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An Author's Notebook
A lifestyle blog with a literary bent
Moonlight Jasmine
This is my short story that was shortlisted in the Henley Literary Festival 2015 short-story competition. A few of you have asked me to post it on the blog so here it is! It is 3,000 words long so you may want to make yourself a cup of tea first. It was inspired by a true story.
© Volodymyr Byrdyak | Dreamstime.com
A spray of white blooms caught Connie's eye as she marched past the flower stall, but she didn't allow herself to falter. Not today. She had a very important meeting to make and she couldn't be late. Possibly the most important meeting of her life… no, that was an exaggeration! Nonetheless, her mission was to reach the café at Selfridges before eleven o'clock. All her instincts told her that she should be safely in situ before her foe arrived. Stepping into the gutter to avoid a ponderous group of tourists, she picked up her pace and continued down Oxford Street.
By the time Connie had bustled past the cosmetics counters on her way down to the basement, she was slightly out of breath. As she pressed her hand against her heaving chest, she congratulated herself on opting for sensible flats over her more adventurous pixie boots. A woman of her age and condition was required to choose comfort over glamour; she knew that now. However, a ghost of smile twisted her lips as she glanced down at her practical shoes. Her young friends told her they were still cool, though she struggled to see the beauty in Velcro straps. Fanning herself with one hand, she sat down on the café chair with a little pouf of exhaled breath and loosened the scarf tied around her head. It was a trifle humid in the café down here. Had she been right to choose this floor for their rendezvous?
With her eyes trained anxiously on the escalator, she monitored the assortment of women who glided down it. She tried to imagine her sister Jill with wrinkles and a few spare tyres around her middle, significantly older, anyway, than the last time they had met all those years ago at the train station in Henley. It was a shock, therefore, when a young man approached her table and stood right in front of her, blocking her view of the escalator. For a moment, she bobbed her head around to the side, irritated that he had interrupted her careful surveillance.
"Are you Connie?" the man asked hesitantly. He appeared to have a newspaper clipping in his hand, which his eyes kept straying to intermittently.
"What's it to you?" she replied, a little more aggressively than she intended.
"I'm Peter, Jill's son. She sent me to meet you."
"Oh, I see. She wasn't able to come herself then?"
"She sends her apologies. She's not very well today."
"How convenient," Connie said, her voice laced with sarcasm to hide the crashing disappointment in her belly.
"May I sit down?"
She indicated the seat with dismissive flick of her hand. So this was Jill's beloved boy. Screwing up her forehead, she examined his face. It was bland and slightly doughy in texture. There was nothing much there to draw her painter's eye. Only his hair – black and luxurious, almost like horsehair – earned a second glance. Under her obvious scrutiny, his fleshy cheeks coloured up.
"Mum warned me that you don't take any prisoners," he said with a nervous laugh.
"I don't see how she knows that when she hasn't seen me in fifty years."
"She follows your progress in the newspapers."
"Pardon?" Connie was surprised.
"For years now. Whenever there is something about you in the papers, she cuts it out and sticks it into her scrapbook. At first it was her big secret and then one day we caught her at it. She made us promise not to tell Grandma – that was before she died of course."
He stopped abruptly and looked apologetically across at Connie. There was a tense silence that ate up the air between them, before Connie finally brushed her hand over her face in a gesture of defeat.
"So tell me, young man, are you married?"
"Not yet," he told her eagerly, "but I am engaged. She's called Sarah. We are getting married in the summer." He paused, painfully aware that Connie would not be invited to the wedding.
"By the way, was it true that you flew a Lancaster bomber during the war?" he asked abruptly, his eyes lighting up with boyish excitement.
"Spitfires. I only flew single-engine and twin-engine fighters. Never graduated to four-engine bombers. We women didn't fly them in action of course - we were just ferrying them between airfields. Taxi drivers really." She looked across at his rapt expression and felt embarrassed. "Haven't talked about it in years," she muttered, "and then the press got hold of it and it was all anyone could ask me about. Never mind my paintings."
"And how is your work?" he asked dutifully.
But he never got his answer as a waitress came over to take their order. Afterwards they talked about his mother's health problems. Connie proved a patient listener even if she didn't exhibit much sympathy. Her expression remained neutral, pinched at times, but her dark eyes were quick and curious, flashes of vitality in an otherwise blank canvas. Little did Peter know that Connie's facial control resulted from years of self-discipline. She had learnt the hard way to conceal her feelings, her wonts and desires, but despite all this training her eyes still gave her away on occasion.
Finally, when they had exhausted Jill's ailments, Connie took a sip of her tea and slowly unravelled her Chelsea bun. It was if they had called half time. Peter followed suit by lifting his coffee cup to his lips and gulping down some of the frothy milk. When he replaced the cup in its saucer, a white residue of milk remained on his top lip. Connie considered pointing this out but decided she had done enough to discompose her nephew.
"So when exactly did my mother die?"
Peter looked up in alarm at her acerbic tone. "Um, a few years ago now. Let me see, I was still at school… Must have been nearly twenty years ago."
"And your mother never thought to tell me?"
He was positively squirming now, shifting about in his chair as if plagued by ants. "I suppose she thought it might upset you." Then he shrugged. "I am not sure why she didn't contact you. I was just a boy at the time."
Connie faced an internal struggle. She had known when her mother died because one of her mother's friends had written to her a month afterwards, but she still wanted to exact her revenge on Jill, or at least Jill's proxy, this helpless boy-man. Why had Jill been so weak that she couldn't defy their mother's wishes, even from beyond the grave?
The words came floating back to Connie across the chasm of half a century. You are dead to me! I can never forgive you for what you have done. She gripped her teacup, causing the sinews in her hand to stripe her skin, coarsened from so much exposure to white spirit. Her mother's words still had the power to wound her, even in this busy, metropolitan café. Connie shuddered and looked back across at Peter who was now fiddling with the newspaper clipping he had brought with him. When he smoothed it out on the table, she saw that it was an article about her latest exhibition, topped with a large black and white photograph of herself.
"Another question," she barked. "Why after all these years did Jill decide to get back in touch?"
"She read about your cancer."
The teacup tipped over and emptied its contents over the clean, white tablecloth. Connie watched in dismay as the rusty liquid spread across the linen like an indelible stain. "Oh how clumsy of me!"
Peter threw his napkin over the spillage. "Doesn't matter. It'll all come out in the wash," he said soothingly.
Connie reached out for his hand. "Peter, will you please tell me your mother's address?"
Once again, his cheeks flushed up with embarrassment. "I'm sorry. She made me promise not to tell you where she lives." Beads of sweat glistened on his forehead, where his pores were slightly enlarged. "You must understand, it's difficult for her. All these years, she has pretended that she didn't have any family left. I think she half-believed it herself. She has made a life for herself where you no longer exist."
"Apart from in her scrapbook."
"Apart from the scrapbook," he repeated with an apologetic smile.
On her walk back to the tube station, Connie stopped off at the flower stall. There were three pots of jasmine, each plant carefully draped around a wire arch secured in the soil. She bent forward to pick up the nearest pot and the sweet, cloying scent floated up into her nostrils. Usually she went out of her way to avoid the smell, finding it repugnant, but today she inhaled deeply, letting it spiral down into her very core. She wanted to unlock the memory of that night long ago lying under a moonlit sky in the garden at home, just hours before her mother disowned her.
Connie met Isobel at a dance in the town hall. It was a wonder they had never crossed paths before, growing up in the same small town. Sometimes, when there weren't enough boys to partner all the girls, they were forced to dance with each other. Connie always took the lead as Isobel preferred to assume the lady's part. Afterwards, when they paused for a breather, Issy joked about how she preferred dancing with Connie because it meant that her toes never got trampled. Later on, they used to delay their arrival at the town hall in the hope that all the boys would be otherwise employed.
Even now in old age, Connie could still remember the neat curve of Isobel's waist beneath her hand as she guided her around the floor. They said things to each other through dance that they would never have dared to say aloud. Once, when a silky curl worked itself loose from Isobel's elaborate hairdo, Connie smoothed it away and tucked it gently behind her ear. At home, during long, tedious afternoons, Connie would feverishly sketch Issy's sweet face on the back of whatever came to hand – shopping lists, cigarette packets, or the blank page of a novel.
One Saturday, after the band had packed it in for the night, instead of saying goodnight on the steps of the town hall, Isobel asked if she could come and see where Connie lived. She knew of course that Connie had grown up in the vicarage at the far end of town and she professed herself curious to see the beautiful old house under the full moon. Connie didn't need to be asked twice.
Although they chatted gaily all the way back to the house, there was a nervous tension between them that neither was prepared to acknowledge. When they reached the front gate, Connie took hold of Isobel's hand – it felt such a natural thing to do – and led her around to the garden at the back. Feeling like an old-fashioned gallant, she whipped off her own cardigan and invited Isobel to sit down on the damp grass besides her mother's jasmine plants that coiled up around a pergola. They pressed their hands to their mouths to stifle their giggles.
To begin with, they amused themselves by adorning each other's hair with the star-shaped flowers plucked from the bush by their side. It wasn't clear who made the first move, but somehow this game ended with a kiss. Although Connie's memory of that fateful night had softened and blurred over the years, she could still remember the pumping of her heart as their lips met. If she had been standing up, she felt sure her knees would have buckled underneath her. Instinctively she rolled her body on top of Isobel's, pressing her weight down on those voluptuous breasts that had haunted her dreams for so long. The night air was laden with the aroma of jasmine and her recollection of their encounter would be forever associated with its sensual, animal scent.
The last thing Connie remembered before the commotion was running her hand down the contours of Isobel's flank. After that there was a powerful light shining in their eyes, a great deal of shouting, hands tearing them apart and a look of abject horror on her father's leathery face. Isobel ran from the garden, crying and scattering flowers in her wake.
Her father frogmarched Connie back up the garden – as they approached the house she glimpsed a pale face at the upstairs window.
"Words fail me," he told her. "What you did…" His voice trailed away. "I can't believe that my own flesh and blood would sink so low. I am ashamed of you." He could barely look at her as he slammed her bedroom door shut. "This is not over," he hissed through the keyhole. "We will deal with it in the morning."
Numb from shock, she listened to his footsteps retreating back down the hallway. Through the panels of the door, she could hear him speaking irritably to someone nearby: "Get back to bed. You must try to forget what you saw tonight. I never want to speak of it again."
In the morning, Connie received her sentence. Her mother and father produced further evidence of her depravity – the febrile sketches of Isobel, some of them showing her half-naked with her dress slipping down over one shoulder. They both refused to meet her eye, but it was her mother who asked her to go upstairs and pack a suitcase. Initially, Connie failed to follow her meaning. With tears streaking down her cheeks, she stared blankly at her mother's cold expression, struggling to process the enormity of the situation. She didn't have to wait long for clarification.
"You are dead to me. I can never forgive you for what you have done."
At the train station, Connie was scarcely aware of her surroundings. Still in shock, she sat on the empty platform with a battered suitcase at her feet and an envelope of money in her coat pocket, pressed upon her by her father as she left the house. She had no idea where to go or what to do once she reached London.
As she got to her feet to board the train, she heard someone shouting her name. It was Jill. She turned wearily to face her younger sister.
"I wanted to say goodbye," Jill said, panting and clutching at her ribs. "You will write to me, won't you?"
Connie nodded, too afraid to speak in case she started to cry again.
"I'm sorry, really I am," Jill pleaded, her voice dropping to a whine. "I didn't realise it was you in the garden. I thought a tramp had broken in. I would never have woken Daddy up if I had known it was you."
From further up the platform, the guard blew his whistle. Jill helped Connie heave the suitcase onto the train. A translucent trail of snot snaked out of Jill's nose but she was too distracted to wipe it away. She stood there on the platform, her hands limp by her side, as the engine roared into life and started to shunt its carriages out of the station.
The year was 1938 and Connie was nineteen years old. Though she received the odd letter from Jill over the years, she never saw her sister or her parents again. After Jill left home to get married, she refused to furnish Connie with her new address.
ARTIST LOSES HER FIGHT AGAINST CANCER
One of Britain's foremost artists, Constance Barlow, died yesterday, aged 61, after a long battle with cancer. The reclusive painter, who abandoned her kitchen sink realism for a more abstract style late on in her career, came to prominence after the second-world war. She was close friends with the late Francis Bacon and was said to have been devastated when he died of cardiac arrest in 1992. Critics have noted that Miss Barlow's mature work was heavily influenced by Bacon's emotionally charged style of painting.
Miss Barlow was born in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, but left home at nineteen to find work in London. During the war, she joined the Air Transport Auxiliary and learned to fly Lancaster bombers, a feat that has only burnished her reputation. Though she showed early promise as a painter, her work was not widely known until the 1960s, when she become famous for a series of paintings entitled Jasmine Under Moonlight, often featuring the elusive face of a young woman in the background. Her talent was all the more remarkable because she was largely self-taught.
The funeral, to be held next week, will be attended by many luminaries from the art world, including the recent Turner nominee, Cat Loveday. "She lived quietly but will be sorely missed by her many friends," said Joseph Templeton, the businessman and art collector, who bought several of her later works. Miss Barlow famously spent most of her life estranged from her family, but has surprised many in her inner circle by leaving the bulk of her estate to her sister Jill, a divorcée from Chorleywood. She leaves behind an impressive collection of modern art, a mews house in Belsize Park and a home in St Ives, Cornwall, where she kept up a studio for many years.
See Page 9 for Constance Barlow's obituary.
A woman's hand casts a shadow across the newspaper as she carefully cuts down the margin of the lead article. With her tongue protruding slightly from her mouth, she smears the back of the clipping with a thin layer of glue and presses it down onto the page of a large scrapbook. After blowing her nose, she closes the dog-eared scrapbook and replaces it in a cardboard box under her bed.
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This short story was entered for the 2015 Henley Literary Festival Short Story Competition, sponsored by Dragonfly Tea. It was one of six finalists in a competition with more than 1,000 entries. Click here to listen to my interview on BBC Radio Berkshire (I come in at 1.49.37 on the timecode).
Labels: #amwriting, art, books, Henley Literary Festival, short story
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Emma Clark Lam
Welcome to my blog! I am a mum, a former BBC journalist and an author of book club fiction. Generally, there is a bookish theme to my posts, but I also blog about family life, feminism, travel and anything that piques my curiosity. Find An Author's Notebook on Facebook and Pinterest. See my website for more details.
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Injured in a Motorcycle Accident in Fort Lauderdale? Fight Back
There are many reasons why you might choose to ride a motorcycle in Florida, whether it is because you enjoy the culture, love driving down the beautiful seaside landscape, or just want to save money on gas and fit into smaller parking spaces. There is a lot to like about motorcycles, but one of the major drawbacks is the lack of protection. Unlike people in cars, you do not have a seat belt, air bags, or a crumple zone to protect you in the event of the accident. Because of this, injuries incurred in a motorcycle accident can be severe or even fatal.
At the Law Firm of Andrew Winston, we understand just how devastating motorcycle accidents can be. When you need a personal injury attorney in South Florida due to injuries sustained in this type of accident, you can rely on our knowledgeable and experienced lawyers to work aggressively to protect your rights and assist you in your attempts to obtain whatever compensation you may be due.
Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents in Miami, Davie, and the Greater South Florida Area
At the Law Firm of Andrew Winston, we have successfully helped many clients recover compensation after a motorcycle accident, and we have also seen many different types of motorcycle accident cases. In our experience, some of the most common accident causes include:
Visibility issues. Because motorcycles are relatively small and are not as common a sight as passenger vehicles, many drivers fail to see them when going through an intersection, changing lanes, or even coming to a red light where a motorcyclist is already waiting. However, saying "I just did not see the motorcycle" is not a valid excuse for causing an accident.
Distracted or drunk drivers. As one of the vacation capitols of the world, Florida attracts plenty of visitors who want to have a good time. But "having a good time" should never include drinking and driving, texting and driving, or engaging in any other behavior that could endanger motorcyclists and other people on the road. If you are hit by a distracted or intoxicated driver, whether they are a tourist or a local, contact the law firm of Andrew Winston.
Failure to obey the rules of the road. Sometimes accidents are caused by one or more parties violating the rules of the road, pure and simple. This might mean that someone was speeding, rolling through a stop sign, changing lanes on a solid white line, or even blowing through a red light. Whatever the cause of your accident, our attorneys at the Law Firm of Andrew Winston want to hear about your case.
Poor road conditions. In some cases, road hazards such as unmarked potholes or unexpected hairpin turns can lead a motorcyclist to get into an accident. If the road condition was something that should have been repaired by the city or designer, you may be entitled to compensation.
No matter what the specific cause of a motorcycle accident, injuries are frequently bad and may even lead to a permanent disability. Helmets can obviously help to some extent, but there is only so much they can do. Common motorcycle accident injuries include:
Severe bruising
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These injuries may be life-altering and will take time to heal. You should not become financially burdened due to medical bills, lost income, in-home care, and other rehabilitation costs, especially when you were not the one who caused the accident. Your best chance of recovering the compensation you need will be to work with a skilled motorcycle accident lawyer.
Unsure If You Have a Case? Talk to One of Our Attorneys
Sometimes people who have been injured in a motorcycle accident will hesitate to file a claim because they are worried that they bear some of the responsibility for the accident, or believe that a court will assign fault to them due to a bias against motorcycle riders. Even if you are unsure whether or not you have a case, we urge you to contact our motorcycle accident attorneys at the Law Firm of Andrew Winston.
Because Florida follows modified comparative negligence laws when it comes to personal injury cases, your Andrew Winston attorney will work assiduously to prove that the party who caused your injury bears at least 51% of the responsibility. Even if your own negligence contributed to the accident to some extent, you may still be entitled to some form of remuneration, as long as your contribution was less than 50% of the cause of your accident and injuries.
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You have a limited amount of time to file a personal injury claim, so do not wait any longer to contact the Law Firm of Andrew Winston. We will dedicate the time and attention necessary to carry out a detailed and extensive investigation in order to determine which parties need to be held accountable. We will use all evidence available to build a strong case and prove that another party's recklessness or negligence directly contributed to your accident and injury.
Whatever means of providing you with financial recompense are available, you can rest assured that your South Florida personal injury attorney at Andrew Winston will pursue each and every one of them.
When you contact Andrew Winston, you will be given the opportunity to schedule a free initial consultation, during which we will go over your case, offer our legal expertise, and answer any questions you may have for us. If we determine that your circumstances merit a lawsuit and you decide to work with us, we will do everything we can to recover compensation for you and help you get your life back on track.
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Law Office of Andrew Winston is rated 4.2 out of 5 based on approximately 40 reviews from around the Web.
I had ZERO expectation beforehand the case would settle and to my surprise Andrew got it done!! We certainly will.
Adam Dougherty
The circumstances of my accident left me with very little room to work with but Andrew Winston and his associates did the best they can to help me as much as possible.
Vanina Gramatikova
Working with Winston Law Firm has been a great experience. And Jennifer was amazing too!! Thank you, thank you!
Melissa Baron
It has been nothing short of a pleasure dealing with a professional organization that communicates with each other throughout the entirety of the case.
Madeleine and Andrew were terrific guiding me thru the process. I was injured in a car crash caused by a State of Fl employee and received a back injury. The...
John Cross
Huge shout out to Madeline for taking care of me. Big thanks to Jennifer for checking in and making sure all was going smooth.
Gabriel Suarez
Andrew and his team were very professional and courteous and a pleasure to have represent me. atty. thank you!
Lucy Olivia
Andrew is an amazing attorney. I have used him for all my cases for over 20 years. He always puts his clients first.
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Andrew and his staff were such a pleasure to deal with throughout the whole process. My expectations were exceeded by far!
The best there is! Always recommend Mr. Winston to anyone that is in need of legal assistance.
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He is a highly skilled and professional attorney. I highly recommend him.
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If you need a TOP notch attorney on your side, than there's nobody id recommend more. Thank you brother!
Mr. Winston & his staff all genuinely care for you, and will be your best advocate.
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I'm so grateful for all of the work Mr. Winston did for me! It was easy to speak with him and his assistants.
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Andrew is one of the best attorneys I know. Highly recommend him.
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Excellent attorney. Very talented. Will do the best job to resolve the case but certainly not affraid of the courthouse either.
Mark Hanson
Best attorneys for personal Injury. Highly recommended
Kelly Olarte
I know you will be in good hands with this law firm.
Andrew and his lawyers and team of staff became my true "partners" in a long, hard-fought litigation. I was badly hurt when I was hit on my motorcycle by a...
My 21 year old daughter has been injured by the negligence of a restaurant. Her injuries were grave and life treathing. She has now life long health issues...
Maria M.
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An elderly married couple was rear-ended by a private school-bus, causing massive property damage and catastrophic injuries to both. The defendant bus company destroyed evidence in violation of a Court Order, the bus had bald tires, and the driver of the bus was terminally ill at the time of the crash.
Toddler Drowned in Pool
A two-year old toddler, the youngest of 5 children, tragically lost her life when she fell into the pool at her family's rented home. The home was delivered to the family by its absentee owners without any of the pool safety features required by Florida law pursuant Florida's "Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act" (Florida Statutes Section 515 et.seq.). The out-of-state landlords' insurers paid their full policy limits and the uninsured management company paid $40,000. The claim is still pending against the bank that sold the non-compliant home to the absentee landlords out of foreclosure and a local pool company that serviced the pool prior to the victim's family moving in.
Golf-Cart Collision
A recently retired school teacher from New York was operating her golf cart on a sidewalk in her gated retirement community when the defendant lost control of his Cadillac Escalade and struck her in the rear. The Escalade completely ran over the golf cart, killing the operator instantly. The case settled confidentially for tenders of all available automobile and umbrella coverage for the Cadillac operator and all policies of uninsured motorist coverage for the golf cart operator.
A 17 year-old opera singer with a bright future almost lost her life when she sat down on an ottoman at a popular local Italian restaurant. When she sat down, her dress wafted into an open candle, one of many that had been placed on the floor for "atmosphere." The open candle ignited the dress, causing massive third-degree burns over 30% of the unfortunate teen's body.
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Understanding Flow Metrics: A Simple Breakdown - SEOlogist Inc.
As the time of Google PageRank comes to an end, secondary metrics are fast becoming the ranking factors in Google and hold a much greater relevance. Sites that measure flow like Moz and MajesticSEO are updated daily, can't be tricked as easily as PageRank could and are more effective for ranking and determining sites.
Citation flow is a metric used to predict how impactful a link within a site is, determined by the number of links pointing to the page that link is on. Citation flow works side by side with trust flow, and as trust flow increases, so should citation flow – though the opposite is not necessarily true.
Trust flow is a metric used to decide how trustworthy a link is, based on quality of backlinks that lead back to the site. The more authoritative backlinks leading to the site, the better the trust flow. In many cases, the trust flow will be lower then the citation flow. This is simply because although a site may have lots of backlinks, not all of them are deemed as having quality trust, thus decreasing the trust flow. The higher the trust flow, the better the content a site contains. If there are an increasing number of backlinks to a site that rank as highly trustworthy, it is a sign that a site is obtaining increased organic traffic.
The most desirable ratio between the two metrics is getting as close to 1:1 as possible. The average trust to citation flow ratio is required to be at least 0.50 (2:1) to be deemed a successful site. The more authority and trust the site has, the higher the ratio. If trust flow is significantly lower, it is clear the site is has a high amount of low quality backlinks.
There are several online tools you can use to measure both citation and trust flow. For example, the site MajesticSEO will deliver you backlink profiles and flow metrics for any URL, or to compare the flow metrics of several sites at once, you can use Bulk Backlink Checker Tool. Benefits of using this site include finding the top influencers in your niche, finding suitable content and identifying problems within the ratios of your site.
With the extinction of PageRank, Google will be putting more emphasis on other metrics to help them rank your site. To be ranked highly in Google, one must gain lots of quality backlinks. This will in turn increase other metrics like flow and domain authority. An increase in quality backlinks is a great way for Google to rank a site highly on SERPs.
" Thanks a lot, guys, this information on your website is surely up-to-the-minute and reliable! I have already implemented some of your ideas and the normal SEO practice has already become far more creative, so what's your next topic of discussion? "


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All articles & reviews tagged with university
News > Ethics
Pro-life speech shut down across Scotland
A pro-life student university group has launched a legal challenge against the University of Aberdeen after its attempts at affiliation were repeatedly rejected by the Students' Union, based on their policy barring pro-life societies on campus. According to the Christian Legal Centre, which is supporting the Aberdeen Life Ethics Society (Ales), the case is…
News > Religious liberty
Free speech guidance issued for Universities
New guidance has been published for students and universities setting out the legal rights and obligations to help protect free speech on campuses. In recent years, Christian and pro-life groups have been forced off campus because of their religious and ethical beliefs. And well-known feminists like Germaine Greer have been banned from giving lectures…
News > Society
Pro-life groups banned by Student Unions at two Scottish Universities
Pro-life groups at universities in Glasgow and Aberdeen have been banned from affiliating with the Student Unions, denying them access to facilities and resources available to other groups. Aberdeen University Students' Association (AUSA) says it has a pro-abortion policy and will not offer 'funding, facilitation or platform' to the Aberdeen Life Ethics Society. Glasgow…
News > Politics
Politics – Free speech under threat
Freedom of speech is being curtailed at universities and colleges across the UK, a report from Parliament's Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) has found. In March, the JCHR published a report in which it warned excessive measures have been implemented at some universities. These measures, such as the banning of speakers or the…
News > Youth
Student pressures — caught between conformity and condemnation
Across the UK, students are preparing to start at university and college, while others are entering the workplace. But for Christians there is the additional challenge of the pressure to conform. Universities and colleges received 469,490 applications this year from UK students, according to UCAS data. Meanwhile, statistics from Universities UK suggest some 90…
By Tim Mills
University Challenge: A challenge to Christian young people beginning at university
Welcome to your new life as a student! Welcome to a thousand new challenges! Here are six more. Will you take them on? Away from home and away from school... Think God Even before you think 'degree' or 'romance' or 'independence' or 'fun' — think Christ. Your Maker, Judge and Saviour demands the first…
By Jean-Marc Alter
Students away from home
For many students who have recently left home to go away to college or university, this can be a difficult and dangerous time in their Christian lives. To come from a secure, even sheltered, Christian home and be plunged into the quicksands of modern student culture, can prove to be too much for some.…
More in this issue
FAMILY MATTERS: Part 4 – Bringing up children
CRUNCH POINTS: I've started a new job and I'm struggling to find a church.
A WALK WITH MR O: What do I do about my doubts?
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Lawmakers question postal regulator chief's travel as USPS bleeds cash
By Bernie Becker - 03/02/12 11:00 AM EST
Key lawmakers have expressed concern that the Postal Service's top regulator is spending too much time on the road at a time when the agency faces serious financial challenges.
Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, and Sen. Tom Carper Thomas (Tom) Richard CarperDemocrats calls on Biden administration to ease entry to US for at-risk Afghans Overnight Energy & Environment — Lummis holds up Biden EPA picks GOP senator blocks Biden EPA nominees over coal plant decision MORE (D-Del.) have suggested that Ruth Goldway's trips are hampering the Postal Regulatory Commission's (PRC) ability to offer advice about proposals that would change how mail is delivered in the United States.
Goldway, who has served as chairwoman of the PRC since 2009, is currently attending a postal event in Switzerland, her third trip to that country in the past year. She has also traveled, in that same time span, to Belgium, China, Portugal, Puerto Rico and Scotland.
Concerned lawmakers say that, while Goldway has racked up more travel costs than her predecessor, their issue is more that the regulatory commission seems to be falling behind on its duties while the chairwoman is away.
The United States Postal Service (USPS), which the PRC oversees, lost more than $3 billion in the first quarter of fiscal 2012 and has said it could begin closing more than 200 mail-processing centers after May 15.
But the PRC has indicated that its advisory opinion on the agency's consolidation plan will likely not be ready until July, at the earliest.
A spokeswoman for Carper, one of four senators behind a bipartisan Senate plan to overhaul postal operations, said the PRC "should be focusing like a laser" on completing that opinion.
"Embarking on travel that does not appear to be closely related to the role the Postal Regulatory Commission has been given in addressing the Postal Service's dire financial situation would appear ill-advised at this critical juncture," said Carper spokeswoman Emily Spain.
Issa, the key figure behind the House GOP postal reform plan, has come to a similar conclusion.
"The committee finds Chairman Goldway's travel decisions and absenteeism particularly troubling considering the grave financial situation of USPS, her role in reviewing the limited actions USPS is undertaking, and the fact that she has openly called for USPS to receive a taxpayer subsidy," Ali Ahmad, a spokesman for the House Oversight Committee, told The Hill in a statement.
Goldway says that regulations her office must follow are delaying the advisory opinion on the processing centers, and that she stays on top of her commission work while traveling.
Speaking to The Hill via telephone from Switzerland, the PRC chairwoman stressed that her commission is required by law to take a prominent role in international postal matters. Goldway is currently in Bern for a meeting of the Universal Postal Union, a group that deals with worldwide postal issues and usually meets twice a year.
But perhaps most of all, Goldway, a Democrat who has been at the PRC since the Clinton administration, sees the interest in her travel as something of a red herring, and driven by officials who disagree with her on certain postal proposals.
Over the last year, the PRC has released opinions questioning the wisdom of the Postal Service's push to scrap Saturday delivery, and to shutter perhaps thousands of local post offices.
"This is something I've been attending since 1999," Goldway said of the UPU meeting. "I can only assume that some people in the industry are concerned about my interest in preserving post offices and maintaining six-day delivery."
Postal proposals in both the Senate and the House would pave the way for USPS to move to five-day delivery and to consolidate operations.
Media outlets started reporting on Goldway's travel last month, finding that the current chairwoman piled up more travel expenses than her immediate predecessor, Dan Blair.
Following those reports, Carper asked the PRC for detailed records of Goldway's travel, saying that top officials "have a responsibility to set a good example when it comes to frugality and basic financial management."
According to documents provided to The Hill, Goldway incurred more than $32,000 in government-sponsored travel costs in fiscal 2011, and was either traveling or away on travel for around 70 days. The PRC says those dates include weekends, holidays and personal days taken by Goldway.
Meanwhile, Blair's recorded travel as chairman never topped $24,000 in any given fiscal year.
Goldway has suggested that her travel costs were higher than usual last year. But, in addition to the PRC's international duties, Goldway also said that her travel schedule is necessary to meet with U.S. stakeholders on postal issues.
In fiscal 2011, the PRC chairwoman jetted off to New York to discuss the Postal Service's vehicle fleet and to Ohio to visit DHL sites, among other places.
The chairwoman also argued that her travel expenses — and her agency's total annual budget — are a drop in the bucket compared to how much it costs to run the USPS.
"The Postal Service spends that amount in 20 minutes," Goldway said about the PRC's roughly $14.4 million budget, which is not funded by taxpayer dollars. "And when you're talking about my travel, the Postal Service can spend that in a blink of an eye."
Still, with Congress pressing to reform postal operations this year, lawmakers say it's unfortunate that the PRC's advisory opinion on the closing of mail processing centers won't be ready for months.
USPS has said that the consolidations are a key part of its efforts to pare down its annual budget by $20 billion by 2015. But the closures will also, in many cases, eliminate next-day delivery of first-class mail.
Goldway told The Hill that the PRC had to follow certain legal processes in developing their opinion, and added that commission had to wade through thousands of pages of documents on the issue and hear from dozens of interested parties.
"We're going to try to do it in the most efficient manner possible," said Goldway. "We simply aren't able to do it as soon as some people want."
Tags Tom Carper


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Extension Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Home
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Monthly Weed Posts
Monthly Weed Post, October 2020
Long-term Outcome of Leafy Spurge Integrated Management
by Jane Mangold, Extension Invasive Plant Specialist
Leafy spurge is a widespread and difficult-to-control noxious weed in Montana. In 2002 MSU and Missoula County Weed District began a research project near Lolo, MT, that integrated herbicide and seeding to manage leafy spurge. Study plots were monitored for three years after treatment (2003-2005) and again 14 years post-treatment (2016), as detailed in the August 2016 weed post.
Three herbicide treatments [picloram (Tordon, 1 qt/A), imazapic (Plateau, 10 oz/A), and a non-sprayed control] were applied followed by application of six grass seeding treatments (bluebunch wheatgrass, big bluegrass, Great Basin wildrye, orchard grass, thickspike wheatgrass, and a non-seeded control). Treatments were applied fall 2002, and the area was fenced to exclude grazing by livestock and wildlife. Aphthona flea beetles had been released at the site and goat grazing occurred on all plots a couple years after they were established, but otherwise no additional treatments had been applied.
Figure 1: Study site in 2002, shortly after treatments were applied. Figure 2 (below) shows its 14 year transition.
Figure 2: Study site in 2016, 14 years after initial treatment. Leafy spurge (yellow-green vegetation) declined over time while other species increased.
In the short-term, orchard grass, thickspike wheatgrass, and bluebunch wheatgrass established the best, followed by big bluegrass. Spraying prior to seeding increased grass abundance, and picloram and imazapic worked equally well. Spraying combined with seeding of bluebunch wheatgrass was particularly effective initially.
Fourteen years after treatment, bluebunch wheatgrass had become more abundant, producing 770 lb/A in 2016 compared to 215 lb/A in 2003. Orchard grass, thickspike wheatgrass, and big bluegrass decreased over time, and by 2016 produced only 9, 70, and 4 lb/A, respectively. By 2016 we could not detect an effect of herbicide on grass abundance. This study, along with others (September 2012 Weed Post PDF), shows bluebunch wheatgrass to be a strong long-term revegetation species.
Leafy spurge was reduced by integrating herbicide and seeding initially, but after 14 years it was unaffected by treatments. Instead, leafy spurge decreased across the study area. For example, leafy spurge in non-treated control plots comprised 55% of total biomass two and three years after treatment; leafy spurge comprised 30% of total biomass in the same plots 14 years after treatment. This study demonstrates that invasive plant populations fluctuate, sometimes even with minimal intervention.
While leafy spurge decreased over time, other weedy species like cheatgrass, Japanese brome, bulbous bluegrass, Canada bluegrass, spotted knapweed, and western salsify increased, especially in plots that were not seeded or seeded to grasses that did not establish well. Bluebunch wheatgrass reduced the abundance of these secondary invaders, for example their biomass totaled about 770 lb/A in non-treated control plots compared to 70 lb/A in bluebunch wheatgrass plots. This finding emphasizes the importance of fostering desired vegetation, which sometimes requires revegetation, to avoid one invasive plant being replaced by another.
Read more about this study in Rinella, Knudsen, Jacobs, and Mangold 2020 "Seeding Causes Long-Term Increases in Grass Forage Production in Invaded Rangelands" ScienceDirect Rangeland Ecology & Management, Volume 73
For more information about this month's weed post, contact Extension Invasive Plant Specialist Jane Mangold. Past posts are available in the Monthly Weed Post Directory.
The October 2020 weed post is also available as a Printable PDF (1.6MB).
Jane Mangold
Land Resources and Environmental Sciences
Bozeman, MT 59717-3120
Location: 724 Leon Johnson Hall
jane.mangold@montana.edu
Located in Bozeman, MT
For questions or comments contact the Ask Us Desk.


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Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy (UoA 3)
Our submission to this unit of assessment comprised research from the Institute of Biomedical and Biomolecular Science (IBBS). The Institute includes staff from the School of Biological Sciences and the School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences and serves as a focus for multidisciplinary research in the biomedical and related sciences.
Our submitted research covered four broad areas: Molecular Biophysics, Cell Biology and Pharmacology, Epigenetics and Developmental Biology and Biomaterials/Drug Delivery. It included three impact case studies: anti-cancer drug design, new therapies for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and 'next-generation' oral healthcare products.
IBBS is funded by external research grants totalling over £10m, principally from the UK Research Councils (BBSRC, EPSRC, MRC), the Wellcome Trust, the European Union and a number of brain cancer charities.
In the last Research Assessment Exercise (RAE 2008), 55% of our research was recognised as being world-leading (4*) or internationally excellent (3*). The Grade Point Average (GPA) of our submission was 2.50.
We have built upon that research excellence in REF 2014, both in the overall quality of our research and in its impact:
90% of our research was regarded as being 4*/3* (either world-leading or internationally-excellent), up from 55% in RAE 2008.
Our overall GPA for the submission increased from 2.50 to 3.12.
Our submission was ranked in the top 20 of 94 institutions for research excellence (overall 4*/3*).
100% of the impact from our research was classified as 4*/3*; having outstanding and very considerable impacts in terms of reach and significance.
Within the University Alliance group, we ranked 3rd out of 25 (overall 4*/3* activity).
Research groups / Research themes
The four research groups in IBBS reflect the strength of our research across a broad range of expertise. By working in an integrated way, with shared access to world-class facilities and a culture that both encourages and promotes cross disciplinary investigative approaches, IBBS has delivered distinctive interdisciplinary research into fundamental biomedical and biomolecular science.
The principal aim of this group is to understand biological processes in terms of the structure and function of biomolecules and their interactions. The applications of our research range from the development of novel antibiotic targets to structure-based drug design for amyloid diseases. Current projects include the structural and biochemical investigation of DNA methyltransferases and endonucleases, transcription factors and repressors, ribonucleases and RNA chaperones, metalloproteinases, serum amyloid proteins, mitochondrial proteins and glycohydrolases.
Cell Biology and Pharmacology
This group has broad biomedical and clinical interests, with particular emphasis on inflammation, neuro-oncology and neuroscience, with close interactions between the individual members. A major theme is lung inflammation in cystic fibrosis and developing novel strategies to improve inhaled drug delivery, together with mechanisms of disease progression and new therapeutic targets in inflammatory bowel disease, and over-active bladder and development of new drug targets for clinical applications. There is a strong focus on neurobiology, with multidisciplinary research on glial cells, including oligodendrocytes and their precursors in MS, and the role of ion channels in potassium regulation and glial differentiation.
Epigenetics and Developmental Biology
The focus of this group is to establish the role of genes that are important in developmental processes, e.g. the control of Gata2 and its role in blood formation, promoter structure in gene activation, and the genetic programming of muscle differentiation. Using the extensive facilities of EXRC, the Xenopus model is also used to assess the role (and possible side-effects) of novel drugs in development. Epigenetic themes encompass the role of chromatin modifying enzymes in gene regulation and the roles of histone modifications in cell differentiation, development and disease. There is a strong research programme in Molecular and Genetic Medicine, including the molecular pathology of Duchenne muscular dystrophy and gene mutations in mitochondrial diseases.
This group is concerned with the design, synthesis and medical applications of biomaterials, biosensors, drugs and drug delivery systems. Research methods include the use of Atomic Force Microscopy in biomaterials research and molecular dynamics simulations in drug discovery, as well as underpinning synthetic chemistry. Projects include the development of biomaterials with inherent resistance to bacterial colonization, bioadhesive materials for therapeutic use, polymeric vehicles for targeted drug delivery, and boron-containing materials for neutron-capture therapy.
Research leads to the commercial development and clinical impact of a first-in-class anticancer agent
A first-in-class anticancer agent discovered at the University of Portsmouth in the 1990s has been commercially developed and clinically evaluated over the last two decades. The compound was successful in Phase I clinical trials and is completing Phase II clinical trials for the treatment of ovarian cancer and leukaemia, where significant patient benefit is observed.
Related molecules based on this parent compound are in drug programmes being undertaken by Seattle Genetics Inc. and Genentech Inc., leading to additional clinical trials. A spin-out company, Spirogen Ltd, was established in 2000 to commercialise the intellectual property generated from the underpinning research, and the company has recently been sold to AstraZeneca for $200m.
The development and commercialisation of a polymer that reduces microbial colonisation on dental surfaces, thus improving oral health
A team of Portsmouth researchers has developed a transparent polymer coating that prevents colonising bacteria from adhering to the surfaces of teeth. In addition to protecting from decay, the polymer coating has the added benefits of reducing dental erosion, alleviating root hypersensitivity, and inhibiting the staining of teeth. The polymer has been successfully developed into a component of "next-generation" oral healthcare products.
Inhaled heparin, a novel therapeutic approach with clinical benefits in the treatment of obstructive airways diseases
A new intervention has been developed and trialled in patient groups characterised by mucus obstruction of the airways. Outcomes for these patient groups have improved, and health service decisions have been informed by the underpinning research. A spin-out business, Ockham Biotech Ltd., was created and has generated overseas investment.
A novel mucolytic application and inhaled route of administration for heparin has provided a simple and cost-effective therapeutic means of relieving the symptoms of mucus obstruction in diseases including CF and COPD, which together cost the NHS ~£1.6bn, pa.
The Institute of Biomedical and Biomolecular Sciences (IBBS) has world-class research facilities and techniques, acquired both from external research grants and from substantial internal investment.
The University of Portsmouth Imaging Centre was created as a facility to bring together the wide variety of advanced microscopy techniques available in IBBS. A purpose-built Microscopy Imaging Suite houses the atomic force microscope, live cell imaging microscope, a TIR microscope and laser capture micro-dissection apparatus. Three confocal instruments plus calcium imaging and a variety of Fluorescence Microscopes are located close by, and excellent facilities for Electron microscopy (SEM and TM) are located in a dedicated laboratory within the Faculty.
The Biophysics Laboratories have invested in state-of-the-art facilities for investigation of both structural and functional aspects of macromolecular interactions include an X-ray Diffractometer with Cryojet (Oxford Diffraction) a crystallisation robot, a 600MHz NMR spectrometer with cryo-probe (Varian), Analytical Ultracentrifugation (Beckman XL-A), Surface Plasmon Resonance (BiaCoreT200), Circular Dichroism and Fluorescence Spectroscopy, Laser Light Scattering (DLS and MALLS) and Calorimetry (ITC and DSC). These facilities are complemented by extensive facilities for bacterial fermentation and protein purification (including ~10 Akta Purifiers).
Access to International facilities. Structural biologists in IBBS are members of block allocation groups that receive highly competitive peer-reviewed synchrotron beam time at both ESRF and Diamond for crystallographic analysis of proteins and nucleic acids. IBBS Principal Investigators have also been awarded synchrotron beam time for small angle x-ray scattering and circular dichroism studies, as well as substantial neutron beam time at Institute Laue-Langevin (ILL, Grenoble) for the structural analysis of protein-DNA and protein-RNA complexes by SANS. Kneale, McGeehan, Callaghan and Pickford have each submitted beam time applications for SAXS and SRCD, and have obtained beam time equivalent in value to over £440K in the REF period.
In addition to excellent facilities for biochemistry, molecular/cell biology and physical/organic chemistry, we have invested in state-of-the art facilities that are used primarily by IBBS staff but also an increasing number of visitors from universities and institutes in the UK and elsewhere (e.g. Southampton, Sussex and Cambridge universities). General physico-chemical, molecular and cell biology facilities include a 400 MHz NMR Spectrometer, FTIR and UV Spectrometers, Contact Angle Goniometer, GC/MS, HPLC, Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (AAS) / Atomic Emission Spectrometer, particle sizer, Tissue Culture rooms, Flow Cytometer, Dynamic Vapour Sorption (DVS) apparatus, qPCR, scintillation counters and a phosphorimager.
IBBS also hosts the European Xenopus Resource Centre, which was set up in 2006 principally by Wellcome Trust, with a total of £3.3m funding, together with a major investment of funding from UoP. BBSRC has awarded an additional £1m to provide molecular resources and bioinformatics support. Wellcome Trust funding (£1.3m) for the European Xenopus Resource Centre was renewed in 2013 for a further 5 years, to maintain the centre as a major resource for scientists studying frog genetics, and facilitating collaborative research with laboratories across Europe and the USA.


There are many good schools in Maharastra but the school which gives the best training for the students with service pattern which is very much useful in the Military services is the high light of Bhonsale Military School at Nasik.
The students who take successful education here with good training can make their career in National Defence Academy, Indian Air Force, Indian Military Academy and Air Force Academy.
So the students who take education here are sure to become the esteemed Military officers of this country.


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ESPN anchor Bob Ley retires after 40 years with network
by: JOE REEDY, Associated Press
Posted: Jun 26, 2019 / 11:42 PM UTC / Updated: Jun 27, 2019 / 09:28 AM UTC
In this June 2, 2013, photo provided by ESPN Images, Bob Ley talks during an international friendly soccer match in Washington, D.C. Ley, an anchor at ESPN since the network's launch 40 years ago, has announced his retirement.
Ley was ESPN's longest-tenured anchor, joining "SportsCenter" on the channel's third day of operation on Sept. 9, 1979. He hosted "Outside The Lines," an investigative news program, from its launch in 1990 until he took a sabbatical last September. The 64-year-old Ley tweeted Wednesday, June 26, 2019, that he's enjoying the "best of health" and that the decision to retire was "entirely" his own. (Allen Kee/ESPN Images via AP)
Bob Ley, a fixture at ESPN since the network's launch 40 years ago, has decided to step away.
The 64-year-old Ley announced his retirement Wednesday. He said during a phone interview that he made the decision late last month and started calling close friends and colleagues Tuesday with the news.
Ley had been on sabbatical since last September. He was supposed to return in March but told the network he needed more time.
"The company was understanding and I couldn't have asked for more," Ley said. "It was a constant process (in reaching a decision). When you step away and reassess things, life assumes a different contour where it is not to-the-second deadlines ruling your life and sometimes a personality.
"There's a heavy emotional component to all of it, but I am managing it."
Ley was ESPN's longest-tenured anchor, joining "SportsCenter" on the channel's third day of operation on Sept. 9, 1979.
"Outside the Lines" reporter and anchor Jeremy Schaap found out about Ley's departure when he received a call about doing a career retrospective on Ley for Wednesday's show. Schaap has known Ley for more than 25 years, dating to when he started at ESPN as a producer for "Outside the Lines."
"I think the sabbatical for Bob was a trial run. He liked his freedom," he said. "The past couple years, though, he was better than he has ever been before. He could show us not only his reporting chops but also his thoughts and opinions. That fourth wall was breaking down and it benefited the viewers."
Ley hosted the first NCAA selection show and the inaugural live broadcast of the NFL draft in 1980. He also anchored many of sports biggest news stories over the past 40 years, including the Boston Marathon bombing and the death of Muhammad Ali.
He also provided the first live national reports during the earthquake in San Francisco at the 1989 World Series.
The investigative program "Outside the Lines" will be Ley's legacy at the network. It started as a series of specials, became a weekly show in 2000 and then began airing daily three years later.
On "Outside the Lines," Ley led reporting on concussions and the NFL's handling of domestic violence cases. The show also gave extensive coverage to the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse findings at Penn State, which resulted in the resignation of coach Joe Paterno, and former U.S. gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar's history of sexual abuse.
"Outside the Lines" has received four Edward R. Murrow Awards and two Peabody Awards.
"Bob has been our North Star and always kept us going in the right direction," said NFL studio host Chris Berman, who joined ESPN one month after it went on the air. "He kept us honest. When you watched him you knew what you were getting and you were getting it straight.
"I know he is very at ease and at peace with his decision. He's earned it."
Ley, who won 11 Sports Emmy Awards, was inducted into the National Sports Media Association Hall of Fame this week. He said he plans to work with Seton Hall University, his alma mater, in retirement as well as continue to mentor young journalists.
"I am proud of what we have built with 'Outside The Lines.' The only thing that serves the viewer is a fair and honest show," he said.
He also appreciates having been a part of ESPN for so long.
"I'm proudest of being at the ground floor of something that has become an American cultural institution," he said. "I don't think you can write the cultural history of the United States over the past 40 years without being a chapter on sports and this entity, which is now a global model."
More Entertainment Stories
by KRISTIN M. HALL, Associated Press / Jul 16, 2019
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Country singer Luke Combs was just 6 years old when his mom and grandmother snuck him into his first concert by hiding him in the backseat of their car so he could go see Vince Gill play at a minor league baseball stadium.
It came full circle for the singer-songwriter from North Carolina when Gill came out to formally induct Combs, 29, into the Grand Ole Opry on Tuesday night in Nashville, Tennessee.
Baseball's Home Run Derby proves a popular summer event
by DAVID BAUDER, Associated Press / Jul 16, 2019
NEW YORK (AP) — Baseball's All-Star game is fading as a midsummer television attraction, but the adjunct Home Run Derby is becoming popular in its own right.
The Nielsen company says a little more than 8 million people watched Tuesday's All-Star game on Fox, enough to be the second-most popular thing on television after "America's Got Talent" last week. The derby where sluggers flex their muscles a day before the game was televised on ESPN and reached 5.4 million viewers.
CHICAGO (AP) — The Latest on the charges against singer R. Kelly (all times local):


Consumer prices increased 10.8% in March over the previous month, which was notably above the 5.3% rise registered in February. March's acceleration was driven by an almost across-the-board increase in inflation, with only prices for alcoholic beverages and tobacco rising at a smaller pace than the previous month.
Annual inflation continued surging upward, reaching 45.8% in March. The result was up from the 34.5% tallied in February and marked a new record high. Inflation has skyrocketed since the onset of the military conflict in Eastern Ukraine, pushed up by sharp increases in the price for gas along with a drastic depreciation of the hryvnia. In addition, annual average variation in consumer prices increased from 17.3% in February to 20.8% in March, which marked the highest level since June 2009.
FocusEconomics Consensus Forecast panelists expect inflation to end 2015 at 23.0%, which is up 1.9 percentage points from last month's forecast. For 2016, the panel sees inflation easing to 11.5%.


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Q: cannot find request_irq(), irq.h or interrupt.h to use in a simple interrupt handler I am trying to write a simple handler for interrupts from a GPIO port.  I have never tried to register an IRQ before, but see discussions on using request_irq and request_threaded_irq, but I cannot find header files containing these on my CentOS7 or Ubuntu 16.04 systems.  Sample code I have seen include linux/irq.h and linux/interrupt.h but neither appear on my system.  Do I need to install additional packages (RPMs etc) to use these?  I have tried searching for such a package for either CentOS or Ubuntu but have not found one.

A: I think I have found the answer to my question.  I need to install the package linux-headers-generic (or one specific to my kernel version).  I think it includes the headers that I need and I will need it anyway if I write a kernel module.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


A spate of heated local rivalries add up to a mouth-watering last eight at the Women's Olympic Football Tournament of the Beijing Games.
An assured 2-0 victory over Argentina gave the hosts top spot in Group E and set up an all-Asia quarter-final with Japan in the process.
Canada and Sweden meet on the last day of Group E action of the Women's Olympic Tournament while China take on Argentina.
With two wins in as many games, Norway became the first side to go through to the quarter-finals of the Women's Olympic Tournament.
Matchday two of Group E will pit Canada and China against each other in a top-of-the-table clash, while Sweden look to rebound.
China's ace striker talks to FIFA.com about her stunning winner against Sweden, her new-found left foot, and her hopes for future success.
Canada defender Candace Chapman scored the first goal of the Women's Tournament. FIFA.com caught up with the unlikely goal-getter.
The opening day saw holders USA succumb to Norway, the host nation defeat Sweden and Germany and Brazil cancel each other out.
Hosts China got their Olympic campaign off to the best possible start with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Sweden on Wednesday in Tianjin.
FIFA.com caught up with striker Lotta Schelin, who is keen on setting things right for Sweden in their Women's Olympic opener against China.
Beijing 2008's women's Group E begins in Tianjin on 6 August with China meeting Sweden and Canada facing outsiders Argentina.
Hosts China will hunt gold without star striker Ma Xiaoxu, who was officially removed from the women's squad on Sunday with a knee injury.
One week from kick-off, FIFA.com reveals the names of the players who will be battling it out for the gold medal on the women's side in China.
A narrow victory over fierce rivals China has given Korea DPR their third AFC Women's Championship title. Can they add an Olympic title as well?
By reaching the semi-finals of the AFC Women's Championship, the Chinese Women's team, and their coach Shang Ruihua, have buried some demons.
Shang Ruihua, Silvia Neid and John Herdman, the respective coaches of China PR, Germany and New Zealand, shared their thoughts on the women's draw.
FIFA.com spoke to Shang Ruihua in the wake of the 63-year-old returning to the post of Chinese women's coach - a job he last held 17 years ago.
China PR have appointed Elisabeth Loisel as their new coach and charged her with guiding the hosts to a podium place at the Beijing Olympics.
Former France coach Elisabeth Loisel is the favourite to succeed Marika Domanski-Lyfors after the Swede quit as China's women's coach.


text:
Николай Михайлович Щеглов (род. 16 марта 1960 года, город Трубчевск, Брянская область) — государственный и политический деятель. Депутат Государственной Думы восьмого созыва. Кандидат медицинских наук. Заслуженный врач Российской Федерации (2008).

Из-за вторжения России на Украину, находится под международными санкциями Евросоюза, США, Великобритании и ряда других стран

Биография
Родился Николай Щеглов 16 марта 1960 года в городе Трубчевске, Брянской области. В 1984 году, завершив обучение в интернатуре Смоленского государственного медицинского университета и получив специальность «Хирург», начал свою трудовую деятельность врачом-хирургом ожогового отделения Брянской городской больницы № 4.

С июля 1985 по февраль 2003 года работал врачом-хирургом экстренной помощи во втором хирургическом отделении Брянской городской больницы № 4. С февраля по апрель 2003 года выполнял обязанности заместителя главного врача по хирургии МУЗ «Брянская центральная районная больница». С апреля 2003 года по декабрь 2015 года трудился в должности главного врача ГБУЗ «Брянская центральная районная больница».

В 2013 году успешно защитил диссертацимю на соискание степени кандидата медицинских наук. Общий трудовой стаж в медицине составляет более 30 лет, из них на руководящих должностях более 10 лет.

В 2008 году за заслуги в области здравоохранения Указом Президента Российской Федерации ему присвоено почетное звание «Заслуженный врач Российской Федерации».

В декабре 2015 года был назначен на должность заместителя Губернатора Брянской области. В региональном правительстве отвечал за вопросы социальной политики, труда и миграции.

На выборах в Государственную Думу VIII созыва, которые прошли в сентябре 2021 года, был включён в региональные списки политической партии «Единая Россия» по Брянской и Смоленской области. По итогам выборов получил мандат депутата Государственной Думы VIII созыва. С 12 октября 2021 года приступил к депутатским обязанностям.

Женат.

Задекларированные доходы
По итогам 2019 года Николай Щеглов задекларировал доход в сумме 5 миллионов 636 тысячи рублей, его супруга заработала 1 миллион 577 тысяч рублей. В собственности семьи имеется жилой дом 233,5 кв. метров и автомобиль Тойота RAV 4.

Примечания

Ссылки
 Единая Россия. Щеглов Николай Михайлович

Депутаты Государственной думы Российской Федерации VIII созыва
Члены «Единой России»
Выпускники Смоленского государственного медицинского университета
Лица, подвергнутые санкциям в связи с конфликтом на Украине

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Deforming osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint — current and underinvestigated problem. One of the main factors in the development of arthrosis is a traumatic injury of the joint capsular ligaments, violation of joint mobility and inflammation. At the same time, the place of abnormal biomechanics remains unknown in the development of osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint as a monofactor of pathological condition. Objective: to investigate the role of limited biomechanics of the shoulder joint as a monopatogenetic factor in the development of osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint. Materials and methods. In the experiment, the model of osteoarthritis has been reproduced in guinea pigs, and the structural changes in the joint were investigated 3 months after. Cryosections were obtained from the decalcinated shoulder samples, histological and morphometric study was performed. Results and discussion. The structural damages of the articular surface of the humeral head and shoulder blade cavity were detected, as well as changes in the contour of the subchondral bone tissue, proliferative changes in the joint capsule. Disturbed mobility and altered zone of load caused the loss of 48 % (p < 0.01) of cartilage thickness in humeral articular surface and 14 % of the glenoid (p < 0.01). That is, a significant limitation of mobi-lity (biomechanics) of the shoulder joint leads to dystrophic changes of cartilage elements in both articular surfaces. Conclusions. Research results confirmed that impaired biomechanics of the shoulder joint movements is one of the monopatogenetic factors of osteoarthrosis.
Sagittal alignment of the spine-pelvis-lower extremity axis in patients with severe knee osteoarthritis: A radiographic study / W.J. Wang, F. Liu, Y.W. Zhu [et al.] // Bone Joint Res. — 2016. — Vol. 5(5). — P. 198-205.
Prieto-Alhambra D. Incidence and risk factors for clinically diagnosed knee, hip and hand osteoarthritis: influences of age, gender and osteoarthritis affecting other joints / D. Prieto-Alhambra, A. Judge, M.K. Javaid // Ann. Rheum. Dis. — 2014. — Vol. 73(9). — P. 1659-1664.
Evaluation of cartilage degeneration in a rat model of rotator cuff tear arthropathy / E.J. Kramer, B.M. Bodendorfer, D. Laron [et al.] // J. Shoulder Elbow Surg. — 2013. — Vol. 22(12). — P. 1702-1709.
Birrell F. Osteoarthritis: pathogenesis and prospects for treatment / F. Birrell, N. Howells, M. Porcheret // Reports on the Rheumatic Diseases, Series 6 (Autumn 2011) Topical Reviews № 10. — P. 1-12.
Disruption of the anterior-posterior rotator cuff force balance alters joint function and leads to joint damage in a rat mo-del / K.E. Reuther, S.J. Thomas, J.J. Tucker [et al.] // J. Orthop. Res. — 2014. — Vol. 32(5). — P. 638-644.
Katz J.D. Getting to the heart of the matter: osteoarthritis takes its place as part of the metabolic syndrome / J.D. Katz, S. Agrawal, M. Velasquez // Curr. Opin. Rheumatol. — 2010. — Vol. 22(5). — P. 512-519.
Van den Berg W.B. Lessons from animal models of osteoarthritis / W.B. van den Berg // Curr. Rheumatol. Rep. — 2008. — Vol. 10(1). — P. 26-29.
Glenoid cartilage mechanical properties decrease after rotator cuff tears in a rat model / K.E. Reuther, J.J. Sarver, S.M. Schultz [et al.] // J. Orthop. Res. — 2012. — Vol. 30(9). — P. 1435-1439.
Loeser R.F. Age-Related Changes in the Musculoskeletal System and the Development of Osteoarthritis / R.F. Loeser // Clin. Geriatr. Med. — 2010. — Vol. 26(3). — P. 371-386.
Correlation between rotator cuff tear and glenohumeral degeneration / H.C. Hsu, Z.P. Luo, J.J. Stone [et al.] // Acta Orthop Scand. — 2003. — Vol. 74(1). — P. 89-94.


The European Investment Bank (EIB) said Thursday it has provided Tajikistan with EUR 70 million (USD 78.6m) to build an interconnection with Kyrgyzstan and at the same time to strengthen its own power transmission network.
The move is aimed at making these electricity systems more reliable, so that a regional renewable electricity trade in Central Asia could be developed, EIB explained.
Under the Central Asia-South Asia Electricity Transmission and Trade (CASA-1000) initiative, which covers Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan and Pakistan, the scheme will focus on alleviating power supply shortages by transporting electricity generated from hydropower plants (HPP). It will also yield export revenues for Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.
The project envisages constructing 477 kilometres (296.4 miles) of 500-kV power lines between the two countries. Part of the loan will also be used for the installation of a 120-kilometre line solely in Tajikistan.
Moreover, EIB will finance the extension of two existing power substations in Tajikistan and another in Kyrgyzstan along with the construction of a new 500/220-kV one in the former country. "The new energy infrastructure will foster electricity trade with neighbouring countries and make it possible to attract foreign investors due to safer energy supplies," EIB vice-president, Wilhelm Molterer, noted.


text:
module Elasticsearch
  module API
    module Ingest
      module Actions

        # Delete a speficied pipeline
        #
        # @option arguments [String] :id Pipeline ID (*Required*)
        # @option arguments [Time] :master_timeout Explicit operation timeout for connection to master node
        # @option arguments [Time] :timeout Explicit operation timeout
        #
        # @see https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/plugins/master/ingest.html
        #
        def delete_pipeline(arguments={})
          Utils.__report_unsupported_method(__method__)

          raise ArgumentError, "Required argument 'id' missing" unless arguments[:id]
          valid_params = [
            :master_timeout,
            :timeout ]
          method = 'DELETE'
          path   = Utils.__pathify "_ingest/pipeline", Utils.__escape(arguments[:id])
          params = Utils.__validate_and_extract_params arguments, valid_params
          body   = nil

          perform_request(method, path, params, body).body
        end
      end
    end
  end
end


text:
Learn Conservation & Politics
Tips/How-To
Assessing the 'Dark Figure' of Poaching in America
The Boone and Crockett Club aims to quantify wildlife crimes—and their hidden costs—through a new program.
Poachers who left five elk for dead were recently sentenced in Oregon. Read more here (Photo courtesy of Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife)
August 25, 2022 By Andrew McKean
Go ahead, ask your hunting buddy. What percentage of poachers in America are caught and convicted? Half? A quarter? Not even close.
Research sponsored by the Boone and Crockett Club and its partners indicates that the number is incredibly, depressingly much lower. Based on early studies of a decade of wildlife crime citations and court data from Kentucky, researchers estimate that fewer than 3 percent of poachers in the Bluegrass State are caught and convicted. That's probably not an outlier; poaching rates in other states are distressingly similar, based on earlier studies that looked at illicit wildlife exploitation.
Poaching is not only a theft of animals and opportunities from legal hunters, but it turns out there's a tremendous monetary cost, too. Using only the minimum penalties assessed for fines and restitution, researchers estimated the annual fiscal consequences for all detected fish and wildlife violations in Kentucky at about $1.1 million. By estimating the "dark figure" of undetected wildlife crimes at about 98 percent, the researchers calculate that the real cost of wildlife violations in Kentucky is more than $43 million.
"That's about half the annual operating budget for Kentucky's wildlife agency," says Jonathan Gassett, one of the researchers for the Boone and Crockett Club's Poach and Pay initiative and former director of Kentucky's Fish and Wildlife Department. "Imagine the wildlife habitat and access initiatives a state agency could deliver if it could recoup that lost revenue, or the number of game wardens they could put in the field to reduce poaching."
Currently, Gassett and co-researcher (and spouse) Dr. Kristie Blevins are in the data-collection stage of their multi-year research, parsing some 80,000 surveys of hunters, conservation officers and landowners across eight different states and regions that aim to estimate the prevalence of poaching across America. Next stages are interviews with convicted poachers to get a handle on motivation, followed by studies of state judicial systems that could lead to reforms in how poaching cases are adjudicated in the courts.
As the oldest conservation organization in America and champion of ethical hunting, the Boone and Crockett Club has a keen interest in the equitable distribution of and access to the public's wildlife, says Tony Schoonen. Chief executive officer of the Boone and Crockett Club, which was founded in 1887 by Theodore Roosevelt and other early leaders of America's wildlife conservation movement, Schoonen says the club has long been active in anti-poaching initiatives, but the outlines of the Poach and Pay program were formed and developed during the Cecil the Lion controversy.
"During Cecil, we saw poaching and hunting being described interchangeably by the international media," says Schoonen. "We were—and are—worried about the image of hunting. We do not want to see hunters and poachers being used in the same sentence."
Neither Schoonen nor Gassett are prepared to say that poaching is more or less prevalent now than in past generations. But Poach and Pay, which is funded in part from a grant from the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies, is designed to raise awareness of illicit activity, to quantify the problem and to ensure that penalties match the crime.
"There are three factors associated with whether somebody decides to commit a crime," says Gassett. "The certainty of being caught, the penalty if they are caught and convicted, and the speed of prosecution. Right now we don't know what the level [of poaching] is, just that it's extremely high. But if we can get it down to even 20 percent—you're going to get caught every fifth time you poach—then we could cut out a lot of what I'd call opportunistic poaching."
Part of that crackdown might be putting more conservation officers in the field. Or ensuring that judges take poaching more seriously. Or increasing penalties for poaching. All those might be prescriptions produced by Poach and Pay and offered to state agencies and legislatures, says Schoonen. What's harder to quantify is why poachers poach. Blevins is tackling that end of the equation through a series of interviews with convicted poachers.</
"We think there are five primary motivations," says Gassett. "People poach opportunistically; they don't intend to, but the opportunity presents itself and they make bad choices. Some people poach for subsistence, to feed their families. Others poach for trophies. Some poach to feed their egos. And others poach for financial gain, selling what they kill."
If law enforcers can reduce those motivations, they may be able to stop some poachers before they commit a wildlife crime. Other actions might be working with judges and justices of the peace to ensure poachers face the full extent of the law. Others are increasing fines to reflect the theft of a valuable public resource.
"In many jurisdictions, poaching is considered a victimless crime," says Gassett. "Judges have such full dockets of crimes with higher priorities that often poaching is considered minor in comparison. But if we can make the case that the real victim of poaching isn't the animals that are poached but rather the people of the state, hunters whose opportunity has been stolen from them, and the revenue that's not going to the state agency, then I think we can elevate the seriousness of poaching and get judges to take cases more seriously."
For Schoonen, raising awareness of poaching and working to reduce its prevalence are squarely in line with the Boone and Crockett Club's mission.
"This falls under our mission of advocacy," says Schoonen. "We are committed to advocating for ethical standards of sportsmanship. Poaching, by its definition, is the antithesis of sportsmanship."
SCI Appeals National Wildlife Refuge Decision
The organization seeks to maintain expanded hunting opportunities.
In April, Safari Club International (SCI) joined with the National Rifle Association, Sportsmen's Alliance Foundation and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation to appeal a decision of the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana denying the pro-hunting organizations' efforts to intervene and defend the expansion of hunting opportunities on federal lands. The four groups stress that the court's decision was made in error.
In Center for Biological Diversity v. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the plaintiff challenged a 2020 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regulation that expanded hunting and fishing opportunities on almost 100 national wildlife refuges. SCI notes the plaintiff wrongly asserts that expanded hunting and fishing threatens species listed under the Endangered Species Act, such as grizzly bears and whooping cranes. The Center for Biological Diversity also challenges the use of lead ammunition and fishing tackle on national wildlife refuges in the case. The pro-hunting organizations seek to defend the 2020 regulation, which they point out is consistent with the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act's directive to prioritize hunting and fishing on refuges.
In the appeal, the hunter-advocacy organizations will demonstrate that the district court erred in ruling that they do not have a legal interest in maintaining a rule that expanded hunting access. "The district court's ruling ignores the clear interest of SCI members who want to take advantage of expanded hunting on these federal lands," said SCI CEO W. Laird Hamberlin. "Hunters have a right to defend their interests in the federal judiciary on an issue that will directly affect thousands of sportsmen and -women across the country."
SCI is committed to a "No-Net-Loss" policy, which ensures that the amount of federal land for hunting and fishing stays constant or increases, but is not diminished. To sign the organization's No-Net-Loss petition, visit safariclub.org. — Adam Heggenstaller
Channel Catfish Chowdown
M.D. Johnson
Fly Fisherman