Canal

Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). 　They carry free, calm surface flow under atmospheric pressure, and can be thought of as artificial rivers. 　In most cases, a canal has a series of dams and locks that create reservoirs of low speed current flow. 　These reservoirs are referred to as slack water levels, often just called levels. 　A canal can be called a navigation canal when it parallels a natural river and shares part of the latter's discharges and drainage basin, and leverages its resources by building dams and locks to increase and lengthen its stretches of slack water levels while staying in its valley. 　A canal can cut across a drainage divide atop a ridge, generally requiring an external water source above the highest elevation. 　The best-known example of such a canal is the Panama Canal. 　Many canals have been built at elevations, above valleys and other waterways. 　Canals with sources of water at a higher level can deliver water to a destination such as a city where water is needed. 　The Roman Empire's aqueducts were such water supply canals.

Anger

Anger, also known as wrath or rage, is an intense emotional state involving a strong uncomfortable and non-cooperative response to a perceived provocation, hurt or threat. 　A person experiencing anger will often experience physical effects, such as increased heart rate, elevated blood pressure, and increased levels of adrenaline and noradrenaline. 　Some view anger as an emotion which triggers part of the fight or flight response. 　Anger becomes the predominant feeling behaviorally, cognitively, and physiologically when a person makes the conscious choice to take action to immediately stop the threatening behavior of another outside force. 　The English word originally comes from the term anger from the Old Norse language. 　Anger can have many physical and mental consequences. 　The external expression of anger can be found in facial expressions, body language, physiological responses, and at times public acts of aggression. 　Facial expressions can range from inward angling of the eyebrows to a full frown. 　While most of those who experience anger explain its arousal as a result of "what has happened to them", psychologists point out that an angry person can very well be mistaken because anger causes a loss in self-monitoring capacity and objective observability. 　Modern psychologists view anger as a normal, natural, and mature emotion experienced by virtually all humans at times, and as something that has functional value for survival. 　Uncontrolled anger can negatively affect personal or social well-being and negatively impact those around them. 　While many philosophers and writers have warned against the spontaneous and uncontrolled fits of anger, there has been disagreement over the intrinsic value of anger. 　The issue of dealing with anger has been written about since the times of the earliest philosophers, but modern psychologists, in contrast to earlier writers, have also pointed out the possible harmful effects of suppressing anger.

Truck

A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo, carry specialized payloads, or perform other utilitarian work. 　Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, but the vast majority feature body-on-frame construction, with a cabin that is independent of the payload portion of the vehicle. 　Smaller varieties may be mechanically similar to some automobiles. 　Commercial trucks can be very large and powerful and may be configured to be mounted with specialized equipment, such as in the case of refuse trucks, fire trucks, concrete mixers, and suction excavators. 　In American English, a commercial vehicle without a trailer or other articulation is formally a "straight truck" while one designed specifically to pull a trailer is not a truck but a "tractor". 　The majority of trucks currently in use are still powered by diesel engines, although small- to medium-size trucks with gasoline engines exist in the US, Canada, and Mexico. 　The market-share of electrically powered trucks is growing rapidly, expected to reach 7% globally by 2027, and electric motive force already predominates among both the largest and smallest trucks. 　In the European Union, vehicles with a gross combination mass of up to 3.5 t (3.4 long tons; 3.9 short tons) are known as light commercial vehicles, and those over as large goods vehicles.

Agriculture

Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, fisheries and forestry for food and non-food products. 　Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to live in cities. 　While humans started gathering grains at least 105,000 years ago, nascent farmers only began planting them around 11,500 years ago. 　Sheep, goats, pigs and cattle were domesticated around 10,000 years ago. 　Plants were independently cultivated in at least 11 regions of the world. 　In the twentieth century, industrial agriculture based on large-scale monocultures came to dominate agricultural output. 　Today, small farms produce about a third of the world’s food, but large farms are prevalent. 　The largest one percent of farms in the world are greater than 50 hectares and operate more than 70 percent of the world's farmland. 　Nearly 40 percent of agricultural land is found on farms larger than 1,000 hectares. 　However, five of every six farms in the world consist of less than two hectares and take up only around 12 percent of all agricultural land. 　The major agricultural products can be broadly grouped into foods, fibers, fuels, and raw materials (such as rubber). 　Food classes include cereals (grains), vegetables, fruits, cooking oils, meat, milk, eggs, and fungi. 　Global agricultural production amounts to approximately 11 billion tonnes of food, 32 million tonnes of natural fibres and 4 billion m3 of wood. 　However, around 14 percent of the world's food is lost from production before reaching the retail level. 　Modern agronomy, plant breeding, agrochemicals such as pesticides and fertilizers, and technological developments have sharply increased crop yields, but also contributed to ecological and environmental damage. 　Selective breeding and modern practices in animal husbandry have similarly increased the output of meat, but have raised concerns about animal welfare and environmental damage. 　Environmental issues include contributions to climate change, depletion of aquifers, deforestation, antibiotic resistance, and other agricultural pollution. 　Agriculture is both a cause of and sensitive to environmental degradation, such as biodiversity loss, desertification, soil degradation, and climate change, all of which can cause decreases in crop yield. 　Genetically modified organisms are widely used, although some countries ban them.

Brian

Brian (sometimes spelled Bryan in English) is a male given name of Irish and Breton origin, as well as a surname of Occitan origin. 　It is common in the English-speaking world. 　It is possible that the name is derived from an Old Celtic word meaning "high" or "noble". 　For example, the element bre means "hill"; which could be transferred to mean "eminence" or "exalted one". 　The name is quite popular in Ireland, on account of Brian Boru, a 10th-century High King of Ireland. 　The name was also quite popular in East Anglia during the Middle Ages. 　This is because the name was introduced to England by Bretons following the Norman Conquest. 　Bretons also settled in Ireland along with the Normans in the 12th century, and 'their' name was mingled with the 'Irish' version. 　Also, in the north-west of England, the 'Irish' name was introduced by Scandinavian settlers from Ireland. 　Within the Gaelic speaking areas of Scotland, the name was at first only used by professional families of Irish origin. 　It was the fourth most popular male name in England and Wales in 1934, but a sharp decline followed over the remainder of the 20th century and by 1994 it had fallen out of the top 100. 　It retained its popularity in the United States for longer; its most popular period there was from 1968 to 1979 when it consistently ranked between eighth and tenth. 　The name has become increasingly popular in South America, particularly Argentina and Uruguay, since the early 1990s. 　The surname Brian is sometimes an English and Irish variant spelling of the surname Bryan. 　The English and French surname Brian is sometimes derived from the personal Celtic personal name shown above. 　The surname Brian can also sometimes be a French surname; derived from the Old Occitan word brian, meaning "maggot" and used as a nickname. 　Variants of the name include Briant, Brien, Bran, Brion, Bryan, Bryant, Brjánn (in Icelandic) and Bryon. 　Variant spellings such as "Brien" are sometimes used as female given names, especially among members of the Irish diaspora. 　In Latin America, the phonetic spelling “Brayan” is often used, associated with working-class parents aspiring to a higher socioeconomic status associated with Anglo-American culture, and mocked for that reason on social media.

Comparison

Comparison or comparing is the act of evaluating two or more things by determining the relevant, comparable characteristics of each thing, and then determining which characteristics of each are similar to the other, which are different, and to what degree. 　Where characteristics are different, the differences may then be evaluated to determine which thing is best suited for a particular purpose. 　The description of similarities and differences found between the two things is also called a comparison. 　Comparison can take many distinct forms, varying by field: To compare is to bring two or more things together (physically or in contemplation) and to examine them systematically, identifying similarities and differences among them. 　Comparison has a different meaning within each framework of study. 　Any exploration of the similarities or differences of two or more units is a comparison. 　In the most limited sense, it consists of comparing two units isolated from each other. 　To compare things, they must have characteristics that are similar enough in relevant ways to merit comparison. 　If two things are too different to compare in a useful way, an attempt to compare them is colloquially referred to in English as "comparing apples and oranges." 　Comparison is widely used in society, in science and in the arts.

Squad

In military terminology, a squad is among the smallest of military organizations and is led by a non-commissioned officer. 　NATO and U.S. doctrine define a squad as an organization "larger than a team, but smaller than a section." while U.S. Army doctrine further defines a squad as a "small military unit typically containing two or more fire teams." 　In American usage, a squad consists of eight to fourteen soldiers, and may be further subdivided into fireteams.

Minnesota

Minnesota (/ˌmɪnɪˈsoʊtə/ (listen)) is a state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. 　It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. 　Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to intensive agriculture; deciduous forests in the southeast, now partially cleared, farmed, and settled; and the less populated North Woods, used for mining, forestry, and recreation. 　Roughly a third of the state is covered in forests, and it is known as the "Land of 10,000 Lakes" for having over 14,000 bodies of fresh water covering at least ten acres. 　More than 60% of Minnesotans live in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area, known as the "Twin Cities", the state's main political, economic, and cultural hub. 　With a population of about 3.7 million, the Twin Cities is the 16th largest metropolitan area in the U.S. Other minor metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas in the state include Duluth, Mankato, Moorhead, Rochester, and St. Cloud. 　Minnesota, which gets its name from the Dakota language, has been inhabited by various indigenous peoples since the Woodland period of the 11th century BCE. 　Between roughly 200 and 500 CE, two areas of the indigenous Hopewell tradition emerged: the Laurel complex in the north, and Trempealeau Hopewell in the Mississippi River Valley in the south. 　The Upper Mississippian culture, consisting of the Oneota people and other Siouan speakers, emerged around 1000 CE and lasted through the arrival of Europeans in the 17th century. 　French explorers and missionaries were the earliest Europeans to enter the region, encountering the Dakota, Ojibwe, and various Anishinaabe tribes. 　Much of what is now Minnesota formed part of the vast French holding of Louisiana, which the United States purchased in 1803. 　After several territorial reorganizations, the Minnesota Territory was admitted to the Union as the 32nd state in 1858. 　Minnesota's official motto, L'Étoile du Nord, is the only state motto in French; meaning "The Star of the North", it was adopted shortly after statehood and reflects both the state's early French explorers and its position as the northernmost state in the contiguous U.S. As part of the American frontier, Minnesota attracted settlers and homesteaders from across the country, with its growth initially centered on timber, agriculture, and railroad construction. 　Into the early 20th century, European immigrants arrived in significant numbers, particularly from Scandinavia, Germany, and Central Europe; many were linked to the failed revolutions of 1848, which partly influenced the state's development as a center of labor and social activism. 　Minnesota's rapid industrialization and urbanization precipitated major social, economic, and political changes in the late 19th and early 20th centuries; the state was at the forefront of labor rights, women's suffrage, and political reform. 　Minnesota is considered Democratic-leaning, having voted for every Democratic presidential nominee since 1976, longer than any other U.S. state. 　Since the late 20th century, the core of Minnesota's economy has diversified, shifting from traditional industries such as agriculture and resource extraction to services, finance, and health care; it is consequently one of the richest in terms of GDP and per capita income. 　The state is home to 11 federally recognized Native American reservations (seven Ojibwe, four Dakota), and remains a center of Scandinavian and German cultures with an influence of Lutheranism. 　In more recent decades, Minnesota has become more multicultural, driven by both larger domestic migration and immigration from Latin America, Asia, the Horn of Africa, and the Middle East; the state has the nation's largest population of Somali Americans and second largest Hmong population. 　Minnesota's standard of living and level of education are among the highest in the U.S., and it is ranked among the best states in metrics such as employment, median income, safety, and governance.

Miller

A miller is a person who operates a mill, a machine to grind a grain (for example corn or wheat) to make flour. 　Milling is among the oldest of human occupations. 　"Miller", "Milne" and other variants are common surnames, as are their equivalents in other languages around the world ("Melnyk" in Russian, Belorussian & Ukrainian, "Meunier" in French, "Müller" or "Mueller" in German, "Mulder" and "Molenaar" in Dutch, "Molnár" in Hungarian, "Molinero" in Spanish, "Molinaro" or "Molinari" in Italian etc.). 　Milling existed in hunter-gatherer communities, and later millers were important to the development of agriculture. 　The materials ground by millers are often foodstuffs and particularly grain. 　The physical grinding of the food allows for the easier digestion of its nutrients and saves wear on the teeth. 　Non-food substances needed in a fine, powdered form, such as building materials, may be processed by a miller.

Clock

A clock or a timepiece is a device used to measure and indicate time. 　The clock is one of the oldest human inventions, meeting the need to measure intervals of time shorter than the natural units such as the day, the lunar month and the year. 　Devices operating on several physical processes have been used over the millennia. 　Some predecessors to the modern clock may be considered as "clocks" that are based on movement in nature: A sundial shows the time by displaying the position of a shadow on a flat surface. 　There is a range of duration timers, a well-known example being the hourglass. 　Water clocks, along with the sundials, are possibly the oldest time-measuring instruments. 　A major advance occurred with the invention of the verge escapement, which made possible the first mechanical clocks around 1300 in Europe, which kept time with oscillating timekeepers like balance wheels. 　Traditionally, in horology (the study of timekeeping), the term clock was used for a striking clock, while a clock that did not strike the hours audibly was called a timepiece. 　This distinction is no longer made. 　Watches and other timepieces that can be carried on one's person are usually not referred to as clocks. 　Spring-driven clocks appeared during the 15th century. 　During the 15th and 16th centuries, clockmaking flourished. 　The next development in accuracy occurred after 1656 with the invention of the pendulum clock by Christiaan Huygens. 　A major stimulus to improving the accuracy and reliability of clocks was the importance of precise time-keeping for navigation. 　The mechanism of a timepiece with a series of gears driven by a spring or weights is referred to as clockwork; the term is used by extension for a similar mechanism not used in a timepiece. 　The electric clock was patented in 1840, and electronic clocks were introduced in the 20th century, becoming widespread with the development of small battery-powered semiconductor devices. 　The timekeeping element in every modern clock is a harmonic oscillator, a physical object (resonator) that vibrates or oscillates at a particular frequency. 　This object can be a pendulum, a tuning fork, a quartz crystal, or the vibration of electrons in atoms as they emit microwaves, the last method of which is so precise that it serves as the definition of the second. 　Clocks have different ways of displaying the time. 　Analog clocks indicate time with a traditional clock face, with moving hands. 　Digital clocks display a numeric representation of time. 　Two numbering systems are in use: 12-hour time notation and 24-hour notation. 　Most digital clocks use electronic mechanisms and LCD, LED, or VFD displays. 　For the blind and for use over telephones, speaking clocks state the time audibly in words. 　There are also clocks for the blind that have displays that can be read by touch.

Anne

Look up Anne in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. 　Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. 　This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. 　Related names include Annie. 　Anne is sometimes used as a male name in the Netherlands, particularly in the Frisian speaking part (for example, author Anne de Vries). 　In this incarnation, it is related to Germanic arn-names and means 'eagle'. 　It has also been used for males in France (Anne de Montmorency) and Scotland (Lord Anne Hamilton). 　Anne is a common name and the following lists represent a small selection. 　For a comprehensive list, see instead: All pages with titles beginning with Anne.

Outstanding

"Outstanding" is a song originally performed by the Gap Band and written by member Raymond Calhoun. 　The song originally appeared on the group's platinum-selling 1982 album Gap Band IV. 　It is one of their signature songs and biggest hits, reaching the number one spot on the U.S. R&B Singles Chart in February 1983. 　"Outstanding" peaked at number 51 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Retirement

Retirement is the withdrawal from one's position or occupation or from one's active working life. 　A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours or workload. 　Many people choose to retire when they are elderly or incapable of doing their job due to health reasons. 　People may also retire when they are eligible for private or public pension benefits, although some are forced to retire when bodily conditions no longer allow the person to work any longer (by illness or accident) or as a result of legislation concerning their positions. 　In most countries, the idea of retirement is of recent origin, being introduced during the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries. 　Previously, low life expectancy, lack of social security and the absence of pension arrangements meant that most workers continued to work until their death. 　Germany was the first country to introduce retirement benefits in 1889. 　Nowadays, most developed countries have systems to provide pensions on retirement in old age, funded by employers or the state. 　In many poorer countries, there is no support for the elderly beyond that provided through the family. 　Today, retirement with a pension is considered a right of the worker in many societies; hard ideological, social, cultural and political battles have been fought over whether this is a right. 　In many Western countries, this is a right embodied in national constitutions. 　An increasing number of individuals are choosing to put off this point of total retirement, by selecting to exist in the emerging state of pre-tirement.

Broadcasting

Broadcasting is the distribution of audio or video content to a dispersed audience via any electronic mass communications medium, but typically one using the electromagnetic spectrum (radio waves), in a one-to-many model. 　Broadcasting began with AM radio, which came into popular use around 1920 with the spread of vacuum tube radio transmitters and receivers. 　Before this, most implementations of electronic communication (early radio, telephone, and telegraph) were one-to-one, with the message intended for a single recipient. 　The term broadcasting evolved from its use as the agricultural method of sowing seeds in a field by casting them broadly about. 　It was later adopted for describing the widespread distribution of information by printed materials or by telegraph. 　Examples applying it to "one-to-many" radio transmissions of an individual station to multiple listeners appeared as early as 1898. 　Over the air broadcasting is usually associated with radio and television, though more recently, both radio and television transmissions have begun to be distributed by cable (cable television). 　The receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively small subset; the point is that anyone with the appropriate receiving technology and equipment (e.g., a radio or television set) can receive the signal. 　The field of broadcasting includes both government-managed services such as public radio, community radio and public television, and private commercial radio and commercial television. 　The U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, title 47, part 97 defines "broadcasting" as "transmissions intended for reception by the general public, either direct or relayed". 　Private or two-way telecommunications transmissions do not qualify under this definition. 　For example, amateur ("ham") and citizens band (CB) radio operators are not allowed to broadcast. 　As defined, "transmitting" and "broadcasting" are not the same. 　Transmission of radio and television programs from a radio or television station to home receivers by radio waves is referred to as "over the air" (OTA) or terrestrial broadcasting and in most countries requires a broadcasting license. 　Transmissions using a wire or cable, like cable television (which also retransmits OTA stations with their consent), are also considered broadcasts but do not necessarily require a license (though in some countries, a license is required). 　In the 2000s, transmissions of television and radio programs via streaming digital technology have increasingly been referred to as broadcasting as well.

Dynasty

A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family, usually in the context of a monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. 　A dynasty may also be referred to as a "house", "family" or "clan", among others. 　Historians periodize the histories of many states and civilizations, such as Ancient Iran (3200 – 539 BC), Ancient Egypt (3100 – 30 BC), Ancient and Imperial China (2070 BC – AD 1912) and Chola Dynasty (300 BC – AD 1279), using a framework of successive dynasties. 　As such, the term "dynasty" may be used to delimit the era during which a family reigned. 　Before the 18th century, most dynasties throughout the world have traditionally been reckoned patrilineally, such as those that follow the Frankish Salic law. 　In polities where it was permitted, succession through a daughter usually established a new dynasty in her husband's family name. 　This has changed in all of Europe's remaining monarchies, where succession law and conventions have maintained dynastic names de jure through a female. 　Dynastic politics has declined over time, owing to a decline in monarchy as a form of government, a rise in democracy, and a reduction within democracies of elected members from dynastic families.

Moscow

Moscow (/ˈmɒskoʊ/ MOS-koh, US chiefly /ˈmɒskaʊ/ MOS-kow; Russian: Москва, tr. 　Moskva, IPA: [mɐskˈva] (listen)) is the capital and largest city of Russia. 　The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million residents within the city limits, over 17 million residents in the urban area, and over 21.5 million residents in the metropolitan area. 　The city covers an area of 2,511 square kilometers (970 sq mi), while the urban area covers 5,891 square kilometers (2,275 sq mi), and the metropolitan area covers over 26,000 square kilometers (10,000 sq mi). 　Moscow is among the world's largest cities; being the most populous city entirely in Europe, the largest urban and metropolitan area in Europe, and the largest city by land area on the European continent. 　First documented in 1147, Moscow grew to become a prosperous and powerful city that served as the capital of the Grand Duchy that bears its name. 　When the Grand Duchy of Moscow evolved into the Tsardom of Russia, Moscow remained the political and economic center for most of the Tsardom's history. 　When the Tsardom was reformed into the Russian Empire, the capital was moved from Moscow to Saint Petersburg diminishing the influence of the city. 　The capital was then moved back to Moscow following the October Revolution and the city was brought back as the political center of the Russian SFSR and then the Soviet Union. 　In the aftermath of the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Moscow remained the capital city of the contemporary and newly established Russian Federation. 　The northernmost and coldest megacity in the world, with a history that spans eight centuries, Moscow is governed as a federal city (since 1993) that serves as the political, economic, cultural, and scientific center of Russia and Eastern Europe. 　As an alpha world city, Moscow has one of the world's largest urban economies. 　The city is one of the fastest-growing tourist destinations in the world, and is one of Europe's most visited cities. 　Moscow is home to the seventh-highest number of billionaires of any city in the world. 　The Moscow International Business Center is one of the largest financial centers in Europe and the world, and features the majority of Europe's tallest skyscrapers. 　Moscow was the host city of the 1980 Summer Olympics, and one of the host cities of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. 　As the historic core of Russia, Moscow serves as the home of numerous Russian artists, scientists, and sports figures due to the presence of its various museums, academic and political institutions, and theaters. 　The city is home to several UNESCO World Heritage Sites and is well known for its display of Russian architecture, particularly its historic Red Square, and buildings such as the Saint Basil's Cathedral and the Moscow Kremlin, of which the latter serves as the seat of power of the Government of Russia. 　Moscow is home to many Russian companies in numerous industries and is served by a comprehensive transit network, which includes four international airports, ten railway terminals, a tram system, a monorail system, and most notably the Moscow Metro, the busiest metro system in Europe, and one of the largest rapid transit systems in the world. 　The city has over 40 percent of its territory covered by greenery, making it one of the greenest cities in Europe and the world.

Loop (topology)

In mathematics, a loop in a topological space X is a continuous function f from the unit interval I = [0,1] to X such that f(0) = f(1). 　In other words, it is a path whose initial point is equal to its terminal point. 　A loop may also be seen as a continuous map f from the pointed unit circle S1 into X, because S1 may be regarded as a quotient of I under the identification of 0 with 1. 　The set of all loops in X forms a space called the loop space of X.

Angle

In Euclidean geometry, an angle is the figure formed by two rays, called the sides of the angle, sharing a common endpoint, called the vertex of the angle. 　Angles formed by two rays lie in the plane that contains the rays. 　Angles are also formed by the intersection of two planes. 　These are called dihedral angles. 　Two intersecting curves may also define an angle, which is the angle of the rays lying tangent to the respective curves at their point of intersection. 　Angle is also used to designate the measure of an angle or of a rotation. 　This measure is the ratio of the length of a circular arc to its radius. 　In the case of a geometric angle, the arc is centered at the vertex and delimited by the sides. 　In the case of a rotation, the arc is centered at the center of the rotation and delimited by any other point and its image by the rotation.

Ukraine

Ukraine (Ukrainian: Україна, romanized: Ukraïna, pronounced [ʊkrɐˈjinɐ] (listen)) is a country in Eastern Europe. 　It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. 　Ukraine covers approximately 600,000 square kilometres (230,000 sq mi). 　Prior to the ongoing Russian invasion, it was the eighth-most populous country in Europe, with a population of around 41 million people. 　It is also bordered by Belarus to the north; by Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary to the west; and by Romania and Moldova to the southwest; with a coastline along the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov to the south and southeast. 　Kyiv is the nation's capital and largest city. 　Ukraine's state language is Ukrainian; Russian is also widely spoken, especially in the east and south. 　During the Middle Ages, Ukraine was the site of early Slavic expansion and the area later became a key centre of East Slavic culture under the state of Kievan Rus', which emerged in the 9th century. 　The state eventually disintegrated into rival regional powers and was ultimately destroyed by the Mongol invasions of the 13th century. 　The area was then contested, divided, and ruled by a variety of external powers for the next 600 years, including the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Austrian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Tsardom of Russia. 　The Cossack Hetmanate emerged in central Ukraine in the 17th century, but was partitioned between Russia and Poland, and ultimately absorbed by the Russian Empire. 　Ukrainian nationalism developed, and following the Russian Revolution in 1917, the short-lived Ukrainian People's Republic was formed. 　The Bolsheviks consolidated control over much of the former empire and established the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, which became a constituent republic of the Soviet Union when it was formed in 1922. 　In the early 1930s, millions of Ukrainians died in the Holodomor, a man-made famine. 　During World War II, Ukraine was devastated by the German occupation. 　Ukraine gained independence in 1991 as the Soviet Union dissolved, and declared itself neutral. 　A new constitution was adopted in 1996. 　A series of mass demonstrations, known as the Euromaidan, led to the establishment of a new government in 2014 after a revolution. 　Russia then unilaterally annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula; and pro-Russian unrest culminated in a war between Russian-backed separatists and government forces in eastern Ukraine. 　Russia later launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. 　Since the outbreak of war with Russia, Ukraine has continued to seek closer ties with the European Union and NATO. 　Ukraine is a unitary state with a semi-presidential system. 　It is a developing country, ranking 77th on the Human Development Index. 　Ukraine is the poorest country in Europe by nominal GDP per capita, and corruption remains a significant issue. 　However, due to its extensive fertile land, pre-war Ukraine was one of the largest grain exporters in the world. 　It is a founding member of the United Nations, as well as a member of the Council of Europe, the World Trade Organization, and the OSCE. 　It is in the process of joining the European Union and has submitted an application for NATO membership.

Mining

Mining is the extraction of valuable geological materials from the Earth and other astronomical objects. 　Mining is required to obtain most materials that cannot be grown through agricultural processes, or feasibly created artificially in a laboratory or factory. 　Ores recovered by mining include metals, coal, oil shale, gemstones, limestone, chalk, dimension stone, rock salt, potash, gravel, and clay. 　Ore must be a rock or mineral that contains valuable constituent, can be extracted or mined and sold for profit. 　including a valuable mineral Mining in a wider sense includes extraction of any non-renewable resource such as petroleum, natural gas, or even water. 　Modern mining processes involve prospecting for ore bodies, analysis of the profit potential of a proposed mine, extraction of the desired materials, and final reclamation or restoration of the land after the mine is closed. 　Mining materials are often obtained from ore bodies, lodes, veins, seams, reefs, or placer deposits. 　The exploitation of these deposits for raw material is dependent on investment, labor, energy, refine and transportation cost. 　Mining operations can create a negative environmental impact, both during the mining activity and after the mine has closed. 　Hence, most of the world's nations have passed regulations to decrease the impact; however, the outsized role of mining in generating business for often rural, remote or economically depressed communities means that governments often fail to fully enforce such regulations. 　Work safety has long been a concern as well, and where enforced, modern practices have significantly improved safety in mines. 　Unregulated or poorly regulated mining, especially in developing economies, frequently contributes to local human rights violations and resource conflicts.

Kissed

Kissed is a 1996 Canadian romantic/erotic drama film directed and co-written by Lynne Stopkewich, based on Barbara Gowdy's short story "We So Seldom Look on Love". 　It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 7, 1996. 　The film stars Molly Parker as Sandra Larson, a young woman whose fixation on death leads her to study embalming at a mortuary school, where in turn she finds herself drawn toward feelings of necrophilia. 　Peter Outerbridge also stars as Matt, a fellow student who develops romantic feelings for Sandra, and so must learn to accept her sexual proclivities.

Statistics

Statistics (from German: Statistik, orig. "description of a state, a country") is the discipline that concerns the collection, organization, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of data. 　In applying statistics to a scientific, industrial, or social problem, it is conventional to begin with a statistical population or a statistical model to be studied. 　Populations can be diverse groups of people or objects such as "all people living in a country" or "every atom composing a crystal". 　Statistics deals with every aspect of data, including the planning of data collection in terms of the design of surveys and experiments. 　When census data cannot be collected, statisticians collect data by developing specific experiment designs and survey samples. 　Representative sampling assures that inferences and conclusions can reasonably extend from the sample to the population as a whole. 　An experimental study involves taking measurements of the system under study, manipulating the system, and then taking additional measurements using the same procedure to determine if the manipulation has modified the values of the measurements. 　In contrast, an observational study does not involve experimental manipulation. 　Two main statistical methods are used in data analysis: descriptive statistics, which summarize data from a sample using indexes such as the mean or standard deviation, and inferential statistics, which draw conclusions from data that are subject to random variation (e.g., observational errors, sampling variation). 　Descriptive statistics are most often concerned with two sets of properties of a distribution (sample or population): central tendency (or location) seeks to characterize the distribution's central or typical value, while dispersion (or variability) characterizes the extent to which members of the distribution depart from its center and each other. 　Inferences on mathematical statistics are made under the framework of probability theory, which deals with the analysis of random phenomena. 　A standard statistical procedure involves the collection of data leading to a test of the relationship between two statistical data sets, or a data set and synthetic data drawn from an idealized model. 　A hypothesis is proposed for the statistical relationship between the two data sets, and this is compared as an alternative to an idealized null hypothesis of no relationship between two data sets. 　Rejecting or disproving the null hypothesis is done using statistical tests that quantify the sense in which the null can be proven false, given the data that are used in the test. 　Working from a null hypothesis, two basic forms of error are recognized: Type I errors (null hypothesis is falsely rejected giving a "false positive") and Type II errors (null hypothesis fails to be rejected and an actual relationship between populations is missed giving a "false negative"). 　Multiple problems have come to be associated with this framework, ranging from obtaining a sufficient sample size to specifying an adequate null hypothesis. 　Measurement processes that generate statistical data are also subject to error. 　Many of these errors are classified as random (noise) or systematic (bias), but other types of errors (e.g., blunder, such as when an analyst reports incorrect units) can also occur. 　The presence of missing data or censoring may result in biased estimates and specific techniques have been developed to address these problems.

Ruled

Ruled is the fifth full-length LP by The Giraffes. 　Drums, bass and principal guitar tracks recorded at The Bunker in Brooklyn, NY. 　Vocals and additional guitars recorded at Strangeweather in Brooklyn, NY. 　Mixed at Studio G in Brooklyn, NY by Joel Hamilton. 　Mastered by Julian Silva at On Air Mastering. 　Produced by The Giraffes and Joel Hamilton.

Melbourne

Melbourne (/ˈmɛlbərn/ (listen) MEL-bərn; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: Narrm or Naarm) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. 　Its name generally refers to a 9,993 km2 (3,858 sq mi) metropolitan area known as Greater Melbourne, comprising an urban agglomeration of 31 local municipalities, although the name is also used specifically for the local municipality of City of Melbourne based around its central business area. 　The metropolis occupies much of the northern and eastern coastlines of Port Phillip Bay and spreads into the Mornington Peninsula, part of West Gippsland, as well as the hinterlands towards the Yarra Valley, the Dandenong and Macedon Ranges. 　It has a population over 5 million (19% of the population of Australia, as per 2021 census), mostly residing to the east side of the city centre, and its inhabitants are commonly referred to as "Melburnians". 　The area of Melbourne has been home to Aboriginal Victorians for over 40,000 years and serves as an important meeting place for local Kulin nation clans. 　Of the five peoples of the Kulin nation, the traditional custodians of the land encompassing Melbourne are the Boonwurrung, Wathaurong and the Wurundjeri peoples. 　A short-lived penal settlement was built at Port Phillip, then part of the British colony of New South Wales, in 1803, but it was not until 1835, with the arrival of free settlers from Van Diemen's Land (modern-day Tasmania), that Melbourne was founded. 　It was incorporated as a Crown settlement in 1837, and named after the then British Prime Minister, William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne. 　In 1851, four years after Queen Victoria declared it a city, Melbourne became the capital of the new colony of Victoria. 　During the 1850s Victorian gold rush, the city entered a lengthy boom period that, by the late 1880s, had transformed it into one of the world's largest and wealthiest metropolises. 　After the federation of Australia in 1901, it served as the interim seat of government of the new nation until Canberra became the permanent capital in 1927. 　Today, it is a leading financial centre in the Asia-Pacific region and ranks 32nd globally in the March 2022 Global Financial Centres Index. 　Melbourne is home to many of Australia's best-known landmarks, such as the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the National Gallery of Victoria and the World Heritage-listed Royal Exhibition Building. 　Noted for its cultural heritage, the city gave rise to Australian rules football, Australian impressionism and Australian cinema, and has more recently been recognised as a UNESCO City of Literature and a global centre for street art, live music and theatre. 　It hosts major annual international events, such as the Australian Grand Prix and the Australian Open, and also hosted the 1956 Summer Olympics. 　Melbourne consistently ranked as the world's most liveable city for much of the 2010s. 　Melbourne Airport, also known as the Tullamarine Airport, is the second-busiest airport in Australia, and the Port of Melbourne is the nation's busiest seaport. 　Its main metropolitan rail terminus is Flinders Street station and its main regional rail and road coach terminus is Southern Cross station. 　It also has Australia's most extensive freeway network and the largest urban tram network in the world.