In honor o' International Talk like a Pirate Day, th' fore page o' Will an' Beyond be spoken in Swashbuckler tongue. If ye want some fun swashbuckler links, here ye go:

The Original Talk Like a Pirate Day Site
Talk Like a Pirate Day
Wikipedia
Facebook Event
Pirate Translator

Godspeed.

I decided that I ortin' ta probably start regularly readin' science journals. Since I also ortin' ta be updatin' Will an' Beyond wi' content, why nay combine th' two? Ever' tides I will read through 'Science' an' will summarize any articles I find interestin'. If I didna find anythin' that caught me interest, or I feel like doin' more, I will look in other journals as well.

This tides I eyeballed Science, Vol. 317, Nay. 5844, 9/14/07. Nothin' really caught me interest, so I looked in th' Journal o' th' American Chemical Society, JACS, Vol. 129, Nay. 37, 9/19/07.

Here, two articles caught me eye.


Modular Total Chemical Synthesis o' a Crewmate Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Protease

Crewmate Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 be more commonly known as HIV-1, th' more widespread an' contagious form o' HIV. HIV-1 protease (HIV-1 PR) be a component o' HIV-1 which be present in propagation/reproduction o' th' virus within th' body. Th' exact catalytic mechanism o' this be currently unknown. Bein' able t' synthesize this protease would help us further understand 't, an' come closer t' knowin' exactly how th' virus reproduces itself.

HIV-1 PR be composed o' 2 99-residue polypeptide chains. This means that each o' th' 2 chains has 99 amino acids bound together in a certain sequence. In order t' fully synthesize th' protease, 4 smaller chains, about 25 peptides long be made by SPPS, solid phase peptide synthesis. Th' 4 chains be t' be bound together wi' native chemical ligation, 'ere they be connected by amide-thiol bonds. Th' thiols be later removed by Ramel nickel desulfurization.

However, when this be attempted, precipitation issues be encountered; th' products would aggregate (clump up) an' come ou' o' th' solution as a solid. In order t' prevent this, another tactic be attempted; strings o' th' amino acid Arginine be bound t' th' end o' one o' th' 4 wee peptide chains. Arginine be found t' keep polypeptides in solution, tho th' reason be still unknown at this point. 10 Arginine units be bound t' one o' th' 4 chains, an' then each o' th' other chains be able t' be connected one by one. Th' new issue arose o' how t' remove th' Arginine once th' 99 peptide chain be constructed. They thought that once constructed, th' protease would act as 't does when in th' body an' attempt t' begin reproduction. Th' first step o' this be t' cleave th' end o' th' chain an' bind t' another unit. This be successful.

Th' final product be made in 12% yield, which be a relatively high yield compared t' other methods o' creatin' peptide chains. Th' reaction tookst about 4 days, an' be characterized (identified/verified) by LCMS (Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectroscopy) an' MALDI (Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization). These methods both take th' mass o' th' product, which can be compared against th' theoretical mass. An x-ray structure o' th' product be obtained by X-ray Crystallography an' th' product be seen t' be bonded together as hoped.

This be a good step in th' process, an' th' novel way that this be made keeps 't free from contamination from enzymes which be encountered wi' other synthetic methods.

Modular Total Chemical Synthesis o' a Crewmate Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Protease
Johnson, E.C.B., Malito, E., Shen, Y., Rich, D., Tang, W.-J., an' Kent, S.B.H.
J. Be. Chem. Soc., 129, 37, 11480 - 11490, 2007, 10.1021/ja072870n


Paclitaxel-Functionalized Dubloon Nanoparticles

Paclitaxel be a drug which be used in cancer chemotherapy. Traditional drug delivery methods be nay effective fer all drugs; one major issue be that th' hydrophobic nature o' some drugs prevent 't from bein' dissolved in th' bloodstream an' administered normally. A method t' circumvent this problem be t' enclose th' drug in a hydrophobic surroundin', known as a micelle. However, a problem wi' this method be that this results in a very large product an' this can be caught in th' reticuloendothelial system, th' RES, which be a system t' swashbuckle foreign substances in th' body, an' be composed o' part o' th' bone marrow, thymus, an' liver.

Another approach be t' make a smaller delivery system t' avoid capture in th' RES. This be done through nanoparticle delivery. Molecules o' th' drug be bunked onto th' surface o' a wee metal nanoparticle. Dubloon be a common choice on accoun' o' o' th' ability t' put organic squadrons onto 't through an alkane-thiol bond. E'en wi' this method, thar be still problems – 't can only be measured qualitatively on accoun' o' 'tis hard t' characterize on accoun' o' o' issues wi' solubility. They found that by usin' a 2 nm dubloon core, these issues don’t arise.

Paclitaxel be bound t' a hexaethylglycol (HEG) chain. A phenol thiol (4-mercapo-phenol) be bound th' surface o' th' dubloon particle an' these two be linked together by combinin' th' carboxyl terminated end o' th' HEG wi' th' phenol t' form an ester. Th' HEG be chosen as a linker on accoun' o' 't increases th' solubility in water, an' also minimizes destruction o' th' drug by th' RES (which be called opsonization).

This be performed successfully. 'Tis a 9 step process, o' which many steps show 90%+ yield. Th' final product be characterized by NMR an' (nuclear magnetic resonance) IR (infrared) spectroscopy. SEC (size exclusion chromatography) showed a good yield o' th' product wi' nay side reactions resultin' in wee products. 't be shown through TGA (thermogravimetric analysis) that thar be approximately 73 (+/- 4) molecules per particle, which results in about th' nanoparticle bein' composed o' 60% Pacitaxel, which be an extraordinarily high organic t' metal ratio. Th' product be also seen through TEM (transmission electron microscopy). This novel approach be able t' be used fer lots o' applications in drug delivery.

Paclitaxel-Functionalized Dubloon Nanoparticles
Gibson, J.D., Khanal, B.P., an' Zubarev, E.R.
J. Be. Chem. Soc., 129, 37, 11653 - 11661, 2007, 10.1021/ja075181k

Godspeed.

Aft on Roosevelt Isle, arrr, Adam, Chris, Jared an' I decided t' play some some late night croquet in th' soccer field, an' we tookst some pictures.

I sailed' skydivin' on Sundee. 't be a lot o' fun, an' I be glad I did 't, but I dasn't think that I would do 't again. None o' 't be really scary 'ceptin' fer th' part when ye're standin' on th' edge o' th' plane waitin' t' jump off. Th' rest o' 't jus' didna really feel real an' I didna get quite th' rush that I had hoped t'. That's 't fer now.

Godspeed.

What's in Me Soap?

Ereeyeballed th' aft o' some keg o' body wash or shampoo an' seen that long list o' complicated lookin' ingredients, an' wondered what 't all does? Thar's so many things, what could each one o' them possibly do?

Me too, but seein' as I be a chemist, I figure why nay investigate, an' learn about some molecules. Plus, wouldna 't be impressive if someone looks at th' aft o' somethin', an' says, man I wonder what so an' so does, an' ye smartly retort a scientific soundin' response.

I tookst a keg o' Irish Sprin' Body Wash, an' analyzed each o' on th' ingredients listed on th' keg. Th' order indicates th' relative amounts, so thar be more o' th' first listed component than th' second, an' so on. Enjoy!



Water
Water covers 71% o' th' surface o' th' earth. Ye're probably pretty familiar wi' 't. Odds be ye drink in 't, an' bath in 't. What be 't doin' in me soap? Well, if ye jus' had all o' these chemicals concentrated, 't would be pretty strong, an' nay very good fer ye. Howerediluted, these chemicals can do the'r wonders, which be described below.



Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Sodium laureth sulfate be a synthetic detergent. 'Tis abbreviated as SLES. Its effect be t' act as a foamin' agent, an' be an efficient clister. Th' alkyl end o' th' molecule (th' zigzaggin' end on th' starboard) be fat/oil soluble (soluble meanin' that 't can be dissolved in a certain substance), so 'tis able t' bind t' oils in our skin. Th' sulfate end on th' starboard be composed o' sulfur an' oxygen, an' be water soluble. On accoun' o' th' molecule has two ends soluble in different materials, 't can act as an anchor t' pull excess oil from our skin, an' can still be washed away. Th' section o' th' molecule surrounded by paranthesis an' marked wi' an n indicates that that section o' th' molecule will repeat n time, 'ere n be a whole number. Often times wi' SLES, n be 2 or 3.

This compound can be classified as a detergent, an' a surfactant. A surfactant be a molecule that reduces th' surface tension o' what 'tis emerged in.

Thar be rumors that this compound be carcinogenic (causes cancer), howerethese be jus' rumors; 'tis nay true. 'tis biggest danger be bein' irritatin' t' them wi' sensitive skin. 'Tis very common in soaps an' toothpastes, etc. Fer more on this bein' dispro'en as bein' carcinogenic, be seein' below in th' references.



Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cocamidopropyl Betaine has similar properties t' that o' SLES. 'Tis abbreviated as CAPB. Ye can be seein' that 't has a similar structure. Th' alkyl chain on th' port be again fat/oil soluble, an' th' carboxylate (th' carbon an' two oxygens) squadron on th' starboard be water soluble, an' has th' same effect as th' sulfate in SLES.

Th' difference between these two molecules be that CAPB be a milder detergent, an' 'tis a more viscous (thicker) compound. Why be 't more viscous? Well, 'tis complicated, if ye're feelin' brave, feel free t' delve into some fluid dynamics, 'tis nay me sort o' thin' tho. Th' short, simplified version be that bulkier molecules which be havin' strong intermolecular forces (forces that pull th' molecules together) be more likely t' be a solid, or a viscous liquid. Th' nitrogen t' th' starboard o' th' oxygen in th' line structure be a hydrogen bond donor, an' th' two double bonded oxygens act as hydrogen bond acceptors. Hydrogen bondin', be what makes water such an interestin' molecule.

CAPB essentially dilutes SLES, an' makes 't less irritatin', but nay so much as t' render 't ineffective.



Sodium Chloride
Sodium chloride has a much more common name; salt. Ye encounter salt ever' tide, an' be th' reason that salty foods be high in sodium; on accoun' o' salt be made o' sodium. Howerewhat be 't doin' in me clistin' agent? Well, 't has two major functions.

't "softens" water. Ye've probably heard o' hard water. Hard water be laced wi' magnesium an' calcium ions, which leave a residue, or scum in yer bathtub, etc. Th' way sodium chloride softens water, be by "exchangin' ions" wi' th' magnesium an' calcium ions. This reduces th' negative effects o' th' magnesium an' calcium ions, an' helps prevent th' residue from bein' port on ye or yer bathtub.

Salt be also an antiseptic, which helps prevent an' clist bacteria from yer skin.



Decyl Glucoside
This be another detergent/surfactant. 'Tis one o' th' milder agents listed here, an' also acts as one o' th' best foamin' agents. As ye can tell from th' lack o' (+)'s an' (-)'s shown in its structure, 'tis non-ionic surfactant, which generally means 'tis more environmentally friendly, an' 'tis also much less likely t' be port as a residue.



Fragrance
Well, this be a vague term. Fragrance chemistry be a pretty specialized fields, an' be pretty self-explanatory. 't consists o' engineerin' different compounds or mixtures o' t' produce a certain scent. So, "fragrance" could be a whole slew o' things. I be nay goin' t' go into 't on accoun' o' 'tis useless since they dasn't tell us which fragrances they's usin'. If ye're interested, google somethin' along th' lines o' "fragrance used in soaps".

DMDM Hydantoin
Now this be interestin'. This molecule be a preservative, which releases formaldehyde. Aye, formaldehyde. Yer first thought be probably o' dead bodies, but formaldehyde be actually used in more things than ye probably know about. Fer instance, 'tis e'en used in vaccinations, an' t' treat warts. All new t' me. 'Tis used in our product on accoun' o' formaldehyde be used t' kill bacteria an' fungi, an' acts as preservative. These be also two reasons 'tis used t' preserve dead bodies actually.

Formaldehyde be toxic t' th' body, becuase 'tis converted into formic acid. This has th' effect o' lowerin' th' pH o' our blood (makin' 't more acidic), which be very bad. However, luckily our body be buffered, which means 't resists changes in pH. I won't go into great detail here, but I will list jus' a wee ways th' body does this. our blood has carbon dioxide in 't, which produces carbonic acid t' neutralize any excess base we might be havin' in us. Bicarbonate be in our blood as well which acts as a base t' get rid o' any acid in our blood. One o' th' main functions o' th' kidney be t' excrete acid; our urine be much more acidic than our blood. In case ye be wonderin', our blood has a pH o' about 7.4, which be jus' slightly more basic than water, which be often used as a standard, an' has a pH o' 7.

That be quite a tangent, but hopefully an interestin' one.



Polyquaternium-7
Another interestin' molecule. Polyquaternium-7 actually coats hairs on th' body wi' a very thin film. Th' purpose be t' make th' hair less electrostatic an' easier t' comb, which will make 't feel smoother. This be true fer both th' hair on yer head, an' body hair. If ye're interested in seein' some cool microscopic pictures o' hair before an' after bein' coated wi' Polyquaternium-7, click on th' "Morphological analysis o' polymers on hair fibers by SEM an' AFM" link here, or in th' references below.



Tetrasodium EDTA
Another component whose purpose be t' soften water. Tetrasodium EDTA has four (which be why 'tis TETRA) sodium ions, which can be exchanged wi' magnesium an' calcium ions from hard water. EDTA be very common in laboratory use fer general ion exchange purposes.



Citric Acid
Get ready fer 't, Citric acid be used t'... soften water! A recurrin' theme, but 'tis important. However, that be nay th' only purpose o' citric acid. Ye're most used t' hearin' about citric acid from bein' in fruits. 't makes foods taste sour (acidic). In terms o' our product, citric acid also opens up th' outer layer o' hair, th' cuticle, an' allow th' other detergents an' such t' be havin' a deeper clistin' effects.



FD&C Green Nay. 3
FD&C stands fer th' US Food, Drug an' Cosmetic Act. Thar be currently se'en artificial food colorings permitted in th' US. Natural food colorings such as caramel colorin', often found in cola be in a separate category. Th' name o' FD&C Green Nay. 3 be Fast Green FCF. Th' reason food colorings be different colors (as well as why anythin' a different color) be due t' th' wavelength that light be absorbed at in a molecule. This varies based on structure an' composition o' a molecule. This colorin' be used t' give th' product 'tis green color.



FD&C Yellow Nay. 5
Be seein' th' above item fer a brief explanation on food colorin' an' the'r name. Th' name o' th' FD&C Yellow Nay. 5 compound be Tartrazine. Its structure be shown below. This be th' dye found in Mountain Dew an' simliar sodas. Thar be an urban legend that ingestin' this dye will shrink yer testicles an'/or penis. This be nonsense. Anyhow, this colorin' helps reduce th' intensity o' th' green in th' product.



I hope ye enjoyed this journey o' chemistry, please leave any feedaft in th' commments below. If ye enjoyed this an' want more, jus' suggest a product.

References:
Wikipedia - Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Rumor: Sodium Lauryl Sulfate Causes Cancer
Wikipedia - Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Ingredients - Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Wikipedia - Viscosity
Th' Many Uses o' Salt
Other Uses fer Salt
Wikipedia - Decyl Glucoside
Th' Difference between anionic an' nonionic surfactant, an' its application t' detergent
Ingredients - DMDM Hydantoin
Wikipedia - Formaldehyde
Morphological analysis o' polymers on hair fibers by SEM an' AFM
Wikipedia - Tetrasodium EDTA
Wikipedia - Citric Acid
Wikipedia - Fast Green FCF
Wikipedia - Tartrazine
Urban Legends Reference Pages: Mountain Dew Shrinks Testicles
Wikipedia - Water

Oh, t' make comments, go t' th' pages permanent link. (Ye can click on 'tis title at th' top o' th' article, or go t' th' article page on th' starboard.)

Godspeed.

Major changes be in progress here at Will an' Beyond. O'er th' weekend, I read PHP/MySQL fer Dummies. Then I did a bunch more online research an' through 't all, taught myself PHP/MySQL. Nay too much be implemented yet, but more be on its way.

Fer now, articles be able t' be commented on. Also, I added an Articles button/page o'er thar on th' starboard. Comments will appear at th' bottom o' th' page. I be nay sure 'ere else I be goin' t' put th' comments in, I'll figure 't ou'. Probably on th' videos as well. If ye be havin' any suggestions at all, put thar on any o' th' article pages in a comment, or use th' chatterbox on th' starboard.

Grad school be goin' fine; nay too much work yet, an' me schedule's very managable. Well, that's 't fer now.

Godspeed.

How t' Make Will an' Beyond

I've often been asked how I make Will an' Beyond. While I enjoy talkin' about 't, 't be nice t' be havin' somewhere t' point them fer a more indepth answer. 99% o' 'tis jus' hand coded, but I will elaborate. Th' followin' tools/services be ranked in order o' usage/importance.

Notepad
http://www.notepad.org/
This absolutely th' most important tool involved in th' process. Wi' this, I code th' XHTML, CSS, Javascript, an' XML. Sure, thar be lots o' things I could do rather than handcodin'. I could use a program like ForePage or Dreamweaver, or e'en a bloggin' tool like Wordpress. But, a major reason I do this be on accoun' o' I like th' codin'. T' be honest, I dasn't always be havin' th' best content, an' this also t'ain't one o' them blogs that talks about me feelings all th' time. A lot o' this be cause I like t' play around wi' code. I dasn't constantly change me code; a lot o' th' time 'tis jus' copyin' an' pastin' stuff I've already done into new places, an' addin' wee code here an' thar throughout me new page, but I still like 't.



Dreamhost
http://www.dreamhost.com/
This may be strange that 'tis 2nd instead o' 1st, but nay matter 'ere I hosted me site I'd use Notepad. However, I really like Dreamhost. 'tis pretty affordable hostin', an' I get a toooooon o' space. More than I would ereuse. Same wi' bandwidth. Lots o' great features, I be havin' nothin' bad t' say about them at all. By th' way, if ye signup usin' th' code BEYOND30, ye get $30 off when ye sign up fer a voyage o' hostin'. Plus 't helps me ou' too.



FlashFXP
http://www.inicom.net/pages/en.ffxp-homeport.php
This t'ain't super vital, thar be plenty o' FTP tools ou' thar, but I really like this one, 'tis very sleek an' I've become very comfortable wi' 't. I also use this same program t' connect t' me XBox, so 'tis convenient. 'tis nay free, an' thar be free alternatives, but 'tis what I like.



Powertoys Image Resizer
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx
Jus' a simple addon fer Windows XP that allows simple resizin' o' pictures. I resize all o' me photos t' 640x480 fer easy web consumption. I be havin' th' full resolution pictures available as a link from th' picture page. This be also used t' create th' thumbnails on th' picture page.

Allok Video t' 3GP Converter
http://www.alloksoft.com/3gpconverter.htm
This be how I present t' ye th' videos in th' media section in QuickTime format, which be what I be havin' found t' be th' best way t' spread them. I originally tried Windows Media format, since I edit th' videos in Windows Movie Maker, but Windows an' Mozilla aren't th' best o' shipmates. Windows needs t' learn t' play nice.

Windows Movie Maker
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/updates/moviemaker2.mspx
Definitely nay th' best tool, but 'tis one o' th' simplest, an' 't comes pre-installed wi' Windows XP, an' 't gets th' job done, so I use 't.

Easy GIF Animator
http://www.download.com/3000-2186_4-10716636.html
I use 't fer similar reasons t' Windows Movie Maker. 'tis very simple t' use, an' 't does exactly what I want. 'tis nay a free program, but 't simplifies th' process an' works well.

Adobe Photoshop
http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/index.html
Definitely nay th' cheapest program, but if ye're a student, odds be yer school computers be havin' 't. Most o' me stuff could be done wi' simpler programs, but I be used t' 't. In terms o' Photoshop skills, I be most proud o' me logo. Th' graphics fer th' site layout, albeit simple, be designed wi' Photoshop.



Chatterbox
http://chatter.flooble.com/
Only really be havin' t' use 't once an' 'tis setup. I like th' layout better than a lot o' th' other "shoutbox" alternatives.

Google Adsense
https://www.google.com/adsense/login/en_US/?destination=%2Fadsense%2Fhome
As o' th' time o' this article, I be havin' made $4.48. Total. I started usin' this in July 2006. As ye can be seein', this dasn't quite co'er th' cost o' hostin', but I dasn't think 't makes th' pages look bad or anythin', an' I can always hope that someday 't will earn a wee bit more.

Them be all o' th' tool/services I use that I can think o'. Th' followin' be resources I consult. I will again rank them in order o' usage/importance. I reckon th' line between tools/services an' resources be pretty vague, but ye be havin' t' draw 't at some point.

W3C Validation Service
http://validator.w3.org/#validate_by_uri+with_options
Havin' valid means yer code be goin' t' work. I reckon that a lot o' code validation stuff be nitpicky, but in order fer browsers t' do th' best job they can, 'tis important t' be havin' valid code. Plus, W3C tellin' me I be valid makes me feel good.



RSS Feed Validator
http://feedvalidator.org/
Very similar reasonin' t' th' above link, but this be less important, on accoun' o' me RSS functionin' t'ain't as vital as th' rest o' me code functionin'.

Color Lab
http://www.visibone.com/colorlab/
This be really only important durin' site design, but 'tis very helpful if ye're doin' stuff by hand.



.htaccess Guide
http://www.javascriptkit.com/howto/htaccess.shtml
Knowin' how .htaccess/Apache works helps cut down on a lot o' archaic HTML techniques, an' streamlines certain processes.

Browsershots
http://browsershots.org/
I dasn't really want t' check me site on all sorts o' different browsers manually, I jus' check Firefox an' IE myself. Fer th' rest, I be havin' Browsershots take a snapshot o' th' page usin' these other browsers.

XHTML Characters
http://www.html.su/entities.html
In certain cases like within RSS, ye canna always use all th' characters ye want, but ye can always use the'r character code.

Web Design Postcards
http://www.lazycat.org/postcards/
These be jus' some good tips fer web design. I made some changes t' th' site once I read through these. Helpful.

Brilliant Button Maker
http://www.lucazappa.com/brilliantMaker/buttonImage.php
This comes last, cause 'tis by nay means important, but 't helped me make th' wee Will an' Beyond brilliant button ye be seein' on yer port. If ye'd like t' put th' Will an' Beyond button on yer site, please by all means do. This site inspired me t' put down th' other buttons ye be seein' in th' list as well.



If ye be havin' any other questions, feel free t' ask, an' I be happy t' update this page. I be also open t' suggestions if ye be havin' any favorite tools/services/resources.

Godspeed.

Apple had a keynote today an' announced a bunch o' changes.
Summarized:

Shuffle: New Colors, that's 't. Size/Price: Eh, who cares.

Nano: They made 't shorter an' stumpier, an' 't can now play video. Sizes: 4gb/8gb. ($149/$199)
http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/05/apple-announces-new-ipod-nano/

Regular: Nothin' too new; bigger size, longer battery life. New navigation arr. Sizes: 80gb/160gb. ($249/$349)
http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/05/apples-new-ipod/

iPhone: $200 price slash, (haha sucks fer early adopters) discontinued smaller model. Size: 8gb ($399)
http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/05/apple-cuts-iphone-price-t'-399/

Touch: Completely new: iPod Touch. 'tis like an iPhone... without th' phone. Still has Wifi. Slightly thinner, but other than that, 'tis an iPhone. Sizes: 8gb/16gb. ($299/$399)
http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/05/ipod-touch-gets-official/

If ye dasn't care too much, jus' eyeball th' pictures then close th' links; nay too much spake other than what I summarized.

I like th' regular iPod myself, others still dasn't hold enough fer me.

Godspeed.