text:
SportLocal Sport
sport, local-sport,
Newcastle's Aaron Townsend was relieved just to get back into competitive golf last week at The Murray Open after the COVID-19 lockdown. A guaranteed start in the NSW Open, an event he won in 2008 at The Vintage, was a nice bonus. The Sydney-based professional, St Michael's John Lyras and Wodonga's Daniel Gill secured places in March's NSW Open at Concord with top-five efforts last Thursday and Friday. Townsend carded rounds of 69 and 70 to finish tied for fifth with Lyras at five under, a shot behind Gill. The trio were the highest-placed players not already assured of a spot at the NSW Open. Canberra's Matt Millar won at 10-under. Townsend believed he would get a start in the Open, through his ranking or an invite as a past champion, but said "it's nice to get that tick early". "I probably thought I was going to be OK anyway with the category I had, but it's nice not to have to worry about it," he said. "It's an event I enjoy playing every year and I always think back to 2008. That was a long time ago now but it's still good to think about." The Murray Downs event was a post-COVID return for most players and a welcomed one especially for Townsend, who had no real practice for three months during lockdown. "Maybe that's why I played OK," he said. "I hadn't played an event for six months, and I had three months where I couldn't even hit a shot. All the courses around where I lived were members only and I wasn't a member of any, so it was just nice to get out there, swing a club and feel a bit of competition." The second NSW Open regional qualifier, the Western Open at Dubbo, started Monday and Townsend shot even par 72. Jye Pickin was the best of the Hunter players with five-under 67 to be tied for fifth, four shots off leader Daniel Gale. Josh Fuller and Hayden Gulliver shot 71 and Clayton Small hit 74. ** Newcastle Golf Club's Ella Scaysbrook will be one to watch at the NSW junior championships next week at Lynwood after starring at the first Jack Newton tournament back since lockdown. The 15-year-old won the girls' division of the Brett Ogle Junior Masters at Goulburn on November 20-21 and also scored a hole-in-one on the opening day. Scaysbrook shot five under with rounds of 70 and 69 to win by two strokes from another Hunter talent, Amy Squires. The Horizons Golf Club member fired the best round on day two, a four-under par 68, to finish on three under in outright second. Squires had five birdies in six holes during her run up the leaderboard, giving her a first under-par tournament. In the boys section, Newcastle's Brij Ingrey finished third with rounds of 74 70 for plus two. He was two shots behind the winner, Central Coast player Riley Millers. The state's best will be in action again from Monday at the 72-hole NSW junior championships, which were rescheduled from July. IN THE NEWS: Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/ChN2GeGbsrYvYqhWaZEXS7/c3bee317-4082-4ec9-9b01-526f70b718bd.jpg/r43_197_2356_1504_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg
Aaron Townsend relieved to lock in NSW Open spot
Craig Kerry
BACK IN THE SWING: Aaron Townsend in action at the Murray Downs qualifier last week. Picture: David Tease
Newcastle's Aaron Townsend was relieved just to get back into competitive golf last week at The Murray Open after the COVID-19 lockdown.
A guaranteed start in the NSW Open, an event he won in 2008 at The Vintage, was a nice bonus.
The Sydney-based professional, St Michael's John Lyras and Wodonga's Daniel Gill secured places in March's NSW Open at Concord with top-five efforts last Thursday and Friday.
Townsend carded rounds of 69 and 70 to finish tied for fifth with Lyras at five under, a shot behind Gill. The trio were the highest-placed players not already assured of a spot at the NSW Open. Canberra's Matt Millar won at 10-under.
Townsend believed he would get a start in the Open, through his ranking or an invite as a past champion, but said "it's nice to get that tick early".
"I probably thought I was going to be OK anyway with the category I had, but it's nice not to have to worry about it," he said. "It's an event I enjoy playing every year and I always think back to 2008. That was a long time ago now but it's still good to think about."
The Murray Downs event was a post-COVID return for most players and a welcomed one especially for Townsend, who had no real practice for three months during lockdown.
"Maybe that's why I played OK," he said. "I hadn't played an event for six months, and I had three months where I couldn't even hit a shot. All the courses around where I lived were members only and I wasn't a member of any, so it was just nice to get out there, swing a club and feel a bit of competition."
The second NSW Open regional qualifier, the Western Open at Dubbo, started Monday and Townsend shot even par 72. Jye Pickin was the best of the Hunter players with five-under 67 to be tied for fifth, four shots off leader Daniel Gale. Josh Fuller and Hayden Gulliver shot 71 and Clayton Small hit 74.
** Newcastle Golf Club's Ella Scaysbrook will be one to watch at the NSW junior championships next week at Lynwood after starring at the first Jack Newton tournament back since lockdown.
The 15-year-old won the girls' division of the Brett Ogle Junior Masters at Goulburn on November 20-21 and also scored a hole-in-one on the opening day.
Scaysbrook shot five under with rounds of 70 and 69 to win by two strokes from another Hunter talent, Amy Squires. The Horizons Golf Club member fired the best round on day two, a four-under par 68, to finish on three under in outright second.
Squires had five birdies in six holes during her run up the leaderboard, giving her a first under-par tournament.
In the boys section, Newcastle's Brij Ingrey finished third with rounds of 74 70 for plus two. He was two shots behind the winner, Central Coast player Riley Millers.
The state's best will be in action again from Monday at the 72-hole NSW junior championships, which were rescheduled from July.
Jarryd Hayne pushes for re-trial in rape appeal
Omicron spread could see booster shots brought forward
Minor flooding expected at Maitland, Raymond Terrace late on Monday
Ten Hunter New England COVID-19 infections as hospital cases dwindle
Light rail services return, but full capacity not due until 'mid-week'
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
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Turn Memphis into a giant game board with this fun scavenger hunt adventure. Combine the excitement of the Amazing Race with a three-hour city tour. Guided from any smart phone, teams make their way among well-known and overlooked gems of the city, solving clues and completing challenges while learning the local history.
Your Amazing Scavenger Hunt Adventure will begin outside the famous Peabody Hotel and will take you on a journey to famous and lesser known sights of the city. You will find famous barbecue, discover a walk of fame and see some Peabody ducks. You'll see Elvis (really!) and the place where he bought his famous clothes as well as many other unique and historic sites.
The clues, riddles and other games are fun and challenging for all ages. Don't miss one of the most unique ways to see the great sites of the City while having fun.


The Kannada language has an unbroken literary history of over a thousand years and with over 38 million speakers, it is one of the 40 most spoken languages in the world. By the..
Starting in 1896, Tsiolkovsky systematically studied the theory of motion of rocket apparatus. A.1) citing the specific authority that establishes the applicable team members eligibility to propose to Government solicitations to include: 1)..
The symbolic nature of the person's experience and his for the most part absence of personal association to the material is taken into account along with the presence of the same theme or..
of work which in several occasions. Explain the benefit of raising its existing prices. Dissertation coach dallas 1920s african american colored essay from state these united, length of college essay description charge to mass ratio of an electron lab conclusion essay? Essays a subject and sources b structure 3 research papers since the essay is based on the presentation of an argument, the structure. They serve as a link between the people and the Government. This idea seems especially. 3 In the novel The Great Gatsby. Adam and Eve, Audience, Contemporary history 911 Words 3 Pages Open Document Essay Gender : Female. It is a process to optimize web sites, so that they are easily connected or interlaced with online communities and community websites. Mardhekar is the first stream-of-consciousness novel in Marathi. The focus of this discussion is social security income (SSI who administers SSI, and why would SSI benefits vary from state to state.
British Raj, Broadsheet, English-language newspapers published in India 1157 Words 4 Pages Open Document essay Hills Away, Children of the Ash-Covered Loam and smart grid thesis phd Other Stories, The Bamboo Dancers, Look Stranger, on this Island Now, Mindoro and Beyond: Twenty -One Stories, The Bread of Salt and. Rhetoric 12 marks. Typically these infections will appear two days after admission into the facility or hospital and up to one month after discharge from the hospital. It let us know about the latest trends and traditions. There are many types of newspaper and magazines according to their brand and subscription. 2005 albums, Essay, Five paragraph essay 1430 Words 5 Pages Open Document Essay such strategies as scanning, skimming, main ideas, contextual clues and inferences. Newspaper contains bulk of information under attractive headings according to everyones choice so no one can be bored. We let us know exact information related to the topic of sports, politics, religion, society, economy, film industries, movies, food, employment etc. Each essay is a separate assignment. Importance of newspaper essay in marathi language click here, pedro chirino essay, to kill a mockingbird 1962 is a much-loved, critically-acclaimed, classic trial film it exhibits a atticus, jem says this watch is gonna belong to him some day. Newspaper is a set of large sheets containing printed news, stories, information, articles, advertisements, etc. Americas, Asia, Christopher Columbus 786 Words 3 Pages Open Document Essay Cheyenne Steel Carter English 9 15/14 Comparison Essay Animal Farm and The Palestinian Arab-Israeli Conflict of 1946 In writing Animal Farm, the author Orwell illustrates disillusionment with socialist revolution.
When joining in to sing. They can be classified according to the number of times they appear in a year. They have to depend of others to read aloud the contents for them. "Your friend is intellectually honourable. Marathi is also one of the few Indian languages (and possibly the only one) where there is a stream of science fiction literature (famous authors include Jayant Narlikar, Dr Bal Phondke, Subodh Javadekar, and Laxman Londhe). This short essay on Newspaper is divided into a brief introduction, its classification, advantages, disadvantages and conclusion. After some days Mrs.


text:
Q: Sound not ringing on load of The Intent I am calling this class from another class using intent and i want to play this song "song.ogg" on load of the class .. please Help me How To??
public class DetlsActivity extends Activity {
    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.detls_layout);

        getActionBar().setDisplayHomeAsUpEnabled(true);

        SoundPool soundPool;
        int soundID;
        soundPool = new SoundPool(10, AudioManager.STREAM_MUSIC, 0);
        soundID = soundPool.load(this,R.raw.song, 1);
        AudioManager audioManager = (AudioManager) getSystemService(AUDIO_SERVICE);
        //soundPool.play(soundID,1f,1f,1,0,1f);
        Toast.makeText(this,"Ringing Song",Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
        try {
        AssetFileDescriptor assetFileDescriptor = this.getAssets().openFd("song.ogg");
        soundPool.load(assetFileDescriptor,1);
            Toast.makeText(this,"Played",Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
        }
        catch (Exception e) {
            Log.d("LOGCAT","Exception Song");
        }

A:     SoundPool soundPool;
    int soundID;
    soundPool = new SoundPool(10, AudioManager.STREAM_MUSIC, 0);
    Toast.makeText(this,"Ringing Song",Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
    try {
        soundID = soundPool.load(this,R.raw.song, 1);
        int waitLimit = 1000;
        int waitCounter = 0;
        int throttle = 10;
        while(soundPool.play(soundID, 1.f, 1.f, 1, 0, 1.f) == 0 && waitCounter < waitLimit)
          {waitCounter++; SystemClock.sleep(throttle);}
        Toast.makeText(this,"Played "+soundID,Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();

    }
    catch (Exception e) {
        Log.d("LOGCAT","Exception Song");
        Toast.makeText(this,"Exception "+e,Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
    }

Replace your code with above code. Current code give warning soundpool sample 1 not ready so check this using while condition.
Here, your resource is in raw folder that's why we use soundID = soundPool.load(this,R.raw.song, 1);. If your resource is in assets folder at that time you can use soundID = soundPool.load(getAssets().openFd("song.ogg"),1);

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The government-funded rollout of superfast broadband in Scotland is set to reach another 145,000 homes and businesses as part of the second phase of the public-private Digital Scotland initiative.
The £410m partnership, funded by BDUK, the Scottish Government, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and BT, compromises two separate projects – one covering the Highlands and Islands and the other covering the rest of Scotland.
Since the project started last year, 275,000 properties have been connected, with more than 3,400 kilometres of fibre laid. When combined with commercial rollouts, more than 1.5 million and homes and businesses have access to superfast broadband in the country.
The second phase will reach out into more rural areas of the country, such as Braemar in Aberdeenshire, Portpatrick in Dumfries and Galloway and Voe in Shetland, as well as communities in urban areas underserved by commercial deployments.
Across the UK as a whole, more than two million premises have been connected to fibre as a direct result of government broadband projects.


Situated in Višnjan, Three-Bedroom Holiday Home in Visnjan features accommodation with a private pool. This holiday home also features an outdoor pool and free WiFi. The holiday home has 3 bedrooms, a TV and a fully equipped kitchen that provides guests with a dishwasher and a fridge. Portorož is 42 km from the holiday home, while Rovinj is 41 km away. Pula Airport is 57 km from the property.


Jasmine Becket-Griffith calls her art "Strangeling" and it fits. She paints beautiful girls and fairies, who are often accompanied by other creatures. And her creations, whether human, animal, or mythical, all have the most amazing eyes.
She has created a whole series of fairies with "dragonlings," yes little dragons like the one here. Of course I love them all! There are "Owlyns" too - little fairies that seem to be part owl. Of course they live with the owls, which naturally have the big eyes.
Image of "Darling Dragonling IV" ©Jasmine Becket-Griffith from www.Strangeling.com.
Jasmine Becket-Griffith is certainly not the only artist to paint big eyes, nor is she the first.The original "Big Eye" artist is Margaret Keane, known as the "mother of big-eye art," who began painting this style in the 1960s. She was soon famous for her paintings of "sad-eyed waifs" - cute children with enormous eyes. Her husband, Walter, marketed them as mass-produced prints and they became a commercial success, with several other artists copying the style. Unfortunately, though, Walter then claimed he was the artist - what a jerk. No wonder Margaret's early works are sad!
Margaret divorced him, moved to Hawaii, became a Jehovah's Witness, and won the rights to all her paintings. Her later paintings still have big eyes but are so much happier.
Fine art by Margaret Keane is available as greeting cards, double matted cards, posters and refrigerator magnets at Keane Look.
Tim Burton's movie "Big Eyes"
In recent years there has been a revival of Big Eye art. Some new artists have taken up the style, but with a difference - they added fantasy. That means dragons, fairies, and other mythical beings have come to the land of big eyes!
Two of these artists are Blonde Blythe and Jasmine Becket-Griffith. Both of them have some amazing artworks, and they publish books too. This article is about Jasmine's "Strangeling" art, but I'll get to Blonde Blythe next.
Jasmine Becket-Griffith is a freelance American artist, born in 1979, who lives in Florida with her husband and several cats. She loves animals (yes, she has those three cats and paints them as well as lots of other animals), reading (fantasy of course among a variety of other genres), and would you believe she actually has big eyes!
Jasmine paints with acrylic on wood or canvas, and paints all the time. The only time she is not painting is when she is attending conventions and shows. So she has quite a large portfolio!
Her husband and other family members help with the business of selling her art, and her designs appear on several brands. Her Big Eye art is certainly popular.
But really it wasn't the big eye girls, or fairies like Owlyn, that sold me on Jasmine's art. It was the dragonlings!
Now, as a fan of dragons I'm always looking at dragons in art (not so many in everyday life you know), and when I found these adorable dragonlings I was truly sold.
The dragonlings are really cute, little, baby dragons, often held in the arms of a big eye fairy whose wings and coloring usually bear a striking resemblance to their little dragonling.
Dragonlings are not limited to being friends of fairies, though, there is a wondrous golden dragonling who seems to live with a mermaid!
Strangelings are not just found as works of art on canvases and posters, or even just reproduced in books. They can be found in many other forms.
There are figurines available through the Bradford Exchange and Hamilton Collection;products like mugs, mousepads, cases and sleeves for electronics, and much more on Zazzle; and her sister Amber and brother-in-law Chris sell jewelry featuring her work at their eBay store, Strangeling Art Emporium.
Strangelings have been made into the cutest figurines!
You can learn all about Jasmine Becket-Griffith and her art on her website, Strangeling.
What do you think of Strangeling art?
Your welcome - and thanks for your appreciation.
I love that golden dragon too - it is kind of fawn-like!
jptanabe, The Golden Dragon reminds me of a fawn in its pose and in the outline of its head and upper body; it is simply adorable.
The figures and the use of color are enchanting.
Wow Beautiful art work! Big eyes are beautiful!
Another excellent Wizzle. You work magic with your presentations of wonderful artists. I shared this via Pinterest.
Oh yes, she has an angel with a gorgeous nautilus shell that is wonderful.
I do enjoy Strangeling's art. She has an image of a big eyed character with a nautilus shell which is one of my favorites.


text:
New NFL domestic violence penalties may still not be enough
By Dan Sostek / Staff Writer
While most of the country views football as its prized national pastime, the National Football League has its problems. The one at the forefront of national conversation recently is player health and safety as well as how the sport's inherent risk of concussions is destroying retired — and some current — players.
But there's another issue that, rather quietly, has been steadily plaguing the league and its players: domestic abuse. On Aug. 29, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced sweeping new domestic abuse sanctions for players, and since that announcement, another allegation has come forward against a 49ers defensive end.
The cases of domestic abuse charges against NFL players are almost as easy to rattle off as the past five Super Bowl winners. Most recently, there was Ravens running back Ray Rice — captured on tape dragging his unconscious fiance out of an elevator after an altercation — and then there was 49ers defensive end Ray McDonald — accused this past week of punching a pregnant woman. In addition, Panthers Pro Bowl defensive end Greg Hardy was charged with assaulting and threatening his ex-girlfriend this past summer. Stars like wide receiver Brandon Marshall and retired linebacker James Harrison have both been charged in the past as well.
For a league so predicated on aggression, perhaps it isn't shocking that violence occurs so often off the field as well. According to a report on Nate Silver's website FiveThirtyEight, there have been 83 domestic violence-related arrests of NFL players since 2000.
But why all the fuss now? Why hasn't there been a bigger uproar before? One reason: timing.
People were incredulous when Commissioner Roger Goodell announced that Ray Rice would only be suspended for a measly two games as a result of his heinous actions. A month later, when Cleveland Browns receiver Josh Gordon was suspended for an entire season for his second failed drug test due to marijuana, people began to look closer at the NFL's handling of domestic abuse, calling for change.
Goodell responded to the clamor by modifying the league's policy on domestic abuse, implementing new guidelines that dictate a six-game suspension for a first violation and a lifetime ban for the second. Despite seemingly being directly caused by Rice's case, his suspension has not been altered.
Though it is a step in the right direction and some are happy with this resolution, I still am not. First, the suspension parameters are illogical. If a second suspension carries as great a weight as a lifetime ban, then the first suspension should be much more harsh than six games.
If the NFL wanted to discourage this behavior, the league would have enacted a season-long first offense suspension.
A season-long suspension would place a permanent mark on the player, rather than becoming an afterthought about players like Marshall or Harrison. These are the types of transgressions that the NFL should be flexing its punitive muscle on, rather than failed marijuana tests.
Instead, the new rules reek of insincerity, only attempting to appease the rumblings of paying fans rather than taking a strong stance on a straightforward issue. While the lifetime ban seems extremely stringent on paper, it simply exists to make sure a player who has committed a violation once won't commit one again, rather than making a point to simply prevent these violations from occurring in the first place.
This is yet another example of Commissioner Goodell being reactionary rather than preventative. Every move he makes, from domestic abuse policy to player safety, seems to be solely influenced by public outcry rather than by his own moral compass.
With a decision pending on the 49ers' McDonald, who was charged on a felony count for abuse of a pregnant woman, Goodell has a chance to set a precedent. The new domestic abuse policy allows for harsher punishment if the victim is pregnant. The commissioner can prove a lot of doubters wrong with a swift and severe penalty.
Here's hoping he does.
dan sostek

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
layout: post
title: Add folders to fsharp (F#) project in visual studio 2010/2008
date: 2011-03-14 04:15

comments: true
categories: [.NET, f#]
---
I recently created a new f# project in my solution and ran into a problem I faced a few months ago. I had no option on creating folders in a F# project. Well, there are 2 solutions, manual coding the config for folders or use a tool.

Here is the easier way:

Download the Fsharp project extender here. Install it.

Right click your F# project file and click "enable f# project extender".

Now you can right click and add a folder as you normally would in other projects.

Note: Folder order still has effect here. Folders with files in it will be compiled before other files after it.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
This tag is associated with 6 posts
Posted by Lesley Beeton ⋅ April 18, 2012 ⋅ 6 Comments
I went to Medical School in 1987. It was an incredible experience, crammed full of learning from inspirational Professors at the peak of their careers. My stand-out memory is the first day of Gross Anatomy. Faced with dozens of cadavers in shrouds, fresh-faced students in crisp, clean white coats, and that smell – I couldn't wait to get started. Such a privilege.
Each precious body had been donated to medical research, to help train doctors, nurses and physiotherapists. We stood next to our allocated body, four students in a group, and recited a modified Hippocratic Oath. We were to dissect the body over the academic year, 565 hours of dissection, in detail, covering all organ systems, blood vessels, nerves and the brain. Our bible for the year was Man's Anatomy by Tobias and Arnold, in three volumes. Professor Tobias and Professor Arnold were the big beasts of Anatomy. We were in awe of them. They were known affectionately as PVT and JCA (behind their backs of course)!
Getting started was a hand-trembling affair, guided by this illustration. Skin preserved in embalming fluid is very tough. But once you're in, you're in – and the delights of the human body were ours to explore. Over the weeks and months, we committed to memory all the arteries, veins, nerves and bones (oh, my poor parents had that box of bones in their living room); using mnemonics to remember the long lists. For example, Peter And Paul Masturbated So Much Their Balls Shrank refers to the branches of one of the thoracic arteries (I wish I could remember which one)! I can remember, though, that this one refers to the twelve cranial nerves: Oh Oh Oh To Touch And Feel A Girl's Vagina Very Happily (or something very like it). The point is, we were drunk on anatomy for that year. We were walking encyclopaedia of lists of body parts, our text books were marked in wax pencil (I still have one I used in 1987), and nobody would share the lift with us because the smell permeated our clothes and hair. We knew it and we didn't care. We were doing something that not many people ever get to do. It would shape our lives in the future. Some would go on to be world class surgeons, some physicians, sports scientists, pharmacists. I decided on a career in research.
Who knows how a career will turn out. I didn't even do Science at school. I was expected to study Languages at University. I'm grateful to a Biology teacher for showing me something different, and changing my life. She asked me to help her clear out the cupboard in the lab. What we didn't find in there. And lurking at the back, in a dark jar, was the most gorgeous pig foetus. We changed the preserving fluid, to reveal the tiny, perfect animal; when was he put in there, kept for me to find? I was hooked.
And so, standing in the dissection hall, several years later, in the basement at Medical School, I knew I was in the right place. I grasped the scalpel with both hands and made the first cut. Nine months later, the Technician was standing over the cadaver we had been working on. It approaching the final Lesson – the brain. He used a tiny, whirring saw to remove the cranium. He revealed a clean, shiny brain in situ. In order to complete the study, we had to remove the brain, with all the cranial nerves in tact. I had the smallest hands and I put them on either side of the brain, inside the skull. I tugged gently and felt around the base of the brain, to free the nerves from their restraints. A little more tugging, and I had the brain in my hands. We prepared the dissection and made 1cm slices through the brain, sectioning it in cross-section. I have never forgotten that moment. And neither will countless other medical students. That brain, sectioned, preserved and displayed can still be seen in the Anatomy Museum at Wits Medical School.
Gross anatomy? I don't think so. Stunning, wondrous anatomy, is more like it.
Ethics and Consent in Research
Posted by Lesley Beeton ⋅ April 4, 2012 ⋅ Leave a comment
In general terms, we expect that people who ask our permission, who require our consent, will have the morals and ethics to respect our wishes and do the right thing. Recently however, I have seen a few examples where, frankly, the people concerned have the morals of a snake. I'll say no more on that, but it prompted me to think more widely about these terms; ethics, morals, consent, permission.
In my own field of life science research, no research may be undertaken without a prior favourable ethical opinion. It used be ethical approval, which implied that a peer-reviewed process had taken place, and an important group of senior people had carefully considered the application and deemed it ethical to conduct the research. Now, it simply means that a committee has spent a few minutes of the agenda discussing the merits of the work, and no responsibility or blame can be put their way should the experiment turn out not to be ethical, either in its design or in the outcomes. A matter of semantics, perhaps, but important none-the-less.
Important because many of the subjects for my research are human volunteers who trust us, the scientists, to do the right thing. Now, I don't want to put anyone off contributing to a research project; we do still need to do research using human subjects. But I do want to point out that the administration of the rules is not what it should be. To my knowledge, there is no enforcement of the consent. I have seen inspections. I have seen paper records. I know that biological material collected years ago is still lurking in the bottom of freezers in research laboratories. Consents and research records belonging to PhD students who have long-since moved on lingering on dusty bookshelves in study rooms. There is almost no way of knowing which material should be destroyed, ethical opinion and consents having long-ago expired. And that's just in small university laboratories. Surely in large pharmaceutical and biotech organisations the record keeping and 'policing' of the research consents is more robust?
Well, yes it is, and that results in a different problem. Large organisations who embark on long term research require consent from participants to be able to follow up on the outcomes of the research over a very long period of time, decades in some cases. With changes in technology, particularly in genetic research, where even five years ago the cost of this work would have prohibited it, that is no longer the case. Cost are down, through-put is up. In short, scientists can analyse more data, more quickly, at much lower costs. If the material already exists, if the methodologies are the same, there are also no start-up costs. Results could be coming within days. That means that if you volunteered ten years ago, donated a tube of your blood, approximately 10ml, and gave scientists permission to keep cells, plasma and DNA, they will still have all those bits of you in storage and on file.
I mentioned genetic research, for this is where I am most concerned. When you donated that small amount of blood all those years ago, you were probably young, in your twenties (most lab volunteers are), and too young to be showing any sign of disease. Your parents would have been young too; too young in most cases to have cancer or heart disease. You wouldn't yet have had children either. And now, what if you are told that scientists have just worked out that your DNA shows a variation recently found to be associated with cancer – would you want to know? What would you do about it? Cancer cannot be treated if it hasn't formed a tumour yet. This is the proposal of researchers, owners of these so-called 'bio banks', because orig inal research is too expensive and largely unfunded. Would you still give your consent for your material to be used?
I believe that material collected more than five years ago should either be destroyed or re-consented. Yes, that will cost money, but it keeps science honest and transparent. It makes sure that scientists' personal ethics and morals are not tested. It introduces a check that the material we think is there, has been stored correctly and will be useful in the research. Very often, biological material degrades over time and is useless. Better then to destroy it.
And finally, I must reveal here that I never allowed my cells or DNA to be stored. I have never used my own blood, cells or DNA in any experiment I have conducted. I do not want to know that I have a particular genetic variation. Until scientists are clever enough to re-program my genetic material, there are some things not worth knowing. Of course, there are some conditions for which there are extremely good genetic tests, and with the correct counselling, it is very helpful to do these tests. But these tests have made the transition from research to clinical application. We can't change what has gone before, but we can make sure that we are informed about the future. Research must be done, human biological material must be used for research wherever possible. Don't take ethics, morals, consent and permission for granted in science, or anywhere else for that matter.
Not Sitting on the Fence
Posted by Lesley Beeton ⋅ March 23, 2012 ⋅ Leave a comment
Animal experimentation is always a sensitive subject, whichever side of the fence you sit. When I started out in medical research, almost twenty-three years ago, animals were used in all sorts of experiments, from radical surgical therapies to shampoo testing.
I personally witnessed some horrors in the name of science. It was fascinating stuff though, particularly the work done on developing novel surgical strategies for strokes, heart attacks and bone regeneration after motor vehicle accidents. I can't say that I enjoyed seeing rabbits being used to test shampoo or make-up, and I'm happy that this rarely happens these days. I fully support campaigns against animal testing.
But, I also support those pioneering scientists who over the years have used animals big and small to test their hypotheses and make huge strides in science and medicine.
For example, life-saving surgery performed daily in many hospitals, putting a stent in a coronary artery, a main blood vessel supplying the heart, following a heart attack, would not have been developed if not tried in animals first. This surgery saves hundreds of lives every year. People who go on to live very productive lives after heart attack. Surely this is a good thing?
More recently, I have seen groundbreaking work carried out in genetically modified mice. These mice have been bred without a particular receptor (simply put, this is a grabber for chemicals such as drugs), which is believed to be key in addiction. This work describes how people are genetically pre-disposed to becoming addicted to cocaine or heroin. And it will help to provide strategies for treating a lost generation drug of addicts across Europe. The cost benefit of this treatment runs to millions of Euro's.*
There is sometimes an argument for using alternatives to animal testing. I always prefer to use non-animal experiments. In fact, I have not worked with animals in twenty years, preferring instead to recruit human volunteers for my research. This is more difficult than it sounds. It often involves drawing repeated small amounts of blood from which I prepare DNA, the genetic material of life. And volunteers are understandably concerned about what scientists might do with that information. Consent is not required for animal experiments.
But ethics is required for types of experimentation. Morals and standards on ethics are required at all times. Public scrutiny is key to this as well, which is why I think it is important to talk openly about the work we do on animals. It is not sufficient to say that a committee of academics and vets approved the work, therefore it's OK to do it. No, scientists must be called to account at all times.
The scientists who do this work conduct their experiments under the strictest conditions and scrutiny. Far from being hidden away, animal experimentation is a transparent necessity of science. The public has the right to know what experiments are being done in their name.
The problem is that there are some people who are so passionate about not using animals for science and research, that they endanger the lives of others. And that means that we cannot always talk about it openly. It's a conundrum to which I don't have a solution, just a plea to both sides. Maintain a dialogue, keep an open mind. Be respectful of each other. Scientists, especially in the UK, who use animals in their research are not evil people, taking over the world. I admit, there are less scrupulous researchers in other countries, but here in the UK, animal-lovers and concerned campaigners should be re-assured that the work is done with the very best intentions, in the best facilities, under the tightest regulations and conditions.
The sad fact is, that animal models are still needed for progress in many human diseases. Whilst it is true that whole animals such as mice or rabbits do not adequately represent the whole body situation in human beings, animal organ systems and cells are extremely useful for science and research. Non-animal models such as immortalized cell lines derived from humans, can only answer one question at a time, because these cells are taken outside the body and are not subjected to the same complex environment.
My mother died of cancer. She died from a form of lung cancer, for which there is no cure. She was sixty-six years old. She was too young to die. If scientists wanted to test drug, or design an experiment to better understand the disease, I would be all for it. Wouldn't you?
*Note: please understand that I cannot describe experiments in detail or identify scientists here.
The Importance of Statins
Posted by Lesley Beeton ⋅ February 1, 2012 ⋅ Leave a comment
If you search for 'statin and cancer' on the public science and medicine database you will find 1,774 articles dating back to 1976. So, why was there a dramatic headline splashed across the newspaper last week? It's not like we don't already know about statins. They're taken by millions of people around the world to reduce cholesterol by blocking something called the mevalonate pathway. This is a metabolic pathway involved in cholesterol production. Blocking this pathway reduces the production of cholesterol. This effect is simplified in the figure below. It's like re-directing a stream of water.
Much of our understanding of of statins has come from work in animal models, looking at the reduction in cholesterol levels in the blood. In the lab I worked in we investigated the effect of two commonly prescribed statins on a protein made in white blood cells, which is a sign of inflammation. We showed that this sign of inflammation was decreased in response to these statins when the cells were treated with a substance known to mimic the effects of infection. As a result of these experiments, we considered another use of statins in blood vessels. They could be used to reduce inflammation inside the arteries of people with cardiovascular disease. The only current accepted, clinical use of statins is to lower the circulating fat (lipids) in the blood, which can be deposited in arteries causing heart attacks and stroke.
What's the connection between inflammation and disease?
We have known for about twenty years that the underlying pathology in cardiovascular disease is rampant inflammation in the arteries. This is often due to fatty deposits, which cause red blood cells to clot in the arteries. A number of cells migrate to the region and release chemicals, which contribute to the inflammatory reaction, much like you might see if a wound becomes infected. Other causes of inflammation are viral infections, like influenza.Inflammation in the arteries happens over a long time and there are multiple signs in the blood. Testing for it is complex, which is why a doctor will often consider a full medical history when making a diagnosis.
I mention this because it is also known that markers of inflammation, like C-reactive protein in some cancer patients are only slightly increased. Two clinical trials looking at the use of statins, the PROVE-IT Study and REVERSAL Trial (reviewed by Salam, 2004) showed a reduction in C-reactive protein in people taking statins. For scientists, inflammation presents a wonderful environment for experimentation.
What about statins and cancer?
The author of the report in the newspaper, Dr Carol Prives and her team work with p53 a well known tumour suppressor gene found in many but not all cancers. The research referred to last week is in its very early stages. Dr Prives reports that the mevalonate pathway is significantly upregulated in tumours containing the p53 mutation. They do not say that statins have an effect on these tumours, merely that the same pathway of action of statins is implicated in p53-containing tumours (Freed-Pastor et al, 2012). This is interesting because it represents another line of research – to look at the effect of statins in these tumours. But it should be remembered that cancer cells outside of the human body, such as those used in laboratory experiments, are often derived from people who had cancer and died a long time ago. Their cells have been immortalized and are continually cultured for use in experiments. The disadvantage of this is that sometimes it does not represent the true tumour response. The advantage, however, is that the cells are always the same and experimental data can be compared over time and between laboratories, unlike if we use different people (or animals) each time.
So, there is a long way to go before we can say that millions of lives will be saved by taking statins. But, according to one cardiologist, the real importance of statins is longer life, and that's a good thing, whichever way you look at it.
For the Love of Knowledge
Posted by Lesley Beeton ⋅ January 19, 2012 ⋅ 1 Comment
Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. -Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela by Yousuf Karsh
I am often asked why I left South Africa, and 16 years on and I honestly don't remember the exact reason. I know my husband and I were fortunate to receive an excellent education in South Africa and attended University there too. We wanted to be citizens of the world, to use our education where it was needed. I'm pleased to say that for the most part, we have been successful in this. No matter what happens in life, nobody can take away your education.
Thandulwazi* means for the love of knowledge in Zulu. Wouldn't it be great if all pupils could go to school with those words in their hearts? Instead, as the post-grad assigned to supervise them, I see students in the final year of their science degree, who are working so hard to complete coursework, study for exams and write a dissertation, that they seem to have forgotten that they chose science for the love of knowledge. They started university full of excitement and promise and over the three years have been worn down to just wanting to get a 2:1. Some, of course, will always be enthusiastic and will want to know more than the syllabus dictates. They are challenging and fascinating people.
I had a brief exchange with Erika-Check Haydn, from Nature News, about the challenges UK universities are facing as they attempt to produce biomedical scientists equipped to face the changing environment of research. They are only just up to speed with basic molecular biology techniques. Now, the technology companies are saying we need to train bioinformaticians. These are scientists who will spend their post doc jobs sitting at a computer, nowhere near a lab, analysing millions of digital data points. Where's the thandulwazi in that?
So much of the data produced in experiments today is digital i.e. there is no physical picture of the result for us to examine.The peer-review process of publication in reputable journals should be able to put the data through the ringer, but sometimes the work is so specialist it can be difficult for outsiders to follow. The very nature of digital data is that it can be amended. The pressure to publish is a constant threat to researchers, and it can mean that research questions may not be stringently tested. I'm not saying that is what happened in the following examples but, questions will be raised if the data cannot be reproduced independently. While 2011 saw some incredible scientific breakthroughs, from the colour of meteorites to the secrets of aging (in mice, at least), it also saw two low points in science reporting.
Two research papers are in question at this time. The first is the finding that a murine leukaemia or related virus (MLV) was detected in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. However, as the number of samples was limited and the data not reproducible, the authors had no choice but to retract their publication. That's not to say they aren't right. They simply need to find another way to prove it to their peers.
The second paper is more topical. Its focus is stem cell lineage and it was published in the journal Blood. The researchers acknowledge that some of the data may not reflect the published data analysis. This paper, was published in 2008 and cited 13 times in other papers. It could be argued that although there were errors in assembling the manuscript for publication, the authors stand by their findings and the interpretation thereof.
So, where does that leave the rest of us, struggling through to try and publish our blood, sweat and tears? I think it leaves us a little tainted in the public eye, and we must work harder to make sure our science stands up to rigorous scrutiny by our peers. As research funding decreases, the strongest research questions and protocols will rise to the top. Let's hope that exciting research, and the love of science, does not drop away altogether.
*The St Stithian Foundation was set up to provide support for a Saturday school called Thandulwazi for pupils struggling to find a way complete their school education. It also supports teacher training. The Thandulwazi Trust is a Maths and Science Academy based in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Testing Treatments
Posted by Alicia J Duffy ⋅ December 13, 2011 ⋅ 2 Comments
Medical research is one of those areas where everyone thinks they know a little. Images of lab rats, miraculous cures and money grabbing pharmaceutical companies compete with the day to day reality of patients and doctors trying to tackle illness. A new edition has been published of a book that tries to shed a bit of light on to the subject.
Testing Treatments, by Imogen Evans, Hazel Thornton, Iain Chalmers and Paul Glasziou, is aimed at the informed patient and explains how new medical treatments are researched, and how that relates to the experience of the patient being treated. The book strikes a tone that is halfway between academic text and pop science, and might seem intimidating to some, but the regular summaries of key points and personal stories mean that the reader will soon find themselves gripped.
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The book takes a long view over history, covering scurvy treatments in 1747 right up to cancer trials of the present day, advocating a partnership approach between patient and doctor, and includes calls to action for professionals, patients and policy makers to ensure that questions are asked and information is shared. The reader is encouraged to look sceptically at the need for treatments and screening, and to try to see through marketing and media hype.
Ben Goldacre provided the forward to this edition, and the book continues in the spirit of his work – accessible without being over simplistic. I would have liked to have more detail, but I'm not sure how that could have been achieved without losing the ease of understanding. There is an extensive list of further reading and references at the back of the book for the reader who would like to know more, and I didn't personally feel that the scientific knowledge was shied away from in the text. Perhaps a scientist would disagree, but I went away feeling that I knew much more about the subject and that I would be a more informed patient.
The publisher, Pinter and Martin, provided me with a copy of this book for review in my personal capacity
Testing Treatments is available for £6.99 from Amazon
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Hotel Lone in Rovinj – design is everything!
Hotel Lone is situated in Lone Bay, next to the Golden Cape forest park, just a ten-minute walk from the centre of Rovinj, one of the most picturesque towns on the Adriatic coast. Merging simple lines with natural materials and first-class furnishings, the 12 Lone suites and 236 rooms offer uniquely comfortable accommodations. Every room has a balcony overlooking Lone Bay and forest park, while in Jazz rooms guests can also enjoy a private plunge pool. Lone Wellness & Spa spans 1700 m2, offering revitalising saunas and submerged rooms which are conceived as areas for introspective relaxation and represent a unique product in this region. ResoLution Signature Restaurant, with a view of the beautiful lawns surrounding the hotel pool area, offers fresh, healthy, and locally sourced ingredients. The food is simple, yet complex in taste, demonstrating the passion and creativity of the kitchen team. RevoLution culinary school teaches creative cooking.
Situated next to the sea and nestled in the Golden Cape forest park, hotel showcases a perfect blend of contemporary architecture and sublime design.
ResoLution Signature Restaurant offers healthy cuisine in a lush Mediterranean garden.
Modern styled spa extends over 1700 m2 and features submerged rooms, relaxed lounge areas and a vitality bar.


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Rongtong is yet another city cradled in the arms of the nature boasting of it's of greenery and aesthetic pleasure. It truly justifies the tag of one of the must visit places of North-East Bengal. Even though it's a quaint little place, it has many unique things to offer. Being located at only 17.7 kms (by rail) from Siliguri Jn. and only a few miles from Sukna it is quite often visited by the people residing in the plains and also by the tourists who aim to visit Darjeeling.
The place is reachable both by road and by railways. The toy train on the Darjeeling Himalayan section makes it easier for the tourists to visit Rongtong as well as provides a lifetime opportunity for them to enjoy the "Joy Ride". The tall and bold Himalayan range together with the abyss of tea gardens and the larks tuning to the melodious songs creates a juxtaposition of serenity and unmatched thrills.
The place also has offers centres of mouthwatering traditional foods and a chance to indulge into the lifestyle of the people living there. With so many attractions Rongtong often grabs the attention of hundreds of people each year.


— John Dalberg-Acton, 1st Baron Acton.
Why Brexit is the right future for the EU, as well as for Britain (in my humble opinion).
Brussels, 17/12/2017. It would be unnatural not to have doubts about the wisdom of Brexit. The news reports play a daily tune on the latest setback or political difficulty, and it can be hard to find the balanced reporting to counter the partisan denunciations from one Brexit camp or the other.
Brexit was never going to be an easy process. Both parties, Britain and the EU, have actors split between pragmatists wishing to build a successful future partnership, and those who wish to punish the other side either for daring to leave the club or for making the whole process so difficult.
What makes it worse is that many who shout the loudest for one side or the other appear to have little or no direct experience of the way the EU works. They base their arguments either on some theoretical principle of direct democracy, or on an ideal of progressive, internationalist enlightenment.
And the EU is neither. It is a politically imperfect grouping of nations trying to find stability and improve their economies in the world; one dominated by major powers based on geographic region. Whether Britain leaves the EU or not, these realities will not change.
Even so, I believe that Brexit is the right choice for Britain. Talking to people around the country, it is clear that Britons of all background harbour a deep suspicion of the EU. Rightly or wrongly, many have an insularity, part born of pride in history and part from a view that the EU is failing to deal with the challenges we face today.
There is no doubt that many British people still see the EU as run by an unelected bunch of bureaucrats who have no real interest other than their own self-preservation. Why this view? Because for them, their lives, their neighbourhoods and their communities are getting steadily poorer, while the government fiddles at the economic margins, apparently unable to bring about real change.
Am I being harsh? Probably. It's true that there are people in Brussels who work hard and believe that what they do is for the benefit of the people of Europe. Who think that the EU standards they have set, in quality of life, in the environment, in products and in safety, have become the envy of the world. And who will gainsay such arguments?
But I have come to the reluctant conclusion that Brussels presides over a system of government that ultimately fails. That the much-trumpeted successes such as the euro and the single European market benefit business and the accountants more than they do ordinary citizens. No country in Europe apart from Germany has a truly strong economy; the Germans simply gained from their own foresight in investing into the country at the time of re-unification, and now benefit from the sheer size of the domestic market.
In Britain, pay rates are falling while the costs of energy, rent and housing rise. The NHS is creaking at the hinges trying to cope with demand for health services. Across Europe, it seems that the economies of all EU countries bar Germany are in the doldrums. Greece is a basket-case, employment in Spain and Italy is suffering, while even France, one of the supposed motors of the EU, looks unstable.
Overall, the impression I gain is of living standards on an inexorable downward slope, while unemployment remains stubbornly high, especially among young people. And the EU solution to such problems? Create a better social dragnet while talking up innovation and even greater specialisation at national level. These are not realistic solutions to a general European problem.
Meanwhile, the single market, one of the much-trumpeted crowns of European achievement, has caused many small companies to fold, companies that were usually family-run and able to survive previously by providing niche products tailored to the needs of small, local markets. Such entities are seldom able, or willing, to gear up to the demands of a wider market.
And the euro itself. Does it offer the universal benefits often claimed? You can ask almost any pensioner, especially in Eastern Europe, if (s)he feels wealthier now under the euro. I am pretty sure of the answer you will receive – the single currency benefits business, tourism and the nation's accountants, but seldom ordinary people.
Of course the euro and the single market have brought some benefits. Market consistency, and travel in what was once called a borderless Europe. But such advantages often merely hide higher prices, and tend to improve the strength of larger European businesses rather than benefit ordinary citizens. It is arguable that in this way they have reduced market resilience rather than increasing it.
Presiding over this parlous state of affairs is a group of officials who benefit from a Brussels standard of living and its continuance, and who would suffer greatly from its demise. What do the British officials currently preparing to quit the city think? At the moment they are doing all they can to lobby for a reversal of the Brexit decision.
And yet it is difficult to write about the subject of Brexit – since I have myself benefited from a working life in Brussels. Not as an EU employee perhaps, but certainly in terms of finding a place to work on the fringes of power. Even so, I cannot avoid coming to the conclusion that the EU has to change. The centre, as it is, cannot hold.
The European Union is facing mounting challenges. The economy, unemployment, migration, an ageing population and more. At the same time, the pressure of human population on Europe's borders is building inexorably. All the Mediterranean countries are struggling to control migration flows, while to the East the rising number of razor-wire fences is making a mockery of Schengen.
And the EU is, transparently, failing to cope. In moments of crisis it has never coped, from wars in Bosnia to the recent levels of illegal immigration. Sweeping such issues under the table does not solve them; in Bosnia's case it took NATO and US involvement to bring an end to the war, while the migration issue remains unsolved.
I do not see, indeed I wonder if anyone sees, how the EU can cope with such challenges. It is a system built on consensus, and lethargically slow to arrive at it (perhaps necessarily so). Even if the lethargy can be managed, I am not sure that consensus will be possible on the multiple challenges facing Europe today.
Those problems are going to get worse, and the EU will not be able to ignore them. In Africa multiple wars, climate change and most of all, shortages of water are destabilising whole regions. These issues will push the continent to an inexorable conclusion – there are simply too many people.
Saying so makes me feel like the little boy who pointed out the emperor's lack of clothes, but I feel the conclusion is inescapable. The growth in human population generally will be the challenge of our time – it is probably that already. And it is one that few are prepared to acknowledge, let alone face up to.
And here we come to the crux of my argument. Holding the EU together in the face of such challenges requires vision; it requires leadership. I do not see that leadership on display in present-day Europe. Worse, I do not see how the EU can ever acquire such leadership, given the emphasis on concensus and the fact that the decision-making power is held by the foreign ministries of the various EU member states (i.e. the European Council).
The very nature of the European Union works against the rise of leadership in the form of talented individuals or groups within the EU member states. People with education, brains and imagination will always be drawn to the centres of power. If you have skills in empathy, in people management and, not least, in languages, then Brussels is an attractive option.
At the same time, the ever-active Brussels bureaucracy is busy finding new ways to compel member-state governments to play by the EU rules and deliver on the political commitments they make. All well and good, except that improved enforcement of EU regulations also tends to limit national governments' freedom of action. The tendency is always towards less freedom and more constraints.
The EU, then, seems to be stuck in a rut of its own making. Of course democracies are almost always slow to react to major crises. But sometimes those democracies need a shake-up in order to improve their functioning. I am not arguing for another Donald Trump, but I do think that Brexit is a necessary disrupter, for the EU as well as the UK.
A senior Eurocrat friend in Brussels (who must remain nameless) has argued passionately that the challenges facing Europe are all the more reason for Britain to stay in the EU. That acting as one is more effective than acting separately.
I disagree. Acting together is sensible. But failing to act, because of institutional weakness or paralysis, is the worst kind of government inaction. The EU institutions do not, indeed cannot, offer a solution to problems of leadership and inaction at the top. Which is why I think the disruptive influence is needed.
I think that leaving the EU would be good for Britain for a huge number of historical and societal reasons. But I also believe that the shock, and the disruptive effect, of such a change will be good for the EU itself. I think a Britain unbound by the more constraining EU rules and regulations would be able to make changes that would improve its ability to cope with the challenges of the 21st century.
In just one industry sector, being able to offer greater support to renewable energy for example, without falling foul of state aid regulations that have become a standing joke in Brussels (witness EDF in energy for example, or the German coal industry), will be liberating.
As Britain gradually releases the hold of the EU over its economy, making changes in order to adapt to new challenges will become easier. And since the UK will remain a close partner to the EU in most economic aspects, it is likely that decisions made in Britain will be reflected, in not dissimilar ways, within the EU. Not to mention vice versa.
It may well be that a Brexit Britain will be a better partner for the EU than it ever was while a full member. Freed of the mental shackles of a perceived control-from-outside, Britons will be able to move on and face the challenges of the future.
Those challenges will not be any less than they are today. But the partnership will continue. We may no longer be a full member of the club, but we will still act knowing that Britain remains part of the community, the comity even, of Europe. And understanding still that decisions arrived at amicably with neighbours are more effective, and last longer, than those arrived at under duress.


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Culbertson's late pick seals win for Raiders
Kevin Mays • Nov 24, 2019 at 1:45 AM
WISE — The J.I. Burton magic moved into double figures Saturday.
The Raiders (10-2) recorded their 10th straight win by knocking off Chilhowie 12-7 in the Region 1D football semifinals at Virginia-Wise's Carl Smith Stadium.
In the teams' September meeting, Chilhowie (9-3) handed Burton its second defeat — and the Raiders haven't lost since.
DRIVE KILLER
With just seconds remaining in the game and Chilhowie at the Burton 2-yard line in a light drizzle, Warriors quarterback Logan Adams rolled to his right and released the ball toward the end zone for what would have been the game-winning touchdown.
View Sammy Belcher's 📸📸 from the game
But Burton senior Mikey Culbertson jumped up and grabbed the pass with one hand, coming down with the ball in the end zone for a touchback.
Game over.
"I got kind of lucky," Culbertson said of the play that came with 28 seconds remaining.
"He rolled out of the pocket and they did a good job containing him and not letting him tuck it and run. And then he threw it up and I made a play on the ball."
J.I. Burton coach Jacob Caudill called it a "heck of a play" by "a heck of a player."
"I tell everybody big-time players make big-time plays in big situations and Mikey Culbertson has been that guy," Caudill said of his team's senior leader. "We told him all week to keep your eyes on the prize. The quarterback's eyes and where he looks, you know where the ball's going."
DEFENSE DOES IT
Burton's defense stymied Chilhowie's high-scoring offense, which had been averaging 38 points per game. The Warriors (9-3) managed only 165 total yards.
Their only points came from their defense two minutes into the game.
Chilhowie's J.T. Lefew scooped up a Burton fumble and raced 49 yards to the end zone for a 7-0 Warriors lead with 10:08 remaining in the opening quarter.
Neither team's offense had much success over the first two quarters until Burton put together a 58-yard drive that ended in Jaymen Buchanan's 31-yard quarterback keeper for a touchdown that pulled the Raiders to within 7-6 with 6:03 left before halftime.
"Mikey Culbertson got to the edge and blocked great for me and my receivers and line blocked great," said Buchanan, who rushed for 103 yards on 11 carries.
Culbertson led Burton's ground game with 114 yards on 24 carries. Included was the game- winning touchdown that followed one of the Raiders' two defensive stands inside their own 5.
On Chilhowie's first possession of the second half, the Warriors moved the ball from their own 33 to the Burton 4. On fourth-and-less-than-1, Chilhowie fumbled and Burton recovered the ball at the 2.
The subsequent Raiders play was a 58-yard run by Najee Steele to the Chilhowie 40.
"Najee broke off the big run and that set the tone for the drive," Buchanan noted.
The Raiders ate time off the clock with eight more running plays on that drive.
Culbertson capped the march with his 2-yard plunge that put Burton up 12-7 with 2:21 remaining on the third-quarter clock.
Chilhowie moved itself into potential game-winning position after going from its own 15 with 5:10 to play to the Burton 2 with just under a minute left.
Again the Raiders' defense answered the call, shutting down two Warriors running attempts ahead of the interception by Culbertson.
"We talked about execution is the key to these games and when it came down to it, we couldn't get it done," Chilhowie coach Jeff Robinson said. "Our kids played their tails off. Defense kept us alive today.
"I hate it for our kids. I thought we had some more good football out there. We lost three games and we had a chance to win all three.
"It's been a good year," he added, "but I feel like it ended too soon."
Robinson said Culbertson's play hurt his team on both sides of the ball.
"I told him I was going to probably come to his graduation and get him a gift and watch him walk across the stage," Robinson said of the Burton senior. "He's made them for four years. Big-time players step up and make a play when their team needs them most, and he certainly did that."
ON TO THE TITLE GAME
Burton advanced to the Region 1D championship game to face a formidable opponent.
The Raiders will play top-seeded Patrick Henry (12-0) on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at Emory and Henry's Fred Selfe Stadium.
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The spy is gone but the cost has been high – the rebels at Cimmeria Academy have lost their champion. And one person has been left behind. Nathaniel can taste victory.
But Allie and the other survivors aren't done yet. First they have to find Carter West. Then, one way or another – this game must end.
The stakes are incredibly high. It is truly life or death, now.
Endgame is the thrilling fifth and final book in the international bestselling Night School series. A Number One bestseller in Germany, Poland, and Israel, and a top 20 bestseller in multiple countries around the world!
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Note: Endgame (Rebelion) está disponible sólo en línea en Latinoamérica y España.