text:
Czesław Markiewicz  (ur. 1954 w Zielonej Górze) – polski poeta, prozaik, krytyk literacki. Absolwent polonistyki w Wyższej Szkole Pedagogicznej w Zielonej Górze, dziennikarz publicznego Radia Zachód. Utwory publikował w licznych czasopismach, jak "Poezja", "Literatura", "Odra", "Nowy Wyraz", "Borussia", "Pro Arte", "Pro Libris", "Integracje", "Topos", [fo:pa], "Wakat".

Debiutował na łamach "Nadodrza" w 1976 r. W 1977 roku wydał debiutancki tom poetycki Modlitwa oszukanych w słynnej serii Pokolenie, które wstępuje. Jest dwukrotnym laureatem Lubuskiego Wawrzynu Literackiego (za rok 1995 i za rok 2020) i dwukrotnym laureatem Nagrody Kulturalnej Prezydenta Miasta Zielona Góra (1992, 2004). Jego wiersze tłumaczono m.in. na niemiecki.

Twórczość

Poezja
 Modlitwa oszukanych, Warszawa 1977
 Moja wina, Wydawnictwo Przedświt, Warszawa 1998
 Ale i tak, Muzeum Ziemi Lubuskiej, Zielona Góra 2007
 Majuskuły, Wydawnictwo Miniatura, Kraków 2009
 80. urodziny Marilyn Monroe, Wydawnictwo Tawa, Chełm 2011
Tropy, Wydawnictwo Adam Marszałek, Toruń 2020

Proza
 Made in life, Oficyna Wydawnicza And, Zielona Góra 1995 [Opowiadania]
 Przezroczysty, Oficyna Wydawnicza Atut, Wrocław 2002 [Powieść]
 Niewinne Miasto, Stowarzyszenie Producentów i Dziennikarzy Radiowych, Poznań 2003 [Powieść]
 Zemsta Fabiana, Stowarzyszenie Dialog-Współpraca-Rozwój, Zielona Góra 2004 [Powieść]

Szkice krytyczne
 Rozpoznany moment osobności, Oficyna Wydawnicza And, Zielona Góra 2000

Przypisy

Linki zewnętrzne
Oficjalna strona Radia Zachód

Absolwenci Wyższej Szkoły Pedagogicznej w Zielonej Górze
Dziennikarze związani z Zieloną Górą
Ludzie urodzeni w Zielonej Górze
Pisarze związani z Zieloną Górą
Polscy dziennikarze radiowi
Polscy pisarze współcześni
Polscy poeci
Polscy prozaicy
Urodzeni w 1954

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


We've got the inside track, yo.
I/O Stream Mania is sweeping the globe (especially Europe, according to the group's webpage), and there seems to be no end in sight. Their edgy lyrics and social commentary are combined with a hard-hitting beat, and the result is obviously a recipe for success. Just recently, NinjaCulture's Nathan had a chance to sit down with MC Jackswitch and SerialC00L, the boys from I/O Stream, and see what they had to say.
MC Jackswitch: We are I/O Stream, famous gangsta rappas a.k.a. nerd-core hip hop.
NC: As 'gangsta rappas', one would expect your music to be very explicit. Is it?
MC: Our music is massively explicit, especially from a programmer's point of view.
SC: The concepts and ideas that we express in our lyrics are incredibly controversial, because we go against all new programming protocols, writing code in a previously unheard of style, and using our status as supastar gangsta rappas to get the message to the people.
NC: Some of the programmers I've met are timid and easily frightenable people. Doesn't this style scare people like that away? How did you get so popular among that crowd?
SC: Our goal is to take some of these timid programmers, and scare the crap out of them.
MC: We mainly aim at non-programmers who aren't as timid, and try to convert them to our fast-paced way of life, and choose DOS as the OS of choice.
SC: And make the timid ones crap themselves!
NC: So you intentionally frighten and offend, like Ronald McDonald?
MC: Yes, very much like that.
SC: Did you see his new TV ad? Wow!
NC: Yes, that was really something. So how was the group formed?
MC: One day we noticed a serious lack of gangsta rappers writing about computer programming. Naturally we tried to solve the problem.
SC: And BOOM! There we were, mixin' it up and spreading the word, YO!
NC: Were you immediately popular? Or did it take time to build up?
SC: It took a while to record our first single, and in about an hour, we were already getting record contracts shoved in our face.
MC: After our fourth single was released, we were asked to play at the half-time show at the SuperBowl.
SC: Naturally, we turned it down. We're just too freaking cool for that crap!
NC: There's rumors of a music video in the works, but do you have any plans for a tour?
MC: A tour is being planned when and if we release our first CD.
SC: We're hoping to get into the Fargodome!
MC: We are currently trying to find enough security staff to accommodate for our psychotic groupies who follow us around everywhere.
SC: Not like we'd need them. Have you seen my biceps?
NC: Now, I know a lot of fans would be upset if I didn't ask this question: Who are the "TC Elite Team" that you refer to in your music?
MC: We can't legally reveal that information due to a controversial restraining order.
NC: I see. Does this have anything to do with the group's rumored involvement with 'software piracy'?
Na, it had more to do with the illicit material released on Ebay.
NC: I did some digging and found out that SerialC00L was connected to a series of assaults on a particular tree outside of the Garden Valley Collegiate library. Care to comment?
SC: WHY DOES EVERYONE KEEP BRINGING THIS UP?! I've done my time, I've learned what tree abuse can result in.
NC: I've had a question or two submitted via email from some readers, and I'll ask you those now. This one is by Stan, from Alberta. "You guys are total crap. I absolutely can't believe how horrible you are. All the stuff you rap about is obsolete. Why would you go through all the trouble to release an entire album?"
MC: WHAT? Why don't you tell that (expletive deleted) to (explicit phrase deleted) himself!!
SC: Yo! And go (expletive deleted) your (expletive deleted) then eat it! JERK!
MC: We don't have to take this (expletive deleted). THIS INTERVIEW IS (expletive deleted) OVER YO!!
That was obviously the end of the interview. Their refusal to answer certain questions obviously hints at a shady past, common for most rap stars, but one thing is certain; the world has not yet heard the last of I/O Stream.


text:
\section{Introduction} \label{intro}

The central regions of galaxies ($r<1$~kpc) are a topic of great
interest, but one for which it is difficult to compare the results of
observations and theoretical simulations. The observational difficulty
is especially severe for galaxies at cosmological distances. The
Extragalactic Lens VLBI Imaging Survey (ELVIS) is motivated mainly by
the desire to measure (or place interesting constraints on) the
central matter distribution in galaxies at significant redshift, by
searching for central images of gravitational lenses.  As this is the
first ELVIS publication, we elaborate on the theoretical and
observational situation.

On the theoretical side, cosmological dark matter simulations produce
dark matter halos with a universal density profile that goes as
$\rho\propto r^{-3}$ at large radii and $\rho\propto r^{-\gamma},
\gamma=1-1.5$ at small radii \citep{nav97a,moo99a}. The transition
occurs at a scale radius $r_s$, typically $10-30$~kpc for halos of
galactic mass. The main difficulty with interpreting the results for
galaxy interiors is that on scales $\sim10$~kpc and smaller, the
baryonic component is expected to modify the dark matter halo
significantly. Adiabatic contraction \citep{blu86a} and similar models
\citep{sel05a} model the contraction of dark matter under the
gravitation of a baryonic disk or bulge. The total matter profile
steepens and becomes close to isothermal ($\rho\propto r^{-2}$) on
scales of a few kpc \citep{kaz05a}. Similar results are found from
hydrodynamic simulations that use cooling, gas dynamics, star
formation and gravitation to model the dark matter and baryons within
individual halos. The baryonic matter dissipates energy and collects
at the halo center, becoming the dominant component inside radii
$1.5-5$~kpc \citep{gne04a,mac06a}.  The dark matter contracts inwards
under the gravitational influence of the baryons, again giving a total
matter profile that is close to isothermal. At present the smallest
scales probed by the hydrodynamic simulations are 0.3--1~kpc.

On the observational side, the density distributions of massive
galaxies can be directly probed through dynamical studies, at least in
the nearby universe.  \citet{ger01a} have modelled the dynamics of a
sample of large early-type galaxies, using photometry and kinematic
line profiles.  The dark matter fraction is only $10-40\%$ within the
effective radius $R_e$, while the rotation curves are flat on scales
larger than $0.2R_e$, indicating an isothermal density profile on
these scales.  Typically $R_e=4-10$~kpc \citep{kro00a}, so these
results agree with the simulations described above. The density
profile of an early type galaxy is isothermal at radii of a few kpc,
and baryons represent most of the mass inside this radius.

Projected surface brightness profiles of nearby galaxies
($z=0.002-0.005$) have been observed with the Hubble Space Telescope
\citep{lau95a}.  The angular resolution is 0\farcs1, which corresponds
to a physical size of $\sim10$~pc for the typical galaxy in this
sample.  The surface brightness profiles are well fit by a broken
power law, with steep outer exponents, shallower inner exponents, and
break radii between 10 and 1000~pc. Based on their inner profiles
$I(R)\propto R^{-\beta}$ the galaxies can be classified into two
populations: steep cusps with $\beta\sim1$ and flatter cores with
$\beta=0-0.3$. A surface density power law $\Sigma(R)\propto
R^{-\beta}$ corresponds to a density power law $\rho(r)\propto
r^{-\gamma}$, where $\gamma=\beta+1$.  Thus the luminous matter in a
cuspy galaxy has an isothermal distribution ($\Sigma(R)\propto
R^{-1})$ to within $\sim10$~pc of the galaxy's center, while the
luminous matter in a core galaxy breaks to a shallower profile at some
radius $\lesssim1$~kpc.  This is a good approximation to the total
mass profile, as the stars seem to represent most of the mass at these
radii.

Gravitational lenses provide information on the mass profiles of more
distant (and therefore younger) galaxies. For a lens galaxy at
$z=0.3-1.0$, the relative positions and fluxes of the bright lensed
images of a background source constrain the matter profile interior to
a few kpc from the lens galaxy center.  Detailed studies of $\sim20$
gravitational lenses find that the early type lens galaxies have
density profiles which are very close to isothermal on these scales
\citep{rus03a, koo06a}.  Distant early-type galaxies have similar
profiles to those nearby: they are isothermal at galactic radii of a
few kpc.

But what about the central few hundred parsecs?  Here, too,
gravitational lenses can help, through the properties of the ``central
image.''  In theory, a non-singular galactic profile produces an odd
number of images \citep{dye80a, bur81a}.  One image forms near the
center of the lens galaxy, where it is expected to be highly
demagnified by the large surface density at that position
\citep{nar86a}. Due to the demagnification, the faint central image is
rarely observed, leaving two or four bright images.  In cases where
the density profile is singular, with a central cusp that is stronger
than isothermal ($\rho \sim r^{-\gamma}$ with $\gamma \geq 2$), no
central image is produced even in theory.

While they are hard to observe, central images probe the inner
10--100~pc of very distant galaxies.  \citet{win03a, win04a} have
confirmed the existence of a central image produced by an isolated
lens galaxy in the lens PMN~J1632-0033, using radio observations.  We
discuss this object and its matter profile further in
Section~\ref{conclusions}.  \citet{ina05a} found a central image
generated by the combined profile of a cluster and a massive galaxy,
using the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and the Hubble Space Telescope (HST).
The mass modelling here is dependent on both the galaxy and the cluster
profile.

Most galaxies host a super-massive black hole (SMBH) whose mass
correlates closely with the properties of the central stellar bulge
\citep{kor95a,mag98a}, particularly the velocity dispersion (the
$M-\sigma$ relation; \citet{fer00a,geb00a,tre02a}).  A SMBH in the
lens galaxy affects the central image: it can destroy the central
image, or split the central image into two images, one of which is
directly attributable to the black hole \citep{mao01a,bow04a}.  In the
latter case, the properties of the central-image pair could allow for
the measurement of the black hole mass in an ordinary galaxy at
significant redshift \citep{rus05a}.

Based on the surface-brightness profiles of nearby early-type galaxies
measured with HST, \citet{kee03a} predicted the distribution of core
image magnifications. He found a broad distribution, from $10^{-4.5}$
to $10^{-1}$, with a most probable magnification of approximately
$10^{-2.5}$.  Adding a SMBH had little effect on central-image
detectability: the magnification of the central image was strongly
affected only when the magnification of the galaxy alone was already
very low.  \citet{rus01a} placed limits on central mass distributions
using radio observations of six lenses from the Cosmic Lens All-Sky
Survey (CLASS; \citet{bro03a, mye03a}).
Their basic result was that if the density profiles in the
lens galaxies are taken to be power laws in radius, then they must be
nearly isothermal or steeper.  The constraints were somewhat weaker
when a SMBH was included.

This paper is organized as follows. Section~\ref{elvis} describes the
design of our survey. Section~\ref{j1838} presents new observations of
our first target, PMN~J1838--3427. Section~\ref{models} presents
models for the density profile in the lens galaxy of this system, and
the final section summarizes the results.

\section{ELVIS} \label{elvis}

The Extragalactic Lens VLBI Imaging Survey (ELVIS) will involve
sensitive, high-angular-resolution radio observations of many of the
known cases of gravitational lensing of a radio-loud quasar. The
traditional reasons to conduct such observations are to confirm cases
of gravitational lensing, and to observe correspondences between
lensed radio jets in order to refine models of the lens galaxy.
ELVIS is the first survey (to our knowledge) motivated by the search
for central images. As such, our highest-priority targets are those
that are most favorable for central-image hunting: radio-loud,
asymmetric two-image lenses.

The asymmetric two-image lenses (those with a large magnification
ratio between the two bright quasar images) are best because for those
systems, the mean magnification of the central image is generally the
largest, for a given lens galaxy \citep{mao01a,bow04a}. In a highly
asymmetric system, the angular separation between the lens galaxy and
the unlensed source is nearly as large as possible, while still being
close enough to produce multiple images. This results in a central
image that is as distant as possible from the lens galaxy center. More
symmetric systems (especially those that produce four bright images)
have central images located closer to the galaxy center, where the
surface density is larger and the degree of demagnification is
consequently greater.

Observing at radio wavelengths is desirable to avoid extinction by
dust within the interstellar medium of the lens galaxy. Attentuation
by plasma effects is also possible, but can be minimized by observing
at a high enough radio frequency (typically $\ge 5$~GHz). Moreover, an
optical image could easily be lost in the starlight of the lens
galaxy, while even a demagnified radio image will be brighter than a
typical radio-quiet lens galaxy. The angular separation between the
central image and the other images, or the lens galaxy center, is
likely to be 100~mas or less, so at the widely used radio frequencies
of 1-10~GHz, very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI) is needed.

\begin{table*}
\begin{center}
\caption{Details of the VLBA observations.
\label{vlba}}
\begin{tabular}{crrrrrr}
\tableline\tableline
Date & Image A & flux density & Image B & R.A.$_{\rm A}$-R.A.$_{\rm B}$ &
dec.$_{\rm A}$-dec.$_{\rm B}$ & Blank field\\
& point source & total & flux density & & & rms\\
& (mJy) & (mJy) & (mJy) & & & ($\mu$Jy~beam$^{-1}$)\\
\tableline
2000 Oct 07 & 206.8 & 219.2 & 9.3 & 0\farcs09747 & 0\farcs99130 & 86\\
2000 Oct 30 & 204.3 & 213.4 & 16.2 & 0\farcs09747 & 0\farcs99125 & 88\\
2000 Dec 17 & 222.4 & 232.3 & 12.8 & 0\farcs09746 & 0\farcs99122 & 95\\
2000 Dec 18 & 202.7 & 214.4 & 12.3 & 0\farcs09747 & 0\farcs99121 & 98\\
2000 Dec 22 & 209.7 & 209.7 & 13.4 & 0\farcs09745 & 0\farcs99118 & 93\\
2001 Mar 24 & 207.5 & 219.5 & 18.3 & 0\farcs09744 & 0\farcs99111 & 79\\
\tableline
\end{tabular}
\tablecomments{Details of the individual observing epochs.
The beam size varied slightly between epochs, with average values
of $3.5\times1.3$~mas, and the position angle was always within $1\degr$ of
zero. All epochs excluded the Brewster antenna due to low elevations.
The December epochs lacked the North Liberty VLBA antenna,
December 17 and December 18 substituted a single Very Large Array (VLA)
antenna for the Pie Town VLBA antenna.}
\end{center}
\end{table*}

The search for central images is a task that is well-matched to recent
advances in VLBI technologies. New high-bandwidth recorders and
digital back-ends have increased typical data rates by a factor of 4
in recent years, with even greater improvements expected in the next
few years. The effect is a considerable sensitivity boost for those
experiments that can take advantage of the increased bandwidth. The
European VLBI Network now routinely records at 1~Gb~s$^{-1}$. The
U.S.\ National Radio Astronomy Observatory does not yet generally
deploy recorders with bandwidths this wide, but it recently began
devoting approximately 300 hours per year to simultaneous observing
with the 10-station Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) and several other
large antennas such as the phased Very Large Array (VLA), Arecibo, the
Green Bank Telescope, and the Effelsberg telescope. The thermal noise
level with this ``High Sensitivity Array'' (HSA) is often 10-20 times
lower than a traditional VLBA observation of similar
duration. Gravitational lens central image searches are perfect
projects for sensitive observations with heterogeneous arrays. The
search for a faint central image in an otherwise blank region is a
problem limited mainly by the thermal noise level, rather than the
need for complete coverage of the Fourier plane. The typical radio
lens field has two or four bright, compact sources (the bright images
of the lensed quasar), and no extended structure. The bright images
provide in-beam phase calibration sources.  The simplicity of the
source structure (multiple, isolated point sources) makes it easier to
calibrate and image the data from the heterogeneous array.

For all these reasons, the first ELVIS targets are radio-loud quasars
lensed by a single galaxy to produce two bright images with a flux
ratio exceeding 5:1.  Two lenses that fit this description,
PMN~J1632-0033 \citep{win02a} and CLASS~B1030+074 \citep{xan98a}, have
already been the subjects of sensitive VLBI observations by other
groups. In the former case, good evidence for a central image was
found \citep{win04a}.  We are in the process of obtaining data from
long-duration VLBA observations, or shorter-duration HSA observations,
of the other known radio lenses meeting these criteria, many of which
are taken from CLASS.

Here we present our first target, PMN~J1838--3427.  This gravitational
lens was discovered by \citet{win00a}, as part of a survey for
radio-loud gravitational lenses in the southern sky. It has a two
bright images separated by 1\farcs0 and with a flux ratio of 14:1. The
redshift of the source quasar is at $z_{\rm S}=2.78$. A spectroscopic
redshift for the lens galaxy has not been measured, despite several
attempts. It is a difficult measurement mainly because the optical
light of the lens galaxy is blended with that of the fainter lens
image, and also because the system resides in a crowded field at low
galactic latitude. \citet{win00a} estimated $z_{\rm L}=0.36\pm0.08$,
the range of redshifts for which the lens galaxy photometry is
consistent with the fundamental plane relation. The source was
monitored at 9~GHz with the Australia Telescope Compact Array
\citep{win04b}, as discussed in Section~\ref{scintil}.

\section{Observations of J1838-3427} \label{j1838}

We observed PMN~J1838-3427 (hereafter, J1838) with the ten antennas of
the NRAO Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA), on 6 different epochs between
2000 October and 2001 March. At each epoch, the duration of the
observation was 5 hours. We observed right circular polarization with
a central frequency of 8.415~GHz. We used 2 bit sampling at 16
Msamples~s$^{-1}$ for each of 8 channels, giving a total data rate of
256 Mb~s$^{-1}$. Data from antennas that were observing at an
elevation of less than 10 degrees were excluded (this included all of
the data from the Brewster antenna). In addition, the North Liberty
antenna was not in use for two epochs, and was excluded from a third
epoch for which its data were very noisy and degraded the image. Thus,
3 epochs used 9 antennas and 3 epochs used 8 antennas. In each
observation, the time on J1838 was 4.5 hours and the estimated thermal
noise limit (based on the collecting area and receiver
characteristics) was $\sim70~\mu$Jy~beam$^{-1}$.

For each epoch the data were amplitude calibrated in AIPS, following
standard procedures. Because image A of the gravitational lens is
fairly bright, with a flux density of $\sim200$~mJy, we did not need
to perform phase referencing.  The initial phase solution was derived
from a fringe fit to a point-source model centered at the location of
image A, using a solution interval of 2 minutes.  We then reduced the
data with nine self-calibration cycles, each cycle consisting of
imaging, phase-only self-calibration with a 0.5-1.5 minute solution
interval, imaging, and phase and amplitude self-calibration with a 15
minute solution interval. For each new cycle, smaller CLEAN components
were included.

\begin{figure}
\includegraphics[scale=0.66]{f1.eps}
\caption{ Radio map of the two images of gravitational lens
PMN~J1838--3427, made with the VLBA at 8~GHz.  Data are from the first
epoch. The restoring beam ($40\times 20$~mas) was chosen to be much
larger than the naturally weighted beam in order to show both images
on a single map. Contours begin at 1.5~mJy~beam$^{-1}$ and increase by
factors of 2. The J2000 radio positions were not determined from our
observations; they were assumed from earlier VLA imaging. The cross
marks the location of the lens galaxy detected using HST/WFPC2; its
position is based on the offset from the bright quasar images in the
WFPC2 images. The box shows the central image search region.
\label{wholefield}}
\end{figure}

\begin{figure}
\plottwo{f2a.eps}{f2b.eps}
\caption{ (left) Radio map of image A.  (right) Radio map of image B.
Both maps were made from the first epoch of VLBA imaging at 8~GHz.
Coordinate offsets are from the phase center at (J2000) $18^{\rm
h}34^{\rm m}28\fs495, -34\degr27\arcmin41\farcs60$.  Contours begin at
$300~\mu$Jy~beam$^{-1}$ and increase by factors of 2 (the blank field
rms near image B was $86~\mu$Jy~beam$^{-1}$).  The synthesized beam of
$3.6\times1.1$~mas is shown at the lower left.  Note the extended
emission to the west of the main point source in image A.
\label{ABims}}
\end{figure}

The brightest image A appeared as a point source of flux
$\sim210$~mJy, with $\sim10$~mJy of extended emission to the west,
while image B appeared as a point source, varying between
9~and~18~mJy.  Maps from the first epoch are shown in
Figure~\ref{ABims}, while details of each observing run are presented
in Table~\ref{vlba}. The single epoch 5~GHz VLBA map of \citet{win00a}
shows two bright point sources at the same positions, with diffuse
emission to the west of image A. The fraction of the total image A
flux density in this extended component is $\sim10$\% at 5~GHz and
$\sim5$\% at 8.4~GHz, so the extended emission has a steeper spectral
index than the point source.

The flux densities of the two bright images varied between the epochs,
and the ratio of these flux densities also varied.  The image A to
image B flux density ratio in our maps varies from 12 to 24, with an
average of 15. This ratio averaged 14.6 in VLA observations and 10.6
in the the previous 5~GHz VLBA observations \citep{win00a}.  The lens
images appear to undergo large variations in intensity.  The two most
obvious possible explanations are intrinsic source variation, and
interstellar scintillation (see Section~\ref{scintil}).

No additional sources of radiation were seen in any epoch. We examined
a large region between the location of the lens galaxy and the bright
image B, where a central image would be expected.
\footnote{Gravitational lens images form at extrema of the time delay
surface, which is a combination of the geometric delay and the lens
galaxy potential determined by its density profile. The central image
forms near the lens galaxy potential maximum. The geometric delay
shifts the overall maximum towards the saddle point image B, on the
opposite side of the lens galaxy from the source. The central image
will thus form between the lens galaxy and image B, the fainter of
the two bright images.}
We extended this region slightly to the other side of the lens galaxy
to allow for the uncertainty in the optical position.
From epoch to epoch the noise varied from
$79~\mu$Jy~beam$^{-1}$ to $98~\mu$Jy~beam$^{-1}$ (Table~\ref{vlba}),
which is within 20-30\% of the expected thermal noise limit. The small
but significant excess over the thermal noise limit is expected, given
the southerly declination of the target. When the six maps were
co-added, the central-image search region remained blank (see
Figure~\ref{censearch}) and the noise decreased by
$\sim$$\sqrt{6}$. The distribution of surface brightness in the
pixels of the final map is roughly Gaussian, with a mean of
$-0.4~\mu$Jy~beam$^{-1}$ and a standard deviation of
$38~\mu$Jy~beam$^{-1}$ (see Figure~\ref{cenhist}).

\begin{figure}
\plotone{f3.eps}
\caption{ Radio map of the central image search region, from the
combined VLBA 8~GHz map of all six epochs. The wedge at right shows
the grey scale in $\mu$Jy~beam$^{-1}$.  The J2000 radio positions were
not determined from phase referencing; they were assumed from earlier
VLA imaging.  The cross marks the location of the lens galaxy detected
using HST/WFPC2. Its position is based on the offset from the bright
quasar images in the WFPC2 images.  Image B is obvious near the bottom
of the map.  The central image would form at the light travel time
maximum located between the lens galaxy and the bright image B,
so we searched for the central image in the boxed area.
\label{censearch}}
\end{figure}

\begin{figure}
\plotone{f4.eps}
\caption{ Histogram of surface brightness values for all pixels within the
central-image search region. The pixel size is 0.2~mas, which is
smaller than the typical beam size of $3.5\times1.3$~mas. The
distribution of surface brightness is approximately Gaussian, with a mean of
$-0.4~\mu$Jy~beam$^{-1}$ and a standard deviation of
$38~\mu$Jy~beam$^{-1}$.
\label{cenhist}}
\end{figure}

To quote an upper limit, we considered directly the surface
brightness distribution and took the 99th percentile to be the 99\%
limit on the central image flux density. This gave an upper limit on
the central image flux density of $S_{\rm C}<83~\mu$Jy, and a lower
limit on the magnification ratio of the brightest image to the central
image of $S_{\rm A}/S_{\rm C}>2500$, both with 99\% confidence. For
comparison, the 5~GHz VLBA maps of \citet{win00a} reached an rms
of $190~\mu$Jy~beam$^{-1}$, and measured a flux density of
$S_A=145$~mJy for the brightest image. Assuming a Gaussian
distribution for the blank field errors, the old 99\% limits were
$S_C<470~\mu$Jy and $S_{\rm A}/S_{\rm C}>310.$

\subsection{Scintillation} \label{scintil}

We found the flux densities $S_{\rm A}$ and $S_{\rm B}$ of the two
bright quasar images to vary from epoch to epoch.  The ratio $S_{\rm
A}/S_{\rm B}$ also varied significantly, demonstrating that the
variations are not due only to inconsistencies in the flux density
scale.  Image B showed a higher fractional variation than image A
(Table~\ref{vlba}). This is similar to what was observed by
\citet{win04b}, who monitored this object for 4 months with the
Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) at 9~GHz.  Over the course of
the campaign, the fractional variation in the flux density of image A
was 4\%, and that of image B was 8\%.

The lens is located at a low galactic latitude ($b_{\rm II}=-12\fdg5)$,
and may undergo scintillation due to the Milky Way's
interstellar medium. The root-mean-squared amplitude due to
scintillation is inversely proportional to the angular size of the
source \citep{wal98a, wal01a}, while the angular size of each lens
image is proportional to $S^{1/2}$, since gravitational lensing
conserves surface brightness. Thus the rms amplitude of scintillation
variations is proportional to $S^{-1/2}$, and the fainter image B
would be more affected by interstellar scintillation than image A.  In
contrast, intrinsic variability should produce the same fractional
variation in each component (though the variations would appear with
time lags due to the geometric and Shapiro delays).  The greater
fractional variation of image B that was observed with ATCA, and in
our own observations, supports the scintillation hypothesis.

The central image, if it exists, has a much smaller flux density and
angular size than either of the bright images.  Taking $S_{\rm
A}/S_{\rm C} > 2500$, scintillation would cause fractional variations
in $S_{\rm C}$ of order unity. No central radio source was seen in any
individual observation. Scintillation, if present, did not magnify the
central image above the detection limit for any single epoch
($\sim200~\mu$Jy). In what follows, we use the blank field of the
combined map to define our upper limit on the central image flux
density, but we note that scintillation could be a major source of
systematic error in this determination.

\section{Mass Models} \label{models}

\subsection{Cuspy Matter Profiles} \label{cuspy}

With this new and more stringent upper limit on the flux density of
the central image, we can restrict the possibilities for the central
density profile of the J1838 lens galaxy. A simple and realistic model
for the mass distribution of a massive galaxy is a broken power law
(see Section~\ref{intro}). We adopt the broken power law density
profile of \citet{mun01a}, in which the surface density and the
deflection angle are given by analytic expressions. This profile
varies as $\rho\propto r^{-n}$ at large radii, and as $\rho\propto
r^{-\gamma}$ at small radii, with a break at radius $r_b$:
\begin{equation}
\rho(r) = \frac{\rho_0}{r^\gamma}
\frac{1}{(1+r^2/r_b^2)^{(n-\gamma)/2}}.
\end{equation}

Since galactic profiles are approximately isothermal on scales of a
few kpc (see Section~\ref{intro}) and we have few constraints, we
apply the method used by \citet{win03a} in the analysis of
PMN~J1632--0033 and fix the outer power law to be isothermal ($n=2$).
We then explore the constraints on the break radius $r_b$ and inner
power law index $\gamma$.  In the limit of a pure isothermal sphere,
the central image vanishes; thus, as $r_b$ goes to zero or as $\gamma$
goes to 2, the central image flux density approaches zero.  We use a
spherical galaxy model, and account for non-sphericity in the
profile with an external shear at an arbitrary position angle. The
10 free parameters of our model are the positions of the lens galaxy
and the source, ($x_{\rm G}, y_{\rm G}, x_{\rm S}, y_{\rm S}$), the
source flux ($S_{\rm S}$), the mass parameter
($b=(2\pi r_b\rho_0)/(\Sigma_{cr})$)
\footnote{The quantity $\Sigma_{cr}=(c^2/4\pi G)(D_S/(D_LD_{LS}))$ is
the critical surface density for lensing. The quantities $D_L$, $D_S$
and $D_{LS}$ are the angular diameter distances from the observer to
the lens, from the observer to the source and from the lens to the
source, respectively.} the shear and its position angle ($s,
\theta_s$), the break radius ($r_b$) and the inner power law index
($\gamma$).

The data provide 9 observables: the two sky coordinates for each of
the lens galaxy, bright image A and bright image B; the flux densities
for image A and image B ($S_{\rm A}, S_{\rm B}$); and an upper limit
on the flux density of the central image C ($S_{\rm C}$).  The galaxy
coordinates and their uncertainties were taken from the Hubble Space
Telescope Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) photometry by
\citet{win00a}.  The radio coordinates and flux densities for images A
and B were measured in each of the six VLBA maps and the mean values
of these observables were taken as model constraints. We considered
only the bright peak of image A, and ignored the diffuse emission to
the west, as we consider only the point source magnifications.  Since
both the positions and fluxes of the bright images may be perturbed by
substructure in the lens galaxy, we adopted errors of 3~mas in the
positions and 20\% in the flux densities (cf.\
\citet{mao98a,kee98a,koc04a}). The constraint on $S_{\rm C}$ was taken
from the rms noise in a large region between the lens galaxy position
and image B in the combined VLBA image.  The distribution of surface
brightness in the pixels of this blank region was approximately
Gaussian, with a mean of $-0.4~\mu$Jy~beam$^{-1}$ and a
standard deviation of $38~\mu$Jy~beam$^{-1}$ (see Figure~\ref{cenhist}).
We took this to be a null detection of the central image with a
$1~\sigma$ error of $38~\mu$Jy~beam, and set
$S_{\rm C} = 0\pm38~\mu$Jy for the modelling.  These constraints are
summarized in Table~\ref{modcons}.  All of the observables were
assumed to obey Gaussian statistics, and $1~\sigma$ error bars
are quoted.

\begin{table}
\begin{center}
\caption{Lens model constraints.\label{modcons}}
\begin{tabular}{cr}
\tableline\tableline
Observable & Value\\
\tableline
R.A.$_{\rm A}$ & $0\farcs000\pm0\farcs003$\\
decl.$_{\rm A}$ & $0\farcs000\pm0\farcs003$\\
R.A.$_{\rm B}$ & $-0\farcs9912\pm0\farcs003$\\
decl.$_{\rm B}$ & $-0\farcs0975\pm0\farcs003$\\
R.A.$_{\rm G}$ & $-0\farcs911\pm0\farcs006$\\
decl.$_{\rm G}$ & $-0\farcs085\pm0\farcs006$\\
$S_{\rm A}$ & $208.3\pm41.8$ mJy\\
$S_{\rm B}$ & $13.7\pm2.7$ mJy\\
$S_{\rm C}$ & $0.000\pm0.038$ mJy\\
\tableline
\end{tabular}
\tablecomments{Constraints on the lens models, with $1~\sigma$ errors.
All positions are offsets from image A.
Galaxy postions are from the WFPC2 photometry in \citet{win00a}, other
constraints are from the VLBA data.
}
\end{center}
\end{table}

We model the lens with the {\it gravlens} package by
\citet{kee01a}. For the conversion from angular units to physical
units, we assume $z_{\rm L}=0.36$ and a $\Lambda$CDM cosmology with
$H_0=70~{\rm km~s}^{-1}~{\rm Mpc}^{-1}, \Omega_m=0.3,
\Omega_\Lambda=0.7$.  With 10 free parameters and 9 measurements, one
would expect a one-dimensional locus of allowed points in parameter
space. In fact, because the observable $S_{\rm C}$ is an upper limit,
the data define a one-dimensional boundary between an allowed region
and a disallowed region in parameter space. In Figure~\ref{old_new},
we plot the projection of this plane in the $r_b,\gamma$ parameter
space that characterizes the inner density profile.  Values of the
other parameters are given in Table~\ref{isoparms} for the isothermal
case ($r_b=2$ or $\gamma=0$), and these values change by
$\lesssim10\%$ over the region of $r_b,\gamma$ parameter space we
investigated.

\begin{figure}
\plotone{f5.eps}
\caption{Models for the lens galaxy of PMN~J1838--3427, using the new
data presented in this paper (solid line) and the previous
data from \citet{win00a} (dashed line). The matter profile is isothermal
($\rho\propto r^{-2}$) at large radius, and goes as
$\rho\propto r^{-\gamma}$ at small radius, with the break at radius
$r_b$. The inner power law index and break radius are allowed to vary. The
lines mark the $\chi^2=5.99$ boundary between
the allowed region (below and to the right) and the disallowed region
(above and to the left). The break radius in parsecs is calculated for
$z_{\rm L}=0.36$.
\label{old_new}}
\end{figure}

\begin{table}
\begin{center}
\caption{Lens model parameters for the isothermal case. \label{isoparms}}
\begin{tabular}{cr}
\tableline\tableline
Parameter & Value\\
\tableline
$b=\theta_{\rm E}$ & 0\farcs528\\
$x_{\rm G}$ & -0\farcs0850\\
$y_{\rm G}$ & -0\farcs9109\\
$x_{\rm S}$ & -0\farcs0187\\
$y_{\rm S}$ & -0\farcs4747\\
$S_{\rm S}$ & 80.3 mJy\\
$s$ & 0.0649\\
$\theta_s$ & $-18\fdg1$\\
\tableline
\end{tabular}
\tablecomments{The best fit values of the lens model parameters for the
isothermal case (when $r_b=0$ or $\gamma=2$).
}
\end{center}
\end{table}

For a sufficiently small break radius $r_b$ or sufficiently steep
inner index $\gamma$, the model fits the data perfectly.  As $r_b$
increases or $\gamma$ decreases, the fits become progressively worse
and $\chi^2$ becomes large.  Most of the disagreement is due to an
unacceptably large $S_{\rm C}$. Near the boundary of the allowed
region the best fits give slight variations in the calculated
values for the other observables, but these are generally less than
the $1~\sigma$ errors. The 95\% confidence region ($\chi^2<5.99$ for
two free parameters, cf.\ \citet{bev03a}) lies below and to the
right of the solid line. The matter distribution is nearly
isothermal: a flat core with $\gamma=0$ must be very small
($r_b \lesssim 1.5{\rm mas} \approx 5$~pc), and a large core with
$r_b = 100{\rm mas} \approx 500$~pc has a steep inner profile
($\gamma \gtrsim 1.92$).

For comparison, Figure~\ref{old_new} includes the region of parameter
space allowed by the less stringent observational constraints of
\citet{win00a}. The new data reduce the maximum size of a flat core
by a factor of $\sim2.5$, and increase the minimum inner index of a
large core by $\sim0.05.$

\subsection{Cuspy Matter Profiles with Black Holes} \label{smbh}

Most elliptical galaxies host super-massive black holes at their
centers \citep{kor95a,mag98a}: this additional point mass steepens the
overall central profile and may demagnify the central image
\citep{mao01a}. A realistic galaxy model should include a central
black hole. As seen in the previous section, even an interesting
smooth profile is underconstrained.  To avoid adding extra degrees of
freedom to the model, we add a black hole with a fixed mass given by
the $M-\sigma$ relation \citep{fer00a,geb00a,tre02a}, and determine
the resulting effect.

For an early-type lens galaxy, most of the mass will be in the bulge
component and so the total mass responsible for the lensing is a good
estimate of the overall velocity dispersion.  To estimate $\sigma$, we
determine the best-fitting value of the Einstein radius using a model
consisting of an isothermal sphere and external shear, and then use
the relation $\theta_{\rm E}=4\pi(D_{\rm LS}/D_{\rm
S})(\sigma^2/c^2)$.  For the broken power law model, the mass
normalization parameter $b=(2\pi r_b\rho_0)/(\Sigma_{cr})$ is
equivalent to $\theta_{\rm E}$ and this parameter varies by $<10\%$
over the allowed region in the broken power law models, so the
isothermal $\theta_{\rm E}$ is a good estimate of the true velocity
dispersion even if the true density profile is not exactly isothermal.

Given this estimate for $\sigma$, we calculate the black hole mass
$M_{\rm bh}$ using the relation from \citet{tre02a},
\begin{equation}
M_{\rm bh}=1.35\times10^8~M_\odot(\frac{\sigma}{200~{\rm km~s}^{-1}})^{4.02}.
\end{equation}
For J1838, $\theta_{\rm E}=0\farcs523$, $\sigma=154~{\rm km~s}^{-1}$
and $M_{\rm bh}=4.7\times10^7~M_\odot$.  The scatter in the $M-\sigma$
relation is 0.3~dex \citep{tre02a}, so a plausible range for the black
hole mass is $2.5\times10^7-1.0\times10^8~M_\odot$.

We rerun the calculations from Section~\ref{cuspy}, but this time
include a point mass fixed at the center of the lens galaxy.  We
consider a black hole with mass $5\times10^7~M_\odot$, in the center
of the expected range, and a black hole with the mass $10^8~M_\odot$,
at the top of the expected range.  The black hole either eliminates
the central image completely, leaving only the two bright images, or
creates two faint central images, the core and SMBH images, for a
total of four images.  The allowed regions, again defined by
$\chi^2<5.99$, are shown in Figure~\ref{rb_gamma}.  Below and to the
right of the allowed lines there are no central images, or both the
core and SMBH images are sufficiently faint that they would not have
been detected in our observations. The long-dashed line is for the
$5\times10^7~M_\odot$ black hole, the short-dashed line is for the
$10^8~M_\odot$ black hole.

\begin{figure}
\plotone{f6.eps}
\caption{Models for the lens galaxy of PMN~J1838--3427, using the new data
presented in this paper and including the effects of a super-massive black
hole.  The matter profile is isothermal ($\rho\propto r^{-2}$) at large
radius, and goes as $\rho\propto r^{-\gamma}$ at small radius, with the
break at radius $r_b$. To the smooth matter profile we add no black hole
(solid line), a $5\times10^7~M_\odot$ black hole (long-dashed line), or a
$10^8~M_\odot$ black hole (short-dashed line).  These black hole
masses are the central and largest values expected, given the velocity
dispersion of the galaxy. The inner power law index and break radius
are allowed to vary. The lines mark the $\chi^2=5.99$ boundary between
the allowed region (below and to the right) and the disallowed region
(above and to the left). The break radius in parsecs is calculated for
$z_{\rm L}=0.36$. When no black hole is present, a central image
always forms within the parameter ranges plotted. In the allowed
region, the central image is below our detection limit.  When a black
hole is present, the central image is either eliminated or split into
a core image and SMBH image. In the allowed region, either there are
no central images or both central images have flux densities below our
detection limit.
\label{rb_gamma}}
\end{figure}

The separation of the core and SMBH images is $2-5$~mas, so these might
appear as a single unresolved component if aligned with the long axis
of the beam. The core image flux density is greater than the SMBH
image flux density by a factor of $15-100$, so the core image flux
density makes a much larger contribution to $\chi^2$. For models
near the boundary of the allowed region, combining both central images
into a single unresolved component would raise $\chi^2$ by
$< 0.6$, and the allowed region would be only slightly more
constrained.

The SMBH allows the galaxy profile to be shallower, to some
extent. For fairly flat cores ($\gamma\lesssim1.5$) the maximum break
radius increases by about 50\% for the $5\times10^7~M_\odot$ black
hole, and by a factor of $2.5-3$ for the $10^8~M_\odot$ black hole.  For
larger, cuspy cores, the minimum inner slope is reduced by $\sim0.1$
for the $5\times10^7~M_\odot$ black hole and by $\sim0.2$ for the
$10^8~M_\odot$ black hole.  While the central smooth profile remains
close to isothermal, it is allowed to be somewhat flatter. The cusp in
the profile from the black hole makes the central mass profile
sufficiently steep even if the smooth component is shallower.

\subsection{Comparison with Other Central-Image Modelling} \label{previous}

\citet{win03a} modelled PMN~J1632-0033, the lens with a confirmed
central image, using the same cuspy profile as this work. Given that
the central image is detected with a definite flux, the allowed region
in the break radius and inner index space becomes a narrow band (see
\citet{win03a}, Figure~6).  A flat core has a fixed small size, and a
larger core is forced to a particular value of the inner index.  The
allowed band for J1632 is similar to the boundary of the allowed
region for J1838: a central image of definite flux density selects a
narrow band giving that value for $S_{\rm C}$, while an upper limit on
the central flux density selects a half plane bounded by the band for
the maximum allowed $S_{\rm C}$.

Other central image modelling has focused on single power law models.
\citet{win03a} also considered a single power law model $\rho\propto
r^{-\gamma}$ for the density profile of J1632, finding
$\gamma=1.91\pm0.02$.  This modelling did not include a central black
hole.  \citet{rus01a} modelled the gravitational lenses CLASS
B0739+366 and B1030+074 using a single power law model for the
projected surface density $\Sigma(R)\propto R^{-\beta}$, both with and
without a central black hole with a mass inferred from the $M-\sigma$
relation. Their only constraint was the limit on the bright image to
central image magnification ratio, the observable which dominates
$\chi^2$ in our modelling.  Their limits on the smooth profile were
$\beta>0.85$ for B0739+366 and $\beta>0.91$ for B1030+074, while the
respective limits were $\beta>0.84$ and $\beta>0.83$ when a black hole
was included.

Modelling J1838 as a single power law in the density $\rho\propto
r^{-\gamma}$, we find $\gamma>1.93$ for the smooth profile,
$\gamma>1.86$ when we include a central black hole of
$5\times10^7~M_\odot$ and $\gamma>1.82$ when we include a central
black hole of $10^8~M_\odot$ (the central and largest values expected
from the velocity dispersion).  Again, we note that a surface density
index $\beta$ is equivalent to a density index $\gamma=\beta+1$, so
these 4 lenses are similar. The profile is slightly shallower than
isothermal for J1632--0033, and the profiles are slightly shallower
than or steeper than isothermal for J1838--3427, B0739+366 and
B1030+074.

\section{Conclusions} \label{conclusions}

We have presented new VLBA data for the gravitational lens
PMN~J1838--3427, and set a stringent upper limit of $83~\mu$Jy (99\%
confidence) on the observed flux density of the central image. The
corresponding limit on the brightest image to central image
magnification ratio is $S_{\rm A}/S_{\rm C}>2500$. This improves on
the limits observed by \citet{win00a} by a factor of 8. The bright
images have different flux densities and different flux density ratios
in our six epochs, confirming the fluctuations seen by \citet{win03a}.
The larger fractional variation in image B relative to image A is
suggestive of scintillation. The possibility that the central image
also undergoes scintillation is a source of systematic uncertainty in
the interpretation of the upper limit on $S_{\rm C}$.

Lens galaxies at $z\lesssim0.5$ have isothermal profiles on scales of
a few kiloparsecs \citep{rus03a,koo06a}, and we find that the lens
galaxy in J1838 maintains this steep profile to within a few tens of
parsecs of its center. The lenses J1632--0033, B0739+366 and B1030+074
also have central density profiles close to isothermal
\citep{win03a,rus01a}. These four lens galaxies resemble the nearby
cusp galaxies in the photometric observations of
\citet{lau95a}. Galaxy simulations which track both dark matter and
baryons predict isothermal profiles at galactic radii $\gtrsim1$~kpc
(see Section~\ref{intro}), and central image constraints from these
galaxies show these profiles continuing to smaller radii.  A black
hole with a mass estimated from the $M-\sigma$ relation weakens the
constraints somewhat, allowing the central profile to be a little more
shallow.

As we add more galaxies to the ELVIS sample, we will have a larger
sample of gravitational lenses with either central images or very good
upper limits on the central image flux density.  Central images are
very sensitive to the central matter distributions that are just
shallower than the isothermal profiles of many local galaxies and of
distant galaxies at larger radii.  With more well-constrained central
matter profiles, we can determine if most early type galaxies at
$z\sim0.5$ have cuspy central profiles, or if some have shallow cores.
As well as the central image from the galaxy core, we may detect
central image pairs and directly measure black hole masses in distant
galaxies.

\acknowledgments

We thank David Rusin and Chuck Keeton for their participation in
ELVIS, and for their role in developing the lens modeling methodology
used in this paper. We also thank them, Shep Doeleman, and Scott Gaudi
for helpful consultations. We thank the referee for useful suggestions
that considerably improved this paper. Support for this work was provided
by the National Science Foundation through grant AST 00-71181. E.B.\
acknowledges the support of an NRAO pre-doctoral fellowship.
The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the
National Science Foundation operated under cooperative agreement by
Associated Universities, Inc.

Facilities: NRAO (VLBA).

\bibliographystyle{apj}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


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Scary Tourism: Ghosts, Ghouls and Haunted Castles
By Tracey on	 Monday 12th October 2020 Overseas Destinations
Double, double, toil and trouble,
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.
Fillet of a fenny snake,
In the cauldron boil and bake
We are fast approaching the spookiest event of the year – Halloween. What better way to get you ready than to take a tour around the world of famous ghosts, ghouls and haunted castles!
Dragsholm Slot, Denmark
About an hour northwest of Copenhagen, Denmark sits one of the spookiest Danish castles – Dragsholm Slot. This creepy structure boasts manicured gardens and incredible views of the North Sea. It's also the setting of ghost stories and four wandering spirits. Today, the castle is a luxury hotel, which even allows you to stay over in the haunted castle.
The fortress was built in the 13th century by the Bishop of Roskilde. Over the years it was leveled by invading armies and reconstructed several times. During the Reformation, church property was claimed by the Danish King who seized Dragsholm Slot and imprisoned the bishop within its walls and left to die. Guests claim to hear moaning, cries and wailing from the area that was formerly the castle's prison cells. The Earl of Bothwell, husband of Mary Queen of Scots and another former prisoner who died in the castle is also said to haunt the castle. Claims state that his spirit appears in the courtyard riding a horse-drawn carriage.
Two women also haunt the castle; the lady in white and the lady in gray. One is the spirit of a nobleman's daughter. She fell in love with a laborer at the castle and her father forbade the relationship. When he caught her visiting her love, he chained her to a wall in the castle cellar and built a brick wall around her. The other ghost of an old woman who died after castle doctors removed her infected tooth. It relieved her pain, but she died shortly after the procedure. Her happy spirit remains in the castle.
Submitted by Derek and Mike, Everything Copenhagen
Alcatraz Night Tour, San Francisco, US
How would you like to follow the trail of some of America's most infamous criminals like Al Capone, Robert Franklin Stroud (the "Birdman of Alcatraz"), and George "Machine Gun" Kelly? On a small island in the middle of San Francisco Bay nicknamed "The Rock" you can.
Alcatraz was originally a military fortification with a lighthouse, but it is known for being a high-security federal prison from 1934-1963. While 36 prisoners made 14 escape attempts, none were successful.
If you want to visit Alcatraz you will have to take one of the official tours. They offer a day tour, night tour, and behind the scenes tour. The Alcatraz night tour offers a bit of a spooky atmosphere and special ranger talks. The stories of how the prisoners tried to escape are fascinating.
All the tours include a scenic boat ride to the island with the views of the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco skyline. Then, it's a steep but short walk up to the cellhouse. There the audio tour will explain the history of Alcatraz and what the lives of the prisoners were like in the cell block.
Submitted by Anisa, Two Traveling Texans
St Augustine Medieval Torture Museum, Florida, US
The St Augustine Medieval Torture Museum is located in the heart of touristy St George's Street. It's a small place, on the second floor and can be easily overlooked by the tourist shops that surround it. It is one of the only museums that are open until late at night in St Augustine.
The St Augustine Medieval Torture Museum is not for children. Some exhibits include an iron maiden, chastity belts, a rack, and other torture devices that people used in the medieval ages. The ambiance that the museum exudes is one of creepiness and well, it can get a bit scary and gory. It pays to visit at night, when the sun is already set, as the light effects and the cool blowing air definitely adds to the scary factor of the museum.
Want to be in on the action? There are several interactive displays where you can take photos with creepy looking mannequins or find yourself entangled on some torture devices as well.
Submitted by Ruby, Voyage Florida
Factors Walk, Savannah, US
One of the most popular questions tourists ask Savannah locals is, "Have you ever spotted any ghosts?" It's only natural to wonder where the spirits are hiding out, since Savannah is known as one of the most haunted cities in the world! After roaming nearly every inch of it, I've come to the conclusion that Factors Walk is the spookiest spot.
Factors Walk is located between River and Bay Streets, in one of the oldest parts of Savannah. It's where cotton "factors" used to track the massive amounts of cotton being exported out of Savannah. It's also where items were unloaded from incoming ships and stored before being sold. Sadly, some of those "products" included enslaved men and women. They were brought up from the river and potentially held in the Cluskey Vaults before being moved through tunnels along Factors Walk to slave auctions further into town. Because of its history, the air feels very heavy there to me.
Today, Factors Walk still looks very much like it did 200 years ago! You can walk along the historic cobblestone streets, check out the Old Cotton Exchange Building, and even venture inside the Cluskey Vaults to try and spot a ghost for yourself!
Submitted by Erin, Savannah First-Timer's Guide
Larnach Castle, Dunedin, New Zealand
Rumours of paranormal activity and ghost sightings have been associated with New Zealand's Larnach castle for decades. From the faintest of whispers to the downright dramatic, many a visitor has left this Dunedin landmark feeling uneasy about what goes on between its walls. Not the least, the staff have reported mysterious happenings such as floating objects and other unexplainable events. But perhaps it's no surprise when you learn of the castle's tragic history. After commissioning the property in 1871, William Larnach lost his daughter, first wife and second wife at the castle, before taking his own life there in 1898. The castle was then used as an insane asylum, a retreat for nuns, and a solder's hospital before being bought by its current owners. These days, it's one of New Zealand's main attractions, being one of only two castles in the country. It's a popular wedding and event venue, and you can even book a night at the castle hotel – if you dare!
Submitted by Nadine, Le Long Weekend
Vampire Museum in Paris, France
If you are spending 2 days in Paris or more, go beyond the main sights and look for lesser-known places or activities in Paris.
If you are interested in ghosts and haunted places, you will be happy to know that Paris hosts the only museum dedicated to the vampires in the world!
This small museum located in a small house with a garden is managed by M. Jacques Sirgent, writer and self-proclaimed "vampirologist". He lives on the upper floor of the house and he will tell you that the garden is haunted since his grandfather decided to hang himself from one of its trees.
Jacques Sirgent proposes guided visits to this museum quite often, especially for Halloween in Paris. Inside the museum, you can admire anything related to vampires: posters, vampire masks, vampirology books, and even an anti-vampire protection kit from the 19th century.
The museum is located at 14 rue Jules David, Les Lilas (93), at the end of the Parisian metro, line 11.
Submitted by Elisa, World in Paris
Abandoned theme park, UK
Earlier this year, my family and I stayed at a hotel on the site of an abandoned theme park. Camelot, located in Chorley, suddenly shut down, without much explanation, in autumn 2012, and has been left to decay since. The hotel complex used to be part of the theme park, and it is evident from the numerous car parks on site, which don't seem to fit with the rest of the hotel.
Some people have been inside the park, and you can find their photos, including those of the Knightmare rollercoaster, which had just been demolished before our visit, on Instagram by searching Camelot Theme Park.
We didn't trespass ourselves, so just took photos from the outside, but it was suitably creepy! The atmosphere around the grounds feels charged – it wouldn't surprise me if the park was haunted.
Submitted by Emma-Louise, Even Angels Fall
The Weeping House in Kyiv, Ukraine
Ask any resident of Kyiv, Ukraine, whether there are any haunted places in the city, and most will immediately point in the direction of Richard the Lionheart's castle. Towering over the old and lovely, postcard-perfect Andriivska street in the old town, this building has the spookiest story to tell.
The gothic-styled mansion was trouble from the start. Perched on a hill, it was risky and complicated to build. Once it was built, the mansion caught on fire and was badly damaged. A while later, after the place was restored and the family moved in, its patriarch, a wealthy but greedy merchant Dmitriy Orlov was killed, and his widow sold the house.
The locals say that after these events, the house started crying. Coming out of its pipes and walls, the weeping sounds were loud and creepy, and crawled into every corner of the otherwise postcard-perfect street, sending shivers down the spines of its residents.
Years went by. Several families attempted to buy a house, but neither managed to move in and stay. Today, almost a century after the mansion was built, it still remains unclaimed, its walls and pipes weeping on certain nights.
Submitted by Inessa and Natalie, Through a Travel Lens
The Stanley Hotel, Colorado, US
The Stanley Hotel is one of the most haunted hotels in the US and most well-known for it's connection to Stephen King and The Shining. While the original wasn't filmed there (the remake was!) Stephen King did write the whole book here. The first movie was inspired very much by the Stanley Hotel but wasn't quite up to snuff. The hotel has quite this history and you can experience it for yourself. They offer day tours if you only have a few hours there or will only be there during the day. These are also great if you're more into history or have kids with you. If you're on a budget but want to experience it at night, you can do a Stanley Hotel night tour (highly recommend!) or if you want to splurge on the ultimate spooky experience, you can spend a night at the Stanley Hotel. Not only can you stay at the Stanley Hotel, but you can specifically book the most haunted rooms! This would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience and so worth the splurge.
Submitted by Megan, Red Around The World
Poole, Dorset, UK
Poole is a lovely quaint town located in the South West of England, at the seaside. By day, it is just another beautiful coastal town. By night however, many ghosts and spirits haunt its medieval houses from the old town centre. One can find out about all the local ghosts, some more peaceful than others, in Granny Cousins interactive ghost tour, which runs several times a year, usually in summer. The tour is led by Granny Cousins herself and her helper Red, two Victorian characters who know maybe a bit too much about the murders going on around town. The tour is very interactive, and it involves quite a few scary moments.
Poole is indeed a haunted town in Dorset, with one of the most active ghosts located at The King Charles pub. Many unusual things happen around the pub, which has been the subject of many paranormal investigations.
Submitted by Joanna, The World in my Pocket
The Rocks, Sydney
There are few places in Australia with as old and as sordid a history as Sydney's The Rocks.
Dating back to the late 1700's, The Rocks dates back to the early settlement of Australia and has a history of disease, crime and hardship and a reputation as one of Sydney's spookiest locations.
Many beautiful old stone buildings and some cobblestoned streets remain today, making it a pretty cool place for a stroll regardless, but those with an interest in the paranormal, or even just history, can join The Rocks Ghost Tour to walk the streets at night and hear tales from the past.
Guests will enjoy exclusive access to The Parbury Ruins, the remnants of an early 1800's cottage preserved in the basement of a modern apartment block, and hear the tale of a body found in a well as they gather around staring into it.
Or at the Hero of Waterloo, one of Sydney's oldest pubs, they will hear of the secret passage in the basement leading to the wharfs. Many a man found himself enjoying a drink at the bar one moment, then waking on a whaling ship after being smuggled away. That's if he didn't die in the passage on the way instead!
Submitted by Holly, Globeblogging
Kellie's Castle in Perak, Malaysia
Situated halfway between Perak's adventure sports capital of Gopeng and the town of Batu Gajah, both not far away from Ipoh, Kellie's Castles is a very quirky sight in Malaysia — and one that has a reputation for hantu — ghost, in the Malay language.
Built by a Scottish planter, William Kellie-Smith, Kellie's Castle is an unfinished European-styled manor that mixes South Indian Tamil architecture and is set next to the Raya River in lush tropical surroundings. Locals say that Kellie built this manor either as a gift to his wife, or to celebrate the birth of his son in 1915. In the original plan, the castle should have had Malaysia's first elevator, an indoor tennis court, and a rooftop courtyard for nightlife and entertainment.
But something strange started happening during construction: many among Kellie's team of Indian workers started dying of a bad case of Spanish Flu. Worried they may have attracted the wrath of some angry god, Kellie's men asked him permission to build an Indian temple nearby — to which the Scot promptly agreed. The pandemic and the deaths stopped shortly after the temple was erected, and Kellie was immortalized as a statue among the Hindu Gods on its roof.
The castle, however, was never finished because Kellie died of pneumonia while away in Portugal in 1926. Devastated, his wife decided to move back to Scotland, leaving everything unfinished. Today Kellie's Castle is a tourist attraction, and some say it is haunted by ghosts. You can experience this history on a Kellie's Castle Paranormal Tour, which brings guests through the empty hallways and rooftop of the manor in search for clues of its weird story… ghosts or not, this atmospheric visit is not for the faint-hearted.
Submitted by Marco, Penang Insider
Greyfriars Kirkyard, Edinburgh, Scotland
Edinburgh is home to Scotland's most haunted graveyard. Greyfriars Kirkyard is the stomping ground to several ghosts and poltergeists. These supernatural beings make a leisurely stroll through the graveyard extra spooky.
A lot of the paranormal activity is tied to one of Scotland's former judges, George Mackenzie. He was responsible for punishing a rebellious group called the Covenanter's. The group of 1200 prisoners were forced to stay out in the open, unsheltered from the harsh rainy and cold Scottish weather.
The prisoners were starved and tortured – most of them didn't survive.
The Covenanters' Prison is now blocked off and is only accessible by a ghost tour. Most people who enter the prison grounds are attacked by a ghostly entity, coming out with scratches, bruises or left feeling very ill.
If that isn't terrifying enough, the black mausoleum of George Mackenzie is only a few steps away from the prison gates.
Visitors to the graveyard have felt the presence of the Mackenzie Poltergeist and have noted similar injuries and feelings of unease as they lurk into the darkness inside the Black Mausoleum.
Whether it's the Mackenzie Poltergeist or the ghosts of the Covenanters – something in Greyfriars is out to get you.
Submitted by Crystal, Wandering Crystal
Amsterdam Dungeon, The Netherlands
One of the most creepy things to do in Amsterdam is going to the Amsterdam Dungeon. The Amsterdam Dungeon is a place where you dive deep into the darkest parts of the real history of the Netherlands.
You'll go on a journey through several rooms where you discover some new scary things every time. Also, you'll participate yourself in the experiences. For example, one member of the audience is accused of being a witch and has to stand trial (before being burned at the stake). Or you can be in a cage before being told what your punishment will be.
The whole experience consists of 7 interactive shows with live actors. During Halloween, the Amsterdam Dungeon is open till later and there is an extra show that you can only experience from October 10 till October 31.
If you are in Amsterdam, you should definitely experience the Amsterdam Dungeon, because it is really one of the best things to do in Amsterdam!
Submitted by Dymphe, Dymabroad
Point Nepean Quarantine Station, Melbourne, Australia
Abandoned at the end of the Second World War, the Point Nepean Quarantine Station was built at the very end of the Mornington Peninsula, near Melbourne, to isolate people with yellow fever.
But its history is darker and you can wander around and inside many of the buildings built for lepers, consumptives, prisoners and the mentally ill as well the morgue, mortuaries, crematorium, and graveyards.
The quarantine station is in Point Nepean National Park and closes at sunset. The ghost of Adeline Eliza Satchwell is believed to haunt the station at night. Adeline was 83 when she died in 1943.
But a pub in Victoria, the Elephant Bridge Hotel, is also scene of hauntings by Adeline's ghost. Adeline inherited the pub and she is supposed to have lived there all her life. Whatever the case, ghost tours are occasionally offered by the Nepean Historical Society at the creepy quarantine station. Perhaps you should visit during the day, when the abandoned buildings echo their sad history but don't seem quite so scary!
Submitted by Monique, Trip Anthropologist
Haunted chapel in São Paulo, Brazil
Liberdade Square and church in Liberdade japanese neighborhood – Sao Paulo, Brazil
Many tourists visiting the Holy Cross of the Hanged think it is just another chapel, another touristy thing to do in São Paulo.
Turns out this 18th-century chapel was built inside a cemetery for slaves, the poor, criminals, or anyone who would uprise against the empire.
Back then, the authorities would execute those people by hanging in public, and for practical reasons, that happened inside the cemetery.
While the cemetery eventually moved to another location a century later, the chapel remained in its place together with some haunted rumors.
Legend has it that the church's altar marks the spot where people were people were executed, and their souls still roam here since people's remains were never transferred or removed.
Whether that's true or not, I can't say, but the Holy Cross of the Hanged still draws many faithful people who light candles for the afflicted souls. In the same breath, paranormal believers claim the chapel has abnormal electromagnetic waves.
Would you light a candle there?
Submitted by Bruna, I Heart Brazil
New Orleans, Louisiana is one of America's most haunted cities! While there are many things to do in New Orleans, take a ghost tour to hear the gruesome stories about why it's so haunted.
First, in the mid-19th century multiple yellow fever epidemics struck New Orleans killing over 41,000 people! Roaming the French Quarter you'll pass apartment buildings that used to operate as hospitals, and walk along many streets that had piles of the dead.
Perhaps the most famous tale of New Orleans horror is of Madame Delphine LaLaurie, who enslaved and tortured African-American slaves in her home in secret. It's only after a horrible fire erupted, that her neighbors discovered her secret. Her mansion still stands and was briefly owned by Nicolas Cage.
Another interesting part of New Orleans is their above-ground cemeteries, created because the city lies below sea level. Originally, when folks tried to bury their dead, the wooden caskets would float up to the surface! Be sure to check out these "cities of the dead" where the most popular is Lafayette Cemetery No. 1.
Lastly, don't miss Marie Laveau's House of Voodoo on Bourbon Street to shop for voodoo dolls, tarot cards, spell kits, and talismans.
Submitted by Alanna, Periodic Adventures
Battleship Island, Japan
Back in 2012, CNN Travel announced a list of the "10 of the freakiest places around the world", and the Battleship Island (a.k.a. Gunkanjima) was put on the list.
Gunkanjima, located 18 kilometers offshore of Japan's Nagasaki west coast, is an abandoned island that shaped like a battleship, hence the name. It was a coal mine back in the 1950s and 6,000 workers lived on the island during it prime; The island was then completely deserted after the coal mine was shut down in 1972. With its buildings and facilities remained unattended for decades, it is now a giant ruin that looks like a mysterious sea castle from the water.
To those who like exploring ruins, the island is reopened for tourism in 2009. Sign up for a guided boat tour of which you can actually walk on the island and get a feel what life was like 50 years ago. The island is also featured in a number of movies, including a James Bond Hollywood blockbuster "Skyfall" in 2012, served as the secret headquarters and hideout of the villain.
Submitted by Kenny, Knycx Journeying
National Justice Museum, Nottingham, UK
The National Justice Museum in Nottingham is the location of the former Shire Hall and county gaol. The building is steeped in history, the steps outside were used for public executions and there was a court on the site since 1375 and a prison since 1449. It is one of the must-see Nottingham attractions for all ages and a prominent feature on Nottingham ghost tours and for good reason as it was named one of the most haunted buildings in the UK.
On a tour of the National Justice Museum you will learn about the history of justice through time, discover medieval torture devices and methods, witness the old jail cells, encounter role playing actors, take part in a Victorian trial, and even descend into the haunted caves under the city.
But beware!
Many guests and staff members have witnessed ghosts in the building and experienced paranormal encounters, mysterious sounds, unexplained sensations such as feeling cold and feeling drowsy and more often than not feeling as though someone was watching them. Not really surprising inside a Grade II listed building where justice was served, and many people met their fate.
Submitted by Steph and Lewis, Book It Let's Go!
Salem, Massachusetts, US
You can't have an article featuring creepy, spooky tourism without including Salem, Massachusetts, one of the most (in)famous spots in the world for its dark past (and its mystical present, as well).
Salem, MA is the site of the Salem Witch Trials, which took place in the 1690s. This was an American tragedy that stemmed from many potential causes, including the intense Puritanism of the early settlers. Sadly, 25 of the accused witches were killed during the Trials, either at the gallows, in jail, or in one case, by being "pressed" to death.
Despite its harrowing past, Salem has become an incredibly popular tourist destination today, featuring attractions that point to the history of the trials. But it's also sprung up into a destination for all things spooky, haunted, and creepy. There are many ghost tours in Salem, which take you past historic homes, dark graveyards, and other legendary spots, all while sharing tales and lore.
There's also a lighter side to the magic of the area; many modern-day witches call Salem home, and you can find a host of legit magic shops sprinkled throughout Salem, plus the opportunity to attend palm readings or other events.
Add all this to the fact that Salem is a beautiful, quaint New England town, and you'll find it's an excellent destination for any time of year.
Whatever you do in Salem, you will no doubt leave feeling purely enchanted.
Submitted by Amy, New England With Love
Bran Castle, Romania
Bran Castle or better-known Dracula castle is the king of creepy. No mention of dark or creepy tourism is complete without Dracula Castle.
I visited it in January at the height of winter because I really wanted to experience it in its full glory; with lots of snow around and a good sense of why it is considered so scary. If you want to read about the full day you can check it here.
Bran castle was made famous by the imagination of Bram Stoker who immortalised the character of Dracula. While the castle is better known as Dracula castle, it was never used by Vlad The Impaler (or Dracula as we know him now), he was imprisoned here for a small time. He was incredibly cruel but the tales of blood sucking are not true but Romanians dearly believe in vampirism. Combine the two and you have the perfect mix of creepy and scary.
The castle is located on a hill top with stunning surroundings. Its imposing towers and spires set the mood for your visit even before you enter the castle. The castle is rather simple inside but the labyrinth of stairs and passages opening into a courtyard are perfect if your imagination is anywhere as creative as Bram Stocker. To plan your visit and check ticket prices check here.
Submitted by Ucman, Brown Boy Travels
Whitby Abbey, North Yorkshire, UK
Whitby has a wealth of ghost stories to tell. This historic coastal town is filled with old buildings, narrow streets and many tales of things going bump in the night. A beast called the Burguest is said to roam the moors around the town, terrorising local livestock. And hobgoblins are said to inhabit the many caves in the cliffs surrounding the town.
But no place in Whitby is quite so atmospheric as the abbey which stands at the top of the 199 steps on Whitby's south cliff.
Whitby Abbey, with its dramatic sea worn gothic architecture, dominates the skyline. And it is said that if you walk up the steps on a cold dark night and stand between St Mary's church and the Abbey, then you may see and hear a dreadful sight. Many a frightened visitor has told tales of a ghostly horse drawn carriage pulling up in the moonlight next to the church before disappearing. Another tale tells of a white lady standing in the Abbey windows.
Who are these ghostly apparitions? Nobody knows. But Whitby Abbey rightly has enough of a reputation that it sparked the creation of one of the most famous gothic horror novels of all time. Bram Stoker visited Whitby in the 1890s and used the setting for his most famed creation, Dracula.
Submitted by Jo, A Rose Tinted World
Edinburgh's Above and Below Stories
One of the first stops on every first-time visitors Scotland itinerary is Edinburgh's Old Town and for good reason! This is where you'll find Edinburgh Castle, many of the city's tours, the oldest pubs and the multiple locations that inspired the Harry Potter books.
But there's more to the Old Town that meets the excited wide eyes of the first-time visitor! Above and below the city lies stories of grave robbing for cash (Burke and Hare), public hangings for incest and pacts with the devil (Wizard of West Bow) and a real-life Jekyll and Hyde (Deacon Brodie).
While these events all took place in the past, they are very much alive today in Edinburgh's museums, as pub names and features in its walking tours.
And the good news for those who can't visit Edinburgh at the moment? Edinburgh's dark history is ingrained in its tourism so you can experience it all year round but only if you're brave enough to visit the cemeteries and hauntingly dark underground…
By Gemma, Everything Edinburgh
Tags: HalloweenHaunted tourism
Tracey is the Content Editor for Flea Enterprises. She also blogs at PackThePJs. Tracey writes mainly about family travel; from days out to road trips with her pet dogs, to cruises and long-haul tropical destinations. Her family consists of her husband Huw, a medical writer, Millie-Mae (14), Toby (12) and Izzy and Jack the spaniels.
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As you've likely heard and seen, there's an increasing focus on the authenticity of follower growth and engagement on social platforms across the Influencer Marketing community. The platforms themselves have taken measures to deter inauthentic activity and brands now more closely scrutinise the audiences of the influencers with whom they are partnering.
The Flea Network has implemented a system that will detect abnormal spikes in following and engagement, and flag these properties. Of course, such spikes can often be attributed to viral posts or high-profile brands that bring greater exposure to some content.
If one of your social accounts is flagged by our system without an obvious reason, we may reach out to you for assistance in understanding it. If we find any influencer has artificially inflated their audience size or engagement using paid acquisition or automated, third-party tools, we will remove them permanently from our influencer community.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
News > Nation
Americans got 26.3B robocalls last year, up 46 percent from 2017, report says
Tue., Jan. 29, 2019
Jen Vargas looks at a call log displayed via an AT&T app on her cellphone Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2017, at her home in Orlando, Fla. (John Raoux / AP)
By Brian Fung Washington Post
Americans are now getting so many robocalls on a regular basis that many are simply choosing not to answer the phone altogether.
That's one big takeaway from a report released Tuesday by Hiya, a Seattle-based spam monitoring service that analyzed activity from 450,000 users of its app to determine the scope of unwanted robocalling – and how phone users react when they receive an automated call.
Consistent with other analyses, Hiya's report found that the number of robocalls is on the rise. About 26.3 billion robocalls were placed to U.S. phone numbers last year, Hiya said, up from 18 billion in 2017. One report last year projected that as many as half of all cellphone calls in 2019 could be spam.
While many businesses have legitimate purposes for using robocalls – think package delivery services, home maintenance technicians and banks – unwanted robocalls represent a growing challenge for regulators and telecom companies.
In its analysis of a month's worth of calling data, Hiya found that each of its app users reported an average of 10 unwanted robocalls. Many more incoming calls, about 60 on average, were from unrecognized numbers or numbers not linked to a person in the recipient's address book.
What's more, about half of cellphone calls are being answered at all, according to Hiya, whose systems integrate with lists of known and suspected spam numbers maintained by the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Trade Commission.
"As our phones continue to be inundated by robocalls, many people no longer want to pick up the phone at all," said Hiya CEO Alex Algard. But, Algard added, that can also lead to missing important calls from doctors' offices, banks, schools and other institutions.
Federal regulators have moved to crack down on unwanted and spam communications, levying massive fines against those who have illicitly harassed people on the national do-not-call telemarketing list and adopting rules facilitating the rollout of new technologies to stop unwanted calls.
Earlier this month, T-Mobile said it would soon activate a technical protocol known as SHAKEN/STIR, a type of caller authentication program that follows the same principles as website encryption. Other carriers, including AT&T, Verizon and Sprint, have also committed to implementing the feature. Endorsed by the FCC, the new protocol is part of an industry-wide push to limit the effects of caller ID spoofing, which is when a spammer poses as a caller from a nearby area code in an effort to trick recipients into picking up the phone.
The FCC received 52,000 consumer complaints about caller ID spoofing in 2018, the agency has said.
Top stories in Nation
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The desire to have a young face and body is a dream shared by most people. Freshly looking face projects self-confidence, even serves as a model for others to look up to. However, not everyone wishing to rejuvenate, can undergo a plastic surgery (for health reasons, age and so forth).
Nowadays there is a wide range of facial injections - a list that grows every year, some of which can temporarily replace the effects of a plastic surgery. The injections are carried out on the body and face with tried-and-tested techniques. These injections are approved, tried-and-tested and are widely used throughout Europe and around the world, and provide satisfying results for patients.
Botox injections are carried out predominantly in cases of minor wrinkles and aging skin.
Recovery: The patient is able to go home after 20 minutes following the procedure, and is able to return for work on the same day.
Results will become visible 2-10 days later.
Price: the cost of the procedure is determined during the consultation. The plastic surgeon will study the features of the skin, the signs of aging, the nature of wrinkles, contours and facial expressions. Based on these the doctor will determine the scope of the procedure, the quantity that needs to be injected and the individually tailored treatment.


> >variable [...] in the guard of a constraint handling rule?
> `identifying' the variable(s) that cause a CHR to re-activate.
> No, I don't think so.
as well as CHRs do.
especially of ic_global.  I guess they could teach me a lot.
> seem to be used that much, we haven't devoted that much resources to it.
I understand that.  You do a good job!
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£15 per person. Tickets are limited and only available in advance.
Good condition, trolly, two sails, £500.
Contender 441 For Sale. Old Boat but still stiff. Milanes Centreboard. Wavelength Sail in reasonable condition. Combi. New cover last season. Good starter boat. £650 Call Tim Grigsby (07792) 842425.
Are there any cat sailer's wanting a lift to Carnac 2008, unfortunately Pete Sherwin has family commitments and has had to bail out. Even if you just want a jolly there's room in the camper with Wayne and myself. Regards Struan.
The weekend racing saw some difficult conditions however the racing was exciting, it was very gusty and challenging however Saturdays race was won by Satisfaction, 2nd Windrush, 3rd Sandstar ( new boats can be beaten), 4th Apollo, and very very far back in last place was Squiffy.
Sundays Benfleet shield had very mixed conditions, Thompson/Hopper (Sandstar) were top in the Sandhopper fleet coming 2nd overall, well done boys, Satisfaction was second and Sandpiper was third, Apollo had her third collision of the year ( out of four races) and Windrush had 25 foot of plastic wrapped around the keel to help slow things down, pearl threw away a great 3rd place to finish 21st ??? and Squiffy made a better show finishing 4th.
The Sandhopper Nationals are not far away so i'm sure the current racing fleet circa. 12 at the moment will swell over the coming weeks as 22 are booked from TBYC to attend at the moment, many thanks to those who have lent their Sandhoppers to others to help make the event such a success.
We are pleased to report that the Men's showers are now in operation, although I did not take part members reported the showers provided lots of Hot Water and were a great success.
So far we have 22 Sandhoppers from TBYC going to the Nationals on the 31st may, with the other boats from MBSC and a few more from us we could get 30.
anyone care to swap? as I'll be at an open.
I require a Duty Swap (Helm SS2) for Saturday 10th May Spring Sat 7 due to the fact that I will be in Phwelli for the Contender Nationals with Chris Boshier. (I'm not sailing). Would be greatful for a swap for any of the following dates.
April – Sat 19, Sat 26. May – Wed 28, Thurs 29. June – Wed 11, Thurs 12, Sat 21, Fri 27, Sat 28.
July – Thur 10, Fri 11, Sat 19, Sat 26. Aug – Mon 11. Sept – Sat 6. Oct – Sat 4, Sat 11, Sat 25.
Nov Sat 1, Sat 15, Sat 29. Dec – Sat 13.
All other dates I am sailing somewhere.


text:
Researchers discover a new pathway that regulates inflammation
Mar 11, 2009 9:00 am by Diana Yates | Life Sciences Editor | 217-333-5802Life Sciences
U. of I. biochemistry professor Lin-Feng Chen, right, and his colleagues, including postdoctoral researcher Xiaodong Yang, identified a novel pathway that controls the activity of a key protein involved in inflammation.
CHAMPAIGN, lll. - Inflammation, the body's earliest response to damage or infection, can aid the healing process and trigger an immune response against invading pathogens. But inflammation gone awry can also undermine health, as in diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis or asthma.
Researchers at the University of Illinois have identified a novel pathway that controls the activity of a key protein involved in inflammation. Their findings could have important implications for the treatment of diseases or conditions linked to chronic inflammation.
At the heart of the cell's inflammatory response is a protein complex called NF-kappa B. In the new study, biochemistry professor Lin-Feng Chen and his colleagues deciphered a molecular code that controls its function. Their results appear in the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) Journal.
The NF-kappa B protein complex consists of two subunits that can bind to DNA and regulate the expression of particular genes. The complex acts like a molecular switch that can be turned on when the cell is under attack and then off when the attack has been cleared. Upon activation, it rapidly moves into the nucleus and sets in motion an army of proteins that cause inflammation. Often referred to as the master regulator of the immune system, NF-kappa B belongs to a large family of proteins called transcription factors that control which genes are turned on or off.
"Inflammation is like a chemical storm during which many special chemicals that signal the immune system are released at the site of infection," Chen said.
"NF-kappa B, the protein which is central to the inflammatory response, has to be tightly controlled; otherwise things could go crazy within the body."
Normally, a second protein inactivates NF-kappa B by directly binding to it. But when the cell is under stress (for example, during infection), this inhibitory protein is dismantled. NF-kappa B, now relieved of inhibition, rushes into the nucleus and activates gene expression. Once it finishes its job, NF-kappa B stimulates the production of its inhibitory partner and is itself inhibited again.
Recent studies found that NF-Kappa B also was being degraded in the nucleus, indicating an alternate means by which NF-kappa B activity is regulated in the cell.
"Every step of NF-kappa B activation is tightly controlled," Chen said. He and his colleagues hunted for the signals that could control its degradation and inactivation.
Chen's earlier work gave him important clues about how protein activity can be modified when small chemical groups are added to the protein after it is assembled. This process, called post-translational modification, tags the proteins. Like the sign on the front of a bus declaring its destination, the tags direct proteins to different fates.
"One of the goals of our lab is to study how post-translational modifications affect NF-kappa B activity under normal and diseased conditions," Chen said.
To identify whether a particular molecular tag, called a methyl group, could be added to NF-kappa B to regulate its activity, Xiao-Dong Yang, a postdoctoral researcher in Chen's lab and lead author on the new study, performed a simple experiment. He mixed the NF-kappa B protein with a protein whose function is to add a methyl group to certain other proteins. He discovered that a subunit of NF-kappa B was, in fact, being labeled with a methyl group.
Adding a methyl group increases the weight of the protein by a very small amount. In collaboration with chemistry professor Neil Kelleher, the researchers used an ultrasensitive molecular scale, called mass spectrometry, and identified two amino acids in the protein that had been modified with the methyl group.
In a series of experiments, Chen and his colleagues found that the presence of the methyl group signaled that NF-kappa B was to be degraded in the nucleus. This showed, for the first time, how NF-kappa B could be degraded and regulated independent of its inhibitor protein.
Chen said that understanding the role of different post-translational tags on NF-kappa B could lead to the discovery of a "transcription factor code" or "NF-kappa B code," similar to the "histone code." Like the genetic code, which spells out the sequence of amino acids in a protein, the transcription factor code stores information about how various post-translational modifications signal different biological fates.
"In some cancers and inflammatory diseases NF-kappa B is permanently active. The turn-off mechanism has been inactivated," Chen said. He hopes that the discovery of this pathway could lead to the development of new drugs to influence the methylation - and hence the activity - of this transcription factor and the inflammatory response.
Editor's note: To reach Lin- Feng Chen, call 217-333-7764; e-mail: lfchen@life.illinois.edu.