junior Journalist's Output

平成21年2月18日水曜日

science report

Fighting Sigatoka in Bananas

By: Laarni Tizel S. Lawas

A virulent plant disease affecting banana production worldwide is an airborne disease called Black Sigatoka (BS). It is caused by the fungus Mycosphaerella fijiensis. This fungus destroys the leaves of the banana plants and causes premature ripening of the fruit. If left untreated, BS can quickly destroy even the entire banana farms.

Currently, the only effective way for commercial banana growers to control the fungus is through aerial spraying of fungicides. However this process is expensive because it requires spray planes, fuel and fungicides as well as pilots, monitoring staff and field supervisors.

On the other hand, Dr. Ronald Romero, Director of Chiquita Tropical Organization in Costa Rica said in his article “Aerial Spraying,” that the best defense against BS is to keep plants healthy, and that is the object of all agricultural practices. He cited the following strategies in maintaining the good health of plants:

Maintaining proper spacing between plants
Keeping drainage canals clean
Controlling weeds
Aggressively pruning infected leaves

The strategies mentioned above help reduce humidity and thus the growth of the fungus, and to prevent the spread of the disease.

In support of aerial spraying, Dr. Romero emphasized that good agricultural practices alone are not sufficient to stop outbreaks of BS that is why aerial spraying of fungicides is applied.

Mr. Roberto Apale, Harvest Coordinator of Marsman Drysdale Isalon Organic Banana Agri-venture Inc. (MDIOBAVI) in Bongabong, Pantukan, Compostela Valley Province, said that they use two groups of fungicides in controlling BS--protectant and systemic fungicides. The former are sprayed on banana leaves in an effort to protect them from fungus while the latter kill the fungus after it has infected the leaves.

Mr. Apale continued that Marsman’s time of interval for spraying is at least 7 days, depending on the intensity of the BS.

Since the plantation was surrounded by the residents of the place, spraying is done only within the buffer zone that is 15 meters away from the boundary line. Aside from that, the monitoring staff places notices painted on boards informing the people that there is an undergoing aerial spray.

____________________________________

Sources:s

Mr. Roberto Apale

- Harvest Coordinator of Marsman Drysdale Isalon Organic Banana Agri-venture Inc.(MDIOBAVI) based in Bongabong, Pantulan, Compostela Valley Province Dr. Ronald Romero.Aerial Spraying.2002.http://www.chiquita.com/chiquitacr1/4cases/cro66.asp.12/26/07.

my hate list

The Hate List

Deadline for the submission of grades for the undergrads is fast approaching. I hate such idea. Do you want to know why? Because I still have lots of things to do; to write in complying my unfinished requirements (the consequence of mañana habit).

I easily get irritated when I imagine the bulk of my work. I want to sleep, I want to rest but I can’t. I have to write, to write, and to write. I started to hate this. Oh, hate…yes, for a break, I’m going to write my hate list.

1. Jeepney konduktors ( ones who seek for passengers and collect their fares as well) who assure you of a vacant space. assure. These people with the effort to earn much, catch every person who might be waiting for a ride. They spmetimes force you to the pjeepney’s already full. And sometimes, when you’re in a hurry and don’t have any other choice, you did listen to their assurance though not believing it.

As you sit down, only the other side of your butt could fit in plus you have baggage that you need to put into your lap. Your own body weight plus with that of your baggage hardened so much your feet, wherein you get the force in carrying your self. And you have to pretend of course that you’re okay in your position because pairs of eyes are looking at you. It would be more shameful if you suddenly drop from your seat. You try to complain to the konduktor but all he will say is, “That space is already enough for you.” Oh, how I love to throw my baggage on his face and let him take my place for hours.

2. A common situation for s student like me during exams. When you weren’t able to study and thus not prepared to take, you silently pray for the absence of the teacher but unfortunately he/she arrives. You asked for postponement but were not granted. The exam continues and you definitely suffer the consequence.

On the other hand, when you’re so ready and even excited to take, your classmates will ask for a postponement and unluckily, your teacher granted their request. It happened to me many times but I just can’t insist to go on with the exam because others might think that I’m selfish.

3. The old nature of my mother. I remember my past years in life. Young as I was, I love to sleep and wake up late in the morning and that continues until now. However, before the clock’s hands turn to six, my mother woke me up forcefully, making a loud knock on my room’s door while calling out my name only to command me to buy sugar, or coffee, or milk, or pandesal…whatever in just a nearby store. I know she can do that by herself that’s why I wonder why she still asked me to. Maybe she just loved to disturb me. I’m glad that she already broke that bad habit of hers.

4. People who ask to text using your cellphone telling you that it would not take long, just one message to send. And yes, you give your phone since you’re registered to unlimited text promo. Your phone rings informing you that a message was sent to you. You’re excited to open it thinking that it might be your friend, or any loved one but it appears that it’s not for your. The message is for the person who borrowed your phone. You tell him/her of course about the message and he/she again asked for a text. A message again came. The one who borrowed your phone is there so much enjoy in texting forgetting what he/she said ahead, “Just once.”

5. When you’re at the middle of your sleep at night then the mosquitoes buzzing near your ears disturb and awaken you. No matter how you cover your ears with your fingers or maybe with your pillows, you still hear their noise. No matter how you tried to sleep back, but still you can’t. Perhaps you can for just a couple of minutes but afterwards you’ll be awaken again.

You lack anymore the effort to stand up to brutally kill those mosquitoes because al you want is to sleep. In the morning you’ll awake wondering why you feel so tired and later on realize that it’s because of those damn mosquitoes.

travelogue

Search for a sandal trip

Traveling is one of my favorites. I enjoy it especially if it’s my first time to be in the place. One of the trips I could never forget was in January 2002. My elder sister Glary who was then a junior in high school was busy preparing for their fast approaching JS Prom. She has already the dress and other things needed except for a pair of sandals. We tried to borrow but we found none. We have no other choice than to buy.

Our kuya’s girlfriend, ate Mic promised my sister for a treat in Davao. Maybe out of insecurity, I asked to go also. And there the journey began.

Davao City is not that far from our place. It’s just a two-hour bus trip. Unfortunately, we’re not used to go there for shopping. Most often we go to Tagum City because it’s closer. Aside from that, we’re not familiar with the specific places in Davao.

Ate Mic instructed us to wait for her in the Metro Shuttle Bus Terminal in Tagum. She’ll just follow after her work. Although we’ve been to Tagum for so many times, terminal is quiet new to us because there’s another place where we used to wait for a ride.

Pretending to be expert, I told my sister not to worry. I acted as the guide that time. With my command, we went to a place, an open area with the large letters painted on top- Metro Shuttle Bus. We waited not just for an hour but for hours. We became irritated and we almost quarreled. We don’t have cellphone that time so we have no other choice than to wait.

When we’re about to surrender and decided to just go home, ate Mic appeared across us. Oh, it was the place, the right place where she instructed us to wait. Without knowing, she waited for us and was also about to go home thinking that we’ll arrive no more. The expert was really not an expert. I was wrong, and I really felt shy.

We finally rode on the bus enjoying what we saw in the TV screen. I thought the three of us were enjoying but it’s not. Minutes after, my sister felt something in her stomach; her tears started to roll down. She covered her mouth with her hanky trying to control the force of vomiting. “Control it,” we said because we don’t have any plastic. Perhaps the commotion was so obvious the passengers started to gaze at us. Thank God, one offered a plastic she kept in her bag.

Instead of enjoying the movie and the views of the places we passed, I focused my attention to my sister. I felt pity on her. I know that she don’t want that to happen; she don’t want other people to look at her that way.

When we arrived, we rested at ate Mic’s house. For me that house is very much worthy to be demolished. When we went upstairs, it made a noise and started to shaken as if there’s an earthquake. Well, we just laughed at it.

After taking our dinner, we prepared for what I thought as “shopping”. My idea of shopping that time is to buy not just one or two items but many and expensive items. I was so excited then then.

We went to malls, boutiques and even side walk stores looking for that pair of sandals. That was so tiring. There were only few which fit my sister’s size and those few looked maybe not bad but inappropriate for the occasion. Thank God for He led us to a store where we found what we’re looking for. It was a pair of sexy, black sandals with a glittering butterfly on its strap. We bought it then quickly left the place.

Excitement turned back. I thought, I really thought that we’ll go on “shopping” after that but unfortunately, we just went back home, slept for the whole night then returned in our hometown early in the morning.

That was really a terrible journey. All of my expectations failed. It seemed that I was there just to walk on the streets of Davao. I only served as the maidservant of Cinderella looking for her lost sandals.

In that trip, places were not that memorable, but the events happened, they are.

at the cross roads

At the cross roads

August 15, 2006—my spiritual birthday, the day I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior. From that day on my life started to change and I was determined to follow His will for my life.

I enjoyed the first few months of my spiritual journey as a baby Christian and I learned more about God by reading and meditating His words. One of the things I learned is to patiently wait for my LTP (lifetime partner). In short, not to engage yet in a BGR (boy-girl relationship) especially that I’m still a student and still young. Our church however, does not force us to do us but it does teach matters like keeping one’s purity. Without a doubt, I followed such teaching.

One day, Rustan came into my life. For months we became friends until we realized that we’re starting to fall in love with each other. He then became my boyfriend in a long-distance relationship since I’m studying in Mindanao State University (MSU), Marawi City, a place too far from our place, Compostela Valley.

I believed that I hurt God of what I’ve done because He’s no longer my priority. Before, I didn’t miss to spend time in praying but when Rustan came, my praying time slowly vanished. In spite of that, I still continued to attend Sunday fellowships, bible studies, and other activities of the church hoping that through that God will be convinced that He’s still my priority (though deep inside I know He’s not). But it turned out to be different. The more I attended church activities, the more I was convinced that what I did was really wrong. I will not really know God if Rustan remains in the picture.

I started to feel guilty, different from the kind of guilt I felt from my past mistakes in life it’s up to you whether you’ll consider my act as mistake or not). Confusion haunts me day and night. But since I know that God has the best plans for me, I decided to break up my relationship with Rustan. I was hurt of course plus with the fact that he’s my first boyfriend. As what others say, “The first cut is the deepest.”

But Rustan could not understand me. “I know that you love me but why you’re doing this to me?” he asked. I could not tell him that it’s God who’s telling me to do so, I mean through meditating His word, because although he’s a Christian, I know he’s not that rooted to God’s word. And I’m afraid he could not understand. I’m afraid that he will blame God for my decision.

I tried not to be convinced by him but I failed. After months of pursuing me, I finally give in. We started to rebuild our once broken relationship. But God really works. The more we love each other, the more I became bothered inside.

In our boarding house, I am in a room with Christian roommates. Among the five of us, it’s only I who was engaged in BGR. They were not involved even once in their lives. They rebuked me but I accepted everything with a kind heart. I never quarreled with them because I understand their point. However, as days went by, their rebukes made me feel that I am the most sinful among us and that pressured me more. That’s why again, I decided to say goodbye to Rustan. That became a routine—on-off, on-off relationship.

Just recently, I again proposed a break up. I reasoned out that I was already tired of our long-distance relationship. He called me and unexpectedly he said, “Are you really tired or you’re just afraid to fight for your feelings? You know what Ngit (our endearment), you’re so coward. I know that you love me but why you allow other people to dictate you? All I want is for you to fight for me as your boyfriend!” His long statement shut up my mouth and I could not help but cry.

There was really a great dilemma. Will I follow those people who say that we have to follow our hearts because it knows all things? Will I just throw away the privilege of loving and being loved in return? Oh, I could not afford to give him up. His total absence will surely be a death for me. But could I afford to disobey God, the maker of everything, the one who gives me life, and the one who can send a man for me even more than Rustan? Oh, I thought that when you want something, the entire universe conspires in helping you achieve it. It seems that it’s not. Huh, I’m at the cross roads and I don’t know where to go.

In my agony I called on to God and said, “I want both of You and Rustan in my life. I don’t want to choose between the two of you. I don’t want to sacrifice one of you.” But I was reminded of God’s word that says, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure…” I just cried and cried because I know that no matter how I wrestle with God, I will still end up a loser. Indeed, many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.

Now, I finally know whom to follow and whom to choose. I finally know in which road to go.

quotation lead

Facing the waves

“It requires more courage to suffer than to die,” said Napoleon Bonaporte.

Suffering? It’s not new to us. Personally, I already met countless sufferings in my almost twenty years living in this world. Some were solved while some still remains unsolved until now and I know I’m not the only one experiencing this.

Wherever you look, you can see and hear people suffering. Some suffers from poverty, some from sickness, and many others. Problems are all around. It runs from personal, family, local, national and even universal. I believe everybody suffers something. Really, suffering is such a vast topic to tackle.

Some times in my past, I came to a point of wanting to die just to escape from problems. Not through suicide of course. I just asked God to take me away from this miserable world. Problems were like waves who were calling out my name and laughed at me, reminding me of all the times I tried before and failed. They kept on telling me time and time again that I’ll never win, that I’ll suffer ‘till death.

Death? Oh, it takes just a time to be experienced. When you die today then that’s it, it’s done. But do sufferings also take just a time? I doubt they do. You suffer today, the next day and until you find the solution. And solutions sometimes are not that easy to find. After it is solved, another will replace, perhaps, not right away but for sure there will be. They will only stop haunting you when you die that’s why it requires more courage to suffer than to die.

Lately, I cried a river of tears when my parents informed me that they can’t afford to send me for our practicum this summer. The idea of failing to take the practicum which means failing to graduate on March 2009 frightens me day and night. I tried to be strong and strived to be okay though in the inside I’m absolutely not. Yet, I kept my faith knowing that earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal (Thomas Moore).

Yah, we will really can’t have that great courage to face sufferings, we really would want to die if we face problems with our own strength and wisdom, if we depend much on our selves. We need someone who will fight with us. We need Him, we need God. As in the text message: Dear soldier, I see you are tired. I tell you, drop your sword and put down your shield. Why worry about the fight? After all it’s not your battle, it’s mine. All you have to do is be in the battle field then against the thousand who tried to destroy you, there I will stand and rescue you. Winning this war requires neither only me nor only you, but rather me and you—God.

Indeed, we live here to fight, and in the fight we should aim to win.

stop the itch

Stop the itch

By: Laarni Tizel S. Lawas

Have you experienced scratching your scalp then as you look at your nails there are white-gray small particles remained? What are these particles anyway?

First you should know that a person’s entire body surface continuously sheds dead skin cells. The excessive shedding of these cells is called dandruff (also called as scurf and historically termed Pityriasis capitis). It is normal for skin cells to die and flake off. Some people, however, either chronically or as a result of certain triggers, experience an unusually large amount of flaking, which can also be accompanied by redness and irritation.

Dandruff is not an organism like lice; it is just a dead skin that accumulates in the scalp. “They are micro-organisms that feed on a person’s blood and tissues that is why they easily multiply,” said Prof. Aileen Theresa D. Roble, a faculty of Biology Department of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics (CNSM), MSU-Main.

CAUSES

Dr. Richard Thomas, MD in his article What is Dandruff Really? said that contrary to popular theory, although bacteria may aggregate a dandruff condition,, they do not cause the initial problem. Most medical authorities consider dandruff, even the mildest forms, to be a type of scalp or skin related disease. Clinically, one description of dandruff is seborrhea capitos or excessive sebum production of the scalp.

Today most skin specialists agree that dandruff is associated with a tiny fungus called Pityrosporum ovale or P. ovale for short. This fungus lives on our bodies and scalp all the time usually without causing a problem. Unfortunately, for some people, it can get of control leading to dandruff.

Aside from this clinical explanation, an article entitled Dandruff by Joseph Bark states that there are two different causes of dandruff—internal and external. Some of which are the following:

Internal Causes

Hormonal imbalance
Poor hygiene
Lack of rest
Emotional stress
Excessive consumption of sugar, fat and starch

External Causes

Excessive use of hair sprays and gels
Improper use of hair-coloring products or excessive use of hot hair curlers or curling irons
Infrequent shampooing of the hair or inadequate rinsing of the scalp and hair.

“In addition to these, dandruff is usually seasonal,” said Ms. Husna Dimapalao of Biology Department of CNSM. “It is most severe during cold season than during summer because in this time a person’s scalp becomes more oily and this supports the growth of P. ovale. That is why many are saying that you are not an MSU’an once you don’t have dandruff since MSU is known for its cold climate.

EFFECTS

“Obviously, this case results to itchiness and the worse is, it causes social or self-esteem problems,” Ms. Merlita L. Almeria, a biology instructor said. It is definitely true because once you suffer dandruff, you’ll be more conscious and afraid that people might see the flakes lying on your shoulders. Some even feel insecure with others who don’t have it.

In addition, if a scalp shows signs of redness, swelling, and scrabbing accompanied by flakes, there could be another scalp disease involved like psoriasis or ringworm. With any of these symptoms it is important to see your health care provider immediately.

TREATMENT

There have been many strategies for the control of dandruff. One of these is the use of medicated shampoos. Some of these shampoos are head & shoulders and pantene pro v, and nizoral with zinc pyrithione and ketoconazole active ingredients respectively. Anti-fungal/anti-dandruff shampoos that contain the latter ingredient have been shown to be more effective than the former as concluded by multiple studies.

The best approach is to pick a product and try it. If the product works and is successful in controlling your dandruff, continue to use it. It is important to remember that there is no known “official” cure for dandruff. Once you have the problem, the best that you can hope for is management and control.

In severe cases, dermatologists will prescribe a special ointment or lotion to treat the problem. These products must also contain zinc pyrithione and ketoconazole for more effectiveness.

Accord-ing to the wikipedia, nutrition can play a big part in controlling dandruff. To counteract the inefficient carbohydrates and fatty-acid metabolization which can cause dandruff, include plenty of B vitamins in your diet. Eggs and cabbage are just two of the sources of vitamin B6. Sometimes an allergy to dairy products may cause dandruff. In this case alternative food sources of vit. B6 are preferred. The good fats found in nuts benefit the body and promote healthy scalps.

Moreover, onions would be of great help. Cut a fresh onion in half and rub it on the scalp. onions Wash your hair once a week with sulfur based soap. Avoid hair products that contain alcohol which dries out the scalp. Also, avoid hair dryers which will also dry the scalp and add to the problem.

Nevertheless, the most effective way to counter dandruff is cleanliness of hair. Brush your scalp carefully to loosen scales before shampooing. Never use the comb/brush of the person suffering from dandruff as it is dangerous and contagious. Likewise, make sure that you wash your comb/brush after every shampoo if you have dandruff yourself. Brush your hair thrice a day and shampoo at least twice or thrice a week. If you wash your hair daily, use small amounts of baby shampoo. Harsh shampoos will just cause the sebaceous gland to overcompensate by producing more oil than necessary.

Hence, whatever type of solution you select, take your time and understand that every treatment works differently for every situation.