Diversionary tactics by Phorm supporters?

The forums at nodpi.org are an extremely useful source of information on Phorm and allied aspects of internet privacy issues.  In particular, I've recently found that their coverage of the appearance of the Phorm website which aims to smear their opposition has been fun, particularly the whole "privacy pirate" schtick.  More seriously, some of the accsations on that site have proven to be untrue.  Clearly the nodpi website continues to be a thorn in the side of Phorm - I strongly recommend that broadband customers of British Telecom have a look at the discussions there.

Supporters of Phorm sometimes post on a number of discussion forums around the web, including nodpi, leave comments on articles critical of Phorm (it must be an uphill battle, as most of the articles I see on the topic seem to be critical of Phorm), etc, as it their right.  Last night it seems that a concerted assault on the nodpi forums took place, with Phorm supporters posting articles containing pornographic material and personal attacks on members. As usual, these passed me by (as I was in the land of nod), but I think it took a lot of time for the admins to clear it all up.

One wonders whether the timing is significant - Phorm financial results are thought to be imminent.

For more information on Phorm, its deep packet inspection technology and how it intrudes on personal privacy and infringes copyright pop over to these sites, all of which feature onward links to more:

nodpi FAQs

badphorm.co.uk

dephormation.org.uk

 

Using transgenic RNAi in Drosophila

It's been a while since I last blogged about peer-reviewed science.  In a recent Departmental Journal Club, I discussed a paper outlining the use of transgenic RNAi in Drosophila.  In this paper, the authors utilise the power of Drosophila transgenics to use RNAi mediated gene knockdown to identify components of an important developmental signalling pathway.

In contrast to other systems, such as mammalian cell culture systems, in which RNAi mediated knockdown of gene expression is mediated by the introduction of short double-stranded RNA molecules, in Drosophila researcher use longer double stranded RNA molecules.  There are two method of using RNAi to investigate gene function in Drosophila.

Firstly, and in parallel to mammalian cell culture techniques, dsRNA may be synthesised in vitro and introduced into cultured cells by standard transfection techniques.  This is  powerful method to screen for phenotypes involving

Secondly, we can use the organism's system to synthesise dsRNA from templates introduced by the well-established P element transformation system widely used in Drosophila research.  By using the Gal4-UAS system, the expression of interfering dsRNA can be manipulated in finely tuned spatiotemporal patterns. 

 

Bossard Wheelers '10' 9th May 2009

This time trial is an annual event for me - and in fact Richard (the organiser) this year emailed to remind me of it!  As has so often been the case this year, it was a pretty windy day, with all the signs indicating the race would be a flyer on the outward leg, but a real grovel back to the finish.

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And so it proved.  However, to backtrack slightly.  It became immediately obvious that there were real problems with my HRM bike computer.  For a start it was registering about twice my actual speed.  This was (and remains) something of a mystery.  I've checked in case it was some kind of prank played by a clubmate - but no.  I can only assume it's the transmitter on the fork blade playing up.  And to cap the dismay, the heart rate display kept leaping up to unfeasible levels, such as 228bpm.  I was using a chest transmitter unit that was really rather old, and I suspect that the battery life was pretty much expired.

For the race, I decided to remove the chest strap, and assume the registered speed was about twice the real speed.  After a brief chat with other riders (and noting that tomorrow's Norlond '30' was to be held on the A1 south of Tempsford, following last weekend's fatal accident), I set off to warm up a bit before the race.

I lined up and started my HRM's timer as my minute man departed.  After a brief bit of banter with the timekeeper in connection with my beard (which does seem to cause quite a considerable amount of interest), I was off.  Sure enough, the outward leg was a flier, interrupted only by traffic obstruction at the Billington roundabout.  But once past the obstruction, I was back up to a decent speed pretty much all the way to the turn.

The short descent from the turn got my speed up again, but all too briefly, as the stiff headwind began to take its toll.  My speed was definitely reduced, particularly on the drags.  Still, I caught at least one rider on the return leg.  I got past the Billington roundabout cleanly, and finished in 23:05 - at least according to my HRM timer.  I was hugely pleased with that time on such a hard day.

Unfortunately I ended up with 23:25 - either my HRM had a further aberration, or there was time-keeping glitch (and I wasn't about to kick up a fuss - remember, the timekeeper is always right!).  That was enough for 13th place, I think, and a result I was pretty happy with.  I've also decided to change my training strategy to allow me by altering my daily routine to allow more time for proper training.  See the Team Grumpy blog for more!

Results:

Tables tt { font-family: courier; } td { font-family: helvetica, sans-serif; } caption { font-family: helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left; }

 

Pos No Name Club Cat Vets Std Time +/- std Std Pos
1 70 Tony Gibb Plowman Craven-Madison Sen   20:41      
2 10 Brett Harwood Westbrook Cycles/Scott Sen   21:15      
3 65 Tim Carter North Bucks Road Club Vet 25:54 21:21 + 4:33 6
4 60 Jon Simpkins Banbury Star CC Sen   21:23      
5 50 Jason Gurney Team Milton Keynes Sen   21:44      
6 41 Leigh Smith Alpha RC Sen   22:12      
7 51 Sam Hayes Beds Road CC Sen   22:38      
8 55 Nick Druce Didcot Phoenix Sen   22:45      
9 20 Simon Cannings Team Milton Keynes Sen   22:47      
10 16 Simon Howes Westbrook Cycles/Scott Sen   22:50      
11 25 Carl Bond Kenton RC Sen   23:17      
12 21 Richard Webster Team Welwyn Vet 25:30 23:19 + 2:11 24
13 56 Rob Saunders North Bucks Road Club Vet 27:20 23:25 + 3:55 9
14 31 Dr Simon Baker Bicester Millennium CC Vet 26:06 23:27 + 2:39 21
15 11 Jeremy Mulkern Aylesbury CC Vet 27:07 23:32 + 3:35 14
16 46 Geoff Perry Team Milton Keynes Vet 27:20 23:33 + 3:47 12
17 35 Richard Noon Icknield RC Vet 26:42 23:37 + 3:05 19
18 62 Russell Rowles Spirit Racing Team Vet 27:07 23:44 + 3:23 17
19 57 Stephen Thomas Stevenage CC Vet 27:33 23:55 + 3:38 13
20 15 John Bourton Fairly United CT Vet 28:52 23:57 + 4:55 4
21 8 Gareth Richards Roy Pink Cycles RT Sen   23:58      
21 22 Geoff Bunyan Spirit Racing Team Vet 27:07 23:58 + 3:09 18
23 66 Chris Greig High Wycombe CC Sen   24:00      
24 45 Ian Brazier Verulam CC Vet 26:54 24:01 + 2:53 20
25 63 Tim Davies Icknield RC Vet 25:42 24:13 + 1:29 31
26 61 Roger Porter Verulam CC Vet 30:16 24:26 + 5:50 2
27 12 Dave Wentworth Team Saleengine.co.uk Vet 28:38 24:27 + 4:11 7
28 33 David Mobbs Banbury Star CC Sen   24:28      
29 36 Andrew Murray Hemel Hempstead CC Vet 25:30 24:30 + 1:00 34
30 52 Simon Layfield Team Welwyn Vet 26:18 24:36 + 1:42 30
31 67 Adrian Feek Team Quest/The Bike Shop Vet 25:42 24:49 + 0:53 35
32 9 David Ledgerton Hitchin Nomads CC Vet 26:18 24:54 + 1:24 32
33 13 Les Church Camel Valley C & TC - Dales Sen   25:07      
34 68 Lyndon Lewis Beds Road CC Vet 27:33 25:08 + 2:25 22
35 23 Brian Foran Lampard RC Vet 27:20 25:18 + 2:02 25
36 37 Alan Harvey Shorter Rochford RT Vet 30:30 25:24 + 5:06 3
37 58 Matt Chudley Beds Road CC Sen   25:27      
38 28 Clive Corns Icknield RC Vet 29:20 25:29 + 3:51 11
39 43 Stuart Simmonds Lewes Wanderers Vet 26:54 25:33 + 1:21 33
40 42 Frank Pressling Maidenhead & District CC Vet 30:30 25:49 + 4:41 5
41 17 Graham Pepperdine Verulam CC Vet 26:30 25:51 + 0:39 36
42 38 Merv Player Herts Wheelers Vet 33:34 25:55 + 7:39 1
43 69 Paul Hall Beds Road CC Vet 25:54 25:57 0:03 38
44 64 Clive Faine Team Milton Keynes Vet 30:16 26:18 + 3:58 8
45 54 Andy Barrett Spirit Racing Team Vet 26:42 26:39 + 0:03 37
46 27 Peter Lock Victoria/Ciclos Uno/PCA/Pro-lite CC Vet 25:54 26:41 0:47 39
47 49* Mrs Yvone Gurney Team Milton Keynes Lady   27:07      
48 24* Bob Brabbins Victoria/Ciclos Uno/PCA/Pro-lite CC Vet 31:00 27:27 + 3:33 16
49 48 Les Morris VTTA L & Home Cos Vet 31:15 27:41 + 3:34 15
50 19* Katherine Dilks North Bucks Road Club Lady   27:52      
51 14* John Pfeifer Icknield RC Vet 32:00 28: 09 + 3:51 10
52 59* Chris James Willesden CC Vet 30:16 28:20 + 1:56 28
53 18 Brian Moon Willesden CC Vet 30:30 28:33 + 1:57 27
54 34* Tony Baines Icknield RC Vet 30:45 28:53 + 1:52 29
55 29* William Gladwin Hillingdon CC Vet 33:18 31:19 + 1:59 26
56 39* Ronald Purdy Willesden CC Vet 34:22 32:07 + 2:15 23
57 7* Marty Rabbitte Bossard Wheelers Vet 26:54 32:23 5:29 40
  26 Malcolm Ash Aylesbury CC Vet 30:16 DNS Apol      
  30 David Johnson High Wycombe CC Vet 27:46 DNS      
  32 Keith Richardson Mildenhall CC Sen   DNS Apol      
  40 Gareth Rose Icknield RC Vet 25:54 DNS      
  47 Aaron McCaffrey AW Cycles.co.uk Sen   DNS      
  53 Stewart King High Wycombe CC Vet 27:07 DNS Apol      
  44* Paul Harknett Camel Valley C & TC - Dales Vet 31:00 DNS Apol      

 

 

DNA fingerprint databases: Apparently I am "against justice"

The BBC reports (DNA data plan comes under fire) that the Government's wholly inadequate response to the European Court of Human Rights ruling that retention of DNA profiles of individuals who have not been convicted of an offence is attracting considerable criticism.

In response to a number of commentators' objections to the Government's plans to continue to retain these data for up to 12 years,

Commons Leader Harriet Harman said the plan's critics were "against justice".

Personally, I think the Government needs to sharpen up its thought processes.  Fortunately we have pressure groups to keep a watch out for excessively authoritarian politicians:

Shami Chakrabarti, director of civil rights group Liberty, added: "This isn't necessarily a complete two fingers to the court of human rights but it comes pretty close.

"The logic of the government's position would be to take every man, woman and child in the country and put them on the database, just in case."

Interestingly, the Government's response to the European Court of Human Rights ruling is to define two classes of innocent people, those who have not committed a crime of a violent or sexual nature (who's DNA profile will be retained for 12 years), and those who have not committed a lesser crime, and who are therefore just that bit more innocent,their data being retained for a mere 6 years.  In Scotland, records can only be held beyond three years, up to a maximum of five, if police get court permission - a system deemed "fair and proportionate" by the European court.

Why the Home Office can't just align itself with that system is unknown (except that it's run by a bunch of officious busybodies who want to monitor everything that we do).  Instead, the Home Office proposal is to:

  • Destroy all original DNA samples, like mouth swabs, as soon as they are converted into a digital database profile
  • Automatically delete after 12 years the profiles of those arrested but not convicted of a serious violent or sexual crime
  • Automatically delete after six years the profiles of anyone arrested but not convicted of other offences
  • Retain indefinitely the DNA profiles and fingerprints of anyone convicted of a recordable offence
  • Remove the profiles of young people arrested but not convicted, or convicted of less serious offences, when they turn 18

It will be interesting to see what the European Court of Human Rights have to say about this.

Upgraded blog software

I have just upgraded this site's blogging software from MyBlog version 2 to version 3 (from Azrul), everything seems to be working OK, but let me know if there are any issues.  I have noticed cosmetic changes, most notably the raindrop panel on the front page, but there seem to be significant improvements in the system's functionality (this posting is mostly to see how they work!).