielding organs-at-risk (OARSs), while ensuring that the prescribed dose is delivered to the target(s). A typical multi-leaf collimator consists of two sets of 40 to 80 leaves, each around 5 mm to 10 mm thick and several centimetres in the other two dimensions. Newer MLCs now have up to 160 leaves. Each leaf in the MLC is aligned parallel to the radiation field and can be moved independently to block part of the field. This allows the dosimetrist to match the radiation field to the shape of the tumor (by adjusting the position of the leaves), thus minimizing the amount of healthy tissue being exposed to radiation. On older linacs without MLCs, this must be accomplished manually using several hand-crafted blocks.

Intensity modulated radiation therapy.

Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is an advanced radiotherapy technique used to minimize the amount of normal tissue being irradiated in the treatment field. In some systems this intensity modulation is achieved by moving the leaves in the MLC during the course of treatment, thereby delivering a radiation field with a non-uniform (i.e. modulated) intensity. With IMRT, radiation oncologists are able to break up the radiation beam into many "beamlets". This allows radiation oncologists to vary the intensity of each beamlet. With IMRT, doctors are often able to further limit the amount of radiation received by healthy tissue near the tumor. Doctors have found this sometimes allowed them to safely give a higher dose of radiation to the tumor, potentially increasing the chance of a cure.

Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy.

Volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) is an extension of IMRT where in addition to MLC motion, the linear accelerator will move around the patient during treatment. This means that rather than radiation entering the patient through only a small number of fixed angles, it can enter through many angles. This can be beneficial for some treatment sites where the target volume is surrounded by a number of organs which must be spared radiation dose.

Flattening Filter Free.

The intensity of the X-rays produced in an megavoltage linac is much higher in the centre of the beam compared to the edge. To counteract this a flattening filter is used. A flattening filter is a cone of metal (typically tungsten); after the X-ray beam has passed through the flattening filter it will have a more uniform profile, since the flattening filter is shaped so as to compensate for the forward bias in the momentum of the electrons incident upon it. This makes treatment planning simpler but also reduces the intensity of the beam significantly. With greater computing power and more efficient treatment planning algorithms, the need for simpler treatment planning techniques ("forward planning", in which the planner directly instructs the linac on how to deliver the prescribed treatment) is reduced. This has led to increased interest in flattening filter free treatments (FFF).  The advantage of FFF treatments is the increased maximum dose rate, by a factor of up for four, allowing reduced treatment times and a reduction in the effect of patient motion on the delivery of the treatment. This makes FFF an area of particular interest in stereotactic treatments., where the reduced treatment time may reduce patient movement, and breast treatments, where there is the potential to reduce breathing motion.

Image-guided radiation therapy.

Image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) augments radiotherapy with imaging to increase the accuracy and precision of target localization, thereby reducing the amount of healthy tissue in the treatment field. The more advanced the treatment techniques become in terms of dose deposition accuracy, the higher become the requirements for IGRT. In order to allow patients to benefit from sophisticated treatment techniques as IMRT or hadron therapy, patient alignment accuracies of 0.5 mm and less become desirable. Therefore, new methods like stereoscopic digital kilovoltage imaging based patient position verification (PPVS) to alignment estimation based on in-situ cone-beam computed tomography (CT) enrich the range of modern IGRT approaches.

External beam radiotherapy (EBRT) is the most common form of radiotherapy (radiation therapy). The patient sits or lies on a couch and an external source of ionizing radiation is pointed at a particular part of the body. In contrast to brachytherapy (sealed source radiotherapy) and unsealed source radiotherapy, in which the radiation source is inside the body, external beam radiotherapy directs the radiation at the tumour from outside the body. Orthovoltage ("superficial") X-rays are used for treating skin cancer and superficial structures. Megavoltage X-rays are used to treat deep-seated tumours (e.g. bladder, bowel, prostate, lung, or brain), whereas megavoltage electron beams are typically used to treat superficial lesions extending to a depth of approximately 5 cm (increasing beam energy corresponds to greater penetration). X-rays and electron beams are by far the most widely used sources for external beam radiotherapy. A small number of centers operate experimental and pilot programs employing beams of heavier particles, particularly protons, owing to the rapid dropoff in absorbed dose beneath the depth of the target.

La radiothérapie externe est une technique de radiothérapie reposant sur la localisation d'un faisceau de particules sur une partie du patient. Elle est qualifiée d'externe puisque la source des particules est à l'extérieur du corps, contrairement à la curiethérapie, d'invention plus récente, où les sources sont introduites dans le patient.


History.

The community was founded by Joseph Plamondon in 1908 and settled by primarily French Canadians. Most of the families that eventually settled there came from Provemont, Michigan (now Lake Leelanau in Leelanau County, Michigan) and from French areas of Ontario. This is mentioned in a 1991 interview with Cecelia Bussey: http://leelanauhistory.pastperfectonline.com/archive/027AC0DE-312F-4F0F-85A1-643695582517.  On the outskirts of Plamondon is a community of Old Believers (Old Ritualists), a Traditionalist Russian Orthodox sect whose ancestors broke from the Church after Patriarch Nikon's reforms in 1666. The schism, or "Raskol," resulted over reforms in church ritual and translation intended to better align the Russian church with Greek Orthodox practices. The Old Believers that live outside Plamondon are "bezpopovtsy", or priestless Old Believers, who believe that apostolic succession ended with Nikon's apostasy and therefore have no clergy and refuse the Eucharist. Most of these families moved to the area in the mid 1970s from Woodburn, Oregon, also home to a large Old Believer community. Many also came from Xinjiang, China, by way of New Zealand, where they fled after the Communist revolutions in Russia and China.

Demographics.

As a designated place in the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Plamondon recorded a population of 348 living in 136 of its 172 total private dwellings, a change of from its 2011 population of 345. With a land area of, it had a population density of in 2016.  Lac La Biche County's 2016 municipal census counted a population of 348 in Plamondon, a change from the hamlet's 2013 municipal census population of 344.  As a designated place in the 2011 Census, Plamondon had a population of 345 living in 135 of its 147 total dwellings, a 3% change from its 2006 population of 335. With a land area of, it had a population density of in 2011.

Economy.

The main industries in the region are logging and farming.

Amenities.

The community has two schools, Ecole Beausejour and Ecole Plamondon School, which draw students from the entire region. École Plamondon School, offers English, French immersion, and Russian classes. École Beausejour is a francophone school, with instruction surrounding with the francophone culture.  There are two hotels, two banks, post office, indoor hockey arena with artificial ice, a museum, and a rather large church.  The hamlet also holds an annual French hockey tournament called Hockey en Fête. Frontenacs of University of Alberta have won twice. A Canadian Mud Racing Organization (CMRO) event is also held annually at the Plamondon Mud Bog.

Plamondon is a hamlet in northern Alberta, Canada within Lac La Biche County. It is located on Highway 858, approximately north of Highway 55, and has an elevation of.

Plamondon est un hameau située dans le Comté de Lac La Biche en Alberta au Canada. Au recensement de la population de 2011, la population s'élevait à 345 personnes, dont un quart de Franco-albertains et francophones.


Location.

The tunnels of the Underground City run beneath Beijing's city center, covering an area of under the surface. At one time there were about 90 entrances to the complex, all of which were hidden in shops along the main streets of Qianmen. Many of the entrances have since been demolished or blocked off for reconstruction. Known remaining entrances include 62 West Damochang Street in Qianmen, Beijing Qianmen Carpet Factory at 44 Xingfu Dajie in Chongwen District, and 18 Dazhalan Jie in Qianmen.

History.

At the height of Soviet-Chinese tensions in 1969, Chinese chairman Mao Zedong ordered the construction of the Underground City during the border conflict over Zhenbao Island in the Heilongjiang River. The Underground City was designed to withstand nuclear, biochemical and conventional attacks. The complex would protect Beijing's population, and allow government officials to evacuate in the event of an attack on the city. The government claimed that the tunnels could accommodate all of Beijing's six million inhabitants upon its completion.  The complex was equipped with facilities such as restaurants, clinics, schools, theaters, factories, a roller skating rink, grain and oil warehouses, and a mushroom cultivation farm. There were also almost 70 potential sites where water wells could easily be dug if needed. Elaborate ventilation systems were installed, with 2300 shafts that can be sealed off to protect the tunnels' inhabitants from poison gases, Gas- and water-proof hatches, as well as thick concrete main gates, were constructed to protect the tunnels from biochemical attacks and nuclear fallouts.  There is no official disclosure about the actual extent of the complex, but it is speculated that the tunnels may link together Beijing's various landmarks, as well as important governmental buildings such as the Zhongnanhai, the Great Hall of the People, and even military bases in the outskirts of the city. The China Internet Information Center asserts that "they supposedly link all areas of central Beijing, from Xidan and Xuanwumen to Qianmen and [the] Chongwen district", in addition to the Western Hills. It is also rumoured that every residence once had a secret trapdoor nearby leading to the tunnels. In the event of a nuclear attack, the plan was to move half of Beijing's population underground and the other half to the Western Hills.  The tunnels were built by more than 300,000 local citizens, including school students, on volunteer duties. Some portions were even dug without the help of any heavy machinery. Centuries-old city walls, towers and gates, including the old city gates of Xizhimen, Fuchengmen, and Chongwenmen were destroyed to supply construction materials for the complex. Since the complex's completion, it has been utilized by locals for in various ways as the tunnels remain cool in summer and warm in winter. On busy streets, some portions of the complex were refurbished as cheap hotels, while others were transformed into shopping and business centers, or even theaters.  While the complex has never been used for its intended purpose, it has never been fully abandoned either. Local authorities still perform water leakage checks and pest control in the tunnels on a regular basis.

As a tourist attraction.

The complex was officially opened in 2000, but has been closed for renovation since at least February 2008. While it was open, visitors were allowed to tour portions of the complex; the Underground City was popular with foreign tourists but remained virtually forgotten by local citizens. Though there are many other entrances, foreign visitors entered approved sections accessed via a small shop front in Qianmen, south of Tiananmen Square, at 62 West Damochang Street. Tour groups could enter free of charge and without prior permission while individual tourists not part of a group were charged 20 yuan (US$2.40) each.  The official tour took visitors only on a small circular stretch of the Underground City. Inside the complex, visitors could see signposts to major landmarks accessible by the tunnels, such as Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, and could see chambers labeled with their original functions, such as cinemas, hospitals, or arsenals. A portrait of Mao Zedong could be seen amidst murals of locals volunteering to dig the tunnels and fading slogans such as "Accumulate Grain", and "For the People: Prepare for War, Prepare for Famine". Rooms with bunk beds and decayed cardboard boxes of water purifiers could be seen in areas not open to tourists. Visitors on the official tour would also pass by a functioning silk factory in one of the underground staff meeting rooms of the complex, and be given a demonstration of the process of obtaining silk from silkworm cocoons. They had a chance to buy souvenirs at a tourists' shop operated by the state-owned Qianmen Arts and Crafts Center and the China Kai Tian Silk Company.

The Underground City () is a Cold War era bomb shelter consisting of a network of tunnels located beneath Beijing, China. It has also been referred to as the Underground Great Wall since it was built for the purpose of military defense. The complex was constructed from 1969 to 1979 in anticipation of a nuclear war with the Soviet Union, as Sino-Soviet relations worsened and was officially reopened in 2000. Visitors were allowed to tour portions of the complex, which has been described as "dark, damp, and genuinely eerie". Underground City has been closed for renovation since at least February 2008.

La ville souterraine (en, Dìxià Chéng) est un abri souterrain lié à un réseau de tunnels situé à Pékin, en Chine. Elle est parfois surnommée la « Grande Muraille souterraine » par comparaison avec la Grande Muraille de Chine, mais ce dernier surnom est aussi utilisé pour désigner un autre réseau de souterrains, dans les monts Taihang.


Concours Eurovision de la chanson junior 2012

Location.

On 11 October 2011, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) announced that the Dutch broadcaster AVRO had won the right to host next year's event. On 27 February 2012, it was announced that the tenth edition of the contest would take place on 1 December and be held at the Heineken Music Hall (or commonly abbreviated as HMH) in Amsterdam.  The Heineken Music Hall was specially designed for music shows, several artists like Madonna and Kylie Minogue made shows at the venue. Furthermore, it is often used by the Dutch Entertainment Company Q-dance for the Event-Series "X-Qlusive" taking place several times a year. The big hall (also called Black Box) has been used for concerts and boasts a capacity of 5,500 and is 3000 m2. After parties are given in a smaller hall, with a capacity of 700.

Format.

Logo and graphic design.

The architect was Frits van Dongen. The motto for the contest was announced on 6 September 2012 as "Break The Ice". Tickets for the contest went on sale from 10 September 2012.

Participating countries.

On 1 September 2012, the EBU announced that twelve countries would take part in the 2012 contest. Albania, Azerbaijan, and Israel made their debut at the 10th edition, while Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, and Macedonia withdrew from participation.

Returning artists.

One confirmed representative had been announced as returning to the contest for a second time. Lerika who participated Moldova in 2011 finishing in 6th place with the song "No, No", represented Russia this time around, finishing in 4th place.

Scoreboard.

For technical issues, Georgia was the final country to cast its votes.

International broadcasts and voting.

The order in which votes were cast during the 2012 contest along with the spokesperson who was responsible for announcing the votes for their respective country. Each national broadcaster also sent a commentator to the contest, in order to provide coverage of the contest in their own native language. Details of the commentators and the broadcasting station for which they represented are also included in the table below.

Official album.

Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2012: Amsterdam, is a compilation album put together by the European Broadcasting Union, and was released by Universal Music Group on November 2012. The album features all the songs from the 2012 contest, along with karaoke versions.

The Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2012 was the tenth edition of the annual Junior Eurovision Song Contest. It took place at the Heineken Music Hall in Amsterdam, Netherlands on 1 December 2012. Dutch broadcaster AVRO was the host broadcaster for the event. For the second time the Netherlands hosted the contest, after hosting the contest in 2007 in Rotterdam. The motto for the contest was ""Break The Ice"".

La dixième édition du Concours Eurovision de la chanson junior a lieu à Amsterdam, aux Pays-Bas le 1er décembre 2012. Le slogan de cette édition est "Break The Ice!" (en français "Brisez la glace!").


Discovery.

WASP-15 was first observed by the WASP-South branch of the SuperWASP project, which operates from the South African Astronomical Observatory, between May 4, 2006 and July 17, 2006. It was later observed by WASP-South from January 31, 2007 to July 17, 2007 and from January 31, 2008 to May 29, 2008. Further analysis taken from 24,943 collected data points revealed eleven full or partial transits.  Follow-up observations were conducted by a European and American science team at the 1.2 m Leonhard Euler Telescope at La Silla Observatory in Chile, which further raised the possibility of the existence of a planet in WASP-15's orbit; use of the CORALIE spectrograph on the Euler Telescope between March 6, 2008 and July 17, 2008 revealed that the variations in radial velocity measurements were not because of an eclipsing binary star system.  CORALIE and the High Resolution Echelle Spectrometer (HIRES) revealed the spectrum of WASP-15, which was used to derive the star's characteristics. The science team studying WASP-15 found that, after running best-fit models, WASP-15's radial velocity and transit shifts were most likely due to the existence of a planet.  WASP-15's planet, WASP-15b, had one of the lowest densities known amongst extrasolar planets when it was discovered. Its discovery paper was published by the American Astronomical Society on April 29, 2009 in the "Astronomical Journal".

Host star.

WASP-15 is an F-type star located in the Hydra constellation. It is located approximately 290 parsecs (900 light years) from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 10.9, making it invisible to the unaided eye. The star is 1.18 times more massive than the Sun, and has a radius that is 1.477 times larger than that of the Sun, making it more diffuse. WASP-15 has an effective temperature of 6300 K, and is thus hotter than the Sun, although at 3.9 billion years, it is also younger. WASP-15 has a metallicity of [Fe/H] of -0.17, which means that it has 68% of the iron found in the Sun.

Characteristics.

WASP-15b has a mass of 0.542 times Jupiter's mass and a radius that is 1.428 times Jupiter's radius. Due in part to its proximity to its host star, a distance of 0.0499 AU (7,500,000 km), WASP-15b is greatly inflated, with a density of 0.247 g/cm. Another factor, such as an internal heat source, is suspected to add to this extremely high radius and extremely low density. WASP-15b orbits its host star every 3.7520656 days. It also has an orbital inclination of 85.5o, making it almost edge-on as seen from the Earth's perspective.

Naming.

In 2019 the IAU announced that WASP-15 and its planet WASP-15b would be given official names chosen by school children from The Ivory Coast.

WASP-15b is an extrasolar planet discovered in 2008 by the SuperWASP collaboration, which seeks to discover exoplanets that transit their host stars. The planet orbits its host star at a distance of 0.05 AU every four days. The mass of this planet is about one half that of Jupiter, but its radius is nearly 50% larger than Jupiter's, making the density of this planet only one quarter that of water; it is thought that some other form of heating must explain its extremely low density. WASP-15b's discovery was published on April 29, 2009.

WASP-15b est une planète extrasolaire découverte en 2008 par la collaboration SuperWASP, qui cherche à découvrir des exoplanètes qui hébergent leurs étoiles.


Life.

Son of Marie-Laure Jousset, Chief Curator at Beaubourg, and Hubert Jousset, President of the GEFIP and the École normale de musique, Frédéric Jousset graduated from HEC in 1992. At the age of 23, he did his military service as a second lieutenant section commander with the 6th Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment (6e RPIMA) in Mont-de-Marsan. Later, he served as auditor of the 60th national session of the Institute of Higher Studies of National Defence (IHEDN) between 2007 and 2008, and is now a colonel of the citizen reserve in the air force.  Frédéric Jousset began his career in 1994 for Kérastase at L'Oréal, and held various marketing and sales responsibilities within the professional division. Four years later, he founded his first company, Clientis SA, based on a point-of-sale management software package for networks of hair salons and beauty salons. He sold it in 1999 to IKOSOFT and joined the American strategy consulting firm Bain & Company where he carried out due diligence missions for private equity funds.  In June 2000, he co-founded with Olivier Duha Webhelp SA, which originally offered Internet search solutions for businesses and the general public, before becoming a leader in call centers and customer relationship solutions. The group employs 55,000 people and had a turnover of 1.45 billion euros in 2019. Webhelp is present in 40 countries including France, Morocco, Algeria, Romania, Belgium, Madagascar, the United Kingdom, South Africa, the Netherlands, India, Portugal, Italy and Germany. In 2015, Webhelp won the Deloitte Technology Fast50 award for the sixth time and the Ernst&Young Paris Region Entrepreneur of the Year award.  In 2012, Frédéric Jousset was awarded the Mercury of Honour for Business Creation at HEC and, along with Olivier Duha, was elected Manager of the Year in 2013 by the Nouvel Economiste/Financial Times.  Lecturer at IEP Paris from 2007 to 2009, Frédéric Jousset is currently a guest professor at the HEC group, working in the Media Arts and Creation major.

Art, culture and patronage.

Frédéric Jousset was Chairman of the Board of Directors of the École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts in Paris between 2011 and 2014 and was a member of the Acquisitions Commission of the Musée du Louvre from 2007 to 2014. At the Louvre, he participated in financing the AI Muweis excavation site in Sudan, in the development of the museum's website devoted to children, and in the realization of cycles of art history lectures in the Santé and Poissy prisons. In order to finance these activities, it has created the Jousset endowment fund for people who are unable to attend. Webhelp also contributed to the acquisition of La Fuite en Egypte, by Nicolas Poussin. As a result of these different forms of support, he was a member of the Louvre's patronage council and was awarded the distinction of grand patron of the museum. In May 2016, he bought Beaux Arts magazine for 5 million euros to invest in its development including digital technology, training and events.  In December 2016, Frédéric Jousset was appointed administrator of the Musée du Louvre by decree of the Minister of Culture.  In 2018, the Minister of Culture Françoise Nyssen entrusted him with the steering of the working group linked to the culture pass for young people.  Frédéric Jousset obtained a 50-year concession for the Relais de Chambord hotel located opposite the Château de Chambord. He called upon the architect Jean Michel Wilmotte for the complete renovation. The hotel reopened in March 2018 with 55 rooms, suites and a gourmet restaurant.  He has been administrator of the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs since July 2019.  In December 2019, Frédéric Jousset created the ART EXPLORA fund with a capital of 6 million euros to finance actions aimed at reducing the cultural divide in Europe and supporting artistic creation. He launched the annual ART EXPLORA prize endowed with 150,000 euros in collaboration with the Académie des Beaux arts to reward the most innovative European museums in their search for new audiences.

Associations.

Frédéric Jousset is Chairman of the association of the 55,000 alumni from the HEC group, and as such is a director of the HEC group.  He is also a member of Croissance Plus, of which Olivier Duha was Chairman from 2011 to 2013, the Founders Forum and the association le Siècle.

Frédéric Jousset (born 3 May 1970) is a French entrepreneur and sponsor. He is the founder and co-chairman of Webhelp, European player in the field of outsourced customer experience.

Frédéric Jousset, né le, est un entrepreneur et mécène français. Il est fondateur et coprésident de Webhelp, acteur européen dans le domaine de l'expérience client externalisée.


Plot.

'Anal' Murugan (Vikram), a gym boy who dreams of becoming a successful villain in films, lives along with Shanmugham (Thambi Ramaiah) and his gym co-boys. He bumps into an old man Dakshinamoorthy (K. Vishwanath), who is under pressure from his son Chidambaram (Avinash) to sell his orphanage to a scheming lady politician Ranganayaki (Sana), who is majorly into land grabbing along with her hatchet man 'Vaappa' Abdul Kadhir (Pradeep Rawat). Murugan eventually falls in love with Dharshini (Deeksha Seth). Murugan becomes Dakshinamoorthy’s savior as Ranganayaki and her men are after them. How Murugan single-handedly fights Ranganayaki and brings her to light forms the rest of the story.

Production.

Development.

In early 2007, it was reported that director Boopathy Pandian would direct a film written by his assistant, Seenu Vasan, with Ajith Kumar expected to play the lead role. The film was briefly postponed as Ajith had to complete his remaining projects and soon Boopathy Pandian confirmed otherwise and revealed that the film would actually be made by Rajakaliamman Films with Vikram and Nayantara in the lead roles. However Vikram's commitment to "Kanthaswamy" and "Raavanan" resulted in the film eventually becoming shelved. In late 2010, Vikram was forced to pull out of his film with director Selvaraghavan after the project was shelved too and gave dates to a new venture produced by the same studio, for a film to be directed by Suseenthiran. Reports emerged that the film would be titled "Vendhan", but this was dismissed by the director. The director initially wanted to experiment with a new script but to make use of the actor's tight schedules he chose to use Seenu's original script. The new title of the film, ""Rajapattai"" was eventually released in May 2011, with the first schedule planned to begin in early June. A first press meet was held on 6 June 2011 with the entire crew being present. Kanakaratna Ramesh was to produce the film, however his teenage sons Pratish and Santosh were eventually revealed to be producers, launching their own banner named SP Creations. Suseenthiran disclosed that the film would be a "full-fledged commercial" masala film, with action, comedy and romance, further adding that the dialogues would be penned by Bhaskar Sakthi. By September 2011, reports confirmed that the film had been taken over by Prasad V. Potluri's PVP Cinemas, after Ramesh faced financial restraints.

Casting.

Reports suggested that the film would depict the relationship between a grandfather, played by K. Vishwanath and his grandson played by Vikram. Furthermore, the film was supposed to feature Vikram in dual roles as father and son, however the news was denied by sources, which confirmed that Vikram was to essay dual roles initially, but since the script had been reworked, he would play only one character. Vikram was revealed to play a stunt man who aspires to become a noted villain in the film industry, with the makers adding that his character had negative shades. In March 2011, Deeksha Seth confirmed her presence in the film, citing that she would portray the leading female role of an IT professional. For a parallel lead female role, Amala Paul was signed on, but was forced to pull out due to schedule problems. Sources reported that Mithra Kurian was then signed on for the film for her second big Tamil venture after "Kaavalan", after discussions with Abhinaya were unsuccessful. However, the reports turned out to be false. Pradeep Rawat, best known for his performance in "Ghajini", was selected to play the main antagonist in the film. Actresses Shriya Saran and Reemma Sen, who had both worked together with Vikram earlier, were roped in to perform an item number together, after attempts to sign Hansika Motwani, who was reportedly offered 12 million for the role, had failed. In late October, National Film Award-winner Thambi Ramaiah as well as cinematographer-turned-actor Aruldass, who had also played a pivotal role in the director's "Naan Mahaan Alla", were roped in for other supporting roles. Suseenthiran also confirmed that he would rejoin with the "Naan Mahaan Alla" crew, with Yuvan Shankar Raja, R. Madhi and Mu. Kasi Viswanathan taking care of the music, cinematography and editing, respectively.

Filming.

Filming began in June 2011, with the first schedule, during which filming was held in and around Chennai, lasting for 60 days. In August 2011, the first song was shot for five days in Mahabalipuram, with Vikram, Deeksha Seth and fifty back-up dancers participating. The team subsequently shot scenes in a set worth 4 million that was erected at Senthil Studios in Saligramam, Chennai, while the next schedule was to be shot in Thiruvannaamalai and Pondicherry. In October 2011, filming was held near the Ramachandra Medical College in Chennai. Few days later, the crew was shooting a song and several stunt sequences near Karaikudi, and later in Kumbakonam. The climax scene that was canned for eight days at the Binny Mills in Chennai, had reportedly cost approximately 30 million. During the last week of October and early November, Saloni Aswani, who had previously starred in "Madurai Veeran", was shooting for the song "Villadhi Villain" along with Vikram at the AVM Studios, Chennai. The item number, featuring Shriya Saran and Reemma Sen, was initially to be filmed in Japan, however, since Suseenthiran was not satisfied with the locations, he decided to can it in Lucca, Italy. Other locations in Italy where filming was held include Volterra, Monteriggioni and Montecatini Terme.

Soundtrack.

"Rajapattai" score and soundtrack are composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja, becoming his first work for a Vikram-starrer. Since Yuvan Shankar Raja's previous single tracks from "Vaanam" and "Mankatha" had met with success, the team planned to release a single track from "Rajapattai", too, by late October. However, the plan did not materialize. The final mixing of the songs was planned to be held in London.  The album's Telugu version was launched first on 7 December 2011 at Taj Deccan in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh by director V. V. Vinayak, with other noted Telugu film directors S. S. Rajamouli, Krish and badminton player Jwala Gutta being present along with the cast and crew. The original Tamil version was released two days later at the Anna Centenary Auditorium in Kotturpuram, Chennai.  The soundtrack album features five tracks, with the first song ("Podi Paiyan Polave") being repeated at the end. As reported earlier, Vikram had performed the song "Laddu Laddu" in both languages. The song "Paniye Pani Poove" was co-sung by Renu Kannan, one of the finalists of the second season of the reality-based singing competition "Airtel Super Singer".

Release.

In early November 2011, reports confirmed that Sun Pictures had bought the domestical distribution rights of the film. However two weeks later, Sun Pictures cancelled the deal and opted out. Subsequently, Gemini Film Circuit acquired the theatrical release rights, confirming the film' release for the Christmas weekend on 23 December 2011. The Telugu version would be released one week later, distributed by Suresh Movies. The film released about 500+ screens worldwide.  The film accounted for 64% of the takings in Chennai box office in its second weekend.

Critical response.

"Behindwoods" gave the film 2.5 out of 5 and wrote that it was "only for Vikram's fans and action lovers" and also stated 'Rajapattai is popcorn in its flavor'. Pavithra Srinivasan from "Rediff" described the film as bland, adding that it was "just an actor's quest for superstardom, and is a disappointing fare", giving it 1 out of 5. "Sify" wrote: "This old-fashioned masala entertainer is enjoyable in parts. It is vintage Vikram coupled with rich production values that makes "Rajapattai" watchable, despite its obvious flaws". Rohit Ramachandran of Nowrunning.com rated Rajapattai 2.75/5 calling it "a trashy commercial". CNN-IBN rated 2 out of 5 and wrote that it was a "road unfit to travel". Chennaionline noted: "Had Suseenthiran managed to keep an element of suspense somewhere in the script, the film could have been more watchable".

Rajapattai () is a 2011 Indian Tamil-language action comedy film co-written and directed by Suseenthiran based on a story by Seenu Vasan. Featuring Vikram and Deeksha Seth in the lead roles while Shriya Saran gave a special appearance. The music was composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja, the film is produced by Prasad V. Potluri's newly launched PVP Cinema on a budget of 400 million. The story revolves around the issue of land grabbing and how the protagonist becomes involved in it. The film was also dubbed into Telugu and was released as "Veedinthe" on 30 December 2011 and into Hindi as "Main Hoon Dada No. 1" in 2013.

Rajapattai est un film indien de Kollywood réalisé par Suseenthiran sorti en 2011. Ce massala dont le titre peut se traduire par « "La Trajectoire du roi" », raconte l'histoire d'un professeur de gymnastique s'opposant à une mafia locale qui veut s'approprier la terre de pauvres paysans. Le rôle principal est tenu par Vikram entouré de Deeksha Seth et K. Vishwanath ; la musique est composée par Yuvan Shankar Raja.


Ancient history.

In Charles Becker's paper titled "Vestiges historiques, trémoins matériels du passé clans les pays Sereer", two types of Serer relics were noted: "the non-material remains which are cultural in nature" and "material remains, which are many revealed through products or artefacts." The historical vestiges of Serer country in modern-day Senegambia, the diversity of Serer culture manifested across dialects, family and social organisation which reflect different historical territories were observed.  Although many Serer artefacts remain unknown, unlisted and preserved despite the efforts in the 1960s and 1970s to collect, archive and document them all, many material relics were found in different Serer countries, most of which refer to the past origins of Serer families, villages and Serer Kingdoms. Some of these Serer relics included gold, silver and metals. The known objects found in Serer countries, are divided into two types:  1. the remnants of earlier populations.  2. Laterite megaliths carved planted in circular structures with stones directed towards the east are found only in small parts of the ancient Serer kingdom of Saloum.

Archaeological sites.

Megalithic zone: Many megalithic sites include mounts in the ancient Kingdom of Saloum, with a frequent association of mound of sand with megalithic stones – front to East.  Shell mounds are also found in the islands and around the estuary of Saloum. In the provinces of the Gandun, Numi, Saloum and south-western Sine around Joal, 139 sites have been identified and they sometimes have shaped burial mounds. These relics are very numerous and imposing. The graves of the founding ancestors were also very often sanctified as ""Fangool"" (singular of "Pangool": "ancestral spirit" or "saint" in Serer religion). Such relics associated with the ancestors are often venerated relics. For example, the relics evoking memories of migration or foundation of states are sometimes sacralised. The remnants of royalty in the Kingdoms of Sine and Saloum are similar because the "Geulowars" (the last maternal dynasty in Sine and Saloum - 14th to 20th century) have the same Serer tradition, but there are peculiarities in the objects and the scene of the coronation of royalty and power which have existed since the beginnings of dynasty with the annual ritual and mandatory ceremonies. The family relics in other Serer countries which are brought from Takrur (now Futa Toro) or Kaabu by the founders were also noted in places of worship of the village or province history. This may be stone, wood, musical instruments, ceremonial objects used by the Saltigue (Serer High Priests and Priestesses) or "Yaal Pangool". These relics kept by families since ancient times remain largely unknown.  There are two types of Serer relics relating to two lineages that come into play in the social organisation of the Serer people:  The history of the Serer people who resided at Takrur (now Futa Toro) which was part of what is generally referred to as Serer country, the influence of their culture, history, religion and tradition on the land is summarized by Becker in the following terms :

The prehistoric and ancient history of the Serer people of modern-day Senegambia has been extensively studied and documented over the years. Much of it comes from archaeological discoveries and Serer tradition rooted in the Serer religion.

La préhistoire et l'histoire ancienne des Sérères de Sénégambie ont été largement étudiées et documentées au fil des ans. La plupart des sources proviennent des découvertes archéologiques et de la tradition sérère, elle-même enracinée dans la religion sérère.


Career.

Stratton-Smith was born in Birmingham. He started his career as a sports journalist, mainly reporting on football for the "Daily Sketch" and the "Daily Express", and while at the Express including being assigned to cover the Manchester United v Red Star Belgrade European Cup match in Yugoslavia. However their chief soccer correspondent Henry Rose pulled rank and decided to go instead. The aircraft bringing back the team, officials and press crashed in what became known as the Munich Air Disaster and Rose was one of the fatalities.  Later on he began being influenced by The Beatles, in particular their manager Brian Epstein and decided to enter the music business. One of the earliest bands he managed were the Liverpool-based The Koobas, taking over from Epstein. He subsequently took over management of The Nice in 1968 from Andrew Loog Oldham and, frustrated with the workings of Oldham's Immediate Records label, decided to form his own.  Later signings included the Bonzo Dog Band and Van der Graaf Generator. In 1969 he signed the progressive rock band Genesis onto his record and management companies, and released "Trespass" (1970), the band's second album. Genesis became the label's most commercially successful group. Stratton-Smith released many records by Monty Python and helped to finance the film "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" (1975). He also recorded former Bonzo frontman Vivian Stanshall and financed Stanshall's film "Sir Henry at Rawlinson End" (1980), as well as being credited as its producer. Other important artists Stratton-Smith was closely associated with include Atomic Rooster, Audience, Brand X, Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel, Steve Hackett, Peter Hammill, Lindisfarne, Julian Lennon, Robert John Godfrey, String Driven Thing and Rare Bird. According to Hackett, Stratton-Smith missed an opportunity to sign Queen, whose demos had been brought in to Charisma. Gail Colson worked with him at Charisma, as label manager and joint managing director. She left to form her own company in the late 1970s and would manage the solo careers of Gabriel and Hammill, among others.  In the United States, Charisma Records recordings were often licensed to other labels such as ABC Records (including subsidiary labels Dunhill Records & Probe Records), Elektra Records, Buddah Records, Atlantic Records, Mercury Records and Arista Records. The label was eventually sold to Virgin Records in 1983. Virgin re-activated the Charisma name with a new logo for a short time during the late 1980s. The vast majority of the Charisma catalogue is now owned by EMI.  "Strat" as he was known to his friends was known for his sense of humour and flair for promotion. His sense of humour was often reflected in promotional materials and record label art. With an ear for unusual and creative talent he made Charisma successful, especially in its early years. Though usually known as "Charisma Records", the company also promoted itself as "The Famous Charisma Label".

Death.

Stratton-Smith died of pancreatic cancer on 19 March 1987 aged 53. A memorial service was held for him at St Martin-in-the-Fields, London.  Marillion's album "Clutching at Straws" (released shortly after his death in 1987) was dedicated to him in the sleeve credits. The song "Time to Burn" by Peter Hammill (1988) is "something of a goodbye to Tony Stratton-Smith", and 3, the 1988 band of Keith Emerson, Carl Palmer and Robert Berry, dedicates the closing track, "On My Way Home", of their only album "To the Power of Three" (1988), to Stratton-Smith.

Tony Stratton-Smith (29 October 1933 – 19 March 1987) was an English rock music manager, and entrepreneur. He founded the London-based record label Charisma Records in 1969 and managed rock groups such as the Nice, Van der Graaf Generator and Genesis.

Tony Stratton-Smith (, Birmingham –, Jersey) est un journaliste et entrepreneur anglais, fondateur en 1969 du label Charisma Records. Il a été le manager de nombreux groupes de rock, parmi lesquels Genesis, The Nice, Van der Graaf Generator ou le Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band.


Mathematical definition.

A rake receiver utilizes multiple correlators to separately detect the "M" strongest multipath components. Each correlator output may be quantized using several bits. Demodulation and bit decisions are then based on the weighted outputs of the "M" correlators, which provide a better estimate of the transmitted signal than is provided by a single component.

History.

Rake receivers must have either a general-purpose CPU or some other form of digital signal processing hardware in them to process and correlate the intended signal. Rake receivers only became common after 16-bit CPUs capable of signal processing became widely available. The rake receiver was patented in the US by Robert Price and Paul E. Green in July 1956, but it took until the 1970s to design practical implementations of the receiver.  Radio astronomers were the first substantial users of rake receivers in the late 1960s to mid-1980s as this kind of receiver could scan large sky regions yet not create large volumes of data beyond what most data recorders could handle at the time. Astropulse, which is part of the SETI@Home project, uses a variant of a rake receiver as part of its sky searches—so this kind of receiver is still current for the needs of radio astronomy.

Use.

Rake receivers are common in a wide variety of CDMA and W-CDMA radio devices such as mobile phones and wireless LAN equipment.  Rake receivers are also used in radio astronomy. The CSIRO Parkes radio telescope and Jodrell Bank telescope have filter-bank recording formats that can be processed in real time by software-based rake receivers.  In a Flexible rake Receiver, signal reception is performed with a single correlator engine and a stream buffer storing the entire delay spread of baseband input/output (I/O) samples. The primary advantage of the rake receiver is flexible multipath allocation supporting enhanced modularity of the receiver and resource sharing among multiple channel decoders.

A rake receiver is a radio receiver designed to counter the effects of multipath fading. It does this by using several "sub-receivers" called "fingers", that is, several correlators each assigned to a different multipath component. Each finger independently decodes a single multipath component; at a later stage the contribution of all fingers are combined in order to make the most use of the different transmission characteristics of each transmission path. This could very well result in higher signal-to-noise ratio (or E/N) in a multipath environment than in a "clean" environment.

Un récepteur Rake est un récepteur radio permettant de contrer les phénomènes d'évanouissements dus aux trajets multiples (multipath fading en anglais). Il est constitué de plusieurs sous-récepteurs appelés "doigts". Chaque doigt est un corrélateur associé à une composante de propagation multi-trajets (ou multi-chemins), et décode indépendamment les composantes multi-trajets.


Club career.

Abd El-Zaher had a modest showing during the beginning of the 2009–10 Egyptian Premier League. That completely changed when head coach Stoycho Mladenov took control at ENPPI. Abd El-Zaher saw more regular first team football and repaid his manager faith by scoring 5 league goals by the end of that season. Mladenov then left to Bulgarian CSKA Sofia and Mokhtar Mokhtar then took over the team in the 2011-12 season. Abd El-Zaher finished that season as top scorer of the league tied with Zamalek's Shikabala. They both had 13 goals. Early in 2012, Mladenov made a request to ENPPI to move Abd El-Zaher to his club CSKA Sofia in the 2012 summer transfer window. The move was possible but ENPPI were somewhat reluctant to lose one of their top strikers. In January 2013, he moved to league rivals Al-Ahly on a four-year deal. In November 2013, Abd El-Zaher was deprived of his Champions League win bonus, suspended and put up for sale in the January transfer window for doing a Rabia sign in support of recently deposed President Mohamed Morsi after scoring a goal. On 5 December 2013, the Egyptian Football Association took sanctions a step further, announcing that Abd El-Zaher has been banned from representing Egypt for one year in addition to a 3-month local ban. He moved to Al-Ittihad Club (Tripoli) on loan from Al-Ahly in December 2013 as punishment for the Rabia sign.

International career.

Ahmed Abd El-Zaher was part of the Egypt U-20 National Football team that participated in the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship. He participated in all of Egypt's three group matches, but did not score any goals.

International goals.

"Correct as of 27 November 2012"

Ahmed Abd El-Zaher ( born 15 January 1985) is an Egyptian footballer who currently plays for the Egyptian Premier League side Aswan SC. He was also part of the Egypt U-20 National Football team that participated in the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship.

Ahmed Abdel Zaher (), né le à Gharbeya en Égypte, est un joueur de football professionnel égyptien évoluant au poste d'attaquant.


Landscape and climate.

The Ennedi makes up an area of approximately 60,000 km (23,000 sq mi), as large as Switzerland, and its highest point is approximately 1,450 m (4,760 ft) above sea level. The Massif is composed of sandstone overlaying a Precambrian granite base. In the Ennedi, there are at least twenty perennial or semi-perennial springs, gueltas (desert ponds), and pools, but they rarely reach greater than a few dozen meters in the dry season. It is considered part of the Sahelian Acacia savanna, which extends across the entire continent which once contained diverse ungulates whose population has since been reduced. The landscape has geological structures, including towers, pillars, bridges, and arches, which serve as major tourist attractions. Interestingly, much of the sand found in the Sahara is due to the generation of dust in the Tibest-Ennedi triangle.  Evidence of a change in climate occurred between 6000 BP, with a savanna region with ~250 mm annual rainfall, to ~150 mm annual rainfall 4300 BP. It later reached an annual rainfall of 50 mm around 2700 BP, similar to the amount of annual rainfall observed today. There are also monsoons common in the area, generating around 50–150 mm of rain per year. These natural disasters create a diverse mixture of vegetation within the area. During the winter months, however, precipitation allows for greater moisture in the thin soil, with lower run-off. The mountains are also known to have a north-Sahelian climate in the southern region, with greater amounts of precipitation between the months of May and September. The rainfall is subject to the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ).

History of protection.

Just under one tenth of World Heritage Sites are in Africa, but the site was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Site in February 2016. During this process, there was much debate over what should be included. First of all, two administration zones and several villages had to reach agreement on whether it was considered a part of the World Heritage Site. However, its establishment has benefited Chad by increasing income in the area from tourists who spend money to stay. Also, the Chadian government eventually reduced the size of the protected area due to oil exploration. The Ennedi suffers from high income inequality, so the use of oil reserves has allowed for better redistribution of wealth. There is believed to have been a partnership contract between the State Party and oil companies for oil exploration and the private lease of land which have raised regarding the reduced amount of protected area by UNESCO. As a result to this increase in oil exploitation, there has been accidental oil spills in Chad, leaving the contamination of ground water, accidental chemical spills, and the reduction in air quality.  African Parks assumed management of this area in partnership with the Chadian government in early 2018. African Parks intends to improve the park's infrastructure and explore the potential for tourism to amass support for this landscape and to contribute to the needs of the local people. The European Union contributed €4,7 million to African Parks, and the Dutch Postcode Lottery gave around €3 million over three years to this organization. Furthermore, about, a large portion of the Ennedi Plateau, was designated as the Ennedi Natural and Cultural Reserve by the Chadian government in January 2019.  The World Bank has also worked with the Chadian by recommending the oil-revenues-management-and-redistribution program, which states that “70% of direct oil revenues are to be allocated to priority sectors, 15% to public investments, 5% to the oil-producing department, and 10% to future generations.” However, the Chadian government has already been criticized for not abiding by the program.

Fauna.

Unfortunately, not a lot of studies have been conducted on Northern Chad due to security issues, harsh climatic conditions, wars, and banditry. However, researchers have found that due to a large reservoir in the area, the plateau has a rich collection of fauna. For example, there are at least 199 listed species of migratory birds that pass through the Ennedi. Other examples of fauna include the West African crocodile, also known as the desert crocodile, that once existed throughout the Sahara at a time of more abundant rainfall (see Neolithic Subpluvial). A striking characteristic of this population of crocodiles is dwarfism, which developed due to their isolation, making them unusual (other such remnant populations are or were found in Mauritania and Algeria). They survive in only a few pools in river canyons in the area, for example, the Guelta d'Archei, and are threatened with extinction. The last lions (West African subspecies) in the Sahara also survived here until they became extinct in the 1940s due to increased land use and hunting/poaching. Any surviving scimitar oryx antelopes and Sudan cheetah still alive in the wild are likely to be found in the remote regions of the Ennedi Plateau. Researchers used camera traps to identify an isolated population of North African ostrich that was discovered to still be living in the protected area. It has been suggested that the cryptid Ennedi tiger (a supposed surviving sabertooth cat) may also live there. Gazelles and antelopes are also known to be present in the area. Unfortunately, poaching and hunting have decreased the number of species in the area. Lastly, the discovery of the fish species "P. senegalus" and "P. normani" are of particular interest to researchers. The identification of these species in the Sahara desert shows the connection between the Ounianga lakes and Lake Chad. The researchers sampled during the day and the night with landing-nets and other observations to conduct their study. Finally, there are only seven species of fish found in the Ennedi, according to researcher Daget.

Flora.

A total number of 2,173 species of flora are native to Chad, and some of the first flora researchers in the area back in the 1950s included R. Corti, H. Gillet, R. Maire, and P. Quézel. There are currently over 525 species of flora that have been listed in the Ennedi. Specifically, researcher Gillet used a classification system to describe 7 main life forms for the 526 species of flora found: 41.3% therophytes, 3.0% geophytes, 5.1% helophytes, 1.1% hydrophytes, 7.0% hemicryptophytes, 18.4% chamaephytes, 15.1% phanerophytes. Unusual species, including "Rauwolfia caffra", a type of tree typically found in tropical and equatorial Africa, is found in the Ennedi. Much of the vegetation is protected by the presence of deep canyons and gueltas. Only 2% of Chadian land is currently cultivated, about 50% is grazed, and cereal grains make up the main food groups. During arid periods, this site serves as a refuge for subtropical taxa, such as palms and grasses. The most common types of soils in Chad include "Leptosols", "Regosols", and "Arenosols" in the central and northern regions, and "Fluvisols", "Plinthosols", "Planosols", "Solonchaks", and "Vertisols" in the southern region. The Desert Locust is known for its deleterious impacts on the local flora, specifically crops and pastures.

Culture.

While there is a lack of absolute dates concerning the Ennedi rock art, the images can be dated to around 5000 BC onwards. The archaeological record and sites' rock art allows researchers to generate these dates because there is, unfortunately, a lack of organic materials. For instance, only one cattle jaw was found from around 630 BC. However, researchers continue to use radiocarbon dates from both charcoal and other cattle bones to age these sites. In addition, there are around six sites, and around 40 pictures have been found. Examples of petroglyphs or rock paintings have been found in the area, such as those at the "lost site" of Niola Doa. Thousands of paintings and carvings of people and animals exist throughout the area and are estimated to be about 8,000 years old. Much of the art has been recognized with its great expression through color, with more than 86% of the art painted and 14% engraved. The art was found on the floors, on the ceilings, and the walls of shelters created by wind erosion, and they are often found in elevated positions.

Rock art.

The artwork portrays both animals and humans as they are in real life, with little to no hunter-gatherer representation. Unfortunately, many of the paintings have deteriorated due to weathering and vandalism.

Significance.

Early pictures were monochrome, representing people as working with their livestock, and many were shown with hunting gear while walking and running. This portrayal emphasized the type of lifestyle people had during the early Iron Age, a period in Africa from around the second century AD until 1000 AD. As time progressed, images became much more colorful. There were also many more combative weapons shown, which may have been due to intensified fighting due to distinguished hierarchies. A changing climate, due to decreased water and pasture, may have been indicated with these types of weapons.

Animals.

Domesticated animals made up nearly 55% of the artwork depicted at Ennedi Plateau. However, the rock art had the greatest emphasis on domesticated cattle. In fact, at one site, Murdi, researchers graphed the frequency of humans and animals found among the rock art. Cattle consisted of over 50% of the total pictures, caprids around 10%, and dogs around 5%. The first rock picture ever discovered included the "Apollon Garamante," which showed two masked persons on the side of cattle. Cattle were perceived as having unique horns, especially among longhorn cattle which occupied a large population. For instance, some cattle were given lyre-shaped horns. Cattle were known to have a large financial, cultural, and environmental impact on the people of the Ennedi highlands. They were also given distinct coats to individualize these animals, and rock art at some sites, including the Chiguéou II site, includes cattle figures in extravagant geometric designs. Cattle were found all among the highlands, while other animals, such as horses, were not. Other types of domesticated animals found included ovids and dogs.  During the Iron Age, people survived on a more nomadic lifestyle, choosing to display camels and specifically horses in their pictures. However, these animals were not individualized with different coats as the cows were. Also, while paintings of cattle portray the animals as static, horses are shown as galloping animals, creating an artistic quality to the art. Some more recent paintings included horses with chariots. Horses are believed to not be exhibited in the artwork as much as other animals, such as cattle, due to a lesser influence on the pastoralists. Camels were also portrayed, having more movement than the other animals.  Wild animals were also portrayed in the artwork for their religious and mythical meanings. Giraffes were the most common wild animals demonstrated, and they were most often expressed during hunter-gatherer times. Also, numerous rhinos were crafted alongside round-headed humans, unusual for the typical behavior of rhinos as they usually live as couples or loners.

People.

Depictions of people are fairly common in Ennedi rock art, and among the human figures found, only 4% were engraved. There were numerous handprints from both men and women found among the rock art. Males are often exhibited as standing in front of cattle holding a lance and a shield, mainly seen as protecting their animals. Females are not portrayed as often as males. The graph mentioned previously that showed the frequency of humans and animals found that at the site Mundi, men were depicted 20% of the time, while women were only depicted 10%. However, women were often displayed as extravagantly decorated, such as those at Niola Dola. They were often covered in wavy lines and interesting geometric patterns, and these designs have been compared to Round Head-style figures found in Algeria.  At sites like Nabara 2, located on the base of the north-face of the Saodomanga, oval engravings depict fauna like camels, cattle, and giraffes. Warriors are seen hiding behind round shields, and women are donned in long dresses. Females are not accompanied by weapons, while the men typically are.  Another major site, Niola Doa, which means "The place of the girls," in the local language, is no longer considered under UNESCO protection, yet is known as one of the most important rock sites in the Sahara. Many figures appear to be naked, with smaller figures adorning skirts, and some were seen as having a genetic condition known as steatopygia, which is caused by an accumulation of fat in the thighs and the buttocks.

Pottery.

During 5,000-4,000 cal BC, the Ennedi people worked as hunting, fishing, and gathering groups mainly in the plains. They mainly remained in settlement sites due to favorable conditions. Pottery vessels used at these sites included dotted wavy-line patterns unique to this period.  As time progressed until around 4,000 cal BC, hunting and gathering societies shifted to cattle-herding. With a shift in lifestyle, pottery styles changed as well. For instance, vessels now had much more decorative patterns, and different shapes of pots were created. Also, certain stone tools emerged for the first time, including axes.  Lastly, due to increased aridity from 3,000-2,000 BC, there were more established settlements, as well as a greater amount of herding with mainly small livestock. The pottery exhibited geometric patterns for the first time, and stone tools included mainly just retouched flakes and grinding material.

Research and outreach.

As rock art depictions have shown, there has been a decrease in fauna over time due to climatic changes, but also due to hunting and poaching. While the decrease in fauna has been a large issue in the area, vandalism has also taken a large toll on the site. For instance, suspected local youths defaced rock art at the Ennedi rock art site by scrawling their names on the art in French and Arabic, with the latest inscription from January 2017. Chad's minister of culture, Mahamat Saleh Haroun, described the situation, "It's an African story and they wanted to destroy that." While the head of UNESCO in Chad Abdelkerim Adoum Bahar believes the damage can be repaired, other organizations have since become involved. For example, the Trust for African Rock Art, in partnership with the Factum Foundation, has since documented Ennedi through photographs; their mission is to show the issues involved in protecting rock art. Due to both erosion and vandalism, the Ennedi has faced deterioration, but this art has now been recorded in 3D to raise awareness about the beauty of this site. Films have also been made about this landscape, including Towers of the Ennedi, directed by Renan Ozturk to show the beauty of the Ennedi.

The Ennedi Plateau is located in the northeast of Chad, in the regions of Ennedi-Ouest and Ennedi-Est. It is considered a part of the group of mountains known as the Ennedi Massif found in Chad, which is one of the nine countries that make up the Sahelian belt that spans the Atlantic Ocean to Sudan. The Ennedi is a sandstone bulwark in the middle of the Sahara, which was formed by erosion from wind and temperature. Furthermore, many people occupied this area, such as hunters and gatherers (5,000-4,000 cal BC) and pastoralists (beginning 4,000 cal BC). The Ennedi area is also known for its large collection of rock art depicting mainly cattle, as these animals served as the main source of financial, environmental, and cultural impact. This art dates back to nearly 7,000 years ago. Today, there are two semi-nomadic groups, mainly of the Muslim religion, that have permanent villages in the Ennedi during the rainy months and pass through the area during the dry season. They rely on their herds of camels, donkeys, sheep, and goats to survive.

Le plateau de l'Ennedi est une succession de massifs dans le Sahara, au Nord-Est du Tchad. Il est frontalier du Soudan. Son point culminant se trouve à d'altitude.


Early life.

Cleary is originally from Cranbrook, Kent, in the south-east of England. He attended Colliers Green Primary School, Angley Secondary and then Cranbrook School. His father played guitar but it was his uncle, returning from trips to America bringing recordings of Professor Longhair and others, who inspired his love for R&B. Cleary's focus was always more on art and music and everything that goes with it, than academic pursuits and soon left schooling behind to develop a life in music.

Jon Cleary & The Absolute Monster Gentlemen.

Jon Cleary & the Absolute Monster Gentlemen consist of Cleary on keyboard and vocals; Derwin "Big D" Perkins (born 1974) on guitar; Cornell C. Williams (born 1962) on bass and backup vocals; and A.J. Hall on drums. All of the band members, except for Cleary, were born in New Orleans.  The band is generally well received, drawing large crowds of locals at classic New Orleans venues like Tipitina's and the Maple Leaf Bar. They are also a mainstay at the annual Jazz and Heritage Festival and have played at Bonnaroo as well as other music festivals. "Rolling Stone"'s David Fricke wrote of the "Pin Your Spin" album: "Cleary can be an absolute monster on his own, but Cleary’s full combo R&B is as broad, deep and roiling as the Mississippi river, the combined swinging product of local keyboard tradition, Cleary’s vocal-songwriting flair for moody Seventies soul and the spunky-meters roll of his Gentlemen".  Cleary played piano on Annika Chambers' 2016 album, "Wild & Free".

Jon Cleary (born August 11, 1962) is a British-born American funk and R&B musician based in New Orleans, Louisiana, where he has studied the "musical culture and life of New Orleans" according to his website. Cleary is an accomplished pianist as well as being a multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and songwriter.

Jon Cleary (né le à Cranbrook dans le comté du Kent) est un musicien britannique de funk et rhythm and blues installé à La Nouvelle-Orléans, en Louisiane.


Plot.

The film focuses on the Orinoco River in Venezuela, where a strain of genetically modified piranha have escaped into an isolated tributary of the river. Through human interference of the local environment, the megapiranha manage to escape from their isolated spot and swim downstream, killing all that crosses their path. The megapiranha gradually make their way towards Florida at the height of the tourist season.  After the outbreak, a team including Special Agent Fitch and Sarah Monroe, work to contain the megapiranhas within Venezuela. They begin to get into trouble with the authorities when they attempt to cross over the Venezuelan border. Not having proper clearance and documentation, Special Agent Fitch resorts to using the diplomacy of his fist and drives off. He is pursued by Colonel Antonio Diaz in a high-speed chase through the jungle. Throughout the chase, Fitch alternates driving a Toyota Camry and Hyundai Elantra while Diaz is seen at different points in a GMC Jimmy, Chevrolet Suburban, Suzuki XL7, and Ford Explorer. Fitch escapes by stealing a helicopter and heads to the International Super Bunker (ISB). During the journey, the helicopter runs out of fuel and Sarah Monroe rigs the emergency oxygen tank to the fuel line to make it to the ISB safely.  The megapiranhas continue to move north, consuming two battleships and a nuclear submarine. They eventually reach south Florida, where they kill at least five Puerto Ricans on a beach and manage to blow up two hotels. Meanwhile, the only force that can stop them is located at the ISB. After the megapiranhas prove impervious to both torpedoes and depth charges—and even a nuclear torpedo fails to stop them—Special Agent Fitch and Professor Sarah Monroe conclude that the only way to stop the megapiranhas is to face them in their own terrain: underwater. An army of SCUBA divers armed with guns would make the huge fish bleed, causing them to enter a feeding frenzy and kill each other. If this were to fail, then a massive nuclear strike would be used to destroy the megapiranha, as well as most of Florida.  In the middle of the operation, Colonel Diaz arrives in a helicopter, presumably using multiple fuel tanks to do this journey. The Colonel aims to get revenge on Agent Fitch and throws a rope into the water to trick him into climbing up into the enemy helicopter. Fitch, upon his arrival, shoots the pilot in the mouth with a flare gun, which causes the pilot's head to explode. Fitch then uses a homing beacon (which is actually a canister of CO) to attract a megapiranha, jumping out of the helicopter shortly before it is consumed by the fishy behemoth.  Fitch is pursued by the megapiranha that ate the helicopter, eventually hiding in a reef where the megapiranha is unable to follow. When the piranha opens its mouth, Fitch shoots his gun at the helicopter still in the beast's jaws. The helicopter explodes, killing the fish. The other megapiranha converge on the bloodshed and Fitch is able to escape as the piranha enters a feeding frenzy and begin tearing each other to pieces, seemingly resulting in them wiping themselves out. Sarah and Fitch make out and all is well.

Production.

The mockbuster was produced to capitalise on the 2010 film "Piranha 3-D". On March 29, 2010 the "SyFy" Channel released an exclusive sneak peek of a scene from the film in anticipation of its April 10 premiere of the film. On the April 7, 2010 The Asylum released the official trailer online.  Usual Asylum audience may notice the film recycles short clips from other Asylum films, likely due to low production costs and a limited filming schedule. Such clips come from films like "Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus", "Journey to Middle Earth", "War of the Worlds" and "".

Reception.

"Dread Central" wrote about the film: "Now, the question becomes whether "Mega Piranha" means we should expect a super-sized piranha a la Asylum's "Mega Shark Versus Giant Octopus" or if they are basing their film around the prehistoric Megapiranha, a toothier, three-foot version of the carnivorous fish that became extinct millions of years ago. Given the big screen 3D remake is about these Megapiranha, I would say odds are high the latter will prove the case."  The film reached a 2.2 million audience for its April 10 premiere, making it the channel's most-watched movie of the year. Of those, 807,000 were adults 18-49.

Soundtrack.

The score was composed by Chris Ridenhour and featured the song "Frozen Skies" by Tiffany.

Mega Piranha (also known as Megapiranha) is a 2010 science fiction disaster horror film produced by The Asylum. It was directed by Eric Forsberg and stars Tiffany, Paul Logan and Barry Williams. In the tradition of The Asylum's catalog, this film is a mockbuster of "Piranha 3D". It was filmed in Belize, Central America.

Mega Piranha est un téléfilm d'horreur américain écrit et réalisé par Eric Forsberg, et diffusé le sur Syfy. C'est un mockbuster du film "Piranha 3D" d'Alexandre Aja.


Attack.

The attack took place on 13 December 2011, at 12:33 local time (11:33 UTC) in Saint-Lambert Square, home to the town's courthouse. It was a busy day with many shoppers in the nearby Christmas market.  Witnesses reported four explosions and gunfire. At first, it was believed that there were two or more assailants, who threw stun grenades into the courthouse while another hurled them at a bus shelter. The gunman then fired shots with a 7.62×51mm NATO FN FAL from the rooftop of a bakery shop, located across the square. Police were on the scene quickly and sealed off the square.  Amrani killed five people in the attack and wounded 125 others, seven seriously. After that, Amrani committed suicide by shooting himself with a Smith & Wesson M57.41 Magnum revolver. Two of the dead were teenage boys aged 15 and 17. A 17-month-old boy died later in a hospital. A 75-year-old woman died from her injuries two days after the attack. A fifth victim, who had been in an induced coma since the attack, died of head injuries on 23 December.

Perpetrator.

Nordine Amrani (15 November 1978 – 13 December 2011) was born in Ixelles/Elsene in Brussels, Belgium. He was a French-speaking Belgian of Moroccan origin and a welder by trade. According to Amrani's lawyer, he could not speak Arabic nor was he Muslim. Amrani was known to have an interest in guns, with a history of convictions for possession of weapons.  He grew up near Brussels, and was living with his fiancée, a home care nurse. Orphaned early, he was raised in foster homes.  Amrani had been released from prison in October 2010. He had been convicted to a 58-month (4 years, 10 months) sentence he received from a Liège court in 2008. The conviction was for possession of thousands of weapons parts, almost 10,000 rounds of ammunition, dozens of weapons, including a rocket launcher, assault and sniper rifles, as well as 2,800 cannabis plants, in the context of a criminal conspiracy ("association de malfaiteurs"). He also had convictions for handling stolen goods and sex offences but had no known links to terror groups. On the day of the attack, Amrani had been summoned for an interview with the police to answer questions about a sexual abuse case.  Before the attack, Amrani transferred money from his account to that of his girlfriend. On the morning of the attack, Amrani killed a 45-year-old woman in his apartment. The victim was working as a cleaner for Amrani's neighbour. He possibly lured her into his flat under the pretext of offering her work. After the murder, he hid her body in his shed, then left his flat for the city centre, equipped with a backpack containing the weapons.

Reaction.

Domestic.

Recently appointed Prime Minister of Belgium Elio Di Rupo visited the location of the attack later in the day and described the attack as "horrible". He added, "The whole country shares the pain of the families affected. We share the shock of the population." Albert II, King of the Belgians, was shocked and visited Liège on the same day, along with Queen Paola. They were received by the Governor, the Prime Minister and the Lord Mayor of Liège. Prince Philippe, the Duke of Brabant, honoured the victims in a public ceremony later. In the Chamber of Representatives of Belgium a minute of silence was held in honour of the victims.  Willy Demeyer, the mayor of Liège, condemned the attack and said the attack had "sown sorrow in the heart of the city".

International.

Condolences were expressed by the governments of Australia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Singapore and the United Kingdom.

On 13 December 2011, a murder–suicide attack took place in the city of Liège in the Wallonia region of Belgium.

La tuerie de Liège s'est déroulée au centre de la ville belge de Liège le. Menée au moyen de grenades et d'un fusil d'assaut de type, sur une place très fréquentée du centre-ville, aux abords du marché de Noël, sur le temps de midi, elle est perpétrée par un homme de, du nom de Nordine Amrani, qui se donne ensuite la mort. Le bilan de la tuerie fait état de, parmi lesquels ceux d'un garçonnet de, de deux adolescents de 15 et <ref name="BodMat Le Soir 14/12/"> morts le jour même, ainsi que d'une dame de 75 ans<ref name = "LS PB et MV 15/12"> et d'un jeune homme de 20 ans décédés dans les jours suivants, auxquels il faut ajouter un premier meurtre précédant les évènements<ref name="Belga-7/7,14/12">. sont également dénombrés.


Background.

Vincenty's goal was to express existing algorithms for geodesics on an ellipsoid in a form that minimized the program length (Vincenty 1975a). His unpublished report (1975b) mentions the use of a Wang 720 desk calculator, which had only a few kilobytes of memory. To obtain good accuracy for long lines, the solution uses the classical solution of Legendre (1806), Bessel (1825), and Helmert (1880) based on the auxiliary sphere. Vincenty relied on formulation of this method given by Rainsford, 1955. Legendre showed that an ellipsoidal geodesic can be exactly mapped to a great circle on the auxiliary sphere by mapping the geographic latitude to reduced latitude and setting the azimuth of the great circle equal to that of the geodesic. The longitude on the ellipsoid and the distance along the geodesic are then given in terms of the longitude on the sphere and the arc length along the great circle by simple integrals. Bessel and Helmert gave rapidly converging series for these integrals, which allow the geodesic to be computed with arbitrary accuracy.  In order to minimize the program size, Vincenty took these series, re-expanded them using the first term of each series as the small parameter, and truncated them to formula_1. This resulted in compact expressions for the longitude and distance integrals. The expressions were put in Horner (or "nested") form, since this allows polynomials to be evaluated using only a single temporary register. Finally, simple iterative techniques were used to solve the implicit equations in the direct and inverse methods; even though these are slow (and in the case of the inverse method it sometimes does not converge), they result in the least increase in code size.

Notation.

Define the following notation:

Inverse problem.

Given the coordinates of the two points ("Φ", "L") and ("Φ", "L"), the inverse problem finds the azimuths "α", "α" and the ellipsoidal distance "s".  Calculate "U", "U" and "L", and set initial value of "λ" = "L". Then iteratively evaluate the following equations until "λ" converges:  When "λ" has converged to the desired degree of accuracy (10 corresponds to approximately 0.06mm), evaluate the following:  Between two nearly antipodal points, the iterative formula may fail to converge; this will occur when the first guess at "λ" as computed by the equation above is greater than "π" in absolute value.

Direct problem.

Given an initial point ("Φ", "L") and initial azimuth, "α", and a distance, "s", along the geodesic the problem is to find the end point ("Φ", "L") and azimuth, "α".  Start by calculating the following:  Then, using an initial value formula_11, iterate the following equations until there is no significant change in "σ":  Once "σ" is obtained to sufficient accuracy evaluate:  If the initial point is at the North or South pole, then the first equation is indeterminate. If the initial azimuth is due East or West, then the second equation is indeterminate. If a double valued "atan2" type function is used, then these values are usually handled correctly.

Vincenty's modification.

In his letter to Survey Review in 1976, Vincenty suggested replacing his series expressions for "A" and "B" with simpler formulas using Helmert's expansion parameter "k":  where

Nearly antipodal points.

As noted above, the iterative solution to the inverse problem fails to converge or converges slowly for nearly antipodal points. An example of slow convergence is ("Φ", "L") = (0°, 0°) and ("Φ", "L") = (0.5°, 179.5°) for the WGS84 ellipsoid. This requires about 130 iterations to give a result accurate to 1 mm. Depending on how the inverse method is implemented, the algorithm might return the correct result (19936288.579 m), an incorrect result, or an error indicator. An example of an incorrect result is provided by the NGS online utility, which returns a distance that is about 5 km too long. Vincenty suggested a method of accelerating the convergence in such cases (Rapp, 1973).  An example of a failure of the inverse method to converge is ("Φ", "L") = (0°, 0°) and ("Φ", "L") = (0.5°, 179.7°) for the WGS84 ellipsoid. In an unpublished report, Vincenty (1975b) gave an alternative iterative scheme to handle such cases. This converges to the correct result 19944127.421 m after about 60 iterations; however, in other cases many thousands of iterations are required.  Newton's method has been used to give rapid convergence for all pairs of input points (Karney, 2013).

Vincenty's formulae are two related iterative methods used in geodesy to calculate the distance between two points on the surface of a spheroid, developed by Thaddeus Vincenty (1975a). They are based on the assumption that the figure of the Earth is an oblate spheroid, and hence are more accurate than methods that assume a spherical Earth, such as great-circle distance.

Les sont des méthodes itératives utilisées en géodésie pour calculer la distance entre deux points à la surface de sphéroïdes, développées par en 1975. Ces formules utilisent l'hypothèse que la Terre est un, ce qui permet d'obtenir des résultats plus précis qu'avec la distance du grand cercle qui suppose que la Terre est sphérique.


Dosing regimen.

R-Maxi-CHOP is used in mantle cell lymphoma and is given in 21-day intervals, alternating with R-HDAC (rituximab + high-dose cytarabine).  In most other non-Hodgkin lymphomas (excluding some aggressive forms), standard-dose [R]-CHOP is generally used as first-line therapy.

Uses and indications.

Normal cells are more able than cancer cells to repair damage from chemotherapy drugs.  This regimen can also be combined with the monoclonal antibody rituximab if the lymphoma is of B cell origin; this combination is called R-CHOP. Typically, courses are administered at an interval of two or three weeks (CHOP-14 and CHOP-21 respectively). A staging CT scan is generally performed after three cycles to assess whether the disease is responding to treatment.  In patients with a history of cardiovascular disease, doxorubicin (which is cardiotoxic) is often deemed to be too great a risk and is omitted from the regimen. The combination is then referred to as COP (cyclophosphamide, Oncovin, and prednisone or prednisolone) or CVP (cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and prednisone or prednisolone).

Side-effects and complications.

The combination is generally well tolerated. Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting may require antiemetics (such as ondansetron), and hemorrhagic cystitis is prevented with administration of mesna. Alopecia (hair loss) is common.  Neutropenia generally develops in the second week. During this period, many clinicians recommend pegfilgrastim or prophylactic use of ciprofloxacin. If a fever develops in the neutropenic period, urgent medical assessment is required for neutropenic sepsis, as infections in patients with low neutrophil counts may progress rapidly.  Allopurinol is typically co-administered prophylactically to prevent hyperuricemia that results from tumor lysis syndrome, the result of rapid death of tumor cells.

History.

A pivotal study published in 1993 compared CHOP to several other chemotherapy regimens (e.g. m-BACOD, ProMACE-CytaBOM, MACOP-B) for advanced non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. CHOP emerged as the regimen with the least toxicity but similar efficacy.  However, in Germany in 2012, bendamustine has displaced [R-]CHOP to become the first line treatment of choice for indolent lymphoma (a less aggressive subset of non-Hodgkin lymphoma).

[R]-CHOEP modification.

In order to develop more effective first-line chemotherapy regimen for aggressive lymphomas, some researchers tried to add (E)toposide to the standard [R]-CHOP regimen.  There were also attempts to further improve the efficacy of the [R]-CHOEP regimen with escalating the chemotherapy doses. This mode was called [R]-High-CHOEP. However, it did not show more effectiveness than standard-dose [R]-CHOEP while adding more toxicity and cost.  In order to try improving efficacy of the [R]-CHOEP, some researchers tried to escalate chemotherapy to very high doses, requiring autologic stem cell support in each cycle. Doses in that regimen were increased from cycle to cycle. This regimen was called [R]-MegaCHOEP. But again, such escalation seemed to not improve effectiveness while adding toxicity.

CHOP is the acronym for a chemotherapy regimen used in the treatment of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. CHOP consists of: Sometimes the chimeric anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, rituximab, is added to this treatment regimen to form the R-CHOP regimen.

CHOP est l'acronyme d'une polychimiothérapie utilisée pour traiter certains cancers. Il est composé des quatre principes actifs suivant: Il est composé des quatre principes actifs suivant:


History of the Joof family.

The Wagadou period.

The Joof family is one of the old families of Senegambia. Serer oral tradition speaks of a noble called Lamane Jegan Joof, owner of a large herd of livestock and estate who was also a farmer. He migrated from Lambaye following an argument with his relative, the king of Lambaye. The dispute concerned the governance of Lambaye and over-taxation of his herd which he considered unjust. As such, he decided to head south and founded Tukar with his younger brother Ndik Joof. The tradition then went on to say that, he had a son called Sosseh Joof (Socé Diouf) who was the heir of Tukar. Some scholars have proposed that, Tukar (and many of its surrounding villages such as Njujuf, Sob, etc., which were founded by Lamane Jegan Joof making them part of his estate and colony) now a rather large village in present-day Senegal, is an ancient village and well before the Guelowar period (1335 following the alleged Battle of Troubang, many variations in spelling, including Turubang) and placed the foundation of these villages in the 11th century, if not earlier. There was in fact no "Battle of Troubang". In reporting this tradition, Henry Gravrand did not notice that this is actually a description of the 1867 (or 1865) Battle of Kansala. The Joof family had ruled Tukar for many centuries, inherited from their ancestor Lamane Jegan Joof through the Serer Lamanic custom, a rather strict custom of Serer land law and inheritance. In 2004, Lamane Njaga Dibor Ndoffene Joof (Lamane Diaga Dibor Ndofene Diouf) was the last lamane of Tukar.  In the early history of the Ghana Empire to its end, the royal princesses of the Empire married into the Serer aristocratic families, some of these included Joof family. These royal princesses belonged to the maternal clan Wagadou ("Bagadou" in Serer language). With the Joof paternal clan, they ruled the Kingdom of Baol and provided many kings from the patrilineage Joof (the Joof paternal dynasty of Baol). Some of these kings include Boureh Joof (Bouré Diouf), Guidiane Joof (Guidiane Diouf), Ma Joof, Jinak Dialane [probably Gnilane] Joof, Maguinak Joof, etc. These kings preceded the Guelowar period by at least two or three centuries and long before the Fall paternal dynasty of Baol and Cayor who inherited the throne around 1549 after the Battle of Danki. The general consensus is that, after the demise of the Joof paternal and Wagadou maternal dynasties of Baol with other Serer paternal dynasties who jointly ruled Baol, the Fall paternal dynasty succeeded them, hence the first Damels and Teignes (titles of the kings of Cayor and Baol, respectively) from the Fall patrilineage were of Wagadou maternal descent. They simply married into the old royal family and succeeded to the throne.

The Guelowar period.

The Guelowar period starts from 1350 during the reign of the first Guelowar king of Sine - Maad a Sinig Maysa Wali and ends in 1969 after the death of the last king of Sine and Saloum (Maad a Sinig Mahecor Joof and Maad Saloum Fode N'Gouye Joof respectively).  Maysa Wali and his family (the maternal clan Guelowar) fled Kaabu in 1335 after the Battle of Troubang. They were defeated by the Ñaanco maternal dynasty of Kaabu (their extended relatives) and were granted asylum in the Kingdom of Sine by a Serer noble Council called The Great Council of Lamanes. Having served as legal advisor to this noble Council for 15 years, Maysa Wali managed to win the confidence and trust of the Council and the common people. He was nominated and elected by the Council and the people as king of Sine. He was the first Guelowar king of Sine. He gave his sisters in marriage to the Serer nobility which sealed the union between Serer and Guelowar. It was the offspring of these marriages between the old Serer paternal noble clans and the Guelowar maternal clan of Kaabu that ruled the kingdom of Sine and later Saloum. In this Guelowar period, the Joof family (one of the oldest Serer paternal noble clans) provided many kings in the Kingdoms of Sine and Saloum (the Joof paternal dynasty of Sine and Saloum). The Joof family also founded three royal houses as follows (in the order of foundation) :  They all trace their descent to Maad Ndaah Njemeh Joof (also known as "Bour Ndaah Ndiémé Diouf" or "Ndaah Njeeme Juuf") - the king of Laah (or Laa) in Baol, around the 13th century. Maad Ndaah Njemeh Joof was the father of Maad Niokhobai Joof (also king of Laa) who was the father of the Great Maad Patar Kolleh Joof (also: "Bour" or "Buur" Patar Kholé Diouf or Bour Patar Kholleh Diouf) - the conqueror of Baol. Maad Patar Kolleh Joof was the first of the Joof family to marry a Guelowar (Maad a Sinig Maysa Wali's niece). From that marriage he had Maad a Sinig Niokhobai Mane Nyan Joof (Niokhobaye Mane Niane Diouf) and Maad a Sinig Gejopal Mane Nyan Joof (Guédiopal Niane Mane Diouf), who were the first kings of Sine during the Guelowar period from the patrilineage Joof. Their brother Jaraff Boureh Gnilane Joof (Diaraf Bouré Gnilane Diouf) was not a king of Sine, but a Jaraff (equivalent of Prime Minister), who gave his name to the first Royal House of the Joof Dynasty (in the Guelowar period) and it is from that ""The Royal House of Boureh Gnilane Joof"" derived from, which provided several kings in Sine and Saloum. The Joof Dynasty that succeeded to the throne of Saloum came from Sine.

Historic battles involving this family.

This table lists some of the historic battles of Senegambia involving the kings or princes belonging to this family :

Genealogy.

A short genealogy showing the descendants of Maad Ndaah Njemeh Joof.

Status in Serer religion.

The Joof family figure prominently in Serer religion. Many of the Serer Pangool (saints and ancestral spirits) came from this family. Though associated with, this family's involvement in Serer religious affairs are found within the hermeneutics of Serer religion and traditions. Some of the regularly venerated were founded or headed by this family which underpins their involvement in the Pangool cult. Some of these venerated sites includes Tagdiam, residence of Maad Semou Njekeh Joof who is associated with the cult of Tagdiam; and Tukar, founded by Lamane Jegan Joof. In the Serer religious calendar, the Raan festival which takes place once a year after the new moon is held in Tukar.

Personalities with the surname Joof, Diouf, Juuf or Juf.

The surname Joof, Diouf, "Juuf" or "Juf" is carried by several personalities, some of which include:

Legal profession.

Some of these legal professionals have ventured into politics but they are more known for their legal than for their political occupation :

Visual arts.

The definition of art is very broad. This section list the names of visual artists (in its narrowest definition) who share this surname :

Multi-discipline.

The following list gives the names of personalities with this surname who are experts in a variety of professions, and are equally known for each of these professions. Their professional life is so wide and varied that they can not be easily described by a single category :

Joof (English spelling in the Gambia) or Diouf (French spelling in Senegal and Mauritania) is a surname that is typically Serer. This surname is also spelt Juuf or Juf (in the Serer language). They are the same people. The differences in spelling is because Senegal was colonized by France, while the Gambia was colonized by the United Kingdom. Although spelt differently, they are pronounced the same way. The totem and symbol of the Joof family is the antelope, the symbol of grace, royalty, wisdom, hard work and protection in Serer mythology. The name of their clan is ""Njoofene"" variations: ""Njuufeen"" or ""Njufeen"" (in Serer). Members of this family had ruled over many of the pre-colonial kingdoms of Senegambia, including the Kingdom of Sine, the Kingdom of Saloum and the Kingdom of Baol. The royal princesses (Lingeers) from the Joof family were also given in marriage to the pre-colonial kings and princes of Senegambia. Some of these included the kings of Jolof, kings of Waalo, kings of Cayor and Baol (after 1549 following the Battle of Danki). From these marriages, they provided many heirs to the thrones of these kingdoms. Although usually associated with Serer royalty, the Joof family also figure prominently in Serer religious affairs.

Diouf (orthographe française au Sénégal et en Mauritanie) ou Joof (orthographe anglaise en Gambie) est un patronyme typiquement sérère. On rencontre également ce nom de famille orthographié différemment, Juuf (en sérère) ou Juf. Il s'agit des mêmes personnes. Ces différences s'expliquent parce que le Sénégal a été colonisé par la France, alors que la Gambie l'a été par la Grande-Bretagne. Quoique orthographiés différemment, ils se prononcent de la même manière. Le totem de cette famille est l'antilope, symbole de la grâce, de la royauté, de la sagesse, du travail dur et de la protection dans la mythologie sérère. Le nom de leur clan est "Njoofene" variantes: "Njuufeen" ou "Njufeen" (en sérère). Des membres de cette famille ont régné sur les royaumes précoloniaux de Sénégambie et sur plusieurs royaumes des temps modernes, y compris le Royaume du Sine, le Royaume du Saloum, le Royaume du Baol, etc. Des princesses royales portant le patronyme Diouf ont également été données en mariage à des rois précoloniaux et à des princes de Sénégambie. Parmi eux figurent les rois du Djolof, les rois du Waalo, les rois du Cayor les rois du Baol (après 1549), etc. De ces mariages sont issus de nombreux héritiers aux trônes de ces royaumes.