text:
The Story Behind Our Podcast
About Our Show
One fateful afternoon in 2019, Maddy and Zenon, classmates and co-research assistants at the time, were scheduling participants when Maddy said, "What if there was a podcast that interviewed a psychologist from each division of the APA?" To which Zenon replied, "Well, I actually do some sound engineering in my free time." Thus, Pre-Occupied was born. It started with interviews with our favorite professors, who recommended their friends, who recommended their friends. Now, Pre-Occupied has interviewed people from San José to Detroit to Cambridge, sharing insight, stories, and lessons with an audience of over two thousand.
Maddy and Zenon outside of the Rackham Graduate School on the U of M-Ann Arbor campus
Maddy Paxson
Host/Co-Producer
Maddy is a senior at the University of Michigan pursuing a B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Quantitative Methods in Social Sciences. Behind the scenes, Maddy authors questions and introductions with Zenon, coordinates interviews, maintains the website, and designs social media content and advertising. This summer, Maddy is interning with the Moral Psychology Research Lab at Harvard University. During the school year, Maddy works as a Peer Facilitator for the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program, interns with the University Center for Child and Family, and cultivates her honors thesis with the White Allyship Lab and the Personality, Relationships, and Hormones Lab. In her free time, she is probably eating ice cream or taking long walks with people she cares about.
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Zenon Sommers
Zenon is a senior at the University of Michigan-Dearborn pursuing a B.A. in Psychology and a B.S. in Behavioral and Biological Sciences with minors in German, Women's & Gender Studies, and Sociology, and certificates in LGBTQ Studies and Professional Language & Cross-Cultural Competency. Behind the scenes, Zenon authors questions and introductions with Maddy, records and edits episodes, and handles website design and maintenance. In his free time, Zenon develops research projects, works as a Supplemental Instruction Leader, tutors other college students, leads UM-Dearborn's German club, and serves as the Treasurer for Ratio Christi at UM-Dearborn.
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About Pre-Occupied
Maddy and Zenon, two hopelessly lost psychology majors, take listeners on a tour of the many fields of psychology through history, landmark experiments, pop culture, and interviews with experts in their fields. Whether you're curious about psychology as a career or just want to learn something new about the study of the mind, Pre-Occupied investigates the many disciplines of psych in an accessible, laid-back, and thought-provoking way. And maybe somewhere along the way, Maddy and Zenon will figure out what to do with their degrees!
Copyright 2021 - Madeline Paxson & Zenon Sommers


Well, its official. Shitsville is gone forever. In a bizarre incident worthy of the X-Files, the entire 24 square foot town was ripped from the earth and carried away by giants!
History of Shitsville, the old N-Scale layout. This 4' x 6' layout was built with Atlas Code 80 rail and was powered by 2 MRC DC power packs.
I like to operate different Rail Roads and rail equipment from the Steam era to present time. For this reason, there is no "official" era or location for the layout. However, it's buildings and scenery could represent any small town in New England from 1940 to 1990. The primary Rail Roads that operate in Shitsville are Providence & Worcester, CSX, Norfolk Southern and Conrail. New Haven, Guilford, Norfolk & Western, Louisville & Nashville and a few others make an occasional appearance as run through or lease power. Shitsville is often visited by special "East Coast" runs the Super Chief or the California Zephyr. On occasion, New Haven, Baltimore & Ohio or Erie steam engines can be seen hauling freight through Shitsville.


text:
Q: Azure Service Fabric in Visual Studio - hresult : 0x80131500 I'm currently trying to work on Azure Service Fabric in Visual Studio 2015 but I have a general exception (hresult : 0x80131500) when i create a new service fabric project.
For example, I got this error when i create a stateless service project, or anything else coming from service fabric... Can't post screenshots of the process for now... Thing is that when I installed service fabric packages, there were errors (already installed package but not, couldn't access the package)...
Spent hours trying to resolve this problem, I tried to uninstall everything, to change from a version to another, I searched a lot for an answer but not found.
Maybe I didn't understand what is happening there, and maybe someone could help me !
Service Fabric Tools: 1.4
Visual Studio: 14.0.25431.01 Update 3
.NET framework: 4.6.1

UPDATE
Thank you everyone, Microsoft updated their packages, it seems that it was coming from them, i tried to reinstall packages again and it works now !
I don't know how this post can be marked as resolved, if someone could do it, it would be great !

A: I was able to repro this when the 3.5 .NET Framework was missing.   Specifically project creation is looking for targets files under the C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727 folder triggering the exception.  Need to investigate why the tooling has a dependency on the older .NEt framework.
For now to try to fix the issue, can you enable the .NET Framework 3.5 (includes .NET 2.0 and 3.0) feature in "Control-Panel->Programs and Features-> Turn Windows features on or off" and see if it also resolves the issue for you.

A: Microsoft updated their packages, it seems that it was coming from them, i tried to reinstall packages again and it works now !

*

*Launch Web Platform Installer (type it in Windows run menu).

*Select Microsoft Service Fabric package.

*Install it, or update it.

*Should work.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


These are usually labelled as such because they are lacking quite a bit of depth. If they were in a play or movie, they would have a few lines: In Seinfeld (wow I'm really sounding old with my references but I loved this show for exploring character and plot), In Seinfeld, when Kramer is rehearsing his role "These pretzels are making me thirsty" he was rehearsing for a 1D character. Another way to identify 1D characters is to rent some classic horror flicks and watch the first few characters that get offed. They are always the one dimensional ones.
More often than not, 2D characters are lacking the ability to change or grow throughout the story. This is why it is not the norm for the main character in your story to be 2D, as the story–the challenges, the journey, and the tensions they face–inevitably lead the character to change and grow in a way that they can never go back to who they were at the beginning.
The Writers Helpers http://ow.ly/WjLyi "What does it mean for a character to be "one-dimensional" or two-dimensional..."


Page loading speed can be greatly improved by scaling the images on the server side.
You can resize the image while maintaining the same aspect ratio. The width by height of the resized image can not exceed 2 million pixels.
The quality of the image, quality can be a number between 1..100, the default is 100.
Supports only 256 colours and no translucency.
The maximum width of the image, in pixels.
The maximum height of the image, in pixels.
Server-side image resizing provides incredible ROI. It can save web masters several hours each day, and gives you the ability to change the resolution of an image without having to hunt up the original.


text:
The Paul Le Guen Disaster
After signs that supporter unrest was turning on Murray, on 9 February 2006, two days before the crucial Old Firm match, it was announced that Alex McLeish would leave his position as manager at the end of the 2005-06 season, and on 11 March, it was confirmed that former Lyon manager Paul Le Guen would indeed succeed him at the end of the season.
Murray predicted a fruitful reign under Le Guen, describing his capture as "a massive moonbeam of success" for the club and promising, "we've got big plans." He announced that the Frenchman would be given significant funds with which to strengthen the squad, with Rangers having announced an arrangement with sports retailer JJB Sports.
Known for unearthing and nurturing young talent, Le Guen made an immediate splash in the transfer market signing South African Under 19 player Dean Furman from Chelsea, and youngsters William Stanger and Antoine Ponroy from Rennes. While allowing Ibrox favourite Alex Rae to move to a new career as player-manager of Dundee, he has also signed Libor Sionko and Karl Svensson. Rangers had been strongly linked with a host of other players and signed midfielder Jeremy Clement from Lyon and goalkeeper Lionel Letizi from Paris St Germain as a replacement for the departing Ronald Waterreus. Senegal's World Cup 2002 midfield player Makhtar N'Diaye signed a one year contract after a short trial period with the club
Rangers' first match under Le Guen was a friendly against Irish Premier League champions Linfield on 6 July 2006 at Windsor Park, Belfast. Rangers won 2-0 with first half goals from Kris Boyd and Thomas Buffel. The squad flew out to South Africa on July 9 for a training camp where they played three matches, the first of which was a comfortable 4-0 win over local opposition with Charlie Adam netting a hat-trick. Rangers also defeated Jomo Cosmos 2-0 but, with a largely depleted starting line-up, they lost their final match 2-0 against Premier Soccer League champions Mamelodi Sundowns. Defender Fernando Ricksen did not take any part in the pre-season tour of South Africa due to what was described by the club as "unacceptable behaviour" on the flight to Johannesburg. Rangers returned to face English Premier League sides Middlesbrough and Bolton Wanderers where they won 1-0 and drew 1-1 respectively. The SPL opening day on July 30 proved fruitful for Paul Le Guen and Rangers as they defeated Motherwell 2-1 at Fir Park, thanks to an early strike from Libor Sionko and the winning header from Dado Prso. In Le Guen's first competitive game at Ibrox, Rangers were held to a 2-2 draw by Dundee United, and were forced to come back from 2 goals down.
On August 9, Fernando Ricksen went to Russian Premier League club Zenit St Petersburg, the new club of ex-Rangers manager Dick Advocaat, on a season-long loan. In return, a friendly was scheduled between the teams at Ibrox on August 23. On August 11 Rangers signed Manchester United's 19 year old winger Lee R. Martin on loan for a season. Rangers also recruited the services of Austrian Vienna defender Saša Papac while Marvin Andrews, Olivier Bernard, Robert Malcolm and Hamed Namouchi all departed.
By mid November, Rangers found themselves in third place, a full 15 points behind leaders Celtic. Sporadic wins were mixed with regular dropped points as the team struggled to find consistency in the early part of the season. Rangers did, however, start promisingly in the UEFA Cup, going on to become the first Scottish club to qualify from the UEFA Cup group stage in its three year history. Domestic results and performances, however, continued to be inconsistent and in January 2006, Le Guen controversially stripped midfielder Barry Ferguson of the captaincy.
On January 4 2007 Paul Le Guen left Rangers by mutual consent. This made him the club's shortest-serving manager, and the only one to leave the club without completing a full season in charge.
> Walter Smith Returns

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Put A Little Umbrella In Your Drink: MySavings.com :: Great Resource For FREE Samples, Grocery Coupons and More!
MySavings.com :: Great Resource For FREE Samples, Grocery Coupons and More!
MySavings.com is a great website for FREE stuff! I just love finding opportunities for Free Samples and Grocery Coupons!
Right now there are FREE Sample offers for Chick-Fil-A, Suave and Target!
You can also find Grocery Coupons for some of my favorite items like Dasani Water and Planter's Cashews.
MySavings.com is an easy to use site for the best printable coupons, grocery coupons, online coupons, free samples, freebies, and deals available.


Please submit your paper or extended abstract by November 15th 30th, 2018 via conferencemaker, preference will be given to full papers. The authors will be informed about acceptance by December 15th, 2018.
Selected, excellent papers will be considered for a special issue in Journal of International Money and Finance on "Monetary and Fiscal Fragility in the 2020s". Those papers will be subject to additional double blinded peer review. More details on the submission process will be available on the conference website.
Please arrange your arrival in Kaifeng on March 28th, since we will schedule presentations all day on March 29th and 30th. Rooms including breakfast are available at the conference venue (Lavenda Dream Hotel Kaifeng New Century Grand Hotel Kaifeng) for a special conference rate of 328 RMB (about 48 USD or 42 EUR). Lunch and dinner are provided for all participants of accepted papers by Henan University from the evening of the 28th to the evening of the 30th. On March 31st, Henan University will organize a social event to visit the Yellow River Scenic Area near Zhengzhou. The fee for the trip will be around 500 RMB (about 70 USD or 60 EUR).


text:
Washed Up (2023)
Dancing on the Doorstep (2022)
Warlock (2021)
The Utopia Trial (2019)
Welcome to Mars (2023)
Personal VFX
University Work
"A devoted little droid called Tuesday has been tasked with setting up a Mars base ready for humans to settle the planet. But when the landing date passes by with no contact, Tuesday starts to worry that the colonists may never arrive."
'Welcome to Mars' is a story about isolation, hope and perseverance, and is my first fully CG animated film. What was initially planned to be a quick lockdown project at the end of 2020 has turned into a great undertaking allowing me to advance my 3D skills. The film is currently in pre-production, the script and storyboards are complete, and I am working on modelling all the animation assets (as you can see from the test renders below), but actual animation should be started in the new year.
Follow me @liamjmwilson to keep up to date with progress on the film.
If you want to get in touch with me, please send an email to liamjmwilson@gmail.com
© Copyright Liam J. M. Wilson Productions 2023


With the problem of swollen eyes we come across more oftenall in the mornings, when we wake up and look at ourselves in the mirror. Normally, minor morning swelling of the skin around the eyes disappears by itself, during the process of how we finally wake up, wash ourselves and start moving actively. But it also happens that for no apparent reason the swollen eyes do not want to come back to normal and from this view becomes heavy, the face is tired, and the person seems aged.
If swollen eyes worry not only sleepinessand the swelling of the eyelids keeps for a long time, then the cause may be a disease of the internal organs, such as the kidneys, the heart or the endocrine system. Swollen eyelids will only be a symptom of the disease. In this case, you should consult a doctor who can not only diagnose, but also determine the ways of treatment.
However, the puffiness of the eyelids can also arise for entirely different reasons. Considering the causes of oedemas of the eyelids, it is important to understand that in fact the process itself is based on a "stagnant" fluid in the body.
Firstly, the eyes can become swollen due to lack of sleepor pouring. And also from a long load on the organ of vision, for example, hours of work at the computer. Moreover, a restless, disturbing sleep associated with stress during the day can also cause swelling of the eyes.
Late dinner, smoking, evening feast withconsumption of alcoholic beverages, salty foods and even a cup of tea just before bedtime, also provokes swelling of the eyelids. The causes may be in premenstrual syndrome in women and in hormone levels. Also, the eyes can swell as a result of taking some medicines and therapeutic procedures, the wrong diet chosen. The swelling of the eyelids can also be a consequence of an allergic reaction of the body. During pregnancy, women also notice frequent swelling of the skin around the eyes and lips. But even a common cold in the result of a cold can be the cause of swollen eyelids.
Of the causes of puffiness of the skin of the eyelids, it is impossible to exclude the skin reaction to cosmetics.
After understanding the reasons, you can outline ways to get rid of the problem.
To get rid of the swelling of the skin around the eyes,having addressed in a beauty salon where the expert will spend active limfodrenazh. One of the methods is electrostimulation, based on the effect on the skin of thin electrodes, which conduct an electric current of low frequency to the subcutaneous lymphatic ways. Thanks to this procedure, it is possible not only to activate lymphatic exchange, but also metabolism in skin cells, restoring their vital activity, and also to improve microcirculation of blood. There are many other salon procedures, which can be selected by a cosmetologist. Such procedures include micro-current therapy, dermotonia, mesotherapy and a variety of cosmetic masks.
If the eyelid edema is a cosmetic defect, thenan excellent way to eliminate it can be manual lymph drainage massage. You can do it yourself, gently massaging the skin from the temple to the corner of the eye for two minutes. Then gently tapping the pads of the fingers on the skin around the eyes you need to finish the massage. You can supplement the procedure with a special exercise: press your fingers to your temples and try to move the skin, moving the mimic muscles. Such an exercise can be called "frown" and perform it several times during the day.
Feel the lasting effect of any procedures you can only do by their course.
At home, you can take advantage ofspecial cold gel masks, which should be stored in the refrigerator. It is recommended to put such masks on eyelids, closing eyes and to sustain some minutes. Also a good result will be provided by a cooling gel, rich in plant extracts, which is applied to the skin around the eyes well in advance of the make-up.
A traditional means is a compress prepared on the basis of cold tea leaves, applied to closed eyelids for 3-4 minutes.
It is also effective to use freshly squeezed potato juice, which should be moistened with cotton wool and held on closed eyelids for at least 5 and longer than 10 minutes.
It will help to solve the problem and natural curd, which should not be too dry, it is kept on the eyes for 10 minutes.
If there is no allergic reaction to peppermint, then you canTry to fight puffiness with the help of herbal compresses, using mint and melissa. A tablespoon of herbs to brew in a glass of boiling water, insist, cool to room temperature and soaked cotton discs, put on closed eyelids for ten minutes.
It is impossible not to mention the "ice" procedures, forwhich will need cubes of frozen broth chamomile flowers or oak bark, you can also freeze and cucumber juice. Gently massage the skin around the eyes with an ice cube for about three minutes.
Most often, when the swelling of the skin of the eyelids is not associated with diseases of the body, it can be avoided by following simple recommendations.
So, the most important thing - get enough sleep and do not pour. And during sleep put your head on the pillow.
It is also important to remember that swelling is a stagnationfluid in the body. Therefore, try not to drink at least two hours before going to bed, reduce the consumption of salt. Know that eating bananas, raisins, cranberries and cabbage juice helps to remove excess fluid from the body. Do not forget that carbonated drinks and drinks containing caffeine contribute to the formation of edema. Artificial sweeteners are not useful in this case.
Serious about their health, not onlywishing to get rid of cosmetic defects, you need to regularly engage in exercise, which improves blood circulation and normalizes the circulation of fluids in the body.
In sunny weather, do not neglect the darkglasses. Also, do not forget to use sunscreen to care for the face, in the summer they should be used every day, regardless of weather conditions. Know that sunburn and excessive exposure to the sun can cause swelling of the eyes.
Remember that the cause of swelling of the eyelids canbecome caring cosmetics, for example, a nourishing face cream that when applied to the skin in the eye area can provoke not only its irritation, but also the swelling of the eyelids. To promote edema, moisturizers can also moisturize the skin, trapping it in the skin. Therefore, it is most appropriate for the delicate skin in this area to use specially designed means for it.
If the swelling of the eyelids is caused by inflammatoryprocesses in the body (colds or, for example, conjunctivitis), then the problem will be solved by antiviral or antibacterial drops, which usually contain vasoconstrictors. As soon as the inflammatory processes are eliminated, edema will also drop, usually it does not last more than a week.
Do not forget that swollen eyes cantestify to temporary ill health or a particular condition of the body (for example, pregnancy, menstrual cycle or allergic reaction). Therefore, it is very important to really assess your own condition and try to understand the causes of puffiness. However, when the situation is aggravated and the swelling intensifies or does not subside in all your efforts, it is worthwhile to see a doctor and find out if your swollen eyes indicate the onset of a somatic disease.
So, we need to make efforts not only,To hide the defect with the help of cosmetics and procedures, but also emphasizing their dignity, expressive eyes, for example, or beautiful hair. After all, often we only know about the shortcomings of appearance and we are worried about this, although others do not know about the problem, but always note a frown and a concerned face.
Love yourself for who you are, with all your numerous virtues and minor flaws.


text:
Talcott Williams Seelye (March 6, 1922 – June 8, 2006) was a United States Foreign Service Officer, United States Ambassador, author, and commentator.

Early life
Seelye was born in Beirut, Lebanon, the son of American parents, Kate Ethel (Chambers) and Laurens Hickok Seelye, a professor at the American University of Beirut. He was a great-grandson of Julius Hawley Seelye (famed preacher, writer and fifth president of Amherst College). His older sisters were writer Dorothea Seelye Franck, and dancer and performance artist Mary-Averett Seelye. He attended Deerfield Academy and then graduated from Amherst College in 1944 and enlisted in the U.S. Army for a three-year term during World War II. His time training at Camp Ritchie in the Military Intelligence Training Center classifies him among 20,000 other Ritchie Boys.

Diplomatic career
Seelye joined the Foreign Service in 1949, and was posted in Stuttgart, Ulm, Amman, Beirut, and Kuwait. From 1960 to 1964, he was Iraq-Jordan desk officer, then officer in charge of Arabian Peninsula affairs, at the State Department.

In 1964 to 65 Seelye attended the National War College, and from 1965 to 1968, he was Chief of Mission in Jidda. From 1968 to 1972, he was Country Director for Lebanon, Jordan, the Syrian Arab Republic, and Iraq.

From 1972 to 1976, Seelye was Ambassador to Tunisia. He was Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs from 1976 to 1977. In 1976 he also served as special representative to the President of Lebanon. From 1979 to 1981, Seelye was Ambassador to Syria, which was his final post before retiring.

Post–Foreign Service career
In editorial articles, television commentary, and other public appearances, Seelye had been critical of Israel for its militarism and of US foreign policy for being in support of such policies. Within the framework of America's pro-Israel lobby (see American Israel Public Affairs Committee, Seelye has often been portrayed as an anti-Zionist Arabist. His work has been reviewed, critically, by pro-Israel groups such as Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America (CAMERA), Middle East Forum (with its Campus Watch project), and the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, who have reported on Seelye's ties to oil companies and the Saudi Arabian House of Saud. Critics include Steven Emerson (The American House of Saud: The Secret Petrodollar Connection), Daniel Pipes, Martin Kramer, David Horowitz, and Robert D. Kaplan.

After the September 11 attacks in 2001, Seelye again found himself in the spotlight as an expert on Middle Eastern affairs and continued to advise think tanks and policy making groups. He also continues to be strongly criticized by writers who do not agree with his views on the Middle East, such as an Atlantic Monthly article Robert D. Kaplan in which he wrote of Seelye that such "Arabists and other area specialists may be emotionally involved, through marriage or friendship, with host countries – often causing them to dislike the policies that Washington orders them to execute." Seelye and over 50 former US ambassadors and government officials signed the Middle East Policy Council's letter to President George W. Bush, criticizing US policy on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, specifically Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's unilateral Gaza withdrawal plan, announced in 2004 and enacted in 2005 (letter cited below), which followed earlier British diplomats' letter to Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Seeyle is the father of Kate Seelye, a reporter who works for NPR.

Service chronology

Written works

Books
 U.S.-Arab Relations:  The Syrian Dimension (Portland: Portland State University Press, 1985)

Articles
 Journal of Palestine Studies – review of Syria and Israel: by Moshe Ma'oz (1996)
 AMEU The Link – book review (1995)
 Journal of Palestine Studies – review of Deliberate Deceptions by Paul Findley (1995)
 Numerous articles

U.S. Department of State documents
 Memorandum – on TWA hijacking (1969)
 Memorandum on military supply program in Jordan (1968)
 Memorandum on Arab-Israeli impasse (1968)
 Memorandum on message to King Hussein of Jordan (1968)
 Memorandum on audience with King Hussein (1968)
 Memorandum on message for King Hussein (1968)
 Telegram on 1967 ceasefire (1968)
 Telegram on Lebanon's views on 1967 ceasefire (1968)
 Telegram on discussions of Jordan's internal defense (1968)
 Memorandum on message to Jordanian prime minister Talhouni (1968)
 Memorandum on Yemen Situation (1962)
 Memorandum on conversation with Crown Prince Faisal of Saudi Arabia (1962)
 Memorandum on Yemen situation (1962)
 Paper on US position on the recognition of the Yemen Arab Republic (1962)
 Telegram on Assistant Secretary Philip Talbot's meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Faisal in New York (1962)
 Paper on death of Yemeni imam Ahmed bin Yahya (1962)
 Memorandum of conversation between Assistant Secretary Philip Talbot and Saudi Crown Prince Faisal in New York (1962)
 Memorandum on matters from White House meeting between President John F. Kennedy and King Saud of Saudi Arabia (1962)
 Memorandum of conversation between President Kennedy and King Saud (1962)
 Circular Airgram from USDOS to US embassies in Kuwait and United Kingdom (1962)
 Memorandum on upcoming meeting between President Kennedy and King Saud (1961)

References

1922 births
2006 deaths
Ambassadors of the United States to Tunisia
United States Army personnel of World War II
Ritchie Boys
Amherst College alumni
Deerfield Academy alumni
Ambassadors of the United States to Syria
United States Foreign Service personnel
American expatriates in Lebanon
American expatriates in Germany
American expatriates in Kuwait
American expatriates in Jordan
American expatriates in Saudi Arabia
American expatriates in Iraq
20th-century American diplomats
People from Beirut

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


As to be expected for New England weather, the end of February does not mean the end of the cold. Just as we have experienced with the beginning of the previous few months, March is expected to begin with another round of snow. With the pavement finally showing again in my driveway, but the green grass still a distant memory, I have decided to get my fix of green through cocktails (which will also be a great prep for the lovely holiday of St. Paddy's Day just a couple short weeks away).
Shake and serve straight up over the Black Raspberry at the bottom of the glass. Garnish with fresh mint leaves.
Directions: Slap the mint leaves between your palms to release oils, then drop into glass. Add ice and remaining ingredients and stir.
Shake all the ingredients together in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain into Martini glass. Garnish with orange wheel.
Enjoy and if you're in New England, stay warm!
Happy (almost) National Margarita Day! February 22 marks the great, national celebration of Margaritas, the sweet and tangy cocktail that everyone knows and loves. While it seems a tad strange to think about Margaritas while the snow is piled up 3 feet high outside of my window, I will use this holiday as a chance to (mentally) escape the winter and imagine summer days by the beach. Whether you like trying new recipes or sticking with the classic, we have a few suggestions certain to make your National Margarita Day a great one!
Shake & strain into a salt-rimmed rocks glass.
With Valentine's Day just 4 days away, it's time to start thinking about sweets! Even if you don't have that someone special to celebrate the holiday with (if you even consider it a holiday) there are still plenty of chocolates and sweets that you can enjoy date free. If you're like me, chocolate is the best part of Valentine's Day (no offense men) so why not celebrate the holiday with some chocolate cocktails!
Shake, strain into a chilled martini glass.
Add ingredients to shaker with ice, and strain into chilled shot glass.
Whether you're satisfying your sweetie or your sweet tooth this Friday, I hope you enjoy!


Got a venue for Rolf's book tour this fall?
As I mentioned a couple weeks back, I have a new travel book coming out this fall. Entitled Marco Polo Didn't Go There, this book will likely debut in September, and I will go on the road to promote it in October and November. Right now I plan on hitting various bookstores, writing conferences, and universities in Washington, Oregon, California, Texas, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, New York, and New Jersey.
In addition to standard readings from my new book (as well as Vagabonding), I'm also game to do short talks or seminars on travel writing and/or long-term travel — especially at universities and book festivals. I welcome your suggestions!
I was wondering if you were going to be in Toronto (or this side of Canada) at all? If you are please let me know the details. Thanks!
I know this is a little late, but let me know.


text:
Takamura , et al. December 6, 2016
Panaxadiol-containing composition
A panaxadiol-containing composition, containing: panaxadiol; and at least one of sucrose fatty acid ester and lecithin.
Takamura; Yusuke (Tokyo, JP), Nomura; Mitsuru (Tokyo, JP), Iwasaki; Hideaki (Tokyo, JP)
Takamura; Yusuke
Nomura; Mitsuru
Iwasaki; Hideaki
LION CORPORATION (Tokyo, JP)
PCT Filed:
PCT No.:
PCT/JP2012/060283
371(c)(1),(2),(4) Date:
PCT Pub. No.:
WO2012/150675
PCT Pub. Date:
US 20140073617 A1 Mar 13, 2014
May 2, 2011 [JP] 2011-103142
Current CPC Class: A23L 33/10 (20160801); A23L 2/52 (20130101); A23L 29/10 (20160801); A23L 33/105 (20160801); A61K 9/0095 (20130101); A61K 9/107 (20130101); A61K 31/575 (20130101); A61K 31/58 (20130101); A61K 31/685 (20130101); A61K 31/7012 (20130101); A61K 47/24 (20130101); A61K 47/26 (20130101)
Current International Class: A61K 47/24 (20060101); A61K 9/107 (20060101); A61K 31/58 (20060101); A61K 47/26 (20060101); A61K 31/575 (20060101); A61K 31/685 (20060101); A23L 2/52 (20060101); A61K 9/00 (20060101); A61K 31/7012 (20060101)
4338342 July 1982 Tan et al.
2008/0038335 February 2008 Huang
2012/0252768 October 2012 Iwasaki et al.
2014/0050805 February 2014 Kambayashi et al.
1109712 Oct 1995 CN
1628677 Jun 2005 CN
1706428 Dec 2005 CN
0659347 Jun 1995 EP
0659347 Aug 2001 EP
2698161 Feb 2014 EP
2003-81846 Mar 2003 JP
2003-246724 Sep 2003 JP
2011-026314 Feb 2011 JP
WO 03/072085 Sep 2003 WO
WO 2011/002033 Jan 2011 WO
International Search Report (PCT/ISA/210) mailed on Jul. 3, 2012, by the Japanese Patent Office as the International Searching Authority for International Application No. PCT/JP2012/060283. cited by applicant .
Written Opinion (PCT/ISA/237) mailed on Jul. 3, 2012, by the Japanese Patent Office as the International Searching Authority for International Application No. PCT/JP2012/060283. cited by applicant .
Office Action issued in corresponding Chinese Application No. 201280021483.2 on Sep. 28, 2014 (9 pages). cited by applicant .
Extended Search Report issued in corresponding European Application No. 12779418 on Oct. 6, 2014 (5 pages). cited by applicant .
Office Action issued in corresponding Korean Application No. 10-2013-7029049 on Feb. 26, 2015 (9 pages). cited by applicant .
Yim: "The Conversion of Ginsenoside by Microorganisms and Acid Hydrolysis," Hallym University, 2009. cited by applicant .
Office Action issued by the Chinese Patent Office on May 18, 2015 in corresponding Chinese Patent Application No. 201280021483.2 (12 pages). cited by applicant .
Vita Health Ginkgo Leaf Extract (Ball) 120 tablets, Jun. 13, 2010, [online] https://web.archive.org/web/20100613184400/http://www.kenko.com/- product/item/itm.sub.--8847790072.html. cited by applicant.
Primary Examiner: Gembeh; Shirley V
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Buchanan, Ingersoll & Rooney PC
The invention claimed is:
1. A panaxadiol-containing composition, comprising: panaxadiol; and at least one of sucrose fatty acid ester and lecithin; wherein the sucrose fatty acid ester is at least one selected from sucrose lauric acid ester, sucrose myristic acid ester, sucrose palmitic acid ester, and sucrose stearic acid ester, wherein the lecithin is enzymatically decomposed soybean lecithin, and wherein a mass ratio of panaxadiol to at least one of sucrose fatty acid ester and lecithin (panaxadiol:at least one of sucrose fatty acid ester and lecithin) is 1:10 to 1:100.
2. The panaxadiol-containing composition according to claim 1, wherein the panaxadiol-containing composition is a food or beverage.
The present invention relates to a panaxadiol-containing composition.
Panaxadiol is an aglycon formed after the sugar moiety has been removed from saponin (glycoside) of plants, and has been known to have high safety, be capable of being ingested as food or beverage, and have excellent blood glucose level-controlling effects and glucose metabolism-improving effects (see PTL 1). The panaxadiol has higher absorption in vivo than that of saponin. However, for the purpose of sufficiently exerting the blood glucose level-controlling effects and the glucose metabolism-improving effects, there has been a need to provide a panaxadiol-containing composition which has further improved absorption in vivo of panaxadiol and achieves great effects in a smaller amount.
During a process of absorbing ingested matter in vivo, the ingested matter should be solubilized in a digestive tract which is hydrophilic, and then passed through a cell membrane which is hydrophobic. That is, a balance between hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity is important for absorbing ingested matter in vivo. The panaxadiol has high hydrophobicity, therefore, it is guessed that improvement of the high hydrophobicity of panaxadiol can further improve absorption in vivo of panaxadiol.
Therefore, at present, there is a need to provide a panaxadiol-containing composition which has improved absorption in vivo of panaxadiol.
PTL 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2011-26314
The present invention aims to solve the above existing problems and achieve the following object. Specifically, an object of the present invention is to provide a panaxadiol-containing composition which has improved absorption in vivo of panaxadiol.
The present inventors conducted extensive studies to solve the above problems and have obtained the following finding. Specifically, they have found that a panaxadiol-containing composition which contains panaxadiol and at least one of sucrose fatty acid ester and lecithin can improve absorption in vivo of the panaxadiol. The present invention has been accomplished on the basis of this finding.
The present invention is based on the above finding obtained by the present inventors, and a means for solving the above problems is a panaxadiol-containing composition which contains panaxadiol and at least one of sucrose fatty acid ester and lecithin.
The present invention can provide a panaxadiol-containing composition which has improved absorption in vivo of panaxadiol. These can solve the above existing problems and achieve the above object.
FIG. 1 shows results of panaxadiol concentrations in blood (PD blood concentrations; unit: ppb) of groups which ingested mixed feeds of Examples 1 to 5 and Comparative Examples 1 and 3.
FIG. 2 shows results of PD blood concentrations (ppb) of groups which ingested mixed feeds of Examples 6 to 10 and Comparative Examples 2 and 4.
FIG. 3 shows results of increase factors of panaxadiol concentration in blood (PD blood concentration increase factor) in groups which ingested mixed feeds of Examples 1 to 10 when PD blood concentration in a group which ingested a mixed feed of Comparative Example 1 or 2 is assumed to be 1.
(Panaxadiol-Containing Composition)
A panaxadiol-containing composition of the present invention contains panaxadiol and at least one of sucrose fatty acid ester and lecithin; and, if necessary, further contains other ingredients.
<Panaxadiol>
Panaxadiol (PD) is a compound represented by the following Structural Formula (1) and belonging to dammarane-type triterpenes. The panaxadiol is an aglycon formed after the sugar moiety has been removed from saponin (glycoside) of plants and then the side chain has been ring-closed (hereinafter may be referred to as "sapogenin").
##STR00001##
A method for obtaining the panaxadiol is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected depending on the intended purpose. For example, the panaxadiol may be extracted from saponin-containing plants, synthesized, or a commercial product.
Of these, the panaxadiol is preferably extracted from saponin-containing plants because a panaxadiol-containing composition which has high safety can be obtained. The panaxadiol is more preferably obtained by subjecting a saponin-containing plant to an aqueous strong acid solution having a predetermined concentration to thereby hydrolyze saponin contained in the plant (herein may be referred to as "hydrolysis step"); neutralizing a liquid obtained after the hydrolysis (herein may be referred to as "neutralizing step"); filtrating the liquid obtained after the hydrolysis to thereby obtain a residue (herein may be referred to as "filtrating step"); and drying the residue (herein may be referred to as "drying step") from the viewpoint of easily producing the panaxadiol in high yield.
<<Saponin-Containing Plant>>
A saponin-containing plant used as a raw material of the panaxadiol is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected depending on the intended purpose, as long as it is a natural product containing saponin. Examples of the saponin-containing plant include Panax japonicus (Araliaceae); Bupleurum scorzonerifolium (Apiaceae); Polygala tenuifolia (Polygalaceae); Polygala senega (Polygalaceae); Platycodon grandillorum (Campanulaceae); Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Cucurbitaceae); Glycyrrhiza glabra (Leguminosae); Achyranthes bidentata var. fauriei (Amaranthaceae); Akebia trifoliate (Akebia); Ziziphus jujuba (Rhamnaceae); Anemarrhena asphodeloides (Liliaceae); Ophiopogon japonicus (Liliaceae); and Dioscorea tokoro (Dioscoreaceae). These may be used alone or in combination.
Examples of the raw material include roots of Panax notoginseng, roots of Panax ginseng, roots of Panax japonicus, roots of Eleutherococcus senticosus, roots of Aralia elata, roots of Aralia cordata, roots of Bupleurum scorzonerifolium, roots of Polygala tenuifolia, roots of Polygala senega, roots of Platycodon grandiflorum, whole plants of Gynostemma pentaphyllum, roots of Glycyrrhiza glabra, roots of Achyranthes bidentata var. fauriei, stems of Akebia trifoliate, fruits of Ziziphus jujuba, rhizomes of Anemarrhena asphodeloides, roots of Ophiopogon japonicus, and rhizomes of Dioscorea tokoro.
Of these, roots of Panax notoginseng (Araliaceae), roots of Panax ginseng (Araliaceae), roots of Panax japonicus (Araliaceae), roots of Eleutherococcus senticosus (Araliaceae), roots of Aralia elata (Araliaceae), roots of Aralia cordata (Araliaceae), and whole plants of Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Cucurbitaceae) are preferred, and roots of Panax notoginseng (Araliaceae) is particularly preferred due to the highest yield of sapogenin.
The saponin-containing plant collected from nature may be used without pretreatment. However, by using the saponin-containing plant which has been subjected to pretreatment, hydrolysis described below can be more effectively performed. The pretreatment is performed by appropriately combining, for example, washing, drying, cutting, crushing, and pulverizing. In particular, the saponin-containing plant is preferably used in a pulverized powder form. Alternatively, the saponin-containing plant may be a commercial product.
<Hydrolysis Step>
The hydrolysis step is a step of subjecting the saponin-containing plant to an aqueous strong acid solution having a predetermined concentration to hydrolyze saponin contained in the plant, to thereby generate sapogenin which is superior in absorption in vivo to the saponin, i.e., panaxadiol.
The aqueous strong acid solution is not particularly limited, so long as it is an aqueous solution containing a strong acid, and may be appropriately selected depending on the intended purpose. The aqueous strong acid solution is preferably an aqueous solution containing an inorganic acid such as hydrochloric acid, phosphoric acid, sulfuric acid or nitric acid. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more thereof. Among them, an aqueous solution containing hydrochloric acid is more preferred.
The concentration of the acid in the aqueous strong acid solution is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected depending on the intended purpose. It is preferably 0.01 mol/L to 4 mol/L, more preferably 0.5 mol/L to 3 mol/L. When the concentration of the acid in the aqueous strong acid solution is less than 0.01 mol/L, the hydrolysis is not sufficiently conducted and as a result the panaxadiol may not efficiently be obtained. Whereas when it is more than 4 mol/L, the hydrolysis may excessively proceed and there may be a disadvantage in terms of cost. When the concentration of the acid in the aqueous strong acid solution falls within the above preferred range, the hydrolysis is sufficiently conducted and as a result the panaxadiol can efficiently be obtained.
The amount of the aqueous strong acid solution used is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected depending on the intended purpose. It is preferably 2 times by volume to 20 times by volume relative to the saponin-containing plant. When the amount of the aqueous strong acid solution used is less than 2 times by volume relative to the saponin-containing plant, the saponin-containing plant is not sufficiently immersed in the aqueous strong acid solution and as a result the hydrolysis cannot sufficiently be conducted. Whereas when it is more than 20 times by volume, there may be a disadvantage in terms of cost since the reaction is saturated.
--Lower Alcohol--
The hydrolysis is preferably performed in the presence of a lower alcohol. Use of the lower alcohol in the hydrolyzing step can improve the affinity between the saponin-containing plant and the aqueous strong acid solution, to thereby allow the hydrolysis to proceed efficiently.
Also, use of the lower alcohol is advantageous in that the lower alcohol can improve the taste and handling of the obtained panaxadiol.
The lower alcohol is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected depending on the intended purpose. Examples thereof include alcohols having 1 to 5 carbon atoms. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more thereof. Among them, methanol, ethanol and propanol are preferred, with ethanol being preferred in terms of safety.
The amount of the lower alcohol used is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected depending on the intended purpose. It is preferably 1% by volume to 80% by volume, more preferably 10% volume to 50% by volume, particularly preferably 20% by volume to 40% by volume, relative to the total amount of the hydrolyzation liquid. When the amount of the lower alcohol used is less than 1% by volume relative to the total amount of the hydrolyzation liquid, the panaxadiol may not efficiently be obtained. Whereas when it is more than 80% by volume, the panaxadiol cannot efficiently be obtained and there may be a disadvantage in terms of cost. When the amount of the lower alcohol used falls within the above preferred range, the panaxadiol can efficiently be obtained, which is advantageous.
Notably, the "total amount of the hydrolyzation liquid" refers to the total amount of the reaction liquid containing the aqueous strong acid solution and the lower alcohol.
The total amount of the reaction liquid containing the aqueous strong acid solution and the lower alcohol (the total amount of the hydrolyzation liquid) is preferably 2 times by volume to 20 times by volume relative to the saponin-containing plant. When the total amount of the reaction liquid is less than 2 times by volume relative to the saponin-containing plant, the saponin-containing plant is not sufficiently immersed in the reaction liquid and as a result the hydrolysis cannot sufficiently be conducted. Whereas when it is more than 20 times by volume, there may be a disadvantage in terms of cost since the reaction is saturated.
The temperature at which the hydrolysis is conducted is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected depending on the intended purpose. It is preferably 60.degree. C. to 100.degree. C., more preferably 70.degree. C. to 90.degree. C. When the temperature at which the hydrolysis is conducted is less than 60.degree. C., the hydrolysis is not sufficiently conducted and as a result the panaxadiol may not efficiently be obtained. Whereas when it is more than 100.degree. C., it is necessary to use special production facilities and as a result there may be a disadvantage in terms of cost. When the temperature at which the hydrolysis is conducted falls within the above more preferred range, the acid-treated product can efficiently be obtained and also the panaxadiol can efficiently be obtained, which is advantageous.
The time for which the hydrolysis is conducted is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected depending on the intended purpose. It is preferably 30 min to 24 hours, more preferably 2 hours to 8 hours. When the time for which the hydrolysis is conducted is shorter than 30 min, the hydrolysis is not sufficiently conducted and as a result the panaxadiol may not efficiently be obtained. Whereas it is longer than 24 hours, the reaction may excessively proceed and there may be a disadvantage in terms of cost. When the time for which the hydrolysis is conducted falls within the above more preferred range, the panaxadiol can efficiently be obtained, which is advantageous.
<<Neutralizing Step>>
The neutralizing step is a step of neutralizing the liquid hydrolyzed in the hydrolyzing step.
The method for the neutralization is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected from known methods depending on the intended purpose. Examples thereof include a method in which an aqueous solution of a strong base such as sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide is appropriately added to the hydrolyzed liquid after the hydrolysis.
The pH of the liquid after the neutralization is preferably 5 to 8, more preferably neutral.
<<Filtrating Step>>
The filtrating step is a step of filtrating the hydrolyzed liquid obtained after the neutralization in the neutralizing step, to thereby be separated into a filtrate and a residue.
The method for the filtration is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected from known methods depending on the intended purpose. Notably, after the filtration, washing with water may be repeated until the salts are completely removed.
--Water-Added Filtration--
When the lower alcohol is not used in the hydrolyzing step, the liquid obtained after the neutralization can be subjected to the filtration without any further treatment. However, when the lower alcohol is used in the hydrolyzing step, prior to the filtration, the concentration of the lower alcohol in the liquid obtained after the hydrolysis is preferably reduced with the addition of water, for the purpose of making the panaxadiol remain in the residue.
In this case, although the amount of water to be added is preferably more, the concentration of the lower alcohol in the liquid obtained after the hydrolysis is preferably less. Specifically, water is added so that the concentration of the lower alcohol in the liquid obtained after the hydrolysis is preferably 50% by volume or less, more preferably 30% by volume or less, particularly preferably 10% by volume or less. When the concentration of the lower alcohol in the liquid obtained after the hydrolysis is higher than 50% by volume upon the filtration, the panaxadiol dissolves in the lower alcohol and is removed as the filtrate, so that the amount of sapogenins in the residue may decrease disadvantageously. When the concentration of the lower alcohol in the liquid obtained after the hydrolysis falls within the above particularly preferred range, it is possible to further increase the amount of the panaxadiol contained in the residue, which is advantageous.
--Filtration After Vacuum Concentration--
Prior to the filtration, the concentration of the lower alcohol in the liquid obtained after the hydrolysis is preferably reduced with distillation by vacuum concentration, for the purpose of making the panaxadiol remain in the residue.
In this case, the temperature for the vacuum concentration is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected depending on the intended purpose, but is preferably 70.degree. C. or lower, more preferably 40.degree. C. to 50.degree. C.
The concentration of the lower alcohol is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected depending on the intended purpose. However, the lower alcohol is preferably distilled off so as to have the concentration of 50% by volume or less, more preferably 30% by volume or less, particularly preferably 10% by volume or less. When the concentration of the lower alcohol in the liquid obtained after the hydrolysis is higher than 50% by volume upon the filtration, the panaxadiol dissolves in the lower alcohol and is removed as the filtrate, so that the amount of the panaxadiol in the residue may decrease disadvantageously. When the concentration of the lower alcohol in the liquid obtained after the hydrolysis falls within the above particularly preferred range, it is possible to further increase the amount of the panaxadiol contained in the residue, which is advantageous.
The vacuum concentration and the water-added filtration may be performed alone, or as a series of steps. When the vacuum concentration and the water-added filtration are performed as a series of steps, water is added to the liquid obtained after the vacuum concentration, so as to perform the water-added filtration.
<<Drying Step>>
The drying step is a step of drying the residue after the filtrating step to obtain a dry product of the panaxadiol.
The method for the drying is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected from known methods depending on the intended purpose. Examples thereof include freeze drying, air-circulation drying, reduced-pressure drying and heating drying.
The panaxadiol obtained by subjecting the saponin-containing plant to the aqueous strong acid solution to hydrolyze saponin contained in the plant may be used in a dried powder form, or in a solution form which is obtained by suspending the panaxadiol in a solvent such as water or ethanol to thereby dilute to a desired concentration. However, the panaxadiol is preferably used in the powder form from the viewpoint of easily producing the panaxadiol-containing composition.
The amount of the panaxadiol in the panaxadiol-containing composition is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected depending on the intended purpose.
<Sucrose Fatty Acid Ester and/or Lecithin>
<<Sucrose Fatty Acid Ester>>
A method for obtaining the sucrose fatty acid ester is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected depending on the intended purpose. For example, the sucrose fatty acid ester may be synthesized, or a commercial product.
A method for synthesizing the sucrose fatty acid ester is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected depending on the intended purpose. For example, the sucrose fatty acid ester can be synthesized by esterifying sucrose with a fatty acid.
The number of carbon atoms in the fatty acid is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected depending on the intended purpose, but is preferably 10 to 20, more preferably 12 to 18, particularly preferably 14 to 16.
The type of the sucrose fatty acid ester is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected depending on the intended purpose. Examples thereof include sucrose lauric acid ester, sucrose myristic acid ester, sucrose palmitic acid ester, sucrose stearic acid ester, sucrose behenic acid ester, sucrose oleic acid ester, and sucrose erucic acid ester. These may be used alone or in combination.
Of these, sucrose lauric acid ester, sucrose myristic acid ester, sucrose palmitic acid ester, and sucrose stearic acid ester are preferred from the viewpoint of improving absorption in vivo of panaxadiol. Sucrose myristic acid ester and sucrose palmitic acid ester are particularly preferred from the viewpoint of further improving absorption in vivo of panaxadiol.
<<Lecithin>>
Lecithin is one type of phospholipids and also known as phosphatidylcholine. A method for obtaining the lecithin is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected depending on the intended purpose. For example, the lecithin may be purified from vegetable materials such as soybean, purified from animal-derived materials such as egg yolk, purified from phospholipids, chemically synthesized, enzymatically produced, or a commercial product. The lecithin often contains unsaturated fatty acids, so that the lecithin may be hydrogenated lecithin which has been hardly-oxidized due to hydrogenation to its unsaturated bonds through catalytic reduction. The purified lecithin may further be enzymatically decomposed with phospholipases such as phospholipase A or phospholipase D. These may be used alone or in combination.
Of these, enzymatically decomposed soybean lecithin is preferred from the viewpoint of improving absorption in vivo of panaxadiol.
An amount of at least one of sucrose fatty acid ester and lecithin contained in the panaxadiol-containing composition is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected depending on the intended purpose. However, a mass ratio of panaxadiol to at least one of sucrose fatty acid ester and lecithin (panaxadiol:at least one of sucrose fatty acid ester and lecithin) is preferably 1:10 to 1:100, more preferably 1:20 to 1:60, particularly preferably 1:40 to 1:45.
Notably, at least one of sucrose fatty acid ester and lecithin is incorporated in the panaxadiol-containing composition for the purpose of further improving absorption in vivo of panaxadiol. However, at least one of sucrose fatty acid ester and lecithin itself has also been known to have cholesterol-reducing effects and arteriosclerosis preventive effects (see International Publication No. WO/97/009059), and thus, advantageous in terms of ingesting for the purposes of controlling blood glucose level or improving glucose metabolism.
<Other Ingredients>
The other ingredients in the panaxadiol-containing composition are not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected depending on the intended purpose. Examples thereof include supplemental materials or additives commonly used for the production of foods or beverages. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more thereof.
The amount of the other ingredients is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected depending on the intended purpose.
The supplemental materials or additives are not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected depending on the intended purpose. Examples thereof include glucose, fructose, sucrose, maltose, sorbitol, stevioside, rubusoside, corn syrup, lactose, citric acid, tartaric acid, malic acid, succinic acid, lactic acid, L-ascorbic acid, dl-.alpha.-tocopherol, sodium erythorbate, glycerin, propylene glycol, gum Arabic, carrageenan, casein, gelatin, pectin, agar, B vitamins, nicotinic-acid amide, calcium pantothenate, amino acids, calcium salts, dyes, perfumes and preservatives.
The amount of the other ingredients contained in the food, beverage or pharmaceutical drug is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected depending on the intended purpose.
Additionally, the panaxadiol-containing composition may contain a non-ionic surfactant other than the sucrose fatty acid ester. Examples thereof include ester compounds such as sorbitan fatty acid ester, polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester, glycerin fatty acid ester, polyglycerin fatty acid ester, polyoxyethylene glycerin fatty acid ester, polyethyleneglycol fatty acid ester; ether compounds such as polyoxyethylene alkylether, and polyoxyethylene polyoxypropylene alkylether; polyoxyethylene castor oil; hydrogenated castor oil, and polyoxyethylene polyoxypropylene polymer.
Also, the panaxadiol-containing composition may be used alone or in combination with another drug containing other active ingredients. The panaxadiol-containing composition also may be incorporated before use into another drug containing other active ingredients.
<Intake>
The intake method, intake amount, intake times, intake period and intake target of the panaxadiol-containing composition are not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected depending on the intended purpose.
The intake method is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected depending on the intended purpose, but is preferably oral intake, which makes easy and continuous intake possible.
The intake amount is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected considering various factors of an intake target, such as the age, body weight, constitution, symptom and the presence or absence of administration of a drug containing other active ingredients.
As to the animal species serving as the intake target, the panaxadiol-containing composition is suitably applied to human. However, so long as its effects can be obtained, the panaxadiol-containing composition can be applied to other animals than human, such as mouse, rat, hamster, bird, dog, cat, sheep, goat, bovine, pig and monkey.
<Applications>
The panaxadiol-containing composition can improve absorption in vivo of panaxadiol which has blood glucose level-controlling effects and glucose metabolism-improving effects, therefore, can be suitably used in food or beverage intended for prevention or treatment for diabetes.
In the present invention, "food or beverage" refers to those which are less harmful to human health and which are given orally or through the gastrointestinal tract in the ordinary social life. They are not limited to foods, drugs and quasi drugs within the administrative boundaries, but include a wide variety of orally-given common foods, healthy foods, health-promoting foods, quasi drugs and drugs.
An amount of the panaxadiol-containing composition contained in the food or beverage is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected depending on the type of the intended food or beverage, as long as it does not impair effects of the present invention. The food or beverage may be the panaxadiol-containing composition itself.
The panaxadiol has bitter taste, so that the panaxadiol-containing composition is preferably in the form of solids such as powder or a tablet from the viewpoint of being easily ingested, in the case where the panaxadiol-containing composition itself is used alone as the food or beverage.
The type of the food or beverage is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected depending on the intended purpose. Examples thereof include beverages such as refreshing beverages, carbonated beverages, energy beverages, fruit beverages and lactic beverage; frozen desserts such as ice cream, ice sherbet and ice shavings; noodles such as buckwheat noodles, wheat noodles, vermicelli, coats of Chinese dumplings, coats of pork dumplings, Chinese noodles and instant noodles; snacks such as candies, gum, chocolate, tabletted snacks, munches, biscuits, jelly, jam, cream, baked confectionery and bread; marine products such as crab, salmon, Japanese littleneck, tuna, sardine, shrimps, prawns, bonito, mackerel, whale, oyster, saury, squid, bloody clam, scallop, abalone, sea chestnut, salmon caviar and Sulculus diversicolor supertexta; marine/livestock processed foods such as fish minced and steamed, ham and sausage; dairy products such as processed milk and fermented milk; fats and oils or processed foods thereof such as salad oil, Tempura oil, margarine, mayonnaise, shortening, whip cream and dressing; seasonings such as sauce and basting; retort pouch foods such as curry, stew, Oyako-don (a bowl of rice topped with boiled chicken and eggs), rice porridge, Zosui (rice soup), Chuka-don (a bowl of rice with a chop-suey-like mixture on it), Katsu-don (a rice bowl with pork cutlets), Ten-don (a tempura rice bowl), Una-don (an eel rice bowl), hayashi rice (hashed beef with rice), Oden (a dish containing several ingredients such as boiled eggs and radish), mapo doufu, Gyu-don (a beef rice bowl), meat sauce, egg soup, rice omelet, Chinese dumplings, pork dumplings, hamburger steak and meat balls; healthy foods in various forms and dietary supplements; and pharmaceutical drugs and quasi drugs.
The present invention will next be described in detail by way of Examples. The present invention should not be construed as being limited to these Examples.
Preparation Example 1
Preparation of Acid-Treated Panax notoginseng Product
1 kg of Panax notoginseng powder (product of MATSUURA YAKUGYO CO., LTD.) was suspended in 10 L of an aqueous solution containing 5.9% by volume hydrochloric acid and 25% by volume ethanol (2 mol/L hydrochloric acid hydrolyzing liquid). The resultant suspension was allowed to react for 6 hours at 70.degree. C. while slowly stirred. The reaction mixture was cooled on ice and then neutralized with a 5 M aqueous sodium hydroxide solution. The neutralized mixture was 10-fold diluted with distilled water and then filtrated through aspiration. The residue was freeze-dried to prepare an acid-treated Panax notoginseng product.
About 0.1 g of the obtained acid-treated Panax notoginseng product was accurately weighed, and about 8 mL of ethanol (purity: 99.5% by volume) was added to the sample. The mixture was suspended for 15 min using an ultrasonic bath. The suspension was centrifuged at about 700.times.g for 10 min, and ethanol (purity: 99.5% by volume) was added to the supernatant so as to have a volume of exactly 10 mL. The thus-prepared liquid was measured through gas chromatography under the following conditions, and the amount of panaxadiol contained therein was found to be 3.5% by mass. Notably, in the following conditions, the retention time of panaxadiol was about 18 min.
[Analysis Conditions]
Gas Chromatograph: GC353B (product of GL Sciences Inc.) Detector: Flame Ionization Detector (FID) Injection method: Split injection method (split ratio: 1:50) Column: DB-17MS (length: 30 m, inner diameter: 0.25 mm, film thickness: 0.25 product of Agilent Technologies, Ltd.) Column temp.: Initial temp.: 310.degree. C. Initial temp. retaining time: 20 min Temperature increasing rate: 10.degree. C./min Final temp.: 320.degree. C. Final temp. retaining time: 14 min Carrier gas: Helium Flow rate: 1.5 mL/min Injection inlet temp.: 320.degree. C. Detector temp.: 320.degree. C. Injection amount: 1 .mu.L
Comparative Examples 1 and 2
Conventional feed (trade name: CE-2, product of Nosan Corporation) was mixed with the acid-treated Panax notoginseng product prepared in Preparation Example 1 in a mixing ratio described in Tables 1-1 or 1-2, and Tables 2-1 or 2-2 to prepare mixed feeds of Comparative Examples 1 and 2, respectively.
Conventional feed (trade name: CE-2, product of Nosan Corporation) was mixed with the acid-treated Panax notoginseng product prepared in Preparation Example 1 and glycerin monostearate citrate in a mixing ratio described in Tables 1-1 and 2-2 to prepare mixed feeds of Comparative Examples 3 and 4, respectively.
Examples 1 to 10
Conventional feed (trade name: CE-2, product of Nosan Corporation) was mixed with the acid-treated Panax notoginseng product prepared in Preparation Example 1 and either sucrose fatty acid ester or lecithin (hereinafter may be referred to as "additive") in a mixing ratio described in Tables 1-1 to 2-2 to prepare mixed feeds of Examples 1 to 10, respectively.
<Evaluation of Absorption In Vivo of Panaxadiol>
--Acclimation of Test Animal--
Rats (Sprague-Dawley rat, male, 6-week-old, product of Japan SLC, Inc.) were acclimated for 5 days with free access to water and conventional feed (trade name: CE-2, product of Nosan Corporation) under the following conditions: environmental temperature of 22.+-.0.5.degree. C., and a light-dark cycle of 12 h of light and 12 h of dark.
--Analysis of Panaxadiol Concentration in Blood--
After acclimation, the rats were bred for 4 days with free access to water and any one of mixed feeds of Examples 1 to 10 and Comparative Examples 1 to 4. After the 4-day breeding, whole blood was taken from the abdominal caudal vena cava of each of rats anesthetized with diethyl ether (product of Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.). A heparin-treated vacuum blood collection tube (product of NIPRO CORPORATION) was used for separating plasma. Notably, each of the groups in Examples and Comparative Examples contained n=3.
The blood collected from each of the groups was centrifuged at 3,000 rpm for 30 min at room temperature (25.+-.0.5.degree. C.) to thereby separate plasma components. To 3 mL of the plasma components, was added acetonitrile in an amount of 3-fold (V/V) of that of the plasma component, followed by vortexing and centrifuging at 3,500 rpm for 10 min at room temperature (25.+-.0.5.degree. C.). The resultant supernatant was collected into a test tube, followed by evaporating to dryness using a centrifugal evaporator to thereby obtain a solid. To the resultant solid, was added 1 mL of acetonitrile to prepare a sample for high performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS).
The sample was analyzed for panaxadiol concentration in blood (ppb) using the following conditions. Tables 1-1 and 1-2, and FIG. 1 show average values of panaxadiol concentrations in blood (PD blood concentrations) of the groups in Examples 1 to 5 and Comparative Examples 1 and 3. Tables 2-1 and 2-2, and FIG. 2 show PD blood concentrations of the groups in Examples 6 to 10 and Comparative Examples 2 and 4.
Notably, Student's t-test was used for statistical calculation, and a two-sided significance level of less than 5% was determined as a significant difference. In Tables 1-1 and 1-2, and FIG. 1, the result of Comparative Example 1 was compared with that of Examples 1 to 5 and Comparative Example 3. In Tables 2-1 and 2-2, and FIG. 2, the result of Comparative Example 2 was compared with that of Examples 6 to 10 and Comparative Example 4. In Tables 1-1 to 2-2 and FIGS. 1 and 2, "*" denotes p<0.05 and "**" denotes p<0.01.
[LC Analysis Condition]
LC: Waters AQUITY UPLC system (product of Nihon Waters K.K.) Column: AQUITY UPLC HSS T3 (internal diameter: 2.1 mm, length: 100 mm, particle diameter: 1.7 .mu.m, product of Nihon Waters K.K.) Mobile phase A: 0.1% by volume formic acid aqueous solution Mobile phase B: 0.1% by volume formic acid/acetonitrile aqueous solution Gradient condition: Initial concentration: 100% by volume of Mobile phase A 0 min to 10 min: linear gradient from 100% by volume of Mobile phase A to 100% by volume of Mobile phase B 10 min to 12 min: linear gradient from 100% by volume of Mobile phase B to 100% by volume of Mobile phase A Flow rate: 0.5 mL/min Column temperature: 40.degree. C. Injection volume: 5 .mu.L [MS Analysis Condition] MS: Waters synapt HDMS system (TOF/MS) (product of Nihon Waters K.K.) Ionization mode: ESI (+) Capillary voltage: 3.0 kV Cone voltage: 20 V Ion source temperature: 120.degree. C. Desolvation gas: 350.degree. C., 800 L/hour Scan time: 1 second Measurement mass range: m/z=100 to 1,000 --Calculating of Increase Factor of Panaxadiol Concentration in Blood--
Increase factors of panaxadiol concentration in blood (PD blood concentration increase factor) in Examples 1 to 5 and Comparative Example 3 when the PD blood concentration in Comparative Example 1 is assumed to be 1.0; and PD blood concentration increase factors in Examples 6 to 10 and Comparative Example 4 when the PD blood concentration in Comparative Example 2 is assumed to be 1.0 were calculated according to the following Equations. Results are shown in Tables 1-1 to 2-2 and FIG. 3.
Examples 1 to 5 and Comparative Example 3
PD blood concentration increase factor=(PD blood concentration in any one of Examples 1 to 5 and Comparative Example 3)/(PD blood concentration in Comparative Example 1)
Examples 6 to 10 and Comparative Example 4
PD blood concentration increase factor=(PD blood concentration in any one of Examples 6 to 10 and Comparative Example 4)/(PD blood concentration in Comparative Example 2)
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1-1 Component Comp. Ex. 1 Ex. 1 Ex. 2 Ex. 3 Feed (CE-2) 98 95 95 95 Acid-Treated Panax Notoginseng Product 2 2 2 2 Additive Sucrose Lauric Acid Ester -- 3 -- -- Sucrose Myristic Acid Ester -- -- 3 -- Sucrose Palmitic Acid Ester -- -- -- 3 Sucrose Stearic Acid Ester -- -- -- -- Lecithin -- -- -- -- Comparative Glycerin Monostearate Citrate -- -- -- -- Additive PD:Additive [Mass Ratio] 1:43 1:43 1:43 1:43 PD Blood Concentration [ppb] 36.6 .+-. 7.9 54.6 .+-. 7.7* 82.1 .+-. 18.4* 74.4 .+-. 13.3* PD Blood Concentration Increase Factor -- 1.5 2.2 2.0
TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 1-2 Component Ex. 4 Ex. 5 Comp. Ex. 3 Feed (CE-2) 95 95 95 Acid-Treated Panax Notoginseng Product 2 2 2 Additive Sucrose Lauric Acid Ester -- -- -- Sucrose Myristic Acid Ester -- -- -- Sucrose Palmitic Acid Ester -- -- -- Sucrose Stearic Acid Ester 3 -- -- Lecithin -- 3 -- Comparative Glycerin Monostearate Citrate -- -- 3 Additive PD:Additive [Mass Ratio] 1:43 1:43 1:43 PD Blood Concentration [ppb] 57.3 .+-. 9.7* 62.1 .+-. 9.5* 38.0 .+-. 5.0 PD Blood Concentration Increase Factor 1.6 1.7 1.0 mean .+-. S.D. (n = 3), *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, Student's t-test
TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 2-1 Component Comp. Ex. 2 Ex. 6 Ex. 7 Ex. 8 Feed (CE-2) 95 95 95 95 Acid-Treated Panax Notoginseng Product 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 Additive Sucrose Lauric Acid Ester -- 1.5 -- -- Sucrose Myristic Acid Ester -- -- 1.5 -- Sucrose Palmitic Acid Ester -- -- -- 1.5 Sucrose Stearic Acid Ester -- -- -- -- Lecithin -- -- -- -- Comparative Glycerin Monostearate Citrate -- -- -- -- Additive PD:Additive [Mass Ratio] 1:12 1:12 1:12 1:12 PD Blood Concentration [ppb] 60.9 .+-. 5.1 78.9 .+-. 7.1* 113.5 .+-. 16.2** 110.4 .+-. 15.2** PD Blood Concentration Increase Factor -- 1.3 1.9 1.8
TABLE-US-00004 TABLE 2-2 Component Ex. 9 Ex. 10 Comp. Ex. 4 Feed (CE-2) 95 95 95 Acid-Treated Panax Notoginseng Product 3.5 3.5 3.5 Additive Sucrose Lauric Acid Ester -- -- -- Sucrose Myristic Acid Ester -- -- -- Sucrose Palmitic Acid Ester -- -- -- Sucrose Stearic Acid Ester 1.5 -- -- Lecithin -- 1.5 -- Comparative Glycerin Monostearate Citrate -- -- 1.5 Additive PD:Additive [Mass Ratio] 1:12 1:12 1:12 PD Blood Concentration [ppb] 84.5 .+-. 12.6* 95.4 .+-. 11.8** 62.2 .+-. 6.4 PD Blood Concentration Increase Factor 1.4 1.6 1.0 mean .+-. S.D. (n = 3), *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, Student's t-test
From the above results, it has been found that the mixed feeds containing the acid-treated Panax notoginseng product in combination with either sucrose fatty acid ester or lecithin more improve absorption of panaxadiol in rats in vivo than the acid-treated Panax notoginseng product alone. Especially, it has been found that the mixed feeds containing the acid-treated Panax notoginseng product in combination with sucrose myristic acid ester or sucrose palmitic acid ester further improve absorption of panaxadiol in rats in vivo.
The amount of panaxadiol contained in the mixed feed of Comparative Example 2 was 1.75-fold higher than that of Comparative Example 1. Therefore, the PD blood concentration in the Comparative Example 2 was about 1.7-fold higher than that of Comparative Example 1. However, when the PD blood concentrations in Examples 6 to 10 in each of which the mass ratio of panaxadiol to sucrose fatty acid ester or lecithin (panaxadiol additive) was 1:12 were compared with the PD blood concentrations in Examples 1 to 5 in each of which the panaxadiol additive was 1:43, the PD blood concentrations in Examples 6 to 10 were only about 1.4-fold to about 1.5-fold higher than that of Examples 1 to 5. Accordingly, it has been found that the mass ratio of panaxadiol to sucrose fatty acid ester and/or lecithin in the panaxadiol-containing composition is preferably 1:10 to 1:100, more preferably 1:20 to 1:60, particularly preferably 1:40 to 1:45 in terms of absorption efficiency of panaxadiol in blood.
Table 3 shows components used for preparing the mixed feeds of Examples 1 to 10 and Comparative Examples 1 to 4.
TABLE-US-00005 TABLE 3 Number of Carbon Atoms In Component Fatty Acid HLB Trade Name Supplier Feed -- -- CE-2 Nosan Corporation Sucrose Lauric Acid Ester C12 16 J-1216 Mitsubishi-Kagaku Foods Corporation Sucrose Myristic Acid Ester C14 16 J-1416 Mitsubishi-Kagaku Foods Corporation Sucrose Palmitic Acid Ester C16 16 J-1616 Mitsubishi Kagaku Foods Corporation Sucrose Stearic Acid Ester C18 16 J-1816 Mitsubishi Kagaku Foods Corporation Lecithin -- 16 Sunlecithin A-1 Taiyo Kagaku Co., Ltd. Glycerin Monostearate Citrate C17 9.5 621B Taiyo Kagaku Co., Ltd.
Embodiments of the present invention are as follows:
<1> A panaxadiol-containing composition, containing:
panaxadiol; and at least one of sucrose fatty acid ester and lecithin. <2> The panaxadiol-containing composition according to <1>, wherein the sucrose fatty acid ester is at least one selected from sucrose lauric acid ester, sucrose myristic acid ester, sucrose palmitic acid ester, and sucrose stearic acid ester. <3> The panaxadiol-containing composition according to <1> or <2>, wherein the lecithin is enzymatically decomposed soybean lecithin. <4> The panaxadiol-containing composition according to any one of <1> to <3>, wherein the panaxadiol-containing composition is a food or beverage. <5> The panaxadiol-containing composition according to any one of <1> to <4>, wherein a mass ratio of the panaxadiol to the at least one of sucrose fatty acid ester and lecithin (panaxadiol:at least one of sucrose fatty acid ester and lecithin) is 1:10 to 1:100.
The panaxadiol-containing composition of the present invention can improve absorption in vivo of panaxadiol which has blood glucose level-controlling effects and glucose metabolism-improving effects, therefore, can be suitably used in food or beverage intended for prevention or treatment for diabetes.


Extremely simple in concept and in actual implementation.
Enabled high level of composition with native WPF elements.
Allowed app to leverage WPF input events.
Not the most efficient process, given a full CPU swap of the pixels each frame. (The R/B swap I did on the CPU could be moved to a pixel shader prior to getting the data which would reduce a good bit of the work, but you're still moving a lot of data from the GPU into the WriteableBitmap every frame).
Limits the app from using render targets without more plumbing work as switching away from the main render target prevents the content from making it to the screen.
These limits may be acceptable for some people. I built a real-time shader editing tool using this system and it worked great for my needs. However since some people have asked for more ways to do this integration that provide more performance and don't require the render targets, I went back to the drawing board a bit. After talking with a coworker for a bit (i.e. taking his core idea and running with it 😉 ), I have come up a new solution for this integration using WPF's HwndHost base type.
The idea of the new solution is simple: create a control subclasses WPF's HwndHost to create a child window to which the XNA Framework will render graphics. I leveraged the GraphicsDeviceService from the WinForms sample (with some modifications) to handle GraphicsDevice management and used the CompositionTarget.Rendering event to drive my draw loop. I also used some concepts from the GraphicsDeviceControl in the WinForms sample so that each of my controls will present to the correct window handle, thus enabling apps to have multiple controls running at the same time and sharing the same GraphicsDevice.
Rendering requires no CPU copies as we Present directly to the child window where we want our content. This means we get some great performance even with large windows.
Since we're presenting directly to the window, we no longer use render targets which allows the app itself to use them for any purpose.
Due to the nature of hosting a child window, you cannot composite WPF controls on top of the GraphicsDeviceControl (the exception being other child window content such as menus or dialogs).
Because the control is really a child window, mouse input is directed to that window's WndProc which means input handling requires a bit more work and causes some duplication of events. My sample does implement enough of this work to be useful, however there may be some things you want that I didn't tackle.
This solution requires a few native method calls and an implementation of a WndProc which means the implementation is quite a bit more complex than my previous solution. The usage is still relatively straight forward, however.
What it comes down to is that these two solutions are both useful in different ways and therefore I recommend you look at them both to see which will meet your needs.
At a high level, use of this new sample is very simple. Add a GraphicsDeviceControl into your XAML layout where you want to render XNA graphics. The GraphicsDeviceControl has a LoadContent event that will fire when the GraphicsDevice has been created and a RenderXna event that fires each frame for you to draw your content. Additionally there are a number of "Hwnd*" events for various aspects of mouse input since I couldn't route it through the normal UIElement mouse events. The control also has methods to capture/release the mouse which makes the cursor invisible and forces the cursor position to reset, which is great for tools where you want to rotate an object and not worry about the mouse leaving the view.
The sample application shows how to leverage these various actions in an app with two GraphicsDeviceControls. The top control draws a constantly spinning cube whose color is based on the sliders in the left panel. The bottom control draws a cube in one of three colors than can be changed with the buttons next to the control (or using the 'R', 'G', or 'B' keyboard keys which are set up as hotkeys for those buttons). Additionally you can use the right mouse button and drag to rotate the bottom cube without capturing the mouse or the left mouse button and drag to rotate the cube with capturing the mouse.
Hopefully this proves useful to some of you. Feel free to leave questions or comments below, but to make this point clear: the implementation of this solution is pretty complex and I cannot provide much support as I simply don't have the time. I encourage everyone to play with it, but if you run into issues please start by checking out MSDN documentation or ask on the App Hub forums so that the community can work with you to solve the issue.
This was an great post! I'm using this as a base for an graphic intensive application.
I just have one question which isn't really related to the main subject here. But I can't get the mouse wheel event to be sent to the WndProc. I've added a check for (0x020A).
But maybe I need to register for that event in some special way?
I would be very thankful if you had time to answer this.
I implemented mouse wheel support by using the native method SetFocus(hWnd); every time the mouse enters the control. I used GetFocus() before this to save the current window, and set it back when the mouse leaves the control.
Error loading "robot". GraphicsDevice component not found.
How would you load your own 3d content into this?
// Register the service, so components like ContentManager can find it.
Look at XNA+ windows form integration example, it can be implemented similarly.
Very great and usefull code! Thanks, Nick.
Also, I ran into a few problems while rendering multiple XNA controls on my screen; where the application would crash if the viewport is bigger then the first rendered control (in Nick's demo, the app will crash when you set the second, bottom, XNA control larger then the first one). This can be easily fixed by resetting the GraphicsDevice when needed in the CompositionTarget_Rendering event in GraphicsDeviceControl.cs.
Dont forget to also copy the HandleDeviceReset() method from the WinForms equivalent.
I got my Content loaded, but I dont know how to draw them, essentially just a Texture2D.
Actually I can't load my texture properly. Problem with Content Manager, it never compile my asset and I can't load pre-compiled .XB files.
This looks to be exactly what I need, but I am having one small issue. I can't seem to place any controls over top of the XNA controls. Is there a way to do this?
I wanted to overlap hwnd window that you created with semi transparent wpf control, but its not working. I also tried to change window style in CreateWindowsEx function. So if possible guide me how to draw wpf control on that window.


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text:
High Rise and just plain highs
Posted byhelenaworthen October 5, 2015 October 10, 2015 Posted inUncategorized
Night train from HCMC to Nha Trang
Dinner Wednesday night Sept 30th with Shawn Shieh, pronounced "shay," who is the Director of Development and Operations of the China Labor Bulletin, http://www.clb.org.hk/en/,
a regular online publication coming out of Hong Kong that covers labor in China. His background is working with civil society organizations in China, although he was a tenured prof at Maris University in New York at one point. He's married to Betsy Shieh, who works for the US consulate in the commerce department, finding ways to sell US made products in Vietnam and thereby keep US jobs in the US. He lives in Hong Kong, she lives in Ho Chi Minh City, and they visit back and forth. Joe had made contact with Shawn via a Vietnam study group discussion list.
We met in their apartment in District 1, right along the Independence Palace Park. Up on the 6th floor, overlooking the city. It had a terrace large enough to serve dinner for 20 and a living room to match. I'm mentioning it because it was definitely a different side of our Ho Chi Minh City experience, in fact, an outlier on my spectrum of available housing options. It could have been plopped down from a brand-new, very nice condo building on Lakeshore Drive in Chicago. It's provided by the consulate, furnished with dark wood furniture that is half-Asian half American-comfortable.
Long conversations ensued. Overall, Shieh is interested in developing labor-side collaborations among southeast Asian nations, including Vietnam, Cambodia and Bangladesh. There will be more conversations.
On Thursday afternoon, after a meeting with three spokespersons from the Accounting Faculty (they want some help with their spoken English and Dean Hoa has indicated that this would be a helpful thing for us to do), I went to the Lotte Mart and bought two pairs of thong sandals, one plastic but white, the other black leather with soft, padded soles. Both were in men's sizes. No-where in the Lotte Mart did they have a women's shoe size 42. I spent nearly $45 on the leather ones, which felt criminally expensive, but in the US these would have cost $145.
Anyway, I was very glad to have bought them because the next thing that happened was our trip to Nha Trang and I wore them all the time.
It is not going to be possible to describe everything we did on that trip. Nghia and Vy (pronounced Vee) came to our door at 5:30 pm. We were ready. The taxi was late, though, and there was a lot of worry as we fought our way through the incredibly polluted traffic, picked up Anh who was waiting in the fumes near Lotte Mart, and headed for the train station, the Ga Sai Gon, which may be the old Gare Saigon as in Gare du Nord. Vinh came on her motorbike. This is a trip Vinh started planning back last spring and sent to us all written up in our contract which we got in July.
Vy, me, Anh getting on train going north to Nha Trang
How to describe this?
Nha Trang is a beach town with blue green mountains in the background and islands out in the bay. It's very beautiful. The mist comes down between the mountains. The islands in the bay make it look as if some of the mountains just kept on marching down into the water.
We saw more "foreigners" on one block there than I've seen in a month here. Big blond women in bikinis, striding along the street, sometimes wrapped with a silk shawl. Nha Trang was a Soviet vacation destination and all the signage is in Vietnamese, then Russian, then maybe English. The beach is golden, the water is bathtub warm and ripples.
We stayed at the Ton Duc Thang campus dorms in Nha Trang, which were before 1975 a Catholic institution (nuns? Monks? Large, clean rooms with tile floors). The university is up high on a bluff overlooking the sea with great views. Right next to it is Nha Trang University, producing what felt more like a campustown with multiple coffee shops than anything around TDT in HCMC.
In three days we ate incredible amounts of seafood of sorts that I hardly recognized, saw tourist destinations, including the 9th century Cham towers, a giant Buddha that overlooks the whole city, and a Catholic church (Anh is Catholic) where couples were getting their wedding photos done. That's just the tip of the iceberg.
Friday afternoon we rode out a long road that led uphill to a mud bath. Yes, a mud bath. Acres of gardens, pools, shower rooms, locker rooms, and then these tubs that they fill with slimy clay-y warm mud while your whole party sits in it together and you spoon mud all over each other. Incredible.
We traveled from place to place on motorbikes, rented by Vinh because they were cheaper than taxis. Three motorbikes, driven by Vy, Nghia and Anh, with Vinh and me and Joe on the back. Joe looked like a stepladder laid crosswise on Nghia's back saddle; his knees stuck out, and since these vehicles stream through traffic like fish, anything sticking out is an accident waiting to happen. But we drove here there and everywhere, not too fast but pretty fast, and all was well. Yes, we wore helmets.
All day Saturday we spent at VinPearland, which is an amazing place, hard to describe. It is on an island in the bay. Look it up:
http://www.vinpearlland.com/vi/content/vinpearl-land-nha-trang
It used to be a prison island, according to Wikipedia. There is a Buddhist pagoda on a high point of the island, away from the amusement park.
The easiest comparison is to Disneyland. But you get there in gondolas over the bay, strung out over the longest cable car wire in the world (so I was told) and the piers or towers are lit up like Eiffel Towers when you come back in the dark at night. Once you're there, you can go on all the rides and into all the shows, no special tickets. The only thing you'd buy is food, which is not all from one kitchen.
Huge water park with slides. Merry-go round. Roller Coaster. "Games." Dolphin and trained seal show (Russian trainers, blond). A "European carnival" in which all the performers are "foreigners," meaning people like me. A real beach. Shops for silks and pearls, probably for rich Russians, since I heard quite a bit of Russian being spoken. A really beautiful, well-done aquarium, light on science but really great on displaying amazing fish and reptiles, including a giant Red Iguana, and with a walk-through-under-the-water central pool with huge fish. Turtles, spiders, bearded dragon lizards. Many sharks including a whole school of white ones called "incandescent". A whirligig that I rode on. A little girl with pigtails rode on it after my turn was up. She was about 6 years old, wore a pinafore type dress, and was almost alone on the ride. We were sitting at a café nearby and could look up and watch her. She was in seventh heaven. She was like Joe in one way — they were incredibly relaxed up there, just flying through the sky.
More things that I couldn't keep track of.
On Sunday morning we met the Vice President (who couldn't meet us on Friday morning because he was out sweeping the grounds with other university officers). He is a martial arts expert and looks it. A quiet, soft-spoken small man who makes James Bond look like a sissy. He asked us if we had some ideas for teaching labor classes at TDU Nha Trang and unfortunately I had more questions about the university, and we didn't get a chance to answer him.
But the main thing that I will remember, once all this starts to blur into memory, is that when you are traveling with three students in their early 20s, and their chaperone is 26, you get up early, get going right away, eat a whole lot and stay till the place closes. You have amazing amounts of harmless fun, laughing and rushing around, talking a mile a minute, making up silly games just for the purpose of having more fun.
I am so serious!! Joe and I are so serious together!!! We work all the time. I couldn't believe that we weren't going to be able to do a couple of hours of computer email and writing and studying and grading papers every day when we got up in the morning! No, it was up and out and onto the motorbikes and get some breakfast and then off down a list of adventures, including things like riding out to an island in a gondola for no reason at all except to have fun. No one was getting any work done at all! Even though Nghia had two exams on Monday, and the others had exams the rest of the week.
The train going up was not so great, although Joe and I each had a full upper bunk in a 4-person cabin with only one other person in it. The bunks were long enough for Joe. There were actually two sitting-up cars, one with padded fold-back seats and one with wooden upright seats like pews. Beyond the hard-seat car was the dining car, with a full kitchen but not a lot of people eating. After you had stepped over the kids, babies and grandmothers who were spread out under the seats on the floor of the hard-seat car trying to sleep away the miles, it didn't make you want to proceed further and order dinner.
A civil engineer who asked if he could practice his English with me said that this train was 100 years old, which made sense. The floor of the corridor was wood planks about 8 inches wide. The cabins looked as if they had been re-built many times.
Of course I stayed awake all night long looking out the window, especially because halfway up the coast we came to the region where they turn on the lights for the dragon fruit at night, to stimulate another crop. Nghia says that you can get four crops a year out of the bushes that way. It's as if whole fields are lit up with Christmas lights. Also, we got to Nha Trang at 4 am Friday morning.
The train coming back was the national train (the one that goes back and forth between HoChiMinh City and Hanoi) and was a little fancier. It had potable water, reading lights and the mattresses had fitted sheets. Joe and I will probably take that train up to Hanoi in December. I walked the length of the train and saw the hard seat car but didn't walk through the people to get to the dining car. Vinh had brought a whole lot of "local specialties" on board after a made dash to the market, anyway.
For dinner on Saturday night, we went to a huge seafood open restaurant with tablecloths. In all these seafood restaurants the creatures are swimming in basins and you choose which ones you want; they get weighed and then come to your table as a dish. Vinh, an inveterate bargaining, would always get "the best price."
The students had paid for their own train tickets, which actually meant they were supposed to stay in the hard seat car.
At the end of the trip, coming back down into HCMC, we played a game where everyone had to make an animal noise. The rules were complicated. There may be no way to assign 6 numbers to 6 people — randomly. We couldn't do it.
I have to say, I do not want to forget this kind of silly fun. It really is a different way of being in the world. It makes me look at a lot of the kinds of things that people do for fun differently.
Working as an adjunct in Vietnam
Gave my Midterm in Cross-Cultural Leadership Yesterday Afternoon
One thought on "High Rise and just plain highs"
Linda Foust says:
This was delightful, Helena. I really am enjoying your blog!