Jan 27, 2016

Poetry

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My poetry reveals some concepts using a philosophical line belonging to existentialism. While extrapolating this relationship between the human being and nature, I've tried to underline the immanence of God. My work is influenced by the philosophy found in writings belonging to Plato, Kafka, Hegel, Kant, Kierkegaard, and others while pleading for a spiritual awakening. The verses are outspoken on issues of love sufferings, violence against women, natural disasters, deprivation of liberty, the human condition, and human regression.
This volume comprises my poetry work. It includes philosophical, religious and love poems as well as several poetic pieces about life, nature, sound, dance, color and death. It also contains Quatern, Rondeau, Ottava Rima, Ekphrastic, Pantoum, Kyrielle Sonnet, Villanelle, Alexandrine, Mirror Sestet, Quintain, Rondelet, Triolet, Alliteration, Tanka, Haiku, Senryu, Sextuple, Crystalline, Choka, Tetractys, Fable, Boketto, Palindrome, Acrostic, Fibonacci, Hexaverse, Triquatrain, Dadaist, Terza Rima, Spenserian Sonnet, Jintishi, Sestina, Complex, Oxymoron, Cinqku, Kimo and Monoku poems. I wanted to sense the essential human existence and to extrapolate it to infinity and to God. The poems themselves covered some symbolistic and antagonist ideas.
My poetry broke some old ideas for a new vision for life. They came into being in a new surrealistic world. I wanted to sense the essential human existence and to extrapolate it to infinity, or more exactly, to God. The poems themselves covered some symbolism and antagonist ideas such as those of lightness and darkness or goodness and badness.
My work revealed the tortured psyche of the human being in a fight with its own regression.

Sep 25, 2013

A Massive Earthquake in Pakistan Has Resulted in the Birth of a New Island


A New Island (Poem)

The southwestern Pakistan was stricken by a major earthquake,
Which killed people, and collapsed so many buildings and houses.
 The forming of a small island in the Arabian Sea was not a fake.
Men had to leave their homes together with their kids and spouses.

 The quake that hit Pakistan’s Baluchistan province had 7.8 magnitude.
On the coast of Gwadar, many houses collapsed on the poor people inside.
The new island, having a width around 100 feet and 20 to 40 feet altitude,
Is a rocky formation above the water rising to disappear like a sea tide.

Mud volcanoes have risen off the coast of Pakistan and disappeared again
Within a few months being washed away by the currents in the Arabian Sea.
The mystery of this volcano, which can meet the same fate, no one can explain.
The Vikings Edda and the Bible, in searching for the truth, for sure, form a key.

 The earthquake was centered at a strange triple junction in the Earth’s surface,
And the Arabian tectonic plate was pushing its way beneath the Eurasian plate.
The Indian plate rammed into both of them, the terrain was deformed to resurface.
This rare effect of a quake is more interesting than the changes in the atomic weight.

The tremors were even felt in northern part of India including New Delhi, its capital,
This earthquake being similar with that one moving parts of Chile 10 feet to the west.
The story about another island temporarily rising from the Arabian Sea is also real.
The ‘’ super typhoon’’ formed in the Pacific Ocean proves that the weather is stressed.

The Typhoon Usagi swept through the Luzon Strait separating the Philippines and Taiwan
 To bring heavy torrential rains and high winds to the island while weakening slightly.
Usagi made landfall in China's Guangdong Province in the city of Shanwei, near Kowloon.
The rain continued inland over China triggering flash flooding, the life changing sightly.

The Batanes Islands, in the extreme northern Philippines north of Luzon, took a direct hit.
Heavy rain has fallen in the northern Philippines, where the typhoon was named Odette.
Japan is damaged by the earthquake and the tsunami, because it’s time to start a split.
People of San Francisco wait for their turn thinking that the life isn't finished yet.

A major earthquake struck southwestern Pakistan earlier today killing about 100 people, injuring thousands, collapsing building and houses; and causing a small island to form in the sea off Pakistan’s coastline.
The U.S. Geological Survey mentioned that the quake that hit Pakistan’s Baluchistan province early Tuesday morning was a 7.8 magnitude. Officials recently declared that at more than 150 people died during this quake. That number is expected to rise while the Pakistani military are continuing to clean up the zone. Many one-level houses, in the region where the quake hit, collapsed on the people inside.
The power and force of the quake was underscored by the small, visible island that rose off the coast of Gwadar, near the port, in the Arabian Sea, off the southern coast of the country.  Pakistan’s Geo News declared that “the island’s altitude is 20 to 40 feet and width around 100 feet,” and that ''the island is roughly 350 feet off shore'', citing the deputy inspector general Moazzam Jah. Arif Mahmood, the head of Pakistan’s meteorological department. A rocky formation is now just above the water and it is visible from the coast. The rise of this new island is very interesting because most earthquakes rarely have such a drastic effect on the world surface. It’s not entirely clear what caused the new island to jut out of the sea. Earthquakes are definitely capable of causing dramatic shifts in the terrain.
According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) the earthquake struck around 100 km southwest of the city of Khuzdar in Baluchistan province, at a depth of 23 km (15 miles). The tremors wear even felt in northern part of India including national capital, New Delhi. The earthquake caused considerable panicky among people and many ran out of houses and buildings. There were no reports of aftershocks.
In 2010 a magnitude 8.8 earthquake caused parts of Chile to move “at least 10 feet to the west.” The geoscientists on Twitter talked about the possibility that the new island may have been produced by what’s known as a “mud volcano.” Back in 2010, says NASA, a mud volcano caused a different island to temporarily rise from the Arabian Sea. If that’s the case, Pakistan’s new island may not be around for a long time.
Mud volcanoes have risen off the coast of Pakistan in the past and disappeared again within a few months, washed away by the waves and currents in the Arabian Sea. It is quite likely that this new volcano will meet the same fate.
The earthquake was centered at a strange triple junction in the Earth’s surface, declared the USGS. In Pakistan, near the site of today’s earthquake, ''the Arabian tectonic plate is pushing its way beneath the Eurasian plate while the Indian plate rams into both of them from the south.''
One of the strongest tropical cyclones in at least eight years has formed in the western Pacific Ocean moving toward Hong Kong. Categorized as a “super typhoon” at its peak on Thursday (September 19, 2013), Usagi swept through the Luzon Strait separating the Philippines and Taiwan on Saturday (September 21), bringing torrential rains and high winds to island communities. On Saturday morning, Usagi’s maximum sustained winds were at 139 mph with gusts exceeding 163 mph.  Usagi is weakening slightly.
Usagi is the strongest storm to have formed in 2013. The last time we saw a storm this strong was in 2005, when Major Hurricane Wilma formed as an extremely strong tropical cyclone in the Atlantic Ocean.
Super Typhoon Usagi is the strongest storm to have formed in the last 30 years speaking in terms of Usagi’s barometric pressure (the lower the pressure, the stronger the storm). The strongest storm since people have begun to measure and track storms was Super Typhoon Tip.  It formed in 1979 and had and its pressure was about 870 millibars (mb). At its peak on September 19, Usagi had an estimated barometric pressure of 882 mb. The last time we had a super typhoon as strong as Usagi in the western Pacific was back in 1984 when Super Typhoon Vanessa had a pressure of 880 mb. However, Super Typhoon Megi in 2010 came very close to this with a pressure of 885 mb. Usagi made landfall as a typhoon in China's Guangdong Province in the city of Shanwei, about 90 miles east-northeast of Kowloon, Hong Kong. Winds gusted to 119 mph at Shanwei around the time of landfall, and the barometric pressure plunged to about 940 millibars (27.8 inches of mercury). Chinese weather authorities said landfall occurred at 7:40 p.m. local time (7:40 a.m. EDT U.S. time) on Sunday.

According to the Japanese Meteorological Agency, as of early Monday morning (U.S. time), Usagi was centered over central Guangdong Province and had weakened to a tropical depression. While the winds from Usagi have subsided, locally heavy rain will continue inland over China, which could trigger flash flooding.

Prior to hitting China, Usagi was a super typhoon. A tropical cyclone is dubbed a "super typhoon" when maximum sustained winds reach at least 150 mph. Usagi underwent a period of rapid intensification from early Wednesday through midday Thursday (U.S. Eastern time), going from a 55-knot (65-mph) tropical storm to a 140-knot (160-mph) super typhoon in just 33 hours, or just under a 100 mph intensification, based on satellite estimates of intensity. Usagi killed more than 30 people

By Friday night, though, Usagi underwent an eye-wall replacement cycle, causing the storm to weaken slightly. In addition, the outer rain bands began to interact with Taiwan and Luzon, disrupting the storm's low-level inflow, further weakening the storm.
The center of Usagi passed north of the north coast of Luzon on Saturday, local time.
The Batanes Islands, in the extreme northern Philippines north of Luzon, took a direct hit. Basco Airport reported a sustained wind of 112 mph, and then went nearly calm as the eye passed overhead and the pressure dropped to 930 millibars.
Heavy rain has fallen in parts of the northern Philippines, where the typhoon was named Odette.

The Telegraph analyzed the damages of Japan, which are a consequence of the earthquake and the tsunami. They found 2,414 dead persons. Also, they found:
10,000 – Likely final death toll figure is set to reach beyond that mark.
15,000 – Number of people unaccounted for.
50 – Number of Britons missing, presumed dead.
550,000 – Evacuated from their homes since the quake struck on Friday.
Much of the media attention in the West now is being focused on the ongoing dramas of the nuclear reactors that have been affected by the quake and tsunami. Germany has ordered that its seven nuclear reactors placed into service before 1980 be taken offline and it’s unclear what their fate will be. There’s a certain level of panic setting in worldwide over nuclear power at the moment (particularly among elected officials). Even here in relatively tectonically stable Illinois there’s nervousness.
In Japan the concern may be well-founded. The amount of radiation that has been released is enough to be a concern for the years that come. Japan has been the home to some of the world’s most damaging earthquakes.








Jun 10, 2013

Plastic Water Bottles Causing Cancer?

The EWG says that "BPA is associated with a number of health problems and diseases that are on the rise in the U.S. population, including breast and prostate cancer and infertility. Given widespread human exposure to BPA and hundreds of studies showing its adverse effects, the FDA and EPA must act quickly to set safe levels for BPA exposure based on the latest science on the low-dose toxicity of the chemical."
BPA is an industrial chemical whose major use is in the production of polycarbonates and epoxy resins. Polycarbonates are used in various consumer products, including a number that come into contact with food, such as certain plastic beverage containers and baby bottles, plastic dinnerware, and plastic food storage containers. Epoxy resins are part of the protective linings used in food and beverage cans, and it is likely that canned food is the major source of human consumption of BPA (in addition to that from plastic baby bottles). The plastic beverage containers that use BPA in their manufacture are the hard colored plastic bottles with the number 7 on the bottom (as opposed to PET bottles that are clear, softer and have the number 1).
 We'll never forget when Sheryl Crow attributed her breast cancer to the BPA (Bisphenol A, a chemical used in plastics) in re-used water bottles.

 According to Shanaz H. Dairkee, Ph.D., a Senior Scientist of Cancer Research at the California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute and Consulting Professor at the Stanford University School of Medicine, BPA is all around us, everywhere. "We are swimming in it," she says. "In our homes, workplaces, schools, and recreation areas." She points out that it's used to line food cans and paper plates, in beverage bottles, and even in cash register receipts.

Beverly Rubin, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Anatomy & Cellular Biology at Tufts University, says BPA is also in the soil, ground water, and in the dust that collects both indoors and outdoors. And, it's not just around us: a whopping 93% of people in the U.S. have appreciable levels of BPA in their urine, according to Cheryl S. Watson, Ph.D, the editor-in-chief of Endocrine Disruptors (Landes Bioscience Journals) and professor of bio-chemistry and molecular biology at the University of Texas Medical Branch. Dr. Dairkee says that BPA has also been found in human blood, breast milk, and fetal liver - which indicates that BPA can cross the placenta.

 The danger of BPA in our bodies lies in its relationship to estrogen, Dr. Watson says. "BPA resembles (but is not exactly like) natural estrogens, and can mimic or disrupt the actions of the body's own estrogens, for both males and females." When a body has too much estrogen, Dr. Dairkee says, it can initiate cancer and precancerous lesions in estrogen-sensitive tissues. The effect has has been proven in animals, with results that repeat across species. Though this isn't technically direct evidence that BPA causes cancer in humans, humans are indeed animals, and the results of these tests should be taken seriously.
The human papillomavirus (aka HPV) is more or less everywhere, statistically speaking. It’s estimated that 75 to 80 percent of all sexually active adults will have some form of HPV in their lifetime. Some will develop genital warts, while in others, the virus will lead to a life-threatening disease: Nearly 12,000 new cases of HPV-related cervical cancers are diagnosed in the U.S. every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“HPV is a skin-to-skin contact infection,” says Diane Harper, M.D., professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine and a lead researcher of HPV and cervical cancer prevention and treatment.  Condoms can’t shield you from HPV because the virus could be lingering on skin outside of the condom. “There are over 100 types of HPV that invade the human skin, and 40 types invade the soft, wet, mucosa in the mouth, anal, and genital area,” says Harper.

It’s those 40 that have been linked to cervical cancer. “HPV-16 causes the greatest number of cancers,” says Harper. “About 90 percent of the time, HPV infections disappear within two years and never cause any ill effect. Five percent of the time, the HPV infections will turn into a cancer precursor, and about half of those cancer precursors will develop into cancer.”

 Schedule an annual ob/gyn exam to get a Pap test, which will screen for cellular changes that, left untreated, could lead to cervical cancer.

But, cautions Harper, know that a Pap is not a flawless method: “Pap screening programs are very effective but not perfect at early detection for early treatment,” she says. What’s even more frustrating is that once you have HPV (whatever the form) there’s no pill to pop or shot to get rid of it. “No anti-viral exists for it to date,” says Harper. “There is no treatment for HPV infections — the only treatment is for cells already infected with HPV that have changed into a cancer precursor or a cancer.” What that means: surgical removal to cut out the HPV-ridden growths either on the outside, or inside of your body.

 There are two vaccines, Gardasil and Cervarix, which pretty much ward off the most common strains. "Both vaccines protect against some types of HPV that cause cancer and some types that cause genital warts," says Harper, who helped develop both vaccines. "Cervarix provides better protection against cancer-causing types and Gardasil provides better protection against genital warts. But they both only protect against a limited number of HPV types, not all the types that cause cervical cancers.”

Though early detection through Pap smears has made cervical cancer relatively rare in the United States (with an annual death toll of about 4,000), lack of preventive screening and treatment results in the death of some 200,000 women in developing countries each year. In those areas, the manpower and testing laboratories often aren't available to facilitate regular check ups. However, Dr. Surendra Shastri, head of preventive oncology at Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai, may have come up with a solution.

Suspicious Pap smears are usually further investigated by dousing cervical cells in acetic acid, which is basically a sterile vinegar solution. This allows even less-trained healthcare workers to examine the cells under a microscope and determine if any cancerous cells are present. After conducting research comparing unscreened women to those screened with the vinegar process only for fifteen years, Dr. Shastri presented his findings yesterday to the American Society for Clinical Oncology — announcing an astounding 31% reduction in death from cervical cancer among the women regularly screened with his new method.

In India alone, implementing this process could save 22,000 women a year — and 73,000 worldwide. And, while Dr. Shastri's study benefited from the high level of organization and diligence of a controlled study, the process is simple and cheap enough that it could work miracles in areas with limited medical access. The issue lies mainly in the follow-up process; it may prove difficult to get women who test positive into hospitals for the necessary treatment. But, this is one case where knowing is quite literally half the battle; and coupled with other low-cost methods currently in development, it could mean major change in the health of women the world over.

As far as HPV leading to throat cancer, Dr. Haddard says the risk is relatively low. However, he explains, many patients with throat cancer are likely to have had HPV - it's present in two out of three cases, according to the American Cancer Society. He likens the phenomenon to smoking: "Not all smokers will develop lung cancer, but of patients who do have lung cancer, many of them are smokers." So, while having HPV does increase the risk of developing throat cancer, it's not an inevitable result. According to Dr. Haddard, smoking and drinking are much more closely linked to throat cancer.

 Additionally, as for the buzz about

 There are some preventative measures one can take. If you get the HPV vaccination, use protection when you have sex, make sure that you and/or your partner get regular Pap smears, and quit smoking.



.Of course, smoking doesn't just increase your own risk of getting cancer, it increases the risk for everyone around you. Secondhand smoke is a well-known carcinogen, but what about thirdhand smoke? Even after cigarette smoke has cleared, toxins can linger, says Dr. Jyothi Marbin, M.D., a pediatrician at Children's Hospital & Research Center Oakland.

 Some of Dr. Marbin's patients have reported that their asthma symptoms flare up in a room where someone has been smoking. ("Even long after the smoker is gone," she notes.) It's no coincidence: Thirdhand smoke contains at least 11 toxic substances, she says, "including arsenic, cyanide, and lead."

Dr. Marbin says that everyone should be concerned, but children are at a greater risk, as they spend more time indoors.

 Non-smoking adults are commonly exposed to thirdhand smoke when they stay in a hotel, ride in a car, or move into a home or a building where smoking is allowed.
It's very easy to detect thirdhand smoke - if you can smell it, it's there. But, Dr. Marbin says, it might be there even if you can't smell it. "Research studies found that even two months after a cigarette is smoked in a room, there are still measurable levels of thirdhand smoke," she says. Unfortunately, there's no publicly available test for it, and it's not easy to get rid of. Dr. Marbin suggests cleaning surfaces or fabrics with an acidic solution like vinegar, and washing walls with hot, soapy water.

 Dr. Marbin says taking a shower and washing your clothes can remove the residue.




throat cancer in straight men in particular, Dr. Haddard says that there's no evidence to indicate whether throat cancer from orally-contracted HPV is more or less likely than cervical cancer from vaginally-contracted HPV. Dr. Haddard says that oral sex is just one of many ways of contracting the virus, and advises taking safer sex precautions with all sexual activity. And, having a partner with HPV-related oral cancer does not mean that you will necessarily develop the virus or the cancer: In a recent study of partners of people with HPV-related throat cancer, the HPV subtype which can lead to throat cancer was present in 2% of female partners and actually none of the male partners.

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