60 Days Hiatus - Goodbye Internet!

Tomorrow I will leave Zamboanga City and will live a hermit life for about 60 days or more. Why, you ask? Just want to have some time with myself while I still have time. And no! I'm not talking about a disease that slowly disintegrates my body. I am talking about having some time before the dreadful senior year in college. I know I'm wasting my time. There's like gazillion things that I can do with my 60 days out of school. And hey, I am doing something like:

1) READ NOVELS! Its been a while and I'm 18 books away from my challenge. I also want to catch up with the book series I failed to read the finale. I have already had a copy of about 50+ epubs. I'm hoping to finish a book a day. So yeah. Books it is! (Just hoping that I will never ever again encounter a streak, where I read Uglies, Delirium and Eve continuously. And if your ever know what is the common denominator of the three books, you try to read it.)

       2) WATCH ALL THOSE TV SERIES I MISSED. Yep, planning on that one. Especially since the "tragic" ending of "How I Met Your Mother". What's on my list? Well Marvel's Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. last episodes of The Vampire Diaries, Game of Thrones, Big Bang Theory, season 8-10 of Grey's Anatomy, Arrow, Gossip Girl, White Collar. I can't say enough.

3) SLEEP 10 HOURS. These past few days I haven't slept well because of things that keeps on bogeying my mind. Hopefully these days will e my redemption in sleep. This one I'm not sure. I seriously need to fix my circadian rhythm wherein I don' sleep at 7am then wake up at 10am. That's just make me grumpy all day. Plus the headache.

4) OF COURSE I'M WATCHING MOVIES. This will the thing that won't ever go out of the list.


5) PARTY WITH MYSELF eg. BLASTING THE STEREO AND DANCING LIKE A MORON. This is what I will do first thing I land on my home province. Yeah, annoy my neighbors and all that stuff.

6) AND LASTLY READ REVIEW of RELATED LITERATURE. You see I can't just not worry about my thesis. So I will probably end up reading sources. Urgh!






I know what you think, I'm a bore, a dork, or whatever. But who knows? Who knows this list will be discarded when I'll decide to jump on a bus tomorrow and head for Cebu instead. You never know how spontaneous a person can be.

BOTTOM LINE is wherever I am. I wont be updating my Blog, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads. ETC. So when I come back from my hiatus, expect a lot of postings here.


UNTIL JUNE THEN.
JOYCE xxo

Simple methods to cope up with 'Downersville'

Photo from "Trust Me I'm a Biologist". I guess one of the reasons why I feel so pensive is that I worry a lot about our incoming thesis and what will I do with the rest of the summer. Turns out when I saw this picture, I regain my bearings, I realized that its not only me who faces these kinds of problems but so as the millions of biologist in the world. If they made it at the end of the road then I will certainly make it.

Yesterday I was the epitome of a stressed person. If you have read my post entitled "Pensive State of Mind" yesterday you would have thought how depressing my situation is. Luckily, after my shenanigans yesterday I was able to find something that can change my mood from rotten to absolute enthusiasm.  I know I'm a bit depressed yesterday but when you find the perfect reason to cope up, you can do it. You just need the perfect place, time and everything spice. So as a little tip, I will share to you some of my ingredients whenever I'm in Downersville. And everything that keeps me sane with all the craziness that surrounds Mother Earth.

1) Find some time alone with yourself. Make sure that you are in a place where there is less noise and you are comfortable. It can be your bedroom, in beach or church. So long as you can find your self at ease. 

2) When you are already comfortable. Let go of the things that makes you anything less than happy. Say a mantra to yourself. Like "I was given life, therefore I have a purpose". Soon you will realize that all those fears and troubles that surrounds you are just challenges for you to do something good out of the life given.

3) Let yourself relax. Play a song that does not make you think of the things that troubles you. Stay at ease for at least 15 to 30 minutes.

4) After 30 minutes slowly think about the things that bothers you. One by one, reason out why you are given that instead of this. Why out of billions of people you are face with this problem. And then slowly make a plan on how to deal with that problem. Do not let negativity absorb you. Remember that things happen for a reason. Maybe the reason you are face with these problems right now is for you to encounter a more 'fulfilling' tomorrow.

5) If you are dealing with a heartbreak or failure do not ever control yourself from crying. Cry until you know there's nothing left. I know that when you start to cry out your problems it may seem like an endless tears but it will eventually stop. Once it already stop, you will feel the lightness in your chest and you can already reason out your problems.

6) Lastly, after doing everything listed. Introduce yourself again to the real world with renewed energy and purpose. Learn how to see the positive in every thing. Even the bad ones. Even the worst ones.


Hope this one can help.
J xxo

Pensive State of Mind

For a week and a half now I cant get my bearings to normal. It seems like as days pass by I feel like not doing anything but to procrastinate. I don't know why but it started when the semester ended two weeks ago. I feel like all I want to do is do something and that ends up to nothing. I stay at home. Heck even holed up at home with no internet and whatsoever entertainment. That feeling that you want to do something but you don't know what it is. I guess and I assume this is just a post-semester-syndrome. My worst and most stressful semester so far. If it is, I very much hope to get over this because heck I have a proposal to make and I didn't read even a single related literature on our 'new' topic.

I know you think this post is such a waste of post  and I admit. I just wan't to say things so that my brain will get it that she needs to work and that in real life, we do not get pause buttons like these. I am wasting my time and that is no good.

Have you ever read "The Phantom Toolbooth" by Norton Juster? I have read an excerpt of that children's book and I wish I have a Watch Dog here making sure that I am not wasting time. You should read it. Though it is a children's book, us adults have so many thing to learn from that book. Like we should go beyond expectations. We we're always taught that 'expectation causes frustration' but in this book it says that we never know what is install for us if we never go beyond what is expected of us. Which is seriously making sense. Right?

This brings me to my current pensive state of mind. Every second that I waste here in this four corners of my dormitory feels like wasting a life that I'm suppose to live. I feel like instead of making this crap post I should read something that is valuable. Ha. Now I sound like an over dramatic miss. I really don't know why I feel this way but these are the moments where you pass by 'downersville'. Everybody is entitled for a moment of two of pure drama and whatever you call them.


J xxo

RH Bill vs. Natural Law - Debate Reflection

 Location: Philippines 

          Natural Law says we should not go against our nature. We cannot help what we are born to do. While the RH Bill on the other hand tell us to be more practical and save our future selves from the wrath of what we are doing today. Both principles for me are equally important to the survival of species. Hence, choosing a side or even pick an option is vitally critical. It will make you question your morality and even the things that you already know and stand firm at. I think that what is most striking in the debate.

            I agree on some level with the government side in the debate. As a biologist, we must know that the RH Bill brings forth more benefits that we could ever imagine. These benefits will make sure that our generations will experience life just as we know it. As the saying goes we borrow whatever we have now to our future sons and daughter. It will ensure that resources will still be abundant. Sexually transmitted diseases and AIDS will be prevented.  We cannot help the benefits RH Bill does and we cannot question that. The only catch here and the main argument here is that accordingly it violates the Natural Law. What I think is that RH Bill is not something too bad at all. Although part of the Bill is fertility control, we must remember that RH Bill is only a law that gives us permission if ever we want to seek one. RH Bill does not tell us to stop from doing our nature of consummation. It only permits us to protect ourselves from something that we do not want when we engage in that certain scenario. It is more like what doctors always tell us “Prevention is better than cure”. By using a protection while doing the “thing” isn’t against the Natural Law at all. Except when of course one is enforce to use one to prevent from possibility of pregnancy then that is another question. When there is already a question of enforcement to have a baby even if the couple wants to, I think that is where RH Bill draws the line. In anyhow, preventing, educating, caring for post-abortion and maternal care is not really that bad.

            On the other hand, many are against RH Bill because of the Natural Law. This is where all things become tricky. Natural Law is so natural that if someone will pass a law that tells us to stop breathing then all people will end up in jail. It is absolute. We cannot argue what we are structured to function. As the saying says “It goes naturally”. I think that there is no harm to stand firm of our nature. But sometimes life brings us at the edge of the cliff and the only other option is to make adjustments for us and every other people will survive. That is when I realize that although it is natural for us to breath; the earth has limited sources adding that to the fact that we are adding tons of air pollution every second. The only other way for us to have enough oxygen to survive and our generations to survive is learn how to change. Like when using a contraceptive will protect us and will help limit the population, we help clean the environment for us to have enough breathing space, to have a future we want for our generations.

            The main thing that I realize in this debate is that we should make adjustments. We must learn how to control one nature for our other nature to survive. More like giving people the right to limit their children, so that they will have much more breathing space. More like giving the Philippines a chance to limit population so that nature can cope up with our nature.

Combined toxicity effects of MTBE and pesticides measured with Vibrio fischeri and Daphnia magna bioassays - Article Review

Review:

Combined toxicity effects of MTBE and pesticides measured with Vibrio fischeri and Daphnia magna bioassays

M.D. Hernando, M. Ejerhoon, A.R. Fernandez-Alba, Y. Chisti

            This article review is about the use of Vibrio fischeri and Daphnia magna bioassays as a tool to measure the combined toxicity effects of methyl-tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and several components of pesticides Diuron, Linuron, Dichlofluanid, Sea nine, Irgarol and tributyltin (TBT). MTBE is widely used as fuel oxygenate in gasoline commonly contaminates aquatic ecosystem and has a low acute and chronic toxicity when tested alone. However, combination of chemicals found in aquatic environment affects the toxicity of the individual compounds. It can be synergistic, additive or antagonistic effects. The study’s goal are to know the combined effects of pesticides found in lake, marinas and river which were Diuron, Dichlofluanid, Sea nine 211, Irgarol 1051, Linuron and Tributyltin (TBT) and MTBE. V. fisheri and D. magna bioassay was used to evaluate the toxicity level of MTBE and pesticide alone and together the combined effects. They quantified the toxic effect using EC_50. They also evaluated the time generated by the toxic response of V. fisheri and D. magna.

            Chemical were purchased and tested individually and as a combination. The compounds were then evaluated using V. fisheri bioassay and the light was evaluated using Biotoxt^TM.. D. magna bioassay used Daphtoxkit^TM and was assessed by noting the motility of D. magna. The data were also converted into a Mixture Toxicity Index. The EC₅₀ was replicated six times for reproducibility. Chemical analyses were also used to detect the disappearance of MTBE because it is highly volatile, highly water soluble and a persistent pollutant.

MTBE is toxic to invertebrates at concentrations of 57 to >1000 mg/L and the value of MTBE’s toxicity on D. magna is EC₅₀=720 mg/L and is consistent with the reported 96-h EC₅₀ measurement of 681 mg/L. As a result the typical concentration of MTBE in environment does not harm aquatic life. Presence of MTBE enhances the EC₅₀ of Diuron, Dichlofluanid, TBT and Linuron and while Sea nine and Irgarol were not raised.

For us, this study is actually reliable for future studies as the result were able to answer their objectives in terms of identifying the effect of the MTBE to the bioassays and the time needed to take effect (in the results). The results obtained were all consistent to the goal when the effects on the bioassays were clearly identified. Even if the paper has no recommendations, we say, the results are reliable and can be used as a reference for parallel studies.

Using Bioassays for Testing Seawater Quality in Greece - Article Review

Review:

Using Bioassays for Testing Seawater Quality in Greece

By: A. Kungolos, P. Samaras, and E. Koutseris

            This article review is about the use of two bioassays: Artemia Test and Microtox Test in testing the quality of seawater in Thermaikos Gulf, Pagassitikos Gulf and Skiathos Island in Northern Aegean Sea. The use of chemical analysis in testing specific compounds present in water proves to be a helpful method in improving water quality. However, aside from its high cost, it also does not detect the synergistic and antagonistic effects of compounds mixed in an environment. Due to this, several agencies including the European Union Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in USA have already initiated the integration of chemical and biological parameters in testing fresh and sea water. This paper then investigates the use of two bioassays as a biological parameter to test water quality, the Artemia Test and Microtox Test that uses brine shrimp Artemia franciscana and Vibrio fischeri, as a test organism respectively. Literatures are limited in the coverage of toxicity in real environment so this paper aims to furthermore analyze the quality, variation through time, sensitivity and comparison of bioassays. The method study started by the collection of 1L water samples from shallow waters in seven locations Thessaloniki coastal area and 13 sampling sites in the coastal area of Magnesia prefecture. Samples were selected to cover the range of places influence by anthropogenic activities. Microtox and Artemia Test were done after on the day or 24 hours after the water samples are transferred to the laboratory. Results in Atermia Test were only valid mortality of control did not exceed 10% where for Microtox Test toxicity results were expressed as % toxicity (15 min) = (I_t - I_o)/I_o X 100. Results show that toxicity of seawater on A. franciscana is low and there is a clear improvement on the quality of water between September 1997 and May 2000. Microtox test showed that the use of V. fischeri is more sensitive than the Artemia test. It showed that the used of the latter is useful because it has simpler procedure but Microtox test is a more reliable procedure. The use of bioassay as a supplementary procedure to chemical analysis is important for the assessment of water quality.

            In this study, the researchers were successful in attaining their objective on trying to assess the seawater quality in Greece when the two bioassays were able to detect the toxicity of the seawater; only that Vibrio fischeri is more reliable over the A. franciscana bioassay. Moreover, we say the researchers were successful because they were able to draw the difference of the water quality through the years even if both bioassays had different sensitivities. We also agree with the recommendation of them to have a variety of assays to detect the quality of water because there is no single organism that is sensitive to all potential pollutants.

Advances on using a bioluminescent microbial biosensor to detect bioavailable Hg (II) in real - Review

Review:

Advances on using a bioluminescent microbial biosensor to detect bioavailable Hg (II) in real samples (by: G. S. Costa, A. M. Salgado, P. R. G. Barrocas)

This reviews the use of microbial biosensor in detecting bioavailable mercury. Ever since the industrial revolution, trace metal pollutants has accumulate progressively in the natural ecosystem, one of which is mercury (Hg). Due to the influence of anthropogenic activities and indiscriminate use by men, the normal traces of Hg in ecosystem increase and deaths have already been reported upon consumption of contaminated aquatic organism. There are various types of Hg base on forms and chemical species so it is important to determine its bioavailability and toxicity. Traditional analytical method does not distinguish bioavailable species to inert ones, so biosensors are used as an alternative analysis device to diagnose environmental condition because of its sensitivity, selectively and relatively low cost. New biosensors use microbial sensors like the use of luminescence. The main objective of the study is to investigate and apply genetically engineered E. coli MC1061 and a luminometer as the biological element and the transducer respectively to detect Hg concentration.

 The method of the study revolved around the addition of Hg into the agar mediums prepared. The LB medium was used in the form of agar or broth. The independent variables measured were the cell concentration and mercury concentration. All experiments were performed on three time frames (20, 45 and 60 minutes). Calibration of Hg concentration standard was also followed. Complex environmental samples were studied as well (i.e. landfill slurries). Luminometer was used to detect the luminescence of the bacteria upon the addition of Hg. Moreover, bioassays were obtained from after cell growth at 150 rpm and 30 º C. Concentration was measured through the dry weight. The medium where the bacteria are grown are controlled with specific conditions for the detection of mercury.

            Results show that only M9NO₃ medium showed significant results from 20 to 45 minutes. Th4 coefficient determination (R2) adjusted for M9NO3 using 20 minutes was 51.30%, while for

45 minutes, R2 was 93.96%. At the three locations identified, the bioluminescent bacteria showed high specificity in the detection of mercury (Hg) at controlled samples. The study concluded that bioluminescent biosensor has a high potential on the detection of bioavailable mercury and other complex environmental samples.

            All in all, the researcher was successful in using the bioluminescent biosensor in detecting Hg concentration because the luminescence of the bacteria reflected the amount of concentration of Hg. A decrease of luminescence is equal to increased Hg; he was able to recommend it as a detector of other complex environmental samples as well.