title: Forum for Democracy

text: On 30 April 2020, Forum for Democracy formed a coalition with the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) in the North Brabant province, the first time the party had formally entered into the administration of a regional authority. In late 2020, former VVD MP Wybren van Haga defected to the party. Van Haga left FVD six months after that.


title: Forum for Democracy

text: In April and November 2020, the party became split following a series of controversies related to members of the FvD's youth wing making comments that were deemed to contain racism and homophobia. Baudet was also accused of endorsing antisemitic conspiracies, something he denied. This led to calls for Baudet to be removed as FvD leader and he temporarily stepped down. In December 2020, it was announced that Baudet had returned as party leader and would lead the FvD into the 2021 Dutch general election.


title: Forum for Democracy

text: At the 2021 general election, the party campaigned against COVID-19 lockdown measures imposed by the Dutch government and managed to win eight MPs. However, the issue of racist comments from youth members was brought up again during the campaign. One of the accused youth members, Gideon van Meijeren, was elected into parliament, as was youth wing chairman Freek Jansen.


title: Forum for Democracy

text: In May 2021, three of the FvD MPs (Van Haga, Hans Smolders and Olaf Ephraim) left the party to sit as independents in response to the FvD releasing a poster comparing the lockdown to the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands.


title: Forum for Democracy

text: In 2022, the FvD regained representation in the European Parliament when Marcel de Graaff defected to the party. As a result, the FvD became a member of the Identity and Democracy group instead of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR). In 2022 FvD left the European Conservatives and Reformists Party. In March 2022, Senators Theo Hiddema and Paul Frentrop left the party over FvD's absence at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's speech to the House of Representatives, leaving only Senator Johan Dessing.


title: Forum for Democracy

text: At the time of its foundation in 2016 the FvD was initially described as a national conservative and a conservative liberal political party. The party self-identified as liberal conservative and sat on the right-wing of the political spectrum.


title: Forum for Democracy

text: After establishing itself, the party and its platform started to perceived by political commentators as a standard Eurosceptic national populist political party, and on the far-right of the spectrum. It was also accused of drawing links with the alt-right movement. The FvD has been described as ideologically national conservative, Hard Eurosceptic, and right-wing populist. On its official platform, the FvD declares itself to be a movement rather than a party with a focus on protecting Dutch sovereignty, identity, and cultural and intellectual property. The party wants stricter immigration and integration policies, calling for the protection of high culture and "Judeo-Christian values". The FvD is also opposed to the integration of the European Union which it claims will lead to eventual Eurofederalism and supports a referendum on Dutch membership of EU. In the Dutch newspaper "Het Financieele Dagblad", historian and philosopher Joseef Eanders has described the FvD as containing various factions, including members sympathetic to the ideas of Ayn Rand and Michel Houellebecq. The FvD has also been described as one of several contemporary conservative-populist parties in the Netherlands that have been inspired by or inherited the mantle of the defunct Pim Fortuyn List.


title: Forum for Democracy

text: The party initially focused on drawing support from former People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) voters who felt the VVD had grown too soft on the policy areas of European Union and immigration, but saw the Party for Freedom as too hardline, and tried recruiting candidates who came from professional rather than political backgrounds. The FvD has been accused of cultivating popularity among the alt-right movement, although the party does not identify itself as such.


title: Forum for Democracy

text: In the European parliament, the FvD sat with the European Conservatives and Reformists until a split in the party in 2020, when its former MEP's defected to JA21 party and joined European Conservatives and Reformists Party. FvD then left the European Conservatives and Reformists Party. The party was affiliated with the Identity and Democracy for short period in 2022. As of 2022 the party's current MEP sits as a Non-Inscrit.


title: Forum for Democracy

text: FvD in the economic field supports economic liberalism. The party is a proponent of the introduction of a high tax-free bracket for everyone, the abolition of taxes on gifts and inheritance and a radical simplification of tax brackets. The party is a proponent of drastic changes in elementary and secondary education, focusing on performance evaluations for teachers. It wants to expand the armed forces, expanding the National Reserve Corps and reverting defense budget cuts.


title: Forum for Democracy

text: One of the major issues the party campaigns against is the perceived existence of a "party cartel" in which the main ruling parties of the country divide power among themselves and work towards the same goals despite claiming to be competitors. The party promises direct democracy through binding referendums as well as directly elected mayors and a directly elected Prime Minister. The party is also in favor of the government consisting of apolitical experts in their respective fields ("technocracy"), and top civil servants having to reapply for their positions whenever a new cabinet is formed.


title: Forum for Democracy

text: The party states that it supports protecting European civilization and wants free trade between European nations and the world but is opposed to the European Union (EU) and the Eurozone. The party calls for an immediate end to EU enlargement and for the Netherlands to use every veto possible to prevent the EU from becoming a federal superstate. It also supports referendums and Dutch withdrawal from the Eurozone and the Schengen Agreement. FvD also wants a renegotiation of Dutch membership of the EU followed by a binding referendum on EU membership and an "intelligent exit" (Nexit) from the EU if it cannot be reformed and terms cannot be met.


title: Forum for Democracy

text: The FvD also adopts a nationalist viewpoint in which the Dutch culture should be protected. The party is in favor of reinstating border controls and ending what it perceives as mass immigration. It also campaigns against unchecked immigration, says it would introduce a Dutch Values Protection Act. The party supports freedom of religion and calls for equal treatment of all citizens regardless of gender, race or sexual orientation, but is also against any further influence of Islamic culture on Dutch society, supports a crackdown on forced or child marriages and wants to ban Islamic face veils and other face coverings. The FvD also opposes foreign funding of Islamic schools and institutions, and argues that all schools in the Netherlands should subscribe to "Judeo-Christian values." FvD also states that immigrants who do not wish to integrate should be offered incentives to return to their native country and that whenever possible asylum seekers should be processed off Dutch soil.


title: Forum for Democracy

text: The FvD blames the NATO countries for the escalation of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine and openly supports the Russian view of the conflict. The party's original co-founder Henk Otten has criticised the FvD's stance on Russia and called Baudet a "Manchurian candidate" of Putin.


title: Forum for Democracy

text: The party calls for a reform of the Dutch justice system, increased funding for the Dutch police force, tougher penalties against those convicted of violent crimes and where possible for non-naturalized immigrants found guilty of serious crimes to be deported and tried in their country of origin.


title: Forum for Democracy

text: FvD calls for a gradual legalization of soft drugs but also supports reducing the number of cannabis coffee shops within the vicinity of schools. The party also calls for a reduction in the use of plastic, more support for the agricultural economy, sustainable farming and tougher laws against animal cruelty. In the spring of 2019, the party, endorsing a climate change denialist platform, intensively campaigned against large state investments in renewable energy, leading to a victory in the provincial elections. Later that year, it also supported protests by Dutch farmers against enforcing legislation on nitrogen emissions.


title: Forum for Democracy

text: FvD supports high culture. It argues for the protection of Dutch culture and "European classical music, art and knowledge." It is critical of modern architecture, calling for both new government buildings to be constructed in a neoclassical style and for city planning that "fits within a historical view." FvD also supports the establishment of a commission to protect historic monuments from destruction, wants Frysk to be retained as a second state language, calls for schools to teach about "beautiful things that the West has produced" and supports free museum admission for all Dutch citizens. However, the party has also promoted plans to defund and privatize the Nederlandse Publieke Omroep, a Dutch public broadcasting organization.


title: Forum for Democracy

text: Since it became active in politics, FvD has sparked controversy, especially regarding allegations of racism against important FvD politicians, the FvD "left-wing indoctrination in education" hotline and initially whether the FvD is a far-right formerly refused by the party. Many of these controversies surround party leader Baudet.


title: Forum for Democracy

text: In April 2020, HP/De Tijd revealed instances of antisemitism, homophobia and glorification of Anders Breivik and Brenton Tarrant in online WhatsApp groups associated with FvD's youth wing. FvD later investigated these instances and discharged three members from the political party. Three additional members were also suspended. More similar messages were revealed in November by newspaper "Het Parool" which published an article about extremist comments made by members the party's youth organization.


title: Forum for Democracy

text: In response, a committee of inquiry was set up with some FvD politicians such as Theo Hiddema arguing that the youth wing should be disbanded and others stating the FvD should follow the example of the Sweden Democrats by disassociating the youth-wing.


title: Forum for Democracy

text: Baudet also resigned as lijsttrekker and was temporarily replaced by Lennart van der Linden. The day after Baudet resigned as leader, vice-leader Theo Hiddema vacated his seat in the Tweede Kamer for "personal reasons," although some media outlets opined that it was due to controversies within the party. The following day, Senator Paul Cliteur also resigned from his position as Senate leader while remaining a member of the party. On 26 November 2020, FvD Senator Nicki Pouw-Verweij released a letter alleging multiple incidents during a dinner on 20 November, including Baudet making antisemitic statements claiming that the COVID-19 lockdowns were concocted by George Soros and lashing out at colleague Joost Eerdmans. Baudet denied the accusations.


title: Forum for Democracy

text: In December 2020, Baudet reversed his actions and announced the party would hold a leadership contest. The FvD's board announced an internal referendum on whether to expel Baudet from the party and replace him with a new leader. This took place on 3 December 2020, with 76% of FvD members voting in favour of Baudet remaining in the party and he subsequently resumed his role as leader. In protest at the outcome, the FvD's three MEPs, seven of its senators and some of its parliamentary candidates for the upcoming general election resigned to sit as independents before joining the JA21 party founded by former FvD members who had left due to the youth wing controversies.


title: Forum for Democracy

text: In August 2019, former FvD senator and founding member Henk Otten announced he had registered "Group Otten" (GO) as a new political party. GO currently has two seats in the Senate and one seat in the European Parliament which were taken up by former FvD members.


title: Forum for Democracy

text: On 18 December 2020, former FvD parliamentary candidates Joost Eerdmans and Annabel Nanninga created JA21 to contest in the 2021 Dutch general election following what they felt was the FvD's poor handling of members of the youth wing who had made extremist statements and controversies related to Baudet. They were joined by the FvD's three MEPs and seven senators.


title: Forum for Democracy

text: Following the 2021 Dutch election, FvD MP Wybren van Haga founded Belang van Nederland and was joined by two former FvD MPs.


title: Forum for Democracy

text: Prior to 2022, party membership numbers of FvD were not independently verified and have been disputed.


title: Twelve basic principles of animation

text: Disney's twelve basic principles of animation were introduced by the Disney animators Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas in their 1981 book "". The principles are based on the work of Disney animators from the 1930s onwards, in their quest to produce more realistic animation. The main purpose of these principles was to produce an illusion that cartoon characters adhered to the basic laws of physics, but they also dealt with more abstract issues, such as emotional timing and character appeal.


title: Twelve basic principles of animation

text: The book has been referred to by some as the "Bible of animation", and some of its principles have been adopted by traditional studios. In 1999, "The Illusion of Life" was voted the number one "best animation book[...] of all time" in an online poll done by Animation World Network. While originally intended to apply to traditional, hand-drawn animation, the principles still have great relevance for today's more prevalent computer animation.


title: Twelve basic principles of animation

text: The purpose of squash and stretch is to give a sense of weight and flexibility to drawn or computer animated objects. It can be applied to simple objects, like a bouncing ball, or more complex constructions, like the musculature of a human face. Taken to an extreme, a figure stretched or squashed to an exaggerated degree can have a comical effect. In realistic animation, however, the most important aspect of this principle is that an object's volume "does not" change when squashed or stretched. If the length of a ball is stretched vertically, its width (in three dimensions, also its depth) needs to contract correspondingly horizontally.


title: Twelve basic principles of animation

text: Anticipation is used to prepare the audience for an action, and to make the action appear more realistic. A dancer jumping off the floor has to bend the knees first; a golfer making a swing has to swing the club back first. The technique can also be used for less physical actions, such as a character looking off-screen to anticipate someone's arrival, or attention focusing on an object that a character is about to pick up.


title: Twelve basic principles of animation

text: This principle is akin to staging, as it is known in theatre and film. Its purpose is to direct the audience's attention, and make it clear what is of greatest importance in a scene; Johnston and Thomas defined it as "the presentation of any idea so that it is completely and unmistakably clear", whether that idea is an action, a personality, an expression, or a mood. This can be done by various means, such as the placement of a character in the frame, the use of light and shadow, or the angle and position of the camera. The essence of this principle is keeping focus on what is relevant, and avoiding unnecessary detail.


title: Twelve basic principles of animation

text: These are two different approaches to the drawing process. Straight ahead action scenes are animated frame by frame from beginning to end, while "pose to pose" involves starting with drawing key frames, and then filling in the intervals later. "Straight ahead action" creates a more fluid, dynamic illusion of movement, and is better for producing realistic action sequences. On the other hand, it is hard to maintain proportions and to create exact, convincing poses along the way. "Pose to pose" works better for dramatic or emotional scenes, where composition and relation to the surroundings are of greater importance. A combination of the two techniques is often used.


title: Twelve basic principles of animation

text: Computer animation removes the problems of proportion related to "straight ahead action" drawing; however, "pose to pose" is still used for computer animation, because of the advantages it brings in composition. The use of computers facilitates this method and can fill in the missing sequences in between poses automatically. It is still important to oversee this process and apply the other principles.


title: Twelve basic principles of animation

text: Follow through and overlapping action is a general heading for two closely related techniques which help to render movement more realistically, and help to give the impression that characters follow the laws of physics, including the principle of inertia. "Follow through" means that loosely tied parts of a body should continue moving after the character has stopped and the parts should keep moving beyond the point where the character stopped only to be subsequently "pulled back" towards the center of mass or exhibiting various degrees of oscillation damping. "Overlapping action" is the tendency for parts of the body to move at different rates (an arm will move on different timing of the head and so on). A third, related technique is "drag", where a character starts to move and parts of them take a few frames to catch up. These parts can be inanimate objects like clothing or the antenna on a car, or parts of the body, such as arms or hair. On the human body, the torso is the core, with arms, legs, head and hair appendices that normally follow the torso's movement. Body parts with much tissue, such as large stomachs and breasts, or the loose skin on a dog, are more prone to independent movement than bonier body parts. Again, exaggerated use of the technique can produce a comical effect, while more realistic animation must time the actions exactly, to produce a convincing result.


title: Twelve basic principles of animation

text: The "moving hold" animates between two very similar positions; even characters sitting still, or hardly moving, can display some sort of movement, such as breathing, or very slightly changing position. This prevents the drawing from becoming "dead".


title: Twelve basic principles of animation

text: The movement of objects in the real world, such as the human body, animals, vehicles, etc. needs time to accelerate and slow down. For this reason, more pictures are drawn near the "beginning" and "end" of an action, creating a "slow in" and "slow out" effect in order to achieve more realistic movements. This concept emphasizes the object's extreme poses. Inversely, fewer pictures are drawn within the "middle" of the animation to emphasize faster action. This principle applies to characters moving between two extreme poses, such as sitting down and standing up, but also for inanimate, moving objects, like the bouncing ball in the above illustration.


title: Twelve basic principles of animation

text: Most natural action tends to follow an arched trajectory, and animation should adhere to this principle by following implied "arcs" for greater realism. This technique can be applied to a moving limb by rotating a joint, or a thrown object moving along a parabolic trajectory. The exception is mechanical movement, which typically moves in straight lines.


title: Twelve basic principles of animation

text: As an object's speed or momentum increases, arcs tend to flatten out in moving ahead and broaden in turns. In baseball, a fastball would tend to move in a straighter line than other pitches; while a figure skater moving at top speed would be unable to turn as sharply as a slower skater, and would need to cover more ground to complete the turn.


title: Twelve basic principles of animation

text: An object in motion that moves out of its natural arc for no apparent reason will appear erratic rather than fluid. For example, when animating a pointing finger, the animator should be certain that in all drawings in between the two extreme poses, the fingertip follows a logical arc from one extreme to the next. Traditional animators tend to draw the arc in lightly on the paper for reference, to be erased later.


title: Twelve basic principles of animation

text: Adding secondary actions to the main action gives a scene more life, and can help to support the main action. A person walking can simultaneously swing their arms or keep them in their pockets, speak or whistle, or express emotions through facial expressions. The important thing about secondary actions is that they emphasize, rather than take attention away from the main action. If the latter is the case, those actions are better left out. For example, during a dramatic movement, facial expressions will often go unnoticed. In these cases, it is better to include them at the beginning and the end of the movement, rather than during.


title: Twelve basic principles of animation

text: Timing refers to the number of drawings or frames for a given action, which translates to the speed of the action on film. On a purely physical level, correct timing makes objects appear to obey the laws of physics. For instance, an object's weight determines how it reacts to an impetus, like a push; as a lightweight object will react faster than a heavy one. Timing is critical for establishing a character's mood, emotion, and reaction. It can also be a device to communicate aspects of a character's personality.


title: Twelve basic principles of animation

text: Exaggeration is an effect especially useful for animation, as animated motions that strive for a perfect imitation of reality can look static and dull. The level of exaggeration depends on whether one seeks realism or a particular style, like a caricature or the style of a specific artist. The classical definition of exaggeration, employed by Disney, was to remain true to reality, just presenting it in a wilder, more extreme form. Other forms of exaggeration can involve the supernatural or surreal, alterations in the physical features of a character; or elements in the storyline itself. It is important to employ a certain level of restraint when using exaggeration. If a scene contains several elements, there should be a balance in how those elements are exaggerated in relation to each other, to avoid confusing or overawing the viewer.


title: Twelve basic principles of animation

text: The principle of "solid" drawing means taking into account forms in three-dimensional space, or giving them volume and weight. The animator needs to be a skilled artist and has to understand the basics of three-dimensional shapes, anatomy, weight, balance, light and shadow, etc. For the classical animator, this involved taking art classes and doing sketches from life. One thing in particular that Johnston and Thomas warned against was creating "twins": characters whose left and right sides mirrored each other, and looked lifeless.


title: Twelve basic principles of animation

text: Modern-day computer animators draw less because of the facilities computers give them, yet their work benefits greatly from a basic understanding of animation principles, and their additions to basic computer animation.


title: Twelve basic principles of animation

text: Appeal in a cartoon character corresponds to what would be called charisma in an actor. A character who is appealing is not necessarily sympathetic; villains or monsters can also be appealing. The important thing is that the viewer feels the character is real and interesting. There are several tricks for making a character connect better with the audience; for likable characters, a symmetrical or particularly baby-like face tends to be effective. A complicated or hard to read face will lack appeal or 'captivation' in the composition of the pose or character design.


title: Twelve basic principles of animation

text: a. The twelve principles have been paraphrased and shortened by Nataha Lightfoot for Animation Toolworks. Johnston and Thomas themselves found this version good enough to put it up on their own website.


title: Dental dam

text: A dental dam or rubber dam is a thin, square sheet, usually latex or nitrile, used in dentistry to isolate the operative site (one or more teeth) from the rest of the mouth. Sometimes termed "Kofferdam" (from German), it was designed in the United States in 1864 by . It is used mainly in endodontic, fixed prosthodontic (crowns, bridges) and general restorative treatments. Its purpose is both to prevent saliva interfering with the dental work (e.g. contamination of oral micro-organisms during root canal therapy, or to keep filling materials such as composite dry during placement and curing), and to prevent instruments and materials from being inhaled, swallowed or damaging the mouth. In dentistry, use of a rubber dam is sometimes referred to as "isolation" or "moisture control".


title: Dental dam

text: The technique used to apply the dental dam is selected according to the tooth requiring treatment. Several techniques can be used including single tooth isolation, multiple tooth isolation or split dam technique. The dental dam is prepared by punching one or more holes in the dental dam sheet to enable isolation of the appropriate number of teeth required for the dental procedure. The dental dam is then applied to the tooth, anchored into place using a metal or flexible plastic clamp (chosen according to the tooth and area it will be applied to). The clamp will ideally fit snugly around the tooth along the margin of the gingiva, stabilising the dental dam and preventing contamination of the working area due to saliva ingress. Individuals may experience subjective discomfort due to the tight sensation of the dam clamp, therefore topical anaesthetic (liquid or gel) may be applied to the gingiva at the operator's discretion prior to applying the dental dam.


title: Dental dam

text: Prior to the use of the rubber dam isolation method, many dental procedures had a high risk of contamination from saliva and bacteria infiltrating the tooth during a procedure. This can lead to the failure of the treatment being undertaken which can result in further interventions or the loss of a tooth.


title: Dental dam

text: Dr Sanford C. Barnum was the original designer of the dental dam as a way to keep the operation site clear from saliva. It was in 1882 that Dr S. S. White improved the design further by adjusting the hole punched into the sheet. In spite of these changes, it was found to be difficult to stabilise the dam around the tooth until Dr. Delous Palmer developed the metal clamps which anchors the dam around the selected tooth. These clamps are available in various shapes and sizes which are designed to fit different tooth structures and morphology.


title: Dental dam

text: There are several treatments where dental dam can be applied; dental restorations, endodontic treatments including root canal therapy, fissure sealants, preparation of dental crown, dental implant and some veneer placements.


title: Dental dam

text: There is an ongoing controversy with the use and efficacy of rubber dam among dental practitioners. Some practitioners may routinely employ its use, for others it may only be applied during selective treatments whereas many others will avoid its application altogether. Although the use of rubber dam is considered a standard of care, studies showed that a large number of dental practitioners do not utilise it during procedures.


title: Dental dam

text: The set up of a rubber dam has many elements and involves the use of specific tools and accessories which usually consist of:


title: Dental dam

text: The dental dam sheets are predominantly made from rubber materials such as latex or nitrile and tend to be 15 cm by 15 cm in length and width. The thickness of each dam sheet is approximately between 0.14 mm and 0.38 mm but the size, shape, colour and material that the dam sheet is made from can vary with differing manufacturers. Most manufacturers will also make dental dam sheet alternatives that are suitable for patients with allergies to materials such as latex and some may even make alternatives that can be autoclaved.


title: Dental dam

text: The dental dam is anchored around the crown of the tooth using a metal clamp to seal and secure the rubber dam sheet to the tooth or teeth that are receiving treatment during the dental procedure. The clamps come in a variety of shapes and sizes which suit the anatomy of the different teeth in the mouth. Before placing the dam in the mouth dental professionals may choose to secure dental floss around the clamps; this acts as an anchor to prevent aspiration or swallowing. It can also provide a point of reference for the clinician to be able to visualise and retrieve the clamp if it dislodges from the tooth or the dam forceps.


title: Dental dam

text: The purpose of the rubber dam frame is to keep the dam sheet taut around target areas; this will ensure that a clinician can work effectively on the tooth without the dam sheet obstructing vision and becoming entangled in dental instruments during the procedure. There are several types of dental dam frames which have an array of purposes. The frames are made from stainless steel, polypropylene or other polymer plastics. Irrespective of the material the dam frame is made from, the frame will always have small pins on the outer edges which act to secure the dam sheet to the frame. The plastic dam frames are predominantly used in the case where dental radiography is planned as they are less radiodense, ensuring the frame appears radiolucent to avoid superimposition of the frame in the radiograph.


title: Dental dam

text: The dam punch is a tool used to perforate holes of various sizes into the dental dam sheet. When punching holes in the rubber dam prior to a procedure the size and spacing of the teeth to be isolated should be taken into consideration. In multi-tooth isolation, the holes should correspond to the curve of the dental arch. The rubber dam armamentarium can be set up in a variety of ways; this usually depends on clinician preference and education.


title: Dental dam

text: In difficult clinical cases, the standard dental clamp needs to be adapted. One efficient method is using the carved gypsum cast as described by NCE Cazacu.


title: Dental dam

text: Using a rubber dam for dental procedures can provide multiple advantages. A rubber dam can provide a clean and dry operating field away from substances such as saliva and blood. This is important for dental procedures as the bonding ability of adhesives and cements is heightened in a clean and dry field away from possible contamination, in order for maximum adhesive strength between the restorative materials, dentin and enamel. If the environment is contaminated leading to poor bonding of the materials, the success and longevity of the restoration is shortened.


title: Dental dam

text: When using the rubber dam, it is possible to isolate one or more teeth. By doing this, the clinicians visibility of the tooth is greatly improved, due to the increase in contrast with the rubber dam around the tooth or teeth, whilst at the same time it retracts the soft tissues such as the lips, tongue, and cheeks, and reduces mirror fogging:allowing the clinician to focus solely on the restorative site, which can lead to the procedure also being more time$efficient. Even though it is commonly said that the rubber dam takes too much time to apply, in many ways it can reduce the time needed for the procedure, as not only does it isolate the tooth, it reduces the ability for the patient to communicate with the clinician. This is most beneficial for the over talkative patients which can sometimes hinder the efficiency of treatment and can instead allow more time for the clinician to focus on the task at hand in order for the procedure to take less time.


title: Dental dam

text: A Cochrane review in 2021 suggests that the use of rubber dam as an isolation method provides a chance for dental restorations to last longer. Disregarding the fact that it is low-quality evidence, there is still proof that over a two-year period, comparing restorations done using rubber dams versus cotton roll isolation, the rubber dam group had a lower risk of failure with a risk ratio of 0.80 compared to cotton roll isolation at 1.19, however, further research is needed on varying restorative treatments.


title: Dental dam

text: Additionally, a rubber dam can act as an infection control barrier and reduce the risk of cross-contamination and infection. In case the patient may have a contagious disease the rubber dam decreases the chance of the splatter of microbial content if the patient were to cough or the spread of microbes being caused by the pressure from the triplex, which is a tube or syringe used to deliver air or water under pressure.


title: Dental dam

text: A rubber dam can also protect patients' airways. It does not eliminate the chance, but decreases the possibility of the patient accidentally swallowing or inhaling restorative instruments, tooth fragments or debris. [10] That has happened in the past, and should this occur, the patient must always be admitted into hospital as a chest X-ray is necessary in order to discover where the inhalant may be and whether it may potentially need to be removed on the operating table or not. As it has potential to be life-threatening if ignored.


title: Dental dam

text: Not only instruments or debris, but also chemical materials used in dental procedures (such as acid etch, seals, and amalgam) can have harmful effects. In endodontic procedures, corrosive irrigants are contained such as sodium hypochlorite (bleach). Without the protection of a rubber dam, there is an increased risk of this chemical damaging the soft tissues of the mouth and being more harmful if swallowed. Another example is during amalgam restorations, as amalgam contains the element mercury, and if ingested during the placing of amalgam can cause potentially harmful side effects if not treated. However, after amalgam is placed safely, evidence does suggest the exposure to mercury is at a level which is non-harmful and safe for the human body.


title: Dental dam

text: The rubber dam can also offer additional protection of the soft tissues of oral mucosa from sharp instruments, acting as a barrier between the instrument and the soft tissue. Additionally, associated with rubber dam is a caulking adhesive, caulking in definition is a material used to seal joints, in this can be used to fill in gaps between the rubber dam and gingiva as it adheres to the wet rubber dam or mucosal tissues, acting as another mode of protection.


title: Dental dam

text: A big issue surrounding the rubber dam is its use as part of a legal obligation. In some parts of the world, the use of a rubber dam is obligatory for procedures such as endodontic treatment. The reason for this is that if an injury was to occur or possible cross-contamination and the result could have been prevented by rubber dam, this situation is regarded as medico-legally indefensible, meaning the clinician will not be able to defend themselves in court due to the duty of care falling under negligence of the patient.


title: Dental dam

text: Lastly, some patients, in fact, prefer using the rubber dam, as having been told and understanding the risks instead feel more comfortable knowing they are safer with it than without it,as well as feeling dissociated from the noises happening around them such as the drilling. Additionally, some patients tend to be more comfortable as they may prefer the feeling of not having water and suction running within their mouths.


title: Dental dam

text: Although there are many advantages of rubber dams during dental treatment there are also associated risks and disadvantages. The rubber dam can take extra time to apply; however, with consistent practice and use by the dental practitioner, this may not have an effect on the length of the appointment. Insufficient training and the inconvenience of application can also be a deterrent for its use and can also contribute to lost time. The cost of dental dams is an expense to the dental practice and could also be a disincentive. Although the rubber dams are inexpensive to purchase, initial costs for the armamentarium can be high.


title: Dental dam

text: There is a risk of rubber dam clamps breaking during application due to the chemical effects of sodium hypochlorite, an antimicrobial solution used during root canal treatments, repeated stresses of clinical use, or autoclaving, all of which can potentially weaken the material. To avoid swallowing or aspiration of broken clamps, the dental practitioner should place floss around the clamp to allow its retrieval if it snaps or springs off during a procedure.


title: Dental dam

text: As the dental dam clamp is placed along the gum line, this can cause some discomfort or pain (especially in a patient who does not require local anaesthesia), bleeding from the gums, damage to the periodontal ligament or abrasion of the cementum on the root of the tooth, which may cause an uneven surface on the tooth root that can retain plaque.


title: Dental dam

text: The dental dam is placed over the mouth, effectively blocking off the airway, which means the patient must be able to comfortably breathe through their nose. This is a problem for patients with nasal airway obstruction such as the common cold, a broken nose, adenoids, recurring sinus issues, or those who habitually breathe through their mouths. Patients can also find that communication is reduced between the dental practitioner and themselves, which may result in feelings of claustrophobia, vulnerability, and anxiety. Those prone to dental phobia and individuals who have learning difficulties, disabilities or special needs may find the use of dental dams impossible and intolerable.


title: Dental dam

text: To an extent, the use of a dental dam may lead to visual distortion of tooth morphology since the other teeth and the rest of the mouth are hidden from view. This may lead to perforation if an access cavity is incorrectly angled during root canal therapy. For this reason, endodontists may routinely begin their access cavity before applying the dam. This will ensure the correct orientation prior to commencing removal of the blood vessels, nerve tissue and other cellular entities from the tooth.


title: Dental dam

text: The rubber dam, which is usually brightly coloured (blue or green), may alter the apparent colour of the tooth, which can lead to incorrect choice of shade, e.g. during placement of a dental composite during a restorative procedure. For this reason, dental practitioners should select the appropriate shade of material prior to the application of rubber dam.


title: Dental dam

text: As the rubber dams are primarily made of latex, patients may experience reactions which range from uncomfortable (allergic contact dermatitis, allergic contact cheilitis, allergic contact stomatitis) to life-threatening (anaphylaxis). Nitrile versions are available for those with latex allergies and adverse reactions can be avoided by patients informing dental practitioners of latex allergies prior to treatment or adverse reactions after rubber dam application.


title: Dental dam

text: Dental dams are sometimes suggested for use as a physical barrier against the exchange of body fluids during cunnilingus and anilingus, especially for women who have sex with women to protect against sexually transmitted infections (STIs). However, they are rarely used for this purpose, and there is no good evidence that their use reduces the risk of STI transmission, including the risk of HIV infection.


title: Dental dam

text: After lubrication with a water-based lubricant, an unpunctured dental dam may be held over the vulva or anus, allowing oral stimulation of these areas without transmission of bodily fluids or direct physical contact. Plastic cling wrap, condoms (repurposed by cutting off the tip and ring and cutting them lengthwise) or latex gloves (cut open longitudinally) can be used for STI protection in a similar manner as a dental dam, by providing a physical barrier to cover the vaginal or anal areas during oral sex and these alternative barrier methods are more affordable and readily available than dental dams.


title: Dental dam

text: Dental dams were initially promoted in the 1980s in some safer sex campaigns as a barrier to prevent transmission of STIs during oral sex. They were introduced for use in some women's prisons in Canada and Australia (in the jurisdictions of New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Western Australia, and South Australia) in the 1990s as a form of sexual barrier protection after the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended that female prisoners should have access to dental dams. Inmates have reported numerous problems with dental dam use, including the dam being too thick, lack of availability, poor taste, and reduced sensations when used for oral sex. Dental dams are often reappropriated by prison inmates for other uses, such as hair elastics, placemats or shoelaces. They are relatively expensive and difficult to obtain outside of the prison system. Rubber dams are not manufactured, marketed, registered, tested, or evaluated for their effectiveness as an STI prevention aid, and no studies currently exist on their permeability to STI pathogens.


title: Adyghe language

text: Adyghe ( or ; , ), also known as West Circassian (), is a Northwest Caucasian language spoken by the western subgroups of Circassians. It is spoken mainly in Russia, as well as in Turkey, Jordan, Syria and Israel, where they settled after the Circassian genocide. It is closely related to the Kabardian (East Circassian) language, though some reject the distinction between the two languages in favor of both being dialects of a unitary Circassian language.


title: Adyghe language

text: The literary language is based on the Temirgoy dialect. Adyghe and Russian are the two official languages of the Republic of Adygea in the Russian Federation.


title: Adyghe language

text: There are around 128,000 speakers of Adyghe in Russia, almost all of them native speakers. In total, some 300,000 speak it worldwide. The largest Adyghe-speaking community is in Turkey, spoken by the diaspora from the Russian–Circassian War (–1864). In addition, the Adyghe language is spoken by the Cherkesogai in Krasnodar Krai.


title: Adyghe language

text: Adyghe belongs to the family of Northwest Caucasian languages. Kabardian (also known as East Circassian) is a very close relative, treated by some as a dialect of Adyghe or of an overarching Circassian language. Ubykh, Abkhaz and Abaza are somewhat more distantly related to Adyghe.


title: Adyghe language

text: Adyghe exhibits a large number of consonants: between 50 and 60 consonants in the various Adyghe dialects. All dialects possess a contrast between plain and labialized glottal stops. A very unusual minimal contrast, and possibly unique to the Abzakh dialect of Adyghe, is a three-way contrast between plain, labialized and palatalized glottal stops (although a palatalized glottal stop is also found in Hausa and a labialized one is found in Tlingit). The Black Sea dialect of Adyghe contains a very uncommon sound: a bidental fricative , which corresponds to the voiceless velar fricative found in other varieties of Adyghe.


title: Adyghe language

text: In contrast to its large consonant inventory, Adyghe has only three phonemic vowels in a vertical vowel system.


title: Adyghe language

text: Adyghe, like all Northwest Caucasian languages, has a basic agent–object–verb typology and is characterised by an ergative construction of the sentence.


title: Adyghe language

text: The official alphabet for Adyghe is the Cyrillic script, which has been used since 1936. Before that, the Arabic script was used. In recent years, a new Latin script has been devised that seeks to include phonemes from all the Adyghe and Kabardian dialects, as well as other North Caucasian languages.


title: Adyghe language

text: The vowels are written , and . Other letters represent diphthongs: represents , or , or , represent or , and represents or .


title: Adyghe language

text: The language of Adyghe is officially written in the Cyrillic script but is also unofficially written in the Latin script, in a version of the Arabic script before 1927, and then a version of the Latin alphabet implemented by the Soviet Union until 1938.


title: Adyghe language

text: Adyghe is taught outside Circassia in a Jordanian school for the Jordanian Adyghes, Prince Hamza Ibn Al-Hussein Secondary School in the capital Amman. This school, which was established by the Adyghe Jordanians with support from the late king Hussein of Jordan, is one of the first schools for the Adyghe communities outside Circassia. It has around 750 Jordanian Adyghe students, and one of its major goals is to preserve Adyghe among newer Adyghe generations, while also emphasising the traditions of the Adyghes.


title: Adyghe language

text: Adyghe is spoken by Circassians in Iraq and by Circassians in Israel, where it is taught in schools in their villages. It is also spoken by many Circassians in Syria, although the majority of Syrian Circassians speak Kabardian.


title: Adyghe language

text: There are many books written in or translated into Adyghe. An Adyghe translation of the Quran by Ishak Mashbash is available. The New Testament and many books of the Old Testament have been published in Adyghe by the Institute for Bible Translation in Moscow.


title: Adyghe language

text: According to the UNESCO 2009 map entitled "UNESCO Map of the World's Languages in Danger", the status of the Adyghe language in 2009, along with all its dialects (Adyghe, Western Circassian tribes) and (Kabard-Cherkess, Eastern Circassian tribes), is classified as vulnerable.


title: Karen Pence

text: Karen Sue Pence ( Batten, formerly Whitaker; born January 1, 1957) is an American schoolteacher, painter, and was the second lady of the United States from 2017 to 2021. She is married to the 48th vice president of the United States, Mike Pence. She was the first lady of Indiana from 2013 to 2017.


title: Karen Pence

text: Pence was born as Karen Sue Batten at McConnell Air Force Base in Kansas on January 1, 1957, the daughter of Lillian (née Hacker; 1931–2004) and John M. Batten (1931/1932–1988), a United Airlines official. Her parents divorced when she was very young, and her mother married Bernard Barcio in 1967. She grew up in the Broad Ripple Village neighborhood of Indianapolis, where she graduated as valedictorian from Bishop Chatard High School. Pence attended nearby Butler University where she studied to become a teacher, and minored in art. She received both a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) and a Master of Science (M.S.) in elementary education from Butler University.


title: Karen Pence

text: Pence has taught at John Strange Elementary, Acton Elementary, Fall Creek Elementary, and the Orchard School, all in Indianapolis.


title: Karen Pence

text: After the birth of her first child, Pence took a class in watercolor painting. This led to a career painting portraits of houses and historic buildings. She has completed as many as thirty-five paintings a year, some on commission and selling others at local art fairs.


title: Karen Pence

text: While her husband was in Congress, Karen worked at Immanuel Christian School, a private Christian school in Springfield, Virginia, as an arts teacher for twelve years.


title: Karen Pence

text: Pence was the first lady of Indiana during her husband's term as governor of the state from 2013 to 2017. In her first year of the role, she established the Indiana First Lady's Charitable Foundation to "promote individuals and organizations that encourage children, families, and the arts", also offering grants and scholarships.


title: Karen Pence

text: In 2015, Pence started a small business named "'That's My Towel!' Charm" which makes metal charms for attaching to towels so they can be more easily identified when among others. The business was put on hold when Mike Pence became a vice presidential candidate.


title: Karen Pence

text: A honey bee conservation advocate, Pence had a beehive installed at the Indiana Governor's Residence while first lady of the state.


title: Karen Pence

text: Pence became the second lady of the United States on January 20, 2017, succeeding Jill Biden. She hired Kristan King Nevins as her chief of staff; Nevins had served in the same position under former First Lady Barbara Bush. As second lady, Pence worked to raise awareness of art therapy, to which she was first exposed when visiting a Washington hospital during her husband's tenure as a congressman. In October 2017, she visited the campus of Florida State University to highlight the university's art therapy program, which dates back to the 1990s.


title: Karen Pence

text: Pence continued to raise awareness of honey bee habitat destruction and the importance of pollination in 2017 by having a beehive installed at the official vice presidential residence, Number One Observatory Circle.


title: Karen Pence

text: In January 2019, it was reported that Pence was returning as a part-time art teacher for Immanuel Christian School, and she said in a statement that she was "excited to be back in the classroom and doing what I love to do," and that she had "missed teaching art."


title: Karen Pence

text: The school had previously been criticized and accused of homophobia for not admitting LGBT students, posting a policy wherein it is permitted to turn away students who engage in, uphold, or accept "sexual immorality, homosexual activity, or bisexual activity", with the policy also applying to parents and employees. Pence was criticized in the media and by LGBT advocates and advocacy organizations in the days following the announcement. Vice President Pence defended his wife's profession and decision, accusing her critics of attacking religious education. He said that he and his wife were "used to the criticism", but that he was angered over the criticism of his wife, opining that "to see major news organizations attacking Christian education is deeply offensive to us", and that it "should stop".


title: Karen Pence

text: While in high school, she met her first husband, John Steven Whitaker. They were married on August 4, 1978, in Brewster County, Texas, and later divorced. Whitaker was a medical student during their marriage.


title: Karen Pence

text: Karen met Mike Pence while she was playing guitar at Mass at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, a Catholic church in Indianapolis they both attended. Their first date included ice skating at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. After about nine months of dating, they became engaged in August 1984 and married on June 8, 1985. They were both Roman Catholic and later converted to evangelical Christianity by 1995. The couple has three children: Michael (serving in the U.S. Marine Corps), Charlotte, and Audrey. Pence has lived most of her life in Indiana, though the entire family moved to Washington, D.C. for the twelve years that husband Mike was a congressman from Indiana before his election as governor of Indiana. She is a trained pilot.


title: Karen Pence

text: Pence is known for her dedication to promoting art as a way of healing. She provided the watercolor illustrations for her daughter Charlotte's 2018 children's book, "Marlon Bundo's A Day in the Life of the Vice President", the proceeds from which are given to charities, including an art therapy program.


title: Spider silk

text: Spider silk is a protein fibre spun by spiders. Spiders use their silk to make webs or other structures, which function as sticky nets to catch other animals, or as nests or cocoons to protect their offspring, or to wrap up prey. They can also use their silk to suspend themselves, to float through the air, or to glide away from predators. Most spiders vary the thickness and stickiness of their silk for different uses.


title: Spider silk

text: In some cases, spiders may even use silk as a source of food. While methods have been developed to collect silk from a spider by force, it is difficult to gather silk from many spiders compared to silk-spinning organisms such as silkworms.


title: Spider silk

text: All spiders produce silk, and even in non-web building spiders, silk is intimately tied to courtship and mating. Silk produced by females provides a transmission channel for male vibratory courtship signals, while webs and draglines provide a substrate for female sex pheromones. Observations of male spiders producing silk during sexual interactions are also common across phylogenetically widespread taxa. However, the function of male-produced silk in mating has received very little study.


title: Spider silk

text: All spiders produce silks, and a single spider can produce up to seven different types of silk for different uses. This is in contrast to insect silks, where an individual usually only produces one type of silk. Spider silks may be used in many different ecological ways, each with properties to match the silk's function. As spiders have evolved, so has their silks' complexity and diverse uses, for example from primitive tube webs 300–400 million years ago to complex orb webs 110 million years ago.


title: Spider silk

text: Meeting the specification for all these ecological uses requires different types of silk suited to different broad properties, as either a fibre, a structure of fibres, or a silk-globule. These types include glues and fibres. Some types of fibres are used for structural support, others for constructing protective structures. Some can absorb energy effectively, whereas others transmit vibration efficiently. In a spider, these silk types are produced in different glands; so the silk from a particular gland can be linked to its use by the spider.


title: Spider silk

text: Each spider and each type of silk has a set of mechanical properties optimised for their biological function.


title: Spider silk

text: Most silks, in particular dragline silk, have exceptional mechanical properties. They exhibit a unique combination of high tensile strength and extensibility (ductility). This enables a silk fibre to absorb a large amount of energy before breaking (toughness, the area under a stress-strain curve).


title: Spider silk

text: A frequent mistake made in the mainstream media is to confuse strength and toughness, when comparing silk to other materials. Weight for weight, silk is stronger than steel, but not as strong as Kevlar. Spider silk is, however, tougher than both.


title: Spider silk

text: The variability of mechanical properties of spider silk fibres may be important and it is related to their degree of molecular alignment. Mechanical properties depend strongly on the ambient conditions, i.e. humidity and temperature.


title: Spider silk

text: A dragline silk's tensile strength is comparable to that of high-grade alloy steel (450−2000 MPa), and about half as strong as aramid filaments, such as Twaron or Kevlar (3000 MPa).


title: Spider silk

text: Consisting of mainly protein, silks are about a sixth of the density of steel (1.3 g/cm). As a result, a strand long enough to circle the Earth would weigh about . (Spider dragline silk has a tensile strength of roughly 1.3 GPa. The tensile strength listed for steel might be slightly highere.g. 1.65 GPa, but spider silk is a much less dense material, so that a given weight of spider silk is five times as strong as the same weight of steel.)


title: Spider silk

text: Silks are also extremely ductile, with some able to stretch up to five times their relaxed length without breaking.


title: Spider silk

text: The combination of strength and ductility gives dragline silks a very high toughness (or work to fracture), which "equals that of commercial polyaramid (aromatic nylon) filaments, which themselves are benchmarks of modern polymer fibre technology".


title: Spider silk

text: While unlikely to be relevant in nature, dragline silks can hold their strength below -40 °C (-40 °F) and up to 220 °C (428 °F). As occurs in many materials, spider silk fibres undergo a glass transition. The glass-transition temperature depends on the humidity, as water is a plasticiser for the silk.


title: Spider silk

text: When exposed to water, dragline silks undergo supercontraction, shrinking up to 50% in length and behaving like a weak rubber under tension. Many hypotheses have been suggested as to its use in nature, with the most popular being to automatically tension webs built in the night using the morning dew.


title: Spider silk

text: The toughest known spider silk is produced by the species Darwin's bark spider ("Caerostris darwini"): "The toughness of forcibly silked fibers averages 350 MJ/m, with some samples reaching 520 MJ/m. Thus, "C. darwini" silk is more than twice as tough as any previously described silk, and over 10 times tougher than Kevlar".


title: Spider silk

text: Silk fibre is a two-compound pyriform secretion, spun into patterns (called "attachment discs") that are employed to adhere silk threads to various surfaces using a minimum of silk substrate. The pyriform threads polymerise under ambient conditions, become functional immediately, and are usable indefinitely, remaining biodegradable, versatile and compatible with numerous other materials in the environment. The adhesive and durability properties of the attachment disc are controlled by functions within the spinnerets. Some adhesive properties of the silk resemble glue, consisting of microfibrils and lipid enclosures.


title: Spider silk

text: Many species of spiders have different glands to produce silk with different properties for different purposes, including housing, web construction, defence, capturing and detaining prey, egg protection, and mobility (fine "gossamer" thread for ballooning, or for a strand allowing the spider to drop down as silk is extruded). Different specialised silks have evolved with properties suitable for different uses. For example, "Argiope argentata" has five different types of silk, each used for a different purpose:


title: Spider silk

text: Silks, like many other biomaterials, have a hierarchical structure. The primary structure is the amino acid sequence of its proteins (spidroin), mainly consisting of highly repetitive glycine and alanine blocks, which is why silks are often referred to as a block co-polymer. On a secondary structure level, the short side chained alanine is mainly found in the crystalline domains (beta sheets) of the nanofibril, glycine is mostly found in the so-called amorphous matrix consisting of helical and beta turn structures. It is the interplay between the hard crystalline segments, and the strained elastic semi-amorphous regions, that gives spider silk its extraordinary properties. Various compounds other than protein are used to enhance the fibre's properties. Pyrrolidine has hygroscopic properties which keeps the silk moist while also warding off ant invasion. It occurs in especially high concentration in glue threads. Potassium hydrogen phosphate releases hydrogen ions in aqueous solution, resulting in a pH of about 4, making the silk acidic and thus protecting it from fungi and bacteria that would otherwise digest the protein. Potassium nitrate is believed to prevent the protein from denaturing in the acidic milieu.


title: Spider silk

text: This first very basic model of silk was introduced by Termonia in 1994 who suggested crystallites embedded in an amorphous matrix interlinked with hydrogen bonds. This model has refined over the years: semi-crystalline regions were found as well as a fibrillar skin core model suggested for spider silk, later visualised by AFM and TEM. Sizes of the nanofibrillar structure and the crystalline and semi-crystalline regions were revealed by neutron scattering.


title: Spider silk

text: It has been possible to relate microstructural information and macroscopic mechanical properties of the fibres. The results show that ordered regions (i) mainly reorient by deformation for low-stretched fibres and (ii) the fraction of ordered regions increases progressively for higher stretching of the fibres.


title: Spider silk

text: The production of silks, including spider silk, differs in an important aspect from the production of most other fibrous biological materials: rather than being continuously grown as keratin in hair, cellulose in the cell walls of plants, or even the fibres formed from the compacted faecal matter of beetles; it is "spun" on demand from liquid silk precursor out of specialised glands.


title: Spider silk

text: The spinning process occurs when a fibre is pulled away from the body of a spider, whether by the spider's legs, by the spider's falling under its own weight, or by any other method including being pulled by humans. The term "spinning" is misleading because no rotation of any component occurs, but rather comes from analogy to the textile spinning wheels. Silk production is a pultrusion, similar to extrusion, with the subtlety that the force is induced by pulling at the finished fibre rather than being squeezed out of a reservoir. The unspun silk fibre is pulled through silk glands of which there may be both numerous duplicates and different types of gland on any one spider species.


title: Spider silk

text: The gland's visible, or external, part is termed the spinneret. Depending on the complexity of the species, spiders will have two to eight spinnerets, usually in pairs. There exist highly different specialised glands in different spiders, ranging from simply a sac with an opening at one end, to the complex, multiple-section major ampullate glands of the golden silk orb-weavers.


title: Spider silk

text: Behind each spinneret visible on the surface of the spider lies a gland, a generalised form of which is shown in the figure to the right, "Schematic of a generalised gland".


title: Spider silk

text: Throughout the process the unspun silk appears to have a nematic texture, in a similar manner to a liquid crystal, arising in part due to the extremely high protein concentration of silk dope (around 30% in terms of weight per volume). This allows the unspun silk to flow through the duct as a liquid but maintain a molecular order.


title: Spider silk

text: As an example of a complex spinning field, the spinneret apparatus of an adult "Araneus diadematus" (garden cross spider) consists of the glands shown below. Similar multiple gland architecture exists in the black widow spider.


title: Spider silk

text: To artificially synthesise spider silk into fibres, there are two broad areas that must be covered. These are synthesis of the feedstock (the unspun silk dope in spiders), and synthesis of the spinning conditions (the funnel, valve, tapering duct, and spigot). There have been a number of different approaches but few of these methods have produced silk that can efficiently be synthesised into fibres.


title: Spider silk

text: The molecular structure of unspun silk is both complex and extremely long. Though this endows the silk fibres with their desirable properties, it also makes replication of the fibre somewhat of a challenge. Various organisms have been used as a basis for attempts to replicate some components or all of some or all of the proteins involved. These proteins must then be extracted, purified and then spun before their properties can be tested.


title: Spider silk

text: Spider silks with comparatively simple molecular structure need complex ducts to be able to spin an effective fibre. There have been a number of methods used to produce fibres, of which the main types are briefly discussed below.


title: Spider silk

text: Feedstock is simply forced through a hollow needle using a syringe. This method has been shown to make fibres successfully on multiple occasions.


title: Spider silk

text: Although very cheap and easy to produce, the shape and conditions of the gland are very loosely approximated. Fibres created using this method may need encouragement to change from liquid to solid by removing the water from the fibre with such chemicals as the environmentally undesirable methanol or acetone, and also may require post-stretching of the fibre to attain fibres with desirable properties.


title: Spider silk

text: As the field of microfluidics matures, it is likely that more attempts to spin fibres will be made using microfluidics. These have the advantage of being very controllable and able to test spin very small volumes of unspun fibre but setup and development costs are likely to be high. A patent has been granted in this area for spinning fibres in a method mimicking the process found in nature, and fibres are successfully being continuously spun by a commercial company.


title: Spider silk

text: Electrospinning is a very old technique whereby a fluid is held in a container in a manner such that it is able to flow out through capillary action. A conducting substrate is positioned below, and a large difference in electrical potential is applied between the fluid and the substrate. The fluid is attracted to the substrate, and tiny fibres jump almost instantly from their point of emission, the Taylor cone, to the substrate, drying as they travel. This method has been shown to create nano-scale fibres from both silk dissected from organisms and regenerated silk fibroin.


title: Spider silk

text: Silk can be formed into other shapes and sizes such as spherical capsules for drug delivery, cell scaffolds and wound healing, textiles, cosmetics, coatings, and many others. Spider silk proteins can also self-assemble on superhydrophobic surfaces to generate nanowires, as well as micron-sized circular sheets. It has recently been shown that recombinant spider silk proteins can self-assemble at the liquid air interface of a standing solution to form protein permeable, strong, and flexible nanomembranes that support cell proliferation. Suggested applications include skin transplants, and supportive membranes in organ-on-a-chip. These spider silk nanomembranes have also been used to create a static "in-vitro" model of a blood vessel.


title: Spider silk

text: Due to spider silk being a scientific research field with a long and rich history, there can be unfortunate occurrences of researchers independently rediscovering previously published findings. What follows is a table of the discoveries made in each of the constituent areas, acknowledged by the scientific community as being relevant and significant by using the metric of scientific acceptance, citations. Thus, only papers with 50 or more citations are included.


title: Spider silk

text: Peasants in the southern Carpathian Mountains used to cut up tubes built by "Atypus" and cover wounds with the inner lining. It reportedly facilitated healing, and even connected with the skin. This is believed to be due to antiseptic properties of spider silk and because the silk is rich in vitamin K, which can be effective in clotting blood. Due to the difficulties in extracting and processing substantial amounts of spider silk, the largest known piece of cloth made of spider silk is an textile with a golden tint made in Madagascar in 2009. Eighty-two people worked for four years to collect over one million golden orb spiders and extract silk from them.


title: Spider silk

text: Spider silk has been used as a thread for crosshairs in optical instruments such as telescopes, microscopes, and telescopic rifle sights. In 2011, spider silk fibres were used in the field of optics to generate very fine diffraction patterns over N-slit interferometric signals used in optical communications. In 2012, spider silk fibres were used to create a set of violin strings.


title: Spider silk

text: Development of methods to mass-produce spider silk has led to manufacturing of military, medical and consumer goods, such as ballistics armour, athletic footwear, personal care products, breast implant and catheter coatings, mechanical insulin pumps, fashion clothing, and outerwear.


title: Spider silk

text: Spider silk is used to suspend inertial confinement fusion targets during laser ignition, as it remains considerably elastic and has a high energy to break at temperatures as low as 10–20 K. In addition, it is made from "light" atomic number elements that won't emit x-rays during irradiation that could preheat the target so that the pressure differential required for fusion is not achieved.


title: Spider silk

text: Spider silk has been used to create biolenses that could be used in conjunction with lasers to create high-resolution images of the inside of the human body.


title: Spider silk

text: Replicating the complex conditions required to produce fibres that are comparable to spider silk has proven difficult in research and early-stage manufacturing. Through genetic engineering, "Escherichia coli" bacteria, yeasts, plants, silkworms, and animals other than silkworms have been used to produce spider silk proteins, which have different, simpler characteristics than those from a spider. Extrusion of protein fibres in an aqueous environment is known as "wet-spinning". This process has so far produced silk fibres of diameters ranging from 10 to 60 μm, compared to diameters of 2.5–4 μm for natural spider silk. Artificial spider silks have fewer and simpler proteins than natural dragline silk, and are consequently half the diameter, strength, and flexibility of natural dragline silk.


title: Killian Dain

text: Damian Mackle (born 20 February 1985) is an Irish professional wrestler. He is best known for his time in WWE, where he performed under the ring name Killian Dain and since his departure from WWE he has reverted back to his ring name on the independent circuit Big Damo.


title: Killian Dain

text: That ring name Big Damo is derived from his first ring name, Damian O'Connor. Prior to joining WWE, he won the ICW World Heavyweight Championship while wrestling for Insane Championship Wrestling. He also wrestled for numerous promotions on the British independent circuit, around Europe, and in the USA including All Elite Wrestling, Progress Wrestling, Revolution Pro Wrestling, Westside Xtreme Wrestling, Absolute Intense Wrestling, Beyond Wrestling, Premier British Wrestling, Scottish Wrestling Alliance, What Culture Pro Wrestling and IPW:UK.


title: Killian Dain

text: On 19 October 2016, WWE announced that Mackle had signed a developmental contract with the company and had arrived at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. He began to work in the NXT brand as part of the stable Sanity, along with Nikki Cross, Eric Young and Alexander Wolfe. In 2018, Dain, Wolfe and Young were drafted to SmackDown, where they worked as a stable until the dissolution. Then, he was drafted again to NXT, where he stayed until his release, in June 2021.


title: Killian Dain

text: Mackle played as a goalkeeper for his university football side. He also played rugby union (up to university level), basketball and judo. He stated that as a child he was attracted to professional wrestling because of the "larger than life" personas and face paint of wrestlers such as Sting and The Ultimate Warrior. He cites fellow countryman Fit Finlay as a huge influence on his wrestling style and inspiration for his success.


title: Killian Dain

text: Mackle began his training with Scottish Championship Wrestling, before moving on to train with the SWA/NWA Scotland under Robbie Brookside (now a trainer at WWE NXT) and others. Of Brookside, he stated; "I don't think there is enough hyperbole to explain how good a coach he is...I can't think of a better coach I'd met in any sport". After training at NWA Scotland, Mackle debuted for the Scottish Wrestling Alliance at the age of 20 under the ring name Damian O'Connor. He originally wrestled in Scotland and the North of England as a tag team called "Britain's Most Wanted" with Scott Renwick. Together the two won a variety of tournaments and tag team championships in promotions such as SWA (4 times), W3L (2 times), SSW and 3CW. While they never officially split up, they would both focus on singles competition around 2009. This proved to be fruitful for both and O'Connor started touring his native Ireland, the United Kingdom, mainland Europe and the United States. O'Connor would win the Heavyweight Titles in SWE, W3L, XWA, Pride as well as the Laird of the Ring Title in SWA. In 2009, O'Connor took over the SWA training school named the "Source Wrestling School". O'Connor has trained numerous wrestlers, including Joe Coffey, Joe Hendry and Nikki Cross.


title: Killian Dain

text: O'Connor wrestled sporadically for ICW between 2009 and 2012 under various gimmicks, but his return in November 2013 saw him debut as Big Damo. Damo defeated Chris Renfrew for the ICW World Heavyweight Championship in Belfast on 27 February 2016, marking the first time the title changed hands outside of Glasgow and making Damo the first ever Irish-born champion. On 31 July 2016, at "Shug's Hoose Party III", Damo was defeated for the Championship by Joe Coffey.


title: Killian Dain

text: On 11 November 2018. O'Connor (as Killian Dain) returned to ICW for one night only, defeating Mikey Whiplash.


title: Killian Dain

text: In December 2014, Damo unsuccessfully challenged Drew Galloway for the EVOLVE Championship in Inverness, Scotland.


title: Killian Dain

text: In 2014, Damo debuted in Revolution Pro Wrestling. In 2015, he wrestled NJPW greats Tomohiro Ishii, Hiroshi Tanahashi Shinsuke Nakamura, as well as Tommaso Ciampa. In 2016, he wrestled international wrestlers "Speedball" Mike Bailey, Roderick Strong, Dalton Castle, Big Daddy Walter and Matt Sydal.


title: Killian Dain

text: In October 2015, Damo debuted for Global Force Wrestling (GFW) on their UK Invasion tour, losing to Bram.


title: Killian Dain

text: In January 2016, Damo appeared for Total Nonstop Action (TNA) as part of their "Maximum Impact" tour.


title: Killian Dain

text: On the 1 March episode of "IMPACT Wrestling", Big Damo unsuccessfully challenged Eric Young for the TNA King of the Mountain Championship. At TNA One Night Only: Joker's Wild, Big Damo and Jimmy Havoc were defeated by Drew McIntyre and Mike Bennett. On the 8 March episode of "IMPACT Wrestling", Big Damo competed in a King of the Mountain match for Young's King of the Mountain Championship also featuring Havoc, Ospreay and Bram; Young successfully retained.


title: Killian Dain

text: In June 2016, Mackle signed with WWE to perform on their NXT brand. On 19 October 2016, WWE announced that Mackle had signed a developmental contract with the company and had arrived at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. On 4 November, Mackle appeared at an "NXT" live event and cut a promo. Mackle made his in-ring debut at an NXT live event on 11 November, defeating Rich Swann under the ring name "Damian O'Connor". He then reverted to using the ring name Damo.


title: Killian Dain

text: On the 7 December episode of "NXT", Damo attacked No Way Jose and seemed to align himself with the heel stable SAnitY. In January 2017, he began to wrestle under the new ring name Killian Dain. On the 18 January episode of "NXT", Dain joined SAnitY in an official capacity after attacking Tye Dillinger and accepting Sawyer Fulton's jacket from Eric Young. On the 25 January episode of "NXT", Dain appeared as part of SAnitY for the first time, attacking Chris Atkins by Young's order. On the 8 February episode of "NXT", Dain teamed with Young and Alexander Wolfe to defeat Dillinger, No Way Jose and Roderick Strong. Earlier in the night, Dain and Wolfe defeated The Bollywood Boyz. At WrestleMania 33, Dain made it to the final three in the André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal before being eliminated by eventual winner Mojo Rawley. On the 19 July episode of "NXT", Dain lost to Drew McIntyre in an NXT Championship No. 1 Contender's match, marking his first televised loss.


title: Killian Dain

text: On the 28 March 2018 episode of "NXT", Dain was named as one of six participants in ladder match at to determine the inaugural NXT North American Champion. He, however was unsuccessful in winning. On the 18 April episode of "NXT", Dain lost a No Disqualification match to Lars Sullivan.


title: Killian Dain

text: During the 2018 WWE Superstar Shake-up, SAnitY (excluding Cross) were drafted to SmackDown. The group debuted on the 19 June episode of "SmackDown LIVE" where they attacked The Usos. The following week, SAnitY lost to The Usos and Jeff Hardy. On the 3 July episode of "SmackDown LIVE", the group attacked The New Day. This led to a tables match between the two teams at Extreme Rules, which SAnitY won. On the 24 July episode of "SmackDown LIVE", SAnitY and The New Day faced off in the first round of the WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship No. 1 Contender's tournament. SAnitY (represented by Dain and Wolfe) were defeated.


title: Killian Dain

text: The group competed in only two more televised matches throughout the remainder of 2018, while primarily competing at live events.


title: Killian Dain

text: After a near four-month hiatus from television, SAnitY returned on the 2 April 2019 episode of "SmackDown LIVE", losing a three-on-one Falls Count Anywhere match to The Miz.


title: Killian Dain

text: During the 2019 WWE Superstar Shake-up, Young was drafted to Raw. With Wolfe joining NXT UK, the group was officially disbanded. Dain made his return to NXT live events on 16 May, defeating Jermaine Haley. On the 3 July episode of "NXT", a promo advertising Dain's return was aired. He made his return on the 17 July episode of "NXT", attacking Matt Riddle following Riddle's match against Arturo Ruas. This led to a match between the two being scheduled for the 7 August episode of "NXT". However, Dain attacked Riddle before the match could begin. On the September 25 episode of "NXT", Riddle defeated Dain in a #1 contender's street fight match for the NXT Championship ending the feud. Shortly after, Dain would enter in a three-way feud with Pete Dunne and Damian Priest. At , Dain faced Dunne and Priest in a triple threat match to determine the #1 contender for the NXT Championship which Dunne won. In September 2020, he formed a dysfunctional tag team with Drake Maverick, turning face in the process.


title: Killian Dain

text: On June 25, 2021, Dain was released from his WWE contract, this as part of a fourth round of layoffs executed by the brand due to the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic.


title: Killian Dain

text: In February 2022, it was announced Damo was joining the new Control Your Narrative wrestling promotion created by EC3 and Adam Scherr.


title: Killian Dain

text: On the May 20, 2022 episode of "AEW Rampage", Mackle made his debut in All Elite Wrestling (AEW), using his ring name "Big Damo." In his debut match, Damo was defeated by Shawn Spears.


title: Killian Dain

text: On the June 4, 2022 episode of "NJPW Strong", Big Damo made his debut in New Japan Pro Wrestling losing to Tomohiro Ishii.


title: Killian Dain

text: Mackle is a lifelong supporter of Premier League team Manchester United and NBA team Orlando Magic. He has stated that he believes wrestling – unlike other sports – can be a uniting factor for people in his native Belfast as there are "no (sectarian) affiliations" in wrestling. He stated that he would not support Scottish football because there is "a lot of connotations" with sectarianism. He grew up in what he described as a mixed area and is conscious of keeping political affiliations out of his public life.


title: Killian Dain

text: On January 17, 2019, Mackle married fellow WWE wrestler, Nicola Glencross, known by her ring name Nikki Cross.


title: Killian Dain

text: Damo has also appeared on the YouTube wrestling quiz show Quizzlemania, hosted by Adam Blampied on the "Parts Funknown" channel.


title: Heat index

text: The heat index (HI) is an index that combines air temperature and relative humidity, in shaded areas, to posit a human-perceived equivalent temperature, as how hot it would feel if the humidity were some other value in the shade. The result is also known as the "felt air temperature", "apparent temperature", "real feel" or "feels like". For example, when the temperature is with 70% relative humidity, the heat index is . The humidity where the heat index feels like itself is typically left unstated. The heat index example in this case, 41°C, feels like 41°C only when the humidity is 21%.


title: Heat index

text: The human body normally cools itself by perspiration, or sweating. Heat is removed from the body by evaporation of that sweat. However, high relative humidity reduces the evaporation rate. This results in a lower rate of heat removal from the body, hence the sensation of being overheated. This effect is subjective, with different individuals perceiving heat differently for various reasons (such as differences in body shape, metabolic differences, differences in hydration, pregnancy, menopause, effects of drugs or drug withdrawal); its measurement has been based on subjective descriptions of how hot subjects feel for a given temperature and humidity. This results in a heat index that relates one combination of temperature and humidity to another.


title: Heat index

text: Because the heat index is based on temperatures in the shade, while people often move across sunny areas, the heat index can give a much lower temperature than actual conditions of typical outdoor activities. Also, for people exercising or active, at the time, then the heat index could give a temperature lower than the felt conditions.


title: Heat index

text: The heat index was developed in 1979 by Robert G. Steadman. Like the wind chill index, the heat index contains assumptions about the human body mass and height, clothing, amount of physical activity, individual heat tolerance, sunlight and ultraviolet radiation exposure, and the wind speed. Significant deviations from these will result in heat index values which do not accurately reflect the perceived temperature.


title: Heat index

text: In Canada, the similar humidex (a Canadian innovation introduced in 1965) is used in place of the heat index. While both the humidex and the heat index are calculated using dew point, the humidex uses a dew point of as a base, whereas the heat index uses a dew point base of . Further, the heat index uses heat balance equations which account for many variables other than vapor pressure, which is used exclusively in the humidex calculation. A joint committee formed by the United States and Canada to resolve differences has since been disbanded.


title: Heat index

text: The heat index of a given combination of (dry-bulb) temperature and humidity is defined as the dry-bulb temperature which would feel the same if the water vapor pressure were 1.6 kPa. Quoting Steadman, "Thus, for instance, an apparent temperature of refers to the same level of sultriness, and the same clothing requirements, as a dry-bulb temperature of with a vapor pressure of 1.6 kPa."


title: Heat index

text: This vapor pressure corresponds for example to an air temperature of and relative humidity of 40% in the sea-level psychrometric chart, and in Steadman's table at 40% RH the apparent temperature is equal to the true temperature between . At standard atmospheric pressure (101.325 kPa), this baseline also corresponds to a dew point of and a mixing ratio of 0.01 (10 g of water vapor per kilogram of dry air).


title: Heat index

text: A given value of relative humidity causes larger increases in the heat index at higher temperatures. For example, at approximately , the heat index will agree with the actual temperature if the relative humidity is 45%, but at , any relative-humidity reading above 18% will make the heat index higher than .


title: Heat index

text: It has been suggested that the equation described is valid only if the temperature is or more. The relative humidity threshold, below which a heat index calculation will return a number equal to or lower than the air temperature (a lower heat index is generally considered invalid), varies with temperature and is not linear. The threshold is commonly set at an arbitrary 40%.


title: Heat index

text: The heat index and its counterpart the humidex both take into account only two variables, shade temperature and atmospheric moisture (humidity), thus providing only a limited estimate of thermal comfort. Additional factors such as wind, sunshine and individual clothing choices also affect perceived temperature; these factors are parameterized as constants in the heat index formula. Wind, for example, is assumed to be . Wind passing over wet or sweaty skin causes evaporation and a wind chill effect that the heat index does not measure. The other major factor is sunshine; standing in direct sunlight can add up to to the apparent heat compared to shade. There have been attempts to create a universal apparent temperature, such as the wet-bulb globe temperature, "relative outdoor temperature", "feels like", or the proprietary "RealFeel".


title: Heat index

text: Outdoors in open conditions, as the relative humidity increases, first haze and ultimately a thicker cloud cover develops, reducing the amount of direct sunlight reaching the surface. Thus, there is an inverse relationship between maximum potential temperature and maximum potential relative humidity. Because of this factor, it was once believed that the highest heat index reading actually attainable anywhere on Earth was approximately . However, in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia on July 8, 2003, the dew point was while the temperature was , resulting in a heat index of .


title: Heat index

text: The human body requires evaporative cooling to prevent overheating. Wet-bulb temperature, and Wet Bulb Globe Temperature are used to determine the ability of a body to eliminate excess heat. A sustained wet-bulb temperature of about can be fatal to healthy people; at this temperature our bodies switch from shedding heat to the environment, to gaining heat from it.


title: Heat index

text: Thus a wet bulb temperature of is the threshold beyond which the body is no longer able to adequately cool itself.


title: Heat index

text: The table below is from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The columns begin at , but there is also a heat index effect at and similar temperatures when there is high humidity.


title: Heat index

text: There are many formulas devised to approximate the original tables by Steadman. Anderson et al. (2013), NWS (2011), Jonson and Long (2004), and Schoen (2005) have lesser residuals in this order. The former two are a set of polynomials, but the third one is by a single formula with exponential functions.


title: Heat index

text: The formula below approximates the heat index in degrees Fahrenheit, to within ±. It is the result of a multivariate fit (temperature equal to or greater than and relative humidity equal to or greater than 40%) to a model of the human body. This equation reproduces the above NOAA National Weather Service table (except the values at & 45%/70% relative humidity vary unrounded by less than ±1, respectively).


title: Heat index

text: The following coefficients can be used to determine the heat index when the temperature is given in degrees Celsius, where


title: Heat index

text: An alternative set of constants for this equation that is within ± of the NWS master table for all humidities from 0 to 80% and all temperatures between and all heat indices below is:


title: Heat index

text: For example, using this last formula, with temperature and relative humidity (RH) of 85%, the result would be: .


title: Heat index

text: The heat index does not work well with extreme conditions, like supersaturation of air-- when the air is more than 100% saturated with water. David Romps, a physicist and climate scientist at the University of California, Berkeley and his graduate student Yi-Chuan Lu, found that the heat index was underestimating the severity of intense heat waves, such as 1995 Chicago heat wave. Other issues with the heat index include unavailability of precise humidity data in many geographical regions, assumption that the person is healthy and has easy access to water and shade.


title: Mike Alstott

text: Michael Joseph Alstott (born December 21, 1973), is a former American football fullback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Nicknamed "A-Train", he played college football at Purdue and was selected by the Buccaneers in the second round of the 1996 NFL Draft. Alstott received six Pro Bowl and three first-team All-Pro honors during his career, in addition to being part of the Buccaneers team that won the franchise's first Super Bowl title in Super Bowl XXXVII. For his accomplishments in Tampa Bay, he was inducted to the Buccaneers Ring of Honor in 2015. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest fullbacks of all time.


title: Mike Alstott

text: Alstott attended Purdue University for four years, where he became the first player in school history named MVP in three consecutive seasons. Alstott scored 12 touchdowns as a sophomore, 14 as a junior, and 11 as a senior, and held the Purdue rushing touchdown record with 39 until Kory Sheets broke it in 2008. He averaged 5.6 yards per attempt during his Purdue career before graduating in 1995 with a bachelor's degree in business. He finished as Purdue's all-time leading rusher with 3,635 yards, including a school-best 1,436 yards in 1995.


title: Mike Alstott

text: Alstott was selected in the second round (35th overall) by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Buccaneers utilized Alstott primarily as a running fullback as opposed to a blocking fullback that teams were starting to switch to at the time. He was a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers team that won Super Bowl XXXVII (2002), played at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California. Alstott rushed for 15 yards and the first Super Bowl touchdown in Tampa Bay Buccaneers history. He also caught five passes for 43 yards.


title: Mike Alstott

text: Alstott signed a one-year contract to stay in Tampa Bay for the 2005 season, and signed a similar contract at the conclusion of the 2006 season after contemplating retirement. However, he spent all of the 2007 season on injured reserve because of neck problems, leading to his retirement on January 24, 2008.


title: Mike Alstott

text: In the summer of 2007, shortly before he suffered his season-ending and ultimately career-ending neck injury, Alstott appeared in a television commercial for ESPN Fantasy Football along with former teammate Warrick Dunn, who was later signed by the Falcons.


title: Mike Alstott

text: With 71 total touchdowns as a Buccaneer, Alstott broke the previous franchise record of 46 by running back James Wilder when he scored his 47th career TD on November 26, 2001. Alstott remained the Buccaneers' all-time leading touchdown scorer until November 22, 2021, when wide receiver Mike Evans scored his 72nd TD as a Buccaneer.


title: Mike Alstott

text: Alstott and his ex-wife, Nicole Alstott, have three children. His son Griffin was the back-up quarterback at Western Michigan University after spending the 2017 season at Purdue.


title: Battle of Leyte

text: The Battle of Leyte (; ; ) in the Pacific campaign of World War II was the amphibious invasion of the island of Leyte in the Philippines by American forces and Filipino guerrillas under the overall command of General Douglas MacArthur, who fought against the Imperial Japanese Army in the Philippines led by General Tomoyuki Yamashita. The operation, codenamed "King Two", launched the Philippines campaign of 1944–45 for the recapture and liberation of the entire Philippine Archipelago and to end almost three years of Japanese occupation.


title: Battle of Leyte

text: Japan had conquered the Philippines in 1942. Controlling it was vital for Japan's survival in World War II because it commanded sea routes to Borneo and Sumatra by which rubber and petroleum were shipped to Japan.


title: Battle of Leyte

text: For the U.S., capturing the Philippines was a key strategic step in isolating Imperial Japan's military holdings in China and the Pacific theater. It was also a personal matter of pride for MacArthur. In 1942, just a month before Japan forced the surrender of all USAFFE forces in the Philippines, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt had ordered MacArthur to leave the Philippines and organize the U.S. forces gathering in Australia, which were meant to relieve the USAFFE. Those relief forces were non-existent; Roosevelt's true intentions in ordering MacArthur to flee the Philippines had been to prevent his capture by the Japanese. Still, MacArthur had vowed that he would return to the Philippines. He repeatedly stated that it was a moral obligation of the U.S. to liberate the Philippines as soon as possible. In March 1944, the Joint Chiefs of Staff ordered MacArthur to plan an attack on the southern Philippines by the end of the year, and Luzon in early 1945. In July 1944, Roosevelt met with MacArthur and Chester Nimitz in Hawaii, where the decision was made to invade the Philippines, from which land air bases could be used for the Pacific Theater of Operations.


title: Battle of Leyte

text: Over the summer of 1944, planes from the aircraft carriers of the U.S. 3rd Fleet under Admiral William F. Halsey carried out several successful missions over the Philippines and found Japanese resistance lacking. Halsey then recommended a direct strike on Leyte, canceling other planned operations, and the Leyte invasion date moved forward to October.


title: Battle of Leyte

text: Leyte, one of the larger islands of the Philippines, has numerous deep-water approaches and sandy beaches which offered opportunities for amphibious assaults and fast resupply. The roads and lowlands extending inland from Highway 1, that ran for along the east coast between Abuyog town to the north and the San Juanico Strait between Leyte and Samar Islands, provided avenues for tank-infantry operations, as well as suitable ground for airfield construction. American air forces based on Leyte could strike at enemy bases and airfields anywhere in the archipelago.


title: Battle of Leyte

text: A heavily forested north–south mountain range dominates the interior and separates two sizable valleys, or coastal plains. The larger Leyte Valley extends from the northern coast to the long eastern shore and contains most of the towns and roadways on the island. The other, Ormoc Valley, situated on the west side, was connected to Leyte Valley by a roundabout and winding road, Highway 2; it ran from Palo town on the east coast, then west and northwest through Leyte Valley to the north coast, it then turned south and wound through a mountainous neck to enter the northern Ormoc Valley. This continued south to the port of Ormoc City, then along the western shore to Baybay town. The road then turned east to cross the mountainous waist of the island and it connected with Highway 1 on the east coast at Abuyog. Below these towns, the mountainous southern third of Leyte was mostly undeveloped. High mountain peaks over , as well as the jagged outcroppings, ravines, and caves typical of volcanic islands offered formidable defensive opportunities. The timing late in the year of the assault would force combat troops and supporting pilots, as well as logistical units, to contend with monsoon rains.


title: Battle of Leyte

text: Leyte's population of over 900,000 people—mostly farmers and fishermen—could be expected to assist an American invasion, since many residents already supported the guerrilla struggle against the Japanese in the face of harsh repression. Japanese troop strength on Leyte was estimated by U.S. intelligence at 20,000; mostly of the 16th Division under Lieutenant General Shiro Makino.


title: Battle of Leyte

text: Preliminary operations for the Leyte invasion began at dawn on 17 October 1944, with minesweeping tasks and the movement of the 6th Rangers toward three small islands in Leyte Gulf. Although delayed by a storm, the Rangers were on Suluan and Dinagat islands by 0805. On Suluan, they dispersed a small group of Japanese defenders and destroyed a radio station, while they found Dinagat unoccupied. The third island, Homonhon, was taken without any opposition the next day. On Dinagat and Homonhom, the Rangers proceeded to erect navigation lights for the amphibious transports to follow. Meanwhile, reconnaissance by underwater demolition teams revealed clear landing beaches for assault troops on Leyte. Independently, the 21st Infantry Regiment on 20 October landed on Panaon Strait to control the entrance to Sogod Bay.


title: Battle of Leyte

text: Following four hours of heavy naval gunfire on A-day, 20 October, Sixth Army forces landed on assigned beaches at 10:00. X Corps pushed across a stretch of beach between Tacloban airfield and the Palo River. to the south, XXIV Corps units came ashore across a strand between San José and the Daguitan River. Troops found as much resistance from swampy terrain as from Japanese fire. Within an hour of landing, units in most sectors had secured beachheads deep enough to receive heavy vehicles and large amounts of supplies. Only in the 24th Division sector did enemy fire force a diversion of follow-up landing craft. But even that sector was secure enough by 13:30 to allow Gen. MacArthur to make a dramatic entrance through the surf onto Red Beach and announce to the populace the beginning of their liberation: """People of the Philippines, I have returned! By the grace of Almighty God, our forces stand again on Philippine soil."""


title: Battle of Leyte

text: By the end of A-day, the Sixth Army had moved inland and five miles wide. In the X Corps sector, the 1st Cavalry Division held Tacloban airfield, and the 24th Infantry Division had taken the high ground on Hill 522 commanding its beachheads. In the XXIV Corps sector, the 96th Infantry Division held the approaches to Catmon Hill, and the 7th Infantry Division held Dulag and its airfield.