I wonder whether the immune system can react against multiple infections at the same time and if so, whether they use a common strategy. Or else you could imagine the immune system like a restaurant chef handling several dishes (infections) at the same time an d finishing them off one after another. Of course, there has to be some common ground which might be the innate system.
So, I ask if someone were to be infected with HIV and malaria then would the protection against malaria be able to protect them against HIV?
Tuesday, September 2
Tuesday, April 19
Thursday, February 24
Fast- slow run 4 times round this loop
This killed me a little bit. It's taken me about 9 hours to recover to the point where I can now sit down and write this ridiculous review.
Wednesday, February 23
Ist run for half-marathon training
This was the route for my first training run for the Richmond Half-Marathon. Took me about 30 minutes and fortunately I ran with a friend, otherwise I would probably have turned back after 10 minutes.
Outcomes:
1. Pain in my left gluteus maximus
2. Dead quadriceps muscles
3. Terrible apprehension that in 2 months time, I will have to do 2.5 hours of this!!
Outcomes:
1. Pain in my left gluteus maximus
2. Dead quadriceps muscles
3. Terrible apprehension that in 2 months time, I will have to do 2.5 hours of this!!
Wednesday, February 16
The Corporate London Olympics!!
The pricing for most events for the Olympics needs to be reconsidered by the Olympic Committee. It is a little absurd that the cheapest tickets for the main events is not than less 50GBP.
There are other absurdities in the pricing strategy. The triathalon held in Hyde Park requires a 20GBP admission fee,this is not for seating, but for general admission. The organisers kindly let us know that we can view parts of the cycling route for the triathalon for free...really now, considering you have 20 km of cycling to do and some of it has to be outside Hyde Park.
The pricing strategists haven't learnt any lessons from the Beijing Olympics or the Commonwealth Games where prices to athletics heats and preliminary events were priced so high that we witnessed empty stands in many venues.
The Olympics are the premier competition for a few sports like athletics, gymnastics, swimming, fencing and it's a great opportunity to see the best in the world compete at their peak against each other. The current pricing scheme virtually refuses entry to events to students, families and others who cannot afford to imagine spending 50 pounds on a single day for an event. The Olympics in London is a great opportunity kids across the UK, but especially London, to get really excited and dream to emulate these athletes. What's the point if your parents cannot afford to take you to see Tom Daley diving or Jessica Ennis win gold!!
Lord Coe must seriously reconsider whether he plans to retrieve his 500 million sales revenue through corporate hospitality or genuinely have an all-inclusive Olympics that will be remembered for the enthusiasm and participation of every Londoner.
There are other absurdities in the pricing strategy. The triathalon held in Hyde Park requires a 20GBP admission fee,this is not for seating, but for general admission. The organisers kindly let us know that we can view parts of the cycling route for the triathalon for free...really now, considering you have 20 km of cycling to do and some of it has to be outside Hyde Park.
The pricing strategists haven't learnt any lessons from the Beijing Olympics or the Commonwealth Games where prices to athletics heats and preliminary events were priced so high that we witnessed empty stands in many venues.
The Olympics are the premier competition for a few sports like athletics, gymnastics, swimming, fencing and it's a great opportunity to see the best in the world compete at their peak against each other. The current pricing scheme virtually refuses entry to events to students, families and others who cannot afford to imagine spending 50 pounds on a single day for an event. The Olympics in London is a great opportunity kids across the UK, but especially London, to get really excited and dream to emulate these athletes. What's the point if your parents cannot afford to take you to see Tom Daley diving or Jessica Ennis win gold!!
Lord Coe must seriously reconsider whether he plans to retrieve his 500 million sales revenue through corporate hospitality or genuinely have an all-inclusive Olympics that will be remembered for the enthusiasm and participation of every Londoner.
Thursday, September 9
Monday, January 18
Banana curve
I am in the lab, listening to the Australian Open on the BBC, eating a Banana and trying to budget for a grant.
All this multi-tasking has led my brain to wonder why the banana is shaped like a "banana"? What happened in evolution for the banana to be shaped so? Are there other fruits shaped like a banana? What protective feature does its shape confer?
Truly bizarre...
All this multi-tasking has led my brain to wonder why the banana is shaped like a "banana"? What happened in evolution for the banana to be shaped so? Are there other fruits shaped like a banana? What protective feature does its shape confer?
Truly bizarre...
Monday, August 31
BBC Proms visit
Finally got tickets for the proms for Friday to hear Stephen Hough play Tchaikovsky's Concert Fantasia. Mother, The Little One, The Kiddo and Kiddo's best friends (AK) were having an early celebration of the Kiddo's 25th! 25..wow...never thought he would grow up.
The concert was fantastic. I have often heard the proms and seen it on iplayer, but from the sheer grandeur of the Royal Albert Hall to the gorgeous 20 foot organ forming the backdrop for the symphony to the riveting phenomenal music it was a memorable experience. Next time its standing for 5 quid for me.
I can barely sing and nor can I really appreciate music but this sort of live concert really allowed me to understand the different instruments being used, the pauses, emphasis and just the sheer tempo and feeling with which the music is being played. When I hear music as a recording, I often can't distinguish the different instruments being used but when I see the different instruments coming in at different times during the symphony I can really appreciate the sound they are making.
The Concerto Fantasia was great and I am slowly becoming a fan of Stephen Hough (who incidentally has a MacArthur Genius award). The cello piece, variations on a Rococo theme played by Steven Isserlis was amazing. I have never seen a cello performance like it before.Amazing..
The final piece played by the orchestra was Tchaikovsky's Francesca da Rimini which is based on Dante's Inferno. This was absolutely unbelievable. The story is about Francesca who is on the cusp of Hell hearing the howling winds about her and the fire down below. You can hear the winds howling when the strings in the orchestra play that bit and if you close your ideas you can imagine yourself standing on some cliff with winds howling about it and thunder all around you screaming at you to jump.
Anyway, it was fantastic and I think we all came out feeling overwhelmed and a little bit awed by the music.
The evening was capped off by dinner at Il Falcioniere which we found through the internet. Its a family run Italian restaurant near the South Kensington tube station. We loved the food. The food was very simple, nothing fancy but, the food was very tasty, flavourful and each dish had a unique taste to it (unlike Italian chain restaurants like Ask which probably make one white and one tomato sauce and add different meats and veggies).
Try the tiramisu if you do visit..fantastic!
The concert was fantastic. I have often heard the proms and seen it on iplayer, but from the sheer grandeur of the Royal Albert Hall to the gorgeous 20 foot organ forming the backdrop for the symphony to the riveting phenomenal music it was a memorable experience. Next time its standing for 5 quid for me.
I can barely sing and nor can I really appreciate music but this sort of live concert really allowed me to understand the different instruments being used, the pauses, emphasis and just the sheer tempo and feeling with which the music is being played. When I hear music as a recording, I often can't distinguish the different instruments being used but when I see the different instruments coming in at different times during the symphony I can really appreciate the sound they are making.
The Concerto Fantasia was great and I am slowly becoming a fan of Stephen Hough (who incidentally has a MacArthur Genius award). The cello piece, variations on a Rococo theme played by Steven Isserlis was amazing. I have never seen a cello performance like it before.Amazing..
The final piece played by the orchestra was Tchaikovsky's Francesca da Rimini which is based on Dante's Inferno. This was absolutely unbelievable. The story is about Francesca who is on the cusp of Hell hearing the howling winds about her and the fire down below. You can hear the winds howling when the strings in the orchestra play that bit and if you close your ideas you can imagine yourself standing on some cliff with winds howling about it and thunder all around you screaming at you to jump.
Anyway, it was fantastic and I think we all came out feeling overwhelmed and a little bit awed by the music.
The evening was capped off by dinner at Il Falcioniere which we found through the internet. Its a family run Italian restaurant near the South Kensington tube station. We loved the food. The food was very simple, nothing fancy but, the food was very tasty, flavourful and each dish had a unique taste to it (unlike Italian chain restaurants like Ask which probably make one white and one tomato sauce and add different meats and veggies).
Try the tiramisu if you do visit..fantastic!
Friday, August 28
My first 10 days in London
Time | Date | Event |
7:15 am | Sunday, 21st June | Land at Heathrow |
9 am | Sunday, 21st June | Immigration Health check (x-ray taken) |
11:30 am | Sunday, 21st June | Reach Kiddo's flat: 13,Thames Circle, London E14 |
10 am | Monday,22nd June | Property viewing Canary Wharf |
10 am | Tuesday,23rd June | Property viewing |
3:25 pm | Tuesday, 23rdJune | First meeting with new boss AL |
3:26 pm | Tuesday, 23rdJune | Asked to read journal article in 10 minutes (Presumed it was some sort of test or a lab induction routine) |
3:40 pm | Tuesday, 23rdJune | Meeting regarding an Expression of Interest call which I am to write (This was getting a bit crazy. I was meant to officially start work 9 days later on the 1st of July) |
10 am | Wednesday,24thJune | Property viewing London Bridge area |
12:30 pm | Wednesday,24thJune | At work in ICL working on EoI – 69 hours to deadline (The deadline was Friday, 26th June – 1pm) |
11:17 am | Friday,26th June | Calls from Barnard Marcus for flat deposit – 1.5 hours to deadline |
12:30 pm | Friday,26th June | Back and forth emails with boss about EoI – 30 minutes to deadline |
12:58 pm | Friday,26th June | Application submitted – 2 minutes before deadline |
1:00 pm | Friday,26th June | Adrenaline surge is settling – Heart rate dropping to normal |
1:15 pm | Friday,26th June | Calls to Barnard Marcus about getting guarantor |
1:30 pm | Friday,26th June | Multiple emails and forms to fill from credit rating agency for house |
2:00 pm | Friday,26th June | Holding deposit made on Sinclair Road flat |
9 am | Wednesday,1st July | Official start of job in AL lab |
4:00 pm | Wednesday,1st July | Appointment at BM to sign papers for Sinclair Road flat |
4:30 pm | Wednesday,1st July | Keys of new London place in hand |
5:30 pm | Wednesday,1st July | Meet Landlady at OUR new Flat |
6:00 pm | Wednesday,1st July | Sitting on couch in our new Flat. Big Sigh!!!!! |
Monday, August 17
MoTD
MoTD has started! I am happy.
For some reason, I love MoTD (for the uninitiated Match of The Day). It shows the premiership matches on Saturday and Sunday at 10pm and I hate missing it. I don't have to watch a full match, they show me highlihgts and then we have analysis. Fantastic..every game..about 15 minutes and we are done. How much more time can you spend on football matches which are played over 9 months every year.
I missed Saturday's one and am terribly annoyed at the BBC for not showing it on iplayer!! I suppose I should really be annoyed at Sky for not giving BBC the rights..but whatever!
Arsenal are back, although I doubt they will be able to keep up the same form for the rest of the year. Liverpool have started badly, will come back mid-season and fall off towards the end. Man U did just enough and will up the tempo slowly through the entire season, peaking perfectly.
Man City should be fun..if nothing else but to show that money doesn't always win you trophies.
....and the final Test on Friday...mouth watering weekend of sport!
Dravid is back and the Ashes
I am a big Rahul Dravid fan and I am glad he has got back into the ODI sqaud. The only reason for this is the dismal performace of our young talent, Rohit Sharma, Raina in holding the middle order together consistently. With Yuvraj no longer a spring chicken, the next wave of youngsters need to step up and start making big scores.
In other cricket news, I shall be listening to Blofield, Agnew and Boycott on Test Match Special starting Thursday. Can't wait. Its been a pretty exciting Ashes mainly because of both teams playing really badly. I only hope they both play their best cricket in the final Test and we get a really exciting match. Might even stand in line for a ticket at the Oval!!
In other cricket news, I shall be listening to Blofield, Agnew and Boycott on Test Match Special starting Thursday. Can't wait. Its been a pretty exciting Ashes mainly because of both teams playing really badly. I only hope they both play their best cricket in the final Test and we get a really exciting match. Might even stand in line for a ticket at the Oval!!
Friday, August 14
The answer to my questions
This does answer all my questions in life. I especially like the one about "Why water is wet?" and "How much does the sky weigh?"
Thursday, August 13
Updates
Not much to say except that the move to London has been made. A small, expensive, quaint flat has been found and rented near the Kensington Olympia station.
A salary is forthcoming allowing me to contribute to the UK economic recovery.
I am no longer in full-time study, a feeling I have not experienced for 29 years!!
I walk 1.5 hours everyday, through Hyde Park to work.
I tried giving up chocolate...
I didn't succeed.
I have piles of work to finish, but have just heard my grant proposal was unsuccessful and don't really feel like working.
I have moved from working on mosquitoes, rat urine to swines. What next in my career menagerie?
A salary is forthcoming allowing me to contribute to the UK economic recovery.
I am no longer in full-time study, a feeling I have not experienced for 29 years!!
I walk 1.5 hours everyday, through Hyde Park to work.
I tried giving up chocolate...
I didn't succeed.
I have piles of work to finish, but have just heard my grant proposal was unsuccessful and don't really feel like working.
I have moved from working on mosquitoes, rat urine to swines. What next in my career menagerie?
Thursday, November 20
Great idea for vaccine
Take stem cells from a person at birth.
Grow them into APCs/DCs with peptide in them
Immunise
Ideally only the peptide vaccine response should be elicited
Grow them into APCs/DCs with peptide in them
Immunise
Ideally only the peptide vaccine response should be elicited
Friday, May 16
The sluggishness continues
Didn't get as much done yesterday as I had planned or as I should have.Well...people take months to write the damn thing and here I am trying to finish it in a week. Wasn't really realistic, was it?
In other news, today was spent by taking another exam..My written driving test. I barely passed. One more wrong answer and I would have had to take the exam again. there were 36 questions and you needed 30 correct to pass. I got exactly 30!
My other rant today is about the inefficient and useless banking services in the US. They ply you with cards and leaflets but in terms of services they are terrible.
Firstly, it takes them 5 working days to make an international bank draft! HSBC Uk - 5 hours.
Secondly, their currency exchange counter has no board/screen/information about exchange rates. They assume that you don't care what rate they offer as you will have to take it or else they experience great pleasure in making you wait in a line for 15 minutes simply to ask them the exchange rate for the pound. Remarkable.
Oh..sorry, what really annoyed me was that they could take up to 3 working days to change my dollars into Indian Rupees. Three days, you cannot be serious!
To top everything off, I keep getting calls from Bank of America requesting me to purchase their fantastic life insurance offer. Bah, Take a hike, Vamoose, In your dreams are all choice phrases that come to mind.
In other news, today was spent by taking another exam..My written driving test. I barely passed. One more wrong answer and I would have had to take the exam again. there were 36 questions and you needed 30 correct to pass. I got exactly 30!
My other rant today is about the inefficient and useless banking services in the US. They ply you with cards and leaflets but in terms of services they are terrible.
Firstly, it takes them 5 working days to make an international bank draft! HSBC Uk - 5 hours.
Secondly, their currency exchange counter has no board/screen/information about exchange rates. They assume that you don't care what rate they offer as you will have to take it or else they experience great pleasure in making you wait in a line for 15 minutes simply to ask them the exchange rate for the pound. Remarkable.
Oh..sorry, what really annoyed me was that they could take up to 3 working days to change my dollars into Indian Rupees. Three days, you cannot be serious!
To top everything off, I keep getting calls from Bank of America requesting me to purchase their fantastic life insurance offer. Bah, Take a hike, Vamoose, In your dreams are all choice phrases that come to mind.
Useless day.
I woke up early. Spent the morning doing PH250C. The whole afternoon was spent in mental masturbation as I tried to get over my Ch.5 stumbling block. Afternoon and evening whizzed by as no writing got done.
Its 5am and all I have to show for staying up close to 21 hours is:
1. Introduction to Ch.5
2. Jump over stumbling block.
Will spend the next three hours before I hit the bed on finishing all the figures for Ch.5 and 6.
I also think I have wound myself up so tight about getting this done by Tuesday that my body is experiencing some weird symptoms, i.e. I might be ill without actually being ill.
today, for the first time in my conscious memory (pre-senile dementia affected) , I was unable to finish a chocolate Brownie. I couldn't take more than two small bits of it before I began to feel nauseated and sick. It was my stomach revolting against any thing heavy...
Scary. Can you imagine me not being able to eat sweets and chocolate? I don't think I could live like that - might just be easier to commit suicide and go to Cadbury's heaven.
I woke up early. Spent the morning doing PH250C. The whole afternoon was spent in mental masturbation as I tried to get over my Ch.5 stumbling block. Afternoon and evening whizzed by as no writing got done.
Its 5am and all I have to show for staying up close to 21 hours is:
1. Introduction to Ch.5
2. Jump over stumbling block.
Will spend the next three hours before I hit the bed on finishing all the figures for Ch.5 and 6.
I also think I have wound myself up so tight about getting this done by Tuesday that my body is experiencing some weird symptoms, i.e. I might be ill without actually being ill.
today, for the first time in my conscious memory (pre-senile dementia affected) , I was unable to finish a chocolate Brownie. I couldn't take more than two small bits of it before I began to feel nauseated and sick. It was my stomach revolting against any thing heavy...
Scary. Can you imagine me not being able to eat sweets and chocolate? I don't think I could live like that - might just be easier to commit suicide and go to Cadbury's heaven.
Thursday, May 15
POA for today
I have a new reader..JM who is going to keep track of me from the land of the Amazon and favelas.
Anyway, didn't do much work yesterday except to write a draft of Ch4. discussion. I think I have it sorted except that I want to make it interesting and have lots of ideas for which I need to find papers that can back it up.
Its noon already and I have achieved a little bit. Finished my PH250C Final exam and subletting my apartment.
To do today:
1. Write Ch4 discussion final
2. Sort out figures of Ch5. (stumbling block needs to be hopped over)
3. Write up results and introduction of Ch5
4. Write up methods chapter (cut and paste mainly from transfer report and journal articles)
Its an all nighter today because tomorrow is packing and socialising day. The last time I moved, I had a wee bit of help from Mother and Little One. Any chance you want to fly out for two days to help me with packing again?
ok..now that I have spent five minutes procrastinating with this post, its back to Adeno/MVA.
Anyway, didn't do much work yesterday except to write a draft of Ch4. discussion. I think I have it sorted except that I want to make it interesting and have lots of ideas for which I need to find papers that can back it up.
Its noon already and I have achieved a little bit. Finished my PH250C Final exam and subletting my apartment.
To do today:
1. Write Ch4 discussion final
2. Sort out figures of Ch5. (stumbling block needs to be hopped over)
3. Write up results and introduction of Ch5
4. Write up methods chapter (cut and paste mainly from transfer report and journal articles)
Its an all nighter today because tomorrow is packing and socialising day. The last time I moved, I had a wee bit of help from Mother and Little One. Any chance you want to fly out for two days to help me with packing again?
ok..now that I have spent five minutes procrastinating with this post, its back to Adeno/MVA.
Tuesday, May 13
am never going to finish....
Am totally depressed about writing this damn thesis. Have spent the whole of yesterday and today thinking about my stumbling block in chapter 5.
Having decided that I needed to have some concrete productivity, starting working on chapter 4 instead. I have been at work for the last 3 hours, only to have written my introduction.... 4 paragraphs (although annotated).
I hate this!! Am going back to being a doctor. No one cares whether you can write anything. Just need to learn how to scribble. Life was so much easier as a doctor, 18 hour days...no pressure...just needed to remember to give the right medicine.
(Sigh) I miss those days!
Having decided that I needed to have some concrete productivity, starting working on chapter 4 instead. I have been at work for the last 3 hours, only to have written my introduction.... 4 paragraphs (although annotated).
I hate this!! Am going back to being a doctor. No one cares whether you can write anything. Just need to learn how to scribble. Life was so much easier as a doctor, 18 hour days...no pressure...just needed to remember to give the right medicine.
(Sigh) I miss those days!
Wednesday, May 7
Bad week in the office
Doesn't seem like I am going to get any thesis stuff done till Friday. Have to finish off these two papers for classes I am taking.
Thankfully, they are both extremely useful as its the study proposal for the study I am doing this summer. I have realised that I still hate writing, although I loved planning the project.
Anyway, back to deciding on a budget!
Have 10 days from Saturday onwards for thesis writing. I reckon I can get a first draft done in 10 days? LA what thinks you???
Thankfully, they are both extremely useful as its the study proposal for the study I am doing this summer. I have realised that I still hate writing, although I loved planning the project.
Anyway, back to deciding on a budget!
Have 10 days from Saturday onwards for thesis writing. I reckon I can get a first draft done in 10 days? LA what thinks you???
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)