I once tried to swim in that, near Ullapool :eek: lasted about 30 secondsQuote:
Originally Posted by system7
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I once tried to swim in that, near Ullapool :eek: lasted about 30 secondsQuote:
Originally Posted by system7
A new procedure using tiny cameras inside a pill to help detect bowel cancer has been launched in Tayside.
The ScotCap test will be rolled out across health boards in Scotland as an alternative to a traditional colonoscopy.
The cameras take pictures of the lining of the bowel to look for any problems or signs of disease.
About 70,000 people in Scotland undergo colonoscopy treatment each year.
The programme, which is backed by the Scottish government, has been accelerated in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
It is hoped the programme will help health boards tackle a backlog of patients and reduce waiting times.
The cameras transmit images to a recorder worn by the patient
NHS Tayside will run the service at clinics in Perth Royal Infirmary and Royal Victoria Hospital.
Dr Craig Mowat, consultant gastroenterologist with NHS Tayside, said: "The Colon Capsule is a pill-sized camera which has a bright light and two cameras which beam images to a recorder worn by the patient.
"It films the inside of the lower intestine to determine whether there are any abnormalities.
"The Colon Capsule makes the procedure non-invasive, painless and the patient does not need to be sedated."
https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cp...capjourney.png
Gives a whole new meaning to 'tunnel vision'.
id be much happier swallowing that than having the colonoscopy up the snarse:eyebrows:
One of biology's biggest mysteries has been solved using artificial intelligence, experts have announced.
Predicting how a protein folds into a unique three-dimensional shape has puzzled scientists for half a century.
London-based AI lab, DeepMind, has largely cracked the problem, say the organisers of a scientific challenge.
A better understanding of protein shapes could play a pivotal role in the development of novel drugs to treat disease.
The advance by DeepMind is expected to accelerate research into a host of illnesses, including Covid-19.
Their program determined the shape of proteins at a level of accuracy comparable to expensive and time-consuming lab methods, they say.
Dr Andriy Kryshtafovych, from University of California (UC), Davis in the US, one of the panel of scientific adjudicators, described the achievement as "truly remarkable".
"Being able to investigate the shape of proteins quickly and accurately has the potential to revolutionise life sciences," he said.
Proteins are present in all living things where they play a central role in the chemical processes essential for life.
Made up of strings of amino acids, they fold up in an infinite number of ways into elaborate shapes that hold the key to how they carry out their vital functions.
Many diseases are linked to the roles of proteins in catalysing chemical reactions (enzymes), fighting disease (antibodies) or acting as chemical messengers (hormones such as insulin).
"Even tiny rearrangements of these vital molecules can have catastrophic effects on our health, so one of the most efficient ways to understand disease and find new treatments is to study the proteins involved," said Dr John Moult of the University of Maryland, US, the chair of the panel of scientific adjudicators.
"There are tens of thousands of human proteins and many billions in other species, including bacteria and viruses, but working out the shape of just one requires expensive equipment and can take years."
I recently got an NHS text telling me to expect a shit-kit through the post any day now. Not a big fan of the "turd-on-stick" method, so I would welcome this technology. No doubt Marco will poo-poo the idea, fearing that the government will use it to collect data on his eating habits, and what he likes to stick up his bum at the weekend :eyebrows:Quote:
Originally Posted by struth
At least with the new method you do it the once. Before, you had to provide three consecutive samples (smears).Quote:
Originally Posted by Pigmy Pony
I had one of those earlier this month - results ok. Now I have to remember to request another "shit-kit" in two years time; I have trouble remembering what to do tomorrow. I suppose I could put a "post it" note on the fridge:lol:Quote:
Originally Posted by Pigmy Pony
Don't worry, the NHS will remind you come the time.
As Barry says, they do that for you Guy. I had the test two years ago, and a couple of weeks ago the NHS wrote to me to say I can expected another shit-kit in the coming days. Not quite worded that way. Yesterday it arrived :) It also said that we will receive one every two years up to the age of 74 I think.Quote:
Originally Posted by guy
Yes after 74 they don't give a shit!
Boom boom.
Good job we are not living in France, you have to request your test when due. I wonder how many forget?
thanks for the reassurance chaps - I had scan read the letter and misinterpreted the two year bit:doh:
:lol:Quote:
Originally Posted by walpurgis
Sorry what was we talking about? :) Actually that's not good, putting the anus, sorry I mean onus, on the patients. You could say the French Health Service are getting away with merde. Boom boom!Quote:
Originally Posted by Firebottle
Several years ago I was having trouble with "IBS", so was invited to have a colonoscopy.Quote:
Originally Posted by walpurgis
On the day I was surprised to find that I could watch the procedure on a screen while two nurses fed the fibre optic in - quite fascinating to see. They took a couple of bowel lining samples for biopsy then started to pull the camera out but left the camera/screen turned on.
Absolutely hilarious (for me anyway) to see my buttocks, with nurses face peering over them appear in wide angle format on the screen :)
(Turned out my problem was lymphocytic colitis, and funnily enough all symptoms disappeared (thank God) directly after the procedure - I do wonder if the day on emetics prior to the examination had cleared whatever was causing the immune response :scratch:)
Yesterday I went for my annual MOT. Amongst other things they measured my weight and height. Much to my surprise, I seem to have shrunk in height by 2cm ( :scratch: ), though my BMI is perfect; as are all the other parameters.
Now that December is here and we have come out of lockdown, we celebrated by doing two things:
[1] Went to our local eatery/coffee shop for lunch,
[2] Put up the Christmas decorations.
Normally, when it come to putting up the tree and decorating it, I just 'go through the motions' with little enthusiasm. But this time we put up some decorations outside as well, and when finished my partner cheerfully claimed "Now Christmas is here". :)
So have I. Can't say I care much really, but I measured my height last week and I've shrunk over an inch. My brother and next door neighbour are in their eighties and are very noticeably shorter than they were thirty years ago.Quote:
Originally Posted by Barry
Were you perhaps measured in the morning last year, and in the afternoon this year? When I tell folk I'm 5'10"" in the morning they look at me like I'm mental
Lol... We got our tree yesterday, after much deliberation, as Del's really fussy about it being *just* the right size and shape, so I was in the garden centre rummaging through different ones and holding them up for her inspection/approval, and being met with 'don't like that one', 'no, don't want that one' - but EVENTUALLY she picked one she liked!:doh:Quote:
Originally Posted by Barry
It's been sitting outside in some water, after I sawed the bottom off of it, to allow it to absorb some moisture. We didn't have time today to bring it and decorate it, as we were busy in the garden, but will be doing it tomorrow, and she's beside herself with excitement! She just LOVES Christmas...:)
Marco.
No, last time he had his heels on.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pigmy Pony
Marco.
Is that because they now walk with a stoop?Quote:
Originally Posted by walpurgis
No, they're just shorter.Quote:
Originally Posted by Barry
It's a bit early for the decos isn't it lads?
Mind you there's one in my street had them up a week after Bonfire Night.
23rd December is more like it. Maybe the 20th if you've got children.
We normally put them up on Del's birthday (13th Dec), but got the tree early in anticipation of things getting busy, so now it's here it seems a shame to leave the poor chap outside in the cold!:D
Besides, she WANTS to play now at 'make the house all Christmassy'...
Marco.
A week before Christmas is plenty early enough, and we take them down about 6th Jan. Though I think they look stupid and irrelevant after new Year's Day.Quote:
Originally Posted by Macca
I have been known to start on mince pies in October :)
Lol - is Anita not a Christmas person then?:)
Marco.
I see no reason why the decorations and tree etc. should not go up later than the start of Advent (29 November 2020), and come down no later than Twelfth Night (5 January 2021).
But I agree that all the Christmas tat appears in the shops far too early. I saw Christmas card for sale in September.
Not much time to enjoy them though, especially if you've gone to a lot of effort, not only to make them (as Del does from scratch with the likes of wreaths and garlands, from things she forages from he local park), before having to take them all down?Quote:
Originally Posted by Barry
It also takes her around 3 hours to decorate the (7ft) tree, which is filled with 100s of vintage baubles and all sorts. And then there's all the cards she hangs up. Typically, we get around 70 Xmas cards a year, which she hangs on the wall using a series of strings, held up by tacks.
I guess it depends on how much time and effort you put into your decorations, and how long you like to enjoy them for:)
Marco.
But you just said you put them up on the 13th December. I'm saying they can go up at the start of Advent (two weeks before the 13th), so there is more time for you to enjoy them.Quote:
Originally Posted by Marco
Lol, soz, I misunderstood you! However, this year they'll be up two weeks earlier, as we've already got our tree:)
Marco.
Oh yeah she likes it just fine, but it is a busy time for her (as it is for most folk) and her health issues means that she can easily take on too much. I help as much as I can, but she is very particular about how stuff is done.Quote:
Originally Posted by Marco
We now have a granddaughter who stops over every other weekend, so tomorrow we'll be doing some decs with her - we bought an outdoor Nordman (in a big pot with roots, and a shitload of outdoor lights and stuff for it :christmas:
That sounds lovely - make sure you post pictures when it’s all done!Quote:
Originally Posted by Marco
I’m usually just like this too but as we’re going away for Christmas and (hopefully...) New Year, we probably won’t bother with our big tree as the damn thing is huge and takes hours to decorate!
Not sure when we’ll put the smaller decorations up. To be honest, I’m not feeling very Christmassy this year. :(
Well I wanted to order a bit of sheet material and wood from B&Q, but that's out of the window 'cos I'm buggered if I'll pay thirty quid just to have thirty quid's worth of stuff delivered!
Do you have a friend or neighbour/know anyone else who could go to the store and get it for you instead?:)
Marco.
Fair enough, dude. Hope your granddaughter has lots of fun - no doubt she'll be all excited!:)Quote:
Originally Posted by Pigmy Pony
Del's also super-fussy how the decs are done. She's currently fitting some cute handmade baubles, which she's made out of wool, in different colours (she'll also wear them on her hair at Christmas), to a little 'tree', constructed from twigs and other bits from our garden, which we've got some lights for, and goes in the kitchen window.
That's always where she starts (always been crafty)... The lounge and the main tree will be next! She's in her element lol, and hasn't really grown up. Bless:D
Marco.
Cheers, mate. We'll defo put up some pics, but it'll be a while yet until it's all finished, as the garland for over the fire and the wreath for the front door take ages to forage for and make! I know what you mean about not feeling Christmassy, but we're determined to enjoy it and have as much FUN as possible!:carrot:Quote:
Originally Posted by Beobloke
Luckily, our normal routine will be undisturbed, with my dad coming over for lunch, along with two of our friends, so that'll be nice, as they're major foodies (and wine-os), like us!:D So there'll be lots of lovely nosh (Beef Wellington, made to the recipe used at The Savoy) for the main course this year instead of goose, plus I've got a shedload of fine wines, vintage ports and quality malt whisky in, so it'll defo be a case of EAT, DRINK and BE MERRY!:santa::christmas::partytime:
Are you guys over in Ireland, then? Hope you have a nice time:cool:
Marco.
No. I'll drive over and check it out. If the precautions look good I'll go in.Quote:
Originally Posted by Marco
That all sounds fantastic!Quote:
Originally Posted by Marco
It was supposed to be Ireland this year but mother-in-law is in a nursing home and not doing too well - Ursula and her sister flew over yesterday and have to isolate for 5 days before a COVID test and, if this is negative, they can go and see her.
We’re going to Ursula’s sister for Christmas Day/Boxing Day which will be nice but also going to my sister for Christmas Eve as it’ll be our first Christmas without my mum, who died in September. Mum always loved Christmas and made it really special for all of us ever since we were children, hence why my Christmas spirit is slow to get going this year.
Don’t worry, though - I’ll get there eventually!
Our B&Q are petty good with the precautions, "lane" markings on the floor, sanitising stuff at entrance for hands and trolleys, etc. My tip; first thing you buy is a broom handle, and anyone who comes within broom handle distance gets a whack round the head :)Quote:
Originally Posted by walpurgis
Surely, with your arse, you'd just release one of your 'specials'? That would soon ensure ample 'social distancing'!!:lol:
Marco.
Really sorry to hear about your mum, mate (mine was the same in terms of Christmas). That would've been hard - I know what it's like. Christmas can be a sad time for many, but you've just got to try and make the most of it and count your blessings, as there's always someone else far worse off...Quote:
Originally Posted by Beobloke
Anyway, hope you guys can have as nice a time as possible in the circumstances, and give my best to Ursula. I wish her mum well:)
Marco.
My walking stick will do. Still got one after a knee injury a while back.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pigmy Pony
So true, and it's funny to see the look in their eyes when they realise for the first time just how ineffective their masks really are :spew:Quote:
Originally Posted by Marco
+1!Quote:
Originally Posted by Marco
Thanks Marco - that's appreciated. As I said, I love Christmas so I'll get there in the end - it's just not happening as easily this year!Quote:
Originally Posted by Marco
Sympathies, Beobloke.
Christmas is for kids really. Us adults just drink and watch the footie and old films and go for walks to walk it all off.
My mum used to do brilliant Christmas Stockings. And brilliant Christmas trees. Even when we were teenage. Lots of chocolate, satsumas, little presents and, because she wasn't judgemental about our bad habits, 3 packets of Embassy cigarettes. Main presents were after the Queen's speech at 3PM. Bless her.
We always had Carols from King's College playing on Christmas Eve too. Occasionally went to midnight mass at the local cathedral too. Guess that one is out this year.
Or those who still like to be kids!;)Quote:
Originally Posted by system7
Marco.
We are in for a treat before Christmas. Thursday, 10 December at 7.30 PM livestream thingie.
https://johnrutter.com/all-events/a-...er-and-the-rpo
For those who don't know, John Rutter and his Choir are just brilliant.
Looks like Classic FM are broadcasting it too:
You can also hear the concert in full on Classic FM at 8pm on Friday 18 December.
https://www.classicfm.com/composers/...ration-online/
Our real tree has been brought in from the garden and decorated. Time for a beer now :cool:
https://i.imgur.com/wC6sBrP.jpg