Sunday, November 8, 2015

Scientists Discover Why Some Smokers are Immune to Lung Cancer

(image from theguardian.com)

                        For years, the medical community has been baffled by the instances where health-conscious non-smokers develop lung cancer while a handful of heavy smokers retain their healthy lungs well into their nineties. A recent study by the University of Leicester revealed that the answer to these ‘rare healthy smokers’ are actually good genes.

            According to the Medical Research council, mutations in DNA provide enhanced lung function and protection against the often fatal effects of smoking, although acquiring these genes are often rare and often by pure lucky chance. However, not smoking is still the safer option than gambling on good genes, researchers report in their study published in the Lancet Respiratory Medicine Journal.

            The Leicester research team based their study on their survey of 50, 000 volunteers, all from the United Kingdom’s Biobank project. They focused on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease of COPD, thought to affect over three million people in the UK alone and is often dismissed as ‘smoker’s cough’. The researchers found a rather simple but integral discovery: that sections of our DNA reduces the risk of COPD, lowering the risk of some people in developing lung disease. After decades of puzzlement, the human DNA contains a form of immunity against possible cancer, in this case, cancer of the lung. This discovery opens up a whole new ground for medicine and the possibility for a cancer cure.


            "There doesn't appear to be any kind of magic bullet that would give anyone guaranteed protection against tobacco smoke - they would still have lungs that were unhealthier than they would be had they been a non-smoker,” Professor Martin Tobin, one of the researchers from the University of Leicester said.

            The same genes are yet to be found as giving the same immunity to other diseases such as cancers and heart disorders. The findings were first presented during a meeting of the European Respiratory Society. Although the results of the research are not wholly divulged tot he public so far, we do know that further studies will be conducted to narrow down for the immunity gene.


            "These findings represent a significant step forward in helping us achieve a clearer picture about the fascinating and intricate reality of lung health,” said Ian Jarrold, head of research at the British Lung Foundation, “"Understanding genetic predisposition is essential in not only helping us develop new treatments for people with lung disease but also in teaching otherwise healthy people how to better take care of their lungs."

              With one in ten people dying of smoking-related diseases globally, the Leicester research is breaking ground on integral steps to untangling the riddle of cancer. Although it will take time, decades possibly, science is on the right path to solving lung cancer step by step. Having a small percentage of the human populace immune to lung cancer almost sounds like it came right out of science fiction. Now whether further research will look for these rare individuals or not, we cannot be sure; but one thing is certain: the possibility of a cancer cure is getting clearer.




References:
http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/type/lung-cancer/about/lung-cancer-risks-and-causes
http://www.nature.com/nri/journal/v9/n5/full/nri2530.html
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-34360865
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/campaign/tips/diseases/cancer.html

Repose for the Urban Weary: Cebu Taoist Temple

Homebodies like me never really get along with adrenaline rush; the kind people chase after whenever they get a holiday. My roommate is a constant wanderer, shelling out every cent from her pocket cheerfully in the name of adventure. Zip-lining, island hopping, diving, biking, you name an exciting trip to the outdoors, she'll want a piece of it. Meanwhile I could not even be bothered checking out the beach resort I've been ogling online.

My train of thought about trips is always the same, "It's too far. It's too expensive. I'll be too tired to enjoy the place." And more often than not I predict my situation quite correctly. It would seem that wanderlust is not for the easily nauseous couch potatoes. But I needed a break, and a quick Google search gave me the idea to literally go up in the mountains to one of the biggest temples in Cebu City. The Cebu Taoist temple was three things that negated my usual getaway predicaments: it's near, it's quiet and best of all, it's free.

 As I packed a small bag for a trip uphill to the Taoist Temple, I expected another arduous journey ala Lord of the Rings. But I could not remain restless at home, either. Sometimes the city gets to you and the limbs feel stiff and the mind foggy. The Taoist Temple promised itself as a place of meditation and peace and peace I was desperate for.

Hailing a cab at JY Square, the taxi driver knew the way like the back of his hand. One way up the mountains is through Sudlon Street; a lot of people go up there everyday for the temples and the highland hotels and resorts miles up. As I sat in the back of the cab, sipping from a juice box for energy, I watched the city and its makeshift houses and garbage entrails disappear to make way for trees and farms. After a while concrete sprouted up again as we neared the aptly called Beverly Hills, with its high metalwork and brick walls enclosing houses of the well to do.

The driver asks whether I'd like to be dropped off at the lower gate or the upper entrance. My legs have been dreading the temple's eighty-one flights of steps, and although I'd like to experience the shrines properly, I saw no harm in simply opting for the couch potato way of entry into the place. The deities there won't mind if I do, would they?

 The taxi stops at a dead end of high limestone walls mottled with lichen that opened up to the left with a red-roofed gate of the Taoist temple. An elderly Chinese couple walks ahead of me; according to the guard, the upper entrance was preferred by the elderly patrons who couldn't handle the eighty one steps anymore.

I enter the temple premises through the red gate that opened up as a stone bridge across the uneven slope, resembling the style of the Great Wall of China. In fact, an acrylic painting of the Great Wall hangs at the entrance. Down the sides of the bridge, side gardens could be seen with ponds, running brooks and even stone pagodas.

The largest dragon of the temple is perched along a sloping greenery, guarding the main prayer hall, just one of the many stone dragons there. Upon closer inspection, all of them have five claws, a sign of royalty or esteem (dragons with lesser claws are for the lower social classes in Chinese tradition). He stared out into the sky with large glass eyes that looked more alarmed than menacing.


The shrines make use of the sloping terrain to its advantage, creating hanging gardens that provide a perfect highland view of the cityscape in the distance. There are different levels to the place, almost never uniform except for their decorations. Small shrines near the gate have golden incense bowls for worshipers, their residing deity surrounded by ornate flowers and decor.

Lines of fiesta banners were tied across the buildings as if in preparation for an event; they fluttered noisily in the heavy winds. Checking the side temples I notice the temple workers hanging up silk banners across the main entrances of the shrines, richly embroidered and intricate in detail complete with colorful tassels.

I was about to approach and ask them if there was a celebration when the sound of gongs rose in the air over the fluttering plastic banners. I crossed the courtyard and climbed up to the main prayer hall where an endless procession of devotees waited their turn at the foot of the enormous altar. The process of prayer could only be guessed by and outsider like me, there were no pamphlets about the place and information boards were all in Chinese. The red-shirted local workers at the shrines were hardly articulate with the details of Taoism and the resident patrons were all too busy to even disturb with inquiries.

The sweet smell of scented incense hung in the air as I stood outside the viewing window looking into the prayer hall. I watch worshipers kneel on low leather stools, offer incense to the giant golden bowl of ash, rattle a bamboo rods written with prayers and throw mango-sized polished stones to the floor after praying.

It was forbidden to take pictures of the deities or their altars and I ended up gawking there, scribbling away details of the rituals when the a guard approached me, thinking I'm a media hazard. I merely asked whether non believers also come to pray when he defensively told me that official interviews were not allowed, although he admitted he didn't know the actual protocol about asking questions. Again the information barrier hits me. It was clear that the only people who knew of the actual purpose and details of the shrine were its sponsors and patrons who were within the prayer hall sorting the offerings of devotees. I decided not to press them or the baffled guard about the big preparations.

The events hall lies directly to the side of the prayer hall, an open area with a souvenir shop and a hot tea station for visitors. Up the last flight of stairs are the koi ponds and the uppermost shrine. A temple worker assisting a visitor on how to properly offer incense to the golden-clad deity within. While the woman prayed I managed to ask him about the god on the altar.  He explained that the deity in gold was the center of the universe, although he did not know the actual name, himself. According to him, many things are lost in translation and the temple workers often cannot pronounce Chinese names properly. Even Google didn't provide an answer, and as I looked up at the statue sitting underneath two dragons locked in an eternal dance, I could only see the resemblance of Shi Huangti, the first emperor of China, who claimed being the center of the universe.

I turned to follow the deity's gaze which led to the sky. It was the highest point of the temple and from there I could see all the dragons poised over the roofs. The open air was clear, the sun blotted out by light clouds, letting me overlook the green of the mountain slopes and the blue grey haze of the metal and concrete city beyond.

I was so transfixed by the tranquility of the upper shrine that I found myself leaning forward to get a better look. I heard the shrine workers too late and...I ended up leaning against the railing with still wet paint. I clearly wasn't paying attention to the sign they had put up.

Embarrassed and feeling rather foolish, I scuttled away and stuffed my stained jacket into my bag. For a while I sat at a marble side table hidden away above the smallest koi pond under the eaves of the green-tiled roofs where the dragons seemed to gather. People came and went, some outsiders that gawked at everything and others seasoned worshipers who knew exactly where to go. When it was time for me to descend I finally meet the eighty one steps. A family rested at the first station, weary from the uphill trek that I so cowardly refused myself.

The steps grew narrower as I climbed down from the temple. The side gardens grew smaller as well. The gongs faded in the distance and I met another red gate. It was ten times smaller than the one I came in, just big enough for two people to walk abreast. The journey of the Taoist temple was supposed to be from the ground up, against the heat and strain, the path opening up to its visitors and have them leave through a gate that was a hundred times more marvelous than the one that met them. I took the easy way and did the journey backwards; from up to down, from grandeur to modesty.

As karma would have it, all taxis were booked and there were no rides back to the city. I ended up walking halfway before getting a ride. Maybe the deities there were keeping an eye on the lazy guests after, all.


The Rise and Fall of Jiro Manio

(Jiro Manio in his early days in film)

                Undoubtedly one of the country’s most talented child actors in the past decades, Jiro Manio had awards and prestige to his name. Sporting the innocent smile and cherubim features that won the nation over, he garnered much acclaim through his short-lived career. A series of unfortunate events led the sought-after child star off the spotlight; a tragic turn aided by drugs and misguided choices.


                Born Jiro Katakura in 1992, the Fil-Jap actor was born and raised in the Philippines and was introduced into show business at the early age of seven in his debut film Pamana. When he was nine he starred in the Diaz-Abaya movie Bagong Buwan, but it was not until his work in Magnifico that he was critically acclaimed and won Best Actor in the Gawad Urian Awards.



                Manio became the up and coming star in the business with a succession of successful work in television and film, both in the mainstream and independent scene; although by 2007, when he was just fifteen years old that his personal troubles surfaced in the news.

                Manio was reported to be using marijuana although he immediately denied it. It was quickly followed by a tragedy when his mother passed away. In the same year, he was still continuing his work in film when rumors surfaced of him having impregnated his non-showbiz girlfriend, a woman six years his senior. Like the drug accusations, Manio was quick to deny this.

                In 2009, the eventual downfall of his career officially began when Star Magic, his talent agency for over ten years, suddenly dropped him off their roster, consecutive with the dismissal of his roles in every ongoing ABS-CBN project at the time. Manio attempted to patch his sinking career by signing up with GMA on a few teleseryes. By the end of the year he admitted to being the father of his non-showbiz girlfriend’s two year old daughter, which was then followed by another baby girl the next year.

(the life of Jiro Manio presented by ABS-CBN's Maalaala Mo Kaya)

                Manio then voluntarily entered rehab for the sake of his children and finished his senior year in high school. Things seemed to be recovering for the former child star by this point and his former colleagues showered him with support. He began to appear in small-time roles on television once more.

                His eventual disappearance from the tabloids and the screen had the public thinking he had settled into the domestic life until, earlier this year he took the country by surprise.

(A homeless Jiro Manio spotted in NAIA)

                Manio was spotted in the Ninoy Aquino International Airport scavenging for food and living off the goodwill of the airport staff. Apparently, his running away was due to family troubles  about four days prior to his pictures appearing in social media. Images of the former child star spread like wildfire over the Philippine users of Facebook and Twitter.

                Relatives heard of the uproar in the news over Manio  and he was immediately brought home by his half-brother. Celebrity mentors like Ai-Ai de las Alas were concerned over his well-being and helped with his treatment and recovery.

(Manio fetched from NAIA)


                Friends from the media offered him aid in getting back into the show business but Jiro Manio refused, wanting to finally end his acting career once and for all.  Jiro Manio, the youngest multi-award winning actor of his generation has taken is final bow to the crowd and now resigned himself from the public eye.



References:
  1.  "Who is Jiro Manio?". INQUIRER.net (INQUIRER.net). 30 June 2015
  2. Noel Orsal. "ABS-CBN issues official statement on why young actor Jiro Manio has been axed". PEP.ph.
  3. http://philnews.ph/2011/05/24/jiro-manio-confined-in-rehab-for-drug-abuse/
  4. Shayla, Sirri. "After journey of renewal, ‘Magnifico’ actor Jiro Manio deserves another chance". Interaksyon.com
  5. Andrade, Jeannette (30 June 2015). "Multi-awarded actor Jiro Manio now roaming NAIA for food, clothes". INQUIRER.net 
  6. Andrade, Jeannette (2 July 2015). "'Terminal Man' Jiro Manio departs with Ai-Ai's support". INQUIRER.net 

Barong Tagalog: Did the Shirt Spark a Revolution?

        
(A cartoon from El Debate, a Spanish newspaper. Here we see the difference between the barong and the western suit)


         When does a simple tee shirt become a formal attire? When you throw a barong over it, of course! A staple at formal Filipino gatherings, the barong Tagalog has been around for ages, withstanding waves of cultural,social, and yes, fashion changes across the centuries. But how did the iconic top become so iconic in the first place?

Everybody knows that the barong has been around since the earliest recorded history of the Philippine society but it had always been a common man's formalwear, never associated with the ruling class or the elite. It was not until former president Ramon Magsaysay began to show off his many barongs in gatherings (and even in his Inauguration) in the early fifties did its social standing as  formalwear was cemented. Before that, the citizens who were better off in life preferred a western mode of clothing when attending formal events.
(Magsaysay and Garcia sporting barong tagalogs)

Common legend from Manila says that the barong begun in the Spanish era where natives were forced to design their shirts to be transparent, without pockets, and to be worn untucked to prevent them from concealing firearms and prevent thieving. Now this is just the prominent theory that is very disputed among scholars and had found its way to common knowledge; that the Spaniards forced the barong on the Filipinos as a sign of lower social status.

Following this idea, some sources refer to a rise of passive-aggressive resistance to the Spanish in the later part of their rule by making the simple shirt into an ornate garb. Introduction of exquisite embroidery and delicate dyes on the translucent pineapple textile around the time between 1600-1800 made the barongs stand out against the drab wear of the Spanish. The proponents of the theory delighted at the thought of our Filipino ancestors strutting their beautiful barongs about in silent protest.
(early illustration of the barong tagalog)

This quiet resistance built up over time and the barong became a sort of uniform to the flames of revolution already welling up within every Filipino. But just how much of this urban legend is true?

This theory is often challenged due to the lack of evidence. No one has ever found a written decree on regulation of the natives' clothing. Historians against the 'revolutionary barong' legend proposes that the barong was just an alteration to their already existing attire called the baro, which has credible historical account in the form of written accounts (and illustrations) by foreigners who got in contact with native Filipinos before the Spanish colonization. Apparently, thin fabrics would have been used way before the Spanish ruled the land in order to cope with climate. This is supported by the pre-colonial Visayans' wear of ankle-length robes (marlota) and jackets (baquero) that reached the ankles. This supposedly explains the untucked nature of the dress shirts, themselves. Meanwhile, the ornate patterns of embroiders and careful dye-work is just a mere byproduct of Filipino aesthetics.

The word 'barong' in itself means 'dress'; the phrase barong Tagalog literally translates it to Tagalog dress. Originally, it was meant to describe the outfits of men and women who lived in the Tagalog regions, but in time the term stuck to the shirt alone while the other styles gained their own names (e.g. Maria clara, kamisa de chino, baro't saya, etc.).

(unknown lady in a baro't saya)

So, according to new evidence, there never was an idea of uprising behind the pineapple weaves. The Spanish never 'forced' the barong on us, it was already there and just took the form of a western dress shirt using local techniques and textile.

Despite new evidence disproving the 'silent protest' roots of the beautiful dress shirt we have today, the common idea of revolution woven into the textile prevails. But perhaps that is just the inability of an audience to accept an anticlimactic reveal. But there you go, the true story of the barong Tagalog. No passive resistance, no conspiracy behind the fashion choices that led to its birth, just mere coincidence of tropical weather and the abundance of expert craftsmen.

Apparently the only uprising the barong Tagalog has ever sparked is a mere fashion revolution.


References
-The Utrecht Faculty of Education,. Roots of the Barong Tagalog.
-A Handbook of Philippine Folklore by Mellie Leandicho Lopez
-The Star-entangled Banner: One Hundred Years of America in the Philippines

-http://www.filipiknow.net/barong-Tagalog-history/

Totally On Fleek

Disclaimer: The article contains unavoidable cursing in quotations that support the etymological narrative of  the phrase 'on fleek'. Reader discretion is advised.

(image by risefeed.com)


Are your eyebrows on fleek? This phrase gone viral has taken grammar by storm and compliments just got a whole lot better.

When something is 'on fleek', it means 'on point' or simply just great. It can be applied to anything, but is used mostly to compliment good-looking eyebrows. The good netizens at Urban Dictionary defines 'on fleek' as the quality of being perfect.
Every year, the Merriam-Webster dictionary adds new words to its list to keep up with the ever evolving vocabulary of society, and most of these sprout from the internet. Terms like bridezilla, selfie and hashtag is recognized to be full-fledged and functional English words. Now, on fleek is making the rounds in social media and will most likely be in dictionaries soon.

The word 'fleek', however, doesn't owe its birth to the interwebs. So where did it come from?
It's been around since the early 1800s in a translation of a Plutarch 's work Lives, but in its first usage has already been about eyebrows just like it's modern usage.  Why eyebrows, you may ask? It appeared on an account describing sickly Romans who have gone pale but whose brows have remained 'puffed up' and 'delicate'. According to Alex Russell, writer of A Definitive History: On Fleek, modern interpretation of the text goes this way: “These Romans have grown pale, due to their relentless abuse of lean. Their eyebrows, however, have remained as they were, on fleek.”

It has been used in various works ever since but remained a very obscure word. Fast forward to the 21st century; on June 21, 2014,Vine user 'Peaches Monroee' uploaded a video of herself ready for an event while in her car, “We in this bitch. Finna get crunk. Eyebrows on fleek. Da fuq.”

(footage of the original Peaches Monroee Vine)

The heavy slang used might not make sense to the general populace but this was the first attributed use to the phrase 'on fleek' in a modern sense, that is, perfect eyebrows. Monroee might not have associated the phrase with Plutach's on fleek Roman soldiers, but the term went viral and everywhere, eyebrows and things of high quality were being dubbed on fleek.

Social media was abuzz with the new phrase and even celebrities used it, only feeding the flame of on fleek's viral fame. Its use skyrocketed when Ariana Grande re-enacted Peaches Monroee's original Vine in acapella form. Netizens used it to describe anything that is on point including food and people's performances. Companies like Taco Bell even jumped into the bandwagon by tweeting the phrase.

Following the 'eyebrow' route of on fleek, the popularity of the phrase helped boost one of the newest fashion trends on the block: bold eyebrows.

(image by trulytafakari.com)

Stars like Cara Delevigne and Lily Collins were hailed fresh faces in Hollywood where more or less the pencil-thin brows of the Roaring Twenties were still 'in'. The British celebrities brought in a new wave of facial grooming by keeping their brows bushy, and as the old Plutarch text described: puffed up, delicate and on fleek.

On fleek plus bold eyebrows equaled a social media sensation, especially with the selfie culture of the modern online community. Instagram and Twitter exploded with selfies captioned "#onfleek" featuring bold eyebrows ala Keira Knightly and not to mention all the on fleek items people care to post online like a well done cake or an outfit of the day.

It caught on so easily and so quickly even though the phrase 'on fleek' had no previous hold on day to day speech. "Fleek's interesting because it bubbled up out of nowhere in a way words didn't use to do," says Geoff Nunberg, a linguist of UC Berkley, "But now you can make a video or a Vine...a word catches on, the link is passed all around, and you know, two weeks later there are two billion people who are using this expression, it's astonishing."

Today, #onfleek has been used in more than 80,000 Instagram posts worldwide, and the number only grows by the day. From bold brows to cupcakes, on fleek can be applied as a badge of perfection and an ultimate modern compliment. It wasn't the first out-of-nowhere slang and it won't be the last.What do you think the next viral word that will be famously on fleek?



References:

-Urban Dictionary (February 7, 2015) On Fleek


-Alex Russell (November 15, 2014) A Definitive History: On Fleek, Complex

-Olivia Muenter (December 30, 2014) What Does "On Fleek" Mean? A Brief Timeline of the Phrase that No One Really Understands, But Everyone Keeps Saying Anyway, Bustle

-Alex Heigl (December 15, 2014) Explaining Internet Slang: 'On Fleek', People

-Peaches Monroee (June 21 2014) Original Vine Footage

-Geoff Nunberg (May 3, 2015) Interview, What is On Fleek?, Buzzfeed