tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22867523412855117252024-03-09T03:18:02.855-05:00k.p.nookKonstantinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13098842723831842862noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2286752341285511725.post-76961610707013491352013-07-16T12:19:00.002-04:002013-07-16T12:19:17.915-04:00Variator Weights and CVT issues - Part II<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is an update of this post: <a href="http://www.palanski.com/2013/06/1986-yamaha-xc125-riva-variator-weights.html">1986 Yamaha XC125 Riva - Variator Weights and CVT issues</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So I took everything apart and found this: </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIeTIEzZNyjpCeGambRzNqJKHoNDT4gZuaMbvYQkoCmLyGUV-Hy78etyVjssdeoCl4_YUTr7bcjwlGGP8puTMiLO7qE3wAHG_e1DG7cyO-vYbtTt_KIEyWoblkNbm1x9pi3za5MrWpWow/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIeTIEzZNyjpCeGambRzNqJKHoNDT4gZuaMbvYQkoCmLyGUV-Hy78etyVjssdeoCl4_YUTr7bcjwlGGP8puTMiLO7qE3wAHG_e1DG7cyO-vYbtTt_KIEyWoblkNbm1x9pi3za5MrWpWow/s320/photo+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Notice the tear in the rubber: no good. Essentially, the primary sheave housing, which incorporates the weights I was hoping to replace, had burst at the seams. Taking it apart revealed that a few plastic sliders, which allow a plate to be pushed in and out by the weights inside the assembly, had burst into little pieces and torn the rubber seal. The seal is there because there is an unusually large amount of grease housed inside the sheave. Apparently, Yamaha is the only manufacturer that uses this type of 'wet' assembly, where all other manufacturers use a dry assembly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kahuna Powersports has recently decided to no longer be a Yamaha dealer, and so my neighbourhood parts supplier had suddenly become Snowcity Cycle Marine, which is much further away from me. Either way, I ordered my sliders from them, and the primary sheave cap was ordered from a kind gentleman (peteyb5) off of the Riva Riders forums. It was serendipitous, because we had been communicating regarding other parts, and he had listed off a few things that he had in stock, but I had no use for at the time. The light bulb went off in my head when I saw the torn sheave cap, and surely enough, he had mentioned that very part. He was kind of enough to sell and ship to me from the States at a considerable discount.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The grease that is packed into the sheave is something from Yamaha, known as Ultramatic grease. No one knows exactly what it is, but most people have good luck with other high-temp, waterproof greases. I opted for the Lucas X-tra Heavy Duty Grease, which met those requirements, for repacking.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I also received the Dayco 8231K belt, that I had measured out to be a particularly good fit my the Riva XC125 application.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm happy to say, that after receiving all the necessary parts, I've reassembled the scoot's variator with new weights, grease and cap, and then installed the new belt. The scooter is on its 350th kilometer right now with the new setup, and it's running great.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In all honesty, the top speed still isn't what it used to be, and I'll chock it up to engine wear at this point. When I have more leisure time on my hands (not to mention more disposable income), I'll keep the scoot alive by boring out the cylinder head and purchasing the OEM oversize piston and piston ring set. That'll liven everything up.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At this point, keeping the Riva alive has become a hobby on its own, and it's no longer about the necessity of transport. I want to keep her going, maybe to one day give it to my little sister.</span>Konstantinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13098842723831842862noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2286752341285511725.post-12323246910884335442013-06-28T14:21:00.000-04:002013-06-28T14:21:00.797-04:00crockTweet now also controls my 'Flower Pot Smoker' project.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/q0awgkfHI68?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.palanski.com/2013/01/crocktweet-programmable-arduino-powered.html">A few posts ago</a>, I described my attempt at building a PID controller for my Crock Pot to try my hand at Sous Vide cooking. It worked great, and in the process I made a PID controller that is an entirely separate unit and thus amenable to any later projects.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There's this excellent smoker on the market called the Big Green Egg, which is as expense as it is awesome. Its expense is enough for me to seek an alternative, which I found in Alton Brown's flower pot smoker, and some <a href="http://www.naffziger.net/blog/2008/07/05/the-alton-brown-flower-pot-smoker/">detailed instructions provided by another blogger</a>. Two large 16" pots, a single burner and a day later I came up with this:</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXCPpar-aysPu1PpNdqTA3rog2l_uQSG_InBDGqacLCLoSSIbySkNtE-zzEg7742iGRoMsQvRSh2B560HGMmt4dA4OI575x2pxsx856eK60u-9hTiz8u0vav0Zj1rrZQ47KHdoHPO5ozE/s1600/Photo+2013-05-12+10+10+30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXCPpar-aysPu1PpNdqTA3rog2l_uQSG_InBDGqacLCLoSSIbySkNtE-zzEg7742iGRoMsQvRSh2B560HGMmt4dA4OI575x2pxsx856eK60u-9hTiz8u0vav0Zj1rrZQ47KHdoHPO5ozE/s320/Photo+2013-05-12+10+10+30.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/8/KitchenBath/2/Appliances/SpecialtyAppliances/PRDOVR~0431200P/Salton+Single+Burner+Portable+Range.jsp?locale=en">Single Salton portable burner</a>, which I modified by<br />removing the hotplate and dremelling the outer perimeter<br />to fit the base of the pot.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh71oCe6s4B8VLNvyyDLgG6-3kKV-hPSGu89n84egIuufNf7OjI9sf3Uits6X71Xch6s9oFFasKETVCmq8aTdPZ2UuGeHCn-yfJEy_20QXQJ3UMIHaKTImGZhYKpjmQOnXKpMfzD-kHn4Q/s1600/Photo+2013-05-12+10+10+35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh71oCe6s4B8VLNvyyDLgG6-3kKV-hPSGu89n84egIuufNf7OjI9sf3Uits6X71Xch6s9oFFasKETVCmq8aTdPZ2UuGeHCn-yfJEy_20QXQJ3UMIHaKTImGZhYKpjmQOnXKpMfzD-kHn4Q/s320/Photo+2013-05-12+10+10+35.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The burner itself then fit nicely into the base of <br />the pot, which itself was seated into the burner's base.<br />A single bolt which held the burner in place was extended<br />to hold the whole thing together.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6z8RNr87NI0kFys2Z-V2DcVAXWwH-WKLp0rtMXuixiJDkITVkUMg5mCKHz3TZ9c6Bwtv5JcjMegng7mWj0JG7Um8I3NeTYIpx2uTju3I_LmPfgZnxevsFPS8zQaPMRlun4RMiSlfSaUk/s1600/Photo+2013-05-12+10+41+04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6z8RNr87NI0kFys2Z-V2DcVAXWwH-WKLp0rtMXuixiJDkITVkUMg5mCKHz3TZ9c6Bwtv5JcjMegng7mWj0JG7Um8I3NeTYIpx2uTju3I_LmPfgZnxevsFPS8zQaPMRlun4RMiSlfSaUk/s320/Photo+2013-05-12+10+41+04.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here are the holes I measured out and drilled in the pot to<br />accommodate the burner's leads. The entire assembly is otherwise<br />in tact and plugs directly into my crockTweet PID box,<br />seen here on the right.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdpHkE8l2ytlbs7BdJk92eLoJGs3TQ1dkM6HJRTmZMq4PoB728SF5aDiWZM_Ma_k1jn8oganTLilVYXEIb2MkKvraJ0_ROiPCnBev06wkt8mn39Cg9gAZi96Bz7j6vwk19MqlLIttfgyM/s1600/Photo+2013-05-12+12+04+05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdpHkE8l2ytlbs7BdJk92eLoJGs3TQ1dkM6HJRTmZMq4PoB728SF5aDiWZM_Ma_k1jn8oganTLilVYXEIb2MkKvraJ0_ROiPCnBev06wkt8mn39Cg9gAZi96Bz7j6vwk19MqlLIttfgyM/s320/Photo+2013-05-12+12+04+05.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is the whole thing assembled. The temperature<br />probe is inserted at the top, and measures the dome temperature.<br />crockTweet PID regulates the whole setup to reach and<br />maintain my preset temperature for the duration of the<br />time I set it for.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivkDUuHXTbjLFgtw5r7UEsYfACc-9e6R5jT55uJsMEKjmgesdwxMHUTjrltLfR21VYIUfXHtO_WjXhSBqDbsc_2emLjTcGWtACg9vHSahu1ceThxl9muUFDfZ4SoK4Mz1bflOETZsb0pM/s1600/Photo+2013-05-12+15+27+33.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivkDUuHXTbjLFgtw5r7UEsYfACc-9e6R5jT55uJsMEKjmgesdwxMHUTjrltLfR21VYIUfXHtO_WjXhSBqDbsc_2emLjTcGWtACg9vHSahu1ceThxl9muUFDfZ4SoK4Mz1bflOETZsb0pM/s320/Photo+2013-05-12+15+27+33.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smoked sausages!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7GRgDjp17Mkp7WIMFnwmIeltSzWWBCwaFWwgc1vgnMai-sBZ9PtFGo8MOletopjxPXXBDtOW-WpoUmpoKS3TUEzC1kGuFXOWh2n7juBjF7cgG0L4Yvmdq0V-zdVd2p0jtbiABiYreOvA/s1600/Photo+2013-05-18+11+07+59.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7GRgDjp17Mkp7WIMFnwmIeltSzWWBCwaFWwgc1vgnMai-sBZ9PtFGo8MOletopjxPXXBDtOW-WpoUmpoKS3TUEzC1kGuFXOWh2n7juBjF7cgG0L4Yvmdq0V-zdVd2p0jtbiABiYreOvA/s320/Photo+2013-05-18+11+07+59.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whole chicken before.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiofB-sFDXSdr_GCTZNvMHtgavF6MLgJtJ9Bx6sd3sqCcgSYVZt9EqKJHIFkEiTJzdNupCQpX97IvPQrfxCX-m_gb5NtzQ-fEAPuFpRUgrw0OBmiaduXsSd3ZHw6QhWQOEj8BQ6ZjstCWg/s1600/Photo+2013-05-18+17+53+23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiofB-sFDXSdr_GCTZNvMHtgavF6MLgJtJ9Bx6sd3sqCcgSYVZt9EqKJHIFkEiTJzdNupCQpX97IvPQrfxCX-m_gb5NtzQ-fEAPuFpRUgrw0OBmiaduXsSd3ZHw6QhWQOEj8BQ6ZjstCWg/s320/Photo+2013-05-18+17+53+23.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whole smoked chicken after.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Great success! The PID parameters needed to be tuned slightly to accommodate the new enclosure. Otherwise, everything was plug and play.</span>Konstantinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13098842723831842862noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2286752341285511725.post-7171162546401618232013-06-21T14:00:00.002-04:002013-06-21T14:00:59.331-04:001986 Yamaha XC125 Riva - Variator Weights and CVT issues<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So the little green scooter is starting to show its age. It's nearing 30 years old with ~35,000km on the road: a critical mileage where a lot of parts need to be attended to. I've noticed that although my acceleration has been steady, the top speed of my scoot has decreased drastically. In previous years, I was able to get up to 95kmph, but now I'm happy to see the speedometer creep past 79kmph.</span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A little research has shown that there are typically two culprits for this type of issue. Aside from regular engine wear, the scooter's continuously variable transmission has a few parts that require replacement to improve performance. A lot of how this nifty transmission system works can be found at this excellent forum post: "<a href="http://modernvespa.com/forum/wiki-cvt-principles-how-it-works-how-to-improve-it-">CVT Principles - How it works, how to improve it.</a>" </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Essentially the belt and variator weights need to be replaced. The principles of how they operate can be seen here:</span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/3yRskb0BYwE?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As the weights wear and are no longer their appropriate weight, they can't push the clutch housing to its highest position, therefore preventing the belt from reaching its highest gear and reaching its top speed. The belt itself is also worn enough that it can no longer achieve this.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Easy enough, replace the belt and the weights and we're all set, right? Except that the scooter is almost 30 years old. And as you can see on the <a href="http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/RivaRiders/">Riva Riders Yahoo Group</a>, there's a lot of discussion about the dwindling state of parts available for these great machines.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The weights in the XC125 from '86 to '01 measure 18x12mm and weigh 9.5grams. I found suitable aftermarket replacement at <a href="http://www.chinesemotorcyclepartsonline.co.uk/partno_RW147.php">Chinese Motorcycle Parts Online</a> (part RW147) where they carry 18x12mm 9gram weights. Slightly lighter weights will still sacrifice top speed for acceleration, but these will still substantially improve my top speed over the worn out weights I currently use. The weights are shipped from the UK, and I received them here in Canada within a week of ordering them. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A little bit of quality control shows that the weights are manufactured quite well, and they should fit the bill nicely. We would expect 6 x 9gram weights to weigh in at 54 grams. I used a sensitive scale and indeed: six of them weighed in at 54.0670 grams. The height tended to be slightly larger than 12mm and the width slightly less than 18mm, but we're talking 10ths of a mm here: not an issue.</span><div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAUdtFxSj_k_gDGdTk4JGxUGZDp2_6altBTSV-yyZxXKr_RoIyA9lbCBjEaPat_W-oYjp0J3T1OB1u0ExYku1s-iv5I-PuZ7DzOdZOrgx0n3TLAEUO0-nXGwzYE8W6e_V_0VWC2exKU8I/s1600/Photo+2013-06-21+13+21+28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAUdtFxSj_k_gDGdTk4JGxUGZDp2_6altBTSV-yyZxXKr_RoIyA9lbCBjEaPat_W-oYjp0J3T1OB1u0ExYku1s-iv5I-PuZ7DzOdZOrgx0n3TLAEUO0-nXGwzYE8W6e_V_0VWC2exKU8I/s320/Photo+2013-06-21+13+21+28.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The belt that I need to replace is a Yamaha part number 50W-17641-00-00. The OEM belts are available, but retail for $150 here in Canada from Yamaha dealers. Too much for a simple v-belt. There is an aftermarket supply for these belts through the Gates Worldwide, a belt manufacturer. They run the <a href="http://www.gates.com/europe/brochure.cfm?brochure=10458&location_id=14818">Gates' Boost Belt Programme</a> which lists part number 9802-21205 as the direct replacement for the Yamaha part number. It costs 20 Euro (~30CAD)! Gates hasn't been helpful when I called and emailed them numerous times to obtain more information and see if I can order it from them. I found a dealer in Madrid, Spain, who has been trying to sell me the belt, but requires me to wire him the money, something that costs as much as the shipping and part together. Other options are being pursued.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The other issue is that there are not standard belt measurements available for this part. Most of the measurements are hearsay and unconfirmed. The other issue is that aftermarket manufacturers who list sizes (length, width and angle of belt) tend to list these figures in a non-standardized way. It's not conducive to finding an appropriate replacement. The hearsay numbers for the Yamaha OEM belt floating around are that it is 940mmx19mmx9.5mm with a 28 degree V. Again, this is unconfirmed. Dayco in Australia produces belts that are of a similar size (part <a href="http://www.dayco.com.au/products.aspx?G=16002308&P=16028285">8231K</a>), but it is unknown if this actually fits, as it does not cross-reference with the Yamaha part number, but instead is listed for a SYM HD200. Dayco has been kind enough to offer sending me a sample so I may test it out. We'll see what happens.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Updates to come!</span></div>
Konstantinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13098842723831842862noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2286752341285511725.post-28232881233467154382013-01-25T14:49:00.001-05:002013-03-06T09:39:19.512-05:00@crockTweet: Programmable Arduino-Powered PID Sous Vide Slow Cooker<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i.imgur.com/f4acwI8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/f4acwI8.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I purchased a very simple slow cooker ($20 at duty free!) a few months ago, which has four settings: High, Low, Keep Warm, and Off.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Most dishes prepared in the slow cooker will cook from 4-8 hours, depending on the setting used. There are a few issues though:</span></div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There is no true control of the cooking temperature. </span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There is no automated way to switch from one setting to another (<i>e.g.</i> 8-hours of cooking on 'High' followed by 3-hours of 'Keep Warm').</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">A simple timer attached to the cooker's power plug would allow me to control the total cooking time, but not switch to a new setting, nor would it allow me to precisely control the temperature.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Some more advanced models of slow cookers allow for automated switching of settings, but have no way of notifying me of these things. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Enter Arduino: an electronics prototyping system that allows the user to interface with the real world through sensors and react to this information based on scenarios coded onto the board through a programming interface.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the case of the slow cooker, I wanted to use the Arduino to allow me to:</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Detect and control the temperature inside the slow cooker based on preset values.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Control the amount of time the slow cooker spends at a selected temperature.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Allow for a multi-step cooking (<i>e.g.</i> 8-hours of cooking on 'High', 4-hours of 'Low', 2-hours of 'Keep Warm').</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tweet the progress (<i>e.g.</i> When the a new process starts or finishes).</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I made a quick video of my progress as of last week:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/zJ5rcFs81HA?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I just finished coding everything, and I theoretically have the ability to do everything I want, except for Tweeting (still waiting for the network interface to arrive in the mail). The nice thing is that this system will work with any slow cooker, as it required no modification of the slow-cooker itself. I will be controlling its on/off state through a solid-state relay controlled by the Arduino, thereby controlling its temperature.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I will be testing everything out tomorrow morning.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here's my Arduino code:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><iframe src="http://pastebin.com/embed_iframe.php?i=a1EGKPtJ" style="border: none; height: 200px; width: 100%;"></iframe>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There is still tuning of the PID parameters to do once I hook everything up, but once that's done, I will post more.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Currently the list of items required for the project (aside from the slow cooker):</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Arduino UNO Board</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">LCD 20x2 Display</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">DS18B20 Temperature Sensor</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">20K POT</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">SPST Buttons</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Breadboard</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Assorted Resistors</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Assorted Wires</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Stay tuned!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Stuff to read about:</span></div>
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/2009/10/understanding-sous-vide-cooking-heston-blumenthal.html"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sous-Vide Cooking with Heston Blumenthal</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/03/how-to-sous-vide-steak.html"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sous-Vide 101: Prime Steak</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.arduino.cc/"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Arduino Microcontroller</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://auto.howstuffworks.com/cruise-control3.htm"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">PID Control of Cruise Control</span></a></li>
</ul>Konstantinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13098842723831842862noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2286752341285511725.post-19569853629290759922011-06-24T14:14:00.008-04:002011-06-24T14:38:53.430-04:00Letter of Intent for Master of Science in Cell Biology<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>I thought I would do a favour for any prospective graduate students who are looking for a guiding hand in writing their letter of intent, also known as a statement of interest. This letter got me into the graduate program of my dreams at a top university and a lot of effort was put into crafting it.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><b>This is not a generic letter, and likely not one that will be easily adapted to your own case.</b> It is very specific to my own program and background and, in the end, yours should be too.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></span></div><blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>It is with great pleasure that I submit my application for a position as a master’s student with the Department of [personal detail] at the University of [personal detail]. Having completed my undergraduate degree in honours biological sciences at the University of [personal detail], I now seek to gain a more thorough understanding of the skills and knowledge necessary to be successful in a research-oriented environment. Through my continued work with Dr. [personal detail], I am convinced that his guidance and support will ensure that I achieve these pursuits.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Graduate school became an earnest consideration after upper-level undergraduate courses ignited my curiosity in the dynamic area of systems biology. The appeal was born out of the discipline’s emphasis on integration of different scientific fields, with the express goal of understanding biological systems as more than the sum of individual parts. My undergraduate education has exposed me to the reductionist and static approach of understanding biological elements and processes; I now wish to understand how these parts work in concert as elements of a greater system.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I am primarily interested in applying the methods and techniques of biophysics and genetics to elucidate the relationship between sensory behavioural phenotype and genotype. My previous volunteer experience with the maintenance of Caenorhabditis stocks has shown me first-hand that these deceptively simple organisms have complex behavioural characteristics. My current work as a research assistant at Dr. [personal detail]'s laboratory involves the analysis of these behaviours through novel methods devised in-house at the instrumentation, imaging and analysis level. I have combined two passions in one place in this environment: my love of the study of nature at the biological level, and the innate inclination I have toward the technical. This research aims, generally, to answer questions about what it is, genetically and neurobiologically, that makes animals move and behave the way they do. This research is engaging, challenging and fulfilling to a degree previously unknown to me. I feel there is a great wealth of knowledge to be obtained from this fusion of technology and biology, and wish to be a part of the research that centers about it under the supervision of Dr. [personal detail].</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></span>Apart from my experiences at the [personal detail] Lab, my recent role as a lab technician at the University of [personal detail]'s [personal detail] Lab has underscored the versatility of the skills I have acquired thus far, and my propensity for acquiring new ones. In the [personal detail] Lab, I was responsible for the continued organization, recovery and systematic freezing of a large backlog of nematode strains, and for the optimization and troubleshooting of procedures associated with automated robotic equipment. These skills earned me the reference to Dr. [personal detail], who has since hired me. Additionally, my experience as a research assistant at the [personal detail], which involved using degraded DNA to construct phylogenetic trees of a model organism, made clear that my patience, tenacity and initiative are an excellent fit in the lab environment. I have also conducted research completely of my own design, at the organism level, by studying the behavioural effects of varying auditory stimuli on the Passer domesticus species. The stimuli were studied as they related to the birds’ feeding habits, with the guidance and final commendation of the ornithology department head, Dr. [personal detail]. These experiences, coupled with the upper-level courses I have taken, ultimately convinced me of my desire to pursue graduate studies to fulfill my interests in conducting novel research.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span> </span>Having now worked alongside graduate students in several laboratories, I am aware of the heavy workload and demanding schedule that graduate studies entail. As an undergraduate, I worked a job 25 hours a week while studying full time for my BSc degree, which has taught me the art of prioritizing my time; a skill that will no doubt help me face the rigours of graduate school. The reasoning abilities I have developed through my coursework—in particular the ability to think logically and critically fostered by my minor in philosophy—will also be an asset.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></span>I am convinced that the University of [personal detail] is the most appropriate venue for my studies, and that I can rise to meet the challenges that this will involve. I appreciate your consideration of my application, and I look forward to hearing back from you.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Best regards,</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Konstantine Palanski</span></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;"></div>Konstantinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13098842723831842862noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2286752341285511725.post-68097852394111411242010-07-12T22:12:00.003-04:002010-07-12T22:45:51.855-04:00Scooter Adventure — Part II<center><a href="http://s726.photobucket.com/albums/ww261/palanski/?action=view&current=Screenshot2010-07-12at102014PM.png" target="_blank"><img src="http://i726.photobucket.com/albums/ww261/palanski/Screenshot2010-07-12at102014PM.png" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></center><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">I'm alive! My GPS is to thank, along with my perseverance and notably hardened buttocks. To keep you guys from an onset of ennui, I'll limit this post to little detail. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">The entire trip, as per GPS, took 780km to complete. Here is a quick break down of expenses and mileage:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Gas: $25.14</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Food and beverages: $68.57</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Entertainment: $24.87</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Lodging: $101.92</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Mileage: 3.03L per 100km</span></li></ul><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Roughly, this is the route I took:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><center><iframe width="425" height="350" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=42+and+manning&daddr=Comber,+ON+to:Merlin,+ON+to:Rondeau+Provincial+Park,+RR+1,+Chatham-Kent,+Ontario+to:Fingal+Line%2FCounty+Road+16+to:Union+Rd%2FCounty+Road+20+to:Port+Burwell,+ON+to:Unknown+road+to:Port+Dover,+ON+to:Niagara+Falls,+ON+to:Niagara-on-the-Lake,+ON+to:Niagara+Falls,+ON+to:Hamilton,+ON+to:Burlington,+ON+to:Canada+(Steeles+Av+%2F+Dufferin+St)&hl=en&geocode=FakjhQIdz3wP-yk70FrDsdU6iDH1BWvJgKSmHw%3BFclphAIdRlgU-ynt3kgh47U6iDFdScbKWtuJyw%3BFb6LhAIdMjkZ-ymnvf1aZqo6iDEGbGgSWEleIA%3BFQxJhQIdB7Ye-ym3xqQqceAviDEdPkajjvPqiQ%3BFaaTigIdYl0m-w%3BFSRniwIdDLco-w%3BFcnDigIdi_4u-ylHXWjaAtgtiDFG87V3mWj3Hg%3BFaOyiQIdFI81-w%3BFdTfjAIdAjM4-ykRIwlzcVMsiDE-gZcbuC6FSw%3BFbdwkQId9g9J-ymFprwa6kPTiTGwH6TJKHsDBQ%3BFe4FlAIdTXZJ-ymxAhfZFF_TiTHAohF9VFEBdg%3B%3BFVPYkwIdTf08-ykhRTPVuoQsiDEhDt_YVu5qKw%3BFdxylQIdJH8--ym3k12W0mMriDFPVStMdidKpA%3BFdYknAIdLGND-yHBust2M7hB9g&mra=ls&via=4,5&dirflg=h&sll=42.99722,-80.962505&sspn=2.073102,4.553833&ie=UTF8&t=p&ll=43.325178,-80.947266&spn=2.797253,4.669189&z=7&output=embed"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=d&source=embed&saddr=42+and+manning&daddr=Comber,+ON+to:Merlin,+ON+to:Rondeau+Provincial+Park,+RR+1,+Chatham-Kent,+Ontario+to:Fingal+Line%2FCounty+Road+16+to:Union+Rd%2FCounty+Road+20+to:Port+Burwell,+ON+to:Unknown+road+to:Port+Dover,+ON+to:Niagara+Falls,+ON+to:Niagara-on-the-Lake,+ON+to:Niagara+Falls,+ON+to:Hamilton,+ON+to:Burlington,+ON+to:Canada+(Steeles+Av+%2F+Dufferin+St)&hl=en&geocode=FakjhQIdz3wP-yk70FrDsdU6iDH1BWvJgKSmHw%3BFclphAIdRlgU-ynt3kgh47U6iDFdScbKWtuJyw%3BFb6LhAIdMjkZ-ymnvf1aZqo6iDEGbGgSWEleIA%3BFQxJhQIdB7Ye-ym3xqQqceAviDEdPkajjvPqiQ%3BFaaTigIdYl0m-w%3BFSRniwIdDLco-w%3BFcnDigIdi_4u-ylHXWjaAtgtiDFG87V3mWj3Hg%3BFaOyiQIdFI81-w%3BFdTfjAIdAjM4-ykRIwlzcVMsiDE-gZcbuC6FSw%3BFbdwkQId9g9J-ymFprwa6kPTiTGwH6TJKHsDBQ%3BFe4FlAIdTXZJ-ymxAhfZFF_TiTHAohF9VFEBdg%3B%3BFVPYkwIdTf08-ykhRTPVuoQsiDEhDt_YVu5qKw%3BFdxylQIdJH8--ym3k12W0mMriDFPVStMdidKpA%3BFdYknAIdLGND-yHBust2M7hB9g&mra=ls&via=4,5&dirflg=h&sll=42.99722,-80.962505&sspn=2.073102,4.553833&ie=UTF8&t=p&ll=43.325178,-80.947266&spn=2.797253,4.669189&z=7" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left">View Larger Map</a></small></center><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">The path I took deviated substantially from my initial plans, mostly due to the fact that was I making such incredible time. Arrival and two hours worth of hiking at Rondeau Provincial Park spurred me to continue on my journey and find a better place to set up camp for the day. I was fortunate enough to end up in Long Point Provincial, which has to be among the top three parks I have visited in Ontario. Here's my beachfront camping site. I was in heaven.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><center><a href="http://s726.photobucket.com/albums/ww261/palanski/?action=view&current=125103379.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i726.photobucket.com/albums/ww261/palanski/125103379.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></center><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">An immense amount of pride went through me when I finally arrived in Toronto. The fact that the scooter performed without so much as a hiccup was the main source of this, since I rebuilt and repaired it myself from a non-running state a few years ago.</span></div><center><a href="http://s726.photobucket.com/albums/ww261/palanski/?action=view&current=Screenshot2010-07-12at103039PM.png" target="_blank"><img src="http://i726.photobucket.com/albums/ww261/palanski/Screenshot2010-07-12at103039PM.png" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></center><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">On a scooter, no less, I've discovered what the open road feels like.</span></div></div>Konstantinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13098842723831842862noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2286752341285511725.post-61845219396826574432010-07-02T22:42:00.006-04:002010-07-02T23:58:22.830-04:00Filling The Gaps: Scooter Adventure<center><a href="http://s726.photobucket.com/albums/ww261/palanski/?action=view&current=6a00d834517b5669e2010536fd33c4970c-.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i726.photobucket.com/albums/ww261/palanski/6a00d834517b5669e2010536fd33c4970c-.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></center><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Boy do I have a lot of gaps to fill. My absence (hiatus?) had good reason, but now I would like to share some of my adventures once more. It's been a whirlwind for the past half a year and my escapades continue. I'll start with the most pertinent and pressing thing in my life: my move to Toronto and my accompanying three day scooter trip.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">This seems like it will be a long and convoluted story, so I'll do my best to refrain from embellishment here. The main idea is that I have graduated from university, have decided that there are more opportunities for me back in my home city of Toronto and have already moved all of the belongings there. I am leaving my car behind in Windsor due to the fact that I will have a wonderful public transport system at my disposal, as well as my scooter. Hence, the scooter trip. And what</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana; "> a trip!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana; "><br /></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><center><iframe width="425" height="350" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Windsor,+Ontario&daddr=Rondeau+Provincial+Park,+RR+1,+Chatham-Kent,+Ontario+to:Fingal+Line%2FCounty+Road+16+to:Union+Rd%2FCounty+Road+20+to:Big+Creek+National+Wildlife+Area,+Norfolk,+Ontario+to:Concord,+Ontario&hl=en&geocode=%3BFXxKhQId0Lwe-ym3xqQqceAviDEdPkajjvPqiQ%3BFSN-igId-zQm-w%3BFRCYiwId9Xsn-w%3BFSDciQIdvyE0-yEEu28rjWFBUQ%3BFZNwnAId6mZD-yk7a59JKCwriDGM8dqL6KU6jw&mra=ls&via=2,3&dirflg=h&sll=42.932145,-81.223985&sspn=2.344652,4.938354&ie=UTF8&t=h&ll=42.932296,-81.221924&spn=2.815271,4.669189&z=7&output=embed"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=d&source=embed&saddr=Windsor,+Ontario&daddr=Rondeau+Provincial+Park,+RR+1,+Chatham-Kent,+Ontario+to:Fingal+Line%2FCounty+Road+16+to:Union+Rd%2FCounty+Road+20+to:Big+Creek+National+Wildlife+Area,+Norfolk,+Ontario+to:Concord,+Ontario&hl=en&geocode=%3BFXxKhQId0Lwe-ym3xqQqceAviDEdPkajjvPqiQ%3BFSN-igId-zQm-w%3BFRCYiwId9Xsn-w%3BFSDciQIdvyE0-yEEu28rjWFBUQ%3BFZNwnAId6mZD-yk7a59JKCwriDGM8dqL6KU6jw&mra=ls&via=2,3&dirflg=h&sll=42.932145,-81.223985&sspn=2.344652,4.938354&ie=UTF8&t=h&ll=42.932296,-81.221924&spn=2.815271,4.669189&z=7" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left">View Larger Map</a></small></center><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">My main stops will include <a href="http://www.rondeauprovincialpark.ca/index.html">Rondeau Provincial Park</a>, <a href="http://www.on.ec.gc.ca/wildlife/nwa/eng/bigcreek/bigcreek_htm-e.html">Big Creek National Wildlife Area</a> and Hamilton's scenic areas. I'm taking a few changes of clothes, DSLR camera, tripod, single-person tent and a few other supplies for the full trip. A little crazy, sure. But it'll make for a great story to tell my grandkids, no?</div></span></div>Konstantinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13098842723831842862noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2286752341285511725.post-17538833223884390322010-02-08T09:31:00.007-05:002010-02-08T13:21:22.334-05:00Life After Google and Wikipedia<center><a href="http://s726.photobucket.com/albums/ww261/palanski/?action=view&current=i_will_use_google_before_asking_dum.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i726.photobucket.com/albums/ww261/palanski/i_will_use_google_before_asking_dum.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></center><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">A life before Google and Wikipedia. Seems unimaginable doesn't it? I cannot count the amount of debates I have settled, the amount of questions I have answered and the amount of frustration I have avoided simply by having access to what I see as the accumulation of all human knowledge. And all of it at available my fingertips. The difference is, I know what is an acceptable source, while many don't (see Yahoo! Answers).</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Information used to be a difficult thing to access, almost prohibitively so—ask your parents. Not one generation ago, one would have to go comparatively great lengths to find out, well, anything. Small, limited, avenues of information were the source of knowledge. An educated person was thereby valued.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Nowadays, the task isn't so much about locating the information, as it is about sifting through it. There is so much of it out there, so much of it junk, that one can easily get lost in it. Be mislead. To understand what is an acceptable source falls on the shoulders of the reader, much as it has in the past with books, but to a much greater extent. <a href="http://austhink.com/critical/">Critical thinking skills</a> become infinitely more important. The value shouldn't lie just with the education person, but also with one who is able to understand what information is valid. One who is capable of sifting through the bullshit. This is becoming increasingly difficult to come by.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Our problem is that not enough people are employing these skills when they access the vast amount of information now available to them. They accept as truth the first thing they come across. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Dineen-Porter">David Dineen-Porter</a>, a fellow skeptic amongst other things, put it eloquently in a message to me, describing what he coins as "naive expertise." </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"></span></div><blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">It's the syndrome where people with access to cursory and superficial information, and without the expertise to analyze it properly, and then to place it in context of a much broader data set (which they have never accessed), believe themselves to be experts in that field. Reading a pamphlet doesn't make you an expert on vaccines. </span></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Such is the problem that we now have to deal with: everyone fancies themselves an expert.</span></div>Konstantinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13098842723831842862noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2286752341285511725.post-80258868759403507682010-01-26T10:05:00.004-05:002010-01-26T13:45:26.424-05:00CBC Test The Nation: IQ — Part VII<center><a href="http://s726.photobucket.com/albums/ww261/palanski/?action=view&current=y4ae.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i726.photobucket.com/albums/ww261/palanski/y4ae.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></center><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">So, for the preliminary roundup—the atheists came in third place! We were ahead of twins, believers and contact sports athletes, but behind nerds and politicians, sadly. However, one of our team members, Kevin Kindred, ended up being the highest scoring individual on the show. Kudos to the man!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The results were judged entirely by average IQ results, it seems. I am particularly interested to see if I can find the margin of error for each average in the raw data (if I can obtain it). The average results were close enough to each other that I am skeptical as to their statistical significance. If the margins of error between each group overlap, it is unlikely that there is any actual significant difference. Hopefully, I will get my hands on the raw data for the groups and run it through some tests. The strictly scientifically significant results may not by quite as sensational as those a television show would hope for and have thus been omitted. Averages look so much more exciting, for comparative reasons. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><center><a href="http://s726.photobucket.com/albums/ww261/palanski/?action=view&current=IMG_0626.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i726.photobucket.com/albums/ww261/palanski/IMG_0626.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a><a href="http://s726.photobucket.com/albums/ww261/palanski/?action=view&current=IMG_0636.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i726.photobucket.com/albums/ww261/palanski/IMG_0636.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a><a href="http://s726.photobucket.com/albums/ww261/palanski/?action=view&current=IMG_0633.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i726.photobucket.com/albums/ww261/palanski/IMG_0633.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a><a href="http://s726.photobucket.com/albums/ww261/palanski/?action=view&current=IMG_0628.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i726.photobucket.com/albums/ww261/palanski/IMG_0628.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></center></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Other than that, the evening was quite amazing. Before the show, the teams were seated at separate tables in the same large hall. During the three-hour wait time before the show, a few people from the atheist team, including myself, took the opportunity to walk around and introduce ourselves to the rest of the teams. The eclectic group of individuals was fascinating to talk to. Of note was Elizabeth May, leader of the Green Party, who quickly asserted her stance as a believer, but just as quickly made note of her daughter, who is an atheist. On the other end of the spectrum, one chat with a conservative politician ended up in a fiasco of sorts, which I was not a part of, but will link to later when I obtain Justin Trottier's take on it.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There are many Canada-wide results that I want to sift through and detail in a later post. If you would like to look through these results yourself, they are available <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/testthenation/episodes/iq/takethetest.php#results">here</a>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Again, I would like to express my gratitude to the CBC and Shannon McKinnon, the associate producer of the show, for the opportunity of being part of the team representing the atheists in Canada. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Here is the link to the full show for those of you who missed it:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/Shows/ID=1395163337">CBC Test the Nation: IQ — Watch The Full Episode</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></span>Konstantinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13098842723831842862noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2286752341285511725.post-64881181697857694392010-01-25T23:59:00.001-05:002010-01-26T00:34:34.801-05:00CBC Test The Nation: IQ — Part VI<center><a href="http://s726.photobucket.com/albums/ww261/palanski/?action=view&current=TestTheNationIQ.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i726.photobucket.com/albums/ww261/palanski/TestTheNationIQ.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></center><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">What an exciting show! I will detail a lot more about the experience tomorrow, but seeing as I have been busy with transporting myself to Windsor today, I am spent. Here is the link to the full show for those of you who missed it:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/Shows/ID=1395163337"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">CBC Test the Nation: IQ — Watch The Full Episode</span></a></div>Konstantinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13098842723831842862noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2286752341285511725.post-64337910201437873582010-01-23T16:12:00.002-05:002010-01-23T16:28:23.252-05:00CBC Test The Nation: IQ — Part V<img src="http://i726.photobucket.com/albums/ww261/palanski/Screenshot2010-01-18at31114PM.png" align="left" /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">F</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">or those of you who don't know, I will be on the team representing Canadian atheists <a href="http://tvguide.ca/Editor+Picks/Denette/Articles/100118_test_the_nation_DW.htm">tomorrow night at 8pm, on CBC Television</a>. The show is called <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/testthenation/episodes/iq/">Test The Nation: IQ</a>. I am arranging for the broadcast to be recorded so as to republish it somewhere online afterward. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">I am still unsure of what to expect, but at least I know this is legitimate, as I have been recorded as one of the <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/testthenation/episodes/iq/team_atheists.php">atheist team's official members</a> on the website. There are some very exciting people to meet come tomorrow (Marc Garneau, George Strombolopolous, Elizabeth May). Hopefully I will get a few autographs if the opportunity presents itself.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">I will do my best to tweet about the experience throughout tomorrow—follow along: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/palanski">twitter.com/palanski</a></span></div>Konstantinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13098842723831842862noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2286752341285511725.post-82426355460802114492010-01-18T14:28:00.003-05:002010-01-18T15:21:26.657-05:00CBC Test The Nation: IQ — Part IV<center><a href="http://s726.photobucket.com/albums/ww261/palanski/?action=view&current=Screenshot2010-01-18at31114PM.png" target="_blank"><img src="http://i726.photobucket.com/albums/ww261/palanski/Screenshot2010-01-18at31114PM.png" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></center><div><br /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Exciting stuff! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I have received what appears to be the final email from CBC detailing exactly what I am expected to do come Sunday afternoon and evening. Looks like the only thing I really have to worry about is doing my own makeup. As I have never put on any makeup, I think I will attend the live shoot au naturel and hope for the best. The only restrictions on clothing are no stripes, checkered patterns, white tops or tops with large logos. It seems that most of the show will be minimally interactive, but there is promise of the hosts chatting with members of the teams throughout.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I cannot wait for the weekend already.</div></span>Konstantinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13098842723831842862noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2286752341285511725.post-76093986269759566732010-01-08T08:23:00.006-05:002010-01-11T22:01:25.639-05:00CBC Test The Nation: IQ — Part II<center><img src="http://i726.photobucket.com/albums/ww261/palanski/TestTheNationIQCBC.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Although it seemed mostly official in an <a href="http://www.palanski.com/2009/12/cbc-test-nation-iq.html">earlier post</a> I made, it became entirely bona fide news yesterday: I will be part of a team representing Canadian atheists on <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/testthenation/episodes/iq/">CBC's Test the Nation IQ TV show</a>, which is <i>scheduled to air live on Sunday, January 24th, at 8pm.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Here is part of the final email that I received from the producer of the show.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; font-family:Tahoma;"><div></div><blockquote><div>Hello Atheists! </div><div> </div><div>Thanks so much for your patience - we have narrowed down the teams, and if you are on this email you are a part of the LIVE national broadcast of Test the Nation: IQ!</div><div> </div><div>The event takes place at the CBC studios on Sunday, January 24th. The show airs LIVE at 8pm, and we start bringing the teams earlier [than that].</div><div><br /></div><div>[..]</div><div> </div><div>I can't wait to meet you all!! You will be a tough team to beat, I think. Do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns you might have. </div><div> </div><div>Congrats on making it onto TTN:IQ!</div><div> </div><div>All the best,</div><div>Shannon</div></blockquote><div></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">I am excited not only for the television show itself, but to meet <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Stroumboulopoulos">George Stroumboulopoulos</a>, who will be a co-host of the show. Having had grown up watching him on MuchMusic as a VJ and the following him as he became a successful talk show host on 'The Hour', I feel I will be lucky to meet him.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Apart from all the niceties, there's already some interesting rivalry and stereotyping showing itself. Meet <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Trudeau">Justin Trudeau</a> and his response to one of the <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/testthenation/episodes/iq/team_politicians.php">questions asked of him</a> as a representative of the politicians:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;">6. Anything to say to the other teams?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I am a nerd, and an athlete, and a believer. So I can't trash talk my own kind, and I won't trash talk twins, because while I'm going after one, the other'll sneak up behind and smack me, and as for the atheists, well, they won't believe anything I have to say to them anyway, so what's the point?</div></blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Inanity and segregation apart, as the 'Opposition Critic for Youth and Multiculturalism', I would like to point out the following <a href="http://www2.macleans.ca/2009/04/07/teens-lose-faith-in-droves/">chart and news article</a>:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><center><a href="http://s726.photobucket.com/albums/ww261/palanski/?action=view&current=youth-chart2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i726.photobucket.com/albums/ww261/palanski/youth-chart2.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></center></div><div>Get your demographics straight, good sir—there's a good chance both of those twins are atheists, plotting to 'sneak up and smack you', <a href="http://www.palanski.com/2009/02/untapped-minority.html">even if they are not teenagers</a>. Oh wait, I even <a href="http://theengineer.livejournal.com/253846.html">found some atheist twins that will be on the show</a>. Yikes.</div></span></div>Konstantinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13098842723831842862noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2286752341285511725.post-76244814256018421292009-12-11T18:02:00.003-05:002010-01-11T10:51:19.143-05:00CBC Test The Nation: IQ<center><a href="http://s726.photobucket.com/albums/ww261/palanski/?action=view&current=TestTheNationIQCBC.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i726.photobucket.com/albums/ww261/palanski/TestTheNationIQCBC.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a></center><br /><div style="text-align: justify; font-family: verdana;">It seems to be official. I will be one of the representatives for Canadian atheists on January 24th of next year on a television show called CBC's Test the Nation: IQ. Here is the original call for casting and information about the upcoming show.<br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><blockquote>Hello - CBC is casting a team of Atheists for a live, national quiz show called 'Test the Nation'!<br /><br />Test the Nation is a live two-hour special that surveys six in-studio teams as well as viewers across the country. This year, we are bringing back the popular first season with another IQ test. For more information on the program, please go to www.cbc.ca/testthenation<br /><br />To start off, let me assure you that the individual IQ scores of participants writing the test will not be revealed - except that of the person with the highest IQ. Otherwise, we reveal only the average scores of general categories such as women vs. men, hair colour, and so on.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">There will be six teams of 30 people participating in studio and thousands of Canadians participating online. The idea is to test society’s preconceived notions of intelligence based on occupation or area of interest. In our original Test the Nation: IQ (which aired in 2007) we had an audience of 1.5 million viewers.</span><br /><br />In addition to a team of well-known federal and provincial Politicians, we are looking at testing Contact Sports athletes (do multiple concussions affect IQ), the "nerd" stereotype as a fun team (Star Trek fans, comic book fans), twins (do multiples have similar IQs) and whether being religious has any correlation to IQ. (some studies have found that people with higher IQs do not have any religious beliefs). <span style="font-weight: bold;">That would make our six teams the following - Politicians, Athletes, Twins, Nerds, Religious Leaders, and Atheists.</span><br /><br />It's going to be a great show, and team selection is generating lots of interest. Please let me know whether you would be interested and available to take part on Sunday, January 24 in our Toronto studio.<br /><br />Best Regards,<br /><br />Shannon McKinnon<br />Associate Producer,<br />Test the Nation: IQ<br />CBC</blockquote></div><blockquote></blockquote>Exciting, yes?<br /></div>Konstantinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13098842723831842862noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2286752341285511725.post-6403509279200381992009-10-05T15:26:00.007-04:002009-12-15T14:34:33.708-05:00Metabolism Mnemonics<center><a href="http://s726.photobucket.com/albums/ww261/palanski/?action=view&current=13_02_cell_metabolism.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i726.photobucket.com/albums/ww261/palanski/13_02_cell_metabolism.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a></center><p></p><br /><div style="text-align: justify;font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Currently, I am studying for two midterms, one of which is concerned with cellular metabolic pathways and their mechanisms. Glycolysis and the citric acid cycle (known also as the Kreb's cycle, the TCA cycle or the Szent-Györgyi-Krebs cycle) are of main concern at the moment. I thought I would publish the mnemonic devices I use to memorize these pathways and their associated enzymes here, both for my own future reference and the use of anyone who needs them:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:verdana;" >Glycolysis —</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Steps of glycolysis:</span><br /><blockquote style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">G</span>oodness <span style="font-weight: bold;">G</span>racious <span style="font-weight: bold;">F</span>ather <span style="font-weight: bold;">F</span>ranklin <span style="font-weight: bold;">D</span>id <span style="font-weight: bold;">G</span>o <span style="font-weight: bold;">B</span>y <span style="font-weight: bold;">P</span>icking <span style="font-weight: bold;">P</span>umpkins to <span style="font-weight: bold;">P</span>repare <span style="font-weight: bold;">P</span>ie</blockquote><span style="font-family:verdana;">Thus, the first emphasized letter of each of the above emphasized words relates to the following steps in glycolysis:</span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:verdana;" ><br /></span><blockquote style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">G</span>lucose<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">G</span>lucose-6-Phosphate<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">F</span>ructose-6-phosphate<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">F</span>ructose-1,6-biphosphate<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">D</span>ihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">G</span>lyceraldehyde-3-phosphate<br />1,3-<span style="font-weight: bold;">B</span>iphosphoglycerate<br />3-<span style="font-weight: bold;">P</span>hosphoglycerate<br />2-<span style="font-weight: bold;">P</span>hosphoglycerate<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">P</span>hosphoenolpyruvate<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">P</span>yruvate</blockquote><span style="font-family:verdana;">The enzymes involved in the above steps can be remembered with the following memory aid:</span><br /><blockquote style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">H</span>igh <span style="font-weight: bold;">P</span>rofile <span style="font-weight: bold;">P</span>eople <span style="font-weight: bold;">A</span>ct <span style="font-weight: bold;">T</span>oo <span style="font-weight: bold;">G</span>lamorous, <span style="font-weight: bold;">P</span>icture <span style="font-weight: bold;">P</span>osing <span style="font-weight: bold;">E</span>very <span style="font-weight: bold;">P</span>lace</blockquote><span style="font-family:verdana;">Again, the first emphasized letter of each of the above emphasized words relates to the following enzymes involved in the above steps in glycolysis:</span><br /><blockquote style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">H</span>exokinase<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">P</span>hosphofructo isomerase<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">P</span>hoshofructokinase<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">A</span>ldolase<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">T</span>riose phosphate isomerase<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">G</span>lyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">P</span>hosphoglycerokinase<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">P</span>hosphoglyceromutase<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">E</span>nolase<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">P</span>yruvate kinase</blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:verdana;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">Pyruvate Dehydrogenation Complex (PDC) —<br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-family:verdana;">Cofactors most important to the pyruvate dehydrogenation complex:</span><br /><blockquote style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">TLC</span>? <span style="font-weight: bold;">F</span>uck <span style="font-weight: bold;">N</span>o.</blockquote><span style="font-family:verdana;">This corresponds to:</span><blockquote style="font-family:verdana;">E1:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">T</span>PP<br /><br />E2:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">L</span>ipoic Acid<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">C</span>oenzyme A<br /><br />E3:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">F</span>AD<span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">N</span>AD+</blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:verdana;" >Citric Acid Cycle —</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Compounds involved in cycle:</span><br /><blockquote style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">O</span>ur <span style="font-weight: bold;">C</span>ity <span style="font-weight: bold;">I</span>s <span style="font-weight: bold;">K</span>ept <span style="font-weight: bold;">S</span>afe and <span style="font-weight: bold;">S</span>ound <span style="font-weight: bold;">F</span>rom <span style="font-weight: bold;">M</span>alace</blockquote><span style="font-family:verdana;">This corresponds to:</span><br /><blockquote style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">O</span>xalacetate<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">C</span>itrate<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">I</span>socitrate<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">A</span>lpha-ketoglutamate<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">S</span>uccinyl-coA<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">S</span>uccinate<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">F</span>umarate<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">M</span>alate</blockquote><span style="font-family:verdana;">Enzymes involved in cycle:</span><br /><blockquote style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">CAIK</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">S</span>ounds <span style="font-weight: bold;">S</span>o <span style="font-weight: bold;">F</span>ucking <span style="font-weight: bold;">M</span>int.<br /></blockquote><span style="font-family:verdana;">This corresponds to:</span><br /><blockquote style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">C</span>itrate synthase<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">A</span>conitase<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">I</span>so-citrate dehydrogenase<br />Alpha-<span style="font-weight: bold;">K</span>etoglutarate dehydrogenase<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">S</span>uccinyl-coA synthetase<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">S</span>uccinate dehydrogenase<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">F</span>umerase<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">M</span>alate dehydrogenase</blockquote><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Urea Cycle —<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"></span></span><span style="font-family:verdana;">Compounds involved in cycle:<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">O</span><span style="font-style: italic;">rdinary </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">C</span>areless <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">C</span><span style="font-style: italic;">rappers </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">A</span>re <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">A</span><span style="font-style: italic;">lso </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">F</span>rivolous <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">A</span><span style="font-style: italic;">bout </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">U</span>rination<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;">This corresponds to (indented steps are either requirements or products of that step):</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">O</span><span style="font-style: italic;">rnithine</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> C</span>arboamyl Phosphate<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">C</span><span style="font-style: italic;">itruline</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> A</span>spartate<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">A</span><span style="font-style: italic;">rgininosuccinate</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> F</span>umarate<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">A</span><span style="font-style: italic;">rginine</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> U</span>rea</blockquote><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span><span style="font-family:verdana;">Enzymes involved in cycle (OAAA are the enzymes responsible for the indented steps above):<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">C—OAAA</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">C</span>arboamyl phosphate synthase<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">O</span>rnithine transcarbamoxylase<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">A</span>rgininosuccinate synthase<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">A</span>rginininosuccinase<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">A</span>rginase</blockquote></span><span style="font-family:verdana;">Hope these come to good use.</span><br /></div>Konstantinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13098842723831842862noreply@blogger.com36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2286752341285511725.post-26810477786460159552009-09-26T03:00:00.001-04:002009-09-26T03:00:03.977-04:00Ecotoxicology Presentation<center><object width="320" height="265"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/5I1C6fsGCDU&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/5I1C6fsGCDU&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="320" height="265"></embed></object></center><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I know this may be incredibly boring, but I thought I would share the keynote presentation that I did yesterday for my ecotoxicology class at the university. I presented two papers that concentrated on the biomagnification, recycling and storage of persistent organic pollutants in organisms such as mysids and amphipods.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I was very excited to do the presentation, which lasted approximately thirty minutes. Unfortunately, there really isn't much to the above video without me narrating it, but I thought I would share anyway.</span></p>Konstantinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13098842723831842862noreply@blogger.com75tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2286752341285511725.post-58555367240269004092009-08-21T03:00:00.001-04:002009-08-21T03:00:04.394-04:00Why A Broken Heart Really Does Hurt<center><a href="http://s726.photobucket.com/albums/ww261/palanski/?action=view&current=breakingup.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i726.photobucket.com/albums/ww261/palanski/breakingup.jpg" border="0" alt="None" /></a></center><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">An <a href="http://in.news.yahoo.com/20/20090820/365/twl-a-broken-heart-really-does-hurt-stud.html">interesting article</a> to finish up science week on the nook. This one really won't need too much of an introduction as the title says it all—a broken heart really does physically hurt. Here is the full excerpt from the above-linked layman's version of the scientific paper:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"></span></div><blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Scientists have identified a genetic link between physical pain and social rejection, a finding that explains the common theory that being spurned or breaking up with a lover really "hurts". In a landmark research, psychologists at the University of California, Los Angeles, found that the human body has a gene which connects physical pain sensitivity with social pain sensitivity.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">The research, published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, backs the commonly held theory that rejection "hurts" by showing that a gene regulating the body''s most potent painkillers—mu-opioids—is involved in socially painful experiences too. "Individuals with the rare form of the pain gene, who were shown in previous work to be more sensitive to physical pain, also reported higher levels of rejection sensitivity and showed greater activity in social pain-related regions of the brain when they were excluded," said Prof Naomi Eisenberger, the study co-author.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">The study indicates that a variation in the mu-opioid receptor gene (OPRM1), often associated with physical pain, is related to how much social pain a person feels in response to social rejection, the Daily Telegraph reported. "These findings suggest that the feeling of being given the cold shoulder by a romantic interest or not being picked for a schoolyard game of basketball may arise from the same circuits," said co-author Baldwin Way.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">According to Prof Eisenberger, this overlap in the neurobiology of physical and social pain makes perfect sense.</span></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">When news like this comes out, I usually like to dig up the original scientific paper so I can study it more thoroughly. If one thing ever holds true, it is that the media does a terrible job of representing scientific findings in a large percentage of their published stories. On top of that, the media never make it easy to find the original article from which they cite their information—they instead leave puzzle pieces for you to fit together. Maybe I ask too much. Either way, after some searching, I found the original, which can be <a href="http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?ybmknavgonm">downloaded here</a>. The paper's abstract delves a little deeper into the mechanisms connecting emotional and physical pain associated with a broken heart:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><blockquote>Scientific understanding of social pain—the hurt feelings resulting from social rejection, separation, or loss—has been facilitated by the hypothesis that such feelings arise, in part, from some of the same neural and neurochemical systems that generate the unpleasant feelings resulting from physical pain. Accordingly, in animals, the painkiller morphine not only alleviates the distress of physical pain, but also the distress of social separation. Because morphine acts on the μ-opioid receptor, we examined whether variation in the μ-opioid receptor gene (OPRM1), as measured by the functional A118G polymorphism, was associated with individual differences in rejection sensitivity. Participants (n = 122) completed a self-report inventory of dispositional sensitivity to social rejection and a subsample (n = 31) completed a functional MRI session in which they were rejected from an online ball-tossing game played with two supposed others. The A118G polymorphism was associated with dispositional sensitivity to rejection in the entire sample and in the fMRI subsample. Consistent with these results, G allele carriers showed greater reactivity to social rejection in neural regions previously shown to be involved in processing social pain as well as the unpleasantness of physical pain, particularly the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) and anterior insula. Furthermore, dACC activity mediated the relationship between the A118G polymorphism and dispositional sensitivity to rejection, suggesting that this is a critical site for μ-opioid-related influence on social pain. Taken together, these data suggest that the A118G polymorphism specifically, and the μ-opioid receptor more generally, are involved in social pain in addition to physical pain.</blockquote></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">In order to practise what I preach, here is the citation:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><blockquote>Way, Baldwin M., Shelley E. Taylor, and Naomi I. Eisenberger. "Variation in the μ-opioid receptor gene (OPRM1) is associated with dispositional and neural sensitivity to social rejection." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (August 2009).</blockquote></span></div>Konstantinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13098842723831842862noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2286752341285511725.post-65809556352015164112009-06-27T03:00:00.003-04:002009-07-11T14:11:50.980-04:00Leamington Triathlon - Part VI<center><a href="http://s726.photobucket.com/albums/ww261/palanski/?action=view&current=LeamingtonTriathlon.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i726.photobucket.com/albums/ww261/palanski/LeamingtonTriathlon.jpg" border="0" alt="None" /></a></center><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">The <a href="http://homepage.mac.com/ben.balkwill/ltw_pastresults/2009/tomatomanT.htm">official results</a> are in. Again, the triathlon consisted of a 750m swim, 30km bike ride and a 5km run, done consecutively.</span></p><p></p><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Overall Place - 76/76</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Bib - 187 </span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Name - Konstantine Palanski</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Total Time - 1:52:14 </span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Class Placing - TM20-24 5/5</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Swim Place - 76/76</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Swim Time - 37:08</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Pace/100m - 4:57</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Bike Place - 67/76</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Bike Time - 48:20</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Average Speed - 24.8 km/h</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Run Place - 48/76 </span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Run Time - 26:46 </span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Pace/km - 5:22</span></li></ul><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">As is quite obvious, the swimming winded me. However, by the time I was biking and running, I was back up at a competitive level. Swimming lessons, here I come.</span></div><p></p>Konstantinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13098842723831842862noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2286752341285511725.post-82148208321688920052009-06-21T12:00:00.000-04:002009-06-22T04:17:01.932-04:00Leamington Triathlon - Part V<center><a href="http://s726.photobucket.com/albums/ww261/palanski/?action=view&current=LeamingtonTriathlon.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i726.photobucket.com/albums/ww261/palanski/LeamingtonTriathlon.jpg" border="0" alt="None" /></a></center><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Die I did not! For the first time in my life I can honestly say that I am happy about coming in last place, approximately 52 minutes behind the top finisher, who completed the triathlon in just under one hour.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana, -webkit-fantasy;">As expected, the swim portion (750m) was what slowed me down. Apart from being underprepared for that portion of the triathlon, the open water at Leamington harbour (murky, seaweed ridden, unfamiliar) did not do much in the way of facilitating an easy swim. Excuses aside, I concede to needing swimming lessons; I am a weak swimmer at this point, but I know that I can improve vastly given the right training. I will be looking into them soon, as I wish to participate in the next Windsor-area triathlon, taking place in late August. The biking and running portions were a piece of cake, especially with the short distances involved (30km bike, 5km run) and I enjoyed them to a much larger degree.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana, -webkit-fantasy;">Overall the experience was priceless and I can honestly say that I am proud of myself for not giving up, even when given ample opportunity to do so. I cannot wait to try my hand at another one of these events, especially when I know there is so much room for improvement.</span></p>Konstantinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13098842723831842862noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2286752341285511725.post-57759627734649895302009-06-20T03:00:00.000-04:002009-06-20T11:56:37.842-04:00Leamington Triathlon - Part IV<center><a href="http://s726.photobucket.com/albums/ww261/palanski/?action=view&current=LeamingtonTriathlon.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i726.photobucket.com/albums/ww261/palanski/LeamingtonTriathlon.jpg" border="0" alt="None" /></a></center><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">The <a href="http://www.palanski.com/search/label/Leamington%20Sprint%20Triathlon">Leamington Spring Triathlon</a> is tomorrow and there's no two ways around it; there is a good chance I may die tomorrow during the swim portion of the triathlon. I feel remarkably unprepared for swimming 750m and have been caught off guard by this, considering the generally good shape I am in and the training I have been doing. I did not consider the time scale since the <a href="http://www.palanski.com/search/label/Bike%20Trek%202009">Bike Trek</a>, thinking a month would be enough time to train, or the necessary inclusion of a swim coach. Lessons learned for next time! The good thing is that I have whet my appetite for swimming, a sport that I will undoubtedly be pursuing in my attempt to lead a fit lifestyle. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">I am still looking forward greatly to tomorrows event and will do my best. Finishing somewhere in the middle of the pack is the goal at this point, winning is not. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Wish me luck!</span></p>Konstantinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13098842723831842862noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2286752341285511725.post-48411546133914918102009-06-13T03:00:00.001-04:002009-06-13T11:55:18.914-04:00Leamington Triathlon - Part III<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:-webkit-monospace;font-size:13px;"><center><a href="http://s726.photobucket.com/albums/ww261/palanski/?action=view&current=LeamingtonTriathlon.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i726.photobucket.com/albums/ww261/palanski/LeamingtonTriathlon.jpg" border="0" alt="None" /></a></center></span><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">A continued update to the <a href="http://www.tomatoman.org/">Leamington Sprint Triathlon</a> in which <a href="http://www.palanski.com/search/label/Leamington%20Sprint%20Triathlon">I am participating</a>. Just over one week to go! Training is going well, although I definitely underestimated the importance of being prepared for the swimming aspect of the triathlon. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">I always knew how fit one had to be to swim, but I have gained a new level of respect for the individuals who practise swimming as a regular sport. It is one of the most taxing forms of exercise that I have ever encountered. I hope to continue swimming regularly after this event as I can hardly remember a time where my body hurt more then after 25 laps in a 75ft pool.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">More to come.</span></p>Konstantinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13098842723831842862noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2286752341285511725.post-28161316820859765542009-06-06T09:54:00.002-04:002009-06-06T10:02:29.161-04:00Leamington Triathlon - Part II<center><a href="http://s726.photobucket.com/albums/ww261/palanski/?action=view&current=LeamingtonTriathlon.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i726.photobucket.com/albums/ww261/palanski/LeamingtonTriathlon.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></center><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Training has officially commenced as of last weekend. The main thing that concerns me is the swimming portion of the event with a rather short, but nonetheless looming, 750 meter swim in Leamington Harbour:</span></p><center><iframe width="300" height="300" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=106091311379576728302.00044ecd43a0b04bfcc36&source=embed&ll=42.027555,-82.599185&spn=0.004782,0.006437&z=16&output=embed"></iframe><br /><small>View <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=106091311379576728302.00044ecd43a0b04bfcc36&source=embed&ll=42.027555,-82.599185&spn=0.004782,0.006437&z=16" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left">Leamington Tomatoman Tri/Du - Swim</a> in a larger map</small></center><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">I have access to the University swimming pool on most days, which has a 22 meter length and allows for a good technique to be ironed out for the big swim. I have to swim what amounts to 35 laps in the swimming pool to without rest to consider myself even remotely ready for the actual event; so far I can do approximately 15. I consider myself to have very good cardiovascular endurance, but after swimming a few laps in the pool, it is easy to understand why technique is just as important as physique. Breathing is of paramount importance.</span></p>Konstantinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13098842723831842862noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2286752341285511725.post-33331005821996460042009-05-31T03:00:00.002-04:002009-06-01T21:20:16.871-04:00Leamington Triathlon<center><a href="http://s726.photobucket.com/albums/ww261/palanski/?action=view&current=LeamingtonTriathlon.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i726.photobucket.com/albums/ww261/palanski/LeamingtonTriathlon.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></center><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">So that whole <a href="http://www.palanski.com/search/label/Bike%20Trek%202009">BikeTREK</a> thing? It really got me liking the idea of having to train for something. This is the reason why I just registered for the <a href="http://www.tomatoman.org/">Leamington sprint triathlon</a> that is approximately 3 weeks away.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">The triathlon is of the sprint subdivision and includes a 750 meter swim, 20 kilometer bike ride and 5 kilometer run. The only part that worries me is the 750 meter swim for which I will have to train like mad. Fresh from the 200km bike trek, I am ready to face this challenge head on.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">All these events are stepping stones to an eventual life's goal of running a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marathon">marathon</a> and completing an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triathlon#Ironman">Ironman triathlon</a>. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">More updates to come.</span></p>Konstantinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13098842723831842862noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2286752341285511725.post-58069072579243562612009-05-30T03:00:00.000-04:002009-05-30T03:00:11.289-04:00OLA Bike Trek 2009 - Part X - The Recap<center><a href="http://s726.photobucket.com/albums/ww261/palanski/?action=view&current=IMG_2566.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i726.photobucket.com/albums/ww261/palanski/IMG_2566.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></center><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;">Fresh after finishing the last 105 km leg of the 200+ km trek, the picture above is one in which I am extremely satisfied. Last weekend's ride was nothing short of spectacular in every sense of the word and I could not be any more content for being a part of this event. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;">The first day was slightly disgruntling for me as I did an extra 17.2 km of riding due to a blown over directional sign that I did not see. This landed me in 17th place out of 55 participants with a total distance of 112.2 km, a moving average of 27.8 km/h, a fastest speed of 39.9 km/h and a total time of 4:22 (including all rest stops). The detour on the first day was not a fun one as I had missed a particularly important turn entirely and had to complete a gigantic horseshoe shaped ride, half of which was on loose gravel, in order to go back to the proper path. Although disappointing for a few moments, I did not dwell on this mistake. The most interesting part of the trek happened within 2 km of the finish line on the first day, where my rear tire went flat. I picked up my bicycle and ended up running approximately 500 meters with it hoisted over my head and then then remaining 1.5 km with it at my side. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;">Although a much tougher ride due to wind and rain, the second day's trek was far more enjoyable. I finished 7th out of 55 participants, coming in 10 minutes behind the lead pack of road bicycles; I have to restate that I was riding a mountain bicycle with road slicks and no foot locking pedals. My GPS' battery had died in the middle of the second day's trek, so I could not collect exact data on the 105 km ride as I did with the previous day.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;">What a weekend. A special thanks to Joe Stonehouse who ended up being my road buddy for most of the trip and a very good one at that.</span></p>Konstantinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13098842723831842862noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2286752341285511725.post-11902290501645679182009-05-24T22:55:00.003-04:002009-05-24T23:09:18.593-04:00OLA Bike Trek 2009 - Part IX - The Sponsors<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-family:Georgia;"><center><a href="http://s726.photobucket.com/albums/ww261/palanski/?action=view&current=The-Ontario-Lung-Association-Logo.gif" target="_blank"><img src="http://i726.photobucket.com/albums/ww261/palanski/The-Ontario-Lung-Association-Logo.gif" border="0" alt="PB" /></a></center></span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">I am all finished with the Bike Trek! However, I am generally a bit exhausted after doing the 229km and then going to play ultimate frisbee soon after, just to finish myself off. I will give an entire summary of the events of the weekend soon. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Right now I would like to give a huge thank you to all the people who have supported me in the pledging process, many thanks go out to all these individuals. The Bike Trek could not have happened without them:</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"> </span><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="269" style="text-align: left;border-collapse: collapse; "> <!--StartFragment--> <col width="180" style="mso-width-source:userset;mso-width-alt:6582"> <col width="89" style="mso-width-source:userset;mso-width-alt:3254"> <tbody><tr height="13"> <td height="13" width="180"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">A. Lic</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">restan</span></td> <td class="xl24" align="right" width="89" num="10.0"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">$10.00 </span></td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Anony mous</span></td> <td class="xl24" align="right" num="5.0"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">$5.00 </span></td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Anony mous</span></td> <td class="xl24" align="right" num="6.0"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">$6.00 </span></td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Anony mous</span></td> <td class="xl24" align="right" num="7.0"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">$7.00 </span></td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Anony mous</span></td> <td class="xl24" align="right" num="9.0"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">$9.00 </span></td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Bob Young</span></td> <td class="xl24" align="right" num="5.0"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">$5.00 </span></td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Dan Daily</span></td> <td class="xl24" align="right" num="10.0"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">$10.00 </span></td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Deanne Nguyen</span></td> <td class="xl24" align="right" num="1.0"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">$1.00 </span></td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Ed Brown</span></td> <td class="xl24" align="right" num="5.0"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">$5.00 </span></td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Eleanor Price</span></td> <td class="xl24" align="right" num="10.0"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">$10.00 </span></td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">faisal khan</span></td> <td class="xl24" align="right" num="20.0"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">$20.00 </span></td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">G. St. Pierre</span></td> <td class="xl24" align="right" num="10.0"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">$10.00 </span></td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Gary Clement</span></td> <td class="xl24" align="right" num="5.0"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">$5.00 </span></td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Gerald Leboeuf</span></td> <td class="xl24" align="right" num="10.0"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">$10.00 </span></td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Gordon Wilson</span></td> <td class="xl24" align="right" num="20.0"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">$20.00 </span></td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Ian Philips</span></td> <td class="xl24" align="right" num="2.0"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">$2.00 </span></td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Inam Mansour</span></td> <td class="xl24" align="right" num="25.0"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">$25.00 </span></td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Jackie O'Rourke</span></td> <td class="xl24" align="right" num="8.5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">$8.50 </span></td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Jeff Frey</span></td> <td class="xl24" align="right" num="20.0"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">$20.00 </span></td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Jenna Herdman</span></td> <td class="xl24" align="right" num="40.0"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">$40.00 </span></td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Joanne Janisse</span></td> <td class="xl24" align="right" num="10.0"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">$10.00 </span></td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Lorraine and Roger Godin</span></td> <td class="xl24" align="right" num="20.0"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">$20.00 </span></td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Martlee Gignac</span></td> <td class="xl24" align="right" num="5.0"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">$5.00 </span></td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Mrs. Dupuis</span></td> <td class="xl24" align="right" num="10.0"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">$10.00 </span></td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Orion Slave Association - Windsor Chapter</span></td> <td class="xl24" align="right" num="22.74"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">$22.74 </span></td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Pauline Mellin</span></td> <td class="xl24" align="right" num="5.0"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">$5.00 </span></td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Remo Floreani</span></td> <td class="xl24" align="right" num="10.0"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">$10.00 </span></td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Ron Lecrie</span></td> <td class="xl24" align="right" num="10.0"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">$10.00 </span></td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Sam Pasternak</span></td> <td class="xl24" align="right" num="10.0"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">$10.00 </span></td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Sarah Gifford</span></td> <td class="xl24" align="right" num="5.0"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">$5.00 </span></td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Saul Nosanchuk</span></td> <td class="xl24" align="right" num="25.0"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">$25.00 </span></td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Syed Hussain</span></td> <td class="xl24" align="right" num="20.0"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">$20.00 </span></td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Timmone Dongen</span></td> <td class="xl24" align="right" num="5.0"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">$5.00 </span></td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Umair Alvi</span></td> <td class="xl24" align="right" num="20.0"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">$20.00 </span></td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Valentina and Iouri Balioura</span></td> <td class="xl24" align="right" num="20.0"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">$20.00 </span></td> </tr> <!--EndFragment--> </tbody></table> </span></div>Konstantinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13098842723831842862noreply@blogger.com2