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Comment posted on Book review : Light on Yoga by Jessie
The power 90 dvd that I Was following for a bit had some yoga incorporated into it. That was actually my favourite part of the whole thing. I have been curious as to what it's all about,and I am now tready to take some actionon those thoughts.
Thank you for the resource.
Recent comments by Jessie
- Quick and Intense Leg Training
HAHAHHAHAHAHAHA holy crap.
Like I said in my email…There is NO such thing as coincidence….
Being a single mother of 4, I know all about the time crunch.
I did his leg workout today…I almost didnt make it, and I can sure feel it in my thighs right now.
Thank you for the fantastic video
- Mastering The Kettlebell Swing
- I'm officially MORE than frustrated!!!
It's funny actually.
I removed a meal from my plan not even thinking that I was actually reducing my caloric intake….so like Michele said "starving myself"…
I have put that last meal back into my plan and just decided to start eating earlier in the morning. I have also added more calories (the 200 that Rob suggested) in the form of lean protein.
I know it will all come together shortly…
It's all in the details…it's allllllllllll in the details.
- Mastering The Kettlebell Swing
That seriously looks like so much fun.
I'm positive that it is more difficult than it looks, but damn I wanna try it
- Do You Pee In The Shower?


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Distilled Beer: New IPA Whiskey from Charbay
All whiskey is essentially distilled beer, but you wouldn't want to drink the majority of brews that end up in your whiskey bottle. The new Charbay R5 Hop-Flavored Whiskey is a bit of a different beast—the whiskey is distilled from Bear Republic's Racer 5 IPA. More

subset: commoncrawl


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Breezy Barbados Dining Room
Traditional Bajan touches and a seaside palette set the scene for a laid-back Caribbean feast.
Homeowner Colette van den Thillart chose to play up the beachy vibe in the dining room of her Barbados vacation home. Green-striped slipcovers over teak furniture complement the lush greenery outside and a white ceiling and drapes make the space feel fresh. The gingerbreading is a traditional detail on island houses.
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Credit : Stephen Lovekin/ Getty ImagesEarn Points
Dancing With The Stars
Julianne Hough Rocks Suit Pants Under a Dress…With a Trench Coat? (PHOTOS)
She may be starring in the movie Safe Haven, but the outfit Julianne Hough rocked during the film's New York City premiere is anything but safe.
Click through the gallery to see the former Dancing With the Stars pro at the screening yesterday (February 12), wearing a George Hobeika dress with wide-legged pants underneath. Julianne topped off her look with a white trench coat.
Tell us what you think of the look in the reaction buttons below!
Dancing With the Stars Season 16 premieres March 18, 2013 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.


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The Dons' three-match winning run came to an end with a 2-0 defeat at League Two leaders Chesterfield on Saturday and next up they face another promotion-chasing side at home.
"It is about how we react now and it showed areas that we need to improve in," said Ardley of Saturday's loss.
"We have got another tough one next week, but I have said to the boys that if we have two or three defeats on the trot then that is when it's really tough to bounce back.
"We will try to ensure that we have a good week in training so that we can try and bounce back and hopefully go on another run."


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As a child, Minnesota Wild defenseman Ryan Suter didn't hear many stories about his father, Bob, winning a gold medal as a member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team.
"Every teacher that I had, they were telling me all about it and wanted me to bring the medal in to school as often as I could," Ryan said. "I didn't know that much about it when I was younger, so they were more excited about it than I was. And that's where I learned how special it was."
No U.S. men's team has won gold since Coach Herb Brooks' underdog team upset the mighty Soviets and beat Finland in the Miracle on Ice, though Ryan's team lost to Canada in the 2010 finale at Vancouver. Ryan, a standout who averages an NHL-leading 29 minutes 34 seconds' ice time per game, will get another chance, at the Sochi Olympics, to match his father's feat.
"I'd love it. I could finally settle him down — just kidding," Ryan said Monday by telephone. "It would be a huge honor. I've always looked up to my dad, not just for his gold medal but because of what kind of person he is. To have a gold medal, to be in that same class as the 1980 team, would be a pretty special feeling."
Ryan Suter: A column on Minnesota Wild defenseman Ryan Suter that appeared on the cover of the Jan. 28 Sports section stated that the Kings' Jeff Carter was acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers. He was acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Suters are featured in a short film produced by Gillette to honor fathers' roles in raising Olympians, complementing an advertising campaign in which athletes thank their moms for helping them. But father and son won't be together in Sochi, at least initially.
Bob, who runs a skating rink in Madison, Wis., doesn't plan to be there from the start but might go if Team USA plays for gold. In an interview with CBS News, he cited as a reason security that "takes away from the athletics and the sports and stuff."
He told The Times on Monday his concern about terrorism "is there, but it's not enough of a reason that would keep me from going there. They wouldn't have the Olympics there if security wasn't going to be good and adequate."
He said he's staying in the U.S. to appear at promotional events with some of his 1980 teammates and because Ryan's wife and two young children aren't going to Sochi, he's not needed to babysit.
Ryan said logistics dictated that decision.
"With two little kids it's a long way to travel. It's just easier for them to watch it on TV. They'll probably get to see more anyway," he said.
But he's aware of possible danger. "I'm thinking about the security, but I think everybody is, because of the media coverage," Ryan said. "Everything is so hyped up and talked about, every little thing. I feel safe. I feel we're going to be taken care of and I really look forward to being over there."
It's all in the timing
The struggling team had high expectations but low production and needed a winger who would fit in with a tight group and score goals to take pressure off the excellent defense and goaltending. The team lost four straight games and eight of 10, and scored 15 goals in a 10-game span that included three shutout losses before a trade was made to fill that need.
That was the Kings' situation on Feb. 23, 2012, when they acquired Jeff Carter from Philadelphia, and it's a lot like their situation now. They had a five-game losing streak before they played Monday night at San Jose and were 4-10-2 in their previous 16. They had scored 28 goals and were shut out three times in that span.
General Manager Dean Lombardi made the right move at the right time to acquire Carter, who contributed eight goals and 13 points to the Kings' Stanley Cup run. It's time for Lombardi to again make a move that will inject offense into a stale lineup.
Lombardi has kept the core of the Cup-winning group together because he believes in it and its character. That's fine. But if he can't find a solution from within, it's time for him to change the equation and deliver a jolt that says no one's job is safe, and acknowledge staying the same is the equivalent of falling behind.
The Kings' salary-cap squeeze limits their ability to take on a big contract unless their trading partner keeps a portion, as Toronto did with Matt Frattin and Ben Scrivens. Lombardi will have to be creative, but he must do something to energize the offense before the March 5 trade deadline.
Slap shots
The NHL got lucky with conditions at the outdoor game Saturday at Dodger Stadium but had to battle snow and a 90-minute sun-glare delay Sunday when the New York Rangers faced the New Jersey Devils at Yankee Stadium. The Rangers will play the New York Islanders at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday before the outdoor series is put on hold for a bigger novelty — the Olympics.
Copyright © 2015, RedEye


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A method for rendering water-insoluble materials water-soluble is provided. The method is useful for solubilizing substantially water-insoluble bioactive materials such as drugs. This is accomplished by forming a non-covalently bonded complex between the drug and a polyalkylene oxide polymer end capped with an alkyl or olefinic group which is soluble in both water and an organic solvent. This is carried out by combining the desired medicinal agent with the polymer is an organic solvent, removing the solvent and dissolving the complex in water or aqueous buffer. When the organic solvent is evaporated, a solid complex is recovered which is water-soluble. Methods of treatment with the complexes are also provided.
1. A water-soluble complex comprising a substantially water-insoluble compound non-covalently bonded to a water-soluble, polymeric compound having the structure:
R is a C6 --C30 alkyl, cycloalkyl, bicycloalkyl or olefin group;
X is independently selected from the group consisting of:
oxygen, sulfur, ##STR4## where L is selected from H or a C1-4 alkyl; and Y is O or S; Z is a polyalkylene oxide homopolymer or copolymer residue; and
R' is a C1-24 alkyl;
said polymeric compound having a molecular weight of from about 1,000 to about 40,000.
2. The complex of claim 1, wherein Z is a polyethylene glycol residue.
3. The complex of claim 1, wherein Z has a molecular weight of from about 2,000 to about 12,00.
4. The complex of claim 1, wherein R is a C18 alkyl group and R' is a methyl.
5. The complex of claim 1, wherein each X is oxygen.
6. The complex of claim 1, wherein at least one X is ##STR5##
7. The complex of claim 1, wherein the substantially water-insoluble compound comprises a bio-effecting substance.
8. The complex of claim 7, wherein said bio-affecting substance is selected from the group consisting of tacrine; Amphotericin-B, cyclosporine, free base forms of antibiotics, anti-arrhythmic, anti-inflammatory, anti-anxiety and anti-psychotic agents.
9. The complex of claim 8, wherein said bio-effecting substance is Amphotericin-B.
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/252,854 filed Jun. 2, 1994.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for rendering water-insoluble materials water-soluble. More particularly, the invention pertains to a method for making substantially water-insoluble bioactive materials, such as drugs, more water-soluble by forming non-covalent complexes with polymers which are soluble in both water and organic solvent.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known in the art that a wide variety of bioactive materials are either completely or substantially insoluble in water. It would be most advantageous if such materials could be made more water-soluble while maintaining their bioactivity. In the prior art, when a promising drug candidate was found to be insufficiently water-soluble, research focussed on molecular alteration of the compound to produce a water-soluble analog, such as its salt form. However, many times such is not possible and a compound which has beneficial properties must be abandoned.
Other attempts at solubilizing drugs include, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,160,734 which discloses complexing a poorly water-soluble drug with a polyoxypropylene-polyoxyethylene block copolymer. A complex is formed by blending the polymer, drug and ethanol followed by granulation with lactose and vacuum drying. U.S. Pat. No. 5,030,448 suggests taking advantage of the hydrophilic-hydrophobic portions of a polymer which is surface active. This system requires a hydrophobic central moiety instead of one which is water-soluble. U.S. Pat. No. 2,898,267 shows the use of polyalkylene oxide adducts of C9 --C22 alkyl alcohols to form emulsions. U.S. Pat. No. 4,904,466 shows polymers which form gels at low water concentrations by using a C8 --C20 group containing polyethylene ether surfactants in capped polyether polymer gels for drug delivery. U.S. Pat. No. 4,511,563 discloses analgesic gels using block copolymers of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide. Only mixtures are shown. None of these suggest a mechanism for making a water-insoluble component water-soluble.
The invention provides a water-soluble, polymeric compound having the structure:
R is a C6 --C30 alkyl, cycloalkyl, bicycloalkyl or olefin group;
X is independently selected from the group consisting of:
oxygen, sulfur, ##STR1## wherein L is H or a C1-4 alkyl; and Y is O or S;
Z is a water-soluble polymer residue; and
R' is H, OH or C1-24 alkyl.
The invention also provides a water-soluble complex comprising a substantially water-insoluble compound non-covalently bonded to one of the above-described polymeric compounds and methods of producing the complexes.
The invention still further provides a method of preparing solutions containing the above-described complexes. The method includes contacting a substantially water-insoluble compound with a polymeric compound of the structure shown above in the presence of an organic solvent; separating the complex from the organic solvent; and combining the complex with water.
In another aspect of the invention, there is provided water-soluble complexes of the polymer derivative described above along with a medicinal agent selected from the group consisting of Amphotericin-B and tacrine.
Yet another aspect of the invention includes methods of treatment. In this aspect of the invention, complexes described above containing a medicinal agent are administered to a mammal in need of the medicinal agent. Such treatment methods are preferably carried out by administering the complexes as part of an aqueous solution.
As a result of the present invention, the artisan is presented with an additional means of solubilizing substantially water-insoluble materials such as medicinal agents. In certain aspects of the invention, the polymeric complexes also allow a medicinal agent such as Amphotericin-B to be delivered in a manner which is substantially safer than methods previously used without loss of potency.
FIG. 1 is a graphical representation of the antifungal effect of amphotericin and polyethylene glycol conjugated amphotericin in accordance with the present invention on candida growth.
FIG. 2 is a graphical representation of the effect of amphotericin and polyethylene glycol conjugated amphotericin in accordance with the present invention on hemolysis.
The invention provides methods for solubilizing substantially water-insoluble compounds such as medicinal agents. The methods include forming a complex of the water-insoluble compound and a water-soluble polymer in an approximately equimolar ratio. The polymer portion of the complex contains a terminal hydrophobic aromatic, alkyl or olefinic group which is believed to be in a non-covalent mating relationship with the water-insoluble compound.
The complex is formed by mixing the desired water-insoluble compound with the polymer in a suitable organic solvent such as ethanol, methanol, tetrahydrofuran, dimethylformamide, methylene chloride and mixtures thereof, removing the solvent and dissolving the residue in water or suitable aqueous buffer.
Molar ratios of polymer to target water-insoluble medicinal agent or drug range from about 1:1 to about 4:1. The amount of polymer to effect this result varies in proportion, molecular weight and chain length for each medicinal and can also be determined empirically.
The resultant compound may have a different HPLC spectrum from the water-insoluble compound, i.e., drug and polymer as individual components, but the same NMR spectra as a mixture of the two individual components. Nevertheless, no covalent bond is formed. When the complex is dissolved in an organic solvent, such as ethanol, the original components can be recovered. While Applicants are not bound by theory, it is believed that the hydrophobic portion of the water-insoluble polymer attracts the water-insoluble drug by Van Der Waals forces. Further, it is believed that the polymeric compounds do not act as surfactants to achieve the solubilizing effect. Surfactants are typically low molecular weight compounds (MW<1,000) used in severalfold molar excesses to form micelles. The polymeric compounds of the present invention, on the other hand, are of higher molecular weights ranging from about 1,000 to about 40,000. Furthermore, the polymeric compounds are preferably used in approximately equimolar ratios with the compound to be solubilized.
The polymeric compositions have the structure:
wherein R is a C6 --C30 alkyl, cycloalkyl such as cyclooctyls, cyclodecyls and cyclododecyls; bicycloalkyl such as norbornyl derivatives and di-, tri- and sesquiterpenes; or an olefin group such as an oleic derivative.
Preferably, R is a C6 --C24 alkyl group and, most preferably, R is a C8 --C18 alkyl group. It is to be understood that suitable alkyls include straight and branched alkyls.
In alternative aspects of the invention, R is an aromatic group such as a phenyl, substituted phenyl, substituted phenyl and the like, or even a cyano-substituted group.
Each X is independently selected from the group consisting of:
oxygen, sulfur, ##STR2## wherein L is H or a C1-4 alkyl; and Y is O or S; and R' is H, OH or C1-24 alkyl. Preferably, R' is a C1-4 alkyl group and most preferably CH3.
The polymeric compounds are formed by capping a water-soluble polymer residue, designated Z herein, with XR or XR' groups. Mono-activated, alkyl-terminated polyalkylene oxides such as monomethyl-terminated polyethylene glycols (mPEG's) are preferred; bis-activated polyethylene oxides are also contemplated. Non-limited examples of such water-soluble polymers include polyalkylene oxide homopolymers such as polyethylene glycol (PEG), polyoxyethylenated polyols, copolymers and block copolymers of PEG, PPG (polypropylene glycol) and/or EO (ethylene oxide), provided that the water solubility of a copolymer is maintained. Although polyethylene glycols vary substantially by weight, water-soluble polymer residues Z are formed from polymers having a molecular weight ranges of from about 1,000 to about 40,000 are usually selected for the purposes of the present invention. Molecular weights of from about 1,000 to about 7,500 are preferred and 2,000 to about 5,000 are particularly preferred. The polymer residues included herein are water-soluble at room temperature.
The polymeric compounds, therefore, have a molecular weight of from about 1,000 to about 40,000, more preferably from about 2,000 to about 12,000 and most preferably from about 2,000 to about 5,000. For purposes of the present invention, effectively non-antigenic means all polymeric materials understood in the art as being substantially nontoxic and not eliciting an appreciable immunogenic response in mammals.
Synthesis of the water-soluble polymeric compounds of the present invention includes reacting equimolar amounts of an alkylated polyethylene glycol with a fatty alcohol or fatty amine in an inert solvent. The following are suitable reaction mechanisms: ##STR3##
In the above mechanisms, mPEG represents a methoxypolyethylene glycol or a methoxypolypropylene glycol having a molecular weight of from about 1,000 to about 40,000, and R is a C8 --C24 alkyl group. The other variant species of the polymer can be prepared by those skilled in the art in an analogous manner. It is to be understood that the mPEG derivatives are shown above for purpose of illustration and that the alternative polymers described above can also be converted into the inventive compounds using suitable techniques.
In the practice of the present invention, the water-soluble complex is prepared by combining the desired water-insoluble compound such as a medicinal agent or drug with the polymer in an organic solvent in which both are soluble and then removing the solvent. Suitable water-insoluble compounds include essentially any compound which can benefit from increased water solubility. It should be capable of forming a non-covalent complex with the water-soluble polymeric compound. For the purposes of this invention water-insoluble compounds are those having solubility in water of less than 10 mg/ml and preferably less than 1 mg/ml. Examples of suitable medicinal agents non-exclusively include tacrine, Amphotericin-B, campthothecin, free base forms of antibiotics, cyclosporin-A, anti-arrhythmic, anti-inflammatory, anti-anxiety and anti-psychotic agents, and the like. Preferred aspects of the invention include complexes of Amphotericin-B or tacrine with the polymers described herein.
Suitable organic solvents non-exclusively include alcohols, ketones, ethers, esters, dimethylformamide and mixtures thereof. Alcohols, however, particularly ethanol, are most preferred. The mixing temperature should be below the decomposition temperature of the components, and is preferably from about 4� C. to about 115� C., most preferably about 25� to 60� C.
The water-soluble polymer containing the terminal hydrophobic group is preferably combined with the water-insoluble compound is a mole ratio of generally from about 1:1 to about 4:1, preferably from about 1:1 to about 2:1 and most preferably 1:1. The reaction is conducted in an inert solvent which is present in that amount sufficient to form a homogenous solution of the components. Thereafter, the solvent is removed such as by evaporating or vacuum.
When the water-insoluble compound is a bio-effecting substance or drug, the formed complex retains at least a portion of the bioactivity of the drug prior to complexing. For purposes of the present invention, the term "bio-effecting substance" means a substance capable of having a biologically determinable effect in mammals. "Portion of the activity" shall be understood to mean that at least some therapeutic effectiveness is maintained.
Another aspect of the present invention provides methods of treatment for various medical conditions in mammals. The methods include administering an effective amount of the drug-containing complex which has been prepared as described herein to a mammal in need of such treatment. The complexes are useful for, among other things, treating infections, as in the case of Amphotericin-B complexes, neurological conditions, as in the case of tacrine complexes, neoplastic disease, reducing tumor burden, preventing metastasis of neoplasms and preirenting recurrences of tumor/neoplastic growths, in the case of anti-neoplastic agent complexes. The amount of complex used in the treatment methods is generally that amount which effectively achieves the desired therapeutic result in mammals. Naturally, the dosages of the various complexes will vary depending upon the intended use and medicinal agent selected. Those skilled in the art will determine the optimal dosing of the conjugate selected based on clinical experience and the treatment indications.
The complexes of the present invention can be included in one or more suitable pharmaceutical compositions for administration to mammals. The pharmaceutical compositions may be in the form of a solution, suspension, tablet, capsule or the like, prepared according to methods well known in the art. It is also contemplated that administration of such compositions may be by the oral and/or parenteral routes depending upon the needs of the artisan. In preferred aspects, the complexes are administered as aqueous solutions.
In the case of Amphotericin-B, it has been surprisingly found that the complexes and methods of the present invention provide a means for increasing its water-solubility and reducing its toxicity to erythrocytes.
In this aspect of the invention, the amount of Amphotericin-B polymeric complex administered will be based on the amount of Amphotericin contained therein. For example, the amount administered will range from about 0.1 to about 10 mg/kg/day and preferably from about 0.2 to about 3 mg/kg/day.
The following non-limiting examples serve to illustrate the invention but are not meant in any way to restrict the effective scope of the invention.
Methoxypolyethylene glycol of molecular weight 5,000 (Union Carbide, 60 g 12 mmol) was dissolved in toluene/dichloromethane (3:1 200 ml) and treated with a toluene solution of phosgene (20 mg, 57 mmol) overnight. The solution was evaporated to dryness and the remainder of phosgene was removed under vacuum. The residue was redissolved in toluene/dichloromethane (2.1, 150 ml) and treated with solid N-hydroxysuccinimide (2:1 g, 18 mmol) followed by triethylamine (1.7 ml, 12 mmol). After 3 hours, the solution was filtered and evaporated to dryness. The residue was dissolved in warm (50� C.) ethyl acetate (600 ml), filtered from trace insolubles and cooled to facilitate precipitation of the polymer. The product was collected by filtration and then recrystallized once more from ethylacetate. The product as dried in vacuo over P2 O5. The yield was 52.5 g (85 % of theoretical). To determine the active carbonate content of the product, samples of the polymer were reacted with a measured amount of benzylamine in dichloromethane and the excess of amine was titrated with perchloric acid in dioxane. These titrations indicated that 1 g of the product contained 1.97�10-4 mole of active carbonate (101% of theoretical content). I.R. (film on NaCl, cm-1) characteristic bands at: 1812 and 1789 (both C═O, succinimide); 1742 (C═O, carbonate); 1114 (CH2 OCH2). C13 --NMR (CDCl3): delta 168.5 (CH2 C═O); 151.3 (O--CO2); 71.9 (CH3 OCH2); 70.2 (PEG); 68.7 (CH2 CH2 OCO2); (CH3 HC2 OCO2); 68.0 (CH2 CH2 OCO2); 58.9 (CH3 O); 25.2 (CH3 C═O) ppm.
Octadecyl amine (3.25 g) 0.012 moles is added to a solution of mSCPEG (Ex. 1) (50.4g, 0.008 mol) in dichloromethane (200 ml) and the contents are stirred for one hour. The solvent is evaporated and the solid obtained is recrystallized from 2-propanol and ethyl ether to give the octadecyl carbamate of methoxypolyethylene glycol. C13 NMR confirms the analysis.
The procedure of Example 2 was repeated except that 0.012 moles of octyl amine was used instead of octadecyl amine. Octyl carbamate of methoxypolyethylene glycol resulted.
A mixture of 25 g (5.0 mmoles) of m-PEG-Cl and 6.5 g (50 mmoles) of n-octylamine in 100 ml of water is placed in a 250 ml polypropylene bottle. This sealed bottle is kept in a water bath at 60� C. for 48 hours with occasional agitation, followed by cooling to room temperature and removal of the solvent by distillation in vacuo. The product is purified by recrystallization from 2-propanol.
A mixture of 25 g (5.0 mmoles) of m-PEG-Cl and 5.6 g (50 mmoles) of 2-aminonorbornane (available from Aldrich Chemical) in 100 ml of water is placed in a 250 ml polypropylene bottle. This sealed bottle is kept in a water bath at 60� C. for 48 hours with occasional agitation, followed by cooling to room temperature and removal of the solvent by distillation in vacuo. The product is purified by recrystallization from 1-propanol.
A solution of 20 g (4.0 mmoles) of m-PEG acid, 0.7 g (6.3 mmoles) of 2-aminonorbornane (available from Aldrich Chemical), 0.8 g (6.3 mmoles) of diisopropylcarbodiimide and 0.8 g (6.3 mmoles) of dimethylaminopyridine in 100 ml of dichloromethane is stirred for 18 hours at room temperature. Removal of the solvent in vacuo, followed by recrystallization from 2-propanol yielded the mPEG amide.
A solution of tacrine (80 mg, 0.34 mmol.) in methanol (3 ml) is added to a solution of the oetadecylcarbamate of methoxypolyethylene glycol, (1.99 g, 0.34 mmol) in methanol (80 ml). The contents are stirred overnight. The reaction is worked out by removing the solvent and the solid obtained is dissolved in water (80 ml). This water solution is passed through a 0.4 micron filter to remove particulates and lyophilized to give a white powder. This product (2.07 g) exhibits a different HPLC retention time than the tacrine starting material. Tacrine has a retention time of 13 minutes on a C8 reverse phase column using methanol as mobile phase whereas the product has a retention time of 26 minutes. C13 NMR and 1 H NMR of this product in methanol indicates resonances corresponding to tacrine as well as the octadecyl carbamate of methoxy polyethylene glycol. Stability of this compound was determined by dissolving small amounts in water, pH 7.8 phosphate buffer and methanol. All solutions remain clear for at least three months.
______________________________________ HPLC RT WATERCOMPOUND (MIN) SOLUBILITY STABILITY______________________________________Tacrine in methanol 13 Insoluble n/aTacrine + octadecyl 26 Soluble Stable incarbamate of methoxypoly- (100 mg/ml) deionized water,ethylene-glycol in methanol pH 7.26 phosphate buffer and methanol for 7 weeks.______________________________________
A solution of tacrine (100 mg, 0.43 mmol) is added to a solution of the octylcarbamate of methoxypolyethylene glycol, (1.99 g, 0.34 mmol) in methanol (120 ml). The contents are stirred overnight and the reaction is worked as in Example 7. The product obtained is stable in water for 12 hours and in a pH 7.8 phosphate buffer is found to be stable for at least three months.
A solution of tacrine (100 mg, 0.43 mmol) in methanol (3 ml) is added to a solution of propylcarbamate of methoxypolyethylene glycol), 2.3 g, 0.45 mmol) in methanol (120 ml). The propyl carbamate of mPEG was prepared in a manner similar to that set forth in Examples 2-3. The contents are stirred overnight. Methanol is removed and 100 ml of water is added to the solid obtained. The solution is not homogenous as in Examples 7 and 8. The solid is insoluble in water and indicates that the desired complex for making tacrine water-soluble is not formed.
Solid tacrine (100 mg, 0.43 mmol) is added to a solution of the octadecylcarbamate of methoxypolyethylene glycol, (2.3 g, 0.45 mmol) in water (100 ml) and the contents stirred overnight. The tacrine remains insoluble in water indicating that an organic solvent, such as methanol, is needed for complex formation.
A solution of methoxypolyethylene glycol, (2.2 g., 0.43 mmol) in methanol (90 ml) is added to a solution of tacrine (100 mg, 0.43 mmol) in methanol (3 ml). The contents are stirred overnight. Methanol is removed and water (150 ml) is added to dissolve the solid. Approximately 100 mg of the solid remains insoluble indicating that methylpolyethylene glycol-OH is not able to form the inventive complexes whereas when a sufficiently long, i.e., C8 or greater hydrophobic chain is attached to this molecule the inventive complexes readily form.
The tacrine-PEG compounds from Example 7 are tested for their ability to inhibit eel or human red blood cell AChE activity. The modified radiometric AChE assay of Johnson and Russell, Anal. Biochem., (1975) 64, 229 and Emmerling & Sabkowicz, Hearing Res., (1988) 32, 137 is used for the determination of IC50 values with ACh chloride, (acetyl-3 H) from New England Nuclear (specific activity of 90 mCi/mmole) as substrate. The concentration of inhibitor producing 50% inhibition of AChE activity (IC50) is determined graphically using data derived from triplicate determinations of enzyme inhibition by at least six different inhibitory concentrations ranging from 1 nM to 100 uM Butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) activity is determined by the microplate colorimetric Ellman assay using 1 mM butyrylthiochloine as substrate. The assays were done in triplicate and read using a Molecular Devices Thermomax microplate reader set at 405 nm. Using tacrine HCl, the determined IC50 value is observed to be 30 nM. For the complex formed according to the procedure of Example 7 above, i.e., with the octadecyl carbamate of methoxypolyethylene glycol (5000) and tacrine, the determined IC50 value is observed to be 23.3 nM. Therefore, these are determined to be essentially equipotent.
Amphotericin-B is a water-insoluble antifungal agent which has become the mainstay of therapy for candida albicans infections. In order to make it water-soluble, an equimolar amount of Amphotericin-B and the octadecyl carbamate of methoxypolyethylene glycol are dissolved in a dimethylformamide/ethanol mixture and stirred for 18 hours at room temperature and the solvent evaporated. The solid obtained is redissolved in water and passed through a 0.4 micron filter to remove the particulates. The resulting clear, yellow solution is frozen and lyophilized to give a yellow powder which is water-soluble. There is no difference in retention time on reverse-phase HPLC between the starting material and product. 1 H NMR behavior is similar to the individual components. The stability of the product is determined by dissolving in deionized water and pH 7.26 phosphate buffer. Solid Amphotericin-B precipitates from the buffer solution in two weeks, whereas the water solution remains 15 clear for at least 7 weeks when the experiment is stopped.
______________________________________ HPLC RT WATERCOMPOUND (MIN) SOLUBILITY STABILITY______________________________________Amphotericin-B 8.13 Insoluble n/aAmphotericin-B plus 8.13 Soluble Stable up to 2octadecyl carbamate of (8 mg/ml) weeks in pHethoxy-polyethylene-glycol 7.26 phosphate buffer and 7 weeks in deionized water______________________________________
In this Example, the anti-fungal and hemolytic activities of the Amphotericin-B polymer complex of Example 13 were compared to those of Amphotericin-B.
To test anti-fungal activity, Candida albicans ATCC 32089 was grown in 2 ml of YPD broth (Yeast extract-Peptone-Dextrose broth; page 1079 in Atlas, R. M. and L. C. Parks (ed), Handbook of Microbiological Media 1993, CRC Press) overnight at 37� C. in a shaker. The overnight culture was diluted with an equal volume of fresh YPD broth and incubated for 2 more hours. 50 μl of this inoculum culture was added to each of a series of tubes containing 5 ml of YPD broth and various concentrations of Amphotericin-B ("Ampho;" added from a stock solution of 1 mM in DMSO) or Amphotericin-B polymer complex ("PegAmpho;" added from a stock solution of 1 mM in sterile distilled water). Tubes were incubated at 37� C. with shaking (200 rpm) for 8 hours, and the extent of growth was then determined by measuring the optical density of the tube cultures at a wavelength of 600 nm. As can be seen from FIG. 1, the complexation of the drug with the polymeric compositions of the present invention does not detract from antifungal activity.
The ability of the complexes to reduce the toxicity of Amphotericin-B was shown using the erythrocyte hemolysis toxicity assay as described by Forster et al., J. Pharm. Pharmacol., 40:325-328 (1988). A sample of fresh human blood was added at a 1/50 dilution to each of a series of tubes containing 10 mM phosphate buffered saline, pH 7, and various concentrations of Amphotericin-B ("Ampho;" added from a stock solution of 1 mM in DMSO) or Amphotericin-B polymer complex ("PegAmpho;" added from a stock solution of 1 mM in sterile distilled water). The detergent tween at a concentration of 1% was used in the control to lyse 100% of the erythrocytes. The tubes were incubated at 37� C. for 4 hours and then centrifuged at 12,000� g for 5 minutes. Optical density of each supernatant was measured at a wavelength of 414 nm. As can be seen from FIG. 2, the complexes of the present invention caused less toxicity (i.e., hemolysis) than did Amphotericin-B at concentrations of 10-5 M or greater.
The results of this Example demonstrate that the Amphotericin-B polymer complexes of the present invention maintain anti-fungal activity but have reduced toxicity (i. e., hemolytic activity).
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This is just one of the many videos of renowned David Wolfe who is a researcher, educator, and author on the topics of Raw Food Nutrition, SuperFoods , Herbal healing and chocolates . He has been helping people and giving them insights on going raw and having a well balanced lifestyle. In this video he will be making his Raw Smoothie recipe .
You can check out his website http://thebestdayever.com
Raw food smoothies add valuable nutrients to your diet. Fruit and vegetables smoothies are generally healthier than what a lot of people eat these days. A basic smoothie with fruits or veggies in it already contains many essential vitamins and minerals. Add to that the nutrients found in the smoothie's liquid base of fruit juice , cow's milk , soy milk, almond milk or yogurt among others.
But if you really want to really supercharge your smoothies , you will want to add highly nutritious ingredients such as protein powders, vitamin supplements, raw super foods and super fruits. Water and juices are the most popular choices.
He will be making a super drink that will energize the body, help maintain the wellness and it tastes delicious. "Chew your juice. Drink your food." That's what David Wolfe believes in.
To start off, it was a choice between water, coffee, and coconut water. David Wolfe is more convinced in using coconut water because it's the best form of electrolytes. It has sodium and suspension, potassium and suspension, and it's good for the blood. So he used 2 coconuts and placed the coconut water to the blender.
After that he then scraped up all the coconut meat and added it to the blender mixture. He then added some cacao nibs which is rich in anti oxidant. Helps in cleansing too. And another ingredient to be added was the raw cacao butter which is also high in anti oxidant. Cooked cacao butter can also be used in cosmetics and it's the best oil ever for the skin. Fats will help you ground your body. After that he then added some strawberries and blueberries , which are also other sources of antioxidants. Blend it all up.


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Indiana, PA Costume Store
Costume Store
The Costume Shop offers hundreds of costumes and thousands of accessories for sale and rent. Serving Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Indiana, PA for 22 years, we have the largest selection of costumes, masks, make-up, and wigs in town.
Learn More About The Costume Shop:
- Animal and foams character masks
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- Over 3000 rental costumes
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Nonprofit organizations receive 10% discount.
Contact The Costume Shop today at 724-465-2260.
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Shaun the Sheep Movie
Pixar might have uncovered the mysteries of our brains with Inside Out. But Aardman knows its way around our funny bones.
Pixar might have uncovered the mysteries of our brains with Inside Out. But Aardman knows its way around our funny bones.
T.S. Spivet is a messy, warm comedy about grief, family and imagination. It's also ironically about being seen and rarely heard.
"The Ballad of Narayama" is a Japanese film of great beauty and elegant artifice, telling a story of startling cruelty. What a space it opens…
Patrice Leconte's "Monsieur Hire" is a tragedy about loneliness and erotomania, told about two solitary people who have nothing else in common. It involves a…
A reprint of an article by Greg Carpenter about the Confederate Flag.
A report on the July 23rd Columbia Links fundraiser.
Scout Tafoya's series continues with a double feature of films by Peyton Reed.
An FFC looks at the gross gender politics of "Pixels."
An FFC looks at the gross gender politics of "Pixels."
An obituary for Dr. Mohamed Abdel Kader Hatem, the grandfather of FFC Wael Khairy.
Highlights of the 2015 Fantasia Fest.
An appreciation of Richard Lester as a retrospective of his work is about to unfold in New York City.
Two babies are born at about the same time in an Israeli hospital. One is Israeli. The other is Palestinian. They're evacuated during a missile attack, accidentally switched and raised by each other's families for the next 18 years.
That's the plot line. When the mistake is discovered, how do the families react? What disturbs them more: that their son has been raised as an enemy or that he has been raised in another religion? That's where "The Other Son" gets complicated.
The two fathers and the Palestinian's brother are primarily concerned that their birth son has been raised by the "other side." The mothers are more concerned about the return of the son they gave birth to. The way this difference plays out is all the more fascinating because the families on both sides are decent people.
Joseph (Jules Sitruk), the Palestinian by birth, has been raised by Orith and Alon Silberg (Emmanuelle Devos and Pascal Elbe). After he enlists in the Israeli Air Force, he takes a blood test that reveals the startling news that he cannot be the son of his parents. The way this information is carefully disclosed by a hospital spokesman speaks volumes: This is a rare nation in which your DNA determines your eligibility to serve in the military, and it's clear the hospital has a lot of explaining to do.
Yacine (Medhi Dehbi), the Israeli by birth, has been raised on the West Bank by Leila and Said Al Bezaaz (Areen Omari and Khalifa Natour). His family is far from wealthy, but he had the good fortune to be educated in Paris.
The film's co-writer and director, Lorraine Levy, is French, which helps explain this detail and several others: that Orith Silberg was born in France, and she and all the other characters, except for Said and Yacine's brother Bilal (Mahmood Shalabi), speak French. In a sense that helps bridge the gap.
A key to Joseph's character is that, although his father is in the Israeli military, and he himself intends to enlist, his actual dream is to become a singer-songwriter. It's also important that Yacine, after some years in France, sees his plans for the future are in Europe. Neither boy is obsessed by his racial and religious identity.
This is definitively not the case with Bilal, and one of the shocking early moments occurs when he turns on his brother of 18 years and rejects him as an enemy. This emotional jolt may have as much to do with long-smoldering jealousy about Yacine's Paris years than with his new identity; you see how tangled such things can become.
Orith invites Yacine to pay a visit. Then one day Joseph crosses to the West Bank and pays a call to Yacine. (The ease with which he can pass the Israeli border guards is ironic, since he is a born Palestinian.) Yacine's family is caught off-guard; Yacine not as much. They do what any Arab or Israeli family would do, which is to offer their visitor food and drink, and the resulting meal is a study in social awkwardness and buried emotions, particularly on the part of the father and brother. In a moment of inspiration, Joseph begins to sing a song, and it's a wonder how that melts through the frigid atmosphere.
The new reality starts to sink in. It probably helps that the two young men are now well-launched along their adult paths; I wonder how this story would play out if they were both still quite young.
What difference did the switch make, really? In superficial ways, the two boys aren't so different: they both "look" Jewish or Arab, take your choice. How do they now feel about themselves? Joseph quizzes his rabbi: "Am I still Jewish?" The rabbi tells him he was one of his best students, but his mother was not Jewish, and so, no, he isn't, but he can convert. What about Yacine? Is he now Jewish? Technically, yes.
In an altered situation, it is easy to imagine Joseph and Yacine fighting and even killing each other, each one mistaken by the other for the enemy. The significance of this parable is there to be seen.
This message came to me from a reader named Peter Svensland. He and a fr...
An obituary for wrestler and actor "Rowdy" Roddy Piper.
An interview with Jason Segel, star of "The End of the Tour."
A review of Netflix's totally ridiculous but kind of amazing "Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp."


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DVD Extra
Is that DVD you've got your eye on really worth the investment? Should you wait a few months until the "Special Edition" hits shelves? DVD Extra lights the way.
Yearly Archive for 2012
November 20 DVD roundup
Short list today; mostly concert videos. Mainstream: The Expendables 2 Independent: Zorro Reissue: Tarantino XX Kids: Cinderella II & III; The Point; Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups Concert: Hard Core Logo; Ike & Tina Turner; Les Miserables; Meatloaf; The Replacements; The Rolling Stones Usual rules apply: synopses are taken from the press releases and […] [Read More]
'Upstairs, Downstairs: Season 2' – The looming clouds of war
Guest review by Karen Davis It's September 1938, and the ominous developments on the Continent are causing plenty of angst in England. The family at 165 Eaton Place — both upstairs and down — is no exception. As Season 2 of the new edition of "Upstairs Downstairs" begins, war is on everyone's minds, despite Prime […] [Read More]
November 13 DVD roundup
Tis' the season for special editions as potential Christmas presents: Friends, Harold & Kumar, Harry Potter, Laurence of Arabia, Mel Brooks, Watchmen. Some good mainstream releases this week as well. Mainstream: Brave; Savages; Vamps; The Watch Independent: Lukewarm; Snowmageddon Reissue: Harold & Kumar; Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows; Lawrence of Arabia; My Big Fat […] [Read More]
'My Big Fat Greek Wedding' BD upgrade not required, but the film is a must-see
My wife and I had only been married a few months when one evening we decided to go to a movie. It's difficult to find something that both of us will like, because her tastes tend toward romantic comedies. While I don't object to the genre, it's not something I seek out, because too often […] [Read More]
'Entourage' box set great for fans of whip-smart writing
Guest review by Steve Warns Bromance (n): A relationship or friendship between two men that is extremely close but doesn't involve sex. The above definition, from www.dictionary.reference.com, perfectly sums up "Entourage," HBO's quasi-realistic glimpse into Hollywood and the trappings of celebrity seen through the eyes of a hot young movie star and his posse from […] [Read More]
Politically relevant 'They Live' gets a BD release
It had been a long time since I had watched "They Live," director John Carpenter's 1988 dark comedy/science fiction/horror film. Watching it again, I was struck by how eerily prescient it was about the situation America currently is experiencing. Nada (Roddy Piper) is an unemployed drifter who comes to L.A., looking for work. He finds […] [Read More]
' Copper:' New York's finest — and toughest
Guest review by Karen Davis There are no Miranda warnings for suspects in New York City in 1864. If you have information the police want, it's likely to be beaten out of you by a brass-knuckled fist. Such is the world depicted in Season I of "Copper," a BBC America series just out on disc. […] [Read More]
November 6 DVD roundup
Big one this week is the reboot of "Spider-Man," which comes out Friday. Some good kids' stuff as well. Mainstream: The Amazing Spider-Man Independent: Chilly Christmas; Fire With Fire; The Love You Save; Maximum Conviction; Supernatural Activity Reissue: Javier Bardem 3-Film Collection; Planes Trains & Automobiles; Universal 100th Anniversary Collection BD debut: Guys & Dolls; […] [Read More]
'Snowmageddon': More like snow job
Forget disco. The most popular form of entertainment in the 1970s consisted of big-budget disaster movies with scores of notables in the cast. From when "Airport" (a jetliner menaced by a passenger with a bomb attempting to land in the middle of a blinding snowstorm) launched the phenomenon in 1970 until "The Swarm" (killer bees […] [Read More]
'Sunset Boulevard': This cougar has claws
She was a cougar before cougarism was cool. "Sunset Boulevard," the quirky, classic film noir story of silent-movie actress Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson), an aging drama queen who denies that the world has moved on, is being released on BD. Although it lost the 1950 Academy Award for Best Picture to "All About Eve," "Sunset […] [Read More]
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Josie Maran
Josie Maran
Like every other human being, my first connection was with my mom. Now that I have two daughters myself, I realize more every day how much influence a mother has on who her kids grow up to be, and what they believe is possible to create in their lives. My mom told me I could do anything and be anyone I wanted, and I'm so grateful to have grown up believing that even the sky wasn't a limit for me. My daughters are lucky, too, because my husband and I are doing everything we can to help them believe in themselves and in limitless possibility.
My career as a model and my company are both examples of what determination and a positive attitude can do.
Everyone said I was too short to be a model, and I ended up having a super-successful run as a supermodel. Everyone said you couldn't make cosmetics that were healthy and glamorous, and I made them, and I made a booming business from them.
Lately, my understanding of what a business can be and what a businesswoman can accomplish has been expanding in some beautiful, unexpected, and thrilling ways. I'm learning how to use Josie Maran Cosmetics (and Josie Maran!) as a tool for social change. We've always been "chicological"—chic and ecological. Now, we're moving from minimizing the harm we do to our planet to maximizing the good we do for the planet and the people who live on it. Specifically, our company has partnered with Imagine, a game-changing organization that teaches empowerment techniques, skills, and resources with women around the world, helping them lift themselves, their families, and their communities out of poverty and despair.
I'm super-excited about taking Josie Maran Cosmetics (and Josie Maran!) to the next level. And I'm excited to share my thoughts, my dreams and my life with you as the Guest Editor this month. I look forward to sharing lots more powerful thoughts and tips with you, and hearing your ideas for healthy, happy, empowered living.
With strong love,


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Our family went to Disneyland last week. The weather was just right and the crowds only moderate, so it was a wonderful day.
The thing I like best about Disneyland is the perfection of everything around you - the flower beds, the lighting, the architecture, the pathways, the costumes, the signage, the colors...
It's all such a treat for the eyes, so I was behind my camera most of the day - I'm sure I took a gazillion photos, and these mosaics only show a fraction of them!
The boys ate it up with wide eyes and excitment, and can't wait to go there again!
Linking up with Mosaic Monday at Little Red House.


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American Pregnancy
Women's Health
Cluett ER, Burns E. Immersion in water in labour and birth.
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
. 2009. Issue 2. Art. No.: CD000111. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD000111.pub3.
This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.
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- Home
- Bags and luggage
- Luggage accessories
- Crumpler Volume Rebate luggage organiser
The secret art of suitcase packing is secret no more, and our space-saving, crease-fighting Volume Rebate luggage-within-luggage is why. Holding up to three pairs of footwear and a week's worth of socks and pressed shirts, this triple treat of compacting compartments magically maximises suitcase capacity and access, allowing you to get more into your luggage, and more out of it, more easily.
Three storage zones
- Zippered shoe bag — holds a pair of men's runners and a pair of thongs, or up to three pairs of women's flats
- Zippered shirt bag — holds up to seven men's t-shirts or five business shirts
- Drawstring sock tube — holds up to five pairs of standard men's socks or up to ten pairs of ankle socks
How the sock tube works
You simply stuff and retrieve clean socks at the coloured end, and stuff worn pairs at the opposite end. A floating floor keeps them separate, the dual drawstring closures keep them in place.
How the shirt bag works
Stack your folded and ironed shirts and t-shirts neatly in the bag, then zip shut and squeeze out any trapped air via the side vent. Once compressed, wrap the bag around your loaded sock tube, lock with the quick release clasp, cinch tight and stow away.
How the shoe bag work
Load in your shoes, squeeze out any trapped air via the end vent, then stow away in your luggage. Next stop Hawaii.
Fits in all crumpler luggage
No surprises here. The Volume Rebate threesome fits comfortably in our Boston Heist overnighter, the entire Spring Peeper range, plus all the carry on and check in wheelies, Four-on-the-Floors and backpacks from our Dry Red travel collection.
Extra shirt bags
Good things don't just come in threes, they come in ones. So if you need more shirt space — or simply want a more organised suitcase — grab one of these extra Volume Rebate Shirt Bags in the colour of your choice.
Water resistant
Although designed to sit inside your luggage, the outer of each Volume Rebate bags is made from water resistant materials.
Guaranteed for life
We construct the Volume Rebate's three compartments with ultra durable materials and reinforce the joining and/or stitching on all stress points. That's why its three compartments all carry Crumpler's famous lifetime guarantee.
Shirt bag
Width 26 cm / 10.2 inches
Height 37 cm / 14.5 inches
Depth 5 cm / 1.9 inches
Volume 9 litres / 549 cu"
Empty weight 150g / 0.33 lbs
Shoe bag
Width 15 cm / 5.9 inches
Height 33 cm / 13 inches
Depth 14 cm / 5.5 inches
Volume 8 litres / 488 cu"
Empty weight 100g / 0.22 lbs
Sock bag
Width 10 cm / 3.9 inches
Height 30 cm / 11.8 inches
Depth 10 cm / 3.9 inches
Volume 1.5 litres / 91 cu"
Empty weight 50g / 0.11 lbs


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Long Center Presents Whose Live Anyway?
Fri. 05/17 | 8:00PM
Fri. 05/17 | 8:00PM
Ryan Stiles, Greg Proops, Chip Esten and Jeff B. Davis leave their audiences gasping with the very witty scenes and songs they invent before your eyes! Audience participation is the key, so bring your suggestions and you might join the cast onstage. Whose Live performs games made famous on the Emmy-nominated TV show Whose Line Is It Anyway? – and a few new ones, too!
Whose Live Anyway is a 90 minute show of hilarious improvised comedy and song all based on audience suggestions. Originally called A Night of Improv, the show first appeared in 1999, selling out two shows in less than three hours to crowds at Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Vancouver, Canada. Whose Line Executive Producer and star Ryan Stiles expanded the show to include major cities in Western USA and Canada, bringing this side-splitting, witty comedy to you. You don't want to miss out on this night of unforgettably funny, interactive comedy!
"Standup is fun, improv is funnier. And these guys are the world's best!" – The Billings Gazette
For more information about attending this performance, click here.
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I don't know if this should be a blog or placed in the forums so I'll just put it here.
I first want to thank and credit all the members here on LumberJocks for your great postings, ideas and suggestions that led me to my accomplishments.
Here is a list of items I used in this project.
HF 2HP dust collector, I picked it up for $149.00
4" S/D pipe, 1- long 90° elbow, several 45s and wyes
various fittings purchased from woodcrafter.
3' 1 1/2" flex tubing purchased at HD
No glue was used only duct tape for a nice tight fit keeping everything snug, this will allow me to make changes if need be.
I'll start with the new addition to the shop which houses the DC and air compressor. In the beginning stages I was planing on just putting the DC outside under a lean-to but was informed by other members here that since my shop was AC'ed it would dump all of my cool air outside and that I would be better off putting it in an insulted shed which I did.
This photo shows the shed complete, I have other photos of the full shed build in another area here on lumberjocks for those that which to view them here is the link.
During my DC research I found myself a bit overwhelmed with all that was involved with a central system, static electricity, duct size, cyclones, separators, custom made blast gates, the list goes on, I've also read the articles from researches such as Rick Christopherson on static electricity causing dust fires, the hazards from breathing saw dust.
I didn't go into depth research about duct size only that larger pipe was best, 6" being idea, OK now after visiting my local plumbing supplier and seeing how big that 6" was, I just couldn't fathom this stuff engulfing my somewhat small shop 12'x16' just wasn't going to happen, I was later enlightened by our local woodcrafter store and seeing their training room 4" would be just fine as that's what they had running.
Now I needed to find out where and how I was going to run everything, this task took a lot of head scratching, several trips to the local Home Depot and a few trips to our local woodcrafter store. I started off with mounting the DC to the plywood floor inside the shed and staggering the bag unit as close to it as possible, no need to use the base I just set it aside.
Here shows the motor mounted to the floor and the pipe connections, one goes almost straight through at the bottom of the wall and the other I have 45ed up going in at the top of the wall, the window will be filtered and also used to port the cool filtered air back into the shop.
This photo shows the vertical pipe
Here shows the pipe coming straight off the splitter through the bottom of the wall.
Showing the bag system just inside the door hiding the motor unit which is tucked away in the corner.
a shot of the air compressor on the other side and the outlets which are switched inside the shop on the other side of the wall, I installed a 20amp receptacle, 12/2 wire through out the shop along with 20amp breakers also have all outlets protected with GFCI.
In this photo the pipe coming through the bottom of the wall and a wye feeding the miter saw collector box, this is the only place where I used a long 90 at.
Coming around the corner, floor sweep with my only custom made gate and what looks like a bird house is actually a dovetail jig :)
And ends here connecting to the table saw hopper.
The top section coming through the wall wying down to cover the top of the table saw, I added a 2×2 for bracing from the ceiling.
Another view over the table saw, I installed a bracing system from my wood rack so to tie the flex hose to, the hose will also act as a collector from my work table, side note I plan on building a new work table as well later on to act as an out feed.
ending run at the jointer and drill press.
A close up collection at the drill press, I used 1 1/2" flex tubing purchased at HD.
Last but not Least, ending at the Planer and router.
I made a custom collection box for the jointer and added a 4" port on the bottom, works great.
Other views.
In this picture, miter saw collection box, I am using degoose's idea only instead of building the baffle box off of the back I added it on the bottom.
Another view
Showing the 1/2" gap cut.
Switched DC and Air Compressor.
Thanks for viewing and if you have any questions about your DC or any other please feel free to ask.
Randy AKA Blackie
-- Randy - If I'm not on LJ's then I'm making Saw Dust. Please feel free to visit my store location at http://www.facebook.com/randy.blackstock.custom.wood.designs


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Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs Dennis M. McCarthy presented the 2010 Department of Defense Reserve Family Readiness Awards winners today at the Pentagon.
The award recognizes the National Guard and Reserve units, one from each of the Reserve components, with the best programs to support their families. Representatives from each unit received a plaque as well as a cash award from the Military Officers Association of America. The cash awards will be put toward the further enhancements of family support programs.
This year's winners are:
The DoD Reserve Family Readiness Awards Program was established in 2000 to recognize the top unit in each of the Reserve components. Family readiness programs are particularly important as we rely on significant numbers of reservists to serve in critical locations worldwide. Family readiness has proven to be a key component of mission readiness. Robust family readiness programs have enhanced the deployability of our Guard and Reserve units and they represent a vital link in the support networks for our Reserve families.


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9mm / 0.357", 983.0 fps, Hardwood, Right, Brown
Sam Yang Recluse Single Tank, 9mm
1-year limited warranty
List Price $699.95 Save $30.00 (4%)
Bundle & Save $50.00!
Want it delivered 08-07-2015?
Order it in the next 18 hr and 47 min and choose Next Day Air Morning at checkout.
Note: Same Day Shipping Exempt. Details
Average Customer Review4.5 (21 reviews)
Create an online reviewand share your thoughts with other customers
Things I liked:Beautiful gun. Very accurate. Amazing workmanship and quality and lots of gun for the $$$ especially when compared to most other big bore guns. I own 2 other makes and also have previously owned a Sam Yang 909S which was a very good shooter.
Things I would have changed:After about 20 shots the air chamber sprung a leak and I had to return the gun. It would fill to about 2000 psi from my Scuba tank and when the pressure increased above 2000psi it would start hissing at the muzzle end. Very disappointed as this was the last Recluse in stock at PA for several weeks. I debated about paying the $10 for 10 shots before I received the gun but it turned out that it didn't matter anyway as it shot perfectly the first 10 shots. My only other complaint was the extremely hard trigger pull. Too bad that the manufacturer doesn't spend another $25 or so to hone the trigger and sear. Should be a very simple job.
What others should know:PA was amazing at how they handled my problem. I simply called and they graciously sent me a return FEDEX label and promptly gave me a full credit. They offered to fix the gun, send me another one or give me a refund. I decided not to wait on another gun at this time. I have bought several things from PA in the past and will continue to do so. Not many companies are out there with such a liberal return policy on items like this.
well than thats just they run their place,had the same problem,but had damage during shipping,twice!I was hot!but the guys there at Pyramyd were just really,understanding.Michael Francis Gilligan
Things I liked:High quality fit and finish.
Things I would have changed:Cocking handle needs to be improved
What others should know:It is very, very difficult to charge with a hand pump. A scuba tank or very high pressure pump like the Shoebox is almost a necessity to get above 1500 psi.
Things I liked:Very powerful. Can shoot different sizes of .357 easily. This gun is very accurate. Did I say powerful? a blast to shoot.
Things I would have changed:make a repeater. make cocking handle a bit more sturdy.
That is a repeater, shrouded barrell,200fpe and low and high power, 5 to 10 usable shots and this gun will sell out
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Home > About IUP > Administration > Administration and Finance > Police > Policies > Railroad Safety
University Police
As the work crews continue to refurbish the rails of Indiana, the first trains have already begun to roll. While these are not the regular freighters that will begin their lumbering journies this fall, they serve as a reminder to respect to motorists and pedestrians alike: know the rules of rail safety. It isn't as much a matter of law, but a matter of life and death.
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Suppose that the next big terrorist attack on our country comes two weeks after a new Democratic president has taken office. Simultaneous suicide bombings devastate 20 schools and shopping malls around the country, killing 1,500 people. The intelligence agencies believe that at least 20 more trained jihadists, including American citizens, are in the United States planning follow-up attacks.
The president is told that the best hope of stopping a second wave of attacks is to immediately wiretap as many calls and e-mails as possible from and to every private citizen who has been to Pakistan or Afghanistan since 1999. These hundreds of domestic wiretaps, with neither warrants nor probable cause to suspect any individual of terrorist ties, might well violate the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
The president nonetheless asks the major telephone companies to place the taps for 30 days while the administration seeks congressional approval. He or she also assures the telecoms in writing that the new attorney general has advised that the Constitution empowers the president to temporarily override FISA during such an emergency -- a controversial theory never tested in court.
Most Americans would want the telecoms to say yes without hesitation. But the telecoms would have reason to say no -- or delay for a few dangerous days to consult their lawyers -- if liberals and libertarians get their way in a battle currently raging in Congress.
The issue is whether to immunize these same telecoms retroactively, as President Bush and a bipartisan majority of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (including Chairman Jay Rockefeller IV) urge, from liability for having said yes to Bush's warrantless surveillance program during the unprecedented national crisis precipitated by the 9/11 attacks.
The telecoms face more than 40 class actions seeking hundreds of billions of dollars in damages for their roles in the Bush program, which they agreed to after being assured that the attorney general had deemed the program lawful.
Allowing this litigation to continue would, as a group of highly respected former Justice Department officials wrote in a joint letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee, "produce perverse incentives that risk damage to our national security," because "both telecommunications carriers and other corporations in the future will think twice before assisting any agency of the intelligence community seeking information."
This particular group includes Jack Goldsmith, James Comey, Patrick Philbin, and John Ashcroft. They (especially the first three) won bipartisan applause for leading a rebellion in 2004 against overreaching claims of power by Bush, who chose to secretly override FISA not just for a few weeks but for years.
"Given our experiences," the former officials wrote, "we can certainly understand that reasonable people may question and wish to probe the legal bases for such intelligence activities." But the proper forum is the congressional oversight process, they asserted, not "a public lawsuit against private companies that were asked to assist their nation."
Such leading Democrats as former Sen. Bob Kerrey, former Rep. (and 9/11 commission Co-Chair) Lee Hamilton, and former Attorney General Benjamin Civiletti have also called for immunizing the telecoms.
On the other hand, People for the American Way, like other liberal groups, argues that immunity would "protect telecoms that knowingly violated the law." But the telecoms did not violate the law -- even if Bush did -- according to an October 26, 2007, Senate Intelligence Committee report urging adoption of the immunity proposal as part of an important bill updating FISA.
The committee, after forcing the administration to show investigators the relevant presidential and Justice Department documents, found that the record showed that the telecoms "acted on a good-faith belief that the president's program, and their assistance, was lawful." Courts have for centuries seen such a good-faith belief as grounds for immunizing from lawsuits private parties that heed government officials' requests for help in protecting public safety, especially in emergencies.
And, in fact, hardly anyone in Congress thinks that the telecoms should (or will) be forced to pay huge damages to the plaintiffs, who after all have suffered no real harm. So why are some senators, including Patrick Leahy, the Senate Judiciary Committee's senior Democrat, fighting the immunity proposal?
The real reasons are election-year pressure from liberal groups and the hope that the lawsuits will force public disclosure of information embarrassing to the Bush Administration. Leahy said in a press release that he opposed giving retroactive immunity to the telecoms because that would reduce their incentives to protect privacy and "would eliminate the courts as a check on the illegality of the warrantless wiretapping of Americans that the administration secretly engaged in for almost six years."
Leahy may well be right that some aspects of the highly classified wiretapping program were illegal. Indeed, Goldsmith, who took over the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel in late 2003 and later touched off the above-mentioned rebellion, has publicly called the still-secret OLC surveillance memos that he inherited a "legal mess."
In my own view, Bush's decision to secretly override FISA for a time immediately after 9/11 was probably a lawful exercise of his war powers. But his legal rationale became weaker and weaker when he continued to override the law for months and years without seeking congressional approval.
It is one thing to say that the president has inherent power to disregard an outdated law during an emergency in which immediate action might save many lives. It is something else to say that the president can secretly continue to disregard that law for several years without ever seeking to amend it. (See my 1/28/06 column.)
But doubts about the legality of Bush's actions are no justification for holding hostage telecoms that relied on the administration's assurances of legality and were in no position to second-guess its assertions that the surveillance program was essential to national security.
Not, that is, unless we want to risk that the telecoms, credit card companies, banks, airlines, hospitals, and other private companies -- whose cooperation is essential to finding terrorists before they strike -- will balk or delay when the next president seeks their help in an emergency.
And to keep things in perspective, let's remember that even if Bush did violate the law, the terrorist groups targeted by his surveillance program have taken thousands of American lives; that the program itself has apparently caused no serious harm to anyone (except terrorists); and that no evidence exists that Bush or anyone else has ever made any improper use of any intercepted communications.
Opponents of immunity say that the telecoms have nothing to fear in court if they can show that they acted lawfully. And it does seem most unlikely that the telecoms would ultimately lose; the lawsuits face huge obstacles, including the state secrets privilege and doubts about the plaintiffs' standing to sue, as well as the strong evidence that the telecoms acted lawfully.
But even a remote risk of massive liability for doing the right thing in the past might deter some from doing the right thing in the future. And in the vast, interminable, unpredictable, often perverse meat grinder that high-stakes litigation has become in this country, victory in court would come only after many years of expensive legal battles, uncertainty, downward pressure on stock prices, and publicity damaging to the telecoms' international business interests. This prospect might drive them to accept a nuisance settlement that would yield millions of dollars for the plaintiffs' lawyers and very little for anyone else. Indeed, that's what many plaintiffs' lawyers are hoping for.
Some senators and others have proposed ways to relieve the telecoms of monetary liability while keeping the litigation alive to force a healthy public airing of information about what Bush and his aides did. One such proposal would have the government cover any damage awards; another would place a very low cap on any damages; a third would ask the FISA court to decide whether the telecoms broke the law. Such expedients would be better than no protection at all. But they would not give the telecoms the finality and the relief from litigation costs that they want and deserve.
In any event, it seems unlikely that any kind of litigation against the telecoms will yield much new information about what Bush and his aides did. The main reason is that any such evidence is probably inextricably intertwined with operational details of the surveillance, which are highly (and properly) classified. And lawsuits against the government, which would be unaffected by immunizing the telecoms, would be a more logical vehicle for exposing whatever can properly be exposed.
But the bottom line is that a remote chance of exposing any Bush misconduct is simply not a good enough reason to run even a small risk of losing potentially lifesaving intelligence. And it's simply unfair to hold hostage private companies that thought they were helping to save lives and did nothing wrong.


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A "peek" at Parkinson's: The new diagnostic test
BACKGROUND: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a nervous system disorder that results in the degradation of motor skills in both men and women. PD, like other motor system diseases, is caused by the loss of dopamine-producing brain cells. Dopamine allows nerve cells to successfully transmit messages that control muscle movement. Devoid of the chemical, the brain scrambles commands, subsequently impairing muscular functions.
Parkinson's is a chronic, progressive disease and varies in severity. Though PD typically affects adults over the age of 50, it has been documented to afflict young adults and in rare cases, children. Researchers have not identified a cause for the loss of dopamine-producing cells and there are no standard blood or laboratory tests to conclusively identify the disease. (Source: U.S. National Library of Medicine).
SYMPTOMS: Shaking and tremors are the most common symptoms associated with Parkinson's disease, though it may take decades for them to develop. Other PD symptoms include difficulty speaking, swallowing, chewing and sleeping. Some patients have experienced emotional changes, skin irritation, urinary issues and constipation.
TREATMENT: There is no known cure for Parkinson's disease. Patients diagnosed with PD are often prescribed medications to offset the effects of dopamine loss and improve muscle control. The most common drugs prescribed are L-Dopa, Sinemet, Atamet, Mirapex, Requip, Parlodel, Eldepryl, Deprenyl, Azilect, Amantadine and Entacapone. In addition to movement-related medications, doctors may prescribe pharmaceuticals to treat autonomic dysfunction, impaired cognitive processes, sleeping disorders and to alleviate pain. (Source: U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
NEW DIAGNOSTIC TOOL: VA Medical Center and Virginia Commonwealth University researchers have identified a new method to screen patients for Parkinson's disease. The study suggests that patients with PD cannot sustain focus when asked to gaze upon a target on a computer monitor. Researchers observed an ocular tremor among PD patients regardless of whether they have received treatment or not. Only two control participants exhibited the tremor. One of the two patients who experienced the tremor experienced and reported Parkinson's symptoms within two years. (Source: U.S. Dept. of Veteran Affairs)
Mark Baron, M.D., Director of the Southeast Veterans Affairs Parkinson's Disease Research, Education and Clinical Center (PADRECC) Professor of Neurology Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, talks about a new eye test that could help detect Parkinson's disease earlier
When did you get interested in researching Parkinson's?
Dr. Baron: I've been interested in Parkinson's research forever; since I started a fellowship, which was actually more laboratory based research. The clinical research came gradually later. For example, the project we're on right now we've been working on for about ten years.
How many projects do you have right now?
Dr. Baron: We have a number of other projects that that have gone on at the same time. Beginning as a fellow at Emory University, I was involved in the original study in this country to evaluate doing pallidotomy, burning a whole in the globus pallidus to treat Parkinson's disease. At Emory, we were the first group to modernize surgical approaches to Parkinson's disease by doing intraoperative monitoring of the electrical brain activity. We were actually burning small holes and that was beginning in 1992. We published that and that was one of the first studies to use modern surgical approaches to treating Parkinson's disease. Pallidotomy has since been largely replaced by DBS or deep brain stimulation surgery and as one of six veteran affairs PADRECC centers we are involved in a large study comparing two different sites in the brain for implanting deep brain stimulators for Parkinson's disease.
There's tons of research out there so why the eye movement?
Dr. Baron: The eye studies actually came about as a separate interest. Dr. Paul Wetzel, a biomedical engineer at the Virginia Commonwealth University where I'm also affiliated, was assessing eye movements in air force pilots. This led to an interest in using the same equipment to assess the eye movements of people with Parkinson's disease. While testing a large number of people with Parkinson's disease with our initial cruder equipment, we recognized the huge usefulness of this and over time it has evolved and become a bigger and bigger story. So we really didn't realize where it was going when it was started; it was quite fortuitous.
Where is it going now?
Dr. Baron: We have now tested hundreds of people with Parkinson's disease using a much improved, highly sensitive eye tracking system and just recently published our first paper. The paper described our findings in more than 120 patients with Parkinson's disease and every one of them and everyone we have tested since with Parkinson's disease has a very characteristic and specific type of tremor behind their eyes. It doesn't matter how far along someone is in their disease. More recently we asked the question, well if it's there in everyone when does it even start? One thing we know about Parkinson's disease is that it probably starts a decade, or two or three, before you even start having motor symptoms. So before you start shaking, before you start slowing down, you're beginning to lose dopamine cells and other brain cells that are involved in Parkinson's disease. If we could identify it even before that with the eye testing that would be extremely valuable. So we began testing people that are at a high risk to get Parkinson's disease. About half of them will eventually get Parkinson's disease. We reasoned that if our eye testing could pick it up very early, then we should see the same eye findings in up to half of them and that is what we are finding. Remarkably, this is in a condition that occurs on average at least 10 years before the onset of Parkinson's disease. It's not actually always a separate disease but in these cases represents early symptoms of Parkinson's disease. We wondered well if these people are going to get Parkinson's disease can we actually predict whether they're going to get it from the eye testing and the answer is yes we can.
You could say with 100% certainty who will get Parkinson's?
Dr. Baron: So we believe, but this is all very preliminary. We just presented this in Ireland at the International Congress of Movement Disorders, and what we presented was, at the time, the first 10 people we tested. These are 10 people that are predicted to get Parkinson's disease in the next 10 years or even longer and out of all those people, roughly 50% of them should go on to get it and that's exactly what we found; 5 out of 10 of them had the eye findings. Basically it suggests that we can identify them but we're trying to prove that now.
What do you actually see behind the eye?
Dr. Baron: What we see behind the eye is a tremor. If you think of a 360° circle, the tremor is only an average 0.2°, 2 tenths of a degree. So it's something micro small that cannot be detected just by looking at someone's eyes. It is not something that can even be detected by an ophthalmologist or optometrist for example, but if they had this very sensitive eye equipment and know what to look for, it can be readily identified. It is pretty phenomenal that researchers are trying to see if they can diagnose Parkinson's disease doing spinal taps or drawing blood, and this is so simple and non-invasive. There's so much effort right now being invested in trying to find a blood test for Parkinson's disease, well here we have a test that we feel is just about 100% accurate and not only is it accurate, but seemingly, it can pick it up way before people even start slowing down or showing hand tremor. If you're going to start a treatment that can slow down the disease, you don't want to have to wait to start it when people have already lost 50 to 60% of their brain cells that are responsible for the Parkinson's disease. Ideally, you're going to want to start it at least 10 years before. We envision that this could be a screen for everyone. Just like you screen for colon cancer, you could begin to screen for Parkinson's disease.
Is this for people that have a history of Parkinson's in the family?
Dr. Baron: We're looking at the people with the condition called REM behavior disorder which is a sleep disorder were people toss and turn in their sleep. Normally, when you go into REM or dream sleep your body actually shuts down; it doesn't move. We started testing people who don't shut down and those people have perhaps a 50% chance of getting Parkinson's disease. The principal reason we picked these people is that it is a way to answer the question of can our eye test pick up Parkinson's disease early before you get symptoms. What we envision is that everyone will get screened perhaps annually. Although screening everyone now is not that valuable, it will be, we hope, very shortly when we actually have treatments to slow down the disease. There are a number of treatments that have been tried but have failed. For example, co-enzyme Q and carnitine and a number of other agents have been tried that theoretically could slow down Parkinson's disease. These agents have not worked, but maybe by the time these agents were tried the disease was already too well established. One of the things that was discussed at the recent Movement Disorders conference was that what we're seeing in our clinics is really late Parkinson's disease. When people have the characteristic signs of Parkinson's disease, they are not at the beginning of the disease; that's instead a later phase. Earlier phases could be instead defined by such symptoms as REM behavior disorder or autonomic nervous system problems such as constipation. By the time of clinical diagnosis, they are well into the disease. So if we can pick it up earlier with the eye testing, we could start testing therapies at earlier phases before the disease is well established and hopefully slow it down and even prevent people from getting to the later motor phase.
Do you think this changes how we look at phases of Parkinson's disease?
Dr. Baron: I don't know if the eye testing would change it. It would just allow us to identify it at an earlier phase. At least the eye testing could help to establish that yes, all these changes are already occurring in the brain. This could help us to figure out maybe when it is even starting. We don't know how far into the disease though that you would have to be to get the eye changes, that is whether you would have to lose for example 10% or 20% of your dopamine or other brain cells. Studies suggest that people have lost perhaps 50% of their dopamine brain cells before they get such clinical symptoms as tremor.
What are some of the signs that people don't think about?
Dr. Baron: Typical symptoms include tremor and slowing down with shuffling gait, and we talk about rigidity but that's something the clinician feels on the examination.. Depression is also very common and often it's not a reaction to having the disease but rather occurs due to a chemical imbalance in the brain. As already mentioned, you can get sleep disorders and autonomic disturbances, causing problems with bowel, bladder, and blood pressure regulation. A lot of people as a result will stand up and their blood pressure will drop, causing them to be dizzy and on occasion to even pass out. Also, dementia and mood disorders beside depression can occur and I discussed REM behavior disorder.
Could you go into detail about that?
Dr. Baron: REM behavior disorder is a condition that about 50% of the people with Parkinson's disease get. Also, among those that develop REM behavior disorder and are not showing signs of Parkinson's disease, about 50% will later develop Parkinson's. It doesn't mean you will get it, it means you have perhaps about a 50% chance. Normally during REM sleep, which is your dream sleep, your body shuts down so you just lie there, but what happens in REM behavior disorder is you act out your dreams. People may actually punch their spouse or through themselves out of the bed. Our body is fortunately designed that when we go into dream sleep we just shut down, our spinal cord is giving signals to not move, but those signals are lost in many people with in Parkinson's disease.
When should people worry about that?
Dr. Baron: Well if you have this condition there are a couple reasons you might see a physician. Often you are referred to a sleep doctor, and the reason you would go see that physician would be to figure out why you're moving so much in your sleep. But low and behold, what's becoming more known now is that if you have this condition there is a high likelihood, maybe 50%, that you're going to go on to either get Parkinson's disease or a number of other conditions that we know about that are actually rarer than Parkinson's disease. There's something in the brain called alpha-synuclein which we now understand is part of the pathology of Parkinson's disease. So, there's a chance you have what is called alpha-synucleinopathy, which one of them happens to be Parkinson's disease.
Is it a game changer?
Dr. Baron: What the eye testing allows us to do is to pick it up earlier and to confirm the diagnosis so from these standpoints, arguably it is a game changer. When we have therapies in place that slow down Parkinson's disease, the eye testing will allow us to identify who should be started on them hopefully well before the motor symptoms are apparent. Even if these therapies do not completely prevent the disease, at least if we can identify those at risk and can start slowing it down 10 or 20 years before they start showing symptoms that's going to have a huge impact compared to waiting until the disease has progressed to the point that they are starting to shake. Also, even if they are showing clinical features such as shaking, they might be misdiagnosed, so it would be important to routinely do the eye testing and establish that it's really Parkinson's disease. Many patients are misdiagnosed. We have people that occasionally come in that have been misdiagnosed for up to even 10 years. They're coming in being pushed in a wheelchair because they were misdiagnosed. If the eye testing had been used routinely to screen these people, it would have proven they had Parkinson's disease and they wouldn't have been in that wheelchair. The therapies we have now do not yet slow the disease down but critically will for the most part keep people mostly out of a wheelchair. We also regularly see people who are misdiagnosed as having Parkinson's disease when the do not and the eye testing could have guided the physician towards another diagnosis.
How long do you think it will take for something like this to be in a doctor's office?
Dr. Baron: First you have to get past skepticism. I presented a poster of our findings at a conference, the one in Ireland. Although there were many scientific sessions emphasizing the critical need for the means to diagnose Parkinson's disease presymptomatically, our work was not mentioned. This was perhaps because they didn't know about it. There were more than a thousand abstracts at the conference and ours simply may not have caught the attention of enough people.
Do you think it's hard to believe because it is such a debilitating disease and such a simple concept?
Dr. Baron: Yes, I think that's one of the problems. First of all people have to see it and so unless you see it, you don't know about it, which I think is one of the problems. Secondly, yes, another one is that it's so simplistic. When I started this it did not occur to me that we had a test that was going to be accurate for Parkinson's disease. Everyone who we see doesn't have tremor, so why would everyone have a tremor behind their eyes? Well they all do and it's almost too good to believe. If I wasn't involved in this, I don't know, maybe I would be skeptical too. Again it is not something that we logically said, okay there must be a tremor behind the eyes that would be more sensitive than the hand tremor so let's see if it can accurately predict parkinson's. As I mentioned, it evolved largely in response to an interest of Dr. Wetzel's, the biomedical engineer, because he happened to be studying air force pilots. I had at one point, too many projects going on to keep up with them all, and I was able to say, well most of those were not as important as this one is. Why is this more important? Because we were lucky enough to have been studying it.
You do have another project right?
Dr. Baron: In my laboratory at the VA hospital, I am working on understanding the underlying abnormalities in electrical discharge activity that are responsible for the motor problems in Parkinson's disease and related disorders. I am in particular studying dystonia, which can be a debilitating symptom of Parkinson's disease, as well as being its own isolated disorder. In the clinic, we are also interested in defining the source for rigidity in Parkinson's disease. Dr. Paul Wetzel has been working on developing a piece of equipment to study it, which should be very soon available to begin testing subjects. We're not the first people to study this. I just have a different idea about what is causing rigidity which differs from what is generally believed. Dr. Qutubuddin, my colleague in our VA Parkinson's Center is looking at the role of various exercise approaches to treating Parkinson's disease. "Dr. Q" is a a rehab doctor who is pretty unique because he was trained as a fellow in our program, while most other people who get trained in Movement Disorders as fellows are neurologists. He has stayed on with us and is most interested in rehab aspects of Parkinson's disease. Also, my colleague, Dr. Kap Holloway who heads the DBS surgical program at the VA and at VCU, has been heading up studies to improve surgical approaches for treating Parkinson's disease and related disorders.
Do you think that this test can revolutionize how we screen for parkinson's?
Dr. Baron: Definitely. Right now there is no accepted test to diagnose Parkinson's disease, so the only test you have is you see your doctor, preferably a neurologist or even better a movement disorder specialist who does an examination on you and then decides whether you do or you don't have Parkinson's. Even with a specialist maybe ten percent of the time they cannot tell the first time whether you do or do not have Parkinson's disease. There are many people I've seen who have seen other movement disorder specialists who have been misdiagnosed with Parkinson's disease, or oppositely were told they didn't have it, but really do. That's not that uncommon so in that respect, yeah it's huge that you can use a simple eye test to diagnose Parkinson's disease. In my clinic, we do this now routinely. I send my patients down the hall for George Gitchel, our graduate student and VA employee, to test them. There's even a running joke that George makes all the diagnoses and I just prescribe. We also recognize that the eye testing can diagnose not just Parkinson's disease but many other movement disorders. We submitted a paper that's being reviewed right now for publication which describes very different and characteristic eye movement findings in people that have another common condition, Essential Tremor. There are many other movement disorders we see in our clinic and each one has its own signature eye movement findings and so we've been using this not just for Parkinson's disease but to help characterize and diagnose many other conditions.
Darlene Edwards
Public Affairs Officer
Richmond VAMC
(804) 675-5242
Copyright 2012 by Ivanhoe Broadcast News and KSAT.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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