blessiejustine-portfolio - Tumblr blog

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SOME 2019 ART: CAPTAIN MARVEL!

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ILLYANA RASPUTIN, also known as the mutant MAGIK

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[ DRAFTED FEATURE ] Several Banana Leaves Later

I once said that I wouldn’t know how to live in a future that didn’t contain you. But here I am, relatively alive  — years, kilograms, and many, many pastil banana leaves later, the same place where we spent our last days together. 

Certain moments still trigger the memory of you. When I’m walking down the pathwalk under the searing afternoon sun, a thin sheen of sweat on my forehead and back, trudging through the dusty campus you knew so well. When I’m mounting the jeep at the terminal on my way to school — now where I work. I never got the chance to tell you I work here now, the place where we were really itching to get out of, some years ago. Most of the time those moments just remind me of your absence. Sometimes the absence hits me square in the chest, hard, right in the spot you left behind. The hole you carved when you departed without saying goodbye, leaving in your wake this world that is now a little dimmer because you took some of its light with you.  I suppose no single person is ever truly whole. Some parts of ourselves are scattered; with the people we love and loved. 

You know the campus looks so different now? There are street lights along the Gemma East/West road now. The road in front of our college has some as well. Street lights! Remember how we used to walk down that unevenly paved, pebbly road, with only our phones’ camera flash as the torch to light the way, hoping to God that there’s nothing in the darkness of the tall grass — natural or supernatural — would come at us? The huts that we used to hang out at are now gone, too, abolished by either depreciation brought about by time or physically replaced by stalls that sell pastil that now, for some reason, don’t taste the same to me, now that I don’t get to eat it with you. I wonder how much pastil I’ll have eat before it tastes normal again. 

Time is not a unit with which grief can be measured. Grief is preternatural, unquantifiable by math or science, as primeval as the instinct for love itself — “What is grief, if not love persevering?” said The Vision in one of the many Marvel TV shows that I also wish I could talk to you about. Your absence is not just a singular thing. It became the flowers I laid when I buried you, it became my tears, it became the antidepressants I had to take. Now, it’s the fear that keeps me from ever moving out of this city because I feel like moving away would mean completely forgetting you.

Sometimes I wish that these words I write and the sadness they’re built on would be enough to bring you back to life. Or even just call you from where you are, invite you for an afternoon snack, so I could make up for lost time and past wrongs. I hate talking about you in the past tense — it feels like you’re even more absent than you already are. Yet, deep down I know that even when there are no more new stories to tell about you; there will always be the entire lifetime you left: the gift of an unwritten memoir that will keep us warm on cold days and keep us company on rainy ones, the absurd anecdotes from our field trips, the slapstick-comedy moments, even the hard moments that, in retrospect, I wish I had tried to understand more. 

A lot has happened since you left: I’ve met new people, exchanged stories with them in the way you and I did. Sometimes, I make the mistake of looking for you in them. I’ve stopped trying to do that. Maybe I will always look for you. “How often — will it be for always? — how often will the vast emptiness astonish me like a complete novelty and make me say, ‘I never realized my loss till this moment’?” CS Lewis writes in A Grief Observed. Perhaps this is like that.

 In the meantime, I’ll just be packing stories for when we see each other again. Dispose of as many pastil banana leaves as I can until they taste like before. Missing someone is not an affliction, I’ve come to realize. It’s a scar. Something that will be with me for always now, where a painful wound of loss once festered. Most days I’m alright, actually. The mourning is not as bad. I just wish you were still here.

For now, I will love you from here. Until we meet again. ◼️

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[DRAFTED ARTICLE FOR A HEALTH BLOG] How Chronic PainAffects Your Mental Health -- and What You Can Do About It

In this digital age, more and more people are complaining about chronic pain. And that’s not a coincidence—perpetually being on smartphones, slouching over the computer screen all day long, and poor posture— all contribute to this chronic pain. These are not the only possible causes, however, as sometimes chronic pain is tied to underlying illness, such as arthritis, sprain, kidney infection, and even cancer.

How Do I Know If I Have Chronic Pain?

Chronic pain is characterized as either sporadic or continuous, and comes in different forms:

Headache, commonly migraine

Back pain

Shoulder or neck pain

Joint pain

Muscle pain

The pain may feel as any of these sensations:

Burning

Dull aching

Throbbing

Stiffness

Shooting

Pain that goes on and off for more than six months qualifies as chronic pain. It can also hinder a person from functioning, getting in the way of their daily activities, such as eating, working, and exercising. In some cases, chronic pain can go as far as affecting a person’s mental health, giving rise to mental disorders, as shown by a 2004 study where researchers found  that the part of the brain involved in stress-related disorders and the region concerned with pain modulation share neural mechanisms due to their proximity to each other [1]. 

A 2017 study conducted by researchers from different medical institutions in the US[2] found that due to their shared neurobiological pathways, there is an intersection between chronic physical pain and mental health disorders such as anxiety, depression, and opioid abuse. A study conducted in 2005[3] also supports this, where they found that not only are depressive episodes and chronic pain concurrent, the latter also delays the remission (i.e. disappearance of the disease or intensity of symptoms) of depression. In the same study, the researchers concluded that pain could be an indicator of the severity of a person’s depression.

Chronic Pain Changes A Person’s Brain Chemistry 

Continual experience of pain alters a person’s brain chemistry, especially serotonin (the “feel good” neurotransmitter—low levels of this is one of the hallmarks of depression), norepinephrine (the neurotransmitter for arousal and attention), GABA (gamma amino butyric acid—irregular levels of this neurotransmitter causes the emotion center of the brain to go into overdrive, causing Generalized Anxiety Disorder), and dopamine (which plays a role in concentration, memory, and sleep).

Hormone levels are affected as well, among these is cortisol, the primary stress hormone. Increased cortisol levels can increase blood glucose and suppress the immune system, compromising a person’s natural defense against infectious diseases. On top of these imbalances, a person with a mental health disorder also makes them more sensitive to pain.[1] 

What Can I Do Right Now?

Whether you’re unsure which came first—the chronic pain or the mental health disturbance (diagnosed or undiagnosed), here are some steps you can take towards recovery:

Take Vitamin B Complex. Some studies[4] have shown that Vitamin B complex has analgesic effects and may alleviate pain. Vitamin B complex also helps repair nerve damage. Although, keep in mind that this is only a temporary solution and does not directly treat the underlying mental unwellness.

Approach a doctor, ideally a psychiatrist. No, psychiatrists are not “doctors for crazy people.” The added benefit of going to a psychiatrist is that while they can prescribe medicine for your physical pain, they’re also licensed to prescribe controlled-release medication such as antidepressants. 

Report to your doctor what you’re feeling. Tell the doctor about the persistent pain you’re experiencing. Your doctor can also refer you to a pain management specialist and/or recommend you take therapies that can alleviate both the pain and the mental unease. 

Mental health disorders are illnesses and should be treated like so. Although mental health disorders resulting from chronic pain can be fatal, there is hope: finding a solution for both is feasible. 

References 

[1] Stahl S, Briley M. Understanding pain in depression. Hum Psychopharmacol. 2004 Oct;19 Suppl 1:S9-S13. doi: 10.1002/hup.619. PMID: 15378669.

[2] Vadivelu, N., Kai, A. M., Kodumudi, G., Babayan, K., Fontes, M., & Burg, M. M. (2017). Pain and Psychology-A Reciprocal Relationship. The Ochsner journal, 17(2), 173–180.

[3] Karp, J. F., Scott, J., Houck, P., Reynolds, C. F., 3rd, Kupfer, D. J., & Frank, E. (2005). Pain predicts longer time to remission during treatment of recurrent depression. The Journal of clinical psychiatry, 66(5), 591–597. https://doi.org/10.4088/jcp.v66n0508

[4] Calderon-Ospina, C. A., Nava-Mesa, M. O., & Arbeláez Ariza, C. E. (2020). Effect of Combined Diclofenac and B Vitamins (Thiamine, Pyridoxine, and Cyanocobalamin) for Low Back Pain Management: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Pain medicine (Malden, Mass.), 21(4), 766–781. https://doi.org/10.1093/pm/pnz216

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SAMPLE WRITING: Article for University Press on DOST-PCAARRD Visit to MSU-GSC

link to Facebook post.

LOOK: DOST-PCAARRD conducts field monitoring and program evaluation at MSU-GenSan

The Marine Resources Research Division of the Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD) conducted its monitoring and review of Mindanao State University-General Santos City’s tuna research program entitled, “Reproductive Biology, Dietary Analysis, and Life-History of Philippine Tuna Species towards Sustainable Fishing Industry in Mindanao” last August 23-26, 2022, held at the Regional Science Research Center of this campus. Helmed by the DOST-PCAARRD Executive Director, Dr. Reynaldo V. Ebora, the monitoring team also included Dr. Mari-Ann Acedera, Director for Marine Resources Division (MRRD), Ms. Ma. Adela Corpuz (Supervising Science Research Specialist), Mr. Jaypee Trinidad (Science Research Specialist), Ms. Hannah May Odemer (Project Technical Assistant), and Mr. Dan Carlo Barrion (Project Technical Assistant). The occasion also included a visit to the Fish Port Complex of General Santos City.

The field monitoring began on the 23rd with a visit to Gentuna Century Canning Corporation as part of the benchmarking for the Industry-level Collaborative R&D to Leverage Philippine Economy (I-CRADLE) proposal of MSU-GSC, which is one of the prospective partnerships of the institution with the DOST. The visit was spearheaded by Ms. Joanna Mae Padua, who served as the representative for SOCSKSARGEN Federation of Fishing and Allied Industries, Inc. (SFFAII). Ms. Padua led the tour in the canning facility, introducing the process of tuna canning production, from market to can, to the delegates. The day was capped with a courtesy call to Chancellor Aragasi and a brief meeting with the MSU-GSC Tuna Research team, the latter of which was the first face-to-face meeting of the two parties since the implementation of the project during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Evaluation and review of the ongoing tuna program, including a tour of the laboratories renovated thanks to the funding of the DOST, was conducted on the 24th. Progress of the whole program was presented by Dr. Edna P. Guevarra, Vice-Chancellor for Research and Extension and Program Leader, showcasing its accomplishments since its implementation in March of 2020. Dr. Guevarra, together with Prof. Glenville Castrence of the College of Fisheries, also presented the results of Project 1 of the program entitled, “Reproductive Biology of Three Philippine Neritic Tuna Species in Mindanao.”

Findings of Project 2 of the program, “Dietary Analysis and Feeding Habits of Six Philippine Tuna Species using Metagenomics” were presented by its Project Leader, Dr. Donna Ria J. Canacan of the College of Agriculture, and Dr. Ramjie Y. Odin, Vice-Chancellor for Research, Extension, and Development of MSU-Maguindanao, who also serves as a collaborator in the project. Results of Project 3 (“Otolith Elemental Fingerprinting, Shape Analysis and Microstructural Analysis of Three Philippine Neritic Tuna Species”) were presented online by Dr. Cleto Nañola, Jr. and Prof. Ariel Ortiz of the College of Fisheries. Project 4, entitled, “Ichthyoplankton Resource Identification Towards Replenishment of Tuna Species in Sarangani Bay Protected Seascape (SBPS) and Adjacent Waters” was presented by its project leader, Prof. Julius V. Mingoc of the College of Fisheries. The delegates were then toured around the laboratories in the Regional Science Research Center and the College of Fisheries as part of the presentation of Project 5, “Upgrading of Marine Biodiversity, Histopathology, and Molecular Biology Laboratories of MSU General Santos City for Advancement of Biodiversity Studies in Mindanao.”

Providing feedback on the findings of the research and giving suggestions for further improvement of the gathered data was Dr. Wilfredo Campos, who was invited as external evaluator. Dr. Campos, who is currently the Chair for the Division of Biological Sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences of University of the Philippines – Visayas, provided pointers on how to further refine the projects’ findings to make them suitable for policy recommendation to the local government units in SOCSKSARGEN .

Spanning from the 25th to 26th, further details regarding the I-CRADLE and other partnerships of the DOST with MSU-GSC were then discussed with the delegates.

The visit marks the first time the DOST-PCAARRD has visited the MSU-GenSan campus.

-Blessie Justin Arellano

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SAMPLE ART: Illustrations for 'Bioluminescence': A Collection of Works from Young Writers of GenSan (2018)

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EXHIBIT: brochure for Otolith Study (for National Science and Technology Week 2022)

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PUBLISHED SCIENTIFIC PAPER: “Comparative diversity analysis and species composition of seagrass and macroalgae along the intertidal zone of Sarangani Province, Philippines”

(Published in the Journal of Biodiversity and Environmental Sciences (JBES) Volume 5, No. 4, p. 356-364, 2014. Published with Alima, et al.)

View a digital copy of the paper here.

ABSTRACT. The study was carried out as an intensive sampling survey in the intertidal zones of Sarangani Province (Glan and Maasim), relying on the low tide to determine the total species number, relative species abundances, frequency and spatial distribution of seagrass. Eight Species of seagrasses and nineteen species of macroalgae were gathered. These have been the sampling sites of researchers, most especially students, for its reputation of having diverse distribution of such aquatic plants. A total of fifty sampling plots were laid using quadrats; ten quadrats were arranged alternately with a five-meter disparity between each plot, placed perpendicularly to the shore. The study identified species of seagrass belonging to the family Potamogetonaceae and Hydrocharitaceae. Nineteen species of macroalgae were identified from where either seagrass was present or absent and categorized under the family of Dasycladaceae, Ulvaceae, Halimedaceae, Caulerpaceae, Dictyotaceae, Sargassaceae, Galaxauraceae, Wurdemanniaceae, Gelidiaceae, Gracilariaceae and Cryptonemiaceae.Seagrass. Biodiversity indices such as dominance, Shannon’s diversity, evenness, species richness and number of individuals were also determined using PAST software. Distribution analysis revealed the three highest number of species among the eightseagrass species were Enhalusacoroides, Haloduleuninervis and Thalassiahemprichii-such werec ommon in both sites. The Padina minor from the nineteen identified macroalgaespeciesin the algal community has the most number of species. There are great indications of seagrass and macroalgae presence with its distribution when proper sampling procedure is done. Researchers strongly recommend that physicochemical such salinity and sedimentation and also correlation on distribution of species be studied further.