I'm in The Hague!!

I'm now in The Hague :)

Leaving for Amsterdam soon though...hehe..then it'll be back to S'pore!!

Din do much here...just stayed in the IPSF flat...pretty messy place...haha...
Visited the beach...
..and gg for a bbq later at Boyan's place...then gotta catch a train back to Schipol to catch my flight back to S'pore!!

Okie...time for bbq :)

I'm in London!!

I'm in London now...been here since Wed nite :D

Met up with some sec sch frens, JC fren and now I'm headed to the north to meet a fellow pharmacist, Lindsay...b4 I head back to Amsterdam...then to The Hague to meet Oyster again...and I'll be leaving from Amsterdam soon!!

Gotta catch a train now!!

I'm in Amsterdam!!

I'm in Amsterdam...been here since Thur morning!!

Left Singapore on Wed nite...and arrived in Amsterdam on Thur 5am!!

On Tue...the day b4 I was supposed to leave, I had a cold!! Was sneezing away in the lab and having a headache...but with my various supplements and the yummy g3 drink...I felt very perfectly fine on Wed...haha...so started packing that day :P
I'm totally not prepared for this trip...haha

When we (Ana, Peiling, Hanyi and I) arrived in Amsterdam...we started figuring out how to get to our hostel...it was still early after all...no need to rush...won't get to check in yet :P
Met an Indian guy instead...he saw us carrying the poster...apparently he took the same flight as us...he flew in from Australia and transferred to our flight...

We went to Keukenhof on Wed where we saw plenty plenty plenty of tulips of various colors...it was soooooo colorful...sooooo beautiful!! But I'm a lousy photographer...so dun think the photos I took turned out that great :P

Thur was spent at the pre-satellite congress...at Vrije University...as usual Asian tend to get together whenever we r in a International event like this...esp since we r the minorities ;)
We had ppl from Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, India, China...many studying in Europe...interestingly I have yet to meet anyone from S'pore or M'sia in the pre-satellite congress :P

Today...after sleeping thru the keynote speakers' talks...Ana and I followed a free tour in Amsterdam...it's up to us how much we wanna tip the tour guide...
It was a pretty interesting tour...the tour guide was, Per, from UK...his background was in Architecture...but his full time job now is a tour guide...hehe...he found it more fun ;) Anyway, he's pretty good at it now...very humourous ;)

Now it's time to go zzzz....oh ya...Oyster is in Amsterdam already too...with his Pearl...hehe...hope to see him tom!!

Wat's up since CNY??

So wat's up since CNY??

Hmm...let me see...I think 2 is a lucky no. for me :D

I have gone back to Penang twice...including the time I went back for CNY :P

I have attended 2 weddings...both weddings I know the bride and groom...one pair from KR..the other pair from SGH :)
Ronald and Vivien has been together forever...since b4 my first year in hall...glad to see they r finally married :D
Meanwhile...proud to say I'm part of the matchmaking group for TG and PL...hehe...basically we just tease them all the time while we were in outpatient pharmacy...and well...apparently our talkativeness (i.e. not paying attention) while TG was discussing various topics with us got his attention on the only gal that paid attention...hehe...

I have also participated in 2 swimming related events...one charity event at NTU on a wed...swam 3k...and the S'pore Biathlon that same week's sat...swam 1.5km and din run :P

I have only exercised twice...not counting the 2 events I participated in...hehe...I know some tigger would just say I'm a slacker :P
Anyway, I swam once and ran once...ran ard my home...and found out there's a Sheng Shiong nearby...at McNair Rd...wow...new discovery after staying here for more than 2 years!!

I have also found a couple of long lost secondary school classmates in S'pore!! One staying just a couple road from me!! More to be found soon :D

IN SCHOOL...

I was "arrowed" to do an oral presentation of my QSAR paper..2nd presentation on it in this 2 months...well being "arrowed" is not bad lah...that meant I was assured of a chance to win some prize money :D
Unfortunately I din bribe the judge enough...so we ended up with a tie..
Come to think of it...I have 2 presentations this month...hehe...lucky no. 2...

I have gotten 2 compounds out...actually these r the only 2 since last Jun...no wonder I'm stressed out...need more compounds out for testing b4 I go to Amsterdam!!
Since the no. 2 seem to be good for me...I shall try to get 2 tertiary amines and 2 esters out...sure hope they r not as much of a problem as the primary amine!!



Amine and ester I hope to synthesize :D


Problematic primary amine I need for the amido and ureido analogues

I know I must be pretty stressed out when...

I haven't posted anything for more than a month!!
I can't stop scratching away!! argh...it's not even itchy...
I feel totally lost when I dun have that little notebook of mine with all things I plan to do or discuss in it...
The list of things I need to do seem to be getting out of hand :P
I can't figure out how to purify that stupid primary amine and I need it to synthesize a couple of other compounds...time to move on to something else first...b4 I kill myself or someone else :P
My boss is expecting some compounds out b4 I leave for Netherlands mid next month...I sure hope my new strategy will work *keeping fingers crossed*
My room is in a mess again...well I wonder is that the cause of stress or the result of it...hmmm...chicken n egg...
My BP gets quite high...esp at night...I need more Relaxation formula?

Happy Lunar New Year!!

A very happy lunar new year to all Chinese frens out there!!!

...and happy holidays to all!! :D

Also happy collecting ang pow for the unmarried..
and happy giving ang pow for the married? hehe :P

Improved short-sightedness

I've been short-sighted ever since primary sch...not too sure when it started...but when it was detected at the age of 11...my power was a few hundred on the right side...and perfect on the left side...hence, I always felt I have perfect eye sight :P

A set of specs was made which I still never wore since I could see everything clearly :P

Finally in 1996, when I was at my peak of my competitive tennis "career"...I decided it's better to have good eye sight on both eyes...otherwise games in the evening tend to be quite a problem :P
Then..my power was 400 on the right and 0 or 50 on the left...so I got contact lense on 1 side only..hehe :D

After I started to use the contact lense for a year or so...my left eye start to "balance" itself with the right eye...hehe...
So I switched to specs...since I hated the contact lense :P

From then on...my power just kept climbing every year I went for a check up...
So I get new specs every year!! :P

Anyway, it continued to climb until early last year...it was 550 on the right, and 350 on the left...told u the left one was trying to balance with the right ;)

After I started taking Lifepak (multivitamin/mineral and antioxidant supplement) for a few months...my power actually dropped to 500 and 300...
I added g3 (a high antioxidant health drink)...and now...it has dropped further to 475 and 275...cool right!!
...and I now read a lot more on the bed...haha :P

Maybe if I stop reading on the bed...my eye sight will perfect itself in a year or so :D

Check out the graph of how my power has increased over the years...got the record from my optometrist :D


Lifepak and g3 rocks!! :D

I know I'm just very busy when...

My room is in a big mess and I just can't be bothered...
The kitchen is also dirty and messy...
I have books surrounding me on the bed...hehe
I have thousand over emails in yahoo unsorted...and another 750 in outlook express unsorted...
I haven't been backing up my data as regularly as b4...hmm..maybe I better back it up real soon...
I iron my clothes every other week instead of twice a week now...luckily I have enough clothes for 2 weeks...hehe
My letter tray is piled with weeks of unsorted mails...

Yeah...I'm busy...very IWA indeed :D

No more extremely sensitive nose??!!

I was just cleaning up my super super dusty room...haven't really clean it for weeks I think...or is it months??...hehe...it's still pretty messy now...but much cleaner :P

Previously if I attempt such a massive cleaning...I'm pretty much sneezing all day long...the only way to stop it is to take an antihistamine and sleep...

Amazingly...today...other then some slight sniffling...I'm totally fine...

Hehe...all the supplements I have been taking is doing their work very well indeed...yippee!! :D

U know u ought to be stressed out when...

Ur synthesis is not working...
U can't figure out which is the compound u want from the many many spots on the TLC plate...
U r spending a lot of time trying to confirm the compounds u r synthesizing...
The compounds u r synthesizing seem to be degrading as u r trying to purify it or confirm its identity!!
U bought the wrong starting material for ur synthesis so u r stuck...(how blur can one get :P)
Ur boss is starting to hint that u r getting slack...(and it's true!!)
U have to read up a lot on ur synthesis but u just hate reading such stuff :P
U'll also probably have to start reading up on homology modeling as ur boss has conveniently collaborated with another PI to do some computer work...
U have presentation deadlines staring at u...hmm...but u dun seem to care abt it...
Oh ya...u totally forgot abt ur teaching assistant duty...that'll sure screw up ur plans for lab work :P
Ur email is piling up with plenty of unimportant seminar announcements and u dun even know if u have missed out any impt emails??
U have yet to make any plans for ur trip to Amsterdam in April...air tix and accomodation price may be gg up...
Ur room is starting to get really messy but u just dun have time or the mood to tidy it up...
U just have plenty of other things to do besides ur lab related ones!!!
Finally, u dun really know who to "complain" to...oh well...

Just another post...

I haven't posted for so long man!!
Just been busy I guess....
Anyway, being IWA...it's kinda expected to be this busy :P

Wait a minute...I wasn't all that busy...in fact, I wasn't doing much last week...just sleeping a lot...hehe...

Well...it all started after my last posting...on the 4th...my housemate started to be very sick...actually it was the 3rd nite...but i got home late and never see...just assumed she has slept early that day...
The next day...she msg me to ask whether I'm gg home early the day...would like me to get dinner since she was sick...hmm...that din sound rite...she must be really sick...
Indeed she was...with really high fever...up to 39 degrees!!

The next day same thing...still having a fever...went back to see the doc who refered her to TTSH for a blood test...suspected dengue...uhoh...
Anyway, blood test result was inconclusive...with pretty low platelet...but not at a critical level...so she was sent home...
Apparently she had an interesting episode there...haha...some "kuku" guy (her words) was there...kept requesting for "X-ray! X-ray!"...apparently his slot was for 11 Jan 10.30am...so he was asked to go home...

On Sat...she went back for another test...again...same thing...and the "kuku" guys was also there...haha...
Anyway, I went to donate blood that morning...my hemoglobin was 14.1..very good...last month couldn't donate 'cos Hb was a little low 12.1 :P

Sunday..same thing for Ms Lim...
But Feei and I went Vivocity for her b'day lunch with a few other ASEAN ppl...had to leave the lawyer at home...hehe...but we'll get some non-oily sandwich for her...she hasn't been able to eat well and been puking out most of wat she ate...she figured it's too oily...and she dreamt of salad and sandwich the nigth b4...haha...
How to find non oily sandwich in Vivocity?? In the end never get anything...instead I went out again in the evening and got sushi for her...it's kinda non-oily rite :P

On Mon...still not well...so her dad decided to send her mom and sis over to rescue her...hehe...
That afternoon...I started to feel..not too good...but anyway, I had plans to meet up with Mr Koh and the NUS tennis gals that evening...so I just hanged ard in school till we met up...
It was nice to meet up with ppl like Joanne and Sharon Liu again!! Busy lawyers...luckily we met up in Raffles City...they could drop by after work :D
...I found out Joanne works in Drew n Napier...same same as my Ms Lim...not only her...Grace Lai is also there...and someone else from the guys team...was it Ray? Haha...everybody works there?
Too bad Grace had plans that nite liao...Stacey also just happened to have left the country that morning...forgot abt Mei Ling...oops...but ChenMei said she's in Germany...phew...hehe
Anyway, it was nice meeting with all those that ppl again...haven't seen each other since after graduation man!!
I was pretty much "gone" after dinner...luckily got a lift home from Mr Koh :D

Tue...even though I was still kinda feverish...I had to go back to the lab to stop the overnight reaction I had started the day b4...gotta work it up...extract..then rotavap...wash my glasswares, clean up the bench...blah blah blah...then home I go ;)

Wei Lee's mum and sis was ard...anyway, I just went home and sleep till it's time to meet Vorlacks for dinner...oh ya...Vorlacks just got back on Sat...and will be leaving again on Sat...that's the only day I'm available to meet him...and find out from him abt his interesting posting on the blog!! Angel and Lili were there too...
It was Tue...so waffles were at 50% off...hehe...I left after one waffle...Vorlacks and Lili wanted another one...but the wait was 30 mins...I wanna sleep liao lah :P

Wed...I din go sch...just nua at home...even meals were settled by Wei Lee's mum...hehe...when to see doc and had a blood test there..just in case...platelets were normal...230..and WBC was normal but on the low side...4.6...

Thur...same thing...except I went to work in the evening...hehe
Wei Lee doesn't seem to have dengue...based on serum antibody...so the docs think it's Chikugunya...it's just a different virus...but basically the same as dengue...spread by Aedes, symptoms similar except different rash pattern...

Fri...went to the lab for a while in the morning...got someone to replace me for work that evening since I was gg to Malacca the next morning...needed more sleep :P

Sat and Sun...I was in Malacca for a day and a half for various interesting and exciting talks! So exciting that I developed a slight fever again on Sun nite :P

Mon...din go sch again...haha...tried to prepare that poster for the OLS opening on the 5 and 6 of next month...oh shucks...it's still not done yet...maybe I need to panick liao...since I have another presentation to prepare for next next Wed's group meeting...

Anyway, this week was just busy in the lab...synthesizing some cpds and purifying some other cpds by Combiflash...I love Combiflash...save me the trouble of packing my own column...and it's so much faster!!! of course that makes it more expensive...but who cares :P

Ok that's all for now...time to get off work soon...wahaha :P

Oh ya...Wei Lee has just been added to the statistics for Chikugunya yesterday...hehe...so wat did I have?

X'mas and new year!!

There were so many holidays the past couple of weeks...so many long weekends!!
First there was X'mas...then there was Hari Raya Haji...and followed by New Year's Day!!
Oh ya...and followed by Feei's b'day..haha :P

So guess wat I did for the holidays??!!
I worked!! Very IWA indeed huh?

Worked at TPY on X'mas day...busy as usual...but ok ;)

Then I was at AMK on New Year's Day and the following day (replacement hol for Hari Raya Haji)...wah...that place is madness...that new hub isn't even all ready...wonder y the rush to open *shrug*
There's only one way down to the basement now...takes me 1 minute to ride on one escalator...ya..i was so irritated...i decided to time my ride...oh ya...there r 2 escalators each way...so...for a 30 min lunch break...I need to spend 5-10 mins getting in and out of that basement...arghhhhh!!
Oh ya..and that place is crowded as hell...dun u guys have another place to go...y all come and crowd in AMK...so irritating...I hate crowds :P
...and then there r the drug addicts...so crowded also u guys wanna come...wat's ur problem??!!
...and does the dispensary at AMK look a lot more like the cashier then any other shop??!! Stop coming to the dispensary to make ur payment...the word "CASHIER" is damn huge and u guys can ask me where's the cashier??!! U all irritate the hell out of me!!
Oh ya...I think a taller stool is necessary for the dispensary...or maybe just longer arms?? I can't even sit down to use the computer or write anything on the desk...design sucks man :P

Oh well...that was the sucky 2 days I had at AMK...at least I'm paid...although if I knew it were this busy and irritating...dun think I would I have chosen to work :P

Anyway, thankfully it's not all work the last couple of weeks...

There was the x'mas party the sat b4 x'mas...I was supposed to be santa elf...but in the end...din get the costume :P
I was a microphone stand instead...wahaha...
It was fun...with plenty of food and entertainment in the form of skit, cooking demo and singing...we sure have great singers ard ;)

Then last Sat it was KC's wedding lunch...met up with quite a few ASEAN ppl...with special guest appearance all the way from Canada...Ms Choy Lye Sim...hehe...
That evening...our lab also had a new year-cum-farewell dinner for Huiwen...at Xiaoling's place...wah...more yummy food...
Then after that..at home...we have the "sim"s...Lye Sim and Win Sim..and Yee Ling over at our place...just to drink and chat...
Lye Sim got really red after a little drink...that's a lot of acetaldehyde produced by her body...haha...not good!!

Anyway, the next day...there was the ultramarathon at MR...well...I totally forgot abt it...shld have noted it down on my PDA :P
Instead I had lunch with Angel...and her dad...hehe...she just got off work...and since she's on call...her dad came to pick her up ;)

That evening...went for countdown at grand plaza hotel...b4 that had dinner with kaizhen...with plenty of time to spare, I took the shuttle bus down to marina square and walked back to city hall...I was so against the human traffic flow...haha...everyone else is headed towards esplanade...no way I'm gg there...I hate crowds...hmm...think I have mentioned that b4 :P

After counting down, we just continued to hang ard...while I played with helium balloons...haha...I really talk like a cartoon after inhaling helium :D
Now I feel like dismantling the helium tank attached to the mass spec machine...and make more helium balloons....Sek Eng will sure kill me if i do that ;)

Oh and finally, yesterday we had a surprise b'day celebration for Feei...with her "friend" ard...hmm...interesting how come this "friend" (yup...just a fren) of hers always get to spend all those special times with her...haha

That's how I spent my x'mas and new year....

So now it's back to work....synthesis, synthesis, synthesis!!
When can I use the mass spec?? I need to confirm my compound b4 I make more of it!!

Happy New Year!!

It's 2007 already!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

So wat's ur new year resolution???

I never seem to have a new year resolution b4...so this year my new year resolution is to have a new year resolution...woohoo...am I crappy or wat :P

Ok...time to sleep...dun wanna sell the wrong drugs to customers tomorrow...or rather later today :P

Will write more abt recent happenings later ;)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! again...hehe...

Zzzzzzzzzz....

Penguin news :D

16 December
Penguins offer evidence of global warming
(Antarctica)



The first Adelie penguin chicks of the season – black fluffballs small enough to hold in the hand – started hatching this month, and the simple fact that there are more of them in the south and fewer of them further north is a sign of global warming, scientists say.
Go to article - Reuters

15 December
Dog leaves penguin safe
(Australia)


Allan Marsh with two of his Maremmas.

Little penguin numbers at Warrnambool’s Middle Island have tripled after a world-first trial in which a Maremma guard dog, Oddball, was placed on the island to protect the penguins during their breeding season.
Go to article - The Warrnambool Standard

13 December
Mystery illness kills all but one yellow-eyed chick
(New Zealand)


DIMINISHING POPULATION: rare yellow-eyed penguins are under threat after a poor breeding season on Stewart Island.

Stewart Island’s yellow-eyed penguins are facing an uncertain future after a mystery illness wiped out all but one of this season’s chicks. Regular monitoring of the penguins’ largest population on the island found that of the 32 chicks hatched, just one had survived.
Go to article - Stuff.co.nz

11 December
How to see a penguin in Antarctica? Play it cool
(Antarctica)
Those who come to Antarctica often dream of seeing the regal emperor penguins or the smaller Adelies, but environmental policies require humans let the birds make the first move, and keep their distance in any case. But sometimes penguins’ curiosity brings them into close proximity with humans - and that's what happened for marine biologist Gretchen Hofmann.
Go to article - Reuters

7 December
Public asked to help track penguin vandals
(Australia)
Authorities are calling on the public to help track down vandals who attacked a colony of endangered little penguins in Sydney harbour. Two eggs were smashed and three nesting boxes destroyed in an attack on the colony near Manly last week, triggering widespread condemnation.
Go to article - News.com.au

Gender of zoo's baby penguins a mystery
(USA)


Samson, one of three penguins born recently at the Memphis Zoo, can be seen through the hatchery window. By spring, the trio should join the 24 other residents of Penguin Rock.

The three African penguins at Memphis Zoo have been named Samson, Dee Dee, and Liam - but without a blood test, you can't tell which gender penguins are. So what happens if Samson lays an egg?
Go to article - Memphis Commercial Appeal

I'm in Penang

I'm in Penang..hehe...since last Fri...and will be back in S'pore on Wed :P

Haven't met up with a lot of my fren's for years...hehe...I'm always such a lazy bum when I get home...everyday just eat, sleep, watch tv, surf internet :D

Well this time round I decided to meet up with some old frens...and one thing in common I found out abt this Penang ppl is...they all work in Intel...or knows a lot of ppl who work in Intel!!! How many ppl did Intel hired??!!

First there's my primary school classmate-cum-swimming-cum-tennis fren, Foong Hooi aka Cabbage aka ba4zao3yu2...haha...long time no see...but still look the same...same goes for her sis, Foong Yen, who happens to be in S'pore now!!
Found out from Foong Hooi so many of our childhood fren...be it from primary school, swimming or tennis are in Intel too!!!

Then there's some my secondary schoolmates...Phaik Choon, Yoon Chee and Lee Ying Ying (there r 3 Ying Ying's in my class at one pt!!) also in Intel...but Ying Ying will be coming to S'pore soon...working so near where I stay somemore...cool...there'll be 2 Ying Ying's in S'pore then...haha...Chua and Lee...if Tan Ying Ying comes back to S'pore from US...it'll be a reunion of the PCGHS class of 1997 Ying Ying's!!! haha :P

Anyway, there r more ppl working in Intel...according to my tennis coach, Francis Su...many of his ex-students are there too!! There's even ppl like Julita...din even know she did IT related stuff :P
Oh ya...Francis has friendster now...haha...check it out here...he's still trying to confirm who created it for him...wahhaha...some mischieveous boy :P

Anyway, now I can't rem who's not in Intel liao...wahaha...except those overseas...like my tennis buddy, Sze Pheh aka prawn yeap :P Still studying medicine in Aussie...
Many tennis players seem to be there too...like Amy, Adrian, Siao Yin, Siao Khee...hehe...
Even my NJ-cum-pharmacy senior, Anne, is gg there soon...she couldn't take wat she's doing here...oops...so if u think S'pore pharmacy is bad...M'sia sounds a lot worse :P

It's still a lot of sleep for me back home...somehow there's this drowsy effect everytime I come back to Penang...haha

Will be back in S'pore soon...just in time b4 Kae Woei leaves...and few other frens come back...like Small Ice...hehe...even Oyster and Vorlacks will be back..yippee...IWA reunion!!

Wilson for NMP!!

Go Wilson!! Proud of u!!

NMP nominations attract new faces under 30 years old

Friday December 15, 8:17 PM
Channel News Asia

SINGAPORE: The deadline to apply for the posts of Nominated MPs closed on Thursday.
Some NMPs are seeking a second stint while there are also several fresh faces, some of whom are under 30.

25-year-old Wilson Ang made a dash for it just before nominations came to a close at 4.30pm.

The president of the Environmental Challenge Organisation almost did not make it as verifications were needed on his application forms.

So his friend (Cheung Kar Onn) came to his rescue.

Wilson is possibly the youngest applicant in the running to be a NMP.

But will his age work for or against him?

Said Mr Ang, "Young, being inexperienced but at the same time, I connect closer to the youth from my generation. I hope to be a more informed voice for youth opinions and issues they want to raise (that are) linked to the environment."

Another nominee from the environmental camp is 28-year-old Louis Ng, who is the executive director of the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres).

He hopes to focus on educating the young about animal welfare in Singapore.

And he has already mapped out his plans.

"I hope to engage the youth in a more sustained fashion. I will hold fortnightly meet-the-youth sessions, very similar to the MPs' meet-the-people sessions but just that they are only for youths, for them to raise social community issues," said Mr Ng.

Another nominee is 44-year-old businessman Dr Ameen Talib, who is a board member with the Association of Muslim Professionals.

65-year-old Ooi Boon Ewe also threw his hat into the ring.

Mr Ooi contested the single seat of Joo Chiat in the recent General Election.

He had also made previous attempts to apply for the NMP position.

Three former NMPs, including Nature Society president Dr Geh Min, social work volunteer Eunice Olsen and biotech businessman Tan Sze Wee, confirmed they are seeking a second term.

Six groups representing business, the labour movement and social-community organisations have also nominated candidates.

In 2004, 37 nominations were made and nine were appointed.

A maximum of nine NMPs can be appointed to serve for a term of up to two-and-a-half years.

They will be selected and interviewed by a committee of eight MPs chaired by the Speaker of the House, Mr Abdullah Tarmugi, before President SR Nathan approves the recommendations.

Those nominated should have been involved in public service, or distinguished themselves in their respective fields.

Under the Constitution, NMPs must be Singaporean, be at least 21 years of age and have lived in Singapore for the past 10 years.

They must also not be disqualified from being an MP under Article 45 of the Constitution that bars the unsound and undischarged bankrupts. - CNA/ir

Are they Men's Health Enough?

Hmm...just helping a fren promote...hehe...

He's one crappy but fun guy in the lab...damn good looking too...plus he has a black belt in taekwondo...dun mess with him...hehe :P

Vote for Heng Seng...here!!

Publications and I..hehe

Showing off some publications with my name on it...hehe...
2 are scientific papers...one is a testimonial :D

The first one...

A Preliminary Ecotoxicity Study of Pharmaceuticals in the Marine Environment

Authors: Mei Fun Choong, Amy1; Lay-Ming Teo, Serena1; Lene Leow, Jo2; Ling Koh, Hwee2; Chi Lui Ho, Paul2
Source: Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health Part A, Volume 69, Number 21, November 1 2006, pp. 1959-1970(12)
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Ltd

Abstract:

Environmental fates and effects of pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment have been the focus of recent research in environmental ecotoxicology. Worldwide studies of common over-the-counter pharmaceuticals have reported detectable levels in the aquatic environment, but there are few studies examining impacts on marine habitats. These drugs can affect the functions of various vertebrates and invertebrates. The stability of two pharmaceuticals, cyclizine (CYC) and prochlorperazine (PCZ), in seawater was examined under light and dark conditions, as well as the toxicity of these compounds to larvae of the barnacle Balanus amphitrite, which is a cosmopolitan marine organism found in most of the world's oceans. CYC was very stable under all the tested conditions. On the other hand, PCZ degraded in light but not in the dark, and was more stable in seawater than fresh water. For the barnacle larvae, the LC 50 of prochlorperazine was 0.93 μg/ml and the LC 50 for CYC was approximately 0.04 μg/ml.

Document Type: Research article
DOI: 10.1080/15287390600751371
Affiliations: 1: Tropical Marine Science Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore 2: Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore

The second one...still in process of publication :P

Quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) of indoloacetamides as inhibitors of human isoprenylcysteine carboxyl methyltransferase
Jo-Lene Leow1, Rudi Baron2, Patrick J. Casey2 and Mei-Lin Go1 ,
1:Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, 18 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Singapore
2:Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Centre, Durham, NC 27710, USA
Received 18 July 2006; revised 26 October 2006; accepted 13 November 2006. Available online 15 November 2006.

Abstract
A QSAR is developed for the isoprenylcysteine carboxyl methyltransferase (ICMT) inhibitory activities of a series of indoloacetamides (n = 72) that are structurally related to cysmethynil, a selective ICMT inhibitor. Multivariate analytical tools (principal component analysis (PCA) and projection to latent structures (PLS)), multi-linear regression (MLR) and comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) are used to develop a suitably predictive model for the purpose of optimizing and identifying members with more potent inhibitory activity. The resulting model shows that good activity is determined largely by the characteristics of the substituent attached to the indole nitrogen, which should be a lipophilic residue with fairly wide dimensions. In contrast, the substituted phenyl ring attached to the indole ring must be of limited dimensions and lipophilicity.

Article still in press in BMCL (Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters) ;)

Yippee....that's like a lot of CPE points for me...hehe...

The third one is a testimonial..hehe



From here...


If u live in the modern world...I'm sure u are under plenty of free radical attack too...from the sun, the polluted air, radiation from handphones/computers, stress or just from exchanging oxygen into carbon dioxide :P
So would u like to try a bottle of g3 or a box of Lifepak? Dun wait till some chronic diseases or worse still cancer develop hor :P

Interesting cards

Nothing much has happened last week...besides work :P

The only interesting thing was helping out in an adventure race on Sun...din even know wat time I'm supposed to get to yishun etc...until I got home on Sat nite and called the race organizer...hehe...slept at 2am and woke up at 5.30? *yawnz*

It was fun though...saw the usual faces in adventure races again...and met some of my frens again...like gabriel, evan and lily...and also linda!! She's in the Singapore Women's Everest Team...used to be from KR :)
Also met some new frens like Edmund, Ken and another boy...oops..forgot his name...we were helping in the same area...which was the last station...so had time to go for kopi together b4 proceeding to the station...haha...the race organizer was frantically searching for us :P

Anyway, last thur was my b'day...got some of these interesting cards...actually one is a coaster :P


This is a coaster from michelle...cute heh :D


This is a card from my twin who's now in China...the messenger was supposed to pass me the card on 7 Dec..no earlier, no later..but she din...haha..I'm supposed to send the penguin of death after her :P


This isn't exactly a b'day present...just something my housemate saw when she was on holiday in Brisbane...hehe...sounds like me...except that this is a postcard for AIDS awareness :P

Eureka!!

After the 5th time...i think...trying to separate my cpd...i finally figured the 2 spots on my TLC is due to the 2 E/Z isomers of my compound!!

Well all this while the NMR and MS results seem to indicate that the cpd I wanted is in all fraction...but I thought it's just because the other cpd I can't identify has similar NMR spectra :P

Hmm...but I still can't figure out y the isomers of my cpd appears as 2 totally different spots on TLC..
...and still can't figure out why it can't be separated if they r 2 different spots...

Maybe my cpd isomerize in solution..so even though it was initially one isomer when it came out from the column...but by the time I spot it on TLC...it has become a racemic mixture??

Dunno lah...anyway, doesn't matter which isomer...it's just an intermediate (oxime) which will be converted into a non-chiral cpd (primary amine)...so who cares which isomer it is...
So I just wasted a lot of time...and plenty plenty solvent and columns...wahaha...

Time to move on :D