inamorata

Ill name you one: RANKL (Receptor Activator of NF-kB ligand). When applied to osteoclast progenitors, it causes differentiation into osteoclasts. But it is also an important immune modulator, dendritic cell dactivation factor, lymphocyte maturation factor etc etc. i.e. RANKL-/- mice not only have severe osteopetrosis, due to an almost complete lack of osteoclasts, they also have no impaired tooth eruption, and no lymph nodes. It really depends on which signaling pathway is activated upon receptor-ligand binding in each cell type.

Plasmodium falciparum. I gained a healthy respect for it during my honours year. And hey, with more than 300 million infections and at least one million deaths annually, its not to be messed with

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs101/en/ Leprosy: Figures on the current leprosy situation Approximately 755 000 new cases of leprosy were detected during 2001. At the beginning of 2002, 650 000 cases were registered and were undergoing treatment; In 14 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America leprosy is still considered a public health problem; According to the latest available information, intensive efforts are still needed to reach the leprosy elimination target in six countries: Brazil, India, Madagascar, Mozambique, Myanmar, and Nepal. Taken all together, these countries account for 90% of the prevalence of the disease in the world in early 2002; At the start of 2002, about 70% of the world's registered leprosy patients are in India.

From the WHO website: Someone in the world is newly infected with TB bacilli every second. Overall, one-third of the world's population is currently infected with the TB bacillus. 5-10% of people who are infected with TB bacilli (but who are not infected with HIV) become sick or infectious at some time during their life. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs104/en/ Also details the prevalence in certain regions of the world.

I just got back from a week long holiday in Port Douglas, AUstralia, in north Queensland. Went snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef, crusing down the Daintree River. It was idyllic. Highly recommended

Oh these jokes are hilarious! The Mafia Godfather joke had me laughing out loud. Brilliant. And sadly, the best I can come up with is: Whats brown and sticky? A stick. :/

Hi my name is Dani, Im just writing up my thesis at the moment, so im finding PLENTY of time to procrastinate. My PhD research focused on cytokines and their influence on osteoclast formation, particularyl in relation to rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory diseases with a osteolytic component. Exciting stuff, im sure And like many others, Im a forum junkie This is probably hmmmm the 5th or 6th forum I have joined? Anyhow, I did a B. Sc with double majors in biochemistry and zoology, then my honours in biochemistry (used phage-display technology to look at peptides that interact with specific malarial antigens) at LaTrobe University, Melbourne, and then straight onto the Ph.D in Medicine at the University of Melbourne. And here I am. Nice to meet you all