Sanchin Kata Shitoryu

Since I have alot of time during this Lockdown, I decided to upload some of the more popular katas from the ShitoRyu style of karate which I have been practising for 18 years.

The funny thing for me about middle age is that when I first went to the karate class way back in 2002, it was to give my then 2 young sons some exposure to martial arts and ways of protecting themselves in school or elsewhere.

I had been practicing karate on and off since the early 1970s and had trained at the Karate school at Palmer Road under a sensei Stephen. Those days, we trained either at the covered multi-purpose hall outside the Main Building or at the open air basketball court.

How I enjoyed those times, it was the early 1970s, I was 12 years of age. I believe I trained from 1974 to 1978, a total of 5 years attaining a level of full brown.

Fast forward to 2002, and here I was a can-do Dad bringing (no) pulling his 2 young boys  to class and realising that I still had 'it' or the mojo in me.

So, 18 years have passed. I am still at it, practising the ancient art of Shito Ryu. I am past my prime in fitness (easily more than 10 years ago) but still can give decent kicks and punches. 

Here is the first of 25 katas which I had learned and would like to keep for long term memories.

Sanchin Kata ShitoRyu Style.

Thank you for watching.      

Designer Proteins can attach to Cytokines to mitigate the excessive Cytokine Storms - MIT

One of the defining features of Covid-19 is the excessive immune response that can occur in severe cases. This burst of immune overreaction, also called a cytokine storm, damages the lungs and can be fatal.

"Reprinted from Science Daily 16 April 2020, MIT"

A team of MIT researchers has developed specialized proteins, similar in structure to antibodies, that they believe could soak up these excess cytokines.

"The idea is that they can be injected into the body and bind to the excessive cytokines as generated by the cytokine storm, removing the excessive cytokines and alleviating the symptoms from the infection," says Rui Qing, an MIT research scientist who is one of the senior authors of the study.

The researchers have reported their initial findings in the journal Quarterly Review of Biophysics (QRB) Discovery, and they now hope to begin testing their proteins in human cells and in animal models of cytokine release and coronavirus infection.

Shuguang Zhang, a principal research scientist in the MIT Media Lab's Laboratory of Molecular Architecture, is also a senior author of the paper. Shilei Hao, a visiting scientist at MIT, is the lead author of the study, and David Jin, CEO and president of Avalon GloboCare, is also an author.

A molecular sponge

The researchers' work on blocking cytokine storms grew out of a project that Zhang began 10 years ago to develop modified versions of membrane-embedded proteins. These proteins are usually difficult to study because once they are extracted from the cell membrane, they only maintain their structure if they are suspended in special types of detergents.

After working on the problem for several years, Zhang and Qing developed a method for modifying the hydrophobic regions of these proteins, making them soluble in water and much easier to study. Their method, called the QTY code, calls for replacing some hydrophobic amino acids with hydrophilic amino acids that have similar structures. Leucine is converted to glutamine, isoleucine and valine are converted to threonine, and phenylalanine is converted to tyrosine.

Following the development of the QTY code, Jin approached Zhang's lab with the idea of designing water-soluble versions of proteins known as cytokine receptors. These receptors are found on the surface of immune cells, where they bind to cytokines -- signaling proteins that stimulate inflammation and other immune responses.

Jin believed that proteins that mimic these cytokine receptors could help combat cytokine storms, which can be produced by viral or bacterial infections, including HIV and hepatitis. They can also occur as a side effect of cancer immunotherapy.

In April 2019, Zhang's team set out to design proteins that could sop up these excess cytokines like a sponge. To do that, they used the QTY code to make water-soluble versions of cytokine receptors. When proteins are soluble in water, they can travel efficiently through the human bloodstream, while the original, hydrophobic versions of the proteins would likely stick to cells that they encountered.

The researchers also attached an antibody segment called the Fc region to their water-soluble receptor proteins. This region helps to further stabilize the proteins in the bloodstream, and makes them less likely to be attacked by the immune system.

The researchers designed proteins that mimic six different cytokine receptors, which can bind to cytokines such as interferon and interleukin, as well as a class of cytokines called chemokines. In laboratory tests of the proteins' binding strength, the researchers found that their modified proteins were able to bind to cytokines with similar strength as naturally occurring cytokine receptors.

"The cytokine receptors that we designed will soak up the majority of the excessive cytokines that are released during the cytokine storm," Jin says.

Driven by curiosity

In March, when evidence began to suggest that the SARS-CoV-2 virus was inducing cytokine storms in some patients, the researchers realized that the receptor proteins they had designed might be able to help. They decided to quickly publish the results they have generated so far, and they are now planning to do additional tests in human cells and in animal models of Covid-19 infection.

The potential usefulness of this approach underscores the importance of "curiosity-driven research," Zhang says.

"As it turns out, our research initiated in April 2019 is directly relevant to the treatment of Covid-19 infected patients," he says. "Curiosity-driven, or even proactive research often leads to preparedness, which is key to preventing future disasters."

The researchers have filed for patents on the proteins that they designed, as well as on their overall approach to creating water-soluble cytokine receptors. They hope to license the technology quickly and to collaborate with pharmaceutical and biotech companies who can help to move it toward clinical trials.

"Obviously this approach will need further animal studies, and potentially human clinical studies," Jin says. "But we have confidence that this discovery will contribute to clinical applications to address viral diseases that involve cytokine storms."

The research was funded primarily by Avalon GloboCare, and also by a fellowship from the China Scholarship Council and Chongqing University, China.

COVID 19 Technical Discussion by a Lung Doctor - Dr Mike Hansen

I don't own the copyright to this video. I am just sharing it for information purposes in the light of this global pandemic where there is no short term solution. 

The short summary is this ; the virus respects no one. However, there are some advantages 

a) Esterogen plays a part in inhibiting some of the effects of the disease. Women seem less likely to fall seriously ill or even ill at all. Males are worse hit.

b) Age and underlying symptoms do affect the severity of the disease 

c) Coronary Heart disease whereby there are calcification of the arteries can accentuate the disease especially when it causes a cytokine storm.

d) Cytokine storm is when the body's immune system goes into overdrive, and the white blood cells create so much more bad than good. No one at this juncture knows why this is so and who has overreacting immune systems.

e) There are many 'tools' to combat this, and tweaking the ventilators as well as the right dosages of medicines at critical times can and do mitigate the disease.

  

The Good Aspect of COVID - 19 Pandemic

Yes, I am not crazy. Yes, like billions of others I am also at home, trying my hardest to make sense and social distance during this semi-lockdown period.

The damage done by the COVID-19 is far from over, USA has over 20,000 deaths, with Italy and Spain not far off.  People are losing loved ones, young and especially old to this horrible pandemic, families are heatbroken,hospital systems are overworked, nurses, healthcare providers and doctors are overwhelmed by the sheer scale and rapidity of its impact.

I am truly saddened and horrified at its force in bringing so many countries, especially in Western and Eastern Europe to their knees economically. S.E.Asia is also badly hit too.

In time, if not now, there is also the social, psychological, economic and political impact to each and every country which will take years to repair. 

Indeed we will rise above this. The collective human will is much stronger than this. I am sure of it. 

This virus is a bitch. 

The best case scenario for an effective vaccine is September, and I estimate only before end of this year, we will get the vaccine. I fear for the lesser off countries and the world is bracing for further mutations and what we need to do COLLECTIVELY to mitigate it and stamp it out TOGETHER. 

If we remain diivided and continue to finger point, I think, this will be with us for a LONG TIME.

Having given a short preamble of this horrible pandemic, what are the good aspects or signs 'green shoots' which can be made out from all this chaos ?

1. Nature is fighting back against human economic development. Industrialising countries in lockdown and staying at home have led to clear blue skies, fresh air never seen before in decades.

2. Birds, and animals are reclaiming their lost territories. I wake up and for the first time hear the birds merrily chirping in the bamboo or frangipani tress in my small garden.

3. Families are eating together, making small talk, re-establishing lost ties through the simplest of things. I am making plans with my elder son to play chess together, something which we never in our wildest dreams thought this would happen in our daily busy lives.

4. People have plenty of time for self reflection. This is the best time to sit back and think where I am in life. What can be improved, whose friendships I really treasure and those who don't matter. 

5. The humane spirit is alive and strong. I have personally sent masks to 5 different groups of people affected by this and contribute financially (cash gifts) to the less well off through charities.

6.I'm having lots of sleep, I eat a lot more fruits, dine at home 3 times a day, and reduced my snacking (chips et al) down to a minimum. I exercise everyday at home in my small attic room, with phone apps like losing belly fat in 30 days (using High Impact Intensity Training), doing the various karate katas. I am hopeless at getting a 6 pack, so a more gentle goal like losing belly fat seems more achievable to me. 

The body has never felt better. 

Keep healthy and well. 

Wear a Mask when going out. Wash our Hands ever so often.

Don't touch our faces when outside, or before washing.

Stay 2 meters apart. 

Stay Alive. 

Shelter from the Storm - Bob Dylan

Adele Surprises the Other Adeles - Graham Norton

Lovely surprise  from the real Adele and how she surprised the other ladies who were casting to be like her on the Graham Norton Show 

Antibes ; Fishing Village Southwest of Nice en route to Canne

Antibes Juan le Pins

This was the short day trip we took from Nice, to Antibes, Eze, Cannes and back. 3rd December 2018.

Antibes is a beautiful fishing village located roughly 20 minutes by car South West from Nice. There is Picasso museum located there, unfortunately it was closed on the Monday we were there.

Antibes Harbour 

Its picturesque settings and white sea walls make for plenty of pretty pictures. I would highly recommend a stop over when you are ever in Cannes or Nice. There should be some very nice seafood restaurants in the village however we were on a day tour hence did not bother to search for any.