The Rest of My Life

I strive to keep a science tone to this blog because that's what my main interests are in.  However, I also believe in trying to be as well-rounded of a person as possible.  So, I have a few short "perspectives" on other aspects of my life for your reading enjoyment, if you so choose.

First up, softball.  For the second summer in a row, I am playing in the Res Life summer league for McCutcheon Hall and we start the tournament tonight.  Now personally, I am hitting better than last year (roughly .950 compared to .500 last year) and I have been playing shortstop instead of pitching which is awesome for me.  As a team, we are just starting to come together and play well as a team, but the tourney starts NOW.  Anyway, I have been asked to come check out the Men's softball league of Lafayette because a couple guys think I would be a good addition to a team there.  Basically, I am being recruited to play softball.  All I have to say is, "Show me the money!"  Just kidding, but seriously.

UPDATE:  Last summer I wrote about my intramural softball team and our chances of coming back next year to win it all.  Well, I had other commitments that made me unavailable to play with them. And they did win it all, called it!  Congrats guys!

My new car...2011 Toyota Corolla LE

Now, onto a much bigger life event...purchasing my first car.  Over the 4th of July, I purchased my first car.  Brand NEW Car!  It had 9 miles on it when I drove it off the lot.  It's a 2011 Silver Toyota Corolla LE.  Well, I'm leasing a new car but it's all the same, kinda.  Originally the thought of buying a new car never even crossed my mind.  And I know a lot of you people that I am blessed enough to call friends told me never buy a new car.  However, I believe I may be in a situation worth hearing out.  So after spending weeks searching for a used car and after a few hours looking and test driving used cars throughout the area on the 4th, I made my way to the Toyota dealership in Avon honestly ready to call it a day.  After browsing a few new Toyotas, the salesman came up and asked if he could help me.  I explained that I was looking for a used car in a certain price range for a certain amount per month.

Now, the salesman who I will refer to as Jay, could have sold me a used Toyota without even suggesting a new car and probably gotten rid of some P.O.S. they haven;t been able to get off the lot in months.  But he then explained to me the idea of leasing a brand new car.  After three years of making payments I will have the option to buy out the car, re-finance, or give the car back.  I will be paying the same (actually less) per month as a used car and I have all the perks of a brand new, safe car.  The reason this makes sense to me is because Toyota Corollas (and Camrys) hold their value very well.  To make a long story short, Jay took the time to understand my situation and suggested a car that made since for me.  Not to mention, I have had my fair share of car troubles and it will be so comforting not to have to worry about my car breaking down.  So thank you Jay, and if you are considering purchasing a new car and want to ask me more questions about my car and lease, feel free to give me a buzz/drop me an email.

New house!

Lastly, I am moving for 6th time in 6 years.  Even though I lived in the dorms for multiple years, I always had to move my stuff home in between years.  So now I am moving into a two story house west of Purdue with a couple friends and I can honestly say I hate packing.  I don't think it would be as frustrating if I was moving towns but moving in the same time over and over again gets really redundant.  But when it's all said and done I am pretty excited about the new place.  Fenced in backyard, three care garage, and lots of space.  I'll put up some pictures soon once I get all moved in!


So there you go folks.  There is a little extra incite into the life and times of me!

Per Request

Just a quick post of what might the craziest thing you'll see all week...I present to you a Cyclops Shark!

That is a real shark baby that was found in the stomach of a dead bull shark.  Scientists are still investigating why it only has one, very cartoonish, eye but in reality this will most likely just haunt your dreams.  I wondered if the shark is related to Mike Wazowski.

Friday Fragments (6/24/11)

Author's Note: I wrote this last Friday and forgot to post it so I hope this can be a little pick-me-up for the Monday Blues this week....

I hope everybody's week has gone well.  I know mine has been an interesting one to say the least.  My car broke down as I was driving someone home from their car breaking down.  They finally transferred the cable in my apartment from Nova Cable to Comcast, which means I'm without cable for the next month or so (no worries I have Netflix).  And out of a possible three softball games I could have played this week, I got to play zero because of the stupid rain.  However, I did received my first new molecule to work on this week and have settled into my office nicely.

Side note about my office: It seems as though the boys and girls have separated themselves within the lab. My office which is on the first floor has myself and three other guys in it, where as the other half of our office space on the first floor is occupied by four or five girls (one is only part time in IPPH, I believe).  It's kind of like being in third grade again.

Anyway, my routine is working nicely into my blogging.  You can only sit and read about drugs for so long before you need to take a little break.  Thus I think you'll find this edition of the Friday Fragments to be fairly robust...

-Researchers in the UK have discovered a vaccine for a specific cancer.  I am not sure about the actual logistics of the situation, but it sounds more like a treatment than a vaccine, because they used a virus to inject prostate cancer presenting antigens into mice, where the immune system took over and eradicated the tumor.  To me that sounds like a treatment or cure for the cancer not a vaccine but whatever, it works!  Check out the full paper here or a brief overview here.

-Here is an awesome graphic showing what happens on the internet in 60 seconds...the volume of emails is the most striking thing to me!

Buzz and Woody Unleashed!

-Ever wonder what Toy Story would be like in a serious setting....check this out! I'm not sure that I would always "have a friend" in Woody if he looked like that ---->

-In electronics news, HP is working on flexible displays to used on wrists during combat.  They also list price tags as a possible use.  I'm thinking it would make great QB wristband.  Also, if you have some time to kill, this is an excellent article about wearable electronics.  I actually had to save the link and read it at home because it looked interesting but it is quite lengthy (so good for wasting time between 4-5pm or Fridays).

-In September 2012, the FDA is mandate that all cigarette boxes have one of nine new warning images to help deter people from smoking.  Some are good, some are gross, and some are just plain cheesy.  Decide for yourself.

-Ok Bryan here is a plug for your blog and what you're good at.  A few weeks ago, my friend Bryan wrote a good post on the Neuroscience of Alcohol over at his blog Mildly Competent.  Well, as fate would have it a came across a similar article written by someone who is paid to write about science stuff.  It discusses the Buffalo Theory and the actual neuroscience of how we react to alcohol.  I would recommend reading Bryan's first and then if you're still interested, you can read the other one.

-Lastly, I found this article about a math proof nicknamed the 3n+1 theory.  Evidently, if you take any number and divide by 2 if even, or multiply by three and add 1 if odd, and continue to do this with your subsequent answers you will always get 2.  However no one has been able to write an actual proof about it until now.  Well kind of, it has been withdrawn since I found the article but it's still fun to contemplate.

Perspective Disclaimer

Everybody in the world has their opinion about things. And an opinion is basically someone’s perspective on a certain topic.  Thus, regardless of how many facts or evidence you can put in front of someone they are always entitled their opinion (or perspective).  I believe that we should relish our perspectives and understand that unlike math and most of science, there are not right and wrong answers for everything. 

Now the name of my blog is “Perspectives of a Young Scientist.”  I want to continue to give a glimpse of what it’s like to be in my shoes and hopefully enlighten a few people to a different side of pharmacy and science in general.  But I also think that I can use this blog to start intelligent conversations about some of the major concepts of today’s world.  I am NOT trying to force my perspective upon you, nor will I judge you based on whether or not you agree with what I am saying all the time.  I do ask that you always respect a person’s opinion and try to understand my take on things with an open mind. 

Now I have perspectives on many subjects that could really shape how you perceive both me and your own thoughts.  God and science is a great one that I intend to write about soon.  Controversial research such as stem cell research is another area.  Politics, which is steadfastly becoming a negative term, has a huge effect on our daily lives and my half liberal-half conservative viewpoints will probably spark lively debates. 

All in all, this is my disclaimer for future posts.  I have avoided some subjects for fear of so called “controversy” and potential backlash over my viewpoints.  But that is all that it will be, one person’s perspective on matters relating to our lives. 

--

Now, as a little foreshadowing, I will give a preview of what I am talking about. 

For those of you who don’t know me, my mother was a sex education teacher.  She taught at my school, at my church, and even taught me and friends one year.  And for some reason, that made me a strong advocate for sex education.  Yes, I will preach abstinence with the best of them, but I also feel that complete sex education is needed in schools today for the sake of our health and overall well-being.  More teens are getting pregnant and unfortunately shows like “Secret Life” and “16 and Pregnant”” glorify those situations.  But most teens and college kids do not know all the risks associated with having unprotected sex (or even protected sex). 

Side Note: Did you know that the HIV virus is small enough to potentially get through the latex matrix of a condom?  Condoms were designed to prevent sperm from passing through the latex. And my reference is my mother who has years of both nursing and officially licensed sex education experience.

My point is that we must consider society as a whole when trying to educate people about sex.  We all come from different backgrounds and beliefs but that does not mean we won’t encounter a situation that tests those ideals.  Being educated about sex is best way to make intelligent decisions that are helpful, not harmful for our futures.    

So there is a small sample of the perspectives I am talking about.  I would always love to talk with people openly about these subjects in a constructive manner so if you really want to send me your “perspective” send it to…Pharmjack29@gmail.com.  And I just realized that if you want to send me your own small “Perspective” on anything I could possibly post it up here in a special guest posting section. 

Friday Fragments (6/17/11)

Well, I finished up my lab practical assignment for my summer class this morning and I decided to put together the Friday Fragments over lunch today.  I have been trying to get into somewhat of a routine every day and have been able to spend a little time every day in the morning to spend trolling the internet for cool stuff.  So, hopefully this can become a weekly thing and you can just count on checking in every Friday afternoon for some time-wasting links to help you get to the weekend!

-Find your blind spot. For real, every person has a blind spot based on the anatomy of the eye.  Try it for yourself.  It's weird to think you mind just "fills in the gaps."

-New artificial heart gives humans no pulse. This new artificial pump only hums as it constantly pumps blood throughout the body.  So if you check for a pulse, you'll get nothing.  Let's see EA Active track my progress now.

-The weather has been quite awe-inspiring as of late. Click here for a video of a microburst. These are different from tornadoes and only last a minute at the most.  And in Wichita, they had a similar experience only with just heat int he middle of the night.  Temperatures climb 20 degrees in the wee hours of the morning due to a collapsing storm.

-Awesome picture of the nearby universe!  Check it out...

-First living laser. Scientists have engineered cells that give off bio-luminescence to amplify normal blue light into a beam of green laser light.  Now the beam is magnitudes lower than your average laser, but someday you may be able to just point your finger and have a laser beam.

-Lastly, this beach is extremely close to the airport!

Under the Hood: Amorphous Solids

Part 1 in my Under the Hood series.


Amorphous solids.  Those of you who may be frequent readers of my blog in the future, this may be the single most important scientific post to understanding what my graduate research is all about.  Entire journals and books can be written about the amorphous state, but I will do my best to summarize and generalize as best I can.

Amorphous Solids lack the long range order of Crystalline solids,
which leads to greater molecular mobility.
(Taken from IPPH 587 notes)

This free energy diagram shows how the phases change with
respect to theromdynamics of the system.
Tm is the melting point, and Tg is the
glass transition temperature of the amorphous solid.
(Taken from IPPH 587 notes)

So, what is an amorphous solid?  I like to tell people it is the state between solid and liquid, however that is not exactly true.  It is between these two in the classical sense.  In grade school, a solid is anything that has long range order and a melting point (some even define a solid as anything that doesn’t take the shape of the container it is in).  Well, this is the definition of a crystalline solid.  The majority of “solids” are crystalline solids including metals, alloys, salts, etc.  Then there are amorphous solids.  These are essentially solids that lack the long range order of crystalline solids, but also lack the mobility of liquids.  For simplicity I will refer to all amorphous solids as the same thing but there are really two types of amorphous solids; those being glasses and super-cooled liquids. The diagram to the right shows a thermodynamic view of these states.  Overall, these are meta-stable states and need some kind of thermodynamic event or action to occur.  Nature prefers crystalline solids and liquids over amorphous forms.

BCS drug classifcation system.  Here, BCS is not some
money hungry way to exploit football, but actually a way
to classify drugs and allow biowaivers to expedite the drug
development process.

And why do we care about amorphous solids?  Let’s begin with drug development/discovery.  Here in the western hemisphere (and increasingly in the entire world) we prefer solid dosage forms compared to liquids or parenterals (injections).  They are more patient compliant and easier to market not to mention it is much easier to ask someone to take a pill twice a day rather than give them a shot or make them drink really, really nasty tasting liquids.  So we want pills, tablets, capsules, something solid to swallow.  There are many other reasons why these are preferred but this will have to suffice for this explanation. Now, the stomach and intestine need to be able to dissolve the drug and as you probably learned in 4^th grade, we are roughly 60% water.  Thus new drugs need to be water soluble.  Unfortunately new molecules which show some biological activity are not water soluble.  Depending on who you ask 60-80% of new drug molecules fall into this not water soluble category (Class II/IV drugs, see BCS chart).  Thus, we must come up with strategies to obtain higher solubility.  Here is where amorphous solids come in.  Since these solids have less order and are more unstable than their crystalline counterparts, they can obtain higher solubilities.  Sometimes 10-50 fold higher.  Thus we can use drugs in their amorphous form to utilize drug molecules that otherwise we have rendered useless.  Not to mention we can lower doses, lower prices, and increase efficacy on drugs already on the market.  I think everyone can agree those are all worthwhile. 

Studying the crystal growth rates from the amorphous
state is very critical to our research.  This is a crystal
growing from the amorphous state under cross-
polarizing light to determine crystallinity.

And where does my research fit in?  Well, these amorphous forms are unstable and want to convert to their non-soluble crystalline forms.  The research I am working on deals with understanding the kinetics and mechanisms behind stabilization of amorphous drugs.  Even though we can observe what happens, we want to be able to explain and even predict what will happen to drugs in the amorphous form.

I will leave you with an example and an explanation of one more common term.  First, most glass is amorphous.  If glass had a crystal lattice structure, light would refract through it like a prism and we couldn’t see through it clearly.  So the next time you are in a really old building or barn, check out the windows.  They may appear to be “collecting” at the bottom like they are liquids.  And finally, if you ever see the term amorphous solid dispersion (or ASD), it is when a drug or compound is “dispersed” with a polymer to create an amorphous state.  The polymer, which is inherently amorphous because of the repeating nature and large molecular size, acts to inhibit crystallization of the drug.  Using these ASD’s are common place in both research and pharmaceuticals and are the basis for most of the research on our lab. 

Well, there is a quick overview of amorphous solids.  If you have any questions just leave a comment or shoot me an email and I can try to answer, or point you toward a source that can hopefully explain in better.

Under the Hood

Well, for those of you curious about what exactly I do...my "Under the Hood" series of posts will hopefully help to explain it.  I chose to name it Under the Hood for two reasons;  one, it's kinda catchy and relates to a fume hood in a laboratory. Two, so I can keep all of these related posts organized and can easily find them.  

First up...amorphous solids!

2011 Camaro Engine

Not as elegant as the Camaro hood
(and note this is not a
 Purdue fume hood).