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Friday, February 26, 2010

Sneak Peak

As you all know, Matthew is defending his dissertation in just a few short weeks. He spends most nights on the computer typing away at the kitchen table. Which is ok, because most nights I'm studying as well, except one night when I gave him my pouty lipped guilt face and used the old, "I feel like I haven't gotten to spend any time with you." Which is passive aggressive for, "I'm really ready to watch the Olympics, let's hurry it up". :)

So, to give you all a little teaser for his big debut. Here is the first paragraph of his paper... I don't even know if I'm allowed to do this. Oh well.... I don't think my own husband would sue me for copyright issues.

Neutrophilic Inflammation

Polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs), or neutrophils, play an important role in the body’s innate immune system’s response to invading pathogens. PMNs originate in the bone marrow and traffic through the blood until such time as they are recruited to a site of infection or inflammation in the tissues. (1) A family of molecules called chemokines are responsible for neutrophil migration of out the blood stream into the periphery. (2) There are several sub-groups of chemokines, but neutrophil specific chemokines are glutamate-leucine-arginine positive CXC chemokines (ELR+CXC). Interleukin-8 (IL-8) or CXCL8, growth related oncogene (GRO) – α (CXCL1), GRO-β (CXCL2), and GRO–γ (CXCL3) are the primary chemokines in humans. In mice they are cytokine induced neutrophil chemoattractant (KC) and macrophage inflammatory protein 2 (MIP2) (3, 4). In humans these ELR+CXC chemokines bind to CXC receptors 1 and 2 (CXCR1 and CXCR1), although there is only CXCR2 in mice. (5) Neutrophils follow a concentration gradient of these chemokines from the circulation into the tissues at sites of inflammation. (6) The CXC receptors are G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), they signal rearrangement of the cytoskeleton via a Gβγ subunit. CXCR activation leads to polymerization of the actin-myosin network in a subcellular localization with actin-myosin depolymerization away from the site of receptor ligation, leading to directional movement of the cell. (7) Upon reaching the tissue the PMNs release their anti-microbial enzymes through a process of degranulation, and can perform an oxidative burst, both of which are mechanisms by which the cells phagocytose and destroy the invading pathogen. (1, 8, 9)



This is hilarious to me... considering that I understand about 10-15% of the whole thing.

Neutrophil- ok, I know this. I look those up on my patient's lab work every week. Who knew that polymorphonuclear leukocytes was another name for neutrophil? You learn something new everyday.

Chemokines- I only know that from vaguely knowing what M's research is about

Mice- I know that one!

Actin-myosin- Remember this from Exercise Physiology

Enzyme- If I didn't know this, I should consider a change in profession

Anti-microbial- hand gel, right?!

And that about sums it up. What's even more hilarious is Matthew likes to ask me to proof read his papers after Ed has looked over them. Just to see if I can catch anything... REALLY? Fortunately for him, my Lipscomb High School education prepared me for this... I am a grammar maniac. Give me any sentence, and I will diagram it for you in a matter of seconds. Now having said this, please don't reread my blog to catch me for grammar mistakes (Heather). I don't proof-read when I write for fun!

Back to the dissertation... Thankfully for Matthew, I could pick a comma splice out of a 2,000 lb haystack (which would equal a ton, right?). My hubby loves him a good run-on sentence. Unfortunately for Matthew, I understand hardly anything. Which sort of defeats the purpose.

And just to make sure that I'm not plagiarizing. Here is my reference. :)

Hardison, M.T.,(2010). A Dual Protease Inhibitor/Receptor Antagonist with Therapeutic Implcations in Chronic Inflammatory Lung Disease. Journal- TBD.

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Meet my husband...


Researcher, grad student, Kentucky fan, Jeopardy nerd, and most recently, cooking extraordinaire! My husband is a FANtastic cook, which is a newly developed hobby for him. Back when Matthew was living the bachelor life, he was a buy a Stouffor's lasagna and eat off of it for a week kind of guy. Whoever that man was, he no longer exists... because I now live with my very own personal Bobby Flay! Without the New York accent. We started cooking together a lot a couple of months after we got married. During the first couple of months, the cooking fell on this girl, rightfully so, since I was basically jobless and schooless (bored).

Since then, M's love for cooking has exponentially grown. He loves to experiment in the kitchen, with my personal fav ventures so far being... homemade Mexican salsa, tres leches cupcakes, chicken Parmesan, chicken cordon blue, homemade ice cream, homemade fudge and caramel sauce, etc... This is also a challenge on my waist-line. Most of the time I'm strong willed enough to say no when I need to, but this is proving to be an ever increasing struggle this past week since the girl scout cookies have arrived!

I love to cook as well. I would love to just sell baked goods from my home. You know I'm stressed if I'm baking. I'm the cookies, cakes, and cobblers girl. Matthew is the pie guy. So, I was delighted when yesterday afternoon, he said he was going to make some fried apple pies (with the cute apple pie mold mom gave us for Valentine's Day!) and homemade whip cream to take to his bosses' house for dinner last night.

They were I-N-C-R-E-D-I-B-L-E! And looked fantastic as well. Plus he was extra innovative and made cinnamon flavored whip cream to go with them as well... delish.

Again... incredible


Enjoy some pics from recent life...

So, after all of our loved ones got TONS of snow. Bham finally got 3-4 inches!

I don't think she was as excited as we were about it.

Lunch with friends... The other side of the table wouldn't let me take a picture. :)

Matthew's new suit from Mom and Dad. Doesn't he look great!

Valentine's Dinner at Bonefish

One thing I love about Bham- Almost 70 today in mid-February. Lexi's new favorite thing is laying on the porch for HOURS.

Helping mom study.

Have a great week! We will be in Knoxville next weekend to visit Heather and Russ! Cannot wait!

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

SC Squared

I know, I'm kind of on a music blog kick lately. Mostly because we haven't had that much going on, ya know except studying, Olympics, studying, American Idol, studying, The Biggest Loser (our new love), and more studying...

Let's all go back to the early 90's. What's the first thing that comes to mind, besides big hair scrunchies, New Kids on the Block and my personal fav MC Hammer (2 legit 2 quit)... Steven Curtis Chapman of course! Definitely the BEST Christian music artist EVER! I've long had a musical crush on Steven. Who wouldn't, with those beautiful blond locks and the voice of a celestial angel? Who doesn't immediately think of him when you think of great Christian music growing up... unless your my husband and you live and breathe Acapella? AVB was TOTALLY better by the way (I'm sure M and J will highly disagree).

I came to think of good ole' Steve the other day when I put an old burn mix of Christian music in my CD player. I was elated when I heard that wondrous intro, "Saddle up your horses..." Only to have my joy escalate when I heard my first ever favorite "rap" song, "Got To Be True" by Steven along with none other than DC Talk alum Toby Mac. I'll never forget singing that song in the car with my dad and sis... after turning the cassette over to Side B and taking 5 minutes to find the exact song you wanted... those were the days.

Right after we got married, we went to the SCC and Michael W. Smith concert here in Bham with J and K... It took no time for me to travel back to my childhood roots. I loved EVERY minute of it.

So... as an ode to my childhood.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Blue (and White) Moon


Becuase that's what it has to be for me to put up a post on here, now I know my post moves have nothing on DeMarcus Cousins (pause for polite laughter) but here goes. What a season it has been, and I mean that in every sense of the word, a bitter, cold winter that has chilled my wife and I to the bone, which I admit has been kind to our electric bill since we enjoy the cooler temperature inside. On the other hand, what a great basketball season it has been for our beloved Kentucky Wildcats! Coach Cal and the "Diaper Dandies" he brought in this season, along with the elder statesman leadership of Patrick "Black Kool-Aid" Patterson have created a squad that is as fun to watch as it appears for them to play. For those of us who suffered through the winter of discontent that was all of last season this year has been a breath of fresh air for the True Blue faithful!

But enought about the greatest team in the country, how about the best wife in the country? My smart-as-a-whip better half got a big, fat, scholarship from the stingy University of Alabama at Birmingham!! She has also been knocking the top out of her classes this semester which most of you will remember is the hardest semester in nursing school. In addition to this she has been keeping me well fed and happy as ever. I can't wait till she is done with school and wont have to stress about pointless papers and tests. Anyway this is probably going to be mainly a "Picture Update Post" We have had several visitors recently, Ashley, Mom, Dad, Benj, and haven't put any pictures up from then. Additionally I would like to take this opportunity to say Happy Birthday to Mom, Benjamin, and Vicki who all have birthdays this week!!

I realize that this post has been kind of disjointed but enjoy the pics and I think Ann will post some more in the next day or two...

One tired puppy

How good is our new camera?

Delicious homemade Bobby Flay coconut cake

Ash came to visit over MLK weekend!

Davenports... aka, the best pizza ever

The air mattress slept really well... sarcasm

Lexi was not ready for Aunt Ashley to leave

Why so serious? Lexi got her Joker get up from eating one of Ann's tubes of lip gloss. She got into BIG trouble.

I sent her to her "room" to think about her actions... I felt badly about getting onto her. So I crawled in to apologize.

We made up in a matter of seconds.

My parents and Benj came down this past weekend. Lexi loved Uncle Benj as well.

Happy Birthday!